Today we’d like to introduce you to Tulani Janae.
Hi Tulani, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started dancing when I was 8 years old. I expressed this interest to my mother and her immediate response was to put me in ballet classes at a local studio. I cried every time I had to go. She thought she was doing the best thing but once I finished the season I told her I wanted to do what the kids were doing on Hip Hop Harry and Tommy the Clown performances, not dancing to music I would never hear on the radio. I then joined Culture Shock DC’s youth team in 2008 and trained consistently with that organization throughout my youth and into my first few years of college. I owe a lot of who I am today to them.
In 2021, a year after I graduated from college, I joined an online dance training and mentorship program run by Andye J., an internationally known choreographer. Being able to get one-on-one advice from a black woman business owner and artist was extremely inspiring and it’s another experience that I am beyond grateful for as well. This program gave me the tools and more importantly the confidence to start my own business, Vessel, Inc., also known as The Vessel Experience. Vessel is a way for me to continue my passion for dance while also providing opportunities for the people in my community.
Since our start, we have been able to host over 50 events for dancers in the DMV to take dance classes from their peers and even choreographers from within the working industry in LA, NYC, ATL, etc. We’ve hosted two showcases for dancers giving them the opportunity to put their works together and perform for a live audience. For a majority of the events we put on, we emphasize the importance of incorporating meditation practices before class or shows as they promote health and well-being at a time when we feel like it is needed, now more than ever.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I would say the biggest struggles I have faced came when I was in college. I was unsure of what I wanted to do or how I would even get to a certain place within the art world. I was studying something I didn’t care about and lost a lot of confidence in myself as an artist.
To put the cherry on top, covid struck during the last semester of my senior year and every dance studio closed down and life became dark. For the first time in my life, I started experiencing anxiety and I wasn’t sure what or how to do anything to get out of that mental state. It was a tough time in my life and journey for sure.
Within Vessel specifically, a lot of the challenges we face come with the struggle of providing quality dance training at an affordable price for the people in the community while still being able to stay afloat as a nonprofit. I know first hand how money can play a factor in someone’s inability to be able to take class and to me that’s unfair. Because we choose to price classes at lower rates, we don’t always profit greatly from our events which doesn’t really allow us to grow as a business. We are really trying to make more progress with getting sponsorships and grants, however it is much easier said than done. The hope is that in 2024 we can secure more funding opportunities so that our dancers can continue to get the same great training for even lower prices.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My work as “Tulani Janae” is constantly changing and growing but I feel that at its core it’s always honest. I never try to tell stories or convey messages that I don’t personally relate to or that my fellow peers and artists aren’t able to relate to.
I am expanding more into dance videos/films and creating pieces for a stage setting. I love to express whatever emotions I am currently feeling rather than trying to find something to tell. There is intentionality in the dancers I choose, the emotions I choose to express, and even the settings that I use for visual content. Authenticity is what I am most proud of within my work.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I hope that dancers can get more respect and appreciation for their skills, talents, and all that they bring to the entertainment industry in the years to come.
Whether that be better compensation and more recognition. I also hope that the DMV can become a more successful hub for dancers and choreographers to be able to work in their craft so that people don’t feel like they have to retreat to Atlanta, LA, or New York to find work.
Contact Info:
- Website: thevesselexperience.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/tulanijanae & instagram.com/thevesselexperience
Image Credits
Juneus Magsakay and Gabe Martinez Cabrera
