Ginny is a dancer, instructor, and choreographer currently based in the Washington, D.C. area. She’s also one of the most welcoming and insanely funny people I’ve ever met. On stage, her captivating personality shines alongside beautiful lines, flexibility, and power. Offstage, her ability to put you at ease while breaking down complicated steps makes training with her fun.
Here’s more of her dance journey, including how she started dancing, her three-year Husle World Championship title, and some really good career advice…
How did you start dancing?
I can credit my mom for that. She was a gymnastics coach and noticed that among everyone she taught, the most disciplined and fastest learners were the kids who had ballet. So as soon as I could walk she put me in baby ballet classes…then gymnastics when I started flipping off of couches and rolling down stairs. (That part was in my blood…mom was still cartwheeling while pregnant with me).
How did you get into the Salsa / Latin dance scene?
I saw a showcase with my ballet teacher one time and in that showcase there was a Salsa number. I had always wanted to do real partner dancing, but my ballet teacher always said “that’s just jazz holding hands” (It was actually an awesome conversation when I got to share with her just how wrong that idea was lol…and she did let me know that she was proud of me).
The guy who danced that showcase ended up teaching out of my ballet school the following year. I believe I was his first student in that area. Years later that guy, Danny, and I went on to win the World Hustle Championship. My involvement with the Latin dance scene came in around 2009 or 10 when my coach (Billy Fajardo) told me that learning Salsa would make my Hustle better (he used WAY different words though. ;)) So I started going out and social dancing and taking a class here and there. I met a lot of people and did a lot of social dancing which was great because when I stopped competing Hustle, the Salsa community opened its arms to me. I always wanted to train and grow and perform so after Hustle, Salsa became that for a while. I got to dance with Calle Luna [in Philadelphia] before they disbanded and that was some of the most motivated growth I’ve had as a dancer until recently. So I’m really thankful for the advice that was given to me about expanding my knowledge.
Can you talk about your experience winning the World Hustle Championships?
Oh man… I was 16ish when I was introduced to Hustle. I had been Danny’s student for a little while learning American Rythm and Smooth when Arte Phillips entered the picture. Danny wasn’t originally a big fan of Hustle, but in comes Arte and everything sort of became all about it and only it. Arte was like that…he made it cool and exciting and also worth learning well. My teacher, Danny, said “Hey, let’s try this” and the rest is history.
But you asked about winning… I was never really in it to win it, so to speak. Hustle is so versatile that I instantly fell in love with it. At the time, the only real place to have performance opportunity with Hustle was in competition. Danny and I just wanted to dance and learn and grow. So we worked on our stuff and put ourselves out there. The experience and being out on the floor with the best Hustle dancers in the world was enough for me, but when we won the first time in 2011 it was a pretty cool feeling…especially since our routines didn’t have what typically would win a competition. We felt that we could still improve on it, so we used the same routine the following year and won again. That year we were a little more competitively minded, we did actually want to defend the title. In 2013 we hadn’t like “announced” that we weren’t competing anymore and when we got to IHSC we saw that no one actually entered the Pro Championship. I heard a few people say things like “oh, well if I knew you weren’t competing, I would have entered” so my ego likes to think that no one wanted to compete against us, but I know that’s not the actual reality of the situation. Lol But…we did end up holding the title for three years even though we only danced to win twice.
What do you like about Salsa and Ballet?
Hmmm…. Ballet is like the foundation. I like the structure. I never really wanted to do it professionally. It was never my favorite to perform, but the study of it always felt like I was accomplishing something. And Salsa? I like the individuality of it. No matter your background or level of interest there is something g salsa related for you. As someone who likes structure and systems and rules…I gravitated more towards wanting to lead because I could find the structure and through lines for myself and implement them on the dance floor. But also, as someone who likes to let my hair down and have a good time…I also liked that “feeling the music” and letting your body just do, as a follower…is a huge part of Salsa.
You’re currently teaching and performing with your husband. Can you talk about how you two met and decided to dance together?
My husband, Artem, and I met at a studio in Virginia where I now live. He’s the reason I ended up here and am not still in Philly. He’s an International Latin dancer from Moscow. For those who aren’t familiar, the word Ballroom is thrown around rather vaguely. It’s comprised, primarily of five main categories: International Standard and Latin, its American counterparts Smooth and Rhythm, and routine divisions that are often combined: Theater Arts, Cabaret, and Show Dance. Latin (the International kind, not the authentic kind) and Rhythm are somewhat relatable in the ballroom arena, and Rhythm is closer to the world of dance that involves Hustle and Salsa. So, after trying our hand at Theater Arts for about a year we decided that our backgrounds met in the middle a little better with Rhythm.
Artem and I currently train/practice 5-6 days a week, get coaching 1-2 times a month, and travel to compete 2-4 times a month…on top of teaching and competing with our students. We have since stopped working for a studio and teach independently. We have a team of student partners who compete in all 5 styles who have become like a family to us. They work hard in their lessons and competitions with us which motivates us to keep up our hard work with each other. It’s a very inspirational circle to be part of. We’ve only been competing Rhythm for a year and there is a long way to go to reach our potential as dancers, but every day I am amazed by the things I now do and understand. The evolution of my dance career is absolutely insane to me, but I love it and wouldn’t change a thing.
What’s a typical day for you like?
Get up and have coffee is clearly first every day lol. Then in no particular order because it changes daily: teach, workout, clean something, practice, and the secretarial part of dancing (filling out and sending comp forms, emailing or calling students, scheduling the following week etc), and putting rhinestones on something whether it be a costume or making jewelry for myself or for someone else.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
Definitely the personal growth. Being able to see a different me on the dance floor each time I’m out there is the most rewarding. Both psychologically and physically finding things out about myself is my favorite part about performing and competing.
My favorite part about teaching is being able to share what I love….and not because I love it, but because there are people out there who want to have dance fit into their lives in some capacity and I feel privileged to help them with that. Just because you are a teacher doesn’t mean that you are a professional dancer…they are not synonymous. I really feel that they are two completely different jobs and need to be treated as such in order to be good at them.
What’s one way your relationship with dance has changed over the years?
I think the basis of my relationship with dance hasn’t really changed over the years. It’s always been more of who I am and not just what I do. My perspective has changed a lot and is constantly changing, though. Example… Concerning floor time: practicing for an hour and a half once a week used to be the norm for me when I was competing Hustle. Then I had the opportunity to practice for 2 hours three times a week and add workouts to my day when I was with Calle Luna. Now that I’m training and competing American Rhythm in the ballroom world My husband and I practice and work out every day. If I knew what I now know about dancing and what it takes back 10 years ago…shit….but I don’t dwell on that because my experience is what makes today possible.
What’s one of the most important life lessons dance has taught you?
It really is about the journey, not the destination. You can’t build Rome in a day. It’s never too late to try something new. And most importantly, sincerity outranks performance.
What advice do you have for someone who wants to do what you do?
Be aware of the people you surround yourself with. Find people in the industry who are better than you in every way possible. Be around them. The second that your growth exceeds their ceiling, move on, don’t wait. Dance is a people-oriented arena so the people around you will have a great influence over what you do and how well you do it. Make sure you stay honest with yourself about your surroundings as well. It’s easy to get caught in a loop. Check-in with your peers, find out about other people’s discoveries on their journeys, look at the big picture and make sure where you are standing right now is in a place that is somewhere between where you were and where you want to go and not way off course.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I can’t tell my story without super heartfelt gratitude towards the people I’ve met along the way. Arte, Danny, Billy, my former teammates on Calle Luna, the girls teams I’ve danced on… they all have a special place for me and have been vines for me to swing through along my safari. It’s great to look back and see where I’ve been too, but I’m also excited about what I’m doing now and how much I’m still learning. Dance is a lifelong journey if you let it be and I’m trying to do just that.
Ginny Ray
Three words to describe your dance style:
Athletic, honest, and always a work in progress
An Item you always have in your dance bag:
More than 1 pair of shoes
Favorite dance style:
I don’t really have one. There’s something to love about all of the many I’ve tried.
Favorite song in that style:
I like dancing to music with a lot of bass. The thump thump really moves me to the bone.
Most memorable performance so far:
Emerald Ball this past May. Going out there with the best in American Rythm with the biggest names on the judging panel and in the audience in a ballroom full of people… was everything that it looks like on TV. Exhilarating, nauseating, humbling, inspiring.
Most embarrassing moment on stage:
1. I was fat.
2. Probably the crappiest dancing I’ve ever done.
3. Just watch me roll on the ground. Hahahahaaa!
The best was my coach making fun of me afterward. Priceless.
Thank you so much, Ginny!
Are you a dancer with a story to tell? Know someone who would be perfect for our Dance Q&A series? Nominate them here!
P.S. Another dance q&a and what no one tells you about pursuing your dreams.