Empower Yourself at a Parris Goebel Workshop
New Zealand-born dancer Parris Goebel shares with Vogue how she is inspiring the next generation of women with her own success.
When you ask an artist about what they consider to be their first big break, most of them don’t say touring with Jennifer Lopez. But then, Goebel isn’t like most artists. “She saw a clip of mine on YouTube and then her team reached out, then I worked on her [2012] tour. That would’ve been my first big break and it was something that was just non-stop,” shares the dancer who is also a talented choreographer, singer, director and actress.
Looking back on Goebel’s career, it is no accident that she has achieved the success she has. “I just fell in love with dance at such a young age. I just really knew it was what I was going to do, from video clips, and my parents just played music all the time – I just knew it was in me and I was born to do it,” she says.
“Hard work to me means sacrificing everything and anything you need to in order to become what you dream of. For me, it’s putting in the work, it’s putting in the late hours, and it’s never giving up as well, no matter what. No matter the opinions that come your way, it’s never giving up, never. That’s what hard work is, keeping on and moving to where you want to be.”
Now, working with Nike is the next dream come true in what seems to be a series of them. Goebel has been tapped to host a Nike Force is Female Workshop on 24 November in Melbourne, mentoring young women through dance. Goebel, 26, will give 40 upcoming female dancers the opportunity to join her for an intimate choreography session, which will see them audition to secure a spot in her crew’s performance at the Battle Force event.
“Through my movement, I’ve really tried to represent the strengths we have as women. What’s really important for me is the confidence in myself, as not only a dancer, but also as a woman. When we come together as women I think it’s just really special, we get to see a positive vibe, and uplift each other. I hope that the dancers who attend are inspired and empowered too, and that I can share how putting in the work is the best way to realise and live out your dream.”
Original article by Vogue, October 24, 2018.
