Hi there. I’m Vashti. I’ve been a dancer and performance artist for over ten years, and now I’m sharing my story.
A Life in Movement. A Story To Tell.
For as long as I can remember my life has been an external expression of an internal impulse to move and make stories.
I remember playing with a friend as a child, and she asked me, “What do you want to be when you grow up.” I said, “I want to be a ballerina.” She replied, “No. Really, what do you want to be when you grow up?”
I thought to myself, "I want to be a ballerina."
I also recall many childhood memories of trying to persuade my friends to play roles in skits, ballets, radio stories, and imaginative games that I attempted to make and direct. Many of these "productions" took place in my backyard with mismatched costumes and toy or invisible props.
This desire to “move and make” followed me through high school and led me to complete a BFA degree in Dance Performance at the University of Kansas.
In addition to dance training, I developed my own choreographic style and creative process throughout my collegiate years. This creative process equipped me with the foundation to finally tell stories through movement, which often included the collaboration of dance and film.
It was also during theses collegiate years where I learned the art of teaching dance. We studied anatomy, various pedagogy methods, labanotation, rhythm, the history of dance, the history of music, French grammar as relates to ballet, dance vocabulary and terminology, and more.
Post-college, this common thread of movement and storytelling continued. I enjoyed a vibrant freelance career performing, choreographing, teaching, creating dance films, and working in the commercial industry as talent for television, print, and intranet.
My professional work for companies included the United Ballet Theatre, Continental Ballet, Twin Cities Ballet, Delta Airlines, Best Buy, AMC Theaters, Shop HQ, MAC, Dillards, Farmer's Insurance, and more.
To get the full scoop about my life as a professional performing artist, you can find the details here: www.vashti.online/artistry.
I have also appeared as a dance model in fine art galleries across the nation in photography and a pearl dust and acrylic painting. Enjoy my luxury art collection here.
As a Christian artist, I have also spent over ten years in dance ministry creating dance films and dramatic live events for Easter, Christmas, and other special services. You can watch videos of my church work here.
Since June of 2023, I retired from my career as a professional dancer, however my life’s still immersed in movement and storytelling and I continue to work as a choreographer, dancepreneur, and as commercial talent.
Currently, I'm actively wrapping up a dance film that I directed, choreographed, performed in, and edited. That dance film keeps me busy working on my art digitally and will be released in March 2024.
I also operate an online talent development and creative services business, VG Talent & Services LLC (VGTS). Through VGTS I offer a comprehensive financial development program for professional dancers! I use train dancers through "The Original Dancer's Blueprint™," which is a handbook I authored to help dancers transition from starving artists to thriving artists.
As a professional freelancer and dancepreneur for over ten years, I know the ups and downs of the industry. That's why I help dancers monetize their talents and turn their passions into profits.
If you would like to learn more about my financial development business for dancers, I encourage you to check out theses two links: To Flourish Is The Pointe™ and How To Make A Living As A Dancer™ live and digital seminars.
What's a normal day look like for me?
I enjoy being outdoors, going to the gym, drinking a lot of coffee, and being married to my wonderful husband, Jake! Jake is also a performer, and he got his degree in vocal performance as has led an exciting career as a professional opera singer (tenor). My husband and I are excited to embark on a new adventure of welcoming our first child coming May 2024. We're excited to see how our life and arts evolves after starting a family.