We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Athena Fariaz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Athena , thanks for taking the time to share your lessons with our community today. So, let’s jump right in – one of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. Where does your self-discipline come from?
My self Discipline comes from my parents. Growing up my parents always pushed me to do my best and to not give up, if you think your doing enough do more! that has stuck with me till today and will continue to stick with me.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Hi my name is Athena Fariaz, I was born in Calgary Alberta Canada. I started dancing at the age of 3 and eventually started competing at the age of 7. Throughout my competition journey I received many awards and scholarships that pushed my dance career to another level. Once I graduated high school I knew my journey was not over and my purpose was to be a pro dancer. I applied to the Millennium Dance Complex Certificate Program, Which is a program giving dancers the opportunity to train with well known choreographers. Not only did this program offer training but also dorms for their dancers. As soon as I turned 18 I took the risk of moving alone all the way to Los Angeles CA to pursue my dreams. The day of my arrival I was extremely excited! the idea of living in LA, doing what I love and living with dancers sounded like the perfect life. However, once I arrived at the dorms I was given a tour of our housing and it was not what I expected!! There was 15 of us living in a small space, in not ideal conditions. At this point I was re thinking my decision however my passion and drive pushed me to make this sacrifice. Once my program was completed I moved onto my next chapter. While I was in the dorms i became friends with dancers from all over the world and One of my best friends lived in Mexico City. and so I made the choice to continue my training there.. After I completed my Mexico journey I was ready to go back to Canada and re think my next steps as a dancer. However, a Choreographer in LA reached out to wanting me to assist her in a High heels program she created and so I made my way back to LA. During this period of time I was living on a couch with just my backpack. Once the program was completed. I was now ready to go back home to Canada! While I was there I was contemplating what to do next, Do I continue my path of becoming a pro dancer or do I choose a different route. After 2 months of being home I knew I wasn’t ready to throw away what I already started. I had to find a source of income to continue my life in Los Angeles. I was then fortunate enough to land a job as a Teaching Artist for a Non Profit organization called Conga Kids. After 6 months of hustling I was able to get a place on my own while continuing my Journey as a pro dancer. My next goals are to be signed to an agency and to be dancing alongside all the amazing artists out there.
Today I offer private dance classes of most genres, online or in person. I can be reached via instagram @a.fariaz!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Three qualities that were most impactful in my journey were
1, Staying persistent and motivated
2, Embracing the struggles and understanding its just for now, not forever.
3, Having resilience and be adaptable
Advice i would give to people just starting their journey, would be to always remember your why. Whenever you are feeling defeated think back to what made you choose this path and how it makes you feel. To achieve a goal you need to experience struggle and failure in order to grow.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I am always open to collaborate with dancers, choreographers, artists and brand promotions. You can find me on Instagram @a.fariaz and YouTube @athenafariaz to get insight of my dancing skills, or to even follow my journey:)
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a.fariaz/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7Wf2AsPPV1-VRpKREpHTdQ
Image Credits
instagram @wecreate_nla
