Meet Milaan Moses

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

Hi Milaan, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

One of the biggest things that makes me who I am is my resilience. I was never the girl who went through xyz, I was just always Milaan. I owe that to my mom.

She endured more than any human should ever have to in her one life time. Even an ounce of what she has been through, that I have witnessed, would break someone. From medical malpractices that left her disabled after 50+ surgeries, to abusive relationships that have left her in the streets, etc.

My mom was and still is in pain every single day. A lot of days being bed ridden. I felt a lot of responsibility in my youth to be the glue for my family. And while the sentiment of feeling like my struggles couldn’t matter because hers were worse could be seen as toxic in nature, it’s true to my experience. I didn’t want to add to the load of her daily life. It was tough as a kid to watch your mother cry and feel like she couldn’t turn to anyone else. But if she could wake up everyday and bare the world, I could take on anything as well. Despite it all, she allowed us to live out our dreams, supporting every step. Taking me to performances and adventures in LA even days after a surgery, finding ways to let us travel and see the world beyond our walls, etc. Yeah I went through some hard things like my father leaving, having sexual trauma, and more. But I could deal with those because I knew that she could if she had to.

One day in 2020 my mom left without warning. And over the next couple of years I was truly shown the power and depth of my resilience. Working through that was one of the hardest things to overcome but I was reminded of the woman that I knew deep down. This is what I knew to be true: no matter what, she showed up. For her family, her kids, for herself. She poured her love into me despite it all and showed me the heart of overcoming and resilience is LOVE.

I never needed to doubt if I could do or handle something because I was witness to watching greatness unfold despite all the cards stacked against her. I never doubted if I could do it without her because she showed me how to do it with her. If she can survive 100% of all her bad moments, then I know I can as well.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

It’s hard to put myself into a box because I really feel like I do it all. I am a choreographer, dancer, dance instructor, and artistic director. Though sometimes saying I’m an artist and creative feels more encapsulating to all the things I do. As a choreographer I am able to bring stories to life through movement. I love being able to curate a space and a narrative through my dancers. I was always inspired by award shows like the Grammys and music videos growing up and I knew my calling was somewhere in entertainment and media. All of my mediums go hand in hand. From dancing the movement, to teaching others, to building sets either for live stage or digital media, to editing, etc. I just love every aspect of making the viewer feel something.

I really started to dig into who I am as an artist when I started my company VISION. We create visual dance projects every month. Even though I am the choreographer, I am also the person who directs every shot, creates costuming, edits the videos, builds graphics for branding, casts dancers, books venues, and more! Recently I had the honor of choreographing for Club Jeté and bringing my dancers from VISION to a live stage for the first time! I’m hoping to expand this program to have more live performances and even more regular content. The goal is to one day have a company who meets and performs regularly across the world for different forms of media!

While all of this is exciting, the thing that I’ve discovered is most special and rewarding about this whole experience as an artist is being able to see people see themselves. I love being able to watch someone gain confidence in who they are through my movement. Or watch them grow as artist after being booked from one of my gigs. And most importantly watch them build the love within themselves after finding a community from something I was able to provide either physically or energetically.

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

The three qualities that were most impactful in my journey were determination, consistency, and trust.

Determination. You have to be hungry for what you want. It’s almost never about your skills or talent
alone. If you want something you need to be the hardest working person in a room and if you are, learn to want to out work yourself. It’s that determination to succeed that separates you from the next person.

Consistency. Show up. Always. Show up for yourself even when no one else is around to see it. Honestly, sometimes this is the hardest part. But you build a habit of greatness.

Trust. Believe in the fact that you are going to achieve whatever it is you want. Seriously. Some call it delusional but I don’t think it’s delusional to know that you can acquire the life you were meant for. Do you want it? Yes. Have you worked for it? Yes. Consistently? Yes. Then you will make a way. Why would anyone else trust you if you don’t trust you?

Granted all of these things are easier said than done, especially at different parts of your journey. The best way to develop or improve on these is just by giving yourself affirmations. I used to put sticky notes everywhere. In the mirror so I could see them when I woke up, on my walls, in my notebooks, my car, etc. I would write things like “you got this”, “you’re amazing”, “I’m proud of you”. Simple things to boost my confidence and keep me motivated. Reminders of what my dreams and goals were so I never lost sight. Until one day I felt them and believed them enough within myself.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

Vanessa Fuller. She’s basically my mentor, friend, sister, second mother, and other half of my brain all wrapped into one. I like to say that we are the same person in different fonts but honestly to even be an ounce like her is so fulfilling. I joined her dance company Xcape in 2021 and that’s truly when everything changed for me. I would not be the artist I am today without her. On the surface, she taught me everything I know about dance industry and entrepreneurship. I dug into my physical craftsmanship as dancer with her, understanding my body movement when it came to hiphop, jazz, jazz funk, and tap. I learned how to start and grown my own business under her direction and support. The first being my very own cheerleading program. She taught me how to program a show, manage artist, curate a space. But on a deeper level, she’s the one who taught me how to be the most confident and assured version of myself. She taught me that the way I show up in dance is the way I show up in life. She taught me to meet people where they are at in their journey, see them for them, and help them reach whatever they want to achieve. As a teacher, business owner, and just someone who often needs to work with the public, she taught me how to articulate my thoughts effectively. How to be understanding and forgiving but also stand strong in what I believe in. She showed me how to humanize people and take responsibility for myself and how to take accountability with grace. All of these are essential skills and qualities for someone working in entertainment and for someone that wants to be successful. But these are also skills for being a good person who walks through life with love.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://milaandeane.my.canva.site/
• Instagram: @milaandeane
• Other: IG: @visiondanceco @mdmdances @xcapedanceacademy

Image Credits

Zae Vibez
Jasberry Media
Media by Jane
Gordan Mindoro