Meet Camille Jones | Dancer/Choreographer/Writer/Collaborator

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

Hi Camille, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Pursuing a creative career was inevitable. Creativity is in my hardwiring. From creative problem-solving to crafting poetry about lived experiences or creating dances from movement I see in my mind, creativity has always been a tool I’ve used to navigate life and make sense of the world around me.

Since childhood, I’ve always been drawn to various artistic mediums such as film, dance, writing, and music. Over the years, I’ve realized that my innate fascination and curiosity with the arts is largely due to the freedom afforded by self-expression.

Creativity comes from within and doesn’t need permission to exist. We’re all born with a level of creativity in the way that we think and perceive and therefore actualize goals. The arts allow that creativity to blossom through established platforms for performance, exhibition, and audience.

Through supporters who have helped me cultivate my creative interests into a creative career, I have been privileged to see myself as an ever-evolving artist and one who creates boundlessly so that my artistry is never confined to one idea, concept, medium, or level of capability.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
From my observations, I have yet to meet one artist who is only skilled at one thing. I believe I’m no exception. My creative interests are varied and therefore allow me to explore the nuances of self-expression and storytelling.

As a writer and dancer and many other things in between, I find myself constantly at work on various projects that often seem opposing or unrelated, but this is what I like to describe as a practice in creative ambidexterity, or an artist’s ability to have or develop mastery in dual fields.

Inspired by artists Like Ntozake Shange who coined the term choreopoem for her poetry and movement-based play, “for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf”, I aim to create works that are hybrid forms and allow for layered storytelling with multi-dimensionality.

I can’t just be a dancer. Nor, can I just be a writer. I exist in the midground of both extremes and understand that the stories that I want to deliver to the world require my competency in and love for both.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If a friend were visiting the city for the first time, I’d recommend visiting a free museum like the Cincinnati Art Museum or walking along the water at The Banks. There are also cool events happening in the arts scene here so I’d recommend attending an open mic at a cool bar like Nostalgia, Somerset, or Comfort Station. Cincinnati is home to some of the coolest artists who happen to double as event coordinators for fashion shows, poetry slams, gallery openings, live music performances, sewing workshops, etc. In that case, I’d introduce a friend to artists in the city and we’d be sure to find something interesting to do.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My sisters of (CA)^2 Dance Crew, Anaya Ni’Kole and Chenelle Jones, deserve the BIGGEST SHOUTOUT! As co-founders of (CA)^2 Dance Crew and co-collaborators on choreography and creative management, together, we’ve learned the inner workings of artist development and business development.

We started (CA)^2 Dance Crew as teenagers and though adulthood brings new challenges, the sisterhood that we’ve been blessed to nurture keeps us grounded, motivated, and accountable to each other. We honor every stumble as much as every triumph and pray continuously for growth and guidance as our creative team and individual pursuits soar.

Website: https://decadent-identities.webflow.io/artists/camille-dionne-jones Link to ArtsWave Truth and Healing interview with Creativity Squared: https://creativitysquared.com/podcast/ep16-artswave-truth-healing-part-2/?fbclid=PAAabEOr0cYH7lwxxh-VPsdAtFyedP8wzJirqrNaQKEWgiIZnbnMlTYg1lCYY_aem_AYoJYbRJeA9bC2KFbdNtYA9imyr6PZMBCazEP_VKK9EH1IyyYbfCdei8neLQcFxuPFk

Instagram: @jones.camille

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/camille-jones-b7a4931b9

Facebook: Camille Jones

Other: Link to ArtsWave Truth and Healing interview with Creativity Squared: https://creativitysquared.com/podcast/ep16-artswave-truth-healing-part-2/?fbclid=PAAabEOr0cYH7lwxxh-VPsdAtFyedP8wzJirqrNaQKEWgiIZnbnMlTYg1lCYY_aem_AYoJYbRJeA9bC2KFbdNtYA9imyr6PZMBCazEP_VKK9EH1IyyYbfCdei8neLQcFxuPFk Elementz “Always for the Culture” Podcast videos: https://youtu.be/Sz5NSls-vZs?si=U8fFLmEwYVsMjXzT Camille at BLINK 2023: https://youtu.be/kD3NMF0O0mI?si=dzwnpCW6o1KToQd7

Image Credits
Photo credits: D’Juan Capell Ja’Van Photography Chenelle Jones Samuel Greenhill Pones Poetry Slam photographer