We recently had the chance to connect with Kleo Hannah and have shared our conversation below.
Kleo, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. Would YOU hire you? Why or why not?
I would hire myself because I am a hard worker and I’m passionate about building systems that work efficiently. I consider the other moving parts within the team or operation I am a part of, and I think a lot about how I can do my part to set up others for success as well.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello! My name is Kleo, and I am a dancer, choreographer, and creative director!
I’m still developing the specifics about my brand, and I know that a few of its primary values highlight hard work, community, and good sportsmanship!
Right now, I am working on expanding my network, reach, and social media presence! Currently, I’m teaching dance classes from which I will begin to create short concept videos with formations and transitions that increase in difficulty and complexity over time. The steps I’m taking now are to set me up to work with musicians on music videos, live performances, and similar forms of entertainment in the future!
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
I believe diplomacy is a crucial skill in maintaining healthy relationships both personally and professionally. The ability to handle a situation tactfully to solve an issue or achieve a goal is priceless. It takes emotional intelligence and self-control to be diplomatic. It’s challenging to sit beside your feelings and objectively evaluate your understanding, seek additional context, and develop a more nuanced approach to a situation, especially when it evokes negative emotions.
I’m a solution-oriented person, and conflict seldom breaks bonds for me. I care more about diplomacy because I’ve personally found its presence to be a strong determinant of a relationship’s health and longevity.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
For a long time, the fear of being misunderstood has significantly hindered my willingness to live life and connect with others, but I am happy to say that I’ve learned that the people who genuinely want to understand will make a genuine effort to do so. Additionally, even if they can’t, that doesn’t mean they can’t still love and support me. I do feel more loved when someone gets where I’m coming from or finishes a thought I started, but I’m becoming more aware of the love that still exists even when those kinds of things aren’t present.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
For me, a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ doesn’t fully answer this question. I do consider the public version of myself to be who I am, but it only represents a fraction of my story and personality. I am a multifaceted individual. My art and brand certainly reflect aspects of my life that I may not discuss in an interview, but I still consider them forms of vulnerability that I’m willing to share with the public. I do tend to reserve certain aspects of my personhood and vulnerability for those close to me, especially when I’m actively experiencing something difficult. Then there are the interesting factoids about me, like my love of Minecraft and classical music or the 12 years I’ve spent playing violin, that just don’t come up in conversation unless I go out of my way to share. But those things are still very much a part of the real me, and I wouldn’t be me without those things.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When do you feel most at peace?
Other than dancing, I feel the most at peace when I’m taking care of my body and space. Taking showers, doing skincare, laundry, vacuuming, decluttering, washing my bedding, and similar tasks all have a resetting effect that really brings me peace.
I’m new to cooking, but I’m really enjoying that journey. As a dancer, my body is my livelihood, and I’ve been intentional about creating a diet that I enjoy that is also good for my body when I go out to eat. But now, I’m bringing that home and learning how to grocery shop and meal prep.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/kleohannah__
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kleohannah
Image Credits
(Instagram Accounts) @CinewellMedia, @ShotbyVicB, @CapturedbyBriee
