We recently connected with Kiana Ebone’ and have shared our conversation below.
Kiana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s go back in time a bit – can you share a story of a time when you learned an important lesson during your education?
At Howard University I studied in the Department of Fine Arts, with a concentration in Dance. I had danced my entire life, starting at 3 years old. To most, when they hear you’re a dance major, they think it is all fun and games. Jokes on you, that department was probably the most difficult place you could be! lol. As a dance major, we had to take our major classes and rehearsals either earlier or later than our core classes, meaning our day started and ended before anyone was even awake. Our first class of the day began at 7 am, but we were required to be there by 6:30 am to get ourselves prepared. Our rehearsals subsequently were at the end of the day, only after all other classes may be over. And let me tell you, missing class was unheard of, someone was calling and/or pulling up to your dorm room to retrieve you. If you were too late, you may not be admitted or you would have to sit out and take notes. At the time it felt extremely excessive, you know college kids love the freedom of being able to make a choice to go to class or not. However, now as a working adult I realize how important that discipline is to any kind of success. You have to be on time for work, you have to meet deadlines, being absent can lead to missing out on opportunities. We had a responsibility, and in business, you have responsibilities! It wasn’t about being controlled, but instead about learning discipline. This rigor is a part of the reason Brilliance in Black has had the success it has thus far!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Kiana Ebone’ is a 31 year old dancer and entrepreneur born in Philadelphia, PA, but raised in the beautiful city of Baltimore, MD. I started dancing at just 3 years old, but truly, it was in my DNA. My mother danced and my grandmother spent her early adult life as a professional dancer. Dancing was inevitably a part of me.
Since I can remember, Saturday mornings have been dedicated to dance classes, rehearsals, and performances. Though I played sports, instruments, and a myriad of extracurricular activities, it was the art of dance that I felt most passionately connected to. It was there, in dance class, that I developed the skills I would use for the rest of my life. Problem solving, teamwork, dedication, discipline, persistence, and above all creativity.
After graduating from the Illustrious Howard University with a Bachelors in Fine Arts, I came home to Baltimore and began teaching dance, mentoring throughout the city, and have shared the love of dance with 1000s of students. Currently I am a ballet, modern, and competition teacher at Studio A Modeling, Etiquette, & Dance Academy, a ballet and modern teacher at Baltimore Dance Tech, and a freelance choreographer. I spent the past 8 years as a Baltimore City Public School dance teacher, but decided this year to take on entrepreneurship full time.
In 2015, shortly after the murder of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, Freddie Gray was found dead at the hands of the Baltimore City Police Department. Out of great despair, I along with 5 of my Howard University alumnae friends created an organization dedicated to supporting and promoting solely the positive actions taken by those in the Black community, combating the image created by mainstream media. That organization, Brilliance in Black, has made it our duty to change the narrative and uplift our community.
We are dedicated to positively impacting our community. Through our events and social media platforms, we are able to aid a multitude of entrepreneurs in creating progressive futures for themselves and businesses. We curate events, such as; the annual Baltimore Black Wall Street Festival and Summit, Arts for Justice showcase, Sip and Paint Fundraisers, All Drinks Black Happy Hour, and Holiday Givebacks. In doing so, we aid local artists in starting up their own businesses, creating clothing lines, and curating productions. Our website (www.brillianceinblack.com) is also the home of a black owned business directory and our “Holla Black” entrepreneurs interview series. Through all of these ventures, we advocate for Black business and circulate funds through our communities.
The entrepreneurial spirit doesn’t stop there. I fell into a business, Siagi Essentials, creating all natural body butters, which are a hit and sell out every release. I say “fell into a business” because I truly started that journey for myself, but once a few people got their hands on some, they could not let it go! In the Fall of 2021, I released “ABCDance Like Me”, a youth coloring and activity book that explores black dancers of different genres. Each letter represents a dancer, the pages consist of a picture of the dancer, and a short biography, also included are word searches and fill in the blank puzzles!
It has truly been a blessing to explore life through such a creative lens and to use what I’ve learned while studying the art form of dance to change the world.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
As you may know, Brilliance in Black was founded by 6 Howard University alumnae. A lot of people warned us not to go into business with friends, but it was one of the best decisions of my life. However, the BEST decision was choosing Howard University, although I feel like it chose me! Choosing Howard was the best decision for so many reasons, but at the top of the list are the relationships I made. The 6 of us traversed those college years as best friends, and continued (almost 10 years out). We each met at different times, but officially became “The Crew” after all meeting at a Basketball game and spending nearly every day together.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I pride myself on the fact that my reputation precedes me in every aspect of my life. Many of the gigs I’ve had, jobs I’ve worked, opportunities I’ve been granted happened through word of mouth, whether that be dance or Brilliance in Black. I only work in passion, that is a MAJOR key. I don’t want to do anything that I am not passionate about. So what I know helped build my reputation within this market is that I support everyone! I try to attend as much as my social meter will allow, and then some. If it’s a Black event, I’ll be there, promote it, or support in some way. Not ever looking for anything in return, because I’m truly passionate about Black people, Black business, and Black brilliance. Then on the other side of that, we produce great work, the proof is in the pudding.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.brillianceinblack.com , www.kianaebonedance.com
- Instagram: @BrillianceinBlack , @kianaebonedance
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/BrillianceinBlack
- Twitter: @BIB_Brilliance
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/BrillianceinBlack
Image Credits
Jerrod Clayton Julian Hamer Lashawn Thomas