Meet Hannah Fisher | Dance Educator

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

Hi Hannah, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Such a great question. I did an entire show on this very topic about a year ago. To me, risk-taking is the whole game of life. It can be daunting, but without risks there aren’t noteworthy rewards. You truly will never know what’s on the other side of your fears until you step out into confidence. How will you know if you never attempt? Whatever lies on the other side of your fear, just might blow your mind. All admirable success stories are those who choose to take risks. The biggest risk, the bigger potential for reward. Anything chalked up to failure, can simply be used as a learning experience. For me personally, I typically operate like this if I know something is worth it: make the decision to jump in, and figure out how along the way. This has served me well both professionally and personally — if you wait until you’re ready to try something new, you likely never will.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a 26-year-old freelance performer, choreographer, & dance instructor based in DFW. I started out dancing recreationally as a toddler and fell in love with it by the time I was in middle school and had switched to a more serious studio. As I grew, I was offered the opportunity to compete, but realistically it wasn’t something my family had time or money for. But I still trained intentionally and wanted to be the best and most versatile mover I could, in all genres. Once I graduated high school, most of my peers were burnt out by dance; meanwhile I felt as if I was just getting started. I knew I wanted to continue dance beyond high school, so decided to pursue it at the collegiate level. I started off at Collin College where I received my AA degree and later transferred to Sam Houston State University where I earned my BFA in Dance. That was in 2019, and despite the pandemic, I have since been working professionally in the industry in all facets. I like to think of myself as the underdog in a sense. I wasn’t the best, didn’t necessarily progress as fast as my contemporaries, but I was incredibly consistent. And most of all, I was hungry to go pro. I was told once in higher education, “If you really want to dance, there’s a place for you in the community” — I took that and ran with it. As I’ve expanded my network and built my resume, I have truly created a dance career that I am proud of. I hope I can inspire others to do the same.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Naturally as a performing artist, I love to go see and support shows: live music, standup comedy, musicals, plays, etc — so definitely something along those lines! As for food, I’m a big brunch girly. DFW has some incredible spots especially at Legacy West, a unique and upscale dining/shopping area in Plano. Haywire and Toulouse are two of my favorite spots there. Specifically for shopping I love NorthPark mall, especially at the holidays. Dallas also has some beautiful parks, and I love the outdoors, so I’d always encourage a nice walk if the weather is right! People-wise, we have that southern hospitality here in Texas. A great place to make new friends is at your local sporting events! We’ve got some amazing pro teams here in the metroplex such as the Texas Rangers (baseball), Dallas Mavericks (basketball), & Dallas Stars (hockey).

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Definitely my mother, for not letting me ditch dance whenever I was young, naive, and briefly convinced I wanted to. I began dancing at age 2/3 and by the time I reached 7/8 I was so over wearing tights, leotards, uncomfortable shoes, hair in a bun, makeup, you name it. She told me “we don’t quit things mid year” — by the time that year ended, my feelings had changed. Forever grateful to her for making me see it through! Aside from my mom, every single teacher, professor, or mentor I’ve ever had ranging from Dance Arts Center, Taylor Dance Center, Collin, College, SHSU, and beyond into my continuing education. Appreciate you all!

Website: https://hannahfisherdance.org

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JHKF97

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcIw7BoGXfB4xPqHAA-woAA

Image Credits
Paul Knudson Jason Helmick DFW Dance Photography Mystic DFW