Daily Inspiration: Meet Da’Zaria Harris

Today we’d like to introduce you to Da’Zaria Harris.  

Hi Da’Zaria, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I was born in Ormond Beach, Florida. I was raised in the church and was very involved. My father is a pastor and my mother a missionary, so the church is all I know. I began to sing in the church and learned so much. Whether it was singing, dancing, commanding a crowd, speaking, planning, and so much more. While in school, I liked to find moments to show my talent. I started in school plays and the chorus, but it wasn’t until Highschool that I truly fell in love. My first big musical was Fiddler on the Roof. Though the show was short-lived, my passion grew, and decided to make a career of performing. Making that decision was a huge chance. Coming from a family with multiple degrees and occupations to brag about, I wanted to follow in their footsteps. I chose the best possible occupation and chose to be a neurosurgeon. I enrolled myself into dual enrollment while in high school, graduated just a point from summa cum Laude, and knew which college to attend, but I knew that wasn’t what I wanted. I chose that path to please others, but at a younger age, I learned to choose my happiness. I auditioned for various schools including Berkeley which was a surprise, but the program I saw fit was at American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. There, I gained a love for acting. Before, my focus was to sing professionally and within any medium, but there, I realized the beauty of acting. To create a character through physicality, inflection, and tone was so creative and unlocked a great part of me. I graduated in 2017 and headed home. I dreamed of moving back to NYC and starting my career, but things did not turn out as planned. I thought there was nothing much for me in Florida but little did I know, it was the start of my career. I landed my first job in entertainment as Celestina Warbeck at Universal studios and days later booked my first professional show as the ensemble in The Color Purple at Theater Westend in Sanford, Fl. From then on, I’ve had the blessing to be working constantly at theme parks, in musicals, national tours, and events. My biggest role was as Belle in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at the Garden theater.

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?
I have been very blessed to live the life that I have. I have received so much support from family and friends, but that life hasn’t always been easy. From a younger age, I have struggled with accepting myself. I am a black plus-sized woman, and it comes with its struggles with self-image and self-esteem. I remember when I was nine years old and looked at a picture of myself hanging on my mother’s mirror and hated the way I looked. As a child, I never boasted about my looks and hid behind my talent. I knew that I wasn’t favored by others, but my ability was. I would look at myself and know I was beautiful, but it wasn’t seen by all. In these moments, I kept to myself, but my creativity grew. From a young age, my imagination was quite elaborate. I didn’t express it much as a child, but it was always a place I’d escape to. As I got older, mental health issues arose. In the summer of 2016, I learned what depression and anxiety were, and a few years later, I was diagnosed with cyclothymic disorder. The vibrant mind I barely got to know created such highs and lows I didn’t think I could deal with. That Summer I truly found God. All my life, I believed and trusted in Him, but that summer was a huge turning point in my faith. Since then, issues have arisen, but more and more, I have blossomed into a much better person. Learning how to deal with your mental health can seem lonely and unbearable, but I learned to take each moment at a time, pray, and choose joy.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a performer in the central Florida area. I am most known for various roles in staged musicals. Some performances include Truvy Jones in St. Luke’s Production of Steel Magnolias, Ruth Younger in Garden Theater’s production of Raisin in the Sun, Godspell at Garden Theater, Lady of the Spa in Nine: the musical with Central Florida Vocal Arts, the live Christmas show “Joyful, a Celebration of the Season” at Disney World’s Epcot in Orlando Florida, the role of “Minnie” in Parade at the Garden Theater, “Belle” in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at the Garden Theater and my latest role as “Flippy” in the national tour of “Dog Man the Musical”. I am most proud of my role as “Belle” in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. The amount of anxiety around living up to the iconic Disney princess seemed insurmountable. Coming into the role I was afraid I wasn’t pretty enough, didn’t have the voice, and I was too plus-sized. Very quickly, I realized that this was more than just me. Many children and adults were coming to see this show and were going to be inspired by seeing an unconventional princess on stage. I quickly gained my strength and went to work. Though the nerves were still there and many tears shed along the way, a true release came over me after I finished our opening show. I cried so hard, and my cast embraced me. Beauty and the Beast healed the nine-year-old me who said “I’m ugly” and believed it. Through this role, I told my younger self that I was beautiful all along and being different was something to be celebrated. I never knew how much I would touch others with this show but I was more surprised at how much it healed me. Along with performing, I love social justice. I am very vocal about creating safe spaces for all performers and individuals in any avenue. During the summer of 2020, I was an organizer of the Black Artist for Black Lives March in Orlando. I have also been vocal on many issues within central Florida performing arts that are still being settled. I believe that we can use our voices to tell stories but also use them to provoke change.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Though it’s known by some, most don’t know that my real name is “Danielle Harris”. I changed my name in the summer of 2020 during the midst of the pandemic. One night, I shared with my mother that I have never felt my name lived up to my personality, and she revealed that she originally wanted to name me “Da’Zaria.” I fell in love with it and decided right then that I was changing my name. It is just a stage name, and I don’t plan on changing it legally, but I see it as the representation of the change in me and I believe it’s a wonderful change.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @_darariaaaa
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danielle.harris.77770/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMvQWa_O47nWmoTptIs263A 

Image Credits
Noa Friedman Photography
Artwork-Brenna Jestus
BusyBee Artworks