MY START AS A BUSINESS OWNER

Teoana Performing Arts LLC was founded by me in May of 2021. It has been a little over a year, and this summer (2022) was my first real dive into working for myself. I had quite the busy luau season, which makes the months of hard work and learning how to run a business from-scratch all worth it.

Why Did I Start My Business?
In short, I started Teaona Performing Arts because I missed dancing. I have been dancing for 17 years now. I started taking my first hula and first raqs sharqi (belly dance) class as a teen in 2005, and I was hooked from the first day. Just a couple of years later, I started learning Tahitian dance and a little bit of Indian dance as well (Bollywood). I have moved several times since then, and wherever I went, I was able to find dance communities in which I would find many people with similar interests. I found Kathak (a classical form of Indian dance), which was so amazing to learn. I even was able to join dance troupes, which showed me what it’s like to work as a professional dancer. I loved it!
It wasn’t until I moved to Rhode Island that I found myself feeling more lonely in that regard. It is a small state, and there isn’t an abundance of interest in cultural dance. There is a bit of interest, and I have met a few belly dancers, but it hasn’t been the same as Texas or Florida (granted, I did move here during a pandemic). There weren’t really many offerings as far as trying to join a troupe. I decided, therefore, to try to get back to dancing as a soloist. I want to make sure, most importantly, that I honor the cultures whose dances I am presenting. If I am in charge of what I do, it is a lot easier to do that. With that thought in mind, I got to work!

Why Focus on Polynesian Dance?
At first, I thought my main focus would be raqs sharqi. However, I suppose the universe had different plans. It was a lot more difficult than I anticipated to be hired as a belly dancer. I did get hired a few times, but not nearly as much as my peers. I like to think it’s not because I’m a terrible dancer, but it did take a toll on my confidence and even my love for the dance for a while. However, that’s a story for another time.

I didn’t have the same problem when it came to Polynesian dance. In fact, I never have. As of now, about 80% of gigs for which I’ve been hired have been hula shows. I took that as a sign of what should be my focus as I continue to grow my business. I am loving the decision! I am very passionate about Polynesian dance, and I believe my audiences and my students can see that. Ever since shifting my focus, I have been so much happier.

What’s Next?
Now that I have really been put to the test with such a busy season, I plan to stay the course! I am actively practicing and still taking workshops from very knowledgeable teachers straight from Tahiti. Learning from teachers from the source is so important, especially for a teacher who originates so far from that source. I plan to continue learning as much as I can, teaching my students as correctly as I can, and providing entertainment that is as authentic and true to the culture as I can make it. I will still practice raqs sharqi as well, and I will be glad to perform or teach it again, but my focus will remain on Polynesian dance.

For more information, please see the brief interview I did with GoSolo Magazine, here: https://gosolo.subkit.com/teaona-performing-arts/


Have you had a desire to start a business? What is holding you back? If you already have one, what urged you to get started? I would love to hear from you!