When I think of dance, I instinctively think of my first dance appearance when I was about 7 years old. It was a Christmas Party in a Cabaret restaurant in Cyprus. My cousin and I had prepared by ourselves a salsa ladies dance piece. It was the moment I knew who I wanted to be.
From my father I have inherited his elasticity, his sociability and the love of exploring different places and traditions. From my mother her smartness, her politeness and the love of education. But the person who most influenced me was my uncle Neoclis an actor and theatre director in Cyprus. It’s because of him that I went to the theatre so often when I was a child.
The best piece of advice I’ve been given is “love and care for the people around you regardless of where they are from, their colour and race.” She told me this every day before going to school. When I was older she would tell me: “ never forget where you come from as you’ll never go far if you don’t accept yourself.”
You are either born an artist or work very hard to be one. I personally think I was born. I knew that art helps me be ME but I was always good at it as well.
For me the education in dance is the key to everything. I’m not talking about technique or high kicks, but expressing passion and spreading the meaning of every single movement, you have to learn about script, words, lyrics as well as movement otherwise professional development hasn't have happened yet.
I dreamt of going to London when I was still in school. One day, I woke up an I couldn't see my future in Cyprus. Then I booked a ticket to London with a small bag without knowing how to achieve what I had in mind. It took me years but I got where I wanted to be.
London is the city that never sleeps and excites people, especially when they don’t have it in their countries. I was enchanted. The cost of living is shocking, but you have to hustle to survive. There is a feeling of never ending things. You’ll finish work and then go for a sudden walk by the river and you hear a music from a near bar and you enter you sit for a while, you make new friends and connections . I love this feeling of the unknown and the unexpected.
Every time I am on stage I carry with me a different aura, it challenges your to be the best version of you. I never get bored of choreographing new pieces with new themes, it is a creative part that every dancer and choreographer has inside them.
I would tell my younger self to be patient and never give up on what I was working. Things take time to develop. I used to fight a lot with my inner thoughts. Understanding what’s best for you one of the biggest developments you can have in your life.
I met my best friend on a bus. We started talking and laughing about silly things..that's Geminis. She was a complete stranger and invited me to stay in her house until I found a room to rent.
My perfect Sunday would be starting with brunch with my friend Sophia, talk and laugh for ages, meet my man to a spot I’ve never seen go for unexpected walks seeking for adventures and end up in bar salsa for some dancing in the night.
My favourite place to eat in London is the Pueblito Paisa in Seven sisters, my favourite place to walk is in hydepark, to think is wherever by the river, the water helps me a lot and Covent Garden as is the place where I go for tango, pineapple studios, and all my memories from bar salsa.
My favourite word in English is exquisite
The word I least like is…darling
