Check Out Britannia Daniella’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Britannia Daniella.

Hi Britannia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been dancing since I was 2 and a half, but only started dancing burlesque when I moved to California in 2016. The way it boosted my confidence and made me feel grounded in my element, especially after escaping an abusive relationship, was something I wanted every wounded human being to feel too. Shortly after the Covid shutdown, I decided it was time to create a burlesque troupe. But not the kind you would expect in San Diego.. most burlesque classes and groups are strictly performers, specialized in strip tease or really advanced choreography to get bookings and get paid. That’s not the direction I wanted. I wanted to create a safe space for individuals to step into their alter ego that they may not feel safe expressing, fall in love with themselves, and most importantly not be confined to a “professional” box.
In my troupe, the most important things I am sure to implement are that there is no wrong way to do a dance movement; I simply teach the bare minimum guideline movements, and then my dancers and their bodies are what make the choreography come to life. One of my favorite teaching techniques is to teach a basic movement across the floor, have everyone do it, and then I say “okay, now do it adding your own arm movements, facial expressions, level changes, etc.” so they have the freedom to truly be in their element and just do what feels natural to them. Only then do the most beautiful creations come to light.
I love that my troupe does not focus on what everyone else goes for; instagram views/likes, money, attention, etc. We focus on the internal reward rather than external. I love that the more we embody that, the more we attract dancers who have never danced before and want to explore themselves, because I know without a doubt those are my people. I know for certain I can show them a side of themselves they have never seen before.
I came up with the name “San Diego Serpents” because serpents represent duality, transformation and the eternal cycle. It also represents life and death, creation and destruction, with healing to follow. Joining my troupe means leaving your negative thoughts about yourself at the door and stepping into a community of people who have done the same and are ready to welcome you as one of our own. On my team, there is no one who is “better or worse”, “advanced or beginner”; everyone is equal. San Diego Serpents is far more than a dance troupe, it’s a family.
We have performed at venues such as The OB Playhouse, Balboa Park, The Bancroft, House of Blues and Tap Fever Studios. Currently, we consistently perform in a non-profit show that happens every 2 months at Tap Fever Studios. The next one is going to be Dec 6th at 5pm, so be sure to come check us out!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Is any road we are meant to be on smooth? Of COURSE not! Starting the troupe in the middle of a nation wide shut down was definitely a bold move, but I felt like that was the best time to begin. It was the best time to pull people out of the darkness and isolation that we were being forced to sit in. I started classes virtually, but unfortunately you only get so much reward from a screen; even if it’s live. Aside from the shutdown, I also have Lupus and Fibromyalgia, and saying it has disrupted my growth would be an understatement. I have gained and lost dancers throughout the years not only because of life changes, but because I’ve had to put the team on hold due to my diseases putting me in a chokehold. I couldn’t get healthy enough to hold a class consistently every week; naturally, inconsistency pushes people away. However, thankfully through all of these ups and downs, i’ve still had a consistent group stay with me through it all.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As an individual, not only do I teach dance and run a burlesque troupe, but I also have my own energy healing business called NueSoul. Through my business I specialize in energy healing, spiritual coaching, reflexology, aromatherapy, sound bath healing, custom meditations and so much more.
Growing up with a mother who was a Reiki Master, energy healing is proudly in my nature. Aside from being an empath and extremely intuitive, I also went to school for Esthetics. During my schooling I learned a ton about pressure points, the nervous system, and everything in between. Ive also taken multiple energy healing courses as well as going through my OWN healing journey.
I think growing up in a broken and abusive household, being bullied and harassed in school from 5th grade through graduation, and surviving abusive relationships and suicidal times, has shaped me into the person I am today. I think that’s why everyone finds me so easy to talk to, because no matter what you have to share, chances are I have been through it too. Ive always considered myself an alien to society… everyone finding it extremely easy to connect with me, but me finding it very rare that I connect with others.
Being a highly sensitive person absolutely has its perks, but it can be very isolating as well. That’s why I love my burlesque troupe; because we all make sure one another feels seen and heard. We do more than just dance together. We have fun photo shoots, always check in with one another before we start dancing, and have get togethers outside of class.
Aside from my healing services and burlesque troupe, I also offer entertainment as a soloist for private parties or big events doing fire spinning, belly dance, LED fans, silk fans, go-go, dance motivating, and anything along those lines!

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
I think the most important lesson would be to make sure we are consistently checking in on one another. I cannot stress enough how important that is. You never know what someone is going through to act the way they do, and a lot of people are really good at just putting on a happy face.. especially on social media. But say you’re that person who’s just “faking the smile” to get by.. that moment when someone sees through it and simply asks “are you okay?” is a complete game changer, and could just save someones life.
I think that, and remembering why I love to do this: for the passion of dance and helping my people grow and love themselves.. and NOT because of money.. is so important. If you start to feel like you are only doing something for financial reasons, your passion dies.

Pricing:

• SD Serpents: $30 per 1hr 30min class every Wed. 8-9:30pm
• Solo Entertainment: Pricing varies per event/requested props (fire, silk, LED, etc)
• Energy Healing: $150 – per session (times vary per client) $75 – 30 min “dust off”
• Sound Bath Healing: $150 individual/ $50-$75 sliding scale per person for groups
• Guided Image Therapy: $50 – 30 minute session $100 – 1 hour session

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nuesoul.squarespace.com
• Instagram: @sd.serpents

Image Credits
All us 🙂