BEFORE DANCE WAS A CAREER, IT WAS JUST LIFE.
I grew up in Africa with six siblings, my mom and my dad. Music was always around us. When a good song came on, everybody moved. Dance was never something separate from life.
I NEVER REALLY DECIDED TO DANCE.
Movement was already part of me. I danced because it felt natural. Long before I thought about careers, travel or stages, I simply loved to move.
FIRST, I HAD A PROMISE TO KEEP.
My parents supported my passion, but education came first. I finished school and graduated as an engineer before giving dance a real chance.
THEN THEY GAVE ME PERMISSION TO TRY.
After graduation, I chose dance fitness and choreography. My parents gave me the space to try, and I am grateful that the risk became something real.
I WAS 27 THE FIRST TIME I STEPPED ON AN AIRPLANE.
Coming from landlocked Zambia, that first flight meant more than travel. It was proof that my world could become much bigger than I had imagined.
THAT FLIGHT CHANGED THE SIZE OF MY WORLD.
Dance took me to India to teach. It was my first overseas opportunity, and it opened the door to a life of movement, teaching and international connection.
SOON I WAS FLYING EVERY FEW MONTHS.
South Africa. Different parts of Africa. New cities, new cultures and new friendships. Dance gave me access to a world I had only known from a distance.
MOVEMENT BECAME A WAY OF CONNECTING PEOPLE.
I taught adults, children, dance fitness and choreography. The work became less about steps and more about what happens when people feel seen, included and alive.
THEN I STARTED BUILDING THE ROOM MYSELF.
Concerts, dance parties and gatherings grew around the community. Some events brought more than 500 people together. I learned how to create an experience, not just perform inside one.
EVERY EVENT NEEDED MUSIC.
I curated my own playlists, played music from friends and discovered sounds through people around the world. People started asking about the music. Eventually, the dancer became the DJ.
A NEW COUNTRY. THE SAME LANGUAGE.
Moving to the United States gave DJing more room to grow. Ann Arbor, Toronto, Zambia, San Diego — the locations changed, but music kept doing what dance had always done: introducing me to people.
I DON'T JUST PLAY WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW.
I love introducing people to African music, native records, underground sounds and artists they may never have discovered on their own. The playlist is part of the story.
MUSIC. MOVEMENT. STORY.
Today, dance and music are no longer separate chapters. They are two ways of doing the same thing: bringing people together, sharing culture and giving people a reason to move.