Creators On The Rise: GiaNina Paolantonio Found Her Footing On The “Dancer’s Paradise” That Is TikTok

Welcome to Creators on the Rise, the place—in partnership with international creator firm Jellysmack—we discover and profile breakout creators who’re within the midst of extraordinary progress. 

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GiaNina Paolantonio is used to taking middle stage.

At age 9, she debuted on Broadway, performing for a 12 months and a half as a part of Matilda the Musical. Not lengthy after, she joined Mariah Carey‘s All I Want for Christmas Is You live performance residency on the Beacon Theatre in New York City and the Colosseum in Las Vegas. And after that. she leapt from stage to display with a job in Hugh Jackman-fronted musical movie The Greatest Showman, earlier than that includes in two TV reveals: season eight of Dance Moms with the Abby Lee Dance Company, and Nickelodeon‘s JoJo Siwa-hosted actuality collection Lip Sync Battle Shorties.

Things haven’t slowed down for Paolantonio since–it’s simply that now, of us can largely discover her on a little bit of a smaller display.

Paolantonio discovered TikTookay by means of musical.ly. She joined the latter platform in its early days to share informal movies she made together with her family and friends. But when ByteDance purchased musical.ly and merged its consumer base into TikTookay, Paolantonio noticed the platform changing into one thing new–a “dancer’s paradise.”

She started posting brief, peppy clips of dance routines, and struck a success on her second add. To date, the video–a 15-second clip of her dancing in her yard, set to the Dance Moms model of “Boss Ladies“–has amassed almost 2 million views. And for Paolantonio, that spike of virality was solely the start. These days, she says, she’s as busy as she was on Broadway, performing seven reveals every week.

@gianinai’m really afraid of most issues HAHAH♬ original sound – !

Between May 2020 and now, Paolantonio’s account has grown to greater than 2.2 million followers, and today she’s hitting upwards of 30 million views monthly. The previous 12 months has seen her work with manufacturers together with General Mills, Disney, Nickelodeon, American Eagle, Gap, and ESPN, and she or he lately started crossposting her content material to YouTube Shorts, the place she’s netting round 8 million views monthly.

For Paolantonio, although, an important factor TikTookay’s given her is a basis for the following evolution of her leisure profession: changing into a singer/songwriter.

Check out our chat together with her beneath.

Tubefilter: Tell us a bit about you! Where are you from? What did you rise up to earlier than becoming a member of TikTookay?

GiaNina Paolantonio: Hi! My identify is GiaNina Paolantonio, an East Coast lady from the Jersey Shore. At the younger age of 9, I started my profession performing in Matilda the Musical on Broadway, taking part in Amanda Thripp for 18 months. From there, I continued my profession performing alongside artists like Mariah Carey, Jody Watley, and JoJo Siwa. I’ve been in a number of commercials, TV reveals on Nickelodeon (Lip Sync Battle Shorties) and Lifetime (Dance Moms S8) and the characteristic movie The Greatest Showman.

Most lately, I’ve been engaged on my music profession, writing and recording songs that come straight from my private experiences. I completely get pleasure from being within the public eye and take excessive satisfaction in exhibiting the world who I’m by means of content material.

Tubefilter: When and why did you be part of TikTookay? Did you be part of form of figuring out the form of content material you needed to make, or did you uncover your area of interest alongside the best way?

GP: I really first joined musical.ly, making enjoyable movies with my family and friends. As TikTookay then launched, I jumped proper on board primarily as a result of it appeared to be a dancer’s paradise and dance is my first ardour. The third video that I posted on TikTookay blew up, and I used to be hooked from there.

Tubefilter: As you talked about, you’re a New Jersey lady relocated to California. That truth can also be the highest line in your TikTookay bio. Why is that this such an vital a part of who you might be? How have the locations you’ve referred to as house have influenced your content material?

GP: I take nice satisfaction in my roots in being a Jersey lady…Never forgetting the place I come from. Growing up so near each the seaside and New York City has given me steadiness and has grounded me all through my profession. Being capable of work and nonetheless have time for driving my bike to the seaside, taking part in golf with my household, and having fun with all 4 seasons has formed me into who I’m in the present day.

Tubefilter: Walk us by means of what goes into a mean video. Do you script? How a lot enhancing do you do? How do you select filming areas?

GP: I like to movie my TikTookay content material open air with pure gentle and intriguing and enjoyable environment. There is not any script and minimal enhancing. I simply decide a sound and dance away and let it change into what occurs.

@gianinapublish rehearsal look.🥵🤩 love these weirdos // dc- @avadeblassi♬ lil.eaarl – From Tha Back – jovynn

Tubefilter: Your following on TikTookay has seen some main progress recently. Is there anyone video that actually popped off and drew in an enormous viewers? Or has your progress constructed up throughout quite a few movies?

GP: My TikTookay following has grown persistently over time. However, my dance movies with my pal Sage appear to pop off and get a whole lot of consideration. Collaborations with my dance mates is what I really like most, as we now have WAY an excessive amount of enjoyable creating content material.

Tubefilter: What do you hope folks take away out of your content material?

GP: I hope what folks take away from my content material is my authenticity and pleasure in making these movies. What you see in my content material is who I actually am, and I by no means need to not be my true self.

Tubefilter: Was there a particular second the place you realized that TikTookay could possibly be greater than a interest for you? How has being on TikTookay modified your life?

GP: The second my TikTookay began gaining views and followers, I rapidly realized that making content material could possibly be greater than only a interest. Brands and main recording artists started reaching out to collaborate. TikTookay has given me the liberty to reside my finest life whereas sustaining who I’m and following my desires.

Tubefilter: How has your private model grown over the previous few months? Have you gotten any cool sponsorships or different alternatives due to your digital presence?

GP: My private model has grown tremendously over the previous 12 months. I haven’t been this busy with work since performing seven reveals every week throughout my run on Broadway. I’ve additionally partnered with The Network Effect on progress and engagement methods throughout my digital and social properties (TikTookay, Instagram, and Snapchat). I by no means thought that these platforms might present such monetary freedom and future alternatives for constructing my profession.

Some of the highest manufacturers I’ve collaborated with are General Mills, Disney, FOX, Nickelodeon, American Eagle, Gap, NBC, CBS, and ESPN, to call a number of.

@gianinaIconic. ##meetmypet ##fyp ##inyourface ##walkingonadream♬ Boss Ladies – Caitlin Van Theemsche

Tubefilter: Due to your latest progress, do you may have any new plans or objectives to your content material profession? Do you suppose content material shall be a full-time pursuit for you long-term?

GP: I’m a really goal-oriented individual, so I’m continually pondering forward to additional my profession. I do consider that being a content material creator generally is a full-time pursuit, and hopefully these platforms will proceed to development and assist open many extra doorways for a few of my different passions.

Tubefilter: What’s your favourite a part of making content material as a complete?

GP: My favourite a part of making content material as a complete is exhibiting the world who I actually am and what brings me pleasure as I hope to deliver smiles to others who want it.

Tubefilter: What’s subsequent within the rapid future for you and your channel? Where do you see your self in 5 years?

GP: I all the time have issues within the works on the subject of my profession and my content material. I’m a planner and really targeted, so I’m all the time ready for the following alternative. With that mentioned, I do consider in taking issues someday at a time. I don’t look too far into the longer term as a result of the most effective issues occur unexpectedly. I need to embrace each alternative that comes my method.

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Jellysmack is the worldwide creator firm that detects and develops the world’s most proficient video creators. The firm’s proprietary video optimization know-how and knowledge drive social viewers progress, unlocking new income streams and amplifying monetization.

Currently house to over 150 influential Creators together with PewDiePie, MrBeast, Brad Mondo, and Bailey Sarian, Jellysmack optimizes, operates, and distributes creator-made video content material to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTookay, Twitter, and YouTube. Jellysmack-managed content material boasts 10 billion international month-to-month video views and a cross-platform attain of 125 million distinctive U.S. customers, making it the biggest U.S. digital-first firm in month-to-month social media viewers.

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