Columbus Short has been on my radar since his role as DJ in Stomp The Yard a few years ago. Now the young dancer, choreographer turned actor will star in Armored, opposite Laurence Fishburne and Matt Dillon. Prior to gracing us with his presence on the big screen, Short choreographed for pop songstress Britney Spears’ tour. In the September issue of Uptown magazine, Short explains what made him decide to leave the world of choreography to pursue a career in acting.
“Dancing was never a passion. It was a way to make money. I had to break out…to do something [that made me] super happy. That’s when I went head first into my acting career.”
I’m sure it’s pretty safe to say that choreographing world tours for hot artist is a pretty good gig. It takes courage to step out and sometimes away from a good thing to pursue our passions and what makes us truly happy. It can be scary to leave our comfort zone, our routines and our salaries-not to mention dental benefits-in search of happiness and fulfillment. But I’ve never heard anyone who’s done it express regret. It’s not all about the Benjamins. So often “happy” is not factored into the equation of our life goals.
When people have conversations about what they want to be, they will tell you they want to be successful, rich, or give you one job title after another. But they forget to put Happy at the forefront. While they think those things and titles will lead to happiness, subscribing to what society and their immediate circles tell them they should aspire to, they lose sight of the key ingredients for what will make them uniquely happy. Passion is just the beginning, and aren’t we glad that Columbus Short decided to pursue his? Thanks, Columbus.
Armored will be released December 2009. You can catch Columbus on the big screen in Whiteout, in theatres now.
Revisit your dreams. Choose your path. Live your life.–Rainy Day Diva
