Motsi Mabuse is a sunshine personified and a superstar in Germany. She became known as a dancer on the RTL show “Let’s Dance”, where she is now in her 11th year as a juror. In England she has been on the jury for “BBC Strictly Come Dancing” since 2019 and has been thrilling fans there ever since.
Motsi Mabuse, 40, has also been known for her positive and strong charisma since the beginning of her career. Her attitude towards herself and her life is an important aspect that makes it clear how strong she really is. As brand ambassador for ANITA & ROSA FAIA, she speaks exclusively with GALA about body positivity, self-care, the right underwear and why gratitude is so important.
Motsi Mabuse in the gala interview
GALA: Body positivity as well as body neutrality and self-care are major topics and are becoming more and more relevant. What does body positivity mean to you personally?
Motsi Mabuse: Developing a healthy attitude towards yourself, dealing with your own body consciously and also showing compassion towards it. There are moments when you say that you have to do and change something because it is no longer healthy for you. Then you have to listen to yourself and your body and make the decision to take more care of yourself. This is absolutely not about getting the approval of others, but about consciously knowing what you want for yourself. It has to come to mind that we should do everything just for ourselves.
And what does self-care mean to you? What do you do on days when you don’t feel good at all?
The most important thing is, at least that’s what I’ve learned for myself in recent years, that I practice mindfulness and just take time for myself. In so many areas you are only there for others and that’s why it’s important to just be there for yourself. In this world it is sometimes not that easy because everything is getting faster and faster and we hardly give ourselves any time for ourselves. At some point, however, I learned to prioritize. For me it’s my family, dance, but also small moments for me. Be it painting your nails or taking a long bath. It is possible with the smallest means to create a beautiful atmosphere just for yourself.
How did you learn to accept yourself and your body?
This is really a topic that we can talk about for a very long time. Personally, I think it’s always about how you feel about yourself. So how do you feel inside Do you feel healthy inside too? If you’re feeling good mentally, you can also feel better on the outside and then you’ll learn to accept your body. You may also say that you want to change your body to make you feel more comfortable. So as soon as something makes you unhappy about yourself, you can change it. But these problems start on the inside and then influence how you perceive yourself. Sooner or later, most people feel worse because they increasingly orientate themselves towards the social ideals of beauty. Nevertheless, the question always remains as to how well a person is doing at which point inside and how this feeling is then transported to the outside. Mental health is therefore much more important to me in order to then accept, recognize and perhaps change external health.
For example, when I’m on vacation with my daughter, I don’t always have to prove that I’m strong. Because I know that I have the strength within me.
When do you feel particularly strong and confident?
I always say no (laughs). I’m confident because I know I can do difficult things. Inside, I always know that if I have to, I can be strong. So there’s no specific point where I feel particularly confident. I know that I have overcome many difficult moments in my life that have made me strong and that will stay with me forever. I can always show that to the outside world, but I can also present myself emotionally and hurt if that’s the case at the moment. In this respect, it’s not just something that I am particularly at the moment, but something that I carry with me. Sometimes I have to show it and sometimes I don’t. For example, when I’m on vacation with my daughter, I don’t always have to prove that I’m strong. ‘Cause I know I’ve got the strength in me
With ANITA you have found the perfect partner when it comes to underwear. How much does underwear contribute to your well-being?
Underwear is absolutely important to me in everything I do. For performances, while dancing or at home with my family. It’s almost an inner feeling, because the right underwear makes so much difference. A good bra brings relaxation and relief because it makes me feel so much better right away. As soon as it sits well and supports me, the whole feeling changes. The right fit changes my “shape”, supports me and makes me look better, for example through good support.
What is particularly important to you in a sports bra?
Support is particularly important to me, it makes all the difference. If you jump and part of your body arrives five minutes later, that’s not good (laughs). I pay attention to a stable fit, comfortable material and the straps are also very important to me. They give me an extra dose of support and the bras make me feel secure, yet I don’t feel them.
It is important to associate oneself with one’s own laundry and many people lack the representation of various body shapes in the media. How do you see that?
Thank god we now have social media and we can choose who we want to watch. I used to have to buy magazines that were only made for a certain type of person, and now I can build it up on my own and individually. In the meantime, not only one medium is believed, but there are several and these help that representation takes place more strongly. But before it has arrived everywhere, it still needs some work.
Finally, of course, we still have questions about your work on “Let’s Dance”. What are you looking forward to and what does the show mean to you after all these years?
I just look forward to it every year because I get to experience so much. I’m always learning and each season always has its own story. No year is like the other and that’s wonderful. Also, I just enjoy it so intensely because I never think I’ll have this opportunity forever.
Did you go to England to BBC Strictly Come Dancing with the same intention?
No not only. I am very grateful for this opportunity because it also means an international career for me. The show has the highest ratings in England and at the end of the day you never know what’s going to happen in life. This is yet another door opening for me that I would not have dared to dream of. It’s great to get the recognition and to have been part of it for three years now. In this respect, everything is a gift for me and that’s nice. I have the luckiest thing in the world with it. I always go ahead with gratitude and am now experiencing things that I could never have imagined as a child.
Sources used: Instagram.com, own interview