Introduction
World-renowned choreographer, dancer, international dance educator and influencer, Nika Kljun, was born and raised in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Her parents, who were ballroom dancers, own the well established dance school, Bolero Dance Center. Nika, who is now the Slovenian Ambassador of Dance, gained global respect and paved the way for many dancers to come, when she was the first to demonstrate that it is possible for a dancer from a small country, such as Slovenia, to achieve international success.
Nika is now a pillar of Slovenian pop culture, and has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades from Slovenian press and media. Notably, the beloved dancer holds several high-honor awards from the Slovenian Dance Sport Federation and the National Olympic Committee of Slovenia. Footage from her popular classes can be seen on her official YouTube channel, listed as “Nika Kljun”. The page features viral videos of her choreography, which in total, have been viewed over 180,000,000 times.
Early age
Nika grew up training in jazz, ballet, tap, hip hop, street jazz, disco, electric boogie, ballroom, and in Latin-American dance styles. Starting at only 8 years old, she competed with much success throughout her years as a youth. In addition to becoming a prolific national and European champion, at age 17, her performance in a hip hop solo made her a World Champion as a soloist in the women’s category under the IDO organization.
Nika also trained countless Slovenian dancers belonging to her own studio, “Bolero”, leading them to receive many awards with her choreography and direction: under the IDO organization, her students became National, European and World champions in multiple categories. At the young age of 15, she became a member of Dance 2XS (UK) – an internationally respected dance company located in London. By the time she was just 19 years old, she performed in the musical entitled “DanceMe!”, which toured throughout Switzerland in 2007. Making a mark for herself as an undeniable “it” girl in the dance industry, Nika appeared in many TV shows and commercials. A naturally gifted educator, she began teaching internationally as she continued to build her resume.
In 2008, at age 20, Nika was among the few chosen as a dancer for the prestigious Monsters of Hip Hop Show – an annual performance often considered to be a “rite of passage” among elite professional hip hop dancers in Los Angeles, California. The same year, Nika was selected to become a Nike woman—a global face for the mainstream sports brand—and was featured in multiple international advertisements and campaigns. Also in 2008, Nika danced in several performances by Matt Pokora – one of the leading pop sensations in France, and can be seen in his music video, “Dangerous”. She danced for many European pop singers and performed at award and tv shows such as the NRJ Music Awards, the Heartbox NRJ Music Awards, the Dome Awards, X Factor UK, X Factor France and more.
As she continued to work professionally in Europe, and it became increasingly clear that she was set to be among the best of the best, Nika relocated to Los Angeles in 2010 to further pursue dance. Upon her arrival, her reputation preceded her, and her career continued to flourish.
Hollywood meets Nika
Nika has worked as a dancer on major projects with some of the biggest names in music, including Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bieber, Pitbull, Ne-Yo, Jason DeRulo, One Direction, Fifth Harmony, Kehlani, Zedd, Cher Lloyd and more.
Nika has also been featured in several high profile award shows, such as the MTV Video Music Awards (Britney Spears Tribute), the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music Awards, the Latin Grammy Awards, and the Young Hollywood Awards. She performed live on the primetime television shows: America’s Got Talent, The Voice, The X-Factor (USA, UK, and France), and on the Today Show. Nika also toured with Move Live on Tour (featuring Derek and Julianne Hough) and Macy’s Glamorama Fashion Tour.
Nika’s resume as a choreographer is also impressive. She has contributed her work to several residencies, tours, and live performances by some of the most recognizable names in the mainstream music industry.
In 2018, Nika worked as a choreographer for Britney Spears’ Las Vegas Residency entitled “Domination”, and brought her unique flavor to many of the pop princess’ fan-favorite, classic records. Also notably, she was a choreographer for several live performances by Paula Abdul – her “Forever Your Girl” Las Vegas Residency in 2019, her performance at the NFL 100th Anniversary Party, and her LA Pride 2019 performance. In 2019, Nika served as a mastermind behind DescenDANCE—the Halloween Dance Party at Disneyland California Adventure Park, inspired by the successful movie franchise, “The Descendants”. Nika additionally choreographed several show-stopping numbers for one of the best-selling artists in Asian pop music, Jolin Cai on her international “Ugly Beauty” tour. She also choreographed for “Dancing with the Stars” star, Cheryl Burke’s “Love On the Floor” tour in 2017, working with some notable cast members—such as Olympic figure skating champions, Kristi Yamaguchi, Charlie White and Meryl Davis.
Other projects
Nika’s choreography has also graced television screens all over the world, throughout her career. Several disguised superstars performed her moves during Season 4 of Fox’s “The Masked Singer” in 2020. Also in 2020, she choreographed The Descendants Remix Dance Party, which aired on Disney Channel. She was also responsible for the amazing choreography performed in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Closing Ceremony, and worked closely with superstars Will Smith, Nicky Jam & Era Istrefi, who were featured in the large-scale, epic performance.
Earlier the same year, Nika choreographed an opening number for the Ellen Show, which featured Sean Hayes—star of one of the most popular sitcoms of all time, Will and Grace. Additionally in 2018, she choreographed for ABC’s Mickey Mouse’s 90th Birthday Spectacular. Paula Abdul’s 2019 Billboard Music Awards viral comeback, as well as her appearance on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve celebration also featured the work of the Slovenian choreographer. Nika’s fresh and fiery movements were also performed during the 2017 Latin Grammys (choreographer for J Balvin, French Montana. Steve Aoki, Nicky Jam, Natalia Lafourcade, Juanes. Alessia Cara. Logic, and Lila Downs). A year earlier, in 2016, she was a contributing choreographer for singing competition series, “La Banda” (Season 2) which aired on Univision TV. Her choreography can also be seen on America’s Got Talent, and on So You Think You Can Dance (Ukraine, Portugal). She also worked on the National Voltaren commercial featuring Paula Abdul. She has choreographed various music videos for A-list artists; most recently, in 2021, she choreographed the official dance video for the song, “Sanga Zoo”, by Abraham Mateo, DaVido, and Obrinn feat. Farruko.
Passing the torch.
As she builds upon her extensive industry experience, Nika continues to teach dance internationally. She has taught in over 35 countries around the world, and for many prestigious dance camps and conventions such as Monsters of Hip Hop, Tremaine Dance and Hollywood Dance Jamz.
Currently, Nika is on faculty with the prestigious dance convention, “Jump!” and is a director of “Viva La Nika”— her Jazz Funk intensive under DancerPalooza. The successful specialized intensive receives rave reviews. Notably, Nika frequently sells out classes in Los Angeles, and has been teaching at the world-famous Millennium Dance Complex for over ten years. Nika’s resume as a dancer, choreographer, and instructor is impressive, but she is equally known for her enthusiasm and passion for dance. Grateful to be in a position to inspire and influence on a global level, she absolutely adores sharing her love for dance with hundreds of thousands of students, as she aims to uplift their spirits by bringing them joy, knowledge, and confidence through the art form. Her genuine love for dance is irresistible, and simply contagious.