Today we’d like to introduce you to Kiana Rempfer.
Hi Kiana, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Where to begin first I was a cheerleader dancer meaning I did cheerleading and they had a dance team so to me it wasn’t considered street dance. It was considered cheer dance. I started that at five years old at a place that was called Elite Cheer and Dance. When I turned 14 1/2 I begin training under one of the best people I’ve ever met my old coach and coworker Nicole Bennett. Shortly after that, we merged with another cheerleading franchise. During my time at the gym with the people that I cheered under and dance under, and then became coworkers with this place, made me who I am. It didn’t just coach cheerleading and dance. They also taught skills that could help us later on in life. At 18 I pretty much choreographed all of the dance routines in the style of hip-hop, of course and it was the beginning of something beautiful. When I aged out, I decided to branch out and start doing my own thing not because I didn’t believe I could succeed at the gym that I worked at, but I felt like I needed to leave the nest in order to be successful. It took me two years of trying to figure out how to operate and how to get myself out there to get my first client. Ever since then I have been teaching to people all over the RDU area. Then Covid hit, and of course everything fell apart. I lost my father (Clifton Keith Franklin) and my wedding ceremony got postponed. Shortly after that, I lost my job working at Food Lion and this was a year after the gym I work for closed and then shortly after that, I got into a car accident and lost my car; and to make things even worse because of the fact that me and my husband (Joshua Rempfer) lost 3/4 of our income we fell behind and we lost our apartment during Covid. After Covid came and went, I decided to fight back against my depression and get back to carving out my future and decided to apply at a dance studio. I pretty much got hired immediately, but of course I had to wait until the new season started to start working. So in the meantime, I flew across the country to Los Angeles, California to dance in studios on that side of the US. I have danced with Misha Gabriel, Dexter Carr, and Face-Off. all of which are super incredible, talented dancers and choreographers, and it was an honor to start learning from those who have achieved success in the field of dance, knowing that this field is a hard field to succeed in. People like them have made me believe that anything is possible if you put in the work. I’ve also attended a Les Twins workshop a.k.a. in my opinion the best hip-hop duo on the planet. They have been the soul reason that I pursued dance and I have been so inspired by their story that I felt that it was time and possible for me to create my own story. Yet I was so excited and couldn’t wait to add this experience to my portfolio as a dancer and choreographer. The studio that I got hired at is called “Encore Academy Of Dance” and they are located in Durham, NC and since I’ve been there my life pretty much hit a 180. My coworkers are dope and kind. My boss (Lindsay Tilley) is so caring and puts the extra effort in to make sure her employees are taken care of not only financially but emotionally, mentally, and physically. Now I find myself in a position where the opportunities are endless and now I need to keep being the cool and fun dance instructor while also looking forward to what the future holds for me.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As I said, before Covid hit a lot harder than I thought and/or prepared for and with everything that happened in my life in that timeframe, I felt that maybe it was a sign that I should not be contempt with where I was in my life. I lost my job, my car, my dad, my wedding and my apartment in the span of 6 to 9 months. Me and my husband (Joshua Rempfer) told ourselves that this happened because we were not where we were supposed to be and that we needed to find the fight in us and figure out where we’re supposed to be how we’re going to get there and what our purpose here on earth is. All while battling the Demons in me that told me I couldn’t do it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a dancer, instructor and choreographer. I have taken pretty much all of the dance styles that are taught in schools except for tap. But I specialize in hip-hop. What I’m known for as a hip-hop instructor is that I find the best way for the person or persons that I am teaching to learn according to who they are. I use peoples strengths and weaknesses to help them achieve their goal in the studio and out. I love working with kids and rarely ever have to deal with disrespect or mistreatment from my students. I am most proud of myself. I got baptized and started to see the beauty in this life we live. I was already an optimist before now it’s boosted by 1000%. So what sets me apart from others is that I have the skill set that allows me to teach adults and children, which makes me an instructor/teacher that most everyone wants to work with. I pride myself on continuing the lessons I learned as a child in the studio while teaching my students how to dance by adding in life skills that will set them apart. Another thing that I’m proud of is that I have already had students go out and achieve great things such as getting on TV shows and in music videos. I want no credit for their success other than the fact that I played a role in giving them the instruments and tools they needed to carve out their own path.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
The only thing that I can say is that there are some personal things about me that people don’t know until they get to know me, but other than that kind of an open book.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautifull_mi
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/irsdance
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/thepuredancecrew
