Today we’d like to introduce you to Geena Ngaaje.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Dancing has been a part of my life for as long as I have been alive. My earliest dance memory harks back to age 10 when I created and led a dance troupe to perform at our National Independence Day celebration in Cameroon, West Africa. Fast forward to drill team in high school followed shortly by creating the cheer team for my junior college and then launching Hip Hop Heels dance company in 2009, alongside teaching weekly adult hip hop classes at a local studio here in Dallas.
In 2011, I got to dance for the Black Eyed Peas during the Super Bowl and fell in love with event production. Collaborating with friends and other dance professionals, we discovered a gap in the Dallas dance scene – the dance community needed a platform to bring hip-hop dancers together in celebration of their artistry. This led to my creation and birth of the Dallas Hip-Hop Dance Festival. Today, my team and I have the honor and distinction of producing: North Texas’ only celebration of hip-hop dance, a choreographer’s showcase called HYPE Dallas, and Legacy Hip-Hop Dance Convention which trains aspiring and professional dancers in different styles of hip-hop dance while teaching them to create a life worth dancing for.
While being a producer and creative director keeps me busy, the dance floor is still home. I am currently on a sabbatical from a 20-year career teaching children’s dance classes. However, you can still find me throwing a hair flip and a hip sway in my Hip Hop Heels classes, or pop-locking and dropping it in my adult hip hop classes at Centre for Dance.
Has it been a smooth road?
Of course not! I don’t know anyone who would say building a business, let alone a legacy comes without any struggles.
I remember planning and advertising for teams and choreographers for the first Dallas Hip-Hop Dance Festival (DHDF) and there weren’t any bites. We canceled.
Teaching adult recreational dance classes can be pretty hit or miss. Building a business based on that… well, you can only imagine. There was a time period of about three months when no one, NOT ONE person, showed up to my Heels classes. Then, one person showed up by herself for another three months, followed by another 3-month drought. It was great! Having built a strong following now, I look back at those times and laugh because I learned so much. In fact, these challenges shaped me to be a better dancer, artist and servant leader.
I’d be lying if I said the thought of giving up didn’t cross my mind in those times. But I powered on. It didn’t get 100% better after that either. Ha! Au contraire. There were still times of drought but they didn’t last long. Then it happened… that moment when you check your roster and your class is sold out with a waiting list. This happened for months until I had to open another class which is now selling out. My mind is still blown by the way.
The festival is still an uphill battle even after eight years. But giving up is not in my nature. I re-evaluate after each year and see where we can yield savings and curate an amazing experience for the dancers and audience.
My advice?
1. When you realize and find your path, DO IT. Do it tired, do it broke, do it hungrily – no matter what, just do it! And be consistent with your quality of work. Treat one client as if they were 1000 because one day 1000 will come and guess what, you will be prepared.
2. A positive attitude breaks down barriers. You can have a great vision and business plan, but if your attitude stinks, guess what? You won’t go very far.
3. Alignment, or in other words, your team. You’re not dreaming big enough if your dream starts and stops with you. Plus, we are not meant to do life alone. I can 110% say the only reason I am able to do and have been able to achieve, half the things I have is because of my team. A lot of what I created started with just myself and my family. From the very beginning, it was very important that I align myself with other people who have a passion for what I/WE do and people who were willing to come alongside me to create something bigger than any one of us could achieve on our own. I could go on and on about this particular topic but I’ll stop there.
Above everything, if you’re a praying woman, I say pray about everything and make sure you’re doing what you believe you have been created to do.
Set clear goals for yourself and talk them over with people you trust. Get ready to hear A LOT of no’s but don’t let that deter you, instead let it fuel you. And when something doesn’t work, assess it, address it, and move forward.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with your business – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Oh my. Let’s see if we can shorten this thing!
While children’s dance classes have been my specialty for 20 years, most recently I am known for my Heels classes and choreography, as well as being a producer and creative director. A few years ago, a couple of people started calling me the flash mob queen because I swear I had a flash mob gig at least once a month. Hahaha. I miss those days just a bit. I got to meet some pretty amazing people and create incredibly memorable moments.
Creating a brand that is now a “household name” has been so fun! In the last eight years of running the hip-hop dance festival, we have encountered less than 5 complaints. Like actual valid complaints. This may seem small, but for those of us in the service delivery business, that is one heck of an achievement!
I would say what sets DHDF apart is 100% can-do and make-it-happen attitude. The DNA of my team is building relationships, not just amongst ourselves but from top to bottom. We strive to build relationships with each other, as well as with the venues we find ourselves in, with our servant leaders (volunteers), all the dancers we encounter, everyone. We believe that our attitude sets the tone for every event we produce and manage. Plus, getting to work on something you love with people you actually like and care about is a huge bonus!
Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well-positioned for?
100% yes! We are well-positioned for any and all of them!
Despite progress in recent years, so many jobs in dance still go to male dancers. However, female dancers are increasingly shattering stereotypes, using our collective voice and standing our ground. So many women are choosing to CREATE their own opportunities these days and it’s a beautiful thing to watch. So many more of us are going after jobs that have been led by men for many years and in doing so, we are not just succeeding, we are thriving. Women are pushing the limits in every field and it’s beginning to look great!
Pricing:
- Hip Hop Heels – $15 per class or $45 per month membership. Class passes available. All available at hiphopheels.com
- Adult Hip Hop – $15 per class. Class packages available at centrefordance.com
- Prices vary for private lessons and private parties.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.geenaonline.com
- Email: geena@hiphophighheels.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geenadriven/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GeenaDriven
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/geenadriven
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/c/GeenaDriven
Processed With Darkroom
Image Credit:
Sean Malone, Luis Martinez, Dominique Wright
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