Gina Turner and the unlikely harmony of motherhood on the dance floor

I give Gina Turner a ring at 11AM Eastern Time.

It hasn't been easy to catch her for a phone interview. There's no doubt that as a traveling, in-demand DJ, respected yoga instructor, the mind behind the event series and music yoga collective The Divine Movement... and a mother, Gina Turner is a busy woman.

And yet, she's infectiously and genuinely bright, even over the phone. "I'm here, and EvaLina is on my lap!" she says. "She was sick yesterday, but she's feeling better."

Motherhood and a career in the nightlife industry - it's a rare combination that strikes most people as unnatural. Late hours, loud music and exposure to the more hedonistic side of life might make Gina Turner's precarious balance between raising a young daughter and fulfilling the responsibilities of her demanding job(s) seem like an impossible one, but she begs to differ.

"Actually, I always praised the nightclub industry for being the best job for a mom," she says as EvaLina coos in the background. "When DJing in New York, I could put her to bed, go work and then come back and she’s still asleep. Then I get to have breakfast with her. That aspect is really amazing."

If there was ever a woman to make it work, it would be Gina. Her can-do attitude radiates even over the phone, but like any parent would know, it's not always sunshine and butterflies.

No one would ever say that raising a child is a fully glamorous life: think spills, tears and sometimes a little slobber. But with a lifestyle as unique as Gina's, the hardships are almost never about the wipe ups and the spills - in fact, those are the moments that she clings to, trying to navigate a job that often calls her away from her home base of New York to cities and venues around the world.

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"For the first two years, she was free to fly with me, but now it’s just such an expense to bring my daughter and a sitter and pay for all the extra tickets on tour. Now I’m away from her for two to three days at a time, and Luke also travels, and that hurts."

But she emphasizes that between her and her husband Laidback Luke's vigorous travel schedules, they make it work. They coordinate schedules and balance the shared time away with help from Gina's mom and sitters, but it's obvious that through even the distractions of two successful careers, she's got EvaLina's interests at heart.

"A lot of women think their lives are over once they have a kid. That’s so not the case, because your life is just beginning in the most incredible way," she says. "If anything, being a mom has inspired me to make more music and do bigger and better things to be a better example for my daughter. Your life just shifts a little bit, it doesn’t end. It’s even more awesome."

As an example, she points me to a yoga video she was attempting to film at home for The Divine Movement. A seemingly straightforward few minutes of her giving instructions to the camera are quickly interrupted by a curious EvaLina, who wanders into the frame and into her mom's embrace as she laughs and just goes with it. It's not over, it just requires a little shifting.

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For any normal person on the outside looking in, it's hard not to show concern for a young kid growing up in a family of DJs. What about the late nights? How do you keep them shielded from drugs and sex?

"Just because I’m in the nightlife industry doesn’t mean I’m irresponsible," she explains. "So, as a mother it’s like the best thing you can do is to be an awesome example for your kid. Lead by example."

And by no means is she all talk. She shares a whirlwind of a story about a time in her career when EvaLina was still breastfeeding, and Gina was booked to play Holy Ship. She didn't want to bring her daughter on board, so instead - without ever missing a beat - every two hours while she was at sea, she'd go to her room to pump milk. "I had to bring my breast milk back over the border and my brother carried it through customs," she laughs. "They asked him what was in the bag, so he said, 'My sister’s breast milk,” and they were like, 'Well that’s the first time I ever heard that one.'"

Published as part of Mixmag Health Season

Valerie Lee is Mixmag's US Digital Editor. Follow her on Twitter here