Today we’d like to introduce you to Ana Kiri.
Hi Ana, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My name is Ana Kiri, and my journey has been shaped by creativity, resilience, and a deep love for storytelling. I’m originally from Ukraine, where I graduated from university in Kyiv with a degree in acting. Performing arts were my first passion, and they gave me a strong foundation in communication, emotional intelligence, and understanding people.
After moving abroad, I gained experience working on a major Hollywood film project in Germany, which exposed me to large-scale production and showed me how powerful filmmaking can be behind the scenes as well as on camera.
During the pandemic, everything shifted in an unexpected way. I started creating content for an energy drink company and learned shuffle dance just for fun. That quickly grew into a YouTube channel with tutorials that took off, and eventually into my own online education platform, ShuffleDanceFit.com, where I teach people around the world. Through that process, I essentially taught myself social media marketing, content production, filming, editing, and advertising.
Today, I run a social media management and marketing business where I help brands create impactful content — from strategy and advertisements to full-scale video production. At the same time, I’ve returned to my original dream of filmmaking. I founded my production company, Green Peonies Films, where we’ve already produced four short films and are currently developing our first feature project.
Looking back, each step — acting, dance, content creation, marketing, and production — has built on the last. My story is really about following creativity wherever it leads and turning challenges into opportunities to grow. Now I’m excited to keep building projects that inspire people while continuing to expand as a filmmaker and creative professional.
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?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but each challenge has shaped who I am today. Moving from Ukraine and rebuilding my life in new countries meant starting over more than once — new language, new culture, new professional networks. That alone required a lot of adaptability and persistence.
The pandemic was another major turning point. Like many people in creative industries, work suddenly stopped, and I had to rethink everything. Instead of waiting for opportunities, I started creating my own — learning new skills from scratch, experimenting with content creation, and building an online presence without any formal training in marketing or business.
Building something from nothing is never easy. There were moments of uncertainty, financial pressure, and self-doubt, especially while trying to establish credibility in a new country. But those challenges pushed me to become resourceful, disciplined, and entrepreneurial.
Another challenge has been balancing multiple creative paths — acting, business, content production, and filmmaking — while staying focused on long-term goals. It required learning how to prioritize, lead projects, and build a sustainable structure around my work.
Looking back, I wouldn’t call it easy, but I would call it incredibly valuable. Every obstacle forced me to grow faster, become more resilient, and gain skills I might never have developed otherwise. Those experiences are now one of my greatest strengths.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Right now, my focus is primarily on social media strategy and online marketing, where I help brands grow through thoughtful, story-driven content and campaigns. I also continue to run my ShuffleDanceFit program, which has become a global community and an educational platform I’m very proud of.
At the same time, most of my personal creative energy goes into original projects. Filmmaking remains my central passion, and I’m currently finishing post-production on a children’s animated project I wrote and illustrated myself called ‘Freddie, the Cloud,’ which will be released in both English and Ukrainian. It’s especially meaningful to me because it combines storytelling, visual art, and my cultural roots.
Beyond film, I’m also a painter. This past year I participated in Aqua Art Miami during Art Basel week as part of Context Art Miami, which was an incredible milestone — I sold four paintings there, and seeing people connect with my work in that way was deeply rewarding. I hope to continue exhibiting at major art fairs.
Music is another part of my creative life that I plan to share publicly soon, with the goal of releasing an album in the near future. For me, all these disciplines — film, visual art, dance, music, and marketing — aren’t separate paths but different ways of expressing the same core drive to create and communicate.
What sets me apart is that I don’t just execute ideas — I build entire creative worlds. I can move from concept to strategy to production across multiple mediums, while keeping a strong emotional through-line. I’m most proud of having built a life where creativity isn’t limited to one role or title, but can evolve and expand while still making a tangible impact.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Start before you feel ready, and don’t wait for perfect conditions — they rarely come. Most of the skills, opportunities, and confidence I have today came from learning by doing, not from planning. Also, don’t limit yourself to one path; your unique combination of interests can become your greatest strength. And finally, be patient with yourself — meaningful success usually grows quietly long before it becomes visible.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shuffledancefit.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ana_kirilik/ and https://www.instagram.com/kirilikart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kirilik.tia/
- LinkedIn: https://www.instagram.com/greenpeoniesfilms/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnaKiri
- Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/ana-kiri/1583967081
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5vYwK1U23pTsz9dbOW3Vxg
