Mya
photo credit: Getty Images
photo credit: Kris Connor/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
Watch or buy on:

Aliases

Mya Harrison Mya Marie Harrison

Genres

Subgenres

Submit Corrections

Mya

Active - 1999 - 2014  |   Born - Oct 10, 1979 in Washington, District of Columbia, United States  |   Genres - Comedy, Drama, Dance, Music, Horror

Share on

Biography by Cammila Collar

R&B vocalist Mya rose to prominence in the late '90s with a smooth voice and danceable style. Around the same time, she began pursuing an acting career, appearing in movies like Chicago, Shall We Dance, Love For Sale, and The Penthouse. Mya also tried her hand at reality TV, joining the cast of the popular Dancing With the Stars in 2009.

Movie Highlights

Chicago
How She Move
Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
See Full Filmography

Factsheet

  • Spent much of her preteen and early teen years dancing. She performed with the Tappers With Attitude dance troupe and later studied at the Dance Theater of Harlem with famed choreographer Savion Glover. Under Glover's tutelage, Mya was awarded a solo performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
  • Landed a record deal with Interscope after her father distributed demo tapes and caught the ear of Haqq Islam.
  • Released her self-titled debut album in 1998, which went platinum. Her second effort, 2000's Fear of Flying, also went platinum.
  • Founded the Mya Arts & Tech Foundation and serves as the organization's executive director and as a teacher.
  • Has cited Lena Horne and Liza Minnelli as role models, saying they "carry class with sass and skill."