Meet Jonia Queen

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jonia Queen. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jonia below.

Jonia , we are so happy that our community is going to have a chance to learn more about you, your story and hopefully even take in some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Let’s start with self-care – what do you do for self-care and has it had any impact on your effectiveness?

First of all I will start admitting that I do A LOT self care but I can still make improvements. Being a professional Samba Dancer , full time Artist, and single mother, really requires a lot self care, so I can keep my boat afloat.
Self care including my health first, in different levels, from an athlete level, since being a professional dancer makes me an athlete, dancing 20 hours per week or more sometimes.
Self care necessary for my muscles, joints, back, ligaments etc. Also self care for my organs, being mindful of what can affect them and seeking for balance in my life choices. And self care including beauty care, my skin , hair and body in general since a lot is expected of a Samba Dancer image in Hollywood , Los Angeles, California.
I feel that what I eat really makes an impact on all of it and how I function.
In general there are some super foods and fruits that I prioritize a lot in my diet that REALLY makes me feel great!
Here a list of them : turmeric , ginger, pineapple , blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, apples, grapes, green and purple cabbage, cauliflower, shitake mushrooms first and other mushrooms , carrots, arugula , onions , garlic , avocado , olive oil , macadamia nuts , walnut, pecans, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar . I also enjoy other amazing foods like yucca root, sweet potato, grapefruit, tofu, heart of palms and herbs like parsley, oregano, rosemary , basil, thyme.
I start my day by making an anti-inflammatory elixir that I learnt from a great vegan chef, friend of mine, Teresa. I’ve made different versions but with the same main base: raw turmeric root, raw ginger root, a piece of fresh pineapple, fresh squeezed grapefruit , fresh squeezed lemon , a tiny strip of fresh habanero pepper and a bit of water if needed. If I want to sweeten it a little more , I add a bit of stevia extract and blend in a high speed blender like Vitamix. This elixir really works in a cellular level and it’s great for my muscles, joints and ligaments.
I also love coffee , and I like my coffee black , normally pure , no sugar. Once in a while if I’m craving a little more sweet, I put either stevia, coconut sugar, or brown sugar, and I also add to my coffee a high value patented hydrolyzed collagen that is clinically tested and works great for the joints.
On top of that, I try to eat 70% vegan and avoid sugar , but sometimes when I crave meat, I try to prioritize fish and seafood but I feel that my body needs some iron , I usually crave red meat and I eat it, specially some months during my period.. And I love cheese , one of my favorite foods is grilled cheese , and when I really crave it I will eat it. The same happens with sugar, I avoid but if I’m really craving, I prioritize a good quality chocolate that is also my favorite treat. I try also to be mindful about drinking alcohol, doing in special occasions, and prioritize wine.
In terms of exercise , my life is a non-stop exercise. Recently I’ve gone back to the gym to start lifting weights again, doing isometric exercises, and stretching to protect my joints.
I want to start incorporating sauna and cold shower contrasts soon.
I try to take cold showers in the mornings and warm showers before going to bed . Cold showers feel really great on my muscles and joints.
The part that I really need to improve on, is sleeping for more hours.
For my skin I use a Paraben free vitamin E , coco butter body oil after shower, or paraben free body lotion.
For my face, I always remove my make up before I shower at night. I continue by washing with face wash , applying toner , serum , eye cream, and face night cream. In the morning , before doing my make up, i wash my face with face wash in a cold shower , apply toner, serum , eye cream and day cream with SPF.
I also take a lot of supplements for my immune system , health and beauty.
Daily I take probiotic , a high quality vitamin C , zinc , Vitamin D3 and K2, Magnesium Threonate, Fish oil, Boswellia and Devil’s claw supplements for my joints. Before bed I take a supplement that has hyluaronic acid, saw palmetto, and collagen among other herbs that are great to keep the skin integrity. I also try to drink a lot of water, at least 2.5 liters per day.
I never had any work done, not even Botox. I’m not saying that I will never do it and I’m not against, but I’ve been trying for as long as I can to be more holistic about my self care with my health , body and beauty.

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?

Professionally I am a full time Artist , Samba Dancer , Choreographer and Artistic Director of my own dance company , Raiz Brazil Dance Company..
My stage/professional name is Jônia Queen, I am born and raised in Brazil and I have been dancing since I was a little girl, then I immigrated to the US to pursue dancing full time.
After performing in different Samba Shows in Los Angeles, I created my own company , Raiz Brazil Dance Company, with the vision of creating a Brazilian Samba Show and Brazilian Dances with a theatrical approach, so I could fulfill my creativity as a choreographer, creative director and perform the kind of Show that makes me excited to create and perform.
We have a weekly residency performing our Samba Show at Kravings Fusion Brazilian Steakhouse 4 nights per week , from Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30pm and 8:30pm..We also perform in community events, private parties like birthdays, weddings and corporate parties.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back the 3 qualities , skills , areas of knowledge that were most impactful in my journey were:

1- Being trained to teach fitness and dance classes in one of the most popular gym in Brazil for fitness classes , where we were pushed to be technically a great teacher all the time. That helps me a lot on the process as a Coach and Teacher for the Samba Dancers in my company and for the Samba Dancers that enroll to train with me in my Samba Classes and in the Raiz Brazil Dance Academy Training.

2- Dance with one of the greatest choreographers in Brazil , Tati Sanchis and being part of her Dance Company at the time, “Cia de Performance” , taught me a lot , and learned as well with other dance companies that I was part in my life. I was able to learn many elements important for the job of an Artistic Director and I was also inspired by the creative process of a Choreographer.

3- Another skill that helped me , was working with sales in the past, because since I am also the Manager of Raiz Brazil Dance Company, I have to sell our Show , sell the art that I create and represent, although I am constantly learning more about entrepreneurship.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

When I feel overwhelmed, I try to breakdown my tasks including personal and professional life in immediate priorities and general priorities , based on how urgent is the outcome necessary for each of those tasks. As a Dance Artist, dancing also helps me calming me down if I get anxious about everything I need to handle. And daily I put my life in God’s hands and ask Him for wisdom and direction, since everything is about the decision making process.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.raizbrazilsambashow.com
• Instagram: Individual Artist IG: @joniaqueen My Company IG: @raizbrazildancecompany
• Facebook: @Jônia Queen and @Raiz Brazil Dance Company
• Linkedin: Jônia McClenney
• Twitter: @RaizBrazil
• Youtube: Jônia Queen
• Yelp: Raiz Brazil Dance Company

Image Credits

Clyde Gillet