Meet Janae Harrington | Dance Instructor

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

Hi Janae, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
My business “Eyez Dance Down” helps the community and the world by improving peoples lives through dance, giving the youth hope that any and everything is possible, and simply being a positive influence on how spciety operates. My business is a business of universal language that only a few will understand because its presented through the art form of dance itself! Nothing more, nothing less.

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 am currently the owner of ‘Eyez Dance Down’ which is a brand dedicated to changing lives through dance. I am excited about how far I can travel with my brand. I plan to one day be hosting dance classes all across the world. My dance profession started many many years ago, from attending all magnet schools during my grade school years (Charles R. Drew elementary/middle school and Miami NorthWestern Senior high school) where I also was apart of the band danceline called ‘MNW Golden Girls’. And for seven years I was apart of South Floridas elite dance company ‘YCDT’ short abbreviation for Young Contemporary Dance Theatre directed by Traci Young-Byron. During my YCDT years I became a ‘YCDT SupaStar’ which was a competitive traveling team. We competed in four televised competitions across the country where one landed us with our very own televison spin-off show. Luckily, I was 1 of 4 main cast members on the show which brought a lot of positive popularity and exposure to my name and talent. Once graduatng from MNW senior high, I attended thee Alabama State University in the historical city of Montgomery, Alabama majoring in Dance. While there, I served as an MMH Stingette for 3 consecutive years and earning the Captain title my senior year of 2019-2020. After graduating and accomplishing so much as a training dancer for both the commercial and company dance world, I received a huge job at Florida Memorial University; the only HBCU in South Florida/Miami as the very first colliegate danceline director over the newly appointed ‘LionEssence”. And we’ll be having our very first season this upcoming fall. Now was accomplishing these great experiences were far from easy. But God kept me going. Whatever I felt was I couldn’t do God seen me through it. I learned many lessons along the way and the most important two was staying hopeful and staying humble. I would like the world to know that my brand is bigger than dance itself because my brand represents a testimonial story of myself. And that story will help many people who find it hard to believe that they can accomplish greatness coming from tough situations. As far as my story, I want the world to know that it’s not over and its only beginning and that i’ll forever be the only author of it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There’s a lot of great spot in Miami for fun and food. If I had friend to visit I’ll take them to South Beach, Wynwood, Midtown, all of our malls, and my favorite resturant El Tucan. In my opinion, we have a lot great musesums that showcases Miami poineers and much more.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are a few dance organizations, teachers, books, mentors, and situations that has brought to where I am today. And I am forever grateful for all of those things and people. However, the push, eagerness, motivation and the preservance to be great and follow my dreams truly came from my internal pain from different personal trails and tribulations.

Instagram: Omgjust_Dancee

Facebook: Janae Harrington

Youtube: https://youtu.be/2pi5CsFnPxc

Other: https://www.theroarmarchingband.com/audition-lionessence

Image Credits
Traci Young-Byron James B. Oliver Richard Beckford Tamieka Taylor Evelyn Mike Ariel Collins Serenity Goodwin