We had the good fortune of connecting with hikari miller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi hikari, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I am originally from Teaneck, New Jersey. I left Teaneck when I was 11 years old, but I know the influence of Teaneck serendipitously influenced my values, taste in music, and fashion. Teaneck is predominantly half Jewish and half African American, 20 min outside of NY. It is a diverse town, I grew up being exposed to different cultures.

My mother is from Okinawa and her way of nurture had a huge impact on having a dual career in dance and personal training. Okinawans are very healthy, happy, and warm hearted people. She was always reading books on nutrition and healthy living. She started educating me on health at a very young age.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

The proudest thing I did was choose a culture and community focused career, over a commercial or concert career.  It aligned with my spirit.  The more I give to dance, the more I get back. I did not choose a career path that was trendy and popular, but was responsible, ethical, expressive, inclusive, and unique. Our goal at Funk in Focus is to preserve, cultivate, and innovate dance culture. In a sense, we are trying to decolonize the idea of having to dance‘‘correctly’’ or with “the right technique”. We honor a lot of different perspectives and traditions.

My role at Funk in Focus is to help dancers stay physically conditioned as a fitness instructor. I also participate in performing, learning, teaching, and research. I got to where I was today with tenacity, willingness, support, and more tenacity. There have been challenges for sure like any job. But with the support of my community, we have been able to navigate challenges and learn from them. A big lesson I learned is to actively be positive. Make a conscious effort to be positive. When you work from a place of gratitude, you work from a high frequency place which will give you more positive energy. If you practice being negative, you will become good at it. If you can see the positive in things, it will make bearing tedious work a lot easier. Being optimistic is the best tool you can use during tedious or hard work. Positivity manifests gratitude, possibility, and purpose.

The best advice I have to give is to have respect for others and for yourself. Respect is very underestimated, and goes a very long way. Build relationships, not a toxic masterpiece of a burning bridge. Leave toxicity aside, and put your energy into being positive instead. Not just for the work, but for the own health of your spirit. It doesn’t feel good to live in negativity. If you feel physically or emotionally unsafe in a space, leave. If you are learning from someone that does not respect you, leave.
Choose your mentors wisely.  It is okay to be choosy with your mentors. If they are broke, depressed, complaining all the time, victimizing themself all the time, and villainizing the world, they will lead you down the same path. Give yourself the chance to model yourself after someone you can admire, respect, have their shit together, and are genuinely good people. It might not be the coolest or most popular option, but trust it will serve you much better than the toxic option.
Stay healthy.  Eat healthy, workout, take care of yourself.  Selfcare is incredibly important. But #Selfcare is not a pass to #BeAnAsshole. I’ve seen people walk out of jobs without notice saying they are practicing self care. Being an asshole is not caring for anybody, not even yourself.  It is okay to take care of yourself. Taking care of yourself is not selfish. Not taking care of yourself and having other people take care of you, is selfish. Know that you are worth the effort and the time. Take care of yourself physically, mentally, financially, and emotionally.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

First, I would take them to get massages at Watts Massage in Georgetown. Then, I would take us to Amsterdam Falafel a block away!! I lovveee falafel and they have a peanut butter sauce that is amazing. I have a long list of places I want to try for food, so I would try to go to a new spot every time I have an opportunity. I love history so I would like to take my friends to the museums and the historical tourist attractions. As far as night life, the town I live in is my favorite town to party in. Silver Spring is a very diverse area. Lots of Ethiopians, Nigerians, Senagalese, and people from the Caribbean live in Silver Spring. Everyone loves to dance. It’s always really fun and refreshing to go out around here. My favorite clubs are Kaldi’s, Society Lounge, and Palisades. I would see where and when DJ Trevski is spinning that week, most likely Neptunes. Last thing, these my favorite radio stations: WPFW 89.3, Majic 102.3, WKYS 93.9 and 99.5.
My favorite person to be near is my boyfriend, Ryan (AKA Future). Together we are pretty fun to be around.  Also the whole company of Urban Artistry is fun to be around as well.  UA is filled with the kindest, sincere, most genuine people I’ve ever met.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Definitely the company I work with now, Funk In Focus. God is great and has blessed me with the opportunity. FIF is under the mentorship of Urban Artistry, a non profit organization founded by Junious Brickhouse.

Instagram: hikari_safari_

Facebook: Workout With Hikari

Image Credits
Henry Riggs David Parrish Maria J. Hackett Kei Doguchi

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