Meet Petagay Letren | Choreographer and owner of Bodysong LLC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Petagay Letren and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Petagay, how do you think about risk?
I think nothing ventured, nothing gained. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, I write this to communicate that when Iwas younger I looked at my dad and what he had accopmlished and I looked at where I was, and I knew that if I continued on the path I was on I would not be able to ammass what he did. The world was changing, and so I decided to take the risk. In so doing, I learned that I needed to value myself and adjust my goals and what I could do. The biggest thing is that I needed to take the risk, otherwise, I would never know what I could do, who I could become and how taking risks would transform my life.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is choreography, writing, and functional wearable art, such as t-shirts and bags. As a choreographer, what sets me apart is that my work is dance-heavy, with elements of musical theater. As a writer, what sets me apart is that some of my work is historical and some of my work is short, what I call mimi-books. Today I am working to transition into making art full-time, however, I work full-time in my art. That is I teach dance part-time and work on my creative projects as much as I can. No, it was not easy. I had to overcome the pressure of my cultural expectations to pursue a more stable and secure profession. I am still overcoming these challenges. Some of the things I have done and continue to do to overcome the family and cultural expectations are to take risks, honor my internal guidance, and to try to spend time with other artists. I also share my art with my family to try to help them see that my creativity has value and is worth it. I have also had to maintain a single-minded focus. I want the world to know that to love yourself is to live, In so doing one can love oneself, through what you do, see, taste, touch, wear, feel, and hear.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take my friend to the beach. Crandon park, or South beach
I would take them to eat at Awash an Ethiopian restaurant in Miami Gardens, or Indian food at Ayesha or a spot in Coconut Grove.
I would take them to experience a performance at the Moss Center or the Arch Center
I would take them to Bayside to walk around and eat, and probably experience Lynwood and Little Haiti.

In my view, the tropical gardens at Fairchild, the beach, parks, restaurants, and museums are fun and interesting places to check out.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shout out the Miami Open for business for the small grant I received that allowed me to purchase equipment for my business. I want to shout Biz Gap and FIU Michelle Caba and Roselyn Rice, who were my amazing coaches. I want to thank all my customers and supporters.
The program and coaches from FIU helped me expand my thinking, organize my business, set goals, and access my revenue.

Website: https://www.wearebodsong.com

Instagram: wearebodysong

Facebook: Wearebodysong

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJYcqHSnIf0

Other: Etsy Shop
https://www.etsy.com/shop/Wearebodysong?ref=shop_sugg_market

Image Credits
I have the rights to the images