We recently connected with Andrea-liis Mustkikkas and have shared our conversation below.
Andrea-Liis, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I have always been a very active and creative person. I’ve tried so many different creative activities in my childhood like fashion design, volleyball, sewing, arts and crafts and dance. When I was little I always loved playing music from YouTube and just dancing around alone in my room but I had no idea that dance could actually become a career for me. I rediscovered dance when I went to high school. I feel like at that time It was like an escape for me from stressful schoolwork and my passion for it started getting bigger and bigger. I started taking trainings very seriously and school was more like a second priority for me. I spent hours at the dance studio training and perfecting my craft. The feeling that dance gives me is something that I can’t even put into words. It lights up something inside me and It gives me so much joy and love. I started getting more recognition from my dance teachers and other dancers and as I started working as a dancer, I fell in love with stage and performing. Being in rehearsals, in dance classes, on set or on stage has always given me so much energy and joy and It has never felt draining for me. It is obviously very hard physically but I enjoy it so much. I think that this is the most important note on finding your purpose. When something makes you feel alive and lights you up inside, you know that you are meant to do this.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a professional dancer and choreographer. I grew up in a very small country, Estonia. Dance has been my job for about 5 years now and I truly love it. I have danced and choreographed for live performances, music videos, campaigns commercials, concept videos, television and theatre. I`ve trained in many different styles like hiphop, jazz funk, latin, cheerleading, jazz, heels and vogue but I always feel myself the most when I’m dancing on heels. The best part of my job is that it never feels like a job to me because I enjoy it so much and I can’t imagine myself doing anything else for work. My biggest dream and goal as a dancer is to book a tour with my dream artist and I’m so excited to keep growing and working towards it.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I feel like dance is much more than just a physical improvement. Dance has taught me so much about discipline, time management, communication and work-ethic.
Dance industry is tough and It’s definitely not for everybody but If you feel like this is your passion and purpose, all the struggles will be worth it.
The most important thing that I’ve learned on my journey is to never let fear take over. I feel like as dancers we are sometimes scared to put ourselves or our work out there because we are so afraid of failure and judgement. The fear is always going to be there but It shouldn’t hold you back from anything. Go to that audition, take the classes that make you feel challenged and say yes to the opportunities that scare you. It’s only going to take you further in your career.
I think that it’s important to understand that success doesn’t come overnight. The journey of making dance your career is full of struggles and setbacks but it’s important to be stronger than that and keep going. Take your time, learn, grow, plant your seeds. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason even if it doesn’t always seem like that. Every experience is only going to take you one step closer to your goals and dreams. It’s important to not give up after your first ,,No” in an audition.
If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?
For a long time I felt like dance industry in Estonia is too small for my dreams and goals. I decided to make a big change in my life. I found a program that took me to New York City. Let’s say the real training started here. It feels like I had to start over everything that I’ve built up in my home country. I had no connections here and It has definitely been a struggle to figure everything out myself and be so far away from my family and friends. I know that it was the best decision I’ve made so far in my life and It has taken me a huge step forward on my journey as a professional dancer. I’m grateful to learn from the best choreographers in the industry and surround myself with other like-minded hardworking dancers and performers. Even if it gets lonely sometimes I try to remind myself why I started in the first place and how far I’ve already become.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrea.liis/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009441507253
Image Credits
Martin Kosseson
Harry Tiits
Capturecreative.inc
Mari Makarov
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