In this week’s spotlight, Prospect Business Association recognizes Elaina Paige Thomas, and her talent agency, The Next Paige. We interviewed her to understand what led to the creation of the agency, and what it offers aspiring actors, dancers and other artists.

Before starting “The Next Paige,” Elaina was a well-established dancer. She was inspired by figures such as her mother, along with the famous choreographers Jamaica Craft and Debbie Allen. After she received a degree in dance from Columbia College in Chicago, her talents were discovered by pop star Beyonce Knowles-Carter. Elaina became one of the backup dancers for Beyonce’s Run the World debut performance in 2011, during the finale of the Oprah Winfrey Show. This breakthrough opened countless opportunities for Elaina, like going on a world tour, while working with other artists such as The Black Eyed Peas, Tyrese, Ginuwine, and even her childhood idol, Debbie Allen.

The passion for the camera fueled her to learn and explore more about the entertainment industry and the business behind it. The dancer now transitioned into an actress, working in films, commercials and numerous forms of media. Elaina’s career was growing exponentially, but according to her, “When you’re always on the road, you soon become homesick.” She left her residence in Chicago to move back to Kansas City. When Elaina returned home, she realized that Kansas City had copious amounts of untapped talent within the Black community. However, the problem was that most of the people didn’t have the connections to display their talents to a broader audience. Since Elaina loved to help other artists, she created The Next Paige, a talent agency, for the people, by the people.

The Next Paige provides guidance to aspiring artists by enhancing their talents, and navigating them through the entertainment industry. They hold auditions, dance workshops, one-on-one private classes and other reliable services. The Next Paige has a clientele list of celebrities like former Kansas City Chiefs players Dwayne Bowe and Tamba Hali. Elaina says “I will never lose sight of promoting Black excellence. It’s important for Black Kansas Citians to be accurately represented. The Next Paige is doing everything in its power to make that happen.”

Below there is a promotional video for The Next Paige Agency, as well as a photo gallery of Elaina’s life on the road as dancer. To learn more about The Next Paige, visit https://nextpaigellc.com.