Today we’d like to introduce you to Hanna Santanna
Hi Hanna, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Originally I had a breakthrough on TikTok back in 2015, being one of the original content creators on the platform, while in High School. Originally the platform was called Musical.ly which first become popularized by a mass movement of people of all ages posting lip sync videos. I guess you can say TikTok turned me into a drag queen, but the drag didn’t come until much later. I eventually grew a YouTube following in 2016 as well and within my first year posting on social media I had accumulated at least 100,000 followers across all platforms.
I started performing in drag May of 2021, after I had a departure from the social media world. Getting “internet famous” as a teenager with no one to guide me through it definitely was a lot of pressure to maintain and hard on the psyche, which ultimately led me to quitting the Influencer life going into the year 2019. I’ve been acting and singing locally my entire life, so after years of not performing, whether that was in person or online I had the urge to start again. Thus entering the Drag Era in May of 2021. With no experience in makeup, but having the determination and charisma to success I began to learn the art form of Drag. Coming up on almost 4 full years of drag I guess you can say I’ve taken the Houston Drag Scene by storm. I host a very successful weekly Friday show at Play Nightlife in Montrose called Press Play, and some of the biggest achievements in drag to date is opening for Chappell Roan on tour TWICE, and coming out with my own studio cover and music video to Pink Pony Club.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road to success is never easy. At the end of the day I am human. I am more than the persona you see online or on stage, I am more than the big numbers you see online. Something that I told myself going back into the word entertainment world when I started performing in Drag was my “humility.” I big part of the reason I left the Social Media world the first time around was that I lost myself in “The Fame” of it all. Being 18 years old and being stopped every time you left the house and recognized for the online persona definitely was a stroke to the ego. Next thing I knew every relationship in my life felt “shallow”. Making videos online felt like a job rather than fun and I become very unhappy very quickly. Today, my priority is authentic connections and relationships. Success means nothing if you can’t look yourself in the mirror and be happy with the person and decisions you’ve made along the way. A lot of people can’t say that, but I’m not going to point fingers.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Hanna Santanna, the drag queen, I like to think is just an extension of me. I consider myself a jack of all trades, but I’m most passionate about creating music and becoming a real life Rock Star. My raw talents in singing and acting defiantly go a long way, as well as aesthetics. I love creating versatile dynamic looks that always leave the audience coming back to see what I wear next. At a Hanna Santanna show you will absolutely get the best of both worlds.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Drag is my full time job so she’s always available for a booking! I thrive in any situation I’m put in, whether it’s hosting my own shows or being apart of an amazing cast of entertainers.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hanna_santanna_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jordan.hanna.71
- Twitter: https://x.com/hanna_santanna_
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/jordanhanna
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@jordanhanna?lang=en
Image Credits
Studio work photographed by my amazing husband Raul Verde. His instagram is @raulverdepresents
