Meet Tina Bararian

We were lucky to catch up with Tina Bararian recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tina, so glad you were able to set aside some time for us today. We’ve always admired not just your journey and success, but also the seemingly high levels of self-discipline that you seem to have mastered and so maybe we can start by chatting about how you developed it or where it comes from?

My self-discipline comes from my parents. Growing up, I watched them work hard, set clear goals, and pursue those goals with consistency. That example shaped how I approach my own life. From a young age, I applied that discipline to my dance training by carefully planning and tracking my daily and weekly practice. This habit has stayed with me throughout my career, and I continue to maintain the same level of structure and commitment in my training today.

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?

My work centers on storytelling, collaboration, and social consciousness. In 2022, I founded my own dance company and presented three evening-length productions in New York City. These works opened the door to new opportunities, including curating and choreographing one night of the International Human Rights Art Festival in New York City, an especially meaningful experience for me, as human rights have always been at the core of both my personal life and artistic practice. What excites me most about my work is the creative process that unfolds in the studio. The hours spent collaborating with dancers, experimenting, and shaping movement are where the work truly comes alive. That shared process of discovery is what ultimately gives depth and authenticity to the performance on stage.

In addition to my choreographic work, I am the founder of Dancers of Iran, a registered nonprofit organization established in 2021 in response to Iran’s ban on dance following the 1979 revolution. Through this organization, we introduce, support, and showcase Iranian dancers and their voices. Looking ahead, Dancers of Iran will be featured in a Studies Project at Movement Research in New York City in March 2026, marking an exciting next chapter for the organization and its growing community.

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

Looking back, the three most impactful qualities in my journey have been consistent training, creative process, and persistence. Consistency in training laid the foundation for my growth as a dancer. From early on, I made it a habit to track my daily training hours, both within my formal dance programs and outside of them. That structure helped me stay accountable and continuously improve, even during periods when motivation was low.

Equally important has been my commitment to the creative process. I schedule daily time in the studio to work independently, brainstorming ideas, improvising, and exploring movement. These hours of focused exploration often become the seeds of future choreographic works and long-term artistic projects. Treating creativity as a daily practice, rather than something that happens only when inspiration strikes, has been essential to my development as an artist. Finally, persistence has been the most crucial quality of all. The art world can be unpredictable and challenging, and there are moments when progress feels slow or uncertain. But continuing to show up, even during difficult periods, is what ultimately helps you find your path and voice as an artist.

My advice to those early in their journey is to build discipline through small, consistent habits. Practice! practice! practice! but also learn to listen to your body and mind when it needs to rest. Knowing when to rest is just as important as knowing when to push forward. Giving yourself space to recover allows you to return to your work with clarity, energy, and renewed purpose.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

Over the past 12 months, my biggest area of growth has been teaching and choreographing for competitive young dancers. Watching their technical and artistic development has been incredibly rewarding. Teaching children has felt almost like a form of meditation for me. It requires complete focus and mindfulness; every movement, gesture, and word matters because young dancers absorb and mirror exactly what they see. This has pushed me to become more intentional and precise in how I move, demonstrate, and communicate in the studio.

Through this process, I developed a deep interest in child psychology and learning processes, which has helped me better understand how young dancers engage, process information, and grow. As a result, I’ve grown into a more aware, conscious educator and dancer.

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Image Credits

Photo By Rojin Shafiei

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