Meet Jailyn Sherell Harris | Choreographer, Dancer, and Teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jailyn Sherell Harris and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jailyn Sherell, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
At a certain point, I had to ask myself what was I afraid of. And I also had to reframe my perception of failure. If something doesnt work out, it’s not the end of the world; it either gives me an opportunity to regroup, a new perspective or maybe even a whole new opportunity all together. I found that once I started taking risks and “betting on me” my career actually began to take shape and feel the way I had always imagined. I say feel and not look because I think when you become married to specific version of how something should feel it restricts you. When I reflected on how I wanted my career to feel, I realized I wanted to feel challenged, connected, creatively inspired and secure and now I feel all those things and more.

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 started dancing at a very young age and I knew growing up that whatever “grown up job” I had, it had to involve the creative and performing arts in some capacity. My initial goal was to be a Rockette but once I realized I wouldnt meet the height requirement, I shifted gears to theatre/musical theatre. I got a BAC in theatre with a minor in dance. One of my favorite things to do is to work on new and emerging works. I’ve been very fortunate to be involved in a good deal of local premieres, and a world premier of a new show. I’ve also been exploring other facets of my artistic voice through various festivals.

I often find that most of my opportunities have come through networking and building relationships or just being delusional and submitting for anything and everything. I always feel like the worst thing that can happen is that someone says no but at least that’s one more person who’s had a chance to experience my work – and who knows! Most of the time, no is just “not right now” vs. “not at all”.

That being said, I’m really proud of resilience and tenacity. Choosing to persue the arts professionally requires a lot of imagination. Not just in terms of being in creative spaces but also in navigating the day to day. Most likely you will need some sort of “survival job” at some point. My goal is always to have dance/creation be my primary form of work so when I take stock of the way I’m spending my time, I’m always happy to see that it”s being spent in creative spaces or in spaces that allow young artists to find and develop their own creative voice.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Gordon square is a must! You can get a great brunch/lunch and/or dinner (XYZ, BrewNuts, Ninja City just to name a few) in the area and catch a show at Near West Theatre, Cleveland Public Theatre, the Capitol Movie Theatre or Blank Canvas a few blocks down. If we’re heading to the east side, Im definitely taking them to the Hamilton Building to check out the Ingenuity Festival (they have ongoing events year round and the space itself is just really really cool). Karamu House and Dobama Theatre is also a must! Both theatres have awesome seasons that are definitely worth checking out. After a long day out, we could head to My Friends for late night dessert. There’s also a plethora of smaller clubs venues to visit. Mahalls is a lot of fun and feels like you stepped into a time machine. I’d love to check out a thrift store or two (the Savers in Rocky River is pretty good). Finally head to a few museums – the art museum is my favorite. If they come early on in the month we could go to Mix at the museum and hang out checking out art and listening to good music.

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?
I have such a large and wonderful community surrounding me and I don’t know if I would ever be able to thank them all truly. My mom of course for being my biggest cheerleader. My Near West Family (Trinidad, Jordan, Hannah, Kristy, Sara, Rachel, Kathryn, and honestly that list alone could go on forever) for providing a safe space to create and explore. Jason Eno Samuel for being a rock, confidante, motivator and fellow artist who checks in and holds me accountable. Nate Summers and Mercedes for their ongoing friendship and support. Christina for being a muse and collaborator. Madi for being an amazing mentor and person to bounce ideas off of; there’s something to be said about fellowshipping and connecting with other black women artists. I feel like there are more that I’m probably missing so please charge that to my head and not my heart. I really am full of gratitude for the amazing community of artists that I get to be a part of and contribute to.

Instagram: @jaisherell

Facebook: Jailyn Sherell Harris

Youtube: jaihserellmoves

Image Credits
Jeff Spencer. Christina Ramirez. Emanuel Wallace, Shiny Penny Studios. Sarah Kucbel