PrideHouseLA Founder Spotlight: Jeka Jane
Dance can provide a necessary outlet for multiple reasons. Jeka Jane uses it to help him be his unapologetic self.
Fluent in contemporary, ballet, and hip-hop, Jane has been dancing since he was five years old. He joined forces with Movement Lifestyle shortly after moving to Los Angeles and began teaching classes at world-renowned studio, Millennium Dance Complex. Working hard to make a name for himself in this industry, Jane has danced on tour for several high-profile artists including Ariana Grande and even made appearances in Amazon’s Transparent, HBO’s Euphoria, and Netflix’s The Prom. Apart from commercial work, Jane also teaches workshops around the world for all age groups and levels.
More recently, Jane is one of the four founders of PrideHouseLA, a rainbow-emblazoned TikTok content house that started to gain recognition after dancer and social media personality Jojo Siwa used the platform for her own coming out. Along with Kent Boyd, Garrett Clayton, and Jane’s wife, Mollee Gray, the house acts as a central hub for dancers and influencers to show support for LGBTQ artists and fans. As a trans man himself, Jane sees PrideHouseLA as an opportunity to offer education and entertainment in a safe and inclusive environment.
OFM had the pleasure of connecting with Jane to talk more about PrideHouseLA, being trans in the dance world, and his relationship with Gray.
Can you begin by telling us why you wanted to start PrideHouseLA with Mollee, Garrett, and Kent, and how you were approached about it?
Mollee, Garrett, and Kent had met during Teen Beach Movie, so they became friends that way. I met Mollee after her season of So You Think You Can Dance, and we were friends for a really long time. We didn’t start dating until 2013, I think that was right around the time Teen Beach Movie came out. PrideHouseLA just kind of naturally happened. We started doing TikToks over quarantine, and it just became a thing. We have been growing ever since.
How would you say PrideHouseLA is unique and different from other TikTok houses?
I definitely think just that fact that we are LGBTQ forward, that makes us different. Also, I think because we are a little bit older, we have a little bit more information and are a little bit wiser when it comes to our message, what we are trying to say, and how we want to approach it.
What does Pride mean to you?
Pride, to me, is just a celebration of life. The Stonewall Riots started with Marsha P. Johnson, and we need to remember her, lift her, and celebrate how Pride even began. It is a celebration of love, visibility, and everything.
What have you enjoyed the most about being a part of PrideHouseLA?
Having a close friend group. That has been very nice, especially over quarantine. We decided, okay, we are the only ones we get to hang out with, and it has been nice to be creative in this way. It is fun learning the dances, but I have also been choreographing my own little TikTok dances, and I choreograph outside of TikTok as well. Just learning to be comedic and stuff like that, that has been fun.
How has PrideHouseLA personally helped you?
I feel like PrideHouse has helped me feel more seen as a trans person and be more comfortable with my story. Mollee and I have a YouTube, and we want to be able to provide more information. When I first came out, I was looking for information on top surgeries, testosterone, and even the most important one for me, fertility. When I was looking for information, there were not a lot of people talking about that stuff.
So, Mollee and I decided to start a YouTube, and we documented our whole fertility process and we put all that information out there just for the next trans person looking to find that information. I want to be able to help people like that and be a pioneer in some way. This has been helpful for me, too, because I want to learn more about it.
@jekajane @pridehousela merch drop today!!! ????✨ #pridehousela #superhero #queer
Are you and Mollee still posting videos regularly on your YouTube channel?
We took a break from it because of everything happening with TikTok, but we plan to get back on board with it soon.
How beneficial do you think TikTok and other short form video content has become within the past year?
I like how it is quick information. Like, you get straight to the point, and since a lot of youth are always on their phones, they are still able to learn something about the world and stuff like that from short form information. I think it is good for everybody.
Not only are you a digital content creator, but many know you as a dancer and choreographer. Have you always had a passion for dance?
Yes and no. Growing up, I grew up in a small dance studio in San Francisco, and I only danced because my older sister danced. I would say that to a lot of people, and I wasn’t good [laughs]. I was not good at dancing because I wasn’t flexible or able to do certain things. So, I didn’t love it, and I was super into sports. Then, it wasn’t until I met one of my first big mentors, David Moore. I asked him to choreograph a hip-hop solo for me, and I did that solo in a talent show, and I won first place. I was like, maybe I’m good at hip-hop!
From there, I auditioned for a hip-hop dance troupe called The Company, and that is where I met one of my other mentors, Sean. He was like, you need to move to L.A. When I first moved to L.A., it was kind of that same, okay, where do I fit in as a dancer? Back then, I presented as female, so there wasn’t really a place for me. Things were just so different 10 years ago. Males looked like this, females looked like this, so I didn’t know where to go. That is when I started getting a little bit more into teaching and being a mentor myself. I started teaching a dance studio and I found a love for that, which was really cool.
Fast forward, choreographers were hiring me because I was an androgynous looking, female presenting person at the time. So, it was cool to be hired because I lived that way. For 10 years, I could not get a job because of the way that I looked. It was cool to find a place for me, and even more recently, I have been contacted for a couple more things. I like to think it’s because of my talent, but two of the jobs are because they want a full trans cast. So, it is cool to finally find a place where I feel like I can be me.
Did you face discrimination in the industry after you came out as trans?
Yes. I don’t think it was on purpose, I think it was just how the industry was set up. It grew, and it is still growing. It has changed a lot over the last few years. It has definitely morphed into something more inclusive.
How has dance helped you accept your true and authentic self as a trans man?
Dance has definitely helped with me being able to explore my body in general. When you are a dancer, you have to move a lot. Also, even with choreography, if I am feeling sad, down, or whatever, a song will come to me, and I create something, get it out of my mind, and examine it. Then it can just be there. I am the kind of person who bottles stuff in, so it is nice to have an outlet to be able to get things off my brain and heart. Dance has helped me with not bottling things up.
You struggled a lot with your identity when you were growing up. What kind of message are you hoping to give LGBTQ youth who are struggling to accept themselves?
That there is no timeline. If you are feeling a certain way one day and feeling different the next, explore yourself. The person that you talk to the most is yourself, so have those conversations. Also, reach out to people. Talk to your friends, talk to the people you feel safe talking to. There 1-800 numbers, LGBTQ centers, support groups you can join. Find common people who have the same mindset as you so you can speak about how you are really feeling. That is important.
I would like to ask you a couple questions about Mollee. How did you two meet, and was it love at first sight?
Yes, that is my favorite story [laughs]. She just wrapped up doing So You Think You Can Dance, and we met at a dance company called Hollywood Vibe. When I saw her there, I did not put two and two together. Like, she was that girl. I always say, she opened the door, and we made eye contact. Like, her hair was blowing in the wind, and we just stared at each other. It was probably only for a split second, but it felt like five minutes long.
Later that day, I wrote my number on a piece of paper. You know, back then, we used pen and paper to write down our phone numbers. I asked one of my students to give that girl that number. Mollee messaged me later that day and was like, ‘hi, your student gave me your number. Just let me know when you want to bring me in for choreography.’ She thought I wanted her to come into my studio to teach. So, we kind of became acquaintances and we would see each other every once in a while. When we both moved to L.A. around the same time, we would see each other at a studio called Millennium and run into each other like that for years.
We really reconnected when Venmo first came out. It was like, if you get somebody to sign up, Venmo will pay you $5, or something like that. My friend was with me when this happened, but my phone sent out that invite to all my contacts. I was getting text messages throughout the day asking if this was real or fake, and I had to explain it like a million times. Yes, this is real. Mollee’s name came up on my phone, and I was like, that’s weird. I haven’t talked to her in forever. Normally, our conversations would be like, ‘hey, how are you? I’m good. Good talking to you.’
This time, we had a full conversation for the first time. She had just broken up with her partner and I had just broken up with mine. So, I feel things were finally aligning, and we met up at this place called Republic of Pie and had our first date. That is also where I proposed to her at.
@molleegray I’m never walking again. Lol @jekajane ????️???? @pridehousela #pridehousela
I have seen photos of your wedding, and it looked like an absolute dream. What were you feeling after saying “I do?”
Man, that was the longest and shortest day ever! Getting up to that moment felt so long. Obviously, we did not talk or see each other all day, but from the moment I woke, all I wanted to do was talk to her. After saying “I do,” we walked back down the aisle and we were put in this little cubby corner where nobody could reach us or anything, and that was the most beautiful moment. Both of us were like, oh my gosh, I have been wanting to talk to you all day. We had champagne, the sun was setting, and just talked about everything we did that day before getting married. That was probably my favorite part. It was so special.
What more do you hope to accomplish with your platform?
I definitely want to show more visibility for the trans community. I feel like it is important to just be present. Obviously, it is a privilege to be out as a trans person, and I want to be a safe space for other trans youth, and people in general. Many people reach out to me and ask questions like, how did you come out? How did you tell your parents? What should I do?
I feel like I can be someone who can help navigate how to come out or help others feel seen on social media. For me, growing up, there was not a lot of trans representation in media. There is only one character that I can think of, Max in The L Word, and they did not represent him very well. There are so many TV shows nowadays, and I hope I can be the kind of person I needed when I was younger for other people.
Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you would like to mention our plug?
Nothing that I can say out loud just yet, so stay tuned!
Stay up-to-date with Jane by following him on Instagram and TikTok. Click here to follow PrideHouseLA.
Photos Courtesy of Lee Gumbs and Social Media
What's Your Reaction?
