TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND DANCEBOX?
I am an East London girl born and bred, I have been dancing since I was 12. Once I started I never stopped. It's what keeps me alive and free and most importantly keeps my brain healthy! I opened up Dance Box to provide a beautiful and safe environment to give everybody the chance to have this feeling too. Dance Box is about giving someone the chance to be who they are unapologetically.
 WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU WANT TO GIVE ANYONE WANTING TO START DANCING AS A HOBBY? GET UP AND JUST MOVE!!! Forget fear, your body craves to learn and to move and feel energised. Find a space that is safe, with no judgment, only support and just go for it. If you’ve got the itch, you better scratch it!!!! HOW DO YOU STAY SO ENERGISED? Literally, my job. My job/dancing fills me up to the brim, it overflows and I pour onto my clients. Music and movement always lifts me to a state of energy that is indescribable. ANY WORDS OF WISDOM ABOUT CONFIDENCE AND FEELING GOOD ABOUT YOURSELF? When I started dancing, I was not a confident person. I was shy, insecure and painfully frightened of everything. I did, however have a deep knowing that to shift these feelings, I needed to keep showing up for myself. I needed to push past the fears. I would keep turning up to dance classes and pretend I was confident. I would literally embody what confidence looked like to me. I used to fake it until one day, I realised I was no longer faking it. I pushed my body out of its comfort zones so much and so often, that my brain started to follow suit. In this process I would also keep affirming to myself that I didn’t care what people thought of me. If they liked me, great. If they didn’t, oh well. I guess my biggest words of wisdom is…GIVE LESS F**KS, just live for you and what makes you happy. TELL US WHAT YOU MOST LIKE ABOUT BEYOND NINE? Well, firstly - I LOVE Beyond Nine. I love how I feel in the clothes. I feel super comfortable but also really fabulous too. I have dressed down my items with trainers/DM’s and I’ve also doned a heel with them and hit the town for the evening. Oh and most recently, I’ve also taught a dance class in the Laura. I love how the clothes are literally designed for every single life occasion.  Illana wears the Black Laura Jumpsuit Catch Ilana's Live Here
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