What are your intersections?
I am African American of Carribean decent. Both of my parents were born and raised in Montego Bay, Jamaica. My ancestors are from Africa.
What is your background?
I was born and raised in the Bronx, NY. My family is middle class. I grew up in a family home or “brownstone” like building. It was 3 floors. My Nana and Uncle Vin lived on the main floor, my Aunt, Uncle, and cousin lived on the 2nd floor, and my Mom, Dad, my older brother and myself lived on the top floor. Being around family all the time made me a family girl to this day. The doors were always open. I could freely walk down and say hi to my relatives and eat dinner with whoever cooked something I wanted. I vividly remember having sleepovers with my Aunt and cousin or spending hours watching soaps and doing my Nana Pearl’s hair (may she rest in peace).
I’m 28 and and can say I am living my wildest dreams as a female dancer of color and Scoliosis advocate. I am beyond grateful for their love and support. They sacrificed so much to do what I love. Spending money on me to go to the best Catholic school in the suburbs of NYC and paying for Ballet leo, shoes, and tights not to mention tuition for dance classes and many summer workshops. It is inspiring to know that they moved to NY from Jamaica in the mid 70’s for a better life and worked so hard to provide for their 2 kids. I dance for them everytime I step on stage.
A little backstory ... My Mom (Alexia) is very creative person. She modeled as a teenager and had offers to go to the UK to model but gave birth to my brother Sean. She entered a pageant in 1974 in Montego Bay, St. James Beauty Pageant. As an adult she has written and produced several off-Broadway plays. In 2019 she wrote a book “Memoir of Mom”, which is about my late grandmother Daphne Lee. Today she works in a hospital as a Coordinating Manager at Bellevue Hospital. My Dad (Edward) is the Assistant Vice President at Bank of America. My Dad loved photography as a teenager/young adult and took many photos of my Mom during her early model days. He got his first camera at the age of 12. He has always been a music lover. He still has these beautiful vintage speakers from the 70’s and over a thousand records and CDs. I grew up listening to Reggae and Soca music as well as R&B and Jazz. From a young age I loved music. My Mom said I would fuss in the car until they turned on the radio. My Mom was the person to enroll me in my first Dance classes at the age of 4, and since then I have never stopped. My brother (Sean) who is significantly older than me is the black sheep of the family and still finding himself. I did not spend much time around him growing up. He is 15 years older than me, and moved out the house at 18. As I have gotten older I have kept in touch and tried to build our relationship. I love him dearly and he now has a beautiful daughter. It is ironic because his passion as a child was rapping and architecture. My parents brought two artist into the world. I guess it runs in our blood!
How do your intersections affect you?
My upbringing definitely made me who I am today. I am family girl. I love going home to NYC and reconnecting with my family. We still live in the same house (aside from my Nana) so it is super nostalgic when I go home.
The work ethic of my parents inspires me to push harder everyday. My journey is a unique one. I began dancing at the age of 4 and now 24 years later I am living my dream of being a professional dancer. I am
a Scoliosis advocate and started my own foundation The Paige Fraser Foundation, for dancers with or without disabilities. I have been fortunate to dance with 3 professional companies and done gigs for artists like Beyonce, INTEL, and Empire.
In 2017 I had my choreographic debut here in Chicago at Links Hall. I used my upbringing in a Jamaican household and my strong connection to Home to inspire my work. I always reflect on where I came from. I proudly embrace that I am from the Bronx. I am proof that you can be from an inner city and still accomplish your dreams with focus, hard work, and love/support!
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#TWintersectionalfridays: Space to explore intersections of identity and systems of oppression. Space to tell your story. Space to listen. Every Friday of 2019. // Week 09/52. 'Paige' / 8x8 in. / mixed media on paper