My Journey
- Janelle Reece
- Feb 25, 2025
- 7 min read
Updated: Mar 19, 2025
Starting a business at 21 years old is pretty daunting. You might be wondering what led me to this place? Many people will do theatre or do dance and then when adulthood comes, they leave it behind. And I almost did too! But with the support of my friends and family, and the unquenchable desire to create, I move forward on this small business journey.
And as the most grandma-like young adult that I am, whenever I move forward it always makes me want to look back. I'm a sucker for nostalgia! So join me as I look back on where I started and how I got to the point where performing and teaching dance is my career!
Early Start
As the youngest of my family, I was carted around anywhere my siblings went, A.K.A. drama practice. And eventually I was hanging around so much that they asked my parents, "can we cast Janelle in the show this winter?" Thankfully, they agreed. So just after turning 5 years old, I debuted as "Minnie May" in the musical Anne of Green Gables.
I already knew everyone in the cast, had plenty of experience walking around backstage, and I was a pro at playing with the set pieces. Little Minnie May had no fear walking onto that stage and singing "Dianna's drunk! Dianna's drunk!" When my mother let me go into that first rehearsal, I doubt she expected me to take the role "dying of pneumonia" so seriously.
And so the "drama bug" had bit me. I weaseled my way into every production my siblings were in after that. Singing, dancing, and acting became the norm; so much so that I started forcing my sister to "put on shows for mom and dad" with me at home complete with lighting cues, a behind-the-couch backstage space, and even a quick change!
Dancing Years
After doing musicals for a few years, I got signed up for my first ballet class. Wearing leotards and ballet slippers is the dream of most little girls, and soon the smell of hairspray became a comforting scent. There were girls in my class who had been dancing since they were 2 or 3 years old and even then that gave me the drive to work hard and catch up where I felt I was behind. So I performed in Ballet, Jazz, and Tap for about two years before I left that studio.
My parents let me try any extra-curriculars that I showed interest in, so dance went on the backburner for a few years while I continued to do musical theatre. Then at 12, I decided it was time to get back into the world of dance. New studio, new teacher, and new classmates. I ended up making the highest skill level my first year and danced there for the next 5 years.
Over the span of those 5 years, I was trained in Lyrical, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Tap. Performances included spring recitals, Christmas pageants, fall festivals, and I was chosen to perform at a Daddy-Daughter event.
Even though I had been in the same theatre troupe for almost a decade, I chose to step away from it in order to start dancing multiple times a week. Once I stopped having one foot in theatre and one foot in dance, the opportunity to start teaching arose.
At age 13, I became the assistant teacher for a few preschool and kindergarten ballet classes. Those early, albeit awkward, classes sparked my love for teaching and established the confidence in me that I could keep kids productive and entertained for an hour without any injuries. Since I was there early, my own teacher would pass along the combinations we were learning in my own classes in order for me to assist my peers. Eventually, I began to substitute teach. And more and more leadership roles came my way.
Choreography
Despite being committed to my dance studio, theatre was still in my peripherals. Most of my friends were still acting and the directors still kept in touch with me. One day, I got a fateful message on Facebook - "Janelle, we'd like to offer you the role of the White Stagg in our production of Narnia. Would you be willing to be the choreographer as well?"
And so, I agreed! Without any training on creating choreography or any degree in teaching, 8th grade Janelle got her name in the program as "Choreographer" for the very first time.
Despite how big of a responsibility fell on my shoulders, I didn't run away screaming! I accepted every inquiry for choreography after that. It was a way I could keep training in dance while still being involved in theatre during the school year. During the summers I was performing in musicals such as Fiddler on the Roof (as dance ensemble) and Matilda the Musical (as dance captain) with Wonder Playhouse.
Then COVID-19 shut the world down. Zoom dance rehearsals were the bane of my existence and my last ever dance recital was recorded in front of any empty room, might I add, 3 months after it was supposed to be performed for crowds of friends and family. Afterwards, my dance teacher was moving away and I knew the studio wouldn't be the same without her.
So, I hopped back on the theatre train for my two remaining years of high school, doing choreography for more shows than I could keep track of. There was a team looking for a choreographer for their production of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and the choreographer for Wonder Playhouse recommended me! At 16 years old, my mom dropped me off at a building full of strangers for me to watch the auditions and help with casting as the official choreographer. It was the biggest project I had ever worked on at that point. The show went so well and the team liked me enough that they asked me to come back the next year for their production of "Bright Star."
Those last two years of high school packed a punch of projects that meant a lot to me - regency era English country dancing for "Pride & Prejudice," blue grass inspired dance for "Bright Star," first time directing a theatre summer camp, WW11-era swing dance for "Melody's Serenade," a leading role in "Emma: a Pop Musical," and producing and directing a theatre summer camp...to only name a few.
World Tour
Most of my siblings who did performing arts moved on to something else quickly after graduating high school, but I was hooked. Within months of graduating, I performed as Karen the Computer in "Spongebob the Musical" and Singing Telegram Girl (among other roles) in "Clue: Live on Stage!"
During those productions, I auditioned and got accepted into Heartbridge Performing Arts Training School in Kona, Hawai'i. At the beginning of 2023, I moved to Hawai'i with only a checked bag and a backpack.
With Heartbridge, I trained in their dance track while also rehearsing for an original production titled "Coming Home" where I was cast at the head maid, Estelle. In dance track we varied in styles week to week (ballet, jazz, cultural dances, and advanced improv) but our final project was a piece of original choreography telling the story of our lives. If you would like to see my final project, click here. After about 10 weeks of rehearsals, we performed "Coming Home" locally before setting off on our world tour. Our destinations - England and South Korea.
In the span of about two months, we performed "Coming Home" over 30 times for thousands of people in so many locations, I've lost count. Touring proved to me my dedication to the performing arts. Proved that I would not endure homesickness, real sickness, and financial hardship just for some hobby. After two months of performing the same dances and the same lines with the same smile on my face despite the different time zones, different languages around me, and the ever changing aches in my body, I would have been so happy to do it all again for another two months.
My time with Heartbridge changed me as a performer and as a person. I grew more confident in my identity as an artist. Throughout all the different cities we visited, I gained the experience of teaching dance and acting workshops to various age ranges. My team worked so hard to talk through any conflict affecting the peace and unity of the group. I gained unforgettable memories and life long friendships during those 6 months.
The Desert
We're getting closer and closer to the present.
They say it gets darkest right before the dawn of a new day. I've experienced a few dark hours along this path finding my place and purpose in the performing arts world.
Once I arrived home from the tour, I was itching to get back into travel and creating. I was inspired to write constantly and improvised dance became a normal pass time. But all the big doors in shining lights were metaphorically closed. I found myself working a 9-5 desk job, while my days of touring and performing seemed like a foggy, distant memory.
Once a week I met with some folks to rehearse for a radio themed audio drama of "It's a Wonderful Life." Voicing Mary Hatch became the highlight of my week but it was little to nothing compared to the rigorous pace I had set for myself the past 3 years. It was like a drop of water in the desert.
So, I allowed my passion for the arts to go into hibernation and pretended to live a "normal life." But without me realizing it, my heart was waiting. Hopeful for the opportunity to create again.
And it came through my little niece's first play - Peter Pan.
The lady who was doing some choreography for them ended up backing out last minute and so a month and a half before opening night, they asked me to join the team. I quickly rearranged my work schedule.
That tiny opportunity sparked the fire again. It dawned on me that I needed to be away from the stage long enough to realize how much it mattered to me.
I resigned from my office job in a leap of faith and began developing the brand that you see before you now - Performing with Purpose.
If you've made it this far in reading "My Journey," I hope you realize that the essence of my teaching is not flashy-commercial-dance-only-in-it-for-money stuff, but authentic creativity! Movement that expresses deep meaning. And I hope to help all who come my way revive the passion in their lives and find the purpose that makes this crazy, wonderful, terrifying, and beautiful life worth it.
With Love,
Janelle Reece
Founder of Performing with Purpose
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