Every month, a key player in the world of culture shares his experience with us in a more personal interview format. This month, it’s Barbarita, dancer and kizomba teacher.
… your first contact with dance
“Dance has been a part of my life since I was a little girl. I started at 3 years old. Very early on, my mother wanted me and my twin sister to dance. We were little girls who danced a lot, it was quite natural. A little later, we enrolled in aschool to do modern jazz and classical. My childhood dream was really to become a professional dancer. So, I knew I had to have classical dance basics. Then we were attracted by hip hop, which we practiced in several groups during our high school years. I had to stop dancing for 3 years because of an injury and when I arrived in St-Martin in 2019 I discovered kizomba. This awakened my passion, I quickly levelled up and wanted to teach it.”
… your first performance
“For my first show, we were dressed as Mickey and Minnie. I remember that our ears didn’t hold up (laughs). Being in front of an audience was not at all embarrassing for us. Being with my sister was automatically reassuring.”
… your most beautiful memory
“My first contest with the hip hop band So'Fly crew when I was at Yudat School. It’s the first one we won. On stage and after, it was a very emotional moment.”
… your greatest achievement
“The personal work I’ve been able to do on myself over the last few years. Choosing to fulfill my childhood dream and implementing actions to achieve it. The process is underway. I’m creating my dream life.”
… your other passions
“I love humor, comedy and everything to do with stage expression. But also, personal development, I am very much focused on spirituality. Before being a dance teacher, I was a nurse and I did a professional conversion in reiki. I continue to be a care-provider alongside dancing.”
…. your current news
“From August 10th to 15th, I will be in St-Martin for the SXM Kizomba Weekender. I am part of the festival organization for its second edition.”
... your projects
“I plan to become an international teacher. I went back to mainland France this year to grow, find a partner and create a greater visibility for myself. I was able to teach with international professors such as Gilles de Souza or Jonathan Mahoto, then I did several collaborations with professors in St-Martin. I am currently developing styling workshops (courses to work on posture and self-expression, editor’s note) with my partner Tany. I’ve also been invited to a lot of festivals recently, to promote kizomba and I’m creating online courses. I have many projects underway.”
Instagram : @barbarita_kiz
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