We caught up with the brilliant and insightful A’Keitha Carey a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

A’Keitha , appreciate you joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

My company name is CariDance International which houses two products/services CaribFunk Dance Technique and the fitness enterprise CaribFunk Fitness with multiple platforms (CaribFunk Dance Fitness; CaribCore, CaribToning, CaribConditioning, CaribBarre, and CariBanda). I am a professional dancer and educator so naturally “dance” would need to be in my company name. “Cari” is a play off of my surname Carey and Caribbean. I am from the Bahamas and wanted to maintain my Caribbean connection while utilizing the “Cari” to be creative in designing the platforms.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

I have been dancing most of my life and have both an BA and MFA in dance. I have been teaching in higher education as a dance professor since 2010; I am currently on hiatus because I am in the dual degree program MA in African and African Diaspora Studies and a PhD in Global Sociocultural Studies at Florida International University. In 2003, I tore my ACL and was told that if I ever wanted to dance at the same level, I would have to include the gym and fitness/weights into my regular routine. As a result of taking this advice, my dancing, teaching, and performance took on a deeper physicality and my interest in learning various group fitness platforms developed. This was the beginning of CaribFunk and CaribFunk Fitness. I began teaching dance fitness in the early 2000’s and used this an opportunity to bridge my dance experience, fitness interest, and Caribbean heritage.

With the new craze in dance fitness, I knew that I needed to set myself apart so, the question “what makes what you do so different?” was at the forefront of the development of CaribFunk. I have a vast amount of tools in my proverbial “tool belt.” I bring with me my experience in dance in the areas of Afro Caribbean, West African, Haitian, Afro Cuban, Modern, Jazz, and Ballet; my skills as a dance educator, choreographer, curriculum design specialist, and fitness professional; this coupled with my research in erotic performance, Caribbean cultural performance, and my Caribbean heritage and knowledge of Afro Diasporic aesthetics and cultures takes my class to different FUNKIN level. My catch phrase is FUNK IT UP! And that is exactly what we do in my classes. Yes, I am highly skilled and knowledgeable in my field, which is great because you are getting an authentic, rigorous class but what I am most interested in is their (the participants) experience. Each class, I try to create an experience that is fun, exciting, sensual, and will get them moving in ways that they either never experienced or want to experience and of course toning that body! There is something for everyone at this bashment!

I am most excited and proud of the evolution of CaribFunk/CaribFunk Fitness. I think that with all the social media platforms it has become easier to share my work across the globe. I want to take this on an international scale. There is so much to do that extends beyond the physicality of the platform. I hear the testimonials of the participants or the observers who are watching me perform. Many share their struggles with accepting their bodies and the natural ways it wants to move (to the music I use) which is often (mis)read as (hyper)sexual. Others discuss the feeling of home while listening to music that they either grew up with, play in their homes, cars, or family functions, or enjoy at Caribbean festivals. And there are others who just want to learn a new movement language. I want everyone regardless of race, gender, age, ethnicity, sexuality, ability, ect. to feel included and that they have something to learn/gain from attending my class or viewing my performance(s). When we think about Junkanoo, Carnival, Dancehall culture, and other Caribbean cultural performances, in these spaces, everyone is one, we are all winin’ and jukin’ to the rhythm of the beat. The cadence dictates how fast or slow we roll our hips and waists. In this moment, we control the narrative, we control our bodies.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

This is an interesting question because I didn’t realize how much work goes into this aspect of building a business in terms of the equipment and time commitment. Yes, social media is a wonderful tool, but it also takes a lot of work because you want to put out quality content. Currently, I am posting on my YouTube channel, Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Getting the right equipment is mandatory to support what it is you’re trying to capture in/for your business. Because I am teaching fitness, I need a lighting system, microphone, multiple video recording devices and tripods (with ring light attachment), mobile speaker, and studio space. Next, there is the editing of the videos which can be done on your mobile device or tablet (I use Apple devices). Then, you need to decide how often you are going to release your content, what time of day, what days, what platform etc. It’s a full-time job!!!! And most importantly, you need to respond to those that comment or ask questions to build a relationship and following. A helping hand is always a plus. See who you can enlist to assist in some aspect of your production.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

This is also a very interesting question because though CaribFunk has been a thing for decades, it’s a new formalized business entity. So, I am in the process of building the business in real time! Participating in opportunities such as this which allows me to discuss my business across a wide platform is a must. I think the biggest goal is achieving visibility, whether that is on social media, in print, at events, wearing your merchandise when teaching and posting but also when you go out in the public, and joining organizations whose mission is to help promote your business, which allows you to network with a host of organizations across fields/disciplines. I recently joined the Chamber of Commerce Miramar Pembroke Pines; I am confident that this will generate a wider scope of interest, patrons, and supporters.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.caribfunk.com/
• Instagram: @caridance100
• Facebook: A’Keitha Carey
• Linkedin: A’Keitha Carey
• Twitter: @AKEITHAC
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJzzNHu9wnETz42zv1mcDKg

Image Credits
Woosler Delisfort and Melanie Valle.