Meet Jordan Jones | Owner of More Than Motion, Choreographer, & Dance Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jordan Jones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jordan, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Relationships, authenticity, and room for creativity. I strive to make More Than Motion a brand / company that leaves dancers and their families feeling good and confident. I try to be as honest as possible with the good and the bad, and be communicative about everything. I truly believe that’s the way to live life, so why not have that same attitude towards my business? For relationships, I just love making them outside of my work life, so same thing. I bring so much of myself into MTM, so of course I make building relationships a huge priority. For me, that’s how I have gotten anywhere in life, was from the relationships I’ve built and made along the way. I always try to expand my creativity through my lessons, calls, goal planning, new offers for the MTM mentor program, etc. It keeps me on my toes but it also allows the dancers to not get bored and stick with you. Dancer’s skills are growing so quickly that you have to keep up with them!

Please tell us more about your career. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Dance has been a part of my life since I was 3. It’s something that came natural to me and something that I’ve always been connected to. No matter how far off the beaten path I went, dance is what I always came back to. What sets me apart from others I believe is not just the moves in my choreography, but the connection to my students and their families. Above dance, I value my relationships and they take the top priority. I care about the mental health of a dancer and I’m cautious about the words I say, because I know how they can shape a teenager’s brain and view of themselves. That’s what MTM is all about. When it comes to my teaching style and choreography, I really connect to the song and create moves and get inspired from the dynamics of a song. I don’t like to put myself in a box when it comes to choreography and styles. My goal from the beginning was always for people to look at my choreography and ask, “who choreographed that?” I don’t want my choreography looking the same and want to keep expanding my creativity. It wasn’t easy getting to where I am today. It took a lot of learning from my mistakes, looking inward and finding the self belief to make dreams happen, and asking questions from dancers/choreographers that I respected and looked up to. What I want the world to know about More Than Motion and myself is that before we are dancers we are humans, and humans are made to connect. No matter how “cool” my choreography or teaching style is, I want them to leave More Than Motion and working with me feeling inspired, confident, and challenged.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First we would go to Coronado Island for a bike ride and dip in the ocean. The drive to get to the island is BEAUTIFUL and Hotel Coronado is always a fun sight to see. Then we would go to Encinitas and walk around the main street with the shops & visit Vuori (always). For lunch we would eat at Mendocino Farms (those who know me won’t be surprised I’m saying this) or Stone Brewing in Liberty Station. One Paseo has some great spots as well such as Tocaya. Buena Forchetta you can go to lunch or dinner but the truffle oil pizza is AMAZING. In the evening, I would take them to my favorite restaurant of all time, Herb & Wood. You can’t go wrong with the food there and the ambiance is incredible. I would eat there every meal if I could. Fun activities during Pre COVID are a Padres game, walking around Liberty Station, boating near downtown with the skyline view, and trying a latte from every cute coffee shop San Diego has.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Oh wow. I don’t think I can pin one name or thing. First I will start off with every single dance teacher that I’ve ever had in my path. Whether it was for a 1 year or my entire high school dance training, each one of them impacted me. I will name a few:Tina Lindle, Angela Mappin, Rachelle Oschner, Sarah Burney, Megan Gleeson, Andre Fuentes, and Rustin Matthew all shaped and inspired me in some way to move to LA which is where my entire dance career started. My entire group of friends and inner circle deserves a shout out for believing in me at times when I doubted my vision. The team of MTM for believing in it so much that they wanted to be a part of it. I truly value each of their teaching and dancing methods, and the knowledge they bring to the table. My family for supporting my crazy visions and dreams emotionally, financially, or physically meeting me wherever I was at. Lastly, every dance convention, instagram video, and student that has inspired me along the way. I feel like my choreography and teaching style is evolving every day and it’s because of the talent I’m getting to experience day to day and pushing my limits with creativity.

Website: www.morethanmotiondance.com

Instagram: @morethanmotiondance or @jordanjoneslynn

Image Credits
Photos by Gloria Tran and Meesh Harvey