Episode #8: In Conversation with Kizomba Teacher Manon Batrel

TRANSCRIPT

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Hello Kizomba enthusiasts and welcome back to another episode of Kizomba Conversations. As always, I'm your host Victor and today we're joined by another amazing guest. Now this person is an amazing dancer, an amazing teacher. She makes Kizomba look so effortless. Please help me welcome the wonderful, amazing Miss Manon Batrel. 

Manon, hello. Hello guys. Hello, how are you? I'm good, thank you so much for having me today.

A pleasure. The pleasure is ours and we just want to welcome you to the show and we're so happy that you are joining us today. Thank you. The pleasure is mine. I'm so happy to be here, to be honest. That's so good. Fantastic. Thank you so much. No, absolutely. We're looking forward to talking about all things Kizomba with you, madame, because we know that you are an amazing dancer. I've had the pleasure of dancing with you on a number of occasions. And like I said, you make it look effortless and you kind of make me look good as a good dancer.

So what we're going to do as always is we've got to kind of get into your story and then we're going to just talk about Kizomba, how you got into it, why you love it, all those kinds of things. Yeah. Sure. Fantastic. And we always want to start with our guests in terms of where they originated, you know, because we want to find out a bit about you because,  we see you on the dance floor here in London, mainly, right? We see you on the dance floor, but we don't necessarily know you. Yeah. And this is a great opportunity for some of the people that you teach, that come to your events to kind of get a little bit of an insight into who you are as well. So I just want to start out by just finding out a bit about you. Who is Manon? Not even necessarily in Kizomba, but just, who is Manon? What can you tell us? Right. 

No, you made an important point, you know. Kizomba is an umbrella, as we can mention, is a social dance and we don't really have time to get to know people around. So it's very important to take the time. So my name is Manon Batrel. Good luck pronouncing that. I am from France. I have been living in the UK for seven years now, actually.

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A little bit more than seven years. I grew up in the countryside actually, and I learned to dance kizomba in a city called Brest. I am now the owner of my own kizomba school in London. I also have a life outside of dance. I'm in a business school in London. I'm graduating this year actually.

So I have a lot of things to do, always running, things to do and always on the go. Full life. I'm someone quite active, quite happy in general, but also in general quite introverted when I don't know people. And this is why maybe sometimes it can seem difficult for people to approach and ask questions and get to know me a little bit deeper because I'm very relaxed and calm when it comes to kizomba parties and social events in general. So briefly, that's who I am. Briefly. Well, that's great. 

That's amazing. And you mentioned, it's interesting because you mentioned being an introvert. So again, a lot of people would see you and wouldn't necessarily think that, correct? Yes. And I've had this conversation with some friends recently actually. In fact, the thing is growing up, so I grew up with siblings and you know children around and everything. But I was always the kind of child to be alone and this is just who I am. I like to be alone, I like to be in my thoughts and you know I'm also quite a creative person so I feel like I need to reflect a lot and think a lot and yeah.

I use my own energy. I don't like to use other people's energy around me. I'm not sure if that makes sense in English, but hopefully yes. So I've always been like that. In fact, my whole life, when I became or started to become a dance teacher, because I'm a dance teacher, I had to learn this, you know, greeting students, greeting people, talking to them.

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Asking them certain questions. I had to learn to switch when in that dance environment, in that setting. I had to almost like, you know, wear that mask of who I am, this is my job and I have to be different. And this is why, you know, when I go home, when I'm done teaching or, you know, being at a party or festival or whatever.

I'm extremely drained. I really need to be alone, not talk to people. This is why I struggle also to answer the messages or the call because I feel really like, you know, I need to be alone to regenerate. So yes, this is why a lot of people don't know that because I mean, I want people to feel good. I want people to feel welcome and this is just part of the job. So yeah, I had to learn.

Yeah, well, people definitely feel welcome when they see you when it comes to your events. But I wanted to ask, so how was that then learning that? Because obviously that takes, if you're an introvert, takes up a lot of your energy. So when you were doing that, obviously, you do it well now and that's completely fine. But in that journey, when you were learning, was it quite challenging to be, you know, meeting people and greeting people and say, this is what I've got to do now for a job? Yeah, it was very hard, actually, because

Not only I had to learn that, but that's also the period where I had to learn to speak English. Okay, totally. And I also had to learn to live in this country at that period. I also had to integrate myself in this country, know the culture, the habits, know, you know, bank accounts, all the administration. So it was very overwhelming for me. If I was teaching, I would be in bed by 8pm because I was exhausted.

It was challenging, but at the same time, I'm someone that also likes to grow. And I see every change as a positive one. And therefore, I know who I am also. This is something very important, is that I don't have identity problems. So I know why I do things. And this is very important for me to stay grounded and to be able to separate things. So I'm very aware of that.

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So it was challenging and tiring and everything, but it was worth it. And to be honest, I felt really welcomed by the London community at that time. They understood that my English wasn't very good at that point and they understood that I was different, but that I was also here to teach them and give my best.

So I felt really welcome and supported by everybody and this made a massive difference to me. Fantastic. And that's great to hear that you were welcomed and you got that support because you're doing some great work now, obviously down the line. So thank you. Thank you very much for that. So thank you again for sharing us a bit about your personal life and growing up and who you are as well. Then if we think about Kizomba then, what's your earliest memory of Kizomba? 

 Well, that's a... God. That's an interesting story to be honest. I have like few memories. I actually started Kizomba, my Kizomba journey. Or at least what I thought was Kizomba then. When I was 14. Okay. So in France...

Let me rewind. Yes. So I was dancing from a very young age because actually, as I said, I grew up in the countryside and I grew up very close to my big brother who was only a few months older than me. And, I was like a boy, you know, I was like playing in fields and in mud and everything. So you're a tomboy. Exactly. And, you know, I got to like...

six, seven years old and my mom was like, I want a daughter, now, I'm tired of this boy. And, and I just, it's just who I am, you know, I'm, I'm, you know, I like to, to be in nature and that's always been like this, you know, I, I'm happy climbing tree and spend my whole afternoon reading a book in field, you know, it's like, this is normal for me, but, yeah, my mom was like, I want, I want a girl, so I'm going to, you know, sign you up for ballet and blah, blah. 

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You know, I started doing ballet and everything and I find it horrendous, like really bad. It was boring, slow. I didn't really like it. And, you know, you carry on because you, that's what children do, you know? And so I was the kind of child that I wasn't, I couldn't tell no to my parents. I was an introvert. I wasn't talking a lot. So these are all feelings that I kept inside for a long time.

And then when I turned 10, actually, I started to have more interest in other dances, maybe gymnastics, sports. So I ended up doing like 25 hours of sports per week and doing other dances. So I also started to do African dances. great. Yeah. Yeah. I started doing things like Coupe De Calais and from Ivory Coast and...

Dombolo also a little bit. So I was like part of a group that was doing these dances and I really enjoyed it because of the music. And for me, that was a trigger because I realised then that the dance was something great for me. I really liked actually dancing, but not just the dance, because I could express what I felt about the music. And this was very important to me. And Ndombolo for me is beautiful music but also Congolese people have amazing singing and amazing dances and it's mind -blowing when you... I don't know if you saw their video in church, for example. No, no. Yeah, they are amazing in my opinion.

I found this so inspiring how they all come together, bands, singers. And it was really attractive for me. So that was great. And then the other side of it was for me where it started was, you know how France we have Zouk? Yes, yes, Zouk, Zouk. So Zouk, whether you're from the Caribbean or not or whatever, everyone in France knows about Zouk. In fact, any clubs you go to, even if it's like you know, R&B and techno club or whatever. At some point there will be Zouk and Afro music. for sure, there is no avoiding it, you know. So anyway, I was with my sister because my sister had to look after me a lot after my parents divorced. So she was like having to look after me and my mom was working night shifts. So she wasn't home at night. Yes. And my sister was like, how old she was.

18 something like that 17 18. So she was like I want to go out to clubs with my with my friends I was like no no no you have to look after me she's like come with me and I was like okay you know so anyway I would go with her and she would bring me to like loads of random places I'm not gonna lie, good memories but yeah there was there was these times where she would bring me to  parties

And there it's very similar to what you will find in Palop parties. It's like people stay in groups, like they come with their friends and they stay together and they know each other. Like everyone kind of knows each other in the club, but nobody really goes mixing with other people. And it's an extremely similar culture. In fact, shockingly similar. It's like, if you're coming to dance with the girlfriend or the boyfriend of someone else you know, things can go wrong. Yes. Easily. Anyway, for me, it wasn't really like it wasn't that experience, but I could see that I wasn't drinking or anything. I was a really calm girl. So again, for me, it was the music that I really liked and it was really attractive. All the instruments I could hear, you know, I downloaded all these musics on my iPod and everything I was listening to.

And then one day I'm at a Zouk party and I hear Cabo Love music. And I'm like, gosh, this is so nice. This is so mellow and everything, but it's not French Creole. What language is this? And then someone like I asked said, yeah, it's like Cabo Verdean Creole, blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, okay. Anyway, I go home. YouTube. Go on YouTube.

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So I started doing research, and you know how back then, like, even still now, you put, like, you click on one video on YouTube and it brings you to something else and then it's been five hours, you're there already, you know. So anyway, yeah, I found this, like, Cabo Lovezouk, music and everything, I started downloading all of them one by one. And then I found that video of Sarah Lopez and Albir. You know, everyone saw that one.

So I look at it and I'm like, so I think it was the music that I was interested in and I'm looking at it and I'm like, okay, yeah, nevermind the dance. What's this music? And that was more like Ghetto Zouk music. I think it was like Naomi Toka or something like this, the track. So that was more like a kind of Ghetto Zouk music. then anyway, I find keys on my music and I'm like, wow, I'm mind blown. Like I'm just thinking to myself like, this is awesome

Before I was dancing solo, like you know African dance and stuff, you dance solo or you have maybe a group around you, but there's no connection like Kizomba has. And I'm like now discovering music that I'm falling in love with, but you actually have to now learn to dance with someone. And that was like the trigger for me. So I looked for classes in my city, in Brittany. I found some of my amazing teachers, actually, Merville.

My mom said no. Okay. Yes. She said, no, you have school, blah, blah. You can't go. It's too late during the week. Did you show her the dance? No, I didn't. Okay. But you know, I came with the papers like this is how much you need to pay. These are the days they give classes, whatever. She said no. So I was like, damn it. So yes. So from there, I explained to Merville and he was really supportive.

He was giving me classes during the week, during the day, like Wednesday afternoons, whatever. I was really trying to find a way around the schedule. And then eventually I was able to go to his Friday socials. So I had to learn like this, now? But I was listening to music all the time. I was obsessed. That was my life. That's it. I was into it and it was really good, actually.

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That's how it started.  So basically, Sarah Lopez. In some kind of way. Yeah, it wasn't like... I think back then there were very few videos available on YouTube, let's be honest. I respect Sarah Lopez. I don't actually know her personally. She's not my friend and everything. I respect her, but she wasn't the kind of artist that I was inspired to look like.

It just happened that the music that was on her video led me to discover down the line Kizomba music because I went from Kabolov to Ghetto Zouk and then, you know, as you do the music research, that's how you discover it. Because there was no Angolan, there was no Kizomba as it was, you know, we had Kizomba in SBK parties, you know, so we had to wait 30 minutes for one track and it wasn't even Kizomba, it was like some...

Strange track or something like that. was, yeah, it's just, there was not much availability on YouTube. But it's just that, like you say, you heard the music, it hit you, and it just took you over. And it happens to so many of us. So many of us. So that's amazing. Thank you for sharing that. So it kind of leads into my next question.

You probably answered it, but let me see if I can maybe put it in a different way. But I know that you love dancing. Yes, I'm going to dance if the music is good for my taste. I like any dance that is danced onto music that is played by a band. To be clear. So for example, salsa. Yes.

Although I did spend two weeks in Cuba and I was fed up after a week. But just because I didn't fall in love with it, I really like salsa because of the music and the bands and everything and the instruments and it is a beautiful dance. But for me, what attracts me as a dancer is if there is a band. For me, that's what music is. Yeah, it's played by instruments,

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Real music. Yeah, that's my, that's just my feeling. Yeah. No disrespect to anyone. Totally fine. So out of the other styles that you dance, where would you rate Kizomba? Is it your main passion, your main love, or is there something else that you like more? Kizomba and Semba. Yeah. Kizomba and Semba. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Yes. For me,

Because I've never made a list like top one, top two. But right now I would probably say first Kizomba, then Semba, then Zouk. But like not Zouk like Zouk love, but like Zouk, proper Zouk music. Then probably Salsa. Yeah.

I like all kinds of music. It really depends. There is some music that will stimulate me, some that will not. So it really depends on my mood, how I feel. But I'm happy that Kizomba is on top of your list there. Absolutely. cool. Well, let's talk about you and your teaching then. All let's move on to that. So you're an amazing dancer. Thank you. We can see you on YouTube dancing with various different people and see some of your moves that you do.

But I think you've mentioned it already, but where was your first Kizomba lesson? Where did you have that? And how was it for you?

That's a tough question because I have to be honest. It was so long ago that I would say I'm not quite sure. Okay, that's fine. Because I don't really remember exactly how my own teacher danced then. You know, when you're a beginner and you're starting to dance, you're so overwhelmed by so many things. I think...

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The first time that I saw what Kizomba really was, probably when I was like 16. Was in France actually. I think it must have been one of Fabricius' classes in France. He must have done it, maybe it was the same back class or something. 

I don't know? So, because before I was more used to, you know, slower songs, Zouk and everything, because I was really trying to learn the dance. Although at home I was listening to proper music, when you go to socials, you're not the DJ, right? So, you have to adapt to what you're listening to.

For me, my first Semba song that I danced socially felt like a marathon. I was like racing for my life, literally. But it felt awesome. For me, it felt really awesome. I felt like, I don't know, I really felt that passion very early on. And this is why I worked really hard for it. And I tried to study and understand every aspect of it as much as I could at that time.

So you mentioned a marathon. What was that? Is that the person that was dancing with you? What was going on there? Because some things that people don't really know is that back then in France, you know, you would have SBK festivals. So Kizomba would be in Salsa Bachata events. So we would have a Kizomba room within the event. We didn't really have Kizomba events themselves because the scene was so small, it was new. There weren't even that many teachers to be honest, I mean, most festivals then had teachers coming from overseas. So it was a bit tricky. And of course, the Zouk culture is so strong in France that most music that we would actually dance to would be at a slower pace. And then somehow the semba tracks that they would put would be like the proper semba show ones.

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You know, there are a lot of different kinds of semba music, but they chose to use the first one only. Okay. I see. For some reason. So it was always like the ones that you would do all the jazz, all the tricks and everything. was always like that. so, now, that was the moment for the teachers and everyone to kind of show off their moves and everything. And it was honestly overwhelming and exhausting. That's my experience. Yeah. Okay. But you got through.

I survived. I survived, yes. Okay. And then, if we're talking about your teaching, when was the moment that you realised that you wanted to become a teacher? This is the question I like to answer too. I never wanted to be a teacher. People say that all the time. I get that all the time. I didn't want this. I was forced. No, I'm kidding. 

Okay, well, talk to us. Tell us. So, I wanted to be a police officer. Wow, okay. Yeah, that's what I was aspiring to be. From a very young age, in fact. I was a student in France and I also had a student job. So, I was not the kind of girl to party and to, you know...

For me, Kizomba was a hobby. It was just a hobby. I just had a really strong passion for it. And I was also good at it, maybe because of my background in dance. don't really know actually. But I picked up quite fast. And yeah, for me, it was just a passion. It was just like on the side. I had my whole life planned. I'm going to be a police officer. I'm going to get married, buy a car and a house, have three kids and a dog, you know, like all this kind of stuff that you think when you're young.

And then I came to the UK to learn English. I came here as an au pair actually. And you know, you don't know anybody, you don't, you know, you're trying to think, okay, how can I make friends or whatever? And I have this hobby. So, okay, let me look for Kizomba here, right? So I looked for it and the shock, you know, at that time when I came, although all my now colleagues have been working so hard in the UK scene.

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It was nothing compared to the size of Kizomba in France. And I know that Kizomba in France is not really, really Kizomba now more than ever. But if we use that term, honestly, it was incomparable at all. So for me, it was a bit of a shock. And then the level.

I mean, I'm not sure if I was going to the right places either, but I felt like the level also was a lot lower in general, because at that time, even though there was a lot of Urban Kizz in France, at that time, the root of every dancer, even the Urban Kizz was Kizomba. They first danced for many years, Kizomba, before shifting to Urban Kizz at that time. It's not accurate anymore now, but then when I started, it was like that.

So yeah, for me, it was like a big, big shock. Then very quickly I was asked to start teaching. And I was like, I don't speak English. So, and I don't teach, I don't know how to teach. I don't know. No clue. No clue. So I had to learn and I thought this would be good for me. Actually. I agreed to do it because I thought I'm not going to stay here very long.

Maybe this will help me learn English. Maybe this will help me make friends. So I never had the ambition. I mean, I never thought I would go anywhere. You know, I just thought this is a good way to keep busy. And then as you jump into the teaching world then, there, so we have many different teachers, don't we? 

There's lots of different teachers around, but is there anybody that kind of you look up to that inspires you in a teaching world potentially or anybody that you can say, yeah, you know, I'd like to learn from them or I did learn from them or that, that kind of thing.

From a teaching perspective, I get inspired by everybody. In my opinion, there is a side of me that's learned by watching people teaching. Like, okay, that's a good way of explaining this or whatever. But I'm never doing it like them. I just find this inspiring how other people, other teachers' minds can work, you know? And there is another side of me that's like, learned through experience. 

So for example, there are some students that like to be shouted at. Yeah, shout at me I'm doing better like this. Some, it's true, you know, and you give them the same love, but just tough love. And some of them need you to really be slow and explain to them. Some of them, they just need to see you. 

Some of them,you need to make noise. Some of them you need to count. Some of them, you know, they just stay quiet. You don't even hear them, you know, it's just through experience. And sometimes, you know, I would explain something and they all look at me. 

One important thing is whether you are doing it correctly yourself. The explanation, there's always ways to adjust the way you explain things as long as you are doing it correctly yourself. 

Yeah, yeah. That's really interesting as well. And obviously you have to adapt to different personalities and different styles. And some people like to be shouted at That's really interesting to find out. Yeah. Yeah. Cool. Cool. The things we go through. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. 

So Kizomba brings us joy. Spread the joy of kizomba to as many people as we can reach. So kizomba brings us joy. But in terms of fulfilment, what is it that you find most fulfilling about teaching?

So for me, first it was to, I wanted to have people to dance with, And now like, now that I've evolved more and I've developed that passion for it, what I find amazing is how people just come, like from the street, brand new beginner, no idea of anything. And, you know, they learn.

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They learn to dance, they learn to listen to music, they dance well, they are happier, they are confident, they are grateful, they made friends, people come to dance for many different reasons. And this is something we mustn't forget. And one of the most fulfilling things for me is to help people feel better about themselves, whatever situation they go through. If I can make them feel better and help them be better dancers as well,

That's such an amazing feeling for me. I mean, I have students that have been taking classes from me since, you I don't even speak English and they're still coming every week to my classes because they appreciate my work, most likely, I guess. But also they feel that love that I give them and they feel safe and they feel good with the little bubble and family that I've created.

This makes me feel happy that I'm bringing balance to their life in some ways. Absolutely. It's a bit of a responsibility, isn't it? But it's something that you take away that you can say, okay, well, they, as a result of my class, they're feeling a certain way and they're going to come back another week and we'll do that again and feel good again. So, yeah, no, that's, that's, that's great. So that's fantastic. Right. And we obviously love that.

You teach well, but it cannot be all... My question is really, what challenges have you faced around being a Kizomba teacher? That's really what I'm trying to ask. So there must be challenges that you kind of go through. Yeah. Yeah. That's a bit of a broad question. Okay. There are the challenges that you face because of the professional environment, like the environment.

but also personal challenges that you face and you still have to be there, you know? You know, like all of us, you know, we are human beings, we have things going on, we have emotions, we have things that happen to us. And it was a challenge for me in these moments to still show up to classes every week and make people feel good about themselves when I didn't feel good about myself. Yes. .

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And this is love. When you are not doing well and you are struggling, but instead of putting it onto people, you're giving them love to make sure they feel good. And this is also unhealthy because I need to remember sometimes that I am also important, that I need to look after myself and sometimes I need to confess.

So this is a big challenge for me. Very big challenge. And of course there are the challenges in the professional environment, which is the dancing, you know, like for example, other classes going on in the same day. Maybe people are trying to criticise you. People not supporting you, lack of commitment. Maybe people that are not actually realising all the work you're giving them, all the love you're giving them. Not really grateful, not really there, you know? And this is a fine line because I know that people don't  owe teachers anything, you know,  they're not forced to come to classes. 

They're not forced to this and that. But, this is the challenge for us as teachers, unfortunately, although we don't want to put pressure on students. You know, I have to be here every week for them because I committed to them. I'm here every week for them because some of them need us, you know, maybe for their mental health, for the, for many reasons and we are happy to do that because again we love our students. But that means that sometimes we pay from our own pocket for the studio. 

We don't get paid because there are few students. Maybe we don't see our family because of that. You know, don't, we sacrifice a lot. I mean, the list can be very big, but we sacrifice a lot and sometimes for sure we don't feel this back from the students.

Not that it's their fault, but it's just part of the job, I guess. One of the challenges for me from within, like they say, the professional colleagues, whether it's organisers, teachers and DJs and so on, is maybe, you know, the lack of togetherness, you for me.

Because I feel like I'm someone that although I'm more like an introvert, I like to be in like a tribe. I'm the kind of person I like to be surrounded by and for people to let me be how I am. And I feel like because of all these maybe competitiveness and lack of togetherness, I have to kind of go out of my own way.

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I like to be able to fit in, you know and this is a struggle for me sometimes yeah. So you're wanting I guess a bit more togetherness from the community yeah what you're saying would be nicer to have. I don't like when you know people that are really nice to you, you know they come to say hello to you and they're all friendly smiles and everything and then the week after you see them doing a party or something on the same day as you. And it's not personal. I'm sure. At least I hope so. But for me, I'm like, okay. I'm thinking why is there demand? Maybe, I mean, people are free to do whatever they want and everything, but sometimes I do feel like it's, it's not really considerate. That's what I mean. 

I respect everybody and to be honest, I think that in the UK and especially in London, we have such amazing teachers, such amazing artists. I cannot, I mean, I've travelled around the world. There are very few places that have such amazing artists as we have in London in the same city. Right. You know, and we need to be honest about this. Yeah. But for me, I'm creating something for my people. Yeah. Not to put people against or in a position that they would have to make a choice or anything like that. 

So I would rather not do anything than do something on the same day as you. actually, let me take this back. It's not like it's not really having a big impact. But  for example parties, yes, because the dance community of London is small. London's dynamics are also very different. know, people in London.

Most people I know in London have at least two jobs. People don't have time to go everywhere. People don't have the money. People have two jobs because they need the money. London is a very expensive city to live in. So I feel like we're putting pressure on people, on our own people. And it makes me feel uncomfortable. All right. So more togetherness is what I'm getting from that answer. And I hope that can spread more out.

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Because obviously we need that and we need to stick together because this is an amazing dance. We need to just enjoy it as much as we can. I mean, people are free to do everything they want and I respect everyone so much to be honest, because it takes a lot of work to do any kind of event. Yes. It takes a lot of work and I want to go to those parties as well. Exactly. You know, me too, I want to go. So I want to contribute to my community. I want to support them. I want to be there as well.

So I want to feel comfortable doing that. No, totally get that. And let's spread that love and that joy, guys and girls. Okay, great. 

So you've danced internationally, all right? So what are some of the highlights in your dancing career? So places you've been, people you've danced with.

All those kinds of things, would you say?

For me, everybody I danced with feels like... Although there are a lot of people I danced with, I don't remember having danced with them because I danced with so many people and I don't have that much space in my brain, unfortunately. But every time I danced, I felt grateful. I felt grateful because I could see the happiness and the joy of people dancing with me.

And I felt so grateful to make them feel this way. In terms of places, I think my favourite place was definitely Brisbane in Australia. Australia. Okay. I mean, there are countries that I have travelled to that probably I would not if I wasn't given the opportunity, like if I just went on holiday. But I would mention Australia because it's like all the stars were aligned. Okay. people were nice. People were interested. They were focused. They were present with their energy. You know, they were really,  really there. And this for me made a big difference.

The organisers were so lovely, so respectful, so nice. The event, the whole energy around the event was positive and nice. Everything. I mean, there was nothing negative that I could have mentioned about the event, literally. What event was it, you can say, if you want to? Yes, so it's a festival in Brisbane.

It's organised by Kizz Connect actually in April, think, this year, May or April. I forgot the exact date of it. If you're in Australia, go there. But yeah, they were really lovely. And for me, they also, there was no pressure, know, like sometimes the organisers, you see that they're like, come on, go to the lineup, go do this, go do that. 

I really felt that flow of energy where they like to respect me for who I am and they understand me. They got me, you know? And this for me made me feel so good. I actually didn't feel drained. Like I didn't walk away from the event thinking, gosh, I had to wear a mask this weekend. 

Okay, great. okay. So, Brisbane, Australia, flight away, but yeah, all over the, yeah. Ellie and Dylan are very good people. So it's worth it. Yeah. Another one for my bucket list, I guess. Okay. It's totally worth it in my opinion. All right. Cool.

(43:11.542)

You've been teaching for about seven years now, you say, is that correct? Yeah. Yeah. In that time, can you share with us only if you want any kind of embarrassing moments that have happened to you? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Let's hear it. Just one. You know how the brain works, right? Sometimes traumatic stuff, your brain is like, let's forget about that

Okay, okay. Kidding. But no, there was this time that I felt bad. yeah, I felt bad. So I was in my school in Tooting in London. Tooting in London, Throwback. So we were, I think I had been teaching that group for two years at that time.

And so we always start the class with a review of the steps a week before. And then we go with the music before moving on.

And I'm watching them and I'm thinking.

Guys, this is not good. I felt bad about this afterwards, but it kind of worked anyway. So now I said to them like, guys, some of you, not to say most of you have been taking classes from me since I don't speak English, since I only speak French.

I have learnt this whole new language and you guys still can't do Ladies Saida

What happened after that?

(45:11.136)

Yeah, and they were like, jaw just dropping. They were shocked. I said that, you know, like that moment where you feel the energy dropping. You feel like, think I said something wrong here. All right. So it's something you wish you had taken back and not. Yeah, I think, I mean, I would never say that now. Yeah. But I'm French.

So I am a bit more British now after seven years, but I was still very French then. I think it was harsh. Although it was true.  But yeah, it was maybe a bit harsher. That's been haunting me. Okay. Well, I was going to ask you what happened after that. Did the Saida’s improve? Yes. Like within five minutes they were like, right. Because I had the point, it was true.

Although harsh, it was still true. But yeah, they did very well after that. They did very well. I must say. Embarrassing, but on the other flip side, it worked out you said. 

If you were there in that class, I'm sorry. No, that's cool. Thank you for sharing that. You're welcome. So I come along to your class. What am I going to get from your class?

You know, what am I going to walk away with? Maybe if I'm new, you know, in other words, what's the essence of your teaching

Sorry, I didn't hear. Trauma. Trauma. I think, I hope that this is what you will get away with is inspiration.

(47:03.395)

Yeah, inspiration. I try to be an example for people and also for women because as a female, I teach alone and I'm young, you know, I can teach a class, I have my own school. I now run  my monthly party.

This can seem like, yeah, this again. But actually in the dance scene, there are not many women that have achieved that. In the kizomba dance scene, not many women have achieved that. And I haven't achieved that to prove a point. It just happened somehow. I prefer to teach with someone actually. But I just really want to and hope to be inspiring people that they can do it.

And if I can dance like this, so can you even maybe better, you know, because the way I dance now, it took me years to get to that level and I didn't have a female teacher actually. So yeah, I  just want to inspire people. Now in terms of my class content, I really focus on music, connection and technique. Technique for me is important. I always say in my classes,

Steps are just a tool. There's just a tool to give you technique. So I'm just going to use certain movements for you to practise certain specific techniques. That's it. Of course, you need steps to dance socially, but the goal is not the step. The goal is the technique. Because if you take the step, that doesn't mean you're going to be able to dance with anybody socially because you need to be able to give indication to anybody. If tomorrow you go to Brisbane, that festival in Australia, for example, people there need to be able to lead or follow you. You know? And the only way to be able to do that is through technique. Great. And again, great advice there. That's great. So inspiration. Yeah. That's what you're saying, that you want people to come away with feeling.

(49:26.892)

Like they've learned something or they're inspired and they want to come back and that's exactly what we want. So thank you again for inspiring us. So I wanted to ask you then about, if we go a little bit deeper then, your performances. So like I mentioned before, Google Manon on YouTube, see some amazing dancing. So it's really around...

choosing a partner. So you've had some great partners in the past, right? And I'm just curious around the process that goes into that. So, you know, I guess you could choose a number of different people that you want to dance with, but in the past, when you were, when you had some great partners there, how do you choose that particular individual? 

Is there something that you do or is it just, you've met them and it's a connection and say, okay, we're going to be great dancers. How does that kind of thing work?

It's a tough one. it? Okay. All right. Well, okay. We can change the question then. No, I would like to answer that because it's a good question. It's a tough question, but it's a good question. My first partner, I didn't choose him. He chose me. And again, the thing is then it's like, I wasn't planning on becoming a teacher. it kind of happened, but you know,

I thought I would just spend a few months in the UK and then go back. it's not like it wasn't planned at all. It just happened, but it just wasn't. Although I'm grateful for the experience, to be honest, really grateful because that's how I got to this point on this seat today.

(51:17.432)

To be honest, I like to think that connection is a red flag, in my opinion. Connection is a red flag. If you want to choose a partner just because you're connected with them, in my opinion, that is not really going to work because I found that the most beautiful connection that I had in terms of my dancing was through work. 

Because if someone comes from, like if you have these two individuals here and one has a certain way of feeling the music and expressing themselves and you have a different one, you multiply that when you come together and you grow. If you connect with someone that has the same way of feeling the music and the dance than you, you're only going to go so far.

And for me, that's been very important because that's been my way of growing as a dancer, is to work with people that are very different from me so that I would open to another world and maybe hopefully open them to another world as well. And this is because I'm aspiring to grow as a dancer. Before being a teacher, I'm a dancer.

And then I must never lose that passion for what I do. So this is my rule to choose the right partner. That's a great way of explaining things. Never heard of that before. So you said connection is a red flag. Yes. Which is really interesting. Yeah. And just thinking about the fact that if two people are the same, they've got the same energy and that's...

I mean, that's great because they can still dance well, but the fact is we're talking about growth, right? And wanting to get somewhere to elevate yourself. So I've never heard that before. It's really interesting to hear. Yes, I do and maybe this is why my life keeps changing so much and crazy also in all aspects. I just think that in general, I'm, I'm aspiring, I'm looking forward in my life. 

(53:37.172)

And I'm thinking, what direction do I want to take? And again, like I mentioned earlier, I get inspired from everybody. It doesn't matter what kind of dance, because as long as they have the passion, you can see that from people. And if I see someone is passionate about what they do, for me, that's inspiring, you know, when I see that.

I don't want to dance like I danced three years ago, you know. In three years from now, I want to look at the way I danced today and think, wow, I've really improved. You know, there is always room for improvement and you cannot improve in the same bubble. You have to get out of that bubble to grow. Yeah. You know, so that's my thinking. Great thinking. Great. Okay. Good. I'm learning a lot. Okay.

This is a random question. we're talking about partners, right? So just a question I'm just curious about. So when you're doing classes, how in advance do you plan the routines? In the partners you've had before, is it like, OK, right, we're doing this next week. Let's plan. Let's work on it a week earlier, two days before. Or is on the day you say, let's grab an hour. We're doing this tonight. How does that come about for the routine or for a class?

I have a very particular way of preparing my classes. It really depends, to be honest. It depends on the kind of week I've had. Okay, well, this is what we're trying to find. So if I've had a crazy hectic week or things happen in your life, I will do it on the day. But I really like to, again, I get inspired by everybody and I  layer details when people dance, I look at details. my classes are prepared depending on, so it's a combination of my students' levels and needs. What do they need and what do I want to do? So it's a combination of what I want to do and what they need. So from that, I will start thinking of what combination we did before, what combination that they did before that we can continue.

(56:00.362)

And also I look at other teachers, what they do, different combinations for creativity and try to play Lego a little bit. So yes, sometimes I would do that a week before, two weeks before, create a program depending on the class I have. Or sometimes on the day. I mean, it's really random to be honest. It can be really random. Yeah, no, that's fine. I was

Just curious as to how some teachers kind of prepare for those kinds of things. I know some colleagues that don't prepare. They literally come in class and they're like, yeah, whatever, we did this. I cannot do this because I have a goal for you guys. During the class, I want to be judging you. I want to be able to look at you and think, no, you need to do it like this. You need to do it like that. I don't want to start thinking, all right, what am I going to do next?

I want my focus to be on my students. And I'm not overthinking about my classes beforehand, but it needs to be sorted. By the time I'm starting my class, I need to know what I'm going to do. absolutely. Okay, cool. Thank you for clearing that up. Okay, so we're talking about partners, combinations, all that preparing for classes. Moves. So are there any kind of moves or steps that you like to lead?

In particular or not really? Is there anything that you kind of like? Yeah, I like that. I'm moody. Moody. I'm moody. Yeah. So it depends. It honestly depends. There are moves I'm tired of doing for sure. you know, Lady Saida opening, you know, basic opening. mean, basic turn. Like these are stuff that because I've repeated it so much, here we go again. But it's the process. how it is.

But in terms of moves that I actually like to do, I'm very moody because it depends on the music, depends on the dance I have, it depends. There are so many different criteria and I have phases as well. I've been through loads of phases as well. There are some periods where I would listen to a lot of Ghetto Zouk for whatever reason. Some periods like proper Semba, some periods Rumba actually.

(58:22.25)

It really depends on my emotion, my way of feeling and the way I dance also changes because of it. Okay. All right. So you're dependent on your mood. Yeah, think, yeah, because music makes you feel a certain way, you know, and you dance onto the music, but dance is an expression, you know, you're expressing.

You express your emotion, you express the music, how the music makes you feel. So for me, it's natural for it to be like that. Yeah, cool. 

Thank you then. So let's talk about festivals then. So you performed at many different festivals, you've travelled to different places. You mentioned Australia. are there any other festivals that you really like going to? Or ones that stand out for you?

(59:24.214)

No, I mean, I enjoy everywhere I go. I think for me, what really makes me have a good time in the festival would be the dancers and the DJs. It doesn't matter who is there, whether you're a beginner, advanced student, a teacher, it doesn't matter to me. But it depends on the energy you're going to give me, like the overall energy.

You know, there are some events that I have been to in the past and I thought to myself, wow, I really didn't have a good time. But some of them, you know, I thought, wow, that was awesome. And in my opinion, the smaller the festival, like the smaller the event, the better. Because I feel like I can really be present with the people, and share actual nice moments with them. I feel like when I'm in an event with a lot of people, I will enjoy it if the overall energy is good and I see friends and colleagues and everyone that I'm with most of the time I'm happy anyway. But it's just not the same feeling because I don't have time to really process what's going on when it's very busy. I don't have time to really like to have a nice conversation with people because I have so many other people to dance with and everything. You know, I have to dance with people. So it's not the same pace. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. 

But I mean, that happened very few times that I thought I'm not enjoying myself, thankfully. It happened before, very few times. Most of the time I really enjoy myself. That's the passion for the dance, isn't it? Yeah, there are places that mark me, like as I mentioned, Brisbane, but I enjoy it generally. That's great. We want to hear that. Yeah. So, but with that then, another question just came to mind. So have you ever been out before and you literally just don't stop dancing because people are pulling you. You sit down and the next person, does that happen to you?

 What happened to you in the past a lot? Yeah, it's funny actually, because there are some events that happened and some events where I'm like... Okay, the opposite. Anyone want to sit down? Yeah, like I was in Zungelash actually, in Lisbon.

three weeks ago now, or maybe one month ago now, a few weeks ago. And I'm literally like, I'm on the dance floor. I'm on the dance floor. finishing my dance and I see two hands like this. I'm on the, like, I don't even have time to say thank you, goodbye. They're there. And I literally found myself, I think it was Saturday night. Yeah, I believe it was Saturday night. And as I was dancing, I literally crossed the whole room.

Like I went through everybody on the way and I thought, that was a, you know, but you know, when the music is good and the dance is good and the energy is good, you don't really notice it. You just think, wow, it's already finished. Yeah. I think as long as you have a good time, okay. But there are some events where, Yeah. People don't do this. And I think this is for different reasons.

I do feel like some events have maybe the wrong dynamics where unless they know you or whatever, they won't invite you. Like for example, when I was teaching sometimes in Urban Kizz events, most like dancers or whatever, they don't know me because I don't hang out in Urban Kizz events. I'm not the face that I used to see and then I'm not an Urban kizz teacher. So even less, right?

I don't know. And then because I'm not good at Urban Kizz as well I mean, it's like, so bad for me. They're like, yeah, they're not keen on dancing with me. On that scene as well. Yeah. Unfortunately. That's another topic for another day. Okay. Yeah but I mean, I'm here to dance so I don't care, you know, like just invite me. But yeah, that's why I just end up inviting people.

(01:03:48.234)

And then when I invite people, this is another thing as well, like then they say no. Somebody say no to you when you ask them to dance? Usually it's more women that say no to me than men. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. There was an event last summer. I think five followers in a row said no. And now, I mean, I was like, Hold on, hold on. Let me, let's rewind. Hold on a second. So you asked five different people to dance and all of them said no. Yes.

Then I realised that, okay, Kizomba people, don't think we have this. At least I've never really seen that. But in Urban Kizz they have this queue of people waiting to dance with one teacher. So afterwards I realised that they were in a queue and they were waiting to dance with somebody, like one teacher. And of course, if they said yes to me, they will lose their spot in the queue. So then I was like, okay, nice. Okay. Different.

Different bubble, fine. Yeah, it's okay. It's okay. But at first I was like, not nice. Yeah, it would feel strange. Yeah, So, how often do you listen to Kizomba? Where do you listen to Kizomba? Is it everywhere? Is it every day? Bus stop? Train stop? Driving? Where do you listen?

It's random, I don't spend a lot of time on public transport, to be honest. I listen to music at home, but when I'm recharging, I don't listen to Kizomba or Semba, no. So when I'm actually at home, having me time, I will listen to a lot of random music, to be honest, a lot of different kinds of music, just because I need that separation, you know. 

However, I will have times where I'm in like hunt mode and I'm just really looking at music and stuff. It is my passion, but I think too much of it will kill it, you know. So I'm trying to stay balanced and also like to stay grounded to life, you know. Not everything is about Kizomba in life. So there needs to be balance. Totally agree. 100%. But yeah, if I'm on my way, for example, when I'm on my way to class.

(01:06:12.738)

Definitely when I'm on my way to festivals and just to put myself in the mood and  yeah put myself in that zone where I don't know how to warm up, you know, yeah. Well, you say warm up. I asked some other teachers. Do you just randomly start dancing on the street? Sometimes people look at you like, what are you doing? Yeah, like when I'm on my way to class, I'm like, yeah, what did I plan again? Yeah. And I'm like, and then I get off the tube, you know, and I'm like, let me do a quick step. Yeah, exactly. 

Yeah, it happens. But yeah, it does happen. Yeah. I try to be like, you know, discreet. Yeah, no, it's good. But let it out, I'd say. I think if you're a dancer and you don't do this, there's a problem. Yeah, for sure. For sure. All right. So how has this amazing dance then impacted you and your life?

(01:07:12.16)

I know it's not good to say. Well, as I said, you know, I am not the kind of person that would be like, hi, like saying hello to everybody and stuff. So I think it taught me to be able to do that when necessary. I can be really friendly and everything with people that I know and I appreciate and I feel comfortable with, but that's not my nature. So definitely

I learned about tolerance, adaptability, and gratefulness.

You know, and I think it's also given me so many opportunities. You know, I met so many good people. I've been to so many amazing places. I've seen how I impacted people's lives as well. And that made me feel good about myself as well that I could impact people positively. 

Sorry for the ones I impacted negatively. Hopefully not many of you.

Yeah, it is you but in general it's been extremely positive.

I think this is an experience that I never expected, never was prepared for. And this is what makes it beautiful in my opinion, because it just came naturally. yeah. Whoever that person was that said to you, you should be a dance teacher. We need to find them. 

I mean, funny enough, I brought my dance teacher for a workshop in September to London. 

(01:09:02.411)

Actually, was supposed to teach at the University of But he taught the next day in a workshop of three or four hours. I can remember. His speech when he started the workshop was such a pleasure to be here. You know, I never expected Manon to become a teacher. But he said it in a way like, you know, I never thought she would become anything. It was really offensive. 

But at the same time, I guess it's a good surprise because I didn't either. Because I never expressed any will or any hint, anything in my behaviour that would make anybody think that this was something I was inspired by because I wasn't. So it really happened unexpectedly. Sometimes life works that way. We're happy it happened. So thank you very much Manon.

Alright, I want to ask you then about your event.  Diversao right? Excellent. So, without a doubt, one of the best monthly parties in London. So, if you haven't checked it out. You need to check that out. So, I just want to ask you about that then.

So what does the name mean and then how did that evolve?

So Diversao means fun. And for me, that was a big step to create this party. But I had this vision. The thing is, I opened my school, London Kizomba School, and I tried to create a dynamic in my classes that were mine. That was the image of my energy, of my way of seeing things.

(01:11:05.322)

And I wanted people to feel safe in a family where people could, you know, come to class and be friendly with everybody, where they could be themselves and really feel safe if we used this word safety in many ways, you know, different meanings. So at the time there weren't a lot of actual parties in London. There were very few.

And also I wanted to offer something in that image for my students to go and practice, go and dance after class, right? So yeah, back then I was with Rico. We tried to look for venues and everything we found. And it took a lot of organisation and logistics and everything. But we were grateful that we were able to provide this for the London community.

because I think it was much needed to have somewhere where, you know, we could just come and dance. That's it. Come and dance. There is no cliquey, whatever, no bad energy, no bad behaviour, no arguments, no drunk people around, no... Just a nice energy all around, nice music. Also, I really wanted to have a place where I could provide for colleagues. I wanted to have places where DJs could play, where teachers could come also. 

I have colleagues that feel the same way as me and that want to have quality dance and quality places for people to dance to. So I really wanted to give that space for people to dance. Yeah, I think you've achieved it. And I think this goes back to what you were saying as well about community getting together because you were talking about, now, giving a space for DJs and teachers. So again, the more that we can work together and provide those kinds of experiences, the better it is for this dance, right? 

So yeah, you're providing an amazing service for us. Thanks I mean, if some of you have seen me in Diversao you see how I'm running up and down the whole night and everything.

(01:13:29.334)

I just really want people to walk away from there thinking, I had a great night. And she always says yes if you ask her to dance and stop her. Even with all the running around. It's all good. I try my best. So two years, has that been running? Yes, now two years. We've just celebrated two years. 

It seems like it's been going forever. But anyway, yeah, so you've already just celebrated two years. Yeah, this is a pretty good amount of time. To be honest, I'm grateful that he's been running for that long. And I just truly hope that he keeps running because, you know, I'm happy we're having a party like this in London.

I feel peaceful when I'm there, although I'm running everywhere. I feel good to be able to provide this kind of night to my people. It's a great night. Thank you. Okay. I wanted to ask you then for some of your advice as a teacher. Because I'm guessing there's some people that might be listening to this podcast or watching this podcast and are gonna want to delve into that space. 

I know you came into it unexpectedly, but some people might be thinking, okay, well, you know what?  I wanna become a teacher. This is something I wanna pursue. So if somebody's thinking that, I always try to ask people or teachers, what advice would you give to those people? I mean, we've talked about some of the challenges as well, but anything that you can say to those people? 

So considering my experience, but also what I could see, I would say make sure that your dance is high level before you throw yourself into this. That's the first thing. I mean, I was dancing kizomba for six years when I started to learn how to teach, you know, and I'm still learning.

(01:15:43.384)

That tells you a lot. I'm still learning. Of course, I'm willing to learn. But there is still so much that I don't know about after this many years. I think, yeah, that's one thing. Make sure you teach for the right reasons. That's another thing. Ask yourself why you want to teach. Be honest with yourself. That is very important because I see a lot of people that want to become teachers for fame. 

That won't get you anywhere. Know, and make sure you're there for the right reasons. And then another thing, don't do it alone. You know, you need a mentor, you need someone to guide you, to help you, to advise you. Someone experienced with truly good intention that truly wants to support you. Actual real mentor, you know, someone that believes in you. Fantastic. This is probably my advice.

Thank you. So some great advice for those people. right. And then following on from this, just one question. This is a little bit of an interesting question.

Okay. So because Kizomba is a couple dance. you have a leader and a follower. Right. So the question is, well, can you provide, sorry, one piece of advice for leaders and one piece of advice for followers? Like in their dance or just for them? Just for them. if somebody is just, you know, well, anything that can help people lead better or follow better.

Just maybe one piece of advice. 

(01:17:40.77)

For the leaders,I  would say...

Connect with your partner. She is the priority. She or he, the follower is a priority. And connect with the music. Music, please. Music. For the followers, I would say technique. Focus on the technique. On the music, but on yourself. I see too many followers just focusing on following, following, following. If followers just focus on following, they will never become a dancer. You know, I have come to the realisation over the years that I became a good dancer because I dance so much on my own. You know, I'm able to interpret and dance alone.

Have the technique and not fall over, have good balance and understanding music, dancing on the music, expressing yourself onto the music, then you're able to connect with your partner and he's able to connect with you. So we give each other space to dance. There's not just, I lead you follow, I lead you follow and we dance together. So that is very important because followers don't improve as much because of this.

They are limited by the skills of the leaders they are dancing with. And this is how nobody grows. What can I say? Great advice. I'll just leave that there. To sink in. All right. Last question for you then, Manon. Well, kind of the last question. But what advice would you give to somebody who's watching Kizomba, okay, or looking at it. Maybe seen some YouTube videos, but they're not quite sure. Maybe not Sarah Lopez, but whatever. 

That's exactly what I was thinking about. They've delved into it, they've looked at it, but they're not sure. What would you say to them? To convince them?

Kizman (01:20:03.854)

I don't think trying to convince someone is a good idea. I would say.Dance alone. Because it has to grow from within.. Listen to a lot of different kinds of music. Find what you like, what lights you up in terms of music. My taste, not necessarily your taste in music or whatever. So yeah, dance alone and grow from there. So guess they've got to feel it and make sure that they want to do it basically. yes, yes. i think so. For me, from my experience, that's what works the best. And in fact, in so many schools that I have visited before, and also in France, this is how it used to be. I'm not sure about now. I haven't been in school there for many years, but you begin classes, they stay, beginning students stay in the beginning class for a whole year. And for the first three, six months, they dance alone. They just do footwork. They just literally do footwork.

Did you just say they stay in the beginning classes for a year? Is that what you just said? Yeah. Yeah. And sometimes more if they didn't improve. So the teacher will at the end of the year.

It's like a school year that starts in September and finishes in July or the end of June. And so people pay for the whole year. That's how it works. Everyone in the world, apart from the UK, nevermind. people pay for the whole year or six months, you know. And at the end of the year, the teacher says if yes or no, they have the right level individually to move up. Wow. Wow. That's how it is. Yeah. Or it used to be.

(01:22:10.808)

That's really great because it's getting the grounding right, isn't it? Before you think you can move up and just get that basic stuff done properly before, yes, I can release you. I say it's basic, it's foundation. Yeah, that's what I mean. You need to make sure your house is strong before finishing building it. It cannot be wonky. If it's a wonky house, it's never going to be a house that will last for a long

You will have to eventually go back to foundation and strengthen it to make it strong. Something we talk about a lot of the time. fantastic. It's a lot of work. Yeah, a lot of work. People think it's easy and that's it. I know how to do it. It's not. No, it's a lot of work and it's good work to practise as well. Manon, thank you so much. I want to say thank you for coming

It's been great. It's been great to have you here, hear about you, learn a bit about your journey. And obviously talk about your kizomba dancing, your experience as a teacher, and obviously giving some advice to people as well who are wanting to do that.

(01:23:29.204)

Little game here. So we've got some Kizomba Conversations playing cards here. And all I'd like you to do, so there's four. I want you to pick three, one at a time. Three? Are we doing a tarot card here? No, no tarot. But no, no, one at a time. So you pick one card. Sorry. It's okay. So pick one, anyone you like.

And then you read that question to us, please.

Okay, apart from the COVID -19 period, what's the longest amount of time you have gone without dancing Kizama? Who said I didn't dance during COVID? I did it alone most of the time.

(01:24:25.058)

Maybe two weeks. Two weeks? Three weeks. wow. Okay. Yeah. That's all? Yeah. Yeah. Because you know, you can dance alone. Just put your earphones on. You dance. That's it. You know? I would say two weeks. Two weeks. Three weeks. Probably. Kizomba is everywhere. So you can't really run away from it. And fortunately or fortunately. 

Okay, and next

Okay.

In your opinion, who do you think makes better leaders, men or women?

(01:25:24.812)

Be honest, there's no, there's no answer here. I because I have had men that were awful leaders. have had women that were awful leaders and vice versa. 

I think leaders become better leaders when they know how to follow and followers become better followers when they learn how to lead. Did everybody just hear that? Yeah. Well, pearls of wisdom here. That's what's probably more accurate. Yeah. Sure. We'll take that. Thank you. Thank you very much. The last one.

(01:26:16.578)

That's one. Is there a Kizomba festival on your list that you have not yet attended? Share which one is and why you want to go there. There are many events that I have not attended yet. For sure. Is there one I'm raving about? Not really. Sorry to say.

(01:26:43.5)

Interesting. I'm not someone I don't think like this. I was going to say, because even though before you answered the question, you say you just have fun wherever you go, right? So that comes back to this question. Yeah. I appreciate every opportunity I get in life. 

I'm just happy teaching anywhere, you know. There are no events that I'm thinking about, gosh, I wish I was there because if they feel like my energy and my teaching and my work is good for the event, they will reach out to me. I cannot crave for someone to come and pick me. know? So I don't think that way. Sure. Interesting question. You know, good. But you love going everywhere. So the last one is for me to answer.

So the one you avoided. my god. So it says, you were hosting a Kizomba fancy dress party for friends, what would the theme be? Yeah. Give me ideas. Go on. So you're the one who did this question. And I get that one. Surely something's prepared. Exactly. So fancy dress, I think it would be.

I think it would be the 1970s, okay? And the reason for that is so that I could have an afro and have some hair. So I would put like a big fat afro on, get the flares, get the shoes and just reclaim my hair back. So yeah, everybody comes in their tight clothes and 1970s Kizomba party, imagine that. Imagine the sweat out of this though.

Imagine being in Diversao with everyone. Yeah, well something you can think about. Cushiony hair like this. Crazy. we should do that more actually, being parties. But anyway, that's a whole different thing. So, facts, two fun facts regarding this. if you go to some like, mainly like SBK, I used to do that a lot and I had so much fun at those events. Like, if you go to like SBK events.

(01:29:04.014)

Go for it. Your dream will be fulfilled. If you go to SBK events that have been running for many years, like the ones like for 10, 15 years, they have mainly like, like all the crowd, like maybe in their sixties or something like that. But man, the fancy dress they do, they pull out every, it's impressive. Like they know they've been coming here for 10 years. They know what's going to happen. They know what's going on. 

Choreography is prepared, everyone is properly dressed, like awesome. This is awesome. It's all fun, right? It's all part of fun. There was this event that I went to actually right after the end of COVID in 2020 in France. And my friend and I bought T -Rex costume, the inflatable ones. Okay. Yeah, we did it. Did that. Fun.

There was no fancy dress theme. We just decided that was it. we took it. Everyone was dressed normally and we came in as T -Rex. Yeah. So just make it happen. mean, why would you wait? Why would you wait? We'll talk about it. I don't know. Be yourself. what happens at your event. But listen, Manon, thank you so much. Thank you so much for joining us. It's been a pleasure.

Please tell us where we can reach you, your socials, what you're doing. Just tell us everything. Good luck finding me. To be honest, Instagram and WhatsApp are the best. Messenger, I, I, I am not always on Facebook to be fair. Not a lot. And Messenger, I check it maybe every two, three days briefly.

So I would say yes, Instagram. Instagram and what's your name? Handle and Instagram.  Manon. M-A -N -O -N. The dancer. Okay. Cool. That's where you find me. Yeah. That's the easiest way. Or call me. That's it. Well, thank you very much. Okay. 

And again, listen, thank you. No, no, no, no. Thank you for coming here. It's been a pleasure. It's been an honour and it's been great to learn from you and to have you on the show. Okay. 

(01:31:28.322)

Fantastic. So everyone, as always, thank you very much for tuning in. We've had a blast again, but we just want to say make sure we keep spreading the joy of Kizomba to as many people as we can reach. And we are signing out now. So as I always say, keep dancing.