Today we’d like to introduce you to Arianna Gillison.
Hi Arianna, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story really started with dance. I’ve been dancing for most of my life, and as I got older, I realized it was more than just something I loved to do. Dance helped shape my confidence, discipline, work ethic, and leadership. Eventually, that passion expanded into fitness, choreography, coaching, and helping other people become more confident in themselves.
I’m originally from Prince George’s County, Maryland, and I graduated from Morgan State University with a degree in Business Administration. College was a major growing period for me because it gave me the opportunity to explore so many different sides of myself. I was involved in leadership, entrepreneurship, community service, dance, fitness, and professional development.
While at Morgan, I danced for the university’s basketball program and eventually served in leadership roles as a captain and fitness and stretching instructor. That experience challenged me as both a dancer and a leader and helped me realize how much I enjoyed coaching, training, and pouring into other dancers. I was also Vice President and Co-Founder of ALPFA at Morgan State and Community Service Chair for the Collegiate Association of Startup Entrepreneurs. Those experiences allowed me to develop professionally while learning how to lead, network, organize initiatives, and build relationships.
Community service has also become a big part of who I am. I’ve had opportunities to organize and participate in projects supporting children, families, schools, and local communities. Giving back has shown me that whatever I build for myself, I want it to create opportunities and experiences for other people too.
That mindset is a big part of why I created Release the Beast Dance & Fitness. I wanted to take everything I love — dance, fitness, wellness, confidence, and community — and build something of my own around it. Through my business, I provide choreography, private dance training, fitness training, stretching and mobility, classes, and other dance and fitness experiences. But what I’m building is bigger than individual classes or sessions. My long-term vision is to have my own space where people can dance, train, work out, build confidence, and be surrounded by a community that pushes them to become better.
Another part of my journey has been content creation. I share different parts of my life, from fitness and lifestyle to beauty, travel, professional experiences, and entrepreneurship. I love being able to show that you don’t have to fit into one category. I can be in the gym one day, coaching or choreographing the next, attending a professional event, working on my business, creating content, or giving back to my community. All of those things are genuinely me.
Since graduating, I’ve been focused on figuring out how to turn all of these different passions and experiences into the life and career I envision for myself. I currently balance working with children, coaching dance, choreography, fitness, content creation, entrepreneurship, and continuing to grow professionally. I’m also working toward expanding Release the Beast, hosting more fitness and community experiences, building partnerships with brands, and ultimately securing a physical space for my business.
I’m still building, and I think that’s an important part of my story. I don’t have everything figured out yet, and everything hasn’t happened exactly how I pictured it. But I’ve learned that there isn’t one specific path I have to follow. I used to think I had to choose between being a businesswoman, dancer, coach, entrepreneur, content creator, or someone passionate about community work. Now I understand that I can build a life where all of those parts of me exist together.
I’m proud of where I am, but I’m even more excited about where I’m going. I want my journey to show other young women that you don’t have to limit yourself to one title or wait until everything is perfect to start building something of your own. Sometimes you have to start with what you have, keep showing up, and allow the vision to grow with you.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that rejection and redirection don’t determine my value. Not every opportunity is going to be for me, not everyone is going to understand my vision in the beginning, and sometimes I’m going to have to create the opportunity I was looking for.
I’m still overcoming challenges now. I’m still building consistency within my business, working toward having my own space, growing my brand, figuring out my career after graduation, and learning how to balance everything I want for myself. But I think there’s something powerful about being able to share my story while I’m still in the process instead of waiting until everything looks perfect.
The struggles have made me more independent, more intentional, and more willing to bet on myself. I’ve learned that sometimes a closed door isn’t the end of your story it’s the push you needed to start building your own.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Release the Beast Dance & Fitness is a brand I created to combine my passion for dance, fitness, confidence, and community. “Release the Beast” is about pushing beyond your limits and bringing out the strength and confidence that already exist within you.
I specialize in choreography, private dance and fitness training, stretching and mobility, pop-up classes, team training, and other dance and fitness experiences. What sets my brand apart is the experience I bring as a dancer, coach, choreographer, fitness instructor, and business owner.
My vision is to continue growing Release the Beast into a space and community where people can dance, train, work out, and become stronger versions of themselves. I also want to expand through events, collaborations, and brand partnerships.
Ultimately, I want everyone who experiences Release the Beast to leave feeling challenged, supported, stronger, and more confident than when they started.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Something that may surprise people is that I haven’t always been as confident as I may appear online. I’ve had to grow into the person who puts herself out there, walks into networking rooms, teaches a class, leads others, and shares her life on social media.
A lot of my confidence came from pushing myself into situations that were outside of my comfort zone. Dance, fitness, leadership, entrepreneurship, and content creation have all helped me find my voice in different ways. I’m still growing, but I’ve learned that confidence isn’t always something you naturally have sometimes it comes from continuously showing up for yourself.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/releasetheebeast
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arianna-gillison-deloatch-a2996a249?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/theeofficialarianna?igsh=OXBpNDdhdDBmMWlt
