Meet Kaley Logan | Dancer, Choreographer, and Teacher

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

Hi Kaley, what principle do you value most?
For me, there’s quite a few values I have that sort of meld together. I think something that is incredibly important to me is community and creating communities of people where there may not have been before. I grew up moving often, and ended up in a city that I felt very unseen in for my peak teenage years of developing who I was. After coming out of that and moving back to California, I began to find little groups of people who gave me the space to be myself, and I no longer had to fake it just to get by. It definitely still took some time to keep myself from falling back into the habit of doing so, but I feel that over the past two years, I’ve really found and built spaces of people who bring out the best in me. Alongside this, I know growing up, I deeply desired to be surrounded by other queer artists. I am lucky enough now to say that people I once only looked up to through social media, are now people I am able to surround myself with. Because of this, something I am deeply passionate about is being able to be that person for other LGBTQIA2S creators and artists who may be like I was growing up. Additionally, I really value making sure the people around me are seen and heard. Whether that be the people close to me, or the people I meet once or twice in a class, I feel it’s just as important. I learned from some pretty special people how impactful it is to give others the permission to own and feel deserving in the space they hold, and I want to continue to do the same for others, in hope that it becomes more common place. I feel like this is incredibly important as humans in general, but also specifically within my dance career. It’s something I hope is someday soon something we all value to the same degree, and hold space for this sentiment within teaching curriculums, and continues on as we all develop through our professional careers.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As an artist, I’m a dancer, choreographer, teacher, filmmaker, writer, and just an all around creator. I hold a huge value in facilitating a safe and inclusive space in my classes and emphasize the importance of dance being personal and an art over the business side of the industry. My movement is often inspired by authentic human experience, both mine and those around me. In regard to filmmaking, I create films of different genres, filming and editing them myself. I have made not only dance films but also visuals that are narrative or abstract and experimental. I owe all my passion for filmmaking to the incredible Cain DeVore who has taught me everything I know. My path has involved a lot of peaks and valleys, and definitely was, and is still not easy. However, I feel like I’ve had a strong desire to continue pushing forward, not only for myself, but for the other young queer dancers who need to see that there is a space for us in our art form and industry. I’ve learned that everything that happens has a purpose and reason behind it. Even the moments that feel derailing and heavy will push me to a place that will help me grow. As I previously mentioned a bit, something that is definitely not the path for everyone (and doesn’t have to be by any means), but it is extremely important to me is to be the queer dancer, choreographer, and creator that I deeply desired to have when I was growing up. I feel like I have the capacity to share and be this person, so that’s what I aim to be. I am proud of the way I’ve grown to be unapologetically myself within my craft and proud that I didn’t allow myself to be watered down out of fear and that I created my work with the entirety of my heart and soul, and I suppose that is something I would want others to know, that there is space for queer creators and we deserve to be seen and heard and appreciated as we are, rather than what we are “expected” to be.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Some of my favorite places in LA are little spots like Aroma Cafe in Studio City or Wolfie’s Hot Chicken in Highland Park (literally the BEST vegan chicken I’ve ever had). I love the Silverlake Flea Market so much, it’s a little more chill than the Melrose Flea Market which is better for me personally. There’s always a bunch of good little pop up art exhibits that are always coming around; I just went to one at Jeffery Deitch and it was unbelievably cool. Any free time I get, I love spending at the NoHo park because it’s really easily accessible and FILLED with dogs who always come to say hi which is super nice.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I definitely have had countless humans in my life who have helped me get to where I am today. Obviously I can’t mention absolutely everyone unfortunately, there’s definitely a handful that I have to shoutout. My ballet teacher Jillian Michaels back in Tampa, Florida trained me 6th-10th grade. She was the first teacher to really see me and what I was capable of. Without her care during a time when I needed it the most, I don’t know how my dance career would have turned out, or if it would have even continued at all. There’s Monika Felice Smith and Maryann Chavez who have been mentoring me since January of 2021. I met Monika at the end of 2019, also at a very low time in my dance career. She also saw me and pulled a different version of myself out. Because of this, I joined Lume Dance Training’s Ignite program in 2021, when both Maryann and Monika began mentoring me as a creator and choreographer. Through a lot of personal ups and downs, they’ve supported me and pushed me to seek more and grow further. I know with them, as well as my inspiring peers also in the Ignite program, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Both Stefanie Santiago and Stephanie Landwehr for bringing me out of my comfort zone in safe and supportive ways through my time in college. I feel like without them, my movement and mind wouldn’t be as open and willing as it is now. Stefanie was also the first teacher to tell me to start teaching and just go for it. Because of that, I have been teaching and choreographing consistently ever since. I have to give a major shoutout to Hayden Frederick and Canyon Carballosa. They were both two dancers and choreographers I grew up watching when I was looking for other queer dancers to see myself in. Now I am lucky enough to see them as family and I owe so much of who I am and what I am passionate about to them. Lastly, of course my friends, chosen family, and family. Through times when family was a bit of a struggle, my friends and chosen family supported me through any and everything. I know I wouldn’t be where I am without any of them, whether we’re still close or not, they mean the world to me. As for my parents and my older brother, we didn’t always have it the most easy, but all that matters to me now is the fact that throughout my entire life, they have supported my passions wholeheartedly and gave whatever they could so that I could, and can continue to follow my dreams. They continue to grow with me and are more supportive than ever. I’m endlessly grateful for each of them. There’s so SO many others I could mention but I could quite literally go on forever about the humans in my life that I’m grateful for and I won’t put you through that haha. 🙂

Website: www.kaleylogan.com

Instagram: @kales.lb

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRYSxxIG_X075z-TKVOMjsA

Other: TikTok : @kaleylogann

Image Credits
Josh S Rose, Lee Gumbs, Winnie Mu, Alex Laya, Sam Chavez, Cain DeVore