We were lucky to catch up with Christen Munroe-Jones recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Christen, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I immediately recall my family when I think about my work ethic. I have watched them leave for work in the morning and return home in the evening for as long as I can remember. I realize that I work hard as a result of growing up in a family that values hard work on both my mom’s side of the family as well as my dad’s side. My work ethic is ingrained in my DNA. When you work hard, you will have the opportunity to live the life of your dreams. My grandfather went to trade school and started his own HVAC business called “C&M Refrigeration“. I recall hearing his office phone ring throughout the day and hearing him schedule appointments. With his own work van stocked with tools, a home office downstairs, and even an entry in the Yellow Pages, he had it all. My grandmother owned her own daycare company that she operated out of our home. It was called “Yours & Mine”. She provided the children with a fun playroom downstairs filled with toys and a large playground in the backyard for them to enjoy. During my childhood, I attended my grandmother’s day care and I began volunteering when I was old enough. When summer break arrived, I was able to provide the most assistance. I would help feed the kids, change diapers, and even play with them. My grandmother also did housework while running a day care business. When the kids were napping, she would prepare dinner in the morning so that it was ready for dinner time. She would also clean the house. My mom is a very hard worker as well. When she gets off from long work days she handles her job for the church as the church financial secretary. After coming home from doing her church duties, she does her motherly duties and prepares dinner for us.
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?
As a dancer, I am passionate about dance education whether a student is interested in dance as a recreational activity or in pursuing dance as a professional career. I strive to create a safe space for my students to develop confidence, express themselves, and question their artistry. I hope to inspire young dancers to find their voices through choreographic compositions whether sharing a personal experience or others’ inspiring stories. Personally, when someone asks me, “Why do you dance?” my answer is always the same; it’s my time to feel free, express myself, and connect with the community. From middle school to grad school, my entire life has been devoted to dance. At the age of 23, I founded my own dance company. My dream has been to fulfill this goal for as long as I can remember! My company is called TheIrieMovement. In addition, I have opened up a second section of my company called The Kids Corner. As part of its adult programming, TheIrieMovement offers classes such as, Grown N Sexy (heels class), Hip Hop, Modern, Ballet, and more! The Kids Corner is exclusively dedicated to children ages 5 and older. We offer Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Ballet, and Hip Hop. Each Fall and Spring, the students perform in a recital. TheIrieMovement and TheKidsCorner both operate out of Catonsville, MD.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Perseverance, being observant, and being devoted are my three most important qualities. Without these qualities, I would not have been successful in starting my business or keeping it afloat. First and foremost, these qualities were given to me by God and I am very thankful. Without God, I am nothing and I have nothing. I have always been perseverant with things I am passionate about, for instance owning my own studio. I have been dancing for approximately 18 years, and all these years of experience has taught me how to teach a dance class and given me insight on how to run a studio. In middle school, I was in the dance magnet and I was given my first teaching opportunity when I was one of the lead choreographers in my group. In high school, there was no dance program or dance team so I decided to start one. I figured out everything that I needed to do in order to start this team. I found an advisor to stay after school with us while we rehearsed and I found a rehearsal space. I spoke with my favorite teachers to if they were able to be my team’s advisor. Some teachers said “No”. One thing about me, I do not take no for an answer. I was very determined to make this team happen. Eventually, I found a teacher to be my advisor. By this time, I already had a co-captain and we were ready for auditions. One of my guy friends who was apart of the team (Malik Hudson), came up with the name “Rams Mixed Elements”, and I instantly fell in love with it! We printed out audition flyers and hung them around the school. Auditions rolled around and before you knew it, I had a team! We practiced hard to perform at school events, the whole school loved us and screamed our names during performances.
I remember looking for dance jobs and I asked one of my college dance professors to assist me on creating a jazz dance lesson plan. I felt nervous but very prepared. The studio owner watched me teach the class and I was offered the job that same day. Overall, I worked for about five dance companies over the course of four years. Since, I knew that owning my own studio was my end goal I observed everything! I learned what to do and what not to do. I quickly learned how I wanted to operate my studio and I was very devoted to figuring out the logistics. In 2021, I opened my own dance company: TheIrieMovement. For a while, I observed other people the same age as me teaching adult classes and I admired them so much. I was waiting to be “ready” for my turn until I thought “Why not now?” I mapped out everything that I needed as far as materials, website design, scheduling, and more and I made sure everything was up to par.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
My biggest area of growth in the past 12 months has been learning to be patient. As I mentioned, I recently started my dance company. Starting your own business is not easy! It takes a lot of patience to wait for the word to spread no matter how many times you try and share it with the world. I have always been the person who wants quick results in most situations. I look at others and think “Why doesn’t that happen for me?” I’m only seeing what is presented and I haven’t seen their process. I have always known that I need to be patient. Sometimes, I am more patient than usual and other times I can be very impatient. I have learned that I need to be consistently patient and have faith. Everything will work out just fine. At the moment have 10 dancers. When I first started I only had around 5. By the time we had our first show it was 11. In our last show we had 15. Numbers will fluctuate and dancers will come and go. As a business owner, I have to be patient and let clients come to me, especially in times when I feel like I have done all that I can do. As a dance teacher, I have to wait for clients to hear about me or see an advertisement in order to register. Now, I’m just waiting. That’s all I can do. I love the 10 dancers I have with all of my heart and I will forever cherish every student that has been in our classes. More dancers will find my company from seeing performances, word of mouth, and advertisement. I always hear the saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day!”
Contact Info:
- Website: theiriemovement.com
- Instagram: @theiriemovement , @thekidscorner_irie
- Facebook: TheIrieMovement: TheKidsCorner
- Youtube: TheIrieMovement / TheKidsCorner at TheIriemovement
Image Credits
Photographer: Jerel Jones
