We recently connected with Kulava Kulava and have shared our conversation below.

Kulava , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project that we worked on was on a dance video called “You’re The One That I Want” by Doja Cat. We released the dance video on valentine day of this year. It meaningful because it was the first time we all choreograph a section of the song individually. We all took part as a choreographer and create our vision to life. The theme that we went for was girly but fun at the same time and we wanted to potray that vibes in the dance.

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

We all came from a similar background: we are Hmong women and love dancing. Most of us have known each other for years, and some of us are getting to know each other through this dance group. Kulava started as just a project of friends that enjoy each other’s company, and we integrate our love of art, fashion, and music into our dance videography. These dance videos were created to express our vision and style through projects and various music and dance styles. We are always looking to push ourselves further, not just as dancers but as learners, educators, and artists.

Currently, Kulava’s primary focus is on being creative with filming our choreography. We are also open to performing and competing in either local or out-of-state events. We specialize in being open to various dance styles rather than sticking only to one specific type. Because of this, our team’s adaptability has made projects go smoothly, and we can have more options when choreographing. Even though we do not necessarily focus on a specific dance style, we need to acknowledge and be educated on the foundations of our dance styles, such as hip-hop, whacking, heels, and more. We are proud of our teamwork, helping carry responsibilities to set and reach our goals. Every day we learn something new about each other, whether about dance or as individuals, and so far, it has been an exciting journey.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Some of the biggest challenges for Kulava is finance and balancing dance in our everyday life. We think it is difficult for any dance group that is starting to find a fund to help pay for studio fees, outfits, filming equipment, etc. Our outfits, studio fees, and everything we do as Kulava are paid out of pocket between the members. It is very normal to see this in a dance group, and it can be hard to recruit dancers while staying on top of finance because some of us are still college students. Balancing our dance life outside student life and workplaces can be challenging because we have to learn to plan months for performances and dance practices. All of us grew up dancing with teams in the Twin Cities, so we were already used to that lifestyle since high school, and it takes a lot of commitment and dedication to dance with a dance team.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a dancer is that we can share our journey with other creatives, artists, and dancers out there! Each video and content we released, we planned and created for a purpose, and we want our audience to know that we worked hard for it. When we get supportive comments from younger girls that aspire to be dancers and do what we do, it motivates us to do better every time.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kulava.official/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KULAVAOfficial
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2RgiGwlSU_LpxUDJBoM5wA

Image Credits
Sutthinee Her