Ashley Everett: The Journey of Dance

Ashley Everett has put motion to a rhythm since the age of three, which is when she took her first dance class. Since then, she has graced the stage with Beyoncé, Tina Turner, Ne-Yo, Usher, Jennifer Lopez and many more; using her creative dance style to WOW audiences worldwide when she hits the stage. She’s performed in countless countries for countless shows, including the MTV Awards, World Music Awards, and even The Grammy Awards. She even danced on the farewell episode of Oprah, which was a dream come true for her.

At the age of 16, Everett took her love for dance to New York, where like many great and legendary dancers, she trained with Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. At the age of 17, while completing the program as a senior in high school, she was approached by Beyonce’s choreographer. “I auditioned like everyone else; I was senior in high school. They asked me to do videos which eventually lead to me doing the tour. But, when they asked me to do the video’s they asked, ‘How old are you?’ and I told them 18. My birthday was in April and this was all happening around January but they wanted me to go on tour…I turned 18 right after we went on tour so that happened perfectly.”

After graduation, she planned on attending Julliard to further her dance studies, but the tour that she was on with Beyoncé got extended. Choosing between dancing for Beyoncé and attending Julliard, where she dreamed of going all her life, would be one of the toughest decisions of her life. In the end, however, she chose to continue dancing for Beyoncé and has since been in the forefronts of the megastar’s dance team.

Although Everett has worked with a vast amount of celebrities, many do not know that she is going on her sixth year working with Beyonce’ which she described as a “phenomenal experience” that she is blessed to have done. She explains, “Working with her [Beyoncé] has opened doors to work with so many other people. She [Beyoncé] recently did her first performance, “Revel”, since having her and husband Sean “Jay-Z” Carter’s baby, Blue Ivy. “It was one of the best concerts that she [Beyoncé] has ever put on in the least amount of time. We put that show together in about two weeks and it was crazy, it was a phenomenal concert,” says Everett.

Next up for Everett is a campaign for Venus razors, in which Everett is excited for. “It’s Ashley Everett being the face and representing for women. They wanted a well-known dancer who has worked with a lot of people and I don’t see myself like that so it makes me feel special,” says Everett. The campaign is expected to launch at the end of the summer.
As for those who aspire to be dancers, Everett offers up this advice, “I can dance with Beyoncé in heels but I can also do hip-hop too. The key is being versatile and taking classes.” You can keep up with Ashley Everett by following her on Facebook and twitter @AshleyCMEverett.