CDC Concrete Dance Couture

I know you’ve been very busy, so let’s start by talking about this amazing choreography showcase you just had, tell us how it went, along with your goals for this amazing project.

Sure. The name of the showcase is POL (Phases of Love) it’s a choreographer’s extravaganza that is based in Atlanta. It’s basically a night for the best talent in the country to display their work on stage in front of a lot of people. The showcase was also a benefit for the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. We raise money and awareness for the Alzheimer’s foundation. I chose that charity because my Grandmother suffered from it and the whole showcase is dedicated to her. We hope to increase research on the disease and hopefully eliminate it if we can. We try our best to give back to the community. We also make celebrities out of the choreographers. We only chose 10 choreographers. We have 2 up and coming choreographers and 8 features. They get their own stage, they get interviewed by the media, they receive the footage back to add to their reel and basically it’s their tonight to shine. Thankfully, the show was just amazing. Derek J from “Housewives of Atlanta” attended. Reco Chapple from Bravo’s “The fashion Show” and “House of Chapple” Teddy Bishop, who is a multi-platinum producer and more also attended. The show was sold out. We had a nice red carper, it was great. We had a lot of high profile people that came to view a lot of exceptional talents.

I want to speak about Cici Kelley for a minute. Introduce yourself to the world. Who is CiCi Kelley and what does she represents?

I’m a dreamer and a giver. When I am able to create and produce the visions that I see in my head, it makes me so excited. It reminds me that it is possible to accomplish whatever God plants in you. You just have to follow through and do it. I love to give back and watch other people grow. I’m a dancer, a performer, lover and producer. That is Cici Kelley. I’m a whole lot of things! (laughs)

So why dance? Do you feel that dance was your calling? Or was it accidental?

I never had a choice! It’s always been dance. I never had another thought to do anything else in my life. I was programmed to dance and to produce. It was never a question.

Wow! I can hear the passion and love that you have for dance in your tone now. Let’s go back to your first “break” take us there and tell us how you felt. In addition, what are some of your goals for yourself now?

Well I don’t want to call it my first break, I want to call it the first second that I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I knew I was going to be a dancer but when it bit me, is when I was at my first Darrin Henson’s Dance Groove convention. I was 17 years old and Darrin pulled me up on stage with him to dance with him to Jennifer Lopez’s “Love don’t cost a thing” It was thousands of people and that feeling was crazy. Since then that’s what I knew what I wanted to do. After school I decided to go dance for artists. I was able to work with Beyonce, LL Cool J, J.Lo and others. After that, I moved to choreography. I am working with Tyler Perry again, Fonzworth Bentley and more. But right now, I am a producer; I am doing everything I wanted to do.

I want to touch on a subject that hasn’t really been touched when it comes to dancers and image. As a woman of browner skin complexion, have you ever felt insecure or gotten type casted in the business?

It’s interesting you know because you always hear about typecast in this industry. I haven’t gotten type casted because of my color, if anything I’ve gotten typecast because of my height. I am 5’8 so I’ve always had an issue with being too tall. That’s always been my issue; it’s like towering over people sometimes towering over the artist. Male artists don’t like it and no choreographer wants the dancer to be taller than the artists. My first experience with typecasting was in 2004. I walked in the door at an audition and they immediately said that I was not what they were looking for. At first it really hurt but I spoke to my agent and then I understood. Ever since then, I didn’t let it bother me. As a choreographer and producer, I understand it more. I know exactly what I am looking for so I understand that they have a vision and I needed to fit that vision.

Obviously you’ve been quite blessed in the industry but I know you’ve experienced difficult times. What keeps Cici going?

There are a lot of them but only a few that made me feel pain. I’ve gone to a couple of auditions that made me say “I can’t do this anymore” but one thing I always try to describe to people is that there’s this eternal flame that I can’t ever just burn out. And that keeps me going. When you know your purpose and what you’re supposed to do, there’s nothing, I mean absolutely nothing can break your spirit. You have to trust in it, develop a thick skin and trust in yourself. I’ve learned to trust myself and my visions, there’s always a little flame left in me. Even if someone took the whole ocean and threw it on it, my flame won’t blow out.

So a lot of your fans recognize you on MTV’s “Made” how was that experience, and what’s next for you?

Wow, “Made” was amazing. It really put me on the map nationally. It was a lot of fun and reading the fan mails made it even more interesting because it was mind-boggling. Every time I read one I was just like; “dude, I’m just a home girl from around the block that just likes to dance.” When people send me messages it really touches me. It’s absolutely beautiful to know that you can touch someone’s life like that, it really means a lot. As far as what’s next, I have my own production company now so I am focused on branding the company. The first project is our choreographer’s showcase, “Phases of Love” (POL) and getting it of the ground. It’s doing pretty well and getting a lot of recognition so we want to continue with that. There are a lot of other special little projects but I can’t talk about just yet. But don’t worry, CDC will know first (laughs).

Awesome we can’t wait! So here are the CDC members, what is your personal message to them?

Well my motto is; Dare Dream Dance. It’s basically Dare to dream and dream to dance. It doesn’t have to be dance, it can be anything else, but you cannot let someone burn out that flame. Find your own niche, whatever it is that you want to do; you need to be the head of that. Write your goals down on paper and follow through. Take everything one day at a time, Find your path and go down that path, whatever it is, DO it! Because I guarantee you can do it. And most importantly, Pray, Pray and Pray again.

It’s impossible to not love Cici and respect the opportunity she is blessing choreographers everywhere with, we can’t wait to see what she does next, whatever it is; we will be right there to support. For more info on Cici Kelley, check out www.cicikelley.com, www.polchoreographershowcase.com and follow her on twitter @CiCiKelley