Teya Wild appears to have a charmed life. The Vancouver native seems to be everywhere in the entertainment world these days. Award-nominated films, television series, on stage at the American Music Awards and BET Awards; it seems that she is ubiquitous. As one of the busiest and most respected dancers working today, Ms. Wild is quick to inform that there is no lucky charm or happenstance involved in her success, it’s the result of talent and disciplined hard work. Her tenacity has taken her from dancing in the family living room as a little girl to performing with iconic artists like Taylor Swift and working with Disney on major films. It’s a course which has set her upon an international path that far exceeds the visions she once had as a little girl who wanted to be a dancer. The essential ingredient for any artist is passion for their craft; one need only to witness Wild in any one of her televised performances to perceive this is a trait she possesses in great abundance.
The professional resume of any single part of Ms. Wild’s career would be proof of an immensely successful career for most artists. She’s performed with Taylor Swift, Halsey, Camilla Cabilla, and Tracee Eliss Ross in different years on the American Music Awards. When Lil Nas X & Billy Rae Cyrus performed their number one hit song of the year “Old Town Road” on the BET Awards, Teya was dancing onstage alongside them. When Disney followed up their massively successful High School Musical film with Prime Time Emmy Award Winning Director Kenny Ortega at the helm, the result was the successful Descendants Trilogy. For the second and third installments, Ortega personally selected Ms. Wild to appear in the film as well as to work closely with the lead actors in preparation for these made for television musical films. Some of the most popular musical segments of the films appear as “video singles” online and have accumulated hundreds of millions of views. From her appearances in the updated Freaky Friday film, Step Up All In, the Leo-Award-Winning series Riverdale, or the title sequence of the comedy TV series Idiotsitter, Teya seems to have covered all the bases. Simply stated, she loves to work and there is no shortage of those who want to utilize her abilities. Which begs the question….
How does a great dancer become a successful dancer? Success happens not simply when you are talented and prepared but just as importantly, when other successful people take notice. For Ms. Wild, two of the most important associations have come via Laura Marano and Jamal Sims. With Marano, Teya has performed at the Radio Disney Awards, the iHeart Radio Awards, Teen Choice Awards, American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Teen Choice Awards (annually), and a variety of music videos. Teya’s work with Jamal Sims includes the Monsters of Hip Hop Dance Convention tour, RuPaul’s Drag Race (TV show and Las Vegas residency), and other projects. Both have made use of her as a dancer and assistant choreographer. Teya’s extraordinary talent is obvious but it’s only one facet of what has made other artists enlist her for their performances. Marano confides, “Teya’s an amazing dancer, anyone can easily see that but for someone like myself who is working so much as an actor and singer, I need someone who can help me grow as a dancer; someone who is aware of how packed my schedule already is. Teya has the ability to make everyone she works with feel at ease. When I’m learning with her, I always feel comfortable and am able to advance more quickly because I’m not worried about being judged. That trait is so valuable to an artist and only another true artist like Teya could really understand how essential it is.” Displaying her empathetic mindset, Ms. Wild notes, “Everyone has their challenges. For dancers, our bodies are our instrument and you have to work harder with each coming year to be at your best as you physically age. The most important thing is to be a good person whether that’s in your personal or professional life.”