In this episode of This Afro Dance Life, Gladys and Lenataa Goka have an intimate conversation about the choices, faith, and strategy that turned a love of movement into a creative career.

Lenataa opens up about her Atlanta upbringing and her family roots in Rivers State, how early dance training (ballet, contemporary and African street styles) shaped her movement, and why community has been central to her growth.

She walks us through a major life pivot — graduating from Georgia State University (2016), working as a CNA at Emory while applying to post-baccalaureate programs, and then experiencing a clear call to pursue dance full-time at the top of 2018. That decision led her to put in her notice, travel to New York for a dance immersive intensive, and chase performance and training opportunities with strategic hustle and scholarship support.

Lenataa also reflects on the building blocks of her career in Atlanta and beyond: the music videos and professional credits that came together around 2019, the importance of training intensives and peer energy, and how sisterhood and mentorship from peers she met in studios to collectives like the Haus of London — have expanded her creative horizons. She shares candid moments about imposter syndrome, auditions, directing work, and what “showing up” really looks like for a working dancer.

Listen to this episode for an honest, practical, and inspiring conversation about making the jump into professional dance — from saving for intensives and applying for scholarships to building the community that sustains creative work. 🎧 Subscribe, rate, and follow This Afro Dance Life for more stories from the center of Afro dance culture.