Meet Neaz Kohani

Today we’d like to introduce you to Neaz Kohani.

Neaz, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Choreography has always been the most natural way for me to express myself. It gives me the ability to share stories, create community, heal, and communicate. It took me years of self-work to realize this has always been my life’s path.

I am a daughter of Jewish Iranian immigrants. My parents fled their home in Iran from persecution in order to create a safer place for them and their children. In our community, the performing arts were never valued as dependable career paths. I grew up believing dance was as an extracurricular, something secondary to my education. Even though it was my biggest passion, I never saw anyone who looked like me model that path so I never knew it existed. It wasn’t until I got into the University of Southern California and joined their dance company where the dream began to form. Here, we created professional dance productions from start to finish. I took choreography classes, shared my choreography, performed, and lead. I met life-changing directors and dancers who believed in my work. They pushed and challenged me to understand my gift as a creator. For the first time, I had mentors who had successful fulfilling careers doing the work I never thought possible. For the first time, I imagined a new path for myself, but I was still too scared to jump.

I graduated with a degree in Psychology, did Teach for America where I lived in Houston for two years teaching kindergarten in inner city schools. After the program, I moved back to LA and taught a third year. These three years were unbearably challenging. Dance and creation were completely absent and my body and soul were paying the price. I was miserable in the classroom, in disagreement with the pedagogy, exhausted by the system, and sick of my body betraying me with panic attacks. But I was too focused on the stability of the job. I was too focussed on pleasing everyone and being able to depend on myself financially that I felt anchored to this path. In reality, I was drowning, head under water, accepting the constant crash of waves as my reality. I was at my breaking point when a good friend of mine told me to join her in a ballet class she was taking. Going to that class changed the course of my life. For the first time in three years, I felt like I could breathe, my body felt alive, my mind free. The next four months I took ballet every Saturday and at the end of the school year I had enough courage to resign from teaching. I finally decided to jump. Open-hearted, scared as ever, but so ready to take my first step into my new career.

We had a party after I resigned and I remember someone asking me what I did for a living, I didn’t even blink. I told him — I’m a choreographer. It was the first time I said it out loud and into the universe. Little did I know how much magic, light, and fulfillment it would bring me in the years to come.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest struggles I face is knowing that I am worthy of this path, even when the work isn’t consistent. What I mean by that is, making a living off choreography is hard work. I’m proud that after jumping into this profession three years ago, I can say my income is almost solely off of work I do as a choreographer and dance teacher. Right now, I still have a side hustle to make up the rest, however, I’ve learned that booking consistently as a choreographer comes in time. I have to be active and patient, work hard and show up. And honestly, sometimes it’s really challenging to remember you are worthy of this space and good enough to make it when you aren’t booking consistently, or your class sizes aren’t packed full each time, or when family members and even people who hire you don’t take what you do seriously. I know what I have to offer is special. I wouldn’t be where I am right now if I didn’t, but some days its harder to see the path than others.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a freelance choreographer and dance teacher. I’m a storyteller. I create movement that dives into the heart with raw undisguised emotions. You can hire me to choreograph anything from concept videos, commercials, dance team competition or concert numbers, to obscure site-specific dance performances and theatre productions. What sets me apart is that I’m able to empower dancers and create choreography that embodies each person’s unique abilities. I emphasize and cultivate a culture of collaboration within my work and create pieces that speak to the soul.

I am also known for my dance classes. I teach dance classes and workshops to everyone from professional dancers to people who have never taken a class before in their life. Currently, I’m on faculty at Downtown Dance and Movement where I teach weekly heels and contemporary classes on Wednesday nights. Here, I’m able to provide a safe space for dancers to engage in community, build confidence, and be free with their emotions and movement.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I have a lot of proud moments. It’s mostly mini milestones that I try to remember. I’m proud that I took the jump into this career and am paving a path for other Iranian women who want to be choreographers or dancers and don’t have someone who looks like them in this field to look up to. I’m proud every time I say no to people who want to use my work for free and when I demand they value my time. I’m proud that I’ve created a meaningful dance community through teaching my classes and proud every time I watch my dancers show up with heart and vulnerability. Mostly I’m proud that I choose me every single day now. I choose to live my most authentic life as a choreographer and creator and teacher. I wake up and do what I love and I am so so proud of that.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.neazkohani.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neaz_k/

Image Credit:
Carolyn N. blvckmattrcreative, Jamie Lew

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