Today we’d like to introduce you to Lily Green.
Hi Lily, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I started dancing at the age of two because my older sister was in dance and I wanted to be like her. I would sneak into her classes and even convention classes when I was too young to actually be registered and then I started competing when I was finally old enough.
I danced all throughout high school, missing prom, homecoming, and class trips just so I could spend more time at the dance. I graduated high school at 16 and moved out to Los Angeles to start college at Hussian College In Studio and graduated at 20 with a BFA in Commercial dance! While in college, I had a handful of setbacks, the largest being bilateral hip surgery.
I had torn my labrum in both hips and knew that the only long-term fix was going to be surgery & lots of recovery. I was still able to graduate on time & became emotionally and physically so much stronger. Shortly after graduation, I performed in a Christmas show in Nevada, and while on that contract I got my very first cruise ship contract offer.
In February of 2020, I came to Miami to start rehearsals and a few short weeks later all got sent home due to Covid-19. A few years passed and I get offered another ship contract to be on Freedom of the Seas, as the first returning cruise ship out of the USA.
I spent 11 months on board, had a 3-week vacation, and now, I am in rehearsals in Miami for my next contract on Odyssey of the Seas and leaving for the ship very soon!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As mentioned before my bilateral hip surgery was probably my biggest roadblock. I got the surgery in October & was out for what seemed like years.
Mentally, it was a huge struggle for me, dance had been my life for 19 years and suddenly not being able to walk or do anything was my reality for a little while. I do believe it gave me a much deeper appreciation for dance and my body.
It taught me to love my body and all that it does for me because before my surgery I definitely was taking it for granted.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Being a professional dancer has many stigmas. Many times when I tell someone that’s what I do for a living they say “well what’s your real job.”
Some people don’t see the arts as a career but more as a hobby. Forgetting that without any art then the world would be a much boring place. That being said, I’ve had many people tell me that I wouldn’t make it, that the dance world is too tough for me & that I should just stop now.
But I never took no for an answer & worked my hardest every day to make my dreams come true. I believe my determination has gotten me very far!
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
When I was 12, I auditioned for a traveling performance program to be an assistant for the dance convention & competition “Tremaine.”
A few people told me that I was too young to audition but I went anyway and ended up making it and started assisting at the convention from when I was 12 until I was 18.
Still to this day Joe Tremaine and the faculty and team are so supportive of their alumni and they have truly taught me so much about the industry, life, and everything in between.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @lilyggreen
