Kalea.

What activities/art-form did you pick up as a kid that shaped you into the artist you are today? In what way do YOU think it shaped you?:

“My grandmother lived with us growing up and she had been a ballet teacher when she was younger. She put me in ballet classes as soon as I could stand. I danced on and off throughout adolescence, stopping after my second ankle surgery in college. Ballet gave me the grace and fluidity that I find myself using in my jobs now, especially in the service industry. I’m able to adjust quickly to the movements of my coworkers and costumers, it feels like a dance in and of itself whenever I serve.”

Were you picked on as a child? If so how? How do you think that affected your life today as an artist?:

“I was bullied for various things through school - physical appearance in elementary school and perceived sexual promiscuity and mental health issues in high school. In reality, I was just a kid coping with life, but it stuck with me. I remember hating my body in my ballet leotard, having to present as perfect in all capacities. I ended up quitting dancing at various points, most of the time because of my insecurities. I’m still working through it today, it’s tough, but I’m proud of how I’m able to express myself through movement nowadays.”

What daily activity makes you feel most connected to your hands in your Art-form?:

“I love to walk in nature as a way to connect the movements of my body with the world around me. I move my hands and arms both with and against the wind, I touch flowers and trees and watch how they sway. It’s healing and reminds me that every time I dance, the world is dancing with me.”

What do you appreciate most about how YOUR art makes you feel?:

“Dancing has provided me with an outlet for emotional processing and expression. After a sexual assault in college and struggles with body images and eating, I was able to use dancing as a processing tool that also helped re-regulate my body and release dopamine and serotonin. It’s my way of being able to understand myself when I am at a loss of words.”

What pushes you to be a better artist today?:

“More than anything, whenever I dance now it’s to enjoy myself. I dance to heal my relationship with my body and the expectations both placed upon me and that I place upon myself. I no longer have to dance for competitions or to make my grandmother happy. I think coming from a place of true happiness and personal expression is a challenge but something that I want to continue to work toward.”

BONUS QUESTIONS.

1.  Do you have any tattoos ? If so, which is your favorite and why ?

“My favorite tattoo is probably my left shoulder piece. It started as flora and fauna from my hometown: the forsythia that bloomed every year around my mom’s birthday, the lilacs that bloomed on mine; forget-me-nots that I would pick and bring to my dad before he left for work each night; milkweed and monarch caterpillars that my mom, sister, and I would collect and hatch every year before releasing back into our yard. The tattoo grew into more when it added flora and fauna from Cape Cod, where my grandparents bought a house back when it was a lot less expensive. I want to continue to include the flora and fauna of places that evoke nostalgia.”

2.  Who is your favorite family member and why ?

“My favorite family member is undoubtably my sister. She’s about a year and a half younger than I am but she continues to act as a guiding light and role model in my life. She’s the strongest, funniest, and weirdest person I know. As kids, her and I spent so much of our time trying to catch fairies and making potions from things in our back yard.  Watching her grow up and continue to hold strong to the belief that life is worth enjoying to its fullest extent has been such a privilege. She is my constant reminder that there is magic and beauty in everything.”

5.  Do you have any scars ? What is the story on them ?

“Back in early high school and again in my freshman year in college I had a few surgeries on my right ankle. I had grown up dancing, primarily ballet, and in gymnastics classes and competition. The repetitive high impact shattered a bone in my foot and I had bone fragments floating in there for about a year and a half before it started to really hurt. I have a few surgery scars from when they had to go in and remove all of those fragments and then hammer the remaining bone in order to grow scar tissue as support.”

6.  What is your favorite part of your body ? What is your least ?

“I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with my eyes. I didn’t think much of them as a child until other kids started commenting on them. I received a lot of unkind comments about their appearance from peers growing up, and I still have a note from a classmate in my senior yearbook making fun of them. As recently as last year, a friend of mine asked my boyfriend if I’m always stoned, to which my boyfriend responded, “no, that’s just how her eyes look.” It’s taken time but now I find a lot of beauty in my eyes. They’re large but narrow, I’ve come to learn that people either love them or find them off-putting, but I’m trying to love them regardless of other peoples’ opinions.”

9.  How do you wish others describe you ?

“I hope people think I’m kind, above everything else. I’m definitely not kind all the time, I run out of energy sometimes, but I try my best. I just think it’s so much easier to be kind than bitter and mean, and I don’t know a single person who couldn’t benefit from extra kindness. I remember in high school, someone wrote “butter face” on my english folder and it just hurt so badly. For the rest of the day, I made it a goal to give out 10 compliments to people as a way to make up for it, and to selfishly make myself feel better. But whether or not it made me feel better, I was still able to embody kindness over bitterness, and I’m proud of that.”