Interview with Sara Galan

Have you ever met a woman that acknowledges different dancestyles such as Dancehall, African Dance, Hip Hop, Streetdance, Ballet, Contemporary and at the same time combines the dances to her own style? Versatility Beauty&Fashion presents Sara Galan who has danced since she was a little girl in Sweden, practiced (West)African Dance in Senegal and have lived and studied dance in one of the best danceschools in New York Broadway Dancecenter. Apart from dance, Miss Galan expresses herself through clothing and her mane, which reflects her energetic persona.

Versatility Beauty&Fashion wants to know who Sara Galan is?
I am 30 years old and I’m from Stockholm Sweden, with Spanish father and Swedish mother. My mother is half Lapp so I have mixed background. I work as a dancer and dancechoreographer as well as teaching dance around Stockholm, Sweden and some countries in Europe. If I have to describe myself as a person I’m very energetic woman with hot temper. I have patience but when it is necessary. I have more understanding for things now compare to when I was younger. Well I guess I’ve inherited my father temperament genes. So a brief description on Sara Galan is she is Spanish- Swede with an African heart because I have great love for Africa. I can also admit that I’m trying to eat healthier compare to when I was younger when I could eat pizza 7o’clock in the morning and could careless. But the older you get the more you have to take care of yourself. I have come to grips that I’m not 20 years old anymore and can eat any kind of food 24.7. So as said, I try to eat more vegetables and fruits.

You have a youtube channel Saragalan where you move your body rhythmic to music with different dancestyles such as dancehall, African dance, hiphop/streetdance etc. which you even hybridizes. Tell us your secret to your creativity?
I think you just have to be openmined, not being afraid to adapt new styles and not stick with one genre completely. I have West African dance as basic in every style I prefer to mix it with. The African dance has wide movements, explosive and quick which I really love about African dance and reflects a part of my personality. I like to mix between dancestyles, in fact all dances basically comes from Africa. Africa is the root to all dances today. There are a lot of relations that many people don’t really think about for example Locking- you can see that many legmovements come from the dancestyle Sabar from Senegal some of the moves are very similar, even Popping where you pop the arms and the legs but in different way. You can see connections between dances all the time. House is also a dancetyle that you can mix with other dancestyles and most House dancers dance to African music such as Afrobeat. So every dance has a connection. Dance comes from the Motherland from the beginning and NOT from ballet. Ballet is defiantly good for technique and that style is what you should learn if you want to become a professional dancer just for the technique. But ballet is not where all dancestyles come from the beginning.
But as said you have to be openminded, adapt so much information from different dances and styles as mush as you can and take it further to your own level.

Apart from Sweden you have taken danceclasses in the US. How would you compare the danceclasses you have taken from each country?
I’ve lived and studied dance in New York, in2 years from the year 2008 to January 2011 in Broadway Dance Center ( 45th street, center of Manhatta). The level over there defers tremendously towards Sweden. In the States their new beginning program is like continue here in Sweden and their advances level doesn’t even exist in Sweden. In the US they can for example choreograph a whole song and you have to recap it at the same time. There is no such thing as “nannying”. You really have to focus. While at home, we are easy going and work with the same choreography. There are alot of dancers in Sweden that want to work as professional dancer but I think they don’t have that Drive to reach their goal, as the way the dancers do in the Us. In the US it is simply strongest survives the battle. So my two years in New York was the best years of my life when it comes to dance and I have learned so much and met amazing dancers like hiphop dancer Kelly Peters (who was my mentor during my two years in New York) and the Houselegend Ejoe Wilsom who has the House Copmany Beyond Phenomenon, where I was offically member in 2009. I’ve obtained so much inspiration and now I’ve reached to a point where I want to choreograph and develop in my own way. But I will definitely go back to NY for dancing.

Are you going to have any workshops/performance in Sweden or abroad?
Ofcorse! Friday May 29th, you definitely want to come to mine and Melpo’s workshop. Melpo teaches Dancehall and is, according to me, dancehall queen of Sweden. She has traveled back and forth to Jamaica in 7 years and knows what Jamaican club moves is all about. In our workshop she is going to represent dancehall whilst I’m going dance African vs. Dancehall a fusion between African dancestyle and dancehall – a mixedstyle I came up with in the year of 2005. There will be DJ’s and my Djembe drummers. And on May 2-5th I’m going to have a workshop in association with my mentor Kelly Peters and Brian Green in Gothenburg Sweden.

Versatility Beauty&Fashion wonders: What is your natural hairtype?
I have mixed hair- Scandinavian, curly/wavy hair and it is dark brown. I like to vary my hairstyle- sometimes I straighten my hair with straight iron and other times I wear it naturally. I also like to braid my hair. When I was younger I was experimenting with my hair by coloring it too often and I used to relax my tresses straight, which damaged my hair completely. Now my hair is naturally curly and I try to color my hair with care.

How do you take care of your hair?
I take very good care of my hair. I think every woman see their hair as an art. It is part of your personality. What I try to do is to trim my mane regularly and deep condition it once a week. And during winter when my hair can sometimes feel dull and dry I condition and deep condition it more often.

Are you visiting any Saloon or do you have a special hairstylist you go to?
I find it very difficult to visit a salon, in fact I don’t trust them and they don’t usually cut my hair the way I want to. So I’ve learned how to cut my own hair. If I want to get braids or cornrows Carro Amira is the one who does it for me – she is really good and knows how to braid ”European” hair, she doesn’t pull your hair to hard when braiding. I like her and trust her.

Do you have any hairproducts you like to recommend?
One of my favorite hairproduct is Kerasilk – a deep conditioner that gives extra sheen to your hair. Another product I like is Wella deep conditoner it is cheaper compare to Kerasilk and only costs 70 sek. It is really good and I use Wella Deep conditioner it two times a week.

Make up or Natural?
I wish I could say natural, that I am naturally beautiful. But I prefer make up, though in a natural way. Pink Lip-gloss, makeup-blush that highlights my cheeks naturally and mascara is enough for me. My lips and eyes are the part of my face that I mostly like to highlight.

What is your favorite makeup product?
A product that I like because of my sensitive skin is Clinique- the product is perfumefree and hypoallergenic. NYC- a lipgloss that I found during my time in New York, which only costs 2 dollars and dwells on your lips the whole day. Maybeline Lash Stiletto -a mascara I can definitely recommend for those who wants extralong eyelashes. Another favorite product is a Vaseline makeup-blush that complements my cheeks perfectly compare to ordinary makeup-blush that gives a thick layer on my cheeks.

Describe your unique clothing style.
I like to mix and it depends on the mood Im at. I like African textiles and design my own clothes. I also like to add that I design my own costume when danceperforming.

I don’t wear a full African dress like a “proud African mama” its absolutely not my style! But a nice top or a belt with African texture- small details of African texture is what I like. I also like clothes that complements my body but in a elegant way. High heels I love. Well to summarize my fashion of style it is urban/relaxed with African elements.

Where do you go for shopping?
I go wherever as long as I like the clothes that I see. It doesn’t have to be a special line; in fact I’ve never been a designer freak. If I find something that attracts my eyes for instant a nice shirt for 10 sek, I wear it, Rock until I get tired of it. I can go to H&M, BikBok, Monki, Gina Tricot for shopping and I adore second hand stores where I can find lots of clothes that no one else has. I like to mix expensive with cheap garments. If everything looks to new and pure it gets tasteless. In New York my absolute favorite store was Forever 21 its almost like H&M. They receive new clothes daily and have fashionable garments that are both cheap and expensive. And ofcorse in NY they have tons of second hand stores and my absolute favorite goes by the name Belferd which lies Brooklyn.

Last question: What’s your life philosophy?
Try to stay in touch with yourself as much as you can. It is so important to have connection with your innerself. Medition or yoga is a good way to get in touch with innerself. But since I’m a very energetic person and cant really meditate “in a peaceful way” I try to talk to God to protact everybody that I love and with myself. Everyone has their own ways of meditation.To stand for what you do is also a life philosophy I try to hang on to.

Interview: by Charity
Text: Charity
Image: Borrowed from Sara Galan
Visit and Subscribe to Sara Galan’s youtube channel here and visit her myspace site here

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