Interview with GIOVANNI WATSON

Interview by Anthony “AntBoogie” Rue II for Dancers Are Athletes

From touring with major artists to transitioning into acting and creative leadership, Giovanni Watson shares honest insights on longevity, professionalism, reinvention, and what younger dancers often misunderstand about the industry.

1. You’ve built a career across dance, choreography, and acting. What mindset shift has to happen when a dancer wants to be taken seriously in another lane?

Giovanni Watson:The mindset a dancer has to have to be taken seriously in another lane, is that they have to be willing to pour their all into whatever that may be, I know for me after having the career I had as a professional dancer for 18 plus years I always felt that there was MORE inside of me. Honestly the acting came before dance, dance was a passion for me but, acting is my purpose. Once I accepted that I was starting to be known more as an actor that can dance.

2. What mistakes do you see dancers make when trying to transition into acting?

Giovanni Watson:The most common mistakes I see dancers make when trying to transition is they tend to just wake up one day after possibly becoming burnt out or loosing the love for dance and just say “IM ABOUT TO START ACTING” but not again FULLY diving into it, weather it be training, building a acting reel, and trying to use dance head shots as theatrical/Film/TV head shots.

However there are quite a few dancers that have crossed over by means of just having relationships, most artist that you dance for has a team and that team some how are or have connections in the acting world.

3. Is there a point where being known only as a dancer can actually become a limitation in this industry?

Giovanni Watson:In today’s time absolutely NOT, there are a ton of dancers who are fully making a living off of JUST being a dancer, you got Tik Tok, Social Media, YouTube.. I mean these viral dancers are literally celebrities to this younger generation, becuase they are so tuned into social media that’s all they see and they become fans just off literally seeing them over and over all day on a small computer in their hand.

4. A lot of dancers dream about touring or working with major artists, but very few think beyond that phase. What’s something dancers should be preparing for while they’re still in the middle of the grind?

Giovanni Watson:I think something dancers should be preparing for is the “WHAT IF”, WHAT WHILE” & “WHAT AFTER”

If your what If is , WHAT IF I GET INJURED, and or that may end my career (which is what happened to me) I had to make sure that I was one, trying my best to save my money, the “WHAT WHILE” is what are you doing “WHILE” your in the grind, are you building relationships with the labels?, choreographers, creative directors, etc.. these are very important becuase if your “LIKED” and so happen to be a dope dancer in this game you can easily become a choreographers assistant, a label can see you and want to hire you as head choreographer for one of their new artist, a creative director can request you for other jobs, but you MUST be easy to work with and keep your name clean in people’s mouths. And the “WHAT AFTER” is how ever long you danced or whatever artist or tour resume you have, what have you built during that time for

Your “WHAT AFTER” can you tour and workshop for the rest of your life, can you open up a studio, dance programs, have you retired and now own an agency and have a name to carry it.

5. Social media has made dance careers look glamorous, but what’s a reality about this business younger dancers don’t fully understand until they’re in it?

Giovanni Watson:Well “Social media shows the highlights the tours, music videos, big stages, and celebrity moments but what younger dancers often don’t fully understand is how much discipline, rejection, and inconsistency comes with this career. People see the 60 second clip of success, but they don’t see the years of training, the auditions you don’t book, the physical wear on your body, or the reality that talent alone isn’t enough.

6. You’ve worked with artists like Omarion and others. Which collaborations genuinely inspired you creatively, and why?

Giovanni Watson:Over the course of my 18+ year dance career, I’ve had the opportunity to work with an incredible range of artists from as you mentioned Omarion, and a ton of others. Every experience taught me something different, but if I had to name the artists who inspired me most creatively, it would be two: Chris Brown and will.i.am.

Chris Brown inspired me because of his work ethic and how hands on he was creatively. When Flii stylez hired me for a couple projects, I remember watching Chris in the corner by himself, drilling choreography over and over, fully locked into perfecting every detail. He had a clear vision and wasn’t relying on everyone else to create it for him he was deeply involved in the process. Seeing that level of focus and dedication pushed me to raise my own standards and go even harder in my craft.

will.i.am inspired me in a completely different way. He’s a true visionary. I’ve had the chance to be in his studio and watch him create from scratch, and seeing how his mind works was incredible. From his innovation with technology like i.am auto his automotive company,to the way he thinks several steps ahead creatively, he has this rare ability to almost see the future before it happens.

What impacted me even more, though, was his humility. Despite his success and genius level creativity, he’s one of the most down to earth artists I’ve ever worked with. I’ll never forget him randomly pulling up for my birthday, paying for dinner, and disappearing like it was nothing. That kind of generosity and authenticity, combined with his vision, showed me how far creativity can take you when it’s paired with character.

Both of them inspired me in different ways Chris showed me the importance of discipline and relentless work ethic, while will.i.am showed me the power of innovation, vision, and thinking beyond what already exists. Together, those experiences helped shape how I approach my own career and creative ideas today.

7. When working with an artist, what makes someone worth going hard for creatively versus just treating it like another job?

Giovanni Watson:What separates an artist you just “show up for” versus one you go all in creatively for usually comes down to one thing: energy exchange and vision.

When I’m working with an artist, I go hardest creatively when I feel like they’re actually building something, not just buying a service. That means they have a real vision, even if it’s not fully formed yet, and they’re open enough to collaborate instead of just dictate. I need to feel that they respect the craft not just the outcome. When an artist cares about the details, the rehearsal, the intention behind movement, that naturally pulls more out of me as a creative.

The other part is trust. If an artist trusts me enough to explore, fail, push ideas, and elevate the concept without shutting everything down at the first version, that’s when I can really go to work. That’s when it stops feeling like a job and starts feeling like building something that could actually live beyond the moment.

8. Was there a moment in your career where you realized talent alone wasn’t enough? What changed for you?

Giovanni Watson:What changed for me was when I was on tour with a specific artist, (who I won’t name) but they are HUGE! To this day.. and we were in Japan I believe, maybe at the middle of this world tour, after we finished and had about a two months break… we got wind from our agents that “HEY GUYS YOU GUYS ARE GOING ON ANOTHER LEG OF THE TOUR” so I’m excited and again starting to mentally and physically start preparing for tour, we’re in rehersals for months and maybe a week before we leave I get a call from my agent saying I had been let go from the next leg of the tour, he assured me it was nothing I had done wrong, but I was being let go becuase my opposite was found out to be messing around with the HEAD CHOREOGRAPHERS PARTNER, while on the first leg of the tour.

(HUGGGGGEEEE CHOREOGRAPHER BY THE WAY LEGENDARY|ICONIC BTW)

They fired him which mean they had to let me go.

I say all this to say I learned to one I was hired to do a JOB, not necessarily make friends, I learned once you burn the wrong person specially this choreographer that your name can travel and you can never work again, just based off the power of someone else, and unfortunately the dancer NEVER WORKED AGAIN, I learned to mind my business, do my job, and not to SHI* where I eat!

9. Have you ever had to unlearn something from the dance world in order to grow in another area?

Giovanni Watson:One of the biggest things I had to unlearn is that being the best dancer in the room automatically makes you the most valuable voice in the room. Early on, the focus is very much on execution how clean you are, how fast you pick things up, how hard you hit movement. But as I started growing and stepping into more creative spaces, I realized that sometimes the most impactful contribution isn’t just performance, it’s perspective.

I also had to unlearn the idea that saying “yes” to everything was the only way to stay relevant. In dance culture, especially early on, you feel like you have to take every job, prove yourself constantly, and never turn anything down. But growth taught me that boundaries, selectivity, and understanding your value actually extend your career they don’t limit it.

10. What’s something people assume about professional dancers that’s completely wrong?

Giovanni Watson:What people don’t see is the mental side of it: managing rejection, staying motivated when you’re not booked, and learning how to separate your worth from your last job.

So from the outside it looks effortless and confident, but behind that is a lot of emotional discipline and resilience that keeps everything together.

11. What separates the dancers who actually last in this business from the ones who disappear after a few years?

Giovanni Watson:The dancers who last understand early that this is a long game. They take care of their bodies, stay consistent with training even when they’re working, and learn how to evolve with the industry instead of getting stuck in one style or one era of movement. They don’t just chase moments they build careers.

Another major difference is professionalism and reputation. The people who last are dependable. They show up on time, they’re coachable, they adapt quickly, and they’re easy to work with under pressure. In this industry, your reputation travels faster than your résumé.

12. If a young dancer came to you saying, “I want longevity, not just one hot moment,” what would you tell them?

Giovanni Watson:I’d tell them to build like they’re not trying to be viral they’re trying to be undeniable over time.

Longevity in dance starts with discipline when nobody is watching. That means training even when you’re booked, not just when you need a job. It means staying in class, studying different styles, and keeping your body conditioned like it’s your instrument because it is.

I’d also tell them to stop chasing validation from one moment, one video, or one booking. This industry will give you highs and silence in the same year. If your identity is tied to the highs, you’ll burn out fast. You have to learn how to stay steady in both.

Protect your reputation like it’s part of your résumé, because it is. People remember how you were to work with far longer than they remember one performance. Be on time, be coachable, be adaptable, and don’t make yourself harder to work with than your talent is worth.

lastly, start thinking beyond just dancing early. Learn creative direction, understand music, understand set etiquette, build relationships, and pay attention to the business side. The dancers who last are the ones who grow into creatives not just performers waiting to be chosen.

13. What does professionalism actually look like in this industry from your perspective?

Giovanni Watson:It starts with reliability. Being on time isn’t impressive in this industry it’s the baseline. Professional dancers are early, prepared, warmed up, and already mentally in the work before anyone calls action. People notice who makes their job easier and who creates delays.

It also looks like adaptability. Choreography changes, music shifts, artists change direction last minute sometimes mid-rehearsal. A professional doesn’t take that personally. They adjust quickly and stay solution focused instead of frustrated.

Another part is emotional control. Sets can be long, energy can be low, egos can be high, but professionalism is being able to stay locked in without letting attitude or emotion disrupt the room. You don’t have to be overly cheerful — you just can’t be disruptive.

14. What version of yourself had to die for the current version of Giovanni Watson to exist?

Giovanni Watson:This is a very simple answer and I say this with honesty and whole heartedly TRUTH, MY EGO, AND LETTING GO OF FEAR, and face THAT SHI* HEAD ON!