We recently connected with Andrea Puron and have shared our conversation below.

Andrea, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Libra Bellydance is a Latina-owned organization that provides a creative, safe, and inclusive space for individuals to explore their passion for dance while fostering personal growth, teamwork, and community through creative expression and performance opportunities.

The mission is to provide a safe and inclusive space for people of all backgrounds and abilities to explore and express themselves through dance. As the founder of Libra Bellydance, this mission is incredibly meaningful to me because I believe that dance is a powerful tool for increasing physical and mental health, as well as building confidence and self-expression.

In my own experience, I have found that dance is a great opportunity for exploring and connecting with our bodies in a direct and meaningful way. However, I also recognize that dance can be an intimidating activity, especially because is an activity that may face unconscious biases and prejudices about a body type and special abilities. Something that I personally experienced in my dancing journey.

That’s why at Libra Bellydance, we are committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone. We believe that dance is an activity for all, regardless of age, gender, race, or ability. Our classes are designed to help students build strength, flexibility, and coordination in a fun and supportive atmosphere. Everybody is a DANCE body

Ultimately, our mission is to help people feel empowered and confident in their bodies through the joy of dance. We hope to inspire and uplift our students and create a community that celebrates diversity and inclusivity.

Andrea, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Andrea Purón

Founder & General Director

I started to dance at a very young age, my dance training begins with teachers such as Jillina, Suhaila Salimpour, Fadi El Saadi, Zoe Anwar, Aline Del Castillo, and more. In 2005 I opened my first dance studio in México with my mom, and together we managed for 12 years, in 2016 I opened Libra Bellydance.

Learning to dance is a liberating experience that enriches body, mind, and spirit, which elevates self-esteem, and destroys the barriers that one and society tend to build.

I use Bellydance as a motor of movement, it is a dance that allows you to connect with your body and mind, creates awareness, and makes you feel more in control and sure of yourself.

I do fusion because it allows me to enrich my body language, express myself, learn, play, and collaborate with talented artists that I admire. It allows me to learn more about those dances and disciplines that inspire me, always from a place of respect, admiration, and learning.

Within fusion, I do Latin fusion because I’m Latina and it is in my blood, it is the music I grew up with and will always be a part of me, it is also a way to honor my culture and my ancestors and embrace who I am.

I strongly believe fusion is a reflection of how diverse we are, a magical fusion of cultures, movements, colors, and rhythms, all with unique beauty.

We are diverse, unique, and at the same time equal. I love collaboration, learning, connection, and similarities as well as what makes us different.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

At Libra Bellydance, we believe that building a strong community is essential to fostering brand loyalty and keeping in touch with our clients. We understand that dance is not just a physical activity, but also a mental and emotional one. That’s why we offer a variety of extra activities that focus on supporting our student’s mental and physical health, as well as creating a stronger sense of community.

One of the ways we keep in touch with our clients is through our social media channels. We regularly post updates about our classes, events, and performances, as well as share inspiring stories and tips for staying healthy and motivated. We encourage our students to engage with us on social media by sharing their own stories and experiences, and by tagging us in their dance-related posts.

In addition to social media, this year we plan to offer a range of extra activities that help foster a stronger sense of community among our students. For example, host regular dance parties, where students can come together to practice their moves, meet new people, and have fun.

Furthermore, we offer workshops and classes that focus specifically on mental and physical health, such as meditation and mindfulness, and yoga. We believe that by supporting our student’s overall well-being, we can help them achieve their dance goals and create a strong sense of brand loyalty.

Overall, we are committed to fostering a supportive and inclusive community at Libra Bellydance. By offering extra activities that focus on mental and physical health, as well as creating opportunities for our students to connect with each other, we believe that we can keep in touch with our clients and build brand loyalty that lasts.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I think in my story there is a lot of learning about not recognizing the value and recognition in ourselves. When I moved to Austin I didn’t think that my first job would be teaching dance classes, maybe it was imposter syndrome, but I had already spent years and years preparing, teaching in Mexico, and getting certified. For some reason, I was too afraid to start over and face may be another way of teaching, from the language to the structure of the class.

One of my dreams is to offer certifications and training to people who want to become dance teachers. To help them become confident teachers, connected to their art, and create safe and inclusive spaces for their students.       

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.librabellydance.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/librabellydance/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LIBRABELLYDANCE
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/libra-bellydance-and-fusion
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@librabellydance