Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacob Hollingsworth
Hi Jacob, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello, this is Jacob L. Hollingsworth once again! Chief Executive Officer of Jacob Hollingsworth Network Corporation. Today I’m here to talk about JHN DANCE!
JHN DANCE was, of course, a long time vision of mine. I’ve been dancing since the age of 10. I remember watching Michael Jackson for the 1st time and being fascinated like most that inspired to be like him. Michael was the one that started it all for me. The following year there was Chris Brown when ‘Run It!’ dropped, and it was over for me. I knew from that time that I wanted to dance, and I don’t think there was ever a time after that where/when I thought I wouldn’t be dancing.
I started formal training in dance at the age of 15, but… at the time, I didn’t really want to be doing ballet n’things. So I took a year from those other styles, because I wanted to focus on what I was good at, ya’know? I wasn’t comfortable doing things outside of Hip-Hop & Urban since I had already been dancing for about 5 years at that time. So I changed my major to– I think band. Because I grew up playing the trumpet & harmonica as well. I started trumpet a year after I started dancing at the age of 11. I started playing the harmonica the same time I started dancing. So I was comfortable with that as well. So the experience with dance and music was almost equivalent. I was an Advanced Trumpeter by my freshman year of high school. So I did that and minored in art because I was a sketcher (sketch artist/drawer). I started illustrating at the age of… 6 or 7. But when I got to high school, I realized how much more technical and skilled some other artists were in comparison to me and I was like…. “nah, I better do something else.” I went into theater and drama as my major my sophomore and junior years of high school, and didn’t get back to majoring in dance until my senior year. Mind you, before that, I was asked to be a key part of a dance crew when I was 15, and we did that throughout high school and beyond. So if you guys see this, I love you guys, and I hope all of you are doing well!
After high school, I had 1 or 2 dance jobs. That’s it. But I definitely remember not wanting to leave the Midwest. Too many of us leave the Midwest for careers in Los Angeles and New York, but I didn’t want to do that. I wanted and want to bring something here, and do something here that’s not ordinary and do something special for us. We have competitions here for younger dancers, but as far as prominence when it comes to hip-hop & urban dance companies, etc. The stigma is that Hip-Hop Dance can’t stand alone and be the focal point of a production. The west coast has plenty of dance companies for Urban & Hip-Hop, but none here in the Midwest. That’s what/where JHN DANCE comes in and where it came from.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When you’re trying to change the trajectory of something that’s been stigmatized for so long, it’s like a foreign language to the public. So navigating how to push this takes a lot more effort, marketing, focus, discipline, than just… not reinventing the wheel. Because that’s exactly what we’re doing here with JHN DANCE. We’re taking a dance style that’s seen as only “street” and not as a professional showcase like ballet and making it something that’s completely foreign and real. Yet, we all love Urban & Hip-Hop, yet… we don’t necessarily take it and put it in the position of artistry as we do other stylings even in the Urban & Hip-Hop culture. We’re “backup dancers”, we’re the help, and we get paid way less. JHN DANCE is on a mission, and I won’t let up until my vision is realized. We deserve the respect as any other style of dance or artistry. That’s why this journey will be a struggle every single day until this stigma is erased.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
JHN DANCE is focused on teaching young dancers how to be professional in the world of dance, and what can be expected of them, and what they should and shouldn’t take into their professional careers.
We’re focused on teaching dancers about healthy habits when it comes to their diets, their in-studio demeanor, making sure they have the foundations of Urban & Hip-Hop dance before anything else, teaching these dancers how to not only be leaders in their dance careers, but also things that they can take into their own lives to help them along the way.
This is a training program catering to each and every student’s particular skill showcase. This is a program. This isn’t a “take a class– drop in when you can and learn some choreo.” No, this is… very intricate training designed to make these dancers standout, and guarantee they will have long lasting dance careers well past their prime ages and beyond.
And to assure these dancers have a safe space and comfortable place to grow and develop, we’ve created JHN DANCE +. A totally free social media platform to discuss and network with other dancers. All you need is your ‘Your JHN Network’ Account and to confirm you are currently enrolled in a dance program or currently or actively pursuing a dance career.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love that in the Twin Cities, there’s plenty of opportunity for growth and expansion to do your own thing and create something really special.
But negatives also come with that. The competition and partnership factor comes into play. It’s like you’re… trying to create a… blueprint or like you’re inventing the world’s first computer. There’s no “How to” book, and not everyone is going to believe in or even understand what you do and/or your character. So you have to exert and exert until people start to see how special your vision has been all along, and there’s not many people who can relate to what you’re doing. No, this isn’t necessarily a good or bad thing, it’s just what it is.
In the dance world when it comes to competition, again, most dancers are simply trying to make it in the industry or just want to live out being a dancer without actually wanting to… do something that’s going to take this culture of Urban & Hip-Hop dance further than what/where it’s been. The amount of training I do, my diet, and skillset is completely different. I’ve trained with ballet dancers through my teens, contemporary dancers, and I see how they train. Urban & Hip-Hop… doesn’t necessarily have that. So that’s what makes a difference as well in comparison. So it’s not even just a Twin Cities thing. It may be more so here, because this isn’t a place that’s super huge on Urban & Hip-Hop dance yet. It will be though. So it’s often seen as being recreational here in Minnesota. But that will change soon.
Pricing:
- JHN DANCE + Social Media Platform – Free
- In-Person Lessons (Minneapolis) – Starting at $75
- Recorded Lessons – Starting at $79
- Online Lessons – Starting at $81
- JHN DANCE Monthly – $508/Mo. *Recommended
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jacobhollingsworth.net/dance
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jhndance/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jhndance/
- Twitter: https://x.com/JhnDance
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCQnnOzl_9_RCOI–7m0hbbQ
- Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/jhn-dance-minneapolis
- Other: https://www.jacobhollingsworth.net/classes
Image Credits
Images are JHN Exclusive property of Jacob Hollingsworth Network Corporation and its subsidiaries. Images licensed under JHN EXCLUSIVE Trademark of Minnesota.
