Elita is wrapping up her fourth year as a Psychology student at University of Leeds – three years of studying, alongside pursuing her love for dance and a placement year. Elita took a corporate placement last year after figuring out the traditional psychologist route wasn’t for her, yet this, again, showed her what she didn’t want to do. Working within a huge international organisation didn’t allow her to make real societal impact, it just didn’t spark her interests, namely being diverse and inclusive. This is when her careers tutor pointed her in Spark’s direction, and Elita haven’t looked back since.
Elita’s journey with Spark led to the creation of InclusiFits, an inclusive dancewear brand championing Black and Brown dancers. As a lifelong dancer, being mixed-race herself, Elita has struggled to find her identity reflected in the dance costuming, with shade ranges often catering for a Eurocentric majority. Through combining two integral parts of her life – dance and diversity – this underrepresentation is something she knew she wanted to change. Not only does Elita intend to give racially minoritised dancers a greater platform for their voices to be amplified, but through representing this demographic, she can encourage more dancers of colour into the space. Therefore, InclusiFits becomes more than just a dancewear brand but a movement in the dance space towards racial equity.
