We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Keyon Tuiteleleapaga. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Keyon below.

Keyon, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

When I think about everything that my parents have been through -like- when I consider how young they were when they had my sister and I; I feel like its safe to say that they had so many opportunities where they could have “dropped the ball.” To be honest, my parents did SO many things right. But, for the sake of answering the question…

I actually love this question because I come from an extremely blended family. In some ways, I’ve always seen my parents’ divorce as a turning point in my upbringing. I was only about 9 years old at the time, but I can still sense the overwhelming sadness that latched onto me when they made the decision to separate. There are some situations and circumstances that we see played out on television or movies and we think to ourselves “That would never be me or my family”, and when you’re confronted with the situation, you’re gutted. However, through their divorce, my parents remained good friends and supporters of one another. My sister and I say all of the time how fun and full our childhood was, despite the separation of our parents. We were encouraged to do what we love (my sister excelled in volleyball, and I had an interest in the arts), and we always felt love in our households. In hindsight, one of the greatest things my parents did was not allowing their divorce to interfere in them raising their children. My parents are both remarried with children, and if I’m being honest, my younger siblings will always feel love and support from me BECAUSE of the healthy upbringing my parents provided for my sister and I. It was hard to process as a child, but, I had no idea how much of a blessing there was wrapped up in a seemingly dark time. My siblings and I were raised with love, laughter and so much joy… and its a pattern that my parents STILL fill our family with today… and that will forever be what they did, and STILL continue to do right.

Keyon, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Keyon Tuiteleleapaga. I used to introduce myself as a “dancer”, but as time has passed, I just consider myself to be an artist. Creatively, I am pulled toward movement and words. I have always been inclined to dance from a young age, however, I began dancing professionally in Texas during my junior year in High School. My first job was performing at a local theme park in San Antonio. After graduating High School in 2010, I worked for a few years in children’s theater, touring with “Sesame Street Live!”. In 2014, I relocated to Los Angeles, where I began auditioning and working in the entertainment industry here in L.A. For a brief moment, I moved to New York to train in a few dance styles that I felt only the East Coast could offer, but eventually, found my way back to Los Angeles. So much of what I aspire to do with the arts is aligned with serving my community, more specifically children. I have always felt God’s calling in my life to create a change in the lives of our youth, and I have been consistent in that mission throughout my early adulthood.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Resilience, in my opinion, is a key component to surviving in the entertainment industry. One thing that I always found challanging about working as a dancer in Los Angeles is how often you are asked to prove your ability. While many industries allow professionals to apply off of a resume or interview; dancers, actors, and entertainers must often audition to show that they are a good fit for the projects they wish to be a part of. Most times, it doesn’t matter if you just came off of a world tour or a hit series. Chances are, you will have to audition again to prove that you’re the right one for your next job. Sometimes, the answer will be “no.” Resilience means having the capacity to withstand and bounce back, no matter how many “no’s” you receive. My best illustration of resilience from my journey is the fact that I am still here in my industry despite the many “no’s” I have received.

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

I think it’s safe to say that even if you haven’t contracted Covid-19, it has still affected your life in one way or another. When the pandemic began to prompt lock-downs here in the U.S., I was finishing up a tour in the U.K. We finished our tour just in time to make it back to the U.S. only a day before the lockdown was ordered. At the time, we anticipated that we would be back to work by the end of April 2020. We had no idea that our industry (live entertainment) would be shut down for almost a year. This change prompted one of the biggest pivots I’ve had to make in my career AND in my life. When I first went to college out of High School, it wasn’t long before I decided to put my academics on hold, determined to pursue dance more aggressively. I always said that I would go back to school “when I had time.” Well, ten years later when Covid-19 hit, I ended up having A LOT of time. Four months into the lockdown, while clicking around online, I began to entertain the idea of finishing my degree. After a few google searches and inquiring to a list of schools, I was enrolled at Southern New Hampshire University to finish my Bachelor’s degree. At the time, I don’t think I really believed I would be able to do it, but I didn’t have enough reasons not to try, so, I pressed forward. I was doing very few shows due to the pandemic, and I was still living in Los Angeles, but, at the end of the week, being back in school was providing a sense of accomplishment when dance work was scarce. Getting assignments turned in every Sunday felt just as thrilling and motivating as being onstage. I was unsure how I would stay in school when my industry reopened, but, I chose not to worry about it in the moment. Two years later, I am a few months away from obtaining my degree, and I’ll actually still be taking classes while going on tour this summer. In January of 2023, I’ll begin my Masters degree program. The pandemic altered many things around me, however, I was blessed to have found an opportunity to better myself in the process. I never would’ve guessed that I would be continuing my education full-time while still pursuing dance, but if anything, it has made me a better student, a better artist, and a better man. My goals in the future are to work with children in foster care and underserved communities, using the arts as an intervention and therapy for them. Merging the arts with my academic goals has inspired so many new ideas in the ways I can create and inspire change in the lives of the younger generation. A pivot that has completely changed my life.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @keyontuiteleleapaga

Image Credits
Dalton Shooks Emma McIntyre Matt Komo Elyse Zamora