As an accomplished dancer and singer, it was inevitable for Mya to venture into film. Born in Washington, DC as Mya Marie Harrison, she started dance lessons at 4 years-old—concentrating on ballet, tap and jazz—but briefly lost interest when she was 9. After reviewing tapes of her performances, Mya’s interest was reinvigorated and she joined the dance troupe, T.W.A. (Tappers With Attitude).

After her stint with T.W.A., she studied dance with renowned choreographer Savion Glover (“Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Funk”) at the Dance Theater at Harlem. Her ability for improvisation so impressed Glover that he showcased the fourteen year-old at the Kennedy Center for a solo performance. Following the footsteps of her teacher, Mya began teaching dance to children. By then her talent for dance was apparent, but her vocal skills were soon to be discovered.Under her father’s supervision—a one-time musician who performed in R&B bands—Mya recorded a demo that was shopped around until it finally landed in the hands of Haqq Islam, president of University Music. Mya was signed to Interscope Records after auditioning with Islam in her living room, then spent the next two years recording her first album, Mya. The smooth soul coupled with lyrics about the transition from being a girl to being a woman brought the unknown singer into prominence, as her debut eventually sold 1.5 million copies. MTV embraced the fledgling singer’s first single, the sultry It’s All About Me, as well as her next hit, Movin’ On. Meanwhile, her voice began appearing in movies: a duet with the hip-hopper Pras on the hit single Ghetto Superstar was on the soundtrack for “Bullworth” (1998), while Take Me There with Puff Daddy sidekick Mase was used on the soundtrack for the animated “Rugrats Movie” (1998). She then appeared in her first feature film, “In Too Deep” (1999), a gangsta thriller about an undercover detective trapped in the underworld of a ruthless drug cartel.

Though her second studio effort, Fear of Flying, released in April 2000, burned up the charts to number 15 on the Billboard 200, it suffered from a lack of originality and emotional depth while relying too much on ballads. Next, she found herself alongside Pink, Lil’ Kim and Christina Aguilera performing the hit remake Lady Marmalade on the soundtrack for “Moulin Rouge” (2001). She then appeared in her second feature, the Oscar-winning “Chicago” (2002), as an inmate who explains why he had it coming in the Cell Block Tango. Then her third album, Moodring, trumped her preceding records by landing at number 3 on the charts. The effort highlighted Mya’s emotional and stylistic maturity, as Moodring became her most accomplished effort to date. Meanwhile, her acting career continued unabated, appearing in episodes of “Sister, Sister” (ABC, 1993-1999), “The Wayne Brady Show” (ABC, 2000-2002) and “Missing” (Lifetime, 2003- ). After a small role in “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights” (2004), she showed up in “Cursed” (2004), the much-maligned werewolf thriller courtesy of horror mavens Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson.

Also Credited As: Mya Harrison, Mya Marie HarrisonBorn: on 10/11/1980 in Washington, DCJob Titles: Dancer, Singer, Actor, Choreographer, Songwriter, Clothing designer, MusicianFamily
Brother: Chad Harrison. born c. 1982
Brother: Nigel Harrison. born c. 1990
Father: Sherman Harrison. African-American; divorced from Mya’s mother c. 1998
Mother: Theresa Harrison. of Italian-American descent; divorced from Mya’s father c. 1998
Education
Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Greenbelt, Maryland, 1996
University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
Milestones
1985 Enrolled in dance classes at age four
1994 At age 13, joined the group Tappers With Attitude
1996 After graduating high school, was a hip-hop dancer on the TV show “Teen Summit” aired on BET
1998 Collaborated with artists such as Babyface, Wyclef Jean, Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott, and Sisqo on her debut album “Mya”
1998 Duetted with Pras on the hit “Ghetto Superstar”; featured on the soundtrack to the Warren Beatty film “Bulworth”
1998 Had first hit single “It’s All About Me”, a duet with Sisqo
1999 Feature film debut in the drama “In Too Deep”
2000 Released second album “Fear of Flying,” which featured collaborations with Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez, Jadakiss, Wyclef Jean, and Swizz Beatz
2001 With L’il Kim, Pink and Christina Aguilera performed “Lady Marmalade” on the soundtrack to “Moulin Rouge!”
2002 Had supporting role in the Oscar-winning “Chicago,” as an inmate who explains why he had it coming in the Cell Block Tango
2004 Had small roles in “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights” and “Shall We Dance”
2005 Cast in the Wes Craven thriller “Cursed”
Raised in Maryland
Signed by Interscope records at age 17

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December 17th, 2007
Categories: Ladies of Horror . Author: admin

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