We were lucky to catch up with Nii “prince” Engmann recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Nii “Prince”, thanks for joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I started my teaching journey through volunteer work, teaching music theory and giving lessons in the bass guitar. Once my passion shifted into dance, because of the lack of teachers in the area I was in, I was able to take advantage of that and fill a role that was needed at the time. Then came learning the business of my new profession. As an entrepreneur and artist, having the knowledge and ability to market and advocate for your worth in business setting are things that should be learned. All of these things has allowed me to build myself to a place where I am currently able to make a living off of my passion

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

First and foremost, I appreciate you guys taking the time to sit down with me. My name is Nii Okwei Engmann aka Prince and Im a dance instructor who specializes in Hip-Hop and Modern African styles of dance. Dance has always been a part of my life but I decided to pursue teaching when I noticed that there were a lack of teachers and a large number of students wanting to learn. I stepped into the position to fill that gap. That led to further opportunities in the field and once I realized a living could be made off of it, I decided to pursue it full-time.

I come from a family of teachers, my mom was a primary school teacher and my dad is a pastor. Because of that, I have a great respect for those in the field. Identifying your students needs, problem-solving, conflict resolution, navigating different learning methods, the understanding that you are also a student and need to be consistently learning so that you can pass things on to your students, all of these traits are quite necessary in developing yourself as a teacher. Teachers do not get the credit, the safety and the pay that they deserve. I hope to continue to inspire all those who step into my classroom and to continue being an example of what the profession could look like. I want to be a safe space for people to learn about themselves and continue to grow into the best version of themselves.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My goal in my creative journey is to continue to be curious. Never stop being a student. I love what I do so much and because I love my craft, I want to learn everything about it. I will keep doing so until this curiosity leads me into another realm of my creative expression. Hopefully I have the opportunity of continuing to learn until I can’t do it anymore but until then, I will continue to be inspired by the very fact that my art exists.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

One of the biggest things I think non-creatives struggle to understand is the amount of time creatives who are trying to make a living off of their art spend with their craft. We traded a 9-5 for a 24/7 haha. It never really stops. I have missed some birthdays, family events, and things of that nature because I was either working or investing in myself. It’s a sacrifice I believe most creatives have faced and again not everyone will understand that. Passion isn’t something easily routed or turned off like other avenues may be.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @princenii

Image Credits

Wei Chong Photography
Jaime Lopez Photography
IMi