“You’ve been training your whole life for this moment, don’t doubt yourself now that the moment is here,” Darius Hickman told himself while he was dancing in front of 95,000 people as part of Beyonce’s spectacular ‘Renaissance’ tour. Being in the moment, staying present, has not only allowed Darius to keep his cool under pressure, but it has also allowed him to be his most authentic self, one that is a balance of masculine and feminine. Drawing freely from both of these elements has made him a better dancer, particularly on the Renaissance tour which–a rarity–encouraged him to dance and present in both modes. He feels it also has made him a better person, one whom other young men who may be afraid to embrace their feminine side, can look up to. 

For Darius, dance provided a focus, an escape from a tough upbringing and a chance to ground himself in discipline. Inspired after seeing a live hip hop performance, Darius soon gained entry into performing arts high school, despite a lack of early training. There, in an eclectic environment that celebrated diversity and individualism, he found the support he needed to be himself. Later he studied dance at a university on a full scholarship, which he sacrificed to audition for the live competition show “So You Think You Can Dance?” where he first caught the attention of audiences. 

At 25, Darius is wise–as well as confident and poised–beyond his years. He knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that dance is what he meant to do, yet is still driven by wanting to know everything about it and to continually evolve. He recognizes that the dance world remains a work in progress, too, and that while progress has been made toward encouraging male dancers to perform in a more feminine style, there is still a lot of work to be done. 

Being yourself is the hardest thing a person can do, he admits, but we’re all multifaceted people, and should be able to freely express all parts of ourselves. When we all find what makes us great, we can work together to create something magical. 

Quotes

• “I’ve gotten to a point in my life where I know who I am, it’s as simple as that. I know I have these super masculine qualities and super feminine qualities and I know that I like them both, I have power in them both, and people appreciate them both.” (22:51 | Darius)

Dance Dad with John Corella on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancedadwithjohncorella/

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