About Cameron Fikes
“It takes nothing to join the crowd. It takes everything to stand alone.” – Hans F. Hansen
These words struck me when I needed them the most—at a time when I was slowly losing the very essence of who I was. As a child stepping into my teenage years, I felt my true, authentic self slipping through my fingers. I thought, If I just put on a mask, hide behind something others would accept, then maybe I’d be okay. But this mask didn’t fit. It suffocated me. The further I pushed away my true self, the darker the space I found myself in.
I remember the day I said it aloud: “I want to take a break from dancing.” I had quit on what I loved, on what made me feel alive. I thought this was my escape from a world that didn’t feel like it was mine. I put on the smile, hid the confusion, and pretended everything was fine. But inside? I was broken, hiding pieces of myself that needed to breathe.
Then came a moment of reckoning, a push I didn’t know I needed. My mother, seeing me wear this mask, signed me up for a performing arts high school behind my back. I was furious at first—why would she do this to me? The mask was being challenged, and I was terrified. But that one decision, her belief in me, led me to a place I never thought possible—a place where I could breathe again, where I could feel the power of being myself.
It was there, under the guidance of incredible teachers, that I was introduced to the true art of dance—not just the physical movements, but the life-saving, soul-stirring, healing power of movement. They opened the door to a new world for me, one where dance was not confined to steps but to an endless possibility of self-expression and discovery. This opened the door to explore countless teachers, programs, and philosophies, all of which expanded my understanding of what art could truly be.
In those years, I learned that my journey wasn’t about fitting in. It was never about being safe, or hiding behind a mask. It was about embracing the risk, the vulnerability, the expansiveness of what it means to be fully, unapologetically myself. I’ve learned that standing alone is not a weakness, but a strength—a testament to the belief that I am enough, just as I am.
Now, as I stand on the other side of that dark space, I see the beauty of my own light. I am no longer just a dancer. I am an Artist—a creator, a teacher, a student, a storyteller, always learning and always evolving. I’ve come to realize that dance is not just about movement, but about connecting with the soul, with others, and with the infinite possibilities of who we can become. It is about more. More risk. More discovery. More authenticity. More growth.
I dream of sharing this magic, this art, this message of infinite possibility with the world through what I love—dance. I want to inspire, create, teach, explore, and learn from everyone and everything around me. Through my work, I hope to ignite a spark in others, to help them step out of their own masks, to embrace the vast, boundless potential we all have inside of us. This is where the magic lies: in the journey of self-discovery, in the willingness to step into the unknown, and in using art to create change, not just in the world, but in ourselves.
I am Cameron. I am me. And me IS Cameron.
