Meet Portia Lange | Founder, Belly Motions, Inc.

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

Hi Portia, how has your work-life balance changed over time?

When I first opened Belly Motions I was 25 years old. My anthem was, “work hard, work harder!” While there wasn’t much time for personal play, my job description did include a lot of fun and good times! Performing around town and the globe, hair, makeup, rhinestones and glam, teaching wonderful women how to dance and paying witness to the joy and personal growth in the eyes, and late nights at cool clubs and venues being the “star” entertainer. Perks? Yes, please! Regardless of the “play” there were countless hours of admin work, marketing, accounting, designing, choreographing and cleaning! I put in 9am to 11pm work days, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. …And I LOVED it.

Workaholic? Perhaps. Obsessed with success? Probably. Afraid to fail? Most definitely. But there’s nothing like owning your own business, sharing your passion with the world, and getting paid to do so! Who wouldn’t become addicted?!

And cue the brakes please…SCREEEETCH!! Then I got married, became pregnant and made a human, actually two!, which became my greatest creations ever! These incredible pieces of art, these “mini me’s”, these offspring, created an overabundance of love that spewed from my heart, I was beaming, fully encapsulated, I had finally found unconditional love. FREEEEEEZE! Reality set in. Raising these cuties produced some of the most demanding, exhausting and stressful situations in my life, often at 3am or right before I’d have to leave for the work day, which greatly affected my energy level, focus and mindset. And yet, I was still afloat, treading water trying to maintain my business, family and sanity.

Work-life balance? Hmmm, more like, “I kept the kids alive and managed to finish payroll? Score!”

For me, there was no true work-life balance for many many years. I tried to make it happen, even faked it, but my work responsibilities, deadlines and even desires would continue to creep into thoughts, follow me like a shadow and create this unbearable anxiety, “I have to get this done NOW!”

That was the case until the year the pandemic hit, my husband was laid off, I closed the physical location of Belly Motions after 15 years and my then 5-year-old son got cancer…twice. Holy Guacamole. No words. I was forced to stop working, join a club no one ever wants to be a part of and had some major financial, emotional and soul searching to do! Survival mode, anyone?

When cancer invaded my son’s little body it also invaded each of my family’s lives, stole our joy and rocked our stability. It took away my ability to dance, work and dream. Our entire family, my career and our daily living was turned upside down and we could only just survive. “One foot in front of the other, one step at a time, just keep going” I would repeat to myself. The goal was my son’s health and my daughter’s wellbeing (she was 4 years old at the time).

Looking back, these hardships paved the way for one of the greatest lessons of my life; respecting and appreciating time with your loved ones. These painful years forced me to see that I had allowed precious time and beautiful moments to slip through my fingers, that I often placed the needs and demands of the company before those of my own family. While I did (and still do!) feel tremendous mom guilt, I also recognize that I truly enjoyed my job and that my work had meaning, was part of my identity, was important to me and brought joy to so many others and this shouldn’t be erased. What I am grateful for is that I recognized the importance of spending quality time with those I love, before it was too late, that’s my silver lining. I still have time to make it right, to start again, be in the moment, be present in my family’s and friend’s lives.

Nowadays, I’ve adjusted my schedule (and business model) to create a true work-life balance while still being profitable, happy and accessible for my family. I teach classes and perform admin tasks while my kiddos are at school and make myself available for their activities in the afternoons and evenings. …sometimes they call me out when I’m not supposed to be working, “Mommy, no more phone!” Oops, sometimes I slip!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve been teaching belly dance for fun and fitness since I was 25 through my company Belly Motions! Yup, that’s it. Been two decades of sharing the art of Middle Eastern dance with South Florida and the world.

Today, social media and livestream advancement has allowed me to restructure Belly Motions and my business model in general. Instead of owning my own physical space, with staff and a huge overhead, I now rent hourly space from a wonderful studio and have more freedom to create, be with my family and breathe. In addition, I am now reaching hundreds of thousands of followers across the globe thanks to social media! I now offer belly dancing classes online through a video library platform as well as livestream (Zoom). In addition, my Belly Dance Instructor Training is online, which is the only Belly Dance Instructor Course approved by the Athletics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), allowing group exercise instructors and belly dancers to become trained as instructors. This technology has been a game changer! And of course, like the “good ole days” I’m teaching classes in person. Pure joy to see, hear and feel my students only feet away.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
For a friend visiting Miami, I’d say we grab some coffee or tea in the morning at La Boulangerie Boul’Mich in Pinecrest, take a belly dance class at Belly Motions in the Jill Mallory Studio, shop at The Falls Mall and then head over to Sawa or Maroosh, both restaurants in Coral Gables, to enjoy delicious Middle Eastern food and of course a belly dance show!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Giving a shout out to Kim Brokaw, the owner of Jill Mallory Studio of Dance, the current location where I hold my belly dancing classes. Kim has provided me the opportunity to host my classes at her state-of-the-art studio located in The Falls warehouse district. Her studio is spectacular…spacious, clean, equipped with two restrooms and offers free and plentiful parking. And the best part? She and her staff operate the space in an incredibly warm, professional and courteous manner. It’s a dancer’s dream studio! Kim, along with her studio manager Caroline, have made my experience exceptional and I am so grateful for that!

Website: www.BellyMotions.com

Instagram: @bellymotions

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/BellyMotions/

Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/belly-motions-miami-2

Youtube: @BellyMotionsMiami

Image Credits
Kelly Edwards Photography