Jakita O. Thomas, Ph.D.
Vivian's Story
Vivian Irene Thomas was born June 26, 2010 in San Jose, CA. Vivian moved to Atlanta with her family when she was 6 weeks old. When Vivian was 2 years old, she knew she wanted to be a dancer, singer, and entertainer when she told her mother, "Mommy, when I grow up, I want to be a star!" She is currently a 13 year old 8th grade scholar at the DeKalb Elementary School of the Arts in Avondale Estates, GA.
Vivian started formal dance training at 2 years old. For the past 9 years, Vivian has trained at Dancemakers of Atlanta (DMA), a Black, woman-owned dance studio led by twin sisters Lynise Heard and Denise Latimer. Vivian has performed with DMA's Elite company for 6 years. She is currently a member of Teen Company.
Vivian aspires to perform on Broadway, and she aims to be a choreographer for major entertainers. Vivian's professional credits include serving as choreographer for the Game Over Dance Challenge for PCX GO!'s annual Gamers READ .5K Walk/Run/Sprint; and playing the role of Luna in the short film "Relevé". Vivian has been selected as a Breakout Finalist for 24Seven and Radix Dance Conventions as well as an Outstanding Dancer for the New York City Dance Alliance (NYCDA). In December 2022, Vivian was invited to NYCDA's Junior Winter Intensive in New York City. Last year, Vivian placed in the Top 20 at NYCDA's Regional in Atlanta.
This year, Vivian has been accepted into Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 2024 Junior Summer Intensive.