Meet maya agasi | professional dance & dance teacher

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

Hi maya, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Since a very young age, 11 years old to be exact i knew that i wanted to be a dancer, i wanted to travel the world through dance, to explore new cultures, to share my talent and be known worldwide for what i do. As soon as i turned 18 i left my home back in Israel to pursue that dream and honestly ever since thats all i do, i traveled around the world to dance and teach classes in Peru, Chile, Mexico, Poland, Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Argentina, Spain and the list goes on
one of the most complicated questions for me to answer is “where do you live?” for the past 6 years i did not stop traveling and exploring the world through dance!
Leaving behind the comfort of familiarity meant confronting uncertainties and embracing the unknown with open arms. It required immense courage to immerse myself in different cultures, often without the safety net of a familiar language or customs. These experiences tested not only my adaptability but also made me realize how powerful the language of dance is!

Each journey became a testament to my determination in pursuing my passion against all odds. The challenges I encountered—cultural, logistical, and the loneliness that often comes with traveling—only forced me to work on my social skills and adapt myself to my surroundings

By stepping outside of my comfort zone, I got lucky enough to make friends i can call family at almost every corner of the world, share my gift, inspire and get inspired by so many different cultures, movements and people around the world

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My journey in dance began in Israel at the age of 11, where I discovered my passion and never looked back. By 17, I was fortunate to dance alongside some of Israel’s talented artists, but I knew i wanted more.
so at 18 i packed my bags and left to Los Angeles in a leap of faith- I trained under esteemed choreographers and became part of the “richfam” project led by one of my mentors, Rob Rich. With the project I got to perform across the globe—in Spain, Chile, Peru, and Australia—where I got to train with the best in the industry. all around the world!

When the pandemic hit, i could not sit still at home doing nothing so i left home again and found myself in Mexico, where the opportunity to teach sparked a my passion for sharing my knowledge. From there, thanks to social media and my years of traveling I started a journey that led me to teach all around the world

Alongside teaching for the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of sharing the stage and collaborating with artists from around the world, ranging from Rauw Alejandro and Alexis y Fido to touring with Shirin David in Europe. Being able to combine my love for dance, travel, and performing has been one of the greatest gifts for which I am incredibly grateful.

Looking ahead, I am excited about my new chapter of obtaining my O1 visa to work in the United States and continuing my growth as a dancer and teacher, i still have many countries i would love to visit and share in. Additionally, I am eagerly preparing for a role as a lead dancer with one of my fav dance companies in New York whice i cant detail yet

i hope that every dancer will always have the courage to dream big! and to know no matter where you come from you can make your dreams come true

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well, I won’t lie. As a dancer, 99% of my time in the city is spent in the studio, so I would be the worst guide for new people in the city. I would definitely check out all the touristic spots like Santa Monica, Six Flags, Universal Studios, etc. for first timers But my favorite activity would most definitely be watching the sunset in Malibu or just going for a good ramen around K-town.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
i would love to dedicate this shoutout to every teacher, event organizer or studio owner that trusted and believed in me along the way. to come teach and share with your community, for trusting my work and to all my mentors that pushed me to be the best version of myself

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mayagasi/