June Darkie a charismatic young lady, driven by passion, hard work, and diligence. She also happens to be the firstborn of a family of four and a student at Daystar University. She’s also a dance choreographer, an entrepreneur of a business that she runs online, and a proud CEO of a CBO organization called JULEA CHARITY ORGANIZATIONS. At just 23 June is showing tremendous potential and growth, and I caught up with the vibrant artist via WhatsApp to learn more about her life, goals, and future plans.
How best would you describe yourself?
I would describe myself as a very charismatic young lady, driven by passion, hard work and diligent to all that I am.
Kindly share the part of your story that you feel the public should know about June?
I feel like June is mostly an open book, what you see about me on the internet is basically what you will find in person. I am 23 turning 24 years of age on 1st June. Fun fact, I was named after my birthday, hence the name June. Firstborn of a family of 4. Pursuing Electronic media at Daystar University.
What first got you into dancing?
Good question, just the freeness of it and the joy that comes with dancing. I fell in love with that first. That with dance I am free and happy.
Who inspired you to art of dance?
I used to really get jazzed by any music video that involved dancers when I was little so that also inspired me to dance, but to trickle it down to who exactly? I’ve got to give it up to a few women in the industry i.e., parrisgoebel, Dancingrebel and badgyalcassie just to mention a few.
As a dance choreographer what is the skill that one needs to work successfully?
I genuinely think that control is key. Without knowing how to control your body, then you will basically be doing injustice to the dance given to you. This includes, knowing when to take it easy along the choreography and when to go full out. How to control your facials, your attitude all through. This is just but one but a very valid skill.
What is your greatest strength as a dance choreographer?
Simplicity. I believe that this is the ultimate sophistication.
What is your creative process like?
Good question, okay, so I listen to the song that I want to create a dance on, sometimes an unhealthy number of time (guilty pleasure) focusing on the mood I want to bring into it, then this is followed by a quick freestyle to the song. I prefer recording my freestyles so that I know what my body picks up first by the sound of the song, this helps in now making the choreography. Afterwards, I combine what I’ve come up with and practice on mirror countless times. Present it to a friend for criticism.
How do you ensure you stay strong and fit enough to perform?
Simple! I work out sometimes more than I even dance. Regular practice is also an aspect that helps me as a dancer to keep fit enough to perform.
What are the most important traits a dancer should have?
Patience (trusting of the process), Hard/Smart work, Passion and Diligence.
Have you ever forgotten the dance steps during performance? What happened?
Big yes! This is quite common, as human is to err. I remember it was a performance at Carnivore performing for an artist, I got so anxious seeing so many people, I ended up thinking too much about it and everything vanished from my head. But I recovered just fine.
What is your biggest achievement until now?
Working with some of the country’s biggest artistes. 6 years old June could never have thought of and the fact that this far, I have never given up on dance.
If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be?
Great question there, just source for that one UNIFYING factor that will have all dancers united. I believe so many things would change, it would make us heard and bring in opportunities without depending on artists, corporates and other entities that provide work for dancers.
How do you feel the internet has impacted the dance industry especially with the rise of TikTok?
The internet has always been a good thing to mostly creators like us and the rise of tiktok is somewhat bitter sweet, bitter in terms of talent dilution, you find that most trending people are not dancers and what they put out ends up disregarding all the aspects of choreography and dance, sweet in that, dance is now being appreciated and is now popular given that it took so long for it to be appreciated.
Your also an entrepreneur and a CEO? Tell us how do you handle confidentiality in your work?
Yes, I am a proud CEO of a CBO and I run a business online. I handle confidentiality by having just a specific number of people I work with who share the same passion and work ethic as me. Having such people helps curb jeopardy.
Describe your work ethic?
I would describe my work ethic as smart working, reliable and consistent. I genuinely love my work, so these ethics come outrightly without having to try too hard.
How do you prioritize your work?
I have all my activities for my work scheduled for its own time. Sometimes, urgency goes a long way in scheduling my work into what fits.
You also own a thrift shop called ‘dripfitsbydarkie’. Tell me which current trends would you incorporate into your clothing selection that you currently don’t have?
Yes, I do own a thrift shop, this is a new one in the market and genuinely, there are so many trends I am yet to incorporate, this includes cloth switch reels, promotional ads and giveaways.
And how do you determine a client’s personal style?
Personality. I believe this should be a governing aspect to determining a client’s personal style. Your style should always match who you are.
Let’s talk about your charity organization. Why did you start the organization? How has it grown or changed over time?
I started Julea about 3 years ago, I love humanity and contributing to the betterment of it. Therefore, I thought to myself, why not actually start a CBO that helps to maintain smiles on kids? JULEA has grown tremendously, more and more people are joining and up until now, we are a family of 103 youths. Though the pandemic has affected so many plans that we had, we are still strong and going.
What is the hardest decision the organization has had to make recently especially during this ongoing pandemic and how did you evaluate the tradeoffs involved?
Having to stop visiting children’s homes and for some months, refrain from asking members for contributions. We discovered that we all had monetary setbacks, most of our members got laid off from work therefore, bombarding them with contributions only added stress to them. But we pulled it all well, as we never lacked funds to buy a thing or two for the homes.
Describe 2021 for you in one word?
BLESSED
What is one message you would give to your fans?
That it will all make sense. Most of us are doubtful of the paths we have chosen. For one, if you’re actually doing it, then there is a valid as to why the universe led you to that path. Quit looking over your shoulder, keep doing the good work and believe it will all make sense.
What’s next for you?
I’m looking forward to finishing school and fully focus on my dance, business and organization. I cannot wait to harmonize my schooling and my passion in the new future!
Your social media handle, How can people reach you?
You can reach me via, @june_darkie on all social media platforms and jwmaish@gmail.com on email.
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