“My Parents Worked for Their Money, I Won’t Be Punished by Dependence” – Lisa Quama

Renowned dancer Lisa Naa Quama Darko, popularly known as Lisa Quama, has revealed her motivations for pursuing a career in dance despite her family’s financial stability.

In an interview on Joy Prime’s Changes show, Lisa Quama explained that she sought to forge her own path and avoid being financially dependent on her parents. “My parents worked for their money, so I didn’t want to be that spoilt child; I really loved to dance and didn’t want to be punished,” she told host Roselyn Felli.

Initially, financial gain was not her primary objective, as dance was undervalued at the time. Instead, Lisa Quama focused on her passion, performing at events without pay. She balanced her dancing ambitions with academic excellence, ensuring her parents’ happiness.

“I was more of a hustler. Forget my parents. I mean, we’re okay. I didn’t want to bother them with this dancing thing because I was smart in school. So they understood the fact that I was getting good grades, so I could do whatever I wanted to do because I was getting the grades for them and I could do the dance for myself,” she said.

To hone her craft, Lisa Quama utilized her school allowance to fund dance lessons during vacations. She also set a goal to purchase a car for her mother using her savings, demonstrating her determination.

“I didn’t think about myself and used to save a lot. I said it jokingly that I would use this thing to buy a car for my mum. So whenever I got money, I would divide it into three; some for tithe, my savings account, and the one for the car,” Lisa Quama recalled, highlighting her sacrifices, including wearing the same clothes repeatedly to prove her worth to her parents.