My Niece, Dancing Superstar: Jillian Meyers

[Loyal]

When Jilly was 17 years old, she was an "A" student and was considering a scholarship for University, or following her dream to be a dancer. Her dear old uncle (me), wrote a sage letter to her about how the right path was education and that no one really makes it to the big time dancing. I really thought it was the best advice that I could give her, because I thought following her dreams might lead to her being 30 years old and regretting life.

God I'm an idiot...lol

Jillian's trajectory has been meteoric. She won many competitions in the Pacific North West, and moved to LA to be closer to the industry. She has taken "the path less chosen.." Her first huge break came when she was chosen to be one of Janet Jackson's Tour Dancers. She has been a choreographer on "Dancing with Stars" many times. She has been a dancer on music videos for Christina Aguilera, Annie Lennox, and Kylie Minogue. Her biggest triumph is as Assistant Choreographer for the Movie LaLa Land, which won 6 Academy Awards.

We don't talk anymore. I am estranged from her mother/my sister, which in my family history means that nieces/nephews become estranged at the same time. I want to tell her I'm proud of her, but she probably wants nothing to do with me....Anyway, I gave her a poem on her 16th birthday from Rudyard Kipling called "If"
"If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!"

Of course change the gender ending, and she is doing exactly that. Good for you Jilly. Sorry to bore you guys with my personal stuff, and but I had no one to tell.


She is the slender one with short, bright orange hair.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GocPFyyPGLQ



This is her YouTube channel.....
https://www.youtube.com/user/JillyMeyers

 

[LesBaker]

We don't talk anymore. I am estranged from her mother/my sister, which in my family history means that nieces/nephews become estranged at the same time. I want to tell her I'm proud of her, but she probably wants nothing to do with me....

I'll offer you some advice that's better advice than you gave her many years ago.

Reach out to her.

 

[Loyal]

I'll offer you some advice that's better advice than you gave her many years ago.

Reach out to her.

I have a couple of times...no answer. She lives near Hollywood, but never got her address. So I have to rely on internet communication.

 

[Loyal]

I'll offer you some advice that's better advice than you gave her many years ago.

Reach out to her.

I just tweeted her again...*shrugs

 

[RhodyRams]

We could all start tweeting to her to let her know how proud you are

I'm game

 

[Boston Ram]

We could all start tweeting to her to let her know how proud you are

I'm game

Me too

 

[RhodyRams]

Not to derail the thread, but found out over the holiday my nephew will be directing his first high school play.

He is 16

 

[Farr Be It]

Awesome for Jilly!

Side note: I pray you resolve your entire family squabble with your sister, that feelings are healed, and love is restored. Then the red head will follow suit.

Second side note: Maybe Jilly could teach Robert Quinn that "soda-box" move. It might give him another path to the quarterback.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Ouch on that advice.

I have a nephew that pursued acting and a niece pursuing music. Both are hard roads to take. I don't believe either is talented enough to succeed in those fields at the top level. But, I would never discourage them from trying. Lexi is in college now. Timmy dropped out after his second year. Now he performs in a dinner theater group.

My wife went to college twice. It worked out fine for her. Started as a child psycholgist and became an RN. With kids you just have to hope they have the resilience to bounce back or change course if needed. They need to make their own path. Success finds people in different ways. For myself, success turned out to be something entirely different than my college pursuits. But they were a means.

Hopefully you can eventually get back to a workable relationship with your family members. I imagine it can't be easy. I had a falling out with two close friends and the rift was never repaired.

 

[Loyal]

We could all start tweeting to her to let her know how proud you are

I'm game

I appreciate the thought, but the letter is probably not as important right now as what went on between me and her Mom years later. This whole thing is a hurt that doesn't go away and right now there is no fixing it that I can see. I tweeted her with enough detail for her to know its me, so I'll let her make the next move if she wants to.

Sometimes I go a year without googling her, which is why I didn't know about LaLa Land until a few weeks ago. It's just amazing that she might have become a millionaire before 34 years old by doing what she loved. I just can't believe her success, it's so great.

 

[OregonRamsFan]

As an artist, the ONLY thing you regret is that you didn’t chase your dreams.

However...

Dude, you were just trying to help her. Don’t feel bad. Your intentions were good.

Find a creative way to get back in touch. She is very creative and being creative will be key to getting her attention.

There is a very good chance you were part of the reason she made it. You challenged her. It’s likely she wanted to prove herself to you. (I have had a similar experience.) Good Luck!

 

[Loyal]

As an artist, the ONLY thing you regret is that you didn’t chase your dreams.

However...

Dude, you were just trying to help her. Don’t feel bad. Your intentions were good.

Find a creative way to get back in touch. She is very creative and being creative will be key to getting her attention.

There is a very good chance you were part of the reason she made it. You challenged her. It’s likely she wanted to prove herself to you. (I have had a similar experience.) Good Luck!

Yes, I wouldn't be surprised if she kept that letter all of these years.

Having watched her over the years from afar, she was partially the inspiration for me to go back to university for a degree. Her mother/my sister is a very creative person who made a living for years making crafts in her particular style, who, before it all went wrong, was contracted by Disney to do figurines in a series. I write and have had some success with that, and will receive a degree in 21 days, which I told her in yesterday's tweet.

 

[IowaRam]

we all need someone in our lives to tell us we can't do something

thats how most things get done

 

[Dieter the Brock]

When Jilly was 17 years old, she was an "A" student and was considering a scholarship for University, or following her dream to be a dancer. Her dear old uncle (me), wrote a sage letter to her about how the right path was education and that no one really makes it to the big time dancing. I really thought it was the best advice that I could give her, because I thought following her dreams might lead to her being 30 years old and regretting life.

God I'm an idiot...lol

Jillian's trajectory has been meteoric. She won many competitions in the Pacific North West, and moved to LA to be closer to the industry. She has taken "the path less chosen.." Her first huge break came when she was chosen to be one of Janet Jackson's Tour Dancers. She has been a choreographer on "Dancing with Stars" many times. She has been a dancer on music videos for Christina Aguilera, Annie Lennox, and Kylie Minogue. Her biggest triumph is as Assistant Choreographer for the Movie LaLa Land, which won 6 Academy Awards.

We don't talk anymore. I am estranged from her mother/my sister, which in my family history means that nieces/nephews become estranged at the same time. I want to tell her I'm proud of her, but she probably wants nothing to do with me....Anyway, I gave her a poem on her 16th birthday from Rudyard Kipling called "If"
"If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!"

Of course change the gender ending, and she is doing exactly that. Good for you Jilly. Sorry to bore you guys with my personal stuff, and but I had no one to tell.


She is the slender one with short, bright orange hair.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GocPFyyPGLQ



This is her YouTube channel.....
https://www.youtube.com/user/JillyMeyers

Whatever you said to her was correct 100% and it was said out of love
Never doubt the fact she reaches out to you for a reason, and it was your advice that helped her on that trajectory
Kids need to hear the truth and make up their minds, you told her the truth and she decided her passion for dance made that risk worth while
I think it's awesome dude, let her know how proud you are

If is genius by the way
Here is Dennis Hopper's version which is so great


View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=j8B4dhHUN9A

 

[Loyal]

Whatever you said to her was correct 100% and it was said out of love
Never doubt the fact she reaches out to you for a reason, and it was your advice that helped her on that trajectory
Kids need to hear the truth and make up their minds, you told her the truth and she decided her passion for dance made that risk worth while
I think it's awesome dude, let her know how proud you are

If is genius by the way
Here is Dennis Hopper's version which is so great


View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=j8B4dhHUN9A

That was a nice reading by Dennis Hopper. "If" is my favorite poem of all time.

Kipling was a genius, but his reputation was damaged after World War I because of well meaning propaganda he produced for England that encouraged more young men to join the British Army. His son died during the war, so he did not escape without damage. In WWI England, it was to be a merry old war that would last but a few months. It was the last of the old thinking in the Western World that war was glorious.

They used 19th century tactics vs 20th century weaponry, and it was a slaughter. The Brits sent their boys over the English Channel with glory, and many were killed and buried in mostly French cemeteries. For their families, it just seemed like they stepped on a boat for France and disappeared. No closure or any real chance to say goodbye at a hometown burial. Kipling was blamed somewhat afterwards.

"If" was dedicated to his only son John Kipling, who I already mentioned died in the War (1915).

 

[Loyal]

Nothing so far from Jilly....It may be that she gets so many posts from admirers and my twitter account is an anonymous LoyalRam account, she skimmed over it without reading....or, she saw that it was me and deleted it.