During my teenage years, I often struggled internally with confidence and my mental health. One day, while scrolling through YouTube, I came across a video from a dance family called Dragon House. I was immediately drawn to their style of dance and how each member brought animation to life through their own unique lens.

My favorite dancer was BluPrint. Watching his progression inspired me to get up and start dancing myself. I taught myself the style of animation and practiced every single day. As I improved, I noticed something beginning to change within me. My confidence grew. I was no longer afraid to express myself or believe in myself.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but dance became my first teacher of discipline. Dance shaped many of the core values I still carry with me today. Even on the days when I felt stuck, discouraged, or complacent, I continued to show up. Looking back, that may have been the most important lesson dance ever taught me. Not perfection. Not talent. Just the willingness to keep showing up.

Eventually, I graduated from high school and decided to join JSU Dance Ensemble. I arrived on the very last day of auditions and met a kind soul named R’Myni Watson, who was serving as president of the organization at the time. Even though I had missed an entire week of rehearsals, she gave me an opportunity to audition and showcase my talent. She believed in me.

I still remember her reaction after my audition. She was amazed by what she saw and gave me a chance to join Dance Ensemble. That moment changed my life. For the first time, I danced in front of other people. For the first time, I stepped out of my shell and expressed myself without fear.

For years, I had hidden my talent because I was afraid of how people would perceive me. I was afraid of being judged for being different. Dance Ensemble gave me something I didn’t realize I was searching for: a community.

For the first time, I was surrounded by people who shared the same passion, creativity, and love for movement. I was no longer alone. I was free to dance without fear. After years of performances, rehearsals, and showcases, I had the opportunity to attend World of Dance in Atlanta in 2018.

That’s where I finally met Dragon House. I finally had the chance to meet the dancers who inspired me to become a better version of myself. The people who unknowingly helped me find the confidence to believe in myself.

After graduating and entering my professional career, I still danced, but not nearly as much as I once did. As life became busier and adulthood began to take over, I felt like I had left a piece of myself behind. I wasn’t making time for something that had once played such an important role in shaping who I was.

Eventually, I launched DIOS GIOVANNI. When the idea for Art of Movement came to me, I knew I wanted to create something centered around dance, not simply as an art form, but as a representation of discipline, self-expression, growth, and confidence. And there was no better person to feature in the campaign than one of the people who inspired me from the very beginning.

Having the opportunity to reconnect with BluPrint all these years later brought everything full circle. It reignited the same feelings of passion, confidence, and inspiration that I experienced as a teenager. I was excited to share this project with the world.

Unfortunately, one week before our campaign shoot in Los Angeles, R’Myni passed away. I was devastated. Words still cannot fully explain the pain I felt. Someone who believed in me from the very beginning. Someone who helped shape my college experience. Someone who helped me become a better person. She was no longer here.

Because of her willingness to believe in me, I gained access to a community that changed my life forever. I wanted to share this project with her. I wanted her to see what her belief helped create.

My early years of dancing consisted of countless hours practicing, learning, failing, and improving. I wasn’t the best dancer. But I continued to show up for myself.

And I believe that’s what dance is truly about.
Movement. Discipline. Determination. Creativity. Community. The willingness to keep going, even when progress feels invisible. Those lessons extend far beyond dance. They shape how we approach our careers, our goals, our relationships, and our lives.

Dragon House, thank you for inspiring me and helping me find the confidence to believe in myself.

And to R’Myni Watson:

The Art of Movement is dedicated to your memory. Thank you for believing in me when I was still learning how to believe in myself. Thank you for being a wonderful friend and motherly figure. I love you and will always carry your memory with me. Your words will always live on:

“Because dance is life. Without dance, life would have no meaning.”

— K.D.
Founder, DIOS GIOVANNI