Dancespeak

Welcome to Episode 77 where we explore what the term 'Masterclass' means and how it can be utilized in the teaching world. I took an unorthodox approach and interviewed piano expert and world-renowned teacher/professor Edna Golandsky on this topic. With over 50 years of teaching experience under her belt, a degree from Julliard, and as founder of the Golandsky Institute, I saw the opportunity to gain a non-biased (in terms of dance) and interesting perspective. I was inspired to dedicate a shorter but full episode to this topic, as the question of "what is a masterclass" and "who is rightfully one to teach it" comes up abundantly both on the podcast as well as in conversations in and around the dance community. I approach this with curiosity, as well as an understanding that there may not be a single answer, as much as a holistic approach to the various tiers and styles of teaching.

Welcome to episode 76 of the DanceSpeak podcast with Viktor Manoel. This episode brings you a little closer to Viktor, a very important dancer in BOTH the underground scene as well as the commercial dance world. Do I start with his connection to David Bowie or being on the first Star Search, or that he's the last left person standing from the 1st generation of dancers who started a dance style/form of expression that has spread across the globe or that he has dedicated a part of his life to raising money for charity... OR... that Viktor can break down what whacking and punking is SO WELL that by listening to this, you might become a better dancer? From the projects to Star Search. From starting technical dance at the age of 20 to touring with David Bowie. From Mexico to Los Angeles. Please enjoy this episode with the incomparable Viktor Manoel. Be sure to check out our 'DanceSpeak' YouTube Channel to see this in video format!

Welcome to episode 75 of the DanceSpeak podcast! This is where I give away the keys that played a vital part in my opportunities to work for Prince, having this very podcast right here that you are listening to, work for the WNBA, and the projects that I continue to churn out and enjoy working on. I cringed while writing the title, as I don't want it to sound like a gimmick, but really... This episode provides 10 steps to choose from, mix and match, and do without waiting to move what you want in your life and career. Something that comes up in the industry both on and off of the podcast is the topic of networking. I've heard many people speak about how much they dislike it, while others see it as a job, and I, personally, see it as access to opening doors while being yourself an fulfilling on the basic need to connect with others. In this episode I cover 10 steps from what I have found works best in networking. These are easy steps that can be fun and elevate you in both your career as well as personal life.

Welcome to episode 74 of DanceSpeak with Fresh Redding! Credits Include: Kendrick Lamar, Pharell, Justin Bieber, Will.I.Am, Busta Rhymes, America's Best Dance Crew, Nike, DWTS, Kia and more. Fresh has proven himself to be an accomplished dancer, choreographer, and a true entrepreneur. With a clothing brand, event company, and management company, Fresh epitomizes what it can look like to do it all and be an artist. Topics we explore include: What Fresh has learned from working with Kendrick Lamar, giving yourself a 'grace' period while preparing for a career in entertainment (and learning as much as possible in the process), when to work without monetary compensation, the many hats he wears and how he does it all, the significance of leaving his home environment to go to college, dealing with the loss of peers, branding for himself and others, his first experience working for Will.I.Am, what motivates Fresh, and much much more! We also have a segment where I ask fresh to give impromptu coaching to one of our t

Welcome to episode 73 of the DanceSpeak podcast with Derrell Bullock, Lee Daniel, Sienna Lyons, and Donyelle Denise. I'd like to start with how much I look up to this group of individuals. They have been in the dance world for a long long time working hard on their craft and each one is an exceptional teacher as well. This is a snapshot of where we were at this time: the end of 2017 and our thoughts and experiences from then. The information from this interview has already positively impacted me making a difference for me in pursuing my dreams and how I go about my journey AND one of the main intentions of the podcast is to share share share so that you can have that as well. It's really a beautiful episode with lots of gems. We cover topics that include: Sienna's thoughts after first time teaching in Europe and traveling as a couple with Lee - Choosing to leave LA for a period of time while building momentum to travel and teach - What to do when you start feeling stale in your creative process - Donyelle spe

Sarah Elgart is a choreographer, director, and producer who’s scope of work and ability will blow your mind. To give you a taste: Sarah has created sight specific work in locations including LAX and LACMA, directed (yes, DIRECTED) the Mickey Mouse Club in the days of Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, choreographed everything from the circus in Japan to Star Trek, writes a bi-weekly published column on dance, and is an creative who comes from a family of artists. Topics we explore include: Why Sarah creates sight specific work - The directors whom have inspired her - How Sarah developed her skill set to become a director - What young Britney Spears was like - How Sarah has become bi-coastal between LA and NYC - Working with architecture - Words of advice around being a woman while having a growing family and booming career - Choreographing for a circus in Tokyo with 2 young children - Sarah's views on the current dance boom. Consider this episode class and Sarah is the teacher. The ways in which she views

What do Justin Bieber, Beyoncé, Paula Abdul, Missy Elliott, Chris Brown, Omarion, You Got Served and Christmas trees have in common? Michael Vargas. They have Michael Vargas common. Before even sitting down to formally start the interview, Michael was sharing unbelievable stories that had me transported to wherever and whenever they took place. In this episode we hop around, as Michael shares openly, freely, and generously with jaw-dropping accounts that could each stand alone as their own individual episodes. Some of the things that Michael shares about includes: How the heck he went from dancing on tour to stage and tour managing - What is was like as ASM for Beyoncé's FORMATION TOUR and what she was like in production meetings - Dancing with Justin Bieber when he went from being a relatively new artist to packing out stadiums - Going from being a b-boy to learning how to execute choreography - Why we love Paula Abdul and what she is like to work with - Meeting ROYALTY - Choosing to move back home after spe

Episode 70 brings in Jose 'Hollywood Ramos' a creative spirit with a relentless work ethic. I have always been an excited viewer of Jose's career, as his hustle reminds me of P.Diddy's no-holds-barred style of executing his vision with finesse. In order of discussion, here are some of the notes on topics that we explore within the interview: - Jose's time as a counselor and daycare teacher - What his ethic looked like on a daily basis - How Jose empowers himself around the 'revolving door' of the industry - How he ended up working with Diddy - What Jose learned from choreographing on the Bad Boy Reunion Tour - An experience auditioning for JLO... - Suffering the loss of his mother - How Jose began his teaching career - Discovering his signature choreography style within himself - Recommendations for teaching abroad - Choreographer's block and how to stay inspired - How Jose structures his days - Net neutrality - How Jose came to work with Beyonce - Thoughts on the proper way to record class - Hollywood's bac

Episode 69 of DanceSpeak with Cat Cogliandro blows the lid off surface talk and goes straight for the soul of what one might go through in this industry. As Cat says: "I was not put on this earth to keep my mouth shut." Here are some of the topics we go through in this episode: - How Cat defines the genre of contemporary dance - Cat's lesser known influences - How Cat takes care of her body - Controversial social media moments - Knowing WHO is teaching young dancers - Body image and body shaming - Why she needs to be aligned with her agency representation - Showing your body vs. objectification - How dancers are conditioned to keep their heads down - Age shaming - Sacrifices she makes to be where she is - What inspires Cat. This episode does have potentially triggering conversations around eating disorders, which we want you to know before choosing to listen (we also make note at times when the conversations 'go there.') Lastly, this episode was made with a lot of love for what we do. I chose to leave many

When I saw Codie Wiggins 'killing it' next to Justin Timberlake during the most recent Superbowl Halftime Show... I thought to myself: we NEED to re-release his story. Episode 68 of DanceSpeak highlights these snippets from his original 2016 interview: How hard his parents worked and the seeds it planted for Codie, choreographing for Usher while working at Dunkin Donuts, how Codie got into dance, how Codie trains for tour, and what he wants to be remembered for. PLEASE NOTE: The original interview was taken during the time of Codie's dancing for the Bad Boy Reunion Tour, so when we speak about Codie's physical regimen, it is part of a longer conversation around his current work at the time. AND: If you enjoyed this episode, go ahead and listen to the FULL INTERVIEW, which is episode 6.

At last, we have reached the much-anticipated episode 67 of DanceSpeak with Nicole Kirkland (Prince, Iggy Azalea, Kehlani, Cee-lo Green). Here we are in the 'wild west' of social media where class videos and 'influencer' clout has become the center of both praise and controversy. I know that the heartache surrounding the negative impacts of social media on dance class culture and the art have been heavily discussed on prior episodes of DanceSpeak, but as a member of the dance community, I know that there are more sides of social media impact and discourse to explore to have a FULLER conversation... As I interviewed Nicole, it was obvious to me that she has so many layers, that I would be saddened to know others might miss out on. Listen up, take notes, and enjoy!

Welcome to episode 66 of the DanceSpeak podcast! After receiving such positive feedback on the group episode with Derrell, Andye J, and Hollywood, we decided to deliver to you the last segment of this recorded time we had together. We first focus on the idea of support and really GET INTO IT. What does support look like? What kind of problems can lack of support in the dance community cause? What if you don't give support in the way that others want to receive it? This one seriously shifted my perspective majorly. The other gems we get into I will leave to the listener to discover, as this episode is concise and POWERFUL!

Episode 65 of DanceSpeak takes us into the new year with solid steps on how to approach goal-setting and intentionally causing movement in your life. We start off with a conversation around Tia Rivera's path as a motivational speaker and coach (in addition to her role as dancer/choreographer). Then we delve into how you can bring your goals into reality in a way that is feasible and easily-applied. Tia will be releasing a worksheet for goal-setting on her website TiaRivera.com, available, for FREE!, on January 19th.

I had a ball co-hosting this episode with Derrell Bullock where we follow our 'Happy Hour' format (thank you Derrell) as we get into nitty gritty dance topics with Jose "Hollywood" Ramos and Andye Jamieson. We forget the mic is there and get into conversations that cover a wide range from when to give and take critique, to the teachers' journeys to becoming household names... agency talk (even on getting dropped), the idea of authenticity when creating for a job, and much much more.

Chris Dupré is the quintessential dancer, choreographer... CREATIVE being. With credits that include Janet Jackson, Prince, and Diana Ross (literally, that's just a SLIVER of his resume...) and decades of experience under his belt, Chris is one of the most knowledgeable people on and in the dance industry. Chris shares on-the-job experiences from his professional career that started while in Middle School, what gets a person rehired... or fired, insights from auditioning dancers, his work as a director, the journey of him once being part owner in a production house, the whispered-about topic of dating within the dance world, how he faces challenges on the job, a different approach to networked... and well... even more!!! Chris is warmth, he is soul, and he is... as he puts, a conduit of creativity!!!

I was going to jokingly dub this episode 1000 f--kin questions, as Derrell Bullock (credits incl Madonna, Madonna, Madonna) and I were discussing the universal (I think) post-class time where students gather around and start asking questions. Now, first, please know how much I/We LOVE students/people/humans/aliens/dancers asking questions. However, there is one vital question around improvement that Derrell points out as being approached all wrong. I was able to capture this audio during a meeting turned into impromptu interview, and now it is available for everyone's benefit! I also believe this can be taken into a larger scope outside of the dance world. Enjoy!

Besides having very cool names, Brazil Siqueira and Kalyne Leonhardt are a power couple with a lot to offer the world. In this short-and-sweet interview, the two co-founders/presidents of Brazil-Lionheart Entertainment, share the do's and don't of entering a business relationship with a close friend or romantic partner. Additionally, we talk about how to balance personal life with business, the type of contract you want, and how to know when it's the right person to partner up with. Enjoy!

Episode 59 of DanceSpeak with Yusuf Nasir is not for the faint of heart! Yusuf, the passionate choreographer, seasoned dancer, incredibly intelligent teacher, shares his thoughts, his dreams, his disappointments, and his inner-workings with honesty and vulnerability. Before I go on, I HIGHLY recommend looking up Yusuf's work, because upon seeing it, you will WANT to know what his artistic process is... and we definitely get into that. The heart of the episode is in our discussion on mental health and well-being, as Yusuf opens up about breaking down during opening night of one of the most noted jobs he has booked. It's the thing dancers tend to not speak on out of fear of the stigma that surrounds it, and Yusuf holds nothing back here. Hold on to your ipods/listening devices... this episode is going to take you on a journey!!! Oh... and the language is explicit, so take out the ear muffs if needed.

Nearly a year ago, in my first interview with Brazil, we learned about the son of two dancers whom proved himself in his young teens years as a video editor and directed video projects for artist whom I still DREAM of meeting. In this interview, we dance in conversation... beginning with the art of networking and how to affect your state, Brazil both informs me on how to sharpen my meeting-people game while also shedding juicy tidbits on his love life and the fun-joyment he has deconstructing party-going and mingling with his partner in crime/business partner/girlfriend, Kalyne Lionheart. Then we go from reminiscing about people whom have impacted us and opening up about vulnerabilities to tapping into the steps it takes to increase your social media following, and what type of content to create depending on which 'hat' you are wearing in the industry. Yes, I know this blurb is made up a few run-on sentences (insert tears of laughter emoji), but I thought it would only be appropriate to write in the stream-of