Fvorboda Exlani

by Kita

Fvorboda is one of those names, synonymous with quality, kindness, and just all around talent. Most dancers settle for being a talented soloist- no mean feat, in and of itself. The more ambitious ones even jump headlong into the creating and running of troupes. But Fvorboda's attitude, a mix of can-do and badass-ery, shines through. This woman wouldn't settle. Instead of a troupe, she started a school.

  Desert Journey School of Dance is a safe haven for dancers, a place where they can come to dance, perform, and be themselves, no matter the skill level. And Fvorboda is at the heart of it all. Her true love is her troupe, Dragomi, one of the premiere troupes in the Intermountain West, with their unique dragon style. But don't mistake her for one note at all. She has such a wide variety of performance styles, and she's mastered them all.

  Most importantly, Fvorboda is more than just a talented businesswoman, dancer, and performer. She's also kind, never uttering a harsh word, and always willing to patiently work with her students and teachers on whatever they most need help with. In a fast-pace world of performance, that's a rare and valuable thing. 

The Interview: 

Kita: How would you describe your art?

Fvorboda: My art is as much teaching as it is dancing.  I enjoy assisting others to grow and develop and gain self-esteem and confidence.  This is a big part of why I teach.  And I have always loved to dance.  I love music and love the way the music flows through me.  Music is like another language to me--as it "speaks" movement responds.

Kita: What first got you into belly dance?

Fvorboda: A co-worker at my work asked me to try something new with her.  She'd found a beginning class at Kismet and wanted to try it, but didn't want to go alone.  I had always wanted to dance, but never had the body (in my mind), or the opportunity.  I grew up very much a "tom-boy" into sports and athletics, and was more into arm wrestling than snake arms.  It was a door that opened up to me at the right time, and never having been in a formal dance class before, it was new, fun, and challenging.

Kita: At what point did you really get into it on your own?

Fvorboda: When Kismet closed, my co-worker stopped taking classes.  I didn't want to stop and ventured off with Adina to take classes with her.  Soon, Adina left for Army Basic Training and I found myself alone. I continued taking classes from varying teachers and soon started my own mini school, Exlani School of Dance.  After 2 years, I started teaching at my work in the Fitness Center

Kita: What inspired you to start your first troupe?

Fvorboda: I invited friends and family to take classes and started teaching what I knew to my sisters-in-law.  It wasn't too long before we had costumes and were performing at belly dance events at the Galivan Center and Multicultural Center.  I had my own way of dancing that others seemed to like, and in 2001 Amani (the first Dragomi) was born.

Kita: Where do you find your inspiration?

Fvorboda: I find my inspiration in music and in other dancers.  Music is what guides my choreography, my movement, the feeling I push through dance, and the story I want to give to the audience. Other dancers are inspirational!  The way they have trained their body to move, the effort that they put in their dancing, and the stories they tell me.

Kita: How do you feel belly dance has changed your life?

Fvorboda: It has taught me a lot about humans--what drives them, what intimidates them, and the dynamics of how each individual interacts separately and as a group.   Bellydancing is much like a orchestra or choir to me, and there is a rhythm to each group that creates harmony when all work together.

Kita: Do you struggle to maintain a balance between day-to-day life and your dancing?

Fvorboda: Definitely.  I am the busiest person I know.  (But maybe everybody says that.)  I work a really demanding day job in a fairly high level position, I am a single mom of a gifted child, I have a house that I moved into not too long ago that needs attention, I choreograph a couple hours a week and I teach 5-10 hours a week.  And if I can find time, I donate plasma. ;) What drives me is what I am committed to, and holding my integrity to that.

Kita: How has running a business affected you?

Fvorboda:When it was just me, it was a breeze.  With several fabulous teachers working with me, it has become much more challenging.  My goal has always been to be a dance school first and and business second.  I want women (and men) to come to a place where they aren't spending an arm and a leg to do something they love.  But I also have to balance out what I can afford to run the school with what we have to offer at the school.  I believe I will always be in the learning curve on the business side, and the dance side.

Kita: Do you struggle to keep motivated on the business side as well as the dance side?

Fvorboda: Not too much.  It is really more about finding the time to do everything.  Sometimes I choose sleep, sometimes I choose finishing the finances.  

Kita: What were your goals when you started?

Fvorboda: To teach what I know, to share my knowledge with others, and to provide a place where others could come for whatever they needed, whether it be a new friend, to be a part of something fun, a sanctuary from relationships, a break from the kids, or the start of their dance career.   (And I wanted to have people to dance with.)

Kita: How about now?

Fvorboda: They actually haven't changed.  I would add that I want to focus on building confidence and allow people to open up.  Starting out very shy and closed, I also want others to be able to open up and be as fearless as they can be.

Kita: What is your biggest struggle?

Fvorboda: Time and internal struggles.  I am a tough cookie, but soft in the middle.  My humanity allows me to worry what others think, worrying if someone is not happy, failing at being the best I can be, or not good enough, and feeling valued for what I do.  I think everyone has that to some degree or another.  Give me a time machine, though, and I'd be ecstatic!

Kita: Do you prefer the creation or the performance side?

Fvorboda: Both, but moreso the creation side.  Performing is fun because it is challenging to me personally and takes me out of my comfort zone in a positive way.  But I can easily create and choreograph something for a group and never perform it, and I feel just as satisfied.  

Kita: If you could go back in time and tell your beginner self one thing, what would it be?

Fvorboda: Don't be afraid.  Don't be afraid of looking dumb, making a mistake, or trying something unusual.  Lose yourself in the dance, not so much the technicality of the moves.  

And do awesome stuff now before you get old and it hurts.  ;)

To take classes or check out the schedule at the school, visit: http://www.desertjourney.com/

 

Don't forget to check out Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/DesertJourney

Have someone else you'd like us to chat with? Suggestions are taken in the comments below!