1on1: Jaleena Rodriguez

Favorites:

Artist: Omg! I have so many! But to name a few… Sam Smith, Olivia Rodrigo, Rihanna, and I got that old soul because I also love listening to Brenton Wood and some motown!

Book: Literally any Harry Potter Book

TV Show: All time fav is Friends!

Movie: My favorites are Mean Girls and Midnight Sun!

Awards Won:  NBC World Of Dance ~ The Cut, Hip Hop International 3rd place 

What made you want to become a dancer?  

When i was little my parents put me in basketball and instead of playing I would dance in the middle of the court! That’s how I knew dance was my passion. I had no idea it was going to be so fun and therapeutic. I’ve just always loved music and creating my own style to songs I would listen too! 

Where did you train for dance at? 

At 6 years old I started at Montebello Performing Arts Center where I learned all the fundamentals for ballet, tap, hip hop, jazz, lyrical, and acrobatics. A big part of my career began when I trained at Get Down District a where i discovered my two favorite styles of dance…Whacking and Voguing. I moved into the dance industry where i’ve been blessed to train with some amazing choreographers at studios like MDC, Playground LA, and ImmaSpace!

What was it like dancing for MC HAMMER at Staples Center? 

I was starstruck working with MC HAMMER! This opportunity came from one of my amazing mentors, Phil Wright. This was one of my first big jobs and being on the big stage with so many talented dancers was a dream come true! That’s where I fell in love with performing in front of a live audience and I knew this was what I wanted to do!

How did you get on THE ELLEN SHOW? 

I took part in something called the Parent Jam for a few years. The Parent Jam was created by Phil Wright and we were there to promote the new Disney Channel show Fam Jam! Which is based off of Parent Jam!

Source: Ellen’s YouTube Channel

What is like meeting Ellen?

(Please include link to show clip): I didn’t get to meet Ellen but I did get to meet Twitch who is the co-host of The Ellen Again, starstruck because he is one of the most amazing and successful dancers I know.

What was the casting process like for World of Dance?

 The Casting Process was definitely intense. We (Get Down District) were actually the under dogs. When we went to audition, you walk in and see so many other amazing talents! Then you go into a room and you have to perform your routine twice for the casting directors. As you can imagine, there was all kinds of e,options running through! If the casting likes your performance you get called back for an interview. We had to go through a lot of choreography sets as well as wardrobe options. Until the right ones were picked. It had to have been the most exciting, crazy, and the best experience of my life. I remember we were in the middle of a rehearsal and our choreographer gave us the good news of being casted on NBC’s World of Dance Season 3!! We were a group of 8 young girls who performed the style of Whacking.

What was it like working with JLO? 

Starstruck again! JLO is my idol! She is one of the sweetest and most inspiring woman on this planet. To receive critics from her was an honor. It stuck with me till this day, when she shared with us that she started off as a fly girl and we have the potential to be anything we want to be!

You’re very big into charity and helping out with the homeless. Is there a charity that you’d recommend our readers to donate to? 

OMG YES!! The charity I have worked with is Compassion Covers CA their Instagram is @compassioncoversca 

Any exciting projects coming up that you’d like to share with us? 

I have some very exciting auditions coming up and I’m keeping my fingers crossed. 

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