Jennesa Lincke: Finding my Rhythm
Jennesa Lincke is a sophomore dance major at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She grew up in Zion, a suburb of Chicago, and is biracial with a Jamaican mother and an American father. Dance has been a constant presence in her life since she was less than two years old. "I think there was a moment where I was like 'this is what I want to do' around middle school, maybe when I was 13… I think it was just a decision in my head that was like, 'yeah, this is for me, this is what I feel connected to, this is what I feel I can use to live a happy life," Jennesa recalls.
Jennesa's passion for dance was encouraged by her parents, who instilled in her the importance of pursuing what makes her happiest. "I felt that as long as I was able to give my all and do my best in whatever I wanted to pursue, I would have my family's support," she says. However, being a biracial dancer in a predominantly white world came with its own set of challenges. "There were moments growing up in dance that I felt very 'othered' or separate from a lot of my classmates or fellow dancers," she says. "I think with the help of my parents' constant support and my individual desire to want to succeed and thrive in the dance world, I was able to use the issues that I faced and turn them into what I wanted to change and make better about dance."
Jennesa's transition from the Chicago area to Philadelphia has been seamless. "I think I have a very open mind and a 'go with the flow' kind of attitude, so changing locations did not really negatively affect me," she says. "I kind of just see it as an opportunity to be somewhere new and learn in a different environment which many people don't get the opportunity to do, so I am very intentional about being grateful and excited about it."
Jennesa Lincke
Jennesa loves the city of Philadelphia for its calmness, vibrancy, and friendliness of its people. "The people are very nice here, which was honestly a total shock," she says. "Strangers that I'll see on the street are just open to starting conversations with you, and people at home do not do that at all, so that is something that I really love about it."
Living in the heart of the city offers Jennesa numerous opportunities to experience the art scene that Philadelphia has to offer. "Being very central in the city and the Avenue of the Arts is so great for me because I get to see everything as it's happening in real-time," she says. "Being able to connect my entertainment to my studies is something I'm happy to have access to."
Conversely, Jennesa is currently facing a challenge that many artists can relate to; imposter syndrome. "Currently, I'm being challenged with thoughts of imposter syndrome and just feeling like I'm constantly not meeting the standards I have in my head, or the standards that I feel are being placed on me when in reality, there is absolutely no standard," she says. "I think a lot of the time I get in my head about what I think is being thought about me, and that is what hinders me or makes me feel small when in reality, I should be taking up more space."
Jennesa believes that challenges are necessary for personal and societal growth. "I do feel that challenges are necessary and that life would kind of be this flatline if we didn't face challenges," she says. "So when I'm facing challenges, I have to remind myself that as long as I am still safe and still feeling passion and purpose for what I'm doing, I have to meet those challenges with grace and with the sort of "what is this teaching me?" mindset.
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Photos by Lillie Cirino @lilliedphotography