I have always seen her pictures floating around on social media or videos of her dancing. Tyna Belance pictures showcase her love for dance so well. The art behind them is always well-executed. Prior to my interview with her I’ve gotten DMs about her through people I don’t usually talk to, asking me: “Whose this? What is she about ?”. I do this random thing where I ask my friends about 2 people that are coming in our community to interview them. My friend Mitzy told me her name, and I was like okay. Honestly, I have been following her because people are always posting about her. I am an awe of anyone who uses their talents for the greater good, and it’s remarkable how she uses her passion to inspire or teach people the art of dancing. In addition to keeping her feet on the dance floor, she also has her nose deep into law books! Let’s hope through this interview ladybugs, you’ll learn more about the woman behind this talent. Again I hope Haiti keeps making space for them to grow, as this is just the beginning for her. Tyna Belance is a force to be reckoned with.
Who is Tyna Belance?
I am Sarafina Christina Belance, I was born on the 15th of April 1996 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. I am currently a law school student and a professional dancer.
I am an introvert who enjoys spending time alone. Having said that, I also occasionally love having good company around, and a few fun nights out from time to time. I am a foodie, a music addict, a natural hair lover, and I can also say that I am a supportive friend.
Where did the love for dance start, or how did it happen?
My mom always thought that extra-curricular activities are essentials to a child’s growth, so she decided to enroll me in dance school. When I was 4, I started with my dance classes at Ecole de Danse Joelle Donatien Belot (EDJDB), where I still dance.
Growing up, I was never the type to talk about my feelings, therefore, dancing is how I learned to express myself. AND I must admit that dancing kept me out of a lot of troubles too, haha…
How do you manage to stay in love with it throughout the years?
Like I said earlier, for me dance was more than just an extra-curricular activity, it was and still is my life, my passion, it’s what keeps me grounded. It was also all that I knew. Therefore, it became part of me.
Also, how can you grow out of love for something that keeps you on your toes? What I mean is that, dance is evolving in so many ways that there is always something new to learn therefore you never get bored.
You started a business called “Ann Danse Pou Lapè” with another dancer Sefo. What’s the idea behind it?
“Ann Danse Pou Lapè” is a project created to shine the light on our Haitian dancers. Sefo and I were soo tired of dance being so undervalued in Haiti that we decided that it was time to put our knowledge and skills together to bring value to this so amazing type of ART.
As far as what it is exactly, when the time is right, we will give out more details. Stay tuned 😉
As a dancer, how would you categorize yourself in term of the style you do more?
I am really curious, I learned every style you could think of, but I am more of a contemporary/modern dancer, that’s what I do more.
You are a dancer, who also works in a bank. How do you make it work?
But my friends and family are the ones paying the price because I have less time to socialize, so I am usually missing family/friends gathering, or they always have to fit their plans in my schedule.
The only answer is you have to know how to manage them both, if you love what you do, you will always plan accordingly. It is not easy, it is even EXHAUSTING… BUT you work for what you want right? So you will always find ways to make it work.
What do you hope to accomplish through your talents?
I want to share my passion and my knowledge with others so that dance continues to prosper over the years, and that we don’t lose that tradition. And this is the reason why I am planning to go to one of the best dance school in the States for their teachers program, which will help me in my dancing skills and will definitely make me a better teacher. A win-win situation, no?
Tyna, what does come to mind when you think about dance?
HAPPINESS…. They correlate…I dance every time I am happy or even sad as dancing always lifts my mood whenever I’m down or feeling as such, so to me, dancing equals happiness.
You teach as well, what made you decided to start teaching? What is your favorite part about teaching?
To be honest, I did not decide to teach… I didn’t even think I had what it takes to do so… but one day my teacher had an inconvenience and asked me to take over one of her classes, and that’s how I discovered my teaching abilities and fell in love with it… and that day, I KNEW that I wanted to do it for the rest of my life.
Art is one of the main things that unite us in this world, what do you want people to feel when they see you dancing?
When I dance I feel free, I feel like I’m expressing myself in ways that I cannot explain. Every move, every facial expression mean something. I hope the audience can relate to that and feel inspired to express themselves in any way they can.
Expressing yourself makes you feel free, and generate better understanding… What a great world it’d be if all of us could understand and respect each other right?
I’m always curious to know how young people stay hopeful in Haiti. How do you stay inspired or even hopeful?
I believe that you only can have what you’ve worked for… nothing is given, everything is earned. One of my friends usually says that complaining about a problem won’t solve it, you have to find ways to overcome it.
Therefore, I try to focus on what I want for the future, what I want to bring to the table and I work for that. I also focus on finding solutions instead of focusing on the problems themselves which is what keeps me inspired, because at the end of the day I believe that what we are going through here is a bump on the road, better days are ahead, we must be ready to do our part in Haiti’s resurrection.
With this pandemic going right now, what advice would you like to give anyone?
Besides the precautions that we all know we should take (stay home, wash your hands, avoid contact with people etc), use this free time to spend time with your loved ones, work on your projects, and if you don’t have one already, create one. Do something, anything and STAY PRODUCTIVE.
I left Haiti years ago, I might feel however I want but I am not in it. So, what do we need to do different in order to keep those young folk’s hopeful?
Our mindset… We need to press the reset button and start working together instead of working against each other.
When you are not dancing, what else you find joy in doing?
EATING… I am passionate about food, especially Asian cuisine.
To anybody who is reading this interview, what is one thing you would like them to remember?
Do not take your talent for granted, KEEP ON WORKING HARD AND IMPROVING.
What are 2 surprising facts about you?
Lmaaaooo… I am REALLY shy, and sensitive.
What is next for Tyna, whether it is professional or personal?
Keep grinding… keep growing…work on my goals and to fulfill my full potential at all cost…
It’s a tradition for me to ask anyone that I’m interviewing if they have one last thing they would like to say. I don’t know, a message or anything that I might have left out to the readers.
First of all, thank you Lady Sergine for thinking about me and choosing me for this interview. It was an honor. I also want to thank all of those who have been supporting me since day one, those who learned to appreciate my work and never stopped showing me their love and supports. I appreciate it and I love you all.
To all the readers, keep working on yourselves, the world is waiting for you. Let us all stop hiding out of fear of acceptance and all thrive together in each and every field. Let’s break the circle, there’s enough room for all of us.
Thank you Tyna for agreeing to do this. I am an awe of the talent that you are . I only hope Haiti will make more space for you to grow! Keep working hard,being an inspiration. I look forward to see what you’ll do next!
Follow her on IG @tynabelance
Xx
Lady Sergine 🌹💋
ladysergine.com 