We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aksana Danilava a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Aksana, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had started sooner?

What a great question!
On one side, I think, everyone wishes they started their passion sooner, but from the other side you gain wisdom, maturity, life experiences and understanding of what really matters to you later in life. My husband and I got married and had 3 beautiful daughters and I have a carrier as a fitness professional. At some point of my life there wasn’t any room for me to be an artist. To answer your question, I would maybe make a few adjustments, but I would not reset the course of my life.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I took my first Bellydance class in Minsk, Belarus where I was born. It came as a recommendation by a ballet instructor with whom I was studing with for a time. After the first class I was surprised by the way it had activated areas of my body that I didnt expect since I was a competitive diver as a child. I found a great instructor in Minsk who was my mentor until I moved to Anchorage, Alaska USA. Once in Anchorage I continued to take regular classes as I continued to learn and grow. I had an opportunity to start teaching classes and bring something to the Bellydance community in Anchorage. Eventually I started doing small theater productions. To encourage my students and help them focus, I would regularly get us spots at the Sat Market or State Fair. The goal was to have fun and also to get out and shake off the nerves! The more that I experienced the different forms and genres of Bellydance the more that I realized that I loved it as an art form and as an artistic form of self expression.
Fast forward to moving to Happy Valley, Oregon with my husband and our three small daughters, I continued dancing as well as taking local and national workshops. Upon getting my first restaurant gigs in the Portland Metro area I realized that each location has a different clientelle and culture. Getting my shows taylored to what the restaurant owners or booked party hosts needs entailed knowing their culture, music, costume and dance style.
I would draw upon my own style as well as what I had learned through workshops. However, even though I was becoming more confident in my own style and abilities I decided to reach out to one of our local and highly recommended dancer/mentors. She added me to her busy student schedule and I feel as if she really helped my reach another level of tecnique and expression in my dance. Shout out to Ruby Beh!
As all performers can probably contest to, COVID set everyone back as all restaurants and theaters were shut down…! My passion for art was taken outside where I would frequently get my husband to record something experimental just to see what we could capture. Some of my favorite moments (vid, pics, sunsets ) were captured during those summers. No audience, no theater, just nature as my stage.
Later on, after auditioning and becoming a Dancer for several of Jillinas BellyDance Evolution theatrical productions, I developed a love for theatrical Belly Dance style and props. My current addiction is working and dancing with veil poi and glow poi.
Dance has made me a lifelong student as I continue to pursue new styles, music and modes of expression.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I just love the process. The freedom to express yourself and take chances. A great lesson for me that I would love to share is this. Sometimes you feel as if dont end up with anything even after planning and preparing, yet sometimes you get your best results from last minute improvisation and no preconcived expectations!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

During the Covid lockdowns I had to ( as did everyone ) figure out how to remain inspired and productive. As well as be a part of a community that thrives on an audience.

In 2019 I enrolled in a mentorship program with the beautiful and inspiring dancer Ruby Beh to help me to prep for an upcoming stage competition. I felt that my dancing was at a plateau and desperatly needed a challenge in order to grow. The competition was cancelled but I continued meeting with Ruby Beh via Zoom every week to show her my progress and get her feedback. She wasnt just a dancer with good technique, but also very creative artist. I worked with her for almost 3 years. This mentorship program helped shape me into another level of dancer and artist. Since all venues for dancing were closed, I took my dancing passion outdoors. I was dancing on the beach, at the parks, into sunrises, sunsets, on the rocks, on the road. And that’s when I really started to realize that I am not just a dancer, but an artist.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://aksanadanilava.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aksanadancer/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aksana.danilava.9/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AksanaDanilava
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@aksanadanilava

Image Credits

My studio photos : Studio Sura