Dancer Ebone 'VanityZo' Carrera: "Art Saves Lives. I'm Living Proof."

When I started dancing at 2 years old in the 80’s the amount of “minorities” in my classes was very small. You could literally count us on one hand. I was always the only Black girl in most of my classes . I was in a ballet company for 3 years as the only Black girl, and once I left, more young girls of color began to take more interest in classical training.

Growing up in the 90’s, the Black community wasn’t informed about the importance of ballet or jazz training and technique, and many couldn’t afford private training. I was very blessed though, because my mother Paulette Walker Johnson was the primary Jazz teacher for the studio I trained at from 2-14 years old, giving my mom assistance in helping to pay for my training, until she eventually opened her own.

I grew up in a neighborhood that was peaceful on one side, but as soon as you crossed 5th Ave, there were drugs and crime on every corner, and I was somewhere in the middle. Growing up in the hood gave me substance and taught me to hold my own on my own. Watching my mother go from working for someone to becoming a successful studio owner while still raising my brother and I as a single parent gave me a whole different outlook on life.

My mother is unapologetic in everything she does, so I guess you can say I truly get it from my mama. When I started dancing professionally in middle school kids would make fun of me, calling me a liar and making me feel extremely small. The worst part was that it was coming from other Black females, my own people, my sisters.

Every time I’d go away to a summer program, whether it was Debbie Allen’s Dance Academy, the Alvin Ailey School, or a Broadway Theatre Project, I’d always come back to Florida dreading my life and wishing I could stay in LA or NYC forever. It was in those moments that I made a promise to myself as a teen that I’d make a career with dance and be the best at it. Not many people can say Debbie Allen gave them their first job dancing behind Chaka Khan at 14 years old.

That job solidified my official title of being a professional dancer and started the path I had worked so hard for. I was destined to get where I needed to be no matter what. When I was 19, I finally made it out of St. Pete’s, and joined the roster of the Knicks City Dancers dance team. Unfortunately it wasn’t what I thought. That’s the thing about dreams. Sometimes they look better in our heads. It was the complete opposite of what I thought the dance team would be, and I lost my fire to dance.

By mid-season, I got fired from the Knicks, and was forced to work a retail job, staying in class, and hoping my agent would help me to identify a better opportunity. Three months after being fired, I auditioned for Step Up 2: The Streets and booked the job as a supporting actress and lead dancer in the 410 Crew, under the direction of Hi-hat, Dave Scott, Jamal Sims and Rhapsody James. If I would have let my experience with The Knicks kill my spirit and determination to dance, I would have fallen to the wayside and missed out on all the experiences I was yet to have.

It was a big lesson to always stay true to yourself, no matter what or who tells you otherwise. Whatever is meant for me will always be meant for me, and God will always have the last say.

After the film, I went on to work with a long list of stars; Kiesza, Rick Ross, Mary J. Blige, Method Man, Red Man, DMX, Chrisette Michelle, Ryan Leslie, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Inked Magazine, Eminem, The Roots, Pusha T, Dance TNT, So You Think You Can Dance Russia, Warren G, Diplo, and Skrillex while also performing on major award shows, on world tours , daytime TV spots, and more.

I’ve done it all staying true to myself and being unapologetically ME. Never sacrifice who you are to make someone else comfortable or you may regret it for the rest of your life. With my home base in NYC I currently teach 25 classes a week between 3 different schools 6 days a week. I always push originality and truth on my students as well as true Hip Hop history and technique.

A lot of people teach Hip Hop wrong, without any knowledge of where it came from, how it started or why it started. Everyone wants to be Black but it isn’t something you can borrow and just give back when you feel like it. Hip hop is a culture and a lifestyle that should be treated as such with all the foundation attached.

At some point in the future I plan on going into the inner cities of Harlem building programs and eventually my own nonprofit dance academy. I want to give back and put the money into my people, the kids who come from single parent households that want to study dance. We have too many private studios that cost way too much money for the average household.

When I become a studio owner it won’t be about the money but about changing the lives of young people and giving them the opportunity to live their dreams unapologetically when the system tells them otherwise.

Art saves lives, I truly believe that. It saved mine, I’m living proof.