Meet Grace Stuve | Dancer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Grace Stuve and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Grace, how do you think about risk?
Taking risks is a big part of life and a scary part of life. Everyone would rather be comfortable all the time because it’s the easy route, however, you can’t live your life to the fullest without risk. The whole world views taking risks in a very negative way which is the wrong way to look at it. Risks should be seen as a positive aspect of living because they make you “level up” in whatever it may be, from your career to relationships, or maybe just as a human being. Risks make us better overall. I’ve had to take many risks in my life as a whole, not just in building my dance career. The biggest risk I’ve taken career-wise is coming to dance in a program in a completely different country. I left everything comfortable to me, my home, family, friends, pretty much my safety nets. I came out to Los Angeles, by myself, not knowing anyone, with a lot of people telling me it’s not a good idea. But in order to achieve what I knew I was meant to do with my life, I had to challenge myself and prove to not anyone else, but to myself that I could, and will, achieve my dreams of becoming a professional dancer.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When it comes to dancing I would say I am known for my diversity in dance styles, including hip hop, contemporary, jazz-funk, ballet, etc. My ability to become a completely different person, character, artist in each style is what sets me apart from others. Many people, who have seen me in two different genres are always shocked to see me go from hardcore hip hop to classical ballet and be able to execute them both very well. I am most proud of the fact that I stayed focused, driven, committed to what I love, especially when certain people in my life made that very difficult. The number of hours of great effort and work I have put in to make my dream a reality has not been, and is not, easy especially with chronic injuries to work through. I’ve faced many struggles along the way. I’ve been dancing since I was three and I have been training very seriously in it for around ten years, dance has been my whole life. On top of training around six days a week I of course went to school, did track and field, and participated in school sports like Volleyball and badminton. I was busy twenty-four seven. Being an athlete you have to know how to overcome challenges, not just physical challenges, but the mental toll it can have on you. The way I overcame my challenges was by reaching out to friends, family, and mentors for advice, people I can trust, who will be honest with me and have my best interest at heart. Especially now, when I am closer and closer to achieving my dream. obstacles are coming at me every day and when I am training at least three hours a day it helps to talk it out with an outside perspective instead of keeping it to myself. There are many lessons I have learned along the way however probably the most impactful one is reminding myself why I dance in the first place, to be authentic, to feel, and to share. That is where all my motivation and drive have come from first and foremost. The present dance industry is very intimidating and stressful, if you forget why you started, you’re going to lose who you truly are as a person. Regarding myself and my story, I want people around the world, whether they are a musician, a doctor, or a baker to experience the same emotions I feel when I dance, to see that being a dance artist is one of the most mentally and physically draining jobs but it is all worth it when I am performing and sharing with my art with others.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
So if my friend was visiting Los Angeles for the weekend here is an itenerary of places I would definitly want to take them. For breakfast I would go to the either Naturewell Cafe for an amazing smoothie bowl or Red Maple Cafe to get a latte with an actors face on it! For Lunch definitely Aroma Cafe, the atmosphere is like a fairytale, and for dinner probably get a little dressed up and go to the famous Boa Steakhouse. Now regarding activites I would one hundred percent take her to my favourite place in the city, The Griffith Observatory. The view is breathtaking, the hike is great exercise,and the museum about space is just perfection and cannot go unseen. Also being a dancer, if she was here at the right time, I would take her to Carnival, which is a dance show that supports local and upcoming artists!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are many friends and family, mentors, as well as teachers that have supported me and helped me get to where I am today, however the person that I want to dedicate my shoutout to is, of course, my mother. She is the main reason I am able to be out in Los Angeles, let alone, dancing in the first place. Her life, for many years, revolved around my sister and I dancing. My father was very strict regarding dance and the fact that my mom would always stand up for us meant the world and more. Even when my dance journey has taken unexpected turns she has supported me through it all.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grace.stuve/

Image Credits
Dan Freeman “Tarzandan Alissa Roseborough