Meet Olivia May | Director of Profectus Dance and Dance Instructor at Compass Dance Academy

We had the good fortune of connecting with Olivia May and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Olivia, why did you pursue a creative career?
As a kid, I knew that one day I wanted to be a dance teacher and a director of a professional company. I couldn’t tell you how I was going to make it happen, I just knew that one day it would happen. Having a career in the dance field was never not an option for me. I dabbled in “backup jobs” in college like, chemistry and psychology but nothing seemed to hold my attention long enough to pursue like dance did. Dance just felt like a no brainer, and the idea of doing anything else just made me feel incomplete.

I have found in my 30 years of life that if you want to make a change in the world, you have to just make it happen and not wait for someone to offer it to you. Using my career in dance to cultivate a community that is focused on being the change and not sitting around waiting for someone to offer that opportunity to change is what has driven me to work with Compass Dance Academy and to partner with my associate directors and create and direct Profectus Dance. I teach my young students that their voice matters, their artistic expression matters, they are the next generation of artists that will help shape what this art will turn into for them. During my professional dance career that was something that wasn’t offered to me in the way I had hoped. I thought to myself, “if I am teaching my students these things, why am I not acting on it myself?”

Compass Dance Academy is a wonderful place that opens the doors for teachers to instill that passion and change in young dancers. Getting to teach dance with the mindset of pairing true identity and technical excellence without the pressures of perfection or competition is what the dance world needs right now. I get to inspire the next generation by example. Through classes, one on one conversations, mentorships, and even performing with them, I get to be an active example of what it looks like to be a change in this world.

With Profectus, I get to make an impact for change now. I get to offer a space that is collaborative, impactful, and meaningful. I have seen so much of the negative qualities first hand of the dance world. It would be a disservice to inspire the next generation to do something if I was not also trying to do it myself. I am not a public speaker, I am not gifted in the ways of technology to create life changing equipment, but I dance and create dance. I can use my voice without speaking to inspire and make change on a stage, even if its for one person. I can offer a space for other dancers to create, move, speak, and express their feelings on topics they are passionate about. I can also offer a safe space to be oneself, to make mistakes and know that forgiveness and grace will always be offered.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When I was 18, I told my pre-professional ballet director that one day I wanted to be like her, but I wanted a professional dance company as well. When I was 21 I let everything crumble around me and thought, “I can just teach for the rest of my life and I would be happy.” When I was 27, I moved back home and into my parents house trying to sift through the good, bad, and ugly of my time dancing professionally in Houston, Texas. When I turned 28, I was planning a wedding, teaching, and dancing professionally again, when the whole world stopped. For so many people, Covid-19 flipped them upside down. But for me, it gave me clarity to take a leap of faith and run full force to what I truly wanted. Teach at Compass Dance Academy and start a Professional company in the Fayette County area.

Fall of 2020, it seemed like the dance world had just stopped in its tracks. Studios were navigating classes via Zoom, companies were doing at home classes on Instagram. There wasn’t a “how to teach on a screen” or “the dancers pandemic for dummies” book we could read to keep professionals and students from going backwards in their training. Companies were loosing money, closing their doors, studios were no longer filled with children, teachers were having to consider other jobs. And then here I was, starting a company with my friends and soon to be associate directors.

I think a huge part of our success from the beginning was the support and partnership we have from Compass Dance Academy. From the start, CDA kept their doors open. We did temperature checks, masks, distancing, everything imaginable to keep kids and dance teachers in the studio. That gave us the confidence to do the same with Profectus. We didn’t let Covid slow down our company, we offered a place for all walks of life to come in, take class, dance professionally again. Now, we are performing in theaters, making full length works, and we can even pay our dancers for shows.

You asked what I am most proud of? With Profectus, I am most proud of myself and my associate directors blind faith and trust that it was going to work out during Covid. That we were doing exactly what we were suppose to do at the exact moment we were suppose to do it. With Compass, I think I am most proud of the unity that the directors cultivate with the staff. Being able to just voice my thoughts as an instructor is reassurance enough, but to see some of those thoughts get put into action is just amazing.

There were definitely challenges along the way. I mean we started a dance company during a world wide pandemic. But, I think when I really sit down and look back, the challenges were not during the start up process but during my journey to get to where I am now. I gave up so many times, I let my fears and insecurities get in the way of my passions and I would just throw everything out the window. Luckily, I am terrible at sports because they wouldn’t go far and always ended up back in my lap. Eventually, I learned that I can use these fears and insecurities as teaching tools, and be an example to my students and company members. I didn’t have to be ashamed of giving up, just proud that I got back up and tried again.

My goal is to be different. I want to be a different director than most out there. I hear far too many times about the hurts from professional companies and their leadership and I want so badly to be that change. Am I perfect? Absolutely not. Will I make mistakes? Of course! But, I want to lead by encouragement, grace, forgiveness, and understanding. I want to cultivate a community of dancers who want to be here because they want to dance and they want to feel important. I want to show dancers that they are valued for who they are not what they can do. I want to direct a company of dancers that feel like they are apart of the change to dance culture. And I think Profectus is starting to do that.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Coweta County which is about twenty to thirty minutes south of Atlanta. A lot of times when I show my friends around, I take them to Compass Dance Academy first. Most of my friends are dancers so I love showing them the place I call my second home. The studio space is unlike any I have ever worked at being it is in an old elementary school.

Next I would take them to Downtown Newnan. I live only a few miles from the square and nothing beats walking around seeing all the different options it has to offer. I always have to recommend Mad Mexican or The Cellar for dinner though. Both very different restaurants but personal favorites of my husband and I.

Lastly, I would check to see if Newnan Theater Company is putting on a show that week. In 2021, I joined their team and began choreographing for their Academy program. Recently, I have been able to do more work with the lighting at the theater. A hidden love I have is sitting down and working on lighting equipment and programing lights for shows.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

I think any dancer will tell you there is never just one person who deserves credit for their story. Even today, there are many individuals who I give credit to how my story is continuing to shape and evolve.

I have to give all the credit for my story to The Lord. Through every up and down, I have learned that each chapter has been skillfully written by Him.

I have to give my family credit for all the hours in the car to and from the studio, dance stores, theaters, and auditions. If it were not for their willingness to feed into this passion, I would not be where I am today.

Next, all the teachers that took the time to pour into me and my passion. On days that I wanted to give up or seasons where I just didn’t feel good enough, those teachers sat down and showed me love and structure to improve at my own pace.

Lastly and certainly not least, I of course have to give credit to my wonderful husband, Dave. He is always encouraging me to take every leap and embrace every adventure. And he is always right there supporting me through every step.

There is always an army of people and supporters behind any artist whether that is family, chosen family, teachers, directors, mentors, and/or coworkers. Going through this career alone is so challenging, but at the end of the day, having those people in the audience cheering you on makes the hard days worth it, and the great days memorable.

Website: https://profectusdance.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/profectusdance/

Image Credits
Julian Jacques Photography