Interview

“I just try to approach every opportunity on stage as if it’s my first time and my last time.” ~ Misty Copeland, American ballet dancer

When you think “dance,” you think “Misty Copeland.” That’s something Tamisha and I agreed on during our one-on-one interview.

Dance Magazine named Tamisha one of 2016’s “25 to Watch,” which is proof that just like Copeland, Tamisha also approaches every performance like it’s her last. In fact, I asked Tamisha why she thought she was recognized by Dance Magazine. Tamisha said she’s always “present, honest and open” when she hits the stage to perform.

That’s not the only dance accolade on Tamisha’s resume though. Dance Europe: magazine named Tamisha Best Dancer of the Year in October 2017 — an honor she humbly said took her by surprise.

“I feel like I was shocked,” Tamisha told me. “In that moment, I was like ‘No, that’s not true.'” Tamisha added that it wasn’t until a fellow dancer showed her the magazine that she realized the accolade was indeed true. “I’m grateful and definitely honored. I feel blessed to just even receive that honor because there are so many beautiful dancers in the dance world.”

Tamisha has been dancing professionally with Abraham.In.Motion (AIM) for four years now and says the experience has been nothing short of “super inspiring” and that she’s looking forward to continuing her career with the company — a company led by Artistic Director Kyle Abraham.

Tamisha recently finished an extensive tour with AIM, where they danced in front of both domestic and international audiences. I asked Tamisha if there were any “marked moments” that she could think of regarding the recent tour.

She said dancing in Cali, the second biggest city in Colombia, and then finishing the tour in London at Sadler’s Wells were two experiences from the tour that she’ll never quite forget.

Dance is without a doubt a major part of Tamisha’s life, but in continuing this Intern Media tradition of giving my audience the “person behind the talent,” I’d be remiss if I didn’t tell you guys who Tamisha is as a person.

If you were to talk to 10 people who know her closely, all 10 would say something like this: “To know Tamisha is to love Tamisha.” I’ve known her since my early college days, and I can honestly say that I don’t know a more positive-spirited person. Tamisha is always being optimistic, smiling, doing for others, and using her social media platform as a tool to spread love and positivity with her thousands of followers.

Of course, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to ask her myself about what keeps her so upbeat about life.

“I think I’ve always been this way. I was a very happy child. I was always smiling. Always,” Tamisha said. “I just feel like we’re all in control of our happiness, as crazy as that may sound. I just kind of wake up in the morning and I say to myself, ‘I want to have a good day. I will have a good day.’ Spreading light and love in the world is really important to me.”