Embracing the KAOS
Host: Janei Maynard
Featuring: Jazoni Johnson
Janei Maynard
All right. Welcome to the One Mic podcast for 5th Element Center for Dance. I'm your host, Janei Maynard, the Executive Director of 5th Element Center for Dance, and in this capacity, I am also a coach for the Platinum Divaz. And with us today, we have Jazoni Johnson. Welcome, Jazoni.
Jazoni Johnson
Hello. Hello. Thank you for having me.
Janei Maynard
All right, so before we get started, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself? Who are you? What do you do? How do you identify?
Jazoni Johnson
My name is Jazoni Johnson. I am 17 years old. I identify as she. I am a senior that attends George Washington High School, and I am the head choreographer and comp director of the Platinum Divaz.
Janei Maynard
Yes, absolutely. Okay, so how did you get started dancing?
Jazoni Johnson
Mainly when I was younger, my family would have the dance video games. I don't know if you guys know, like, Dance Central, and there was, like, a Michael Jackson little virtual game. So I used to just dance then, and then I seen the dance team that I'm on, the Platinum Divaz, at a performance they were at, and then I ended up, oh, it was Juneteenth. Yes, Juneteenth, actually. That's out here. I seen them, and then I just fell in love with it then. So that's how I really started to get to dancing really.
Janei Maynard
That's amazing. And how long have you been with the Platinum Divaz now?
Jazoni Johnson
I have been with the Platinum Divaz for nine years now.
Janei Maynard
Wow, okay, so you started when you were eight, right?
Jazoni Johnson
Yes.
Janei Maynard
What was it like dancing that young?
Jazoni Johnson
Honestly, it was like a breeze, just because I was a very confident dancer. So my attitude towards dance was very strong, and some people didn't take it the right way sometimes, but they knew that it was coming from just the passion that I have for dance. Just me being so young, loving dance like that. I just knew that's where I needed to be, so I stuck with it.
Janei Maynard
Yes. What would you say are the challenges that young girls face in dance and just in general in the community now?
Jazoni Johnson
One of the main things I would say is, like, confidence or self esteem. I feel like some girls are afraid of what people will say of them, like, if they perform, and that affects the way that they do perform. Other than that, I think that's really the only issue, because if you have a lot of confidence, you know you're going to take the floor and be able to show anything that you do. So I think that's really the problem, just the confidence.
Janei Maynard
Yeah, absolutely. Would you say that when you first started dance, you had the same level of confidence you have now, or do you think that it's grown?
Jazoni Johnson
Honestly, I would say that it kinda like when I was younger, it was a little better. Like, my attitude towards dance was a little better. That's just because as you get older, you start to go through different things and start to see a lot of different things. But, I mean, in my heart, dance has always been there. Like, there's nothing else I would want to do with my life, so, I mean, the passion has always been there, but I think when I was younger, it was a little stronger.
Janei Maynard
Mmm. Okay, tell us about that. What has impacted that over the years?
Jazoni Johnson
Really just trying to find what I want to do in life. Like I always said, I wanted to be a coach, but as I like, social media shows a lot of things. So I started getting into social work and I started to look at that, and I'm like, what if I make this my living? And I just do dance on the side? So it's really like, dance wouldn't be my main job because I know a lot of people out here that are like, I want to be a choreographer. They're, like, shooting to be behind celebrities and get to teach choreography and stuff, which I still want to do, but I still want to have something else to do.
Janei Maynard
Yeah, absolutely. So that brings us to the topic of your future. What are your plans? What are your plans for next year? You're a senior!
Jazoni Johnson
Yes. I'm planning on going to college to still dance and pursue my social work and really just find my life in adulthood, since it's coming very soon, but also still live my life and have fun while I can.
Janei Maynard
Yes, I know that's right. What is your goal, like when it comes to social work? And maybe there's a common goal here between social work and dance, but whether it's coaching or social work, what do you aim to do with that? What is your goal when it comes to working with other people and the impact that you have on them?
Jazoni Johnson
My goal is really just to make an impact or a change. If not a change, really just the impact on what I do. I'm a person who really takes pride in complimenting people knowing that I actually care for them because my love is actually genuine. So if I could be able to show that and work. And make money out of it. I think that would be great because why do work you don't love to do? So I think that would be a good avenue for me to help people because I think that's really my goal.
Janei Maynard
Yes. And I see that with the impact that you have on the girls on the team and the way that they respond to you. Right? Why do you think it's so important to be authentic in the way that you are and to do that in relationship to specifically the girls on the dance team?
Jazoni Johnson
I just think it's important because I think that's what makes me me really just the way I've been like that since I was younger. Always wanting to help people. And I really took pride in what people thought about me. So I think that's really where it started from when I was younger because I've just always been like that. And with the girls as well, I want them to be able to think of me as somebody that really tried to help them grow. And I think that's really where I'm heading towards right now.
Janei Maynard
Yes. I love that. Who are the people in your life that you would say served that role for you and helped you grow?
Jazoni Johnson
I mean, the main people in my life, like my mom, my dad, my aunts and my brothers, people besides my family, I would say I have some teachers at school that they actually did teach me when I was in middle school. So I was able to have a bond with them and they were able to influence me in ways that are not in dance and in the real world with leadership, having an empathy for people and stuff like that. And then as far as dance, I mean, my coaches, Coach Chiniqua and Stanisha, they've been a real impact on my growth. And influence, and I feel like without them, I don't think I would be where I am now. So I just thank all the people that are around me. The whole thing about my community really giving back and making sure that we make a difference as far as the platinum divas and myself, because there's a lot of things that my coaches do that support the community as well. So just recognizing them for what they do, because it's not always easy. A lot of kids don't take the help, and a lot of adults don't take the help. But at least we're trying to help the community be better. We stand on what we say.
Janei Maynard
Yes. Okay, so let's shift gears a little bit. I want to talk about the convention that we went to in January. So we went to KAOS convention. That was the hip hop convention that tours nationally and took a dozen of the team to the convention. You were the only person who stayed the whole weekend in the older girls room, the advanced room. What was that like?
Jazoni Johnson
It was kind of hard just because when we first walked into it, we were like, we're going to go in as a group. We're going to finish this together. The attitude was there, but I feel like when we got there and some of the girls seen like the intensity of it and that it was different because on our dance team now, we're not really doing hip hop like that, especially the style that the KAOS choreographers were doing. So I think it was kind of hard for them. So it kind of made it hard for me a little bit, in a sort of way, but it kind of pushed me too, which is weird.
Janei Maynard
Yeah, absolutely. I want to talk more about that feeling of walking into the room and kind of being taken aback. Right. Because I think so this is part of what I do with my nonprofit, being able to take all of you. All those conventions are not cheap. Right. And so folks like us, like in Aurora, people are not able to pay $300 just to drop on a convention one weekend. So I feel like that shock is more common for girls, like the girls on the team, as opposed to people who got a lot of money. Right. But I guess how do you feel like the exposure to all of these different expensive professional dance opportunities or the lack of exposure, impacted the dance team and the girls as they went there?
Jazoni Johnson
I don't know. I think it was kind of different in some of the girls' eyes, I feel. And some of them, I think it was like a spark, because when they come here, it's like we're doing majorette and they don't really see the side of hip hop that they seen. So I think it was like a new light to their eyes to see the intensity and the hard dances they were doing. And then on the other side of it, I think some girls were kind of intimidated by it because, like you said, it's so much money being put into it, and it's like it's serious and you got to really buckle down. Like, if you're a dancer, this is what you need to do. So I think that's kind of where the intimidation came in and people kind of felt a little scared, which is fine, because people take things differently, but I think that's where the difference came in.
Janei Maynard
Definitely. So as we went throughout the weekend, I would say I saw a little bit of a shift in the girls from that initial shock and intimidation to a certain level of comfort, which I think varied from the girls, from girl to girl, individually. And I'm curious what you saw in the weekend and how the girls changed over time and even how your experience changed from Friday night through Sunday.
Jazoni Johnson
I think that the girls were really motivated because as the weekend went through, every dance that they learned, it was like they were doing it in the room, trying to perfect it for the next day. They didn't even know we were learning new dances, so even when we learned the new dances, they were still working on the old ones and working on the new ones. So I felt that they really enjoyed it because it was new and it was like a breath of fresh air for them because it's not something that they've done. And I think now, even when we had a practice the other day and there was this hip hop song that was playing, I think that was done at the convention, as soon as it played, they just started doing the routine. And I'm like, I know I didn't teach that, so I knew it had to be from them. Yeah, I think they were really, like, excited.
Janei Maynard
That's so cute.
Jazoni Johnson
Right? Very cute.
Janei Maynard
What did you take away from the convention? What was your big takeaway?
Jazoni Johnson
My biggest takeaway would be that I'm my strongest critic. And I say that because when I first got there, my energy was, well, I'm like, okay, we're going to go in here. We're going to do what we got to do. I'm excited. And I went in there, and I don't know if it was the situation where I was kind of, like, late. I was using the bathroom, and they already started or something like that, and I missed half of the routine. So I kind of got upset with myself. And I really had a moment, and I had to really think, like, you can't be giving up, girl. It's okay, because at the end of the day, you're gonna have. New chances and you're going to be able to get better, and there's going to be other people that see you for what you do and how you dance. So I really just took it in as a learning moment because not everything's not going to go the way that I want it to go every time, but as long as I make room for solutions, then it'll get better as time goes by. So I just don't want to get intimidated by what I see because I actually did well in the end, so I was happy.
Janei Maynard
Yes, you did really well. And I remember seeing you in that moment, and I'm curious, if you had seen one of the younger girls experiencing a moment like that of frustration and maybe even wanting to give up, how would you have walked them through that?
Jazoni Johnson
Really, I would have just told them to keep pushing. I'm like more of a person who likes to relate to people through my own experiences. Because especially being a dancer, there's going to be times where you're going to mess up and you feel like people are going to laugh at you or you're going to mess up and nobody's going to look at you. And in that case, there were scholarships and stuff. So I didn't want some of the girls to feel like I'm less than anybody because I didn't get one or any of that. So I would have really just had a heart to heart and really just told them, like, all dancers make mistakes and you're here because you wanted to give it a try. There's a lot of people who wouldn't even get out their bed to practice in front of a whole bunch of people who kinda better than them. Because I can admit to say in that area there was a lot of people in there that killed it. So I just looked up to them in that sort. So I would tell them, use the people that you see and learn from them because you never know what you can do. After you take their skills. So that's how I would have talked to them.
Janei Maynard
Yes. I think that's great advice. Okay, so I feel like we got to–I was going to ask you what was the most challenging part of convention? I feel like we kind of covered that, but what was the most rewarding part of convention?
Jazoni Johnson
I would say, like, seeing the little girls get their scholarships and stuff. And that's really just because I feel like I am a part of their growth because of the work that we do at the studio to help the girls get better. And I feel that push that we gave them kind of helped them. And then it's just a proud moment to see that they went out there, they did what they had to do on their own, and they didn't need me or they didn't need anybody else. They just had the choreographer, and they was like, let's learn this. And they was able to get in that spotlight. And that's good for them, because if they really do want to be dancers, I'm glad all the experiences are coming to them now so they know what they're going to deal with in the dance world. Because there's a lot of people who are talented out here, so they just got to be on their game. So I think that was the most rewarding part, was really just seeing them get their stuff, do their routines, and just be happy about it in the end.
Janei Maynard
Yes. I feel like that's every dance teacher's dream, every coach's dream, that their kids can go off and do well without them. Right. That's why you're coaching them. If they need you forever, then they're not growing. Right? What do you think would have been the impact if you had gone to a dance convention like this when you were their age, nine or ten?
Jazoni Johnson
Honestly, I think it would be kind of different for me just because. When I was well, I was starting to dance when I was eight, so, I mean, I would still be excited for it, but I feel like I wouldn't take it as serious because in my head, I'm like, okay, this is just we've been to dance and what are we doing? What is the seriousness behind this? And some kids really just don't understand that. So I think me understanding what the convention was really for and the purpose behind it really impacted the way I thought about the event. Because you can always go to a studio where somebody's teaching you routines and you just learn, and then it's like a class, but this was like a tour. These people are flying out to teach you. They're well known and it was a good experience. So I feel like me being older and me being able to understand that, I think it would have been better than me being younger.
Janei Maynard
Yeah, that makes sense. What would be your advice to the girls who went this year or who go next year in future years who are younger and maybe, as we saw, don't necessarily grasp the seriousness or the extent to which this opportunity really is providing them with a lot?
Jazoni Johnson
Yeah, I would really just tell them, if you really take dance seriously, this is something that you can learn from. And that just goes from my point when I said if you get frustrated, learn from these people and get better than them, because there's going to be times where these people think that they're on top too, and they're not on that game. So you might have a chance to get up there and do what you do. So I would just let them know that it's serious when it comes to stuff like this, because there's a lot of people that take stuff like this serious because this is their craft, this is what they do. Maybe on a daily basis. You never know. So. If you want to make a living out of it, this will be a good experience, because you can learn different stuff from different people, different styles, different ways of teaching and stuff like that. So you can be able to have that when you maybe have your own team in the future. Because I know a lot of girls say they want to have their own team and all that, so this can actually help you in the long run. So that's all that really matters.
Janei Maynard
Yes, absolutely. I know you said that you gained a lot as a dancer from taking it seriously and being in these classes. I'm curious if you learned anything about teaching, not just dancing, but about teaching when you were at convention.
Jazoni Johnson
Yes, I did. I learned a lot of different ways to teach. A lot of the choreographers had different techniques and how they learn the dances and how they teach it. Some were very slow. They took it slow. And surprisingly, some that were teaching fast kinda I was able to get it. Maybe it was the way they explained it. So it was like kinda magic a little bit, because I was able to get it, but it was, like, kind of fast, so I think that was a good thing.
Janei Maynard
Yes. Okay, so who was your favorite choreographer, if you remember?
Jazoni Johnson
I remember what he looks like. It was the white man. He has a long beard.
Janei Maynard
Oh, Fefe!
Jazoni Johnson
Yes. Him!
Janei Maynard
Yes. Okay. Why was he your favorite?
Jazoni Johnson
He was my favorite because I just thought his energy was, like, insane. I don't know. And then it's like the routines he taught us, I was able to grasp a little more because it was, like, the energy that I was looking for. And then also the way he just. Collaborated with the crowd. Like he was free. It really didn't bother him. It was just a good feel. It was like he was supposed to be there. That's his job.
Janei Maynard
Yes. I did not get to see him in the intermediate room, but I was there when he taught the girls in the Sparks room, the youngest room. And they loved him as well. And it really was just his energy, the way he taught, the way he interacted with them. It just goes to show that as a choreographer, especially as a dance teacher right. It's not just about the choreography. Yeah. You have to bring so much more to the table as a dance teacher than just the content. So we'll get into that a little bit more later because I'm very curious about your philosophies on coaching. But before we do that, and before we move away from the idea of the convention, I am curious, if you could create your own dance convention, what would be most important to you that you would want to include?
Jazoni Johnson
It depends on what you mean, because there's a lot of things that I'll probably add, to be honest. So in what aspect? Styles of dance or?
Janei Maynard
Just all of it. Describe your dream convention.
Jazoni Johnson
My dream convention will probably have every style of dance in it, and it would be open to anybody. I would have it like where would I have it? Like in a tropical place somewhere. And it would be basically you would learn all the routines, and then at the end, I would have a big old performance. And everybody would do all the routines and stuff. And then at the end, I would like, kind of do what the KAOS people do, like give out scholarships, but maybe like scholarships for something else, maybe for college.
Janei Maynard
Why would you give scholarships for college? Why is that important to you?
Jazoni Johnson
Because I feel like lot of people don't have the chance to go to college because of money situations and just because to give them motivation to want to go. If you really want to pursue dance in a certain style and you want to go to college for it, here's the money. I'm helping you. Or if anything, like, you want to do anything, you want to still dance and then you want to be a teacher, I'll help you with that as well. Just helping kids with their future, help them start and all that. I think that would be really good for me.
Janei Maynard
Yes. Okay. I love that. I just finished tutoring half an hour ago. An hour ago with some of the girls. And obviously that's important to me. That's important to all the coaches that the girls are able to succeed not just in dance, but in any aspect of life and be able to really have whatever future they want to have. And part of that is having the academic groundwork to be able to do what they want to do, whether that's going to be something that is more academic or something more artistic like dance. Right. So what advice do you have for the younger girls? As far as school goes?
Jazoni Johnson
Stick with it. It's going to get hard. There's going to be times where you're going to be like, I don't want to do this homework. There's going to be times where you're going to be like, I don't want to go to school because me and my friend’s arguing. It's going to be a lot of things that you're going to have to deal with that is going to be hard, but just stick with it because in the end, it's going to benefit you. It's going to help you with your life, and you're going to be able to grow from it and learn from it. And when you get older, like all of our parents say, you're going to get older and be able to look back on it. Like, I really learned from this situation and I grew past it. So really just sticking through it, middle school, high school, elementary is not that hard. So just making sure, just stay with it. Stay with it.
Janei Maynard
I think that's great advice. Staying with it can sometimes be the hardest part.
Jazoni Johnson
Yeah, right. You is right.
Janei Maynard
Okay. So going back to your coaching philosophies, because I said I wanted to hear a little bit about that. If you had to teach somebody else how to coach, somebody who's never coached before, but they want to become a coach, what would be the main things that you would tell them about coaching that they need to know?
Jazoni Johnson
One, I would say the bond, just because you come in here and you teach somebody and they can take in what you're saying. But I feel like coaching has an impact and that's with any sport, football, dance, cheer and things like that, if they're able to look at you as not even a friend, somebody that they can come to and be able to tell you their problems and then get on the dance floor and do what they need to do. I feel like that's what makes a good coach. They're able to keep it between dance and your own relationships, between the girls. Other than that, I feel like really being consistent. I feel some coaches come in and then they don't even–like, they'll teach a routine and then they'll be like, okay, go ahead, work on it. And then I'll see you guys later. And then don't even give them the time of day to go over it and do stuff like that. So consistency is really important as well. Just because if they see that it's important to you and that you keep wanting to teach them and that you're dedicated to them getting better, I feel like they'll respect you more. And really the last thing I feel like is really just making sure that you're influencing them and changing them as time goes on. Because a lot of coaches can say you taught a routine, but did you change them or improve them to be a better dancer? Like, are you teaching them to do different things and not even just dancing wise? Are you teaching them to be classy around others? Are you teaching them to respect their elders or stuff like that? So really just being an all around coach, maybe even a parent figure or something like that, like someone they can really come to when they're in need. So I think that's really the three important things to being a coach.
Janei Maynard
Yes, absolutely. Okay, so I want to focus on that last piece you said–that impacting them and influencing them beyond the dance. What would you say are like your core values or the things that you want to instill in the other dancers that you work with? Beyond dance.
Jazoni Johnson
One dedication. If there's something that you want to do, do it. Don't let nobody tell you nothing. Don't let nothing get in your way. Continue to do you because there's going to be times where, like I said before, it's going to get hard and you're going to be like, I don't know if I could do it anymore. But those people who stick through it are the people that are really successful in what they do. Other than that, I really just want to teach them, like, respect for themselves. Not even for other people in themselves and with others as well. Loyalty. I'm very big on loyalty and really just finding happiness. Like, do what you want to do in life, but be happy with it because it's sad when you got to live– People say it's short, but to me it's kind of long. But you have a long life ahead of you, and you got to make sure that whatever you're doing you're waking up to every day is something that you're going to want to do for the rest of your life. So that's something that I want to be able to teach them through my coaching, especially with loyalty as well. I've been very loyal to the Divaz for a very long time, and loyalty has got me improvements. I am now a comp director and a head choreographer of the Platinum Divaz, so I've came a very long way. So I want to say that I'm very thankful for that and the sky is the limit from now.
Janei Maynard
Yes. Okay, great. Okay, a couple of last questions for you. Okay. What do you want? Young girls or boys? Young folks who look like you and who've had experiences like you, folks from Aurora, young Black folks. What do you want them to know?
Jazoni Johnson
I want them to know that there's a way out. And the reason why I say that is because now it's so easy to get caught up in certain things. And I could say for myself I've been around the wrong crowd sometimes, and that has gotten me into situations. But now, since I'm getting older, I'm starting to see that that stuff is not going to get you nowhere. So I really just want to let all the young people know and friends of mine that find something that you take pride in, enjoy in, and really buckle down and get better at it, because there's nothing that anybody can do better than you, than what you can do. And I say that because in dancing, I'm as humble as possible, but every time, I think it's like I'm the best person there. And that's just the only mentality I have, because I want to get better every time. And I feel like if people, like, my age start to take that with certain things that they do, like, I know a couple of my friends, they are able to paint and draw really well and draw pictures and do stuff like that. So we might have some tattoo artists or painters, and they don't even take their creativity into the new level. So I feel if that was to happen, I think the people now would be better. So that's my hope, and that's what I want to let them know. Like, find something that you love and really keep improving on it.
Janei Maynard
Yes, I love that so much. What a good message. Okay, and then lastly, what do you want the adults who don't look like you, who haven't had any experiences that you've had, who don't understand what it's like, who maybe are sitting up on piles of money or have certain levels of privilege and maybe have never even come into contact with a young Black girl from Aurora? What do you want them to know?
Jazoni Johnson
I just want them to really understand the situation, because I know a lot of people can't say they know what we go through as people or they felt the feelings that we felt. But I do ask that you understand, and that's just because healing comes from a lot of places, and I feel like a lot of people can be very judgmental about what others go through and not realizing that this has been going on for years of how Black people have been getting treated and stuff like that. So the only reason I would really say I can't or I don't want them to know how I feel. I just want them to understand. And then lastly, really just helping. At the end of the day, some people sit on stacks of money and they'll waste it on a new boat. And you have people who are hungry, they don't have any food. I'm not saying you have to waste all your money on it, but $100 won't hurt or something. Just try to provide for the community if you can. If not, there are some people who show great gestures. They volunteer, they do some charity work, they send money. So in those parts, I do see that there are people who are trying in that case. But other than that, just really the support and understanding of it. Because at the end, you really can't say you understand what we went through, but you can try to at this point, we can try to make it better, and we can try to understand each other so we can make the world a better place. So I think that's where I'm at with it.
Janei Maynard
Yes. We want empathy. We don't want sympathy. Want empathy and support, understanding, care, right? Okay. All right. Is there anything else that you want to talk about that maybe we touched on but didn't dig deeper into or anything else as we're closing out?
Jazoni Johnson
No, I think I'm pretty excited with my answers. I think I thought about what I was saying. So we're divaz, and that's just how we gonna do it. And I'm glad that I did this podcast with you. I'm very excited that we got to do this. You asked some very good questions. And stay dedicated, stay motivated, stay happy. That's it.
