Meet Mikki and Fatima Clarke and Rojas Paniura | Choreographers, dancers and performers

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mikki and Fatima Clarke and Rojas Paniura and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mikki and Fatima, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
There was no other option. Pursuing our passions is not a choice, but a necessity. To put it simply, it was our calling. Working a 9 to 5 office job would be torturous and we would love to have an artistic career. We have always been surrounded by supportive family and friends that al so helped us feel the love and confidence to pursue what we actually wanted to do.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What sets us apart is our passion and vigor. We take pride in the choreos created by Mikki and the the video edits and consistent postings by Fatima. We are also proud of how far we have come on stage, with our expressive facials during a performance and hyping up the crowd. Also, getting to dance for crowds is our driving force and one of the most rewarding experiences. Mikki got us multiple gigs, creating loyal connections to go to for future events. Fatima made us cute and clever business cards to pass out at various K-pop related events, which helps up gain our following on social media. Everything we have been through was not easy, but the people we have met along the way make it even more worth while. We have also gained a lot of experience by overcoming challenges and putting ourselves out there at every chance possible and contacting multiple people looking any events. The biggest lesson is to be persistent and consistent because that is the real key to success. We want the world to know that we are it. We are always going to exude passion on stage, dance with all we got, practice until we drop, and never stop going uphill. We will improve our craft but never until perfection, because we know there’s always more to be done and more to be learned.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Places that Fatima likes are Boba places like gong cha, Chow one Korean Barbeque because the food and beverages there are delicious and never disappoint. Pembroke Lakes Mall, which includes Round 1 Arcade and an AMC Movie theatre, is also our go-to places to have fun and buy clothes for future dance performances, along with Discovery Clothing. We also really enjoy spending times at our local parks like CB Smith park, PPO Park, and Vista View Park whether its to film a dance cover or to just chill with friends.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
K-pop is really what officially brought us into performance industry. Finding a community at our school that also enjoyed the same musical artists as us also motivated us to continue cover K-pop sings and dances. However, a particular boy group was the ultimate game changer for us. Ateez is what inspired us to pursue it as more than just a fun hobby. Their performance style and stage presence in concerts really inspired us to perform an another level. Not only did we grow closer because of this, but we also became heavily motivated to actually look around in local areas for events to perform at. With the major impact Ateez had on us, and the support from our family and K-pop friends, the distant dream of wanting to perform on a stage turned into a need for it to be our lifestyle and career.

Instagram: @idl_official

Twitter: @IDLduo_official

Youtube: IDL Dance Duo

Other: dancegroup.idl@gmail.com