Julie Chikane

"We are more than just a dance school"

- My sister Janet Chikane, Benjamin Anderberg, and I started Bowdown Dance Academy in 2010. We did it so that more people would have the chance to try dance. Going to a dance school can cost up to 1,500 Swedish krona. But let's say you have five children, then it doesn’t work for all of them. Both my sister and I have experienced not being able to pursue our passions due to lack of money. So we wanted to start something that wasn’t just for us, but for something bigger than ourselves.

- We wanted to bring young people in from the street and help them become stronger individuals, who can make a difference in society. Right when we started, we got a lot of attention and noticed that there was a need and a demand. Today, we have over 300 active students and 12 instructors working for us. All 12 started with us as students. It makes us incredibly proud.

- We are not just a dance school, we are more than that. We are very diverse and have an incredible mix of ages and backgrounds. The majority are girls and that's what's so powerful. We collaborate with Helamalmö and our location in Nydala has a gaming room, a library, and the students can even come here for breakfast. It's more like an extra home where everyone can feel welcome. We call ourselves La Familia and that's what we are: a small family that has held together all these years.

- We have students from the ages of 2 up to 25 and all of them just give us so much love. We can get such nice letters from them and their parents. Some parents tell us what dance means to their children, that they may be shy and keep to themselves but bloom when they are allowed to dance. That’s my driving force: to see young people grow and be able to follow their dreams. It motivates me every day. And the love of dance, of course.

- Looking ahead, I just want us to continue with what we’re doing now. That we can keep the family we have built and make it bigger and develop it. I want to continue to see our children grow up and become powerful leaders, who can then inspire others and do good things.