DANCING QUEEN: Kennady Schneider - The Leader of Movement

FEATURING KENNADY SCHNEIDER ★ WARDROBE STYLING, BEAUTY BY KENNADY SCHNEIDER ★ HAIR BY ARIA INK ★ PHOTOGRAPHY BY KC ★ WORDS AND INTERVIEW BY FATIMA TURAY

Kennady Schneider is a multi-talented performer and artist whose disciplines span across many paths within the arts. An accomplished professional dancer and skilled pole worker, she has danced for legends like Usher, Gunna, and Snoop Dogg. Hailing from the West Coast and taking her talents to the dirty south, Kennady is a shape shifter, able to find a culture and community of unique souls everywhere, and making her footprints recognized. With her landing the gig as the choreographer for the latest film ANORA, (debuted in October 2024) the sky is beyond the limit for this Arizona-bred babe. With a passion for movement and a dedication to her craft, Kennady has honed her skills to become a standout figure in the professional dance world. Whether she's executing gravity-defying pole routines, or crafting innovative choreography, Kennady brings an unmatched energy and creativity to every project she takes on. Her dynamic approach to movement blends strength, grace, and artistic expression, making her a sought-after talent in the entertainment industry.

FATIMA: Thank you again for chatting with AWWM! I know that you are a “west coast mami”, but have recently added a new location: how’s ATL been treating you?

KENNADY: Yes, I recently added a new location to my IG bio. I love Atlanta, and I am so excited to call it my part-time home for the time being. Working in production and entertainment has required me to be somewhat nomadic for the past three years. I have always dreamed of being bicoastal, and now I get to split my time in two very different cities and cultures that are known for being hotspots in TV, entertainment, music, and production. I come from a family with near ancestry in the south, so it feels like I get to finally plant some roots that are tied to my familial history here in ATL. But don’t get it twisted, I am an LA girl forever!

You make the overall artistry of pole work look effortless-when did you get introduced, and what made you want to include this in your career?

I got introduced to pole dancing in 2021. It was the tail end of the pandemic, and I used that time as an opportunity to expand my personal movement practice. Initially, I was looking for a new hobby; I come from a gymnastics background, and I was feeling disconnected from myself since retiring from the sport. I always had a love for dance, and I thought that pole dancing would be a wonderful marriage between my acrobatic and dance abilities. I started by looking up videos on Instagram and YouTube. I literally bought a pole and taught myself at the crib! As the pandemic lifted, I started to work at strip clubs and teach pole dancing classes while I finished my master’s degree in fine arts. My performance career exploded at this time. It was clear that my visual art background and pole dancing were becoming intertwined, which built me into the artist that I am today.

What is your favorite song/artist/genre to dance, or work the pole to?

My favorite genre to dance to is R&B. I love anything smooth and sensual. It helps me get into a flow and allows me to breathe and connect with my movement. My favorite artist to dance to changes so often, but my top two favs at the moment are Brent Faiyaz and Doja Cat. They are both so different, and they bring out important qualities to my style and movement. Brent is for when I want to feel soft, smooth, controlled, and ethereal. Doja is for when I want to feel cunt, free, spicy, and powerful (maybe manic too?).

With an extensive background in gymnastics, would you say the sport was the catalyst to your trajectory as an interdisciplinary artist?

Gymnastics was a huge catalyst in my trajectory as an interdisciplinary artist. I was a super high-level gymnast—competing collegiately on national TV nearly every weekend in my early adult life. I had been training since I could walk. Alongside my athletic career, I started my formative work as a visual artist in my early twenties, and I saw that my experiences as a sports entertainment subject in front of the camera fueled my goals and narrative as an artist making images, videos, and sculptural installations. My unfortunate experience being exploited as an athlete and emotionally/physically abused as a young athlete shaped how I work with others; my deep understanding of the body and its physicality aided me in composing vignettes and drafting stories intended to be read through the lens.

Congrats on your latest gig as the choreographer for the newest film, ANORA. How did the opportunity come about?

Thank you so much! I was actually connected with Mikey Madison (who plays the film’s lead, Anora) directly through a colleague. I initially had no idea that I would be teaching her to dance for a film—I usually have clients who are interested in pole dancing as a form of fitness or pastime, and I assumed this was the goal with Mikey as well. During our first session, Mikey explained to me that she was learning to dance for an upcoming role in a film, and this instantly switched my approach to my teaching strategy. I knew that I was teaching with a clear goal, movement aesthetic, and timeline from that moment forward. This required more of a concrete, intentional, and focused praxis--I had to magnify strip club movement as a genre and skill. I felt instantly connected to Mikey’s determination and fearlessness. We hit it off, and I was asked to continue to teach her in prep for Anora. It wasn’t until a bit later that I was asked to choreograph for the film, and I was absolutely elated. It’s honestly a defining moment for me as a dancer and choreographer.

Was this your first time choreographing something to this magnitude; how does it differ from other experiences?

This is the largest project that I have been given credit for choreographing. It differs so much from many other experiences I’ve had because I was truly treated as an expert and professional. I knew that the directors and producers trusted me whole-heartedly, and—above all—Mikey trusted me to help bring Anora to life. Overall, I feel like my role in this project is one of the most aligned opportunities I’ve had in terms of my overall career goals and path.

Were you given strict direction for what was needed or was it all up to you? How was the collaboration process?

I was given pieces of the script to understand the world that was being built for Anora to exist within. I was also given background on Anora as a character. This really helped me form ideas about how I would teach Mikey to move, and how I would choreograph scenes. It was definitely a collaboration between me and Mikey. I would provide the blueprint, training, steps, and technical aspects of the dances, and Mikey would adapt them based on what felt was right for the scene and space. It required a lot of trust in each other, and the outcome included beautifully crafted pieces and moments that added so much nuance to Anora as a character.

What will the audience be surprised by from the film, ANORA?

My favorite thing about the film, Anora, is its ability to use humor as a tool to work through tragic circumstances. The audience will be laughing and crying within the same breath in this beautiful portrait of a young, New York sex worker.

With the continuation of the constant policing and weaponization of the female body, what has your relationship with your own nudity morphed into?

The black, femme body has historically been policed, exploited, mocked, raped, sexualized, ungendered, and dehumanized. This reality is something that I have understood on a cellular level for my whole existence. As a person who is navigating sex work, dance, and entertainment spaces that are often perceived as maledominated, my relationship with my own body has shifted drastically. My body will be sexualized in any space that I am present in. Once I accepted this fact and relinquished the wish to control outside perception of my personhood, I gained more agency and autonomy over my body and how it is consumed. I see my work (with or without the presence of nudity) as a way to mine and exploit the system that has continuously exploited me. Nudity is simply a tool and strategy I employ to benefit fiscally from an order that systemically kills black women. There is no morality or ethics that I link to getting naked to pay rent. It is an outcome and a response to the social structure that I exist in.

If it wasn’t for college, do you think you would have had a harder time navigating life?

I honestly don’t think college is a necessary route to success. I come from a family of teachers with old school generational values, so it was always impressed upon me that college was the only way to find stability in career. I do think that college was a time of learning to live on my own and form my own identity—it was kind of a bubble where I felt protected from “real life” adult responsibilities and consequences, which I am so privileged to have experienced. One thing I am eternally grateful for during my time in university spaces is that they introduced me to the most influential mentors in my life. They taught me to be critical of the world around me, and they widened my perspectives and gave me invaluable skills. They invested in me and sharpened my craft as a (then) photographic artist, which lead me to where I am today.

Being a professional dancer, how do you go about advocating for yourself in terms of how you are represented, compensated, managed, etc.?

As a pole dancer, I find that I have to constantly advocate for myself in the realm of production and entertainment. There is minimal knowledge (and sometimes minimal respect) of pole dancing on most sets, and I find that I almost always have to navigate issues ranging from compensation to proper/safe equipment set up. I have learned to insert myself in these situations with humor and lightheartedness. Addressing producers and directors about the possibility of a wardrobe malfunction or safety concerns can be nerve racking, but a little joke and poke at the problem can serve as an opening ground for the issue at hand. If my concerns are not being addressed from this softer angle, I usually tell the creatives on the project that I am unable to dance or be a part of the visual/show/production until these things are fixed. Creative teams’ ignorance surrounding pole dancing usually works to my advantage in these situations—I remind my clients that I am an expert in my field, so my concerns typically go unprotested. At this stage in my career, I am not afraid to walk away from jobs if I do not feel safely or rightfully represented or directed. I also have to remind myself that on most jobs it’s never really that deep.

Do people ever try to tell you what you should be doing with your life?

I am my biggest opponent. I find that others usually do not tell me what I should be doing with my life; I do. I never expected this career path, and I never could have imagined the spaces and projects I have had the honor of being a part of. Sometimes I feel like I don’t deserve the success I have because it was not a direct goal I ever allowed myself to dream of. I was only ever given examples of life paths that included 9-5 corporate jobs or work in education as a teacher. Because these values have been so deeply rooted into my psyche, sometimes I feel like what I am doing with my life is “wrong”“risky” or “alternative”. At the end of the day, I always remind myself that there is no one’s life I would rather have than my own, and that’s how I choose to navigate and feel solidified in how I move through the world.

From viewing your presence on social media, I see that you have an amazing group of girls that you run with… how important is that bond?

I have an incredible group of friends supporting me and filling up my life in Los Angeles. We all met through dance, and our bond has far surpassed this common interest. My friends are truly my family. My platonic love for them reaches beyond any romantic bond that I have ever experienced, and it has made me reconsider where and how I place value in my life. My relationships with my friends have made me realize that love and safety are at the nucleus of community. My friends will hold me, accept me, cherish me, and support me until the end of time. I LOVE MY FRIENDS.

Do you think community is an essential part to an artist to ultimately have success; what does your community do for you that propels you to keep you going?

Community is essential for me to be successful as an artist. My community is diverse as hell—I have my grad school peers who now work as educators, practicing artists, gallerists, curators, and film makers. I have my pole dance community including my students, coworkers at strip clubs, and colleagues on gigs. I have my commercial entertainment homies who work as directors, photographers, dancers, and stylists. The list goes on…. Something that I have noticed is that my community is full of people who inspire me. I am truly in awe of the drive, intelligence, empathy, and passion that my community holds. They are the people who push me as an artist the most because I view them as my collaborators. Everyone I surround myself with has a hand in my growth whether that is emotional, physical, spiritual, or career related. This is what propels me to continue to create and explore storytelling through various mediums. It’s why I am on this earth.

Will you be doing more choreography?

I feel like I have always been an acrobatic choreographer, and I do hope to be given more roles in which I can work in this way. I feel most passionate about working in creative production spaces, an--ultimately—directing. That is truly my goal. All paths in my life have been pointing towards holding space as a director, and my intuition is telling me to continue to expand my breadth and skillset as a leader on set and within creative spaces.

What has been one of the most exciting moments along your journey thus far?

The most exciting moment of my journey and career must be what I am experiencing and working on right now. My goals at the beginning of this year were to work with more women-run productions, and to be on as many sets possible. Right now, I am fully involved on a project that has black women in almost every position of power, and I am on a set every single day. It has been a dream come true, and I am making sure to never take any moment for granted. As someone who—one day—hopes to move into direction and production, it is so important for me to see and experience work environments that I can learn from and employ in my own practice.