Meet Scott Rochard | Dancer, Choreographer & Content Creator

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

Hi Scott, what matters most to you?
Hard work, discipline, curiosity and determination come to mind when I think of what values matter the most to me. I grew up in the Caribbean and my parents instilled in me a strong work ethic both in the way I was raised and in the way in which they led their own lives. When I think back on my childhood, I recall my parents being extremely well-versed in the skills that they knew, my mother an exceptional seamstress, baker, athlete, chef and my father a profound DJ, mechanic, tennis player none of which were their professions. They did not take hobbies lightly but instead mastered where their interests led them and I most certainly followed in their footsteps. This became my way of life and to this day, I cannot be satisfied unless I master whatever skill I set my sights on which led me to find the loves of my own life; baking/cooking, tennis of any kind, reading, drawing and most importantly dancing. I would not have discovered and succeeded at dance unless I had the curiosity to wander, determination to follow through and hard work/discipline to improve at such a highly skilled sport. When I think back on my journey these values have been present from the start; sleepless nights in the studio refusing to quit, an ignorant sense of fearlessness that plunged me into situations that both broke me and molded me to become the dancer that I am today, all because of these principles that I was so lucky to have been raised to value. When I feel lost I remind myself that all I need to do is tap into the mindset that has resulted from this value system and my course self-corrects and surrounding myself with like-minded individuals is a major help.

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.
I have always been an extremely emotional and raw human being which has drawn me to arts and ultimately to dance. I used to listen to music and envision whole scenes but I did not have the skill to execute what I was seeing in my head. I spent this journey trying to elevate my dance skillset to the point where I can finally pour out these moments of pure artistic expression into tangible bodies of work and I am excited and proud to say that I have finally entered that phase of my life. That creative spark which was so alive in the beginning has been dormant while I trained and trained and while I am still in pursuit of growth my creativity is sparked again and I have been finding so much inspiration in the last few months and acting on it only to be ecstatic about the result. I started dancing later in life and that allows me to have no presets when it comes to creating, I am moved by the song and it decides what comes out and I am so happy to say that that channel is open again. I have been blessed with the ability to truly evoke feeling when I dance and that performance quality combined with my work ethic has allowed me to get to where I am today. However, it has not been easy and I have learned time and time again through blood, sweat and tears to not give up and persevere even when all hope seems lost you must follow your gut and push through, it will get better. I have earned every ounce of success and growth that I have achieved and I will not stop because I truly love dance and the way it makes me feel. If I can connect to people and make them feel something whether it is to be more confident, inspired, happy or emotionally moved through my movement I will be content.  

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?
Ironically one of my best friends is visiting soon so this is an itinerary I would do. If I’m being honest I haven’t done a lot of the cliché activities since I am so dedicated to training but I would take him to Venice Beach and Santa Monica Pier I’ve actually only been to the former and it was such a fun time. I love having first experiences with people I am close with because it becomes such core memories. We would definitely have to have dim sum because that is my absolute favorite and I would cook a lot since I love to cook but I’d make it interesting by taking it to eat outside like overlooking the hills or at a park – there’s a pretty cool skate park in North Hollywood. It’s probably too cold for this but El Matador Beach in Malibu is a must especially in the summertime. When I’m with him we love to explore breweries so it’ll be a good excuse to find some new ones. I’ve been dying to try the Milk Bar pie so maybe a hike and then a trip to Melrose after. There are a few coffee shops that I’ve stumbled upon in my time in LA – Priscilla’s and The Ugly Mug – I would have to take him there as well. Ultimately I’d look forward to introducing him to the friends I’ve made because LA truly brings such a variety of souls together.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
As they say it takes a village and my path has certainly been forged by one. My parents instilled in me the work ethic I will have for the rest of my life and have allowed me the freedom to follow my passion and for that I will forever be grateful. As strong as I try to be sometimes it is not enough and my best friend, Hannah, has been there for me from the start of my dance journey and she is still my number one supporter and rock through all the madness and I wouldn’t have it any other way. She allowed me to be my full self from the moment I met her and I have never looked back. My friends who taught me to dance and unwittingly nurtured a passion I did not even know at the time would consume my life to this day and the foreseeable future. They will always hold a special place in my heart even though I haven’t seen most of them in a very long time; Jasmine, Thais, Kasia, Jen, SJ, Eric. My first mentor and dear friend, Jojo for believing in me when I did not even believe in myself. She saw a spark and protected it, fed it and allowed it to catch fire and it was a large part due to her that I developed not only the skillset to be a dancer but the insight on how to navigate this industry and there will never be words to express my gratitude but more importantly I will cherish her kindness and friendship at such a fragile phase of my life. Nick and Caoife for taking me in like family and making me feel at home when home is so far away, in ways that may seem small to some but mean the world to me. I’ll never be able to express how grateful I am to have them in my life as friends and mentors. Eight-Eight Studios for being my safe space to train and grow and learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable with no judgment just support. Dez for believing in me from the start. Brian and Scott for teaching me to breathe through it all and protecting my light when I needed it the most. Tricia for keeping it a buck at all times. Cam for relentlessly pushing my drive. Erica for reminding me to trust and follow the passion that led us here in the first place. Donovan for capturing it all but also caring so much to pay attention beyond the lens and help guide me. Ari for seeing something in me and giving me a chance to prove her gut right. Haley for trusting me to rise to the occasion in the most loving way. Kyla for keeping me grounded amongst the madness. Amanda, Ayden, Howard, Jayda, JJ, Lola, Mallory, Piper, Tevai and Zero for reminding me to enjoy every moment the big and the small.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scotticus96/

Image Credits
Nick Gilligan, Haley Messick, Skyler Hostetler, Ariyana Galindo, Zakari Thompson (Zakariproductions), Daniel Ostrander, Eighty-Eight Studios, Snow Wife, TMilly Studios, Hannah Winship.