5.6.7.EIGHT

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra sits down with Kathryn Morgan, an accomplished ballerina who, in spite of an autoimmune illness, has become a multimedia dance superstar — running a YouTube channel nearing 160,000 subscribers, recording her own podcast, and writing a regular column for Dance Spirit Magazine.

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Alexei Moskalenko, Assistant Artistic Director at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP). Alexei, a graduate of the Moscow Bolshoi Ballet Academy and the Moscow State Academy of Choreography, came to the United States with a touring ballet company and eventually opened his own ballet school, before transitioning into his work with Youth America Grand Prix. During his incredible 20-year run with the YAGP, Alexei has served as a judge, Tour Director, Master Teacher, Rehearsal and, now, Assistant Artistic Director.

On the podcast, Alexei recaps his life in ballet, from his upbringing in Russia to his transition to the United States. But, most interestingly, Alexei spends time describing his current with the YAGP and how he is tasked with the seemingly impossible feat of identifying talent potential in extremely young dancers — dancers who are only performing three- or four-minute routines. Alexei expands on the challenge of spotting tomorrow's stars, while providing some solid advice for anyone who desires to be one of the chosen few to dance professionally.

Moving Quotes:

"[Aspiring ballet dancers] need to learn what a day in the life of a ballet dancer is like. What kind of job is it? What's your schedule like? … After learning all of that, they will be equipped to make as best a decision in their life as they can."

"Don't put all of your eggs in one basket… Don't dream only about one dance company. Diversity your portfolio around different company sizes."

"I think every dancer thinks deep inside about touring opportunities — what it is to work in a different country, what it is to be a dancer in another company, how it works, can I do that."

"To be healthy and just to be able to walk — I'm already advantaged. I'm already lucky."

"Some important skills that no one talks about that you have to really work on — it's around the world, everywhere, no matter where you go — are your communication skills."

Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:

2:11: Alexei remembers his first touches with ballet and how, retrospectively, he appreciates his mom for pushing him to first explore this art.

6:28: Alexei explains how he never fully felt that ballet was his destiny but relives a story that taught him to be thankful for his ability to be a ballet professional.

11:35: Moskalenko discusses how he first found himself in the United States and how every dancer has an innate desire to join an internationally touring ballet company.

15:56: Alexei explains his role with the Youth America Grand Prix and why his job, specifically, is a difficult job to carry out.

19:12: Alexei describes what he looks for in a dancer when trying to evaluate his or her future potential and how dancer "quality" is gauged differently in the US, from what it was in Russia.

23:31: Alexei shares some extremely practical (and unexpected) advice for any dancers that are preparing for dance competitions.

26:26: Moskalenko shares some advice for aspiring dancers, including a quick encouragement to be grateful for YouTube.

29:32: Alexei explains his life aspirations moving ahead, both for his career and for his personal life.

Bullet List of Resources –

Alexei Moskalenko

• Alexei on YAGP Website
• LinkedIn

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Alexei Moskalenko, Assistant Artistic Director at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP).

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Julian MacKay — a ballet dancer whose award-winning ballet skills and striking physical features have gained him worldwide notoriety in both dance and fashion circles. Julian, who is the first American to graduate from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy with a full Russian diploma, has amassed gold medals from some of the world's top ballet competitions and is now, at age 19, a First Soloist at The Mikhailovsky Theater. Julian has also bridged the gap between the dance and fashion industries, having performed at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, having been chosen by Kendall Jenner out of 200,000 other people to be shot for LOVE Magazine London, and much more.

On the podcast, we get a glimpse into the life of a celebrity. Julian highlights his rise to stardom from his humble beginnings in rural Montana but gives his secret to staying humble and grounded. MacKay also spends some time laying out the cultural differences between the Russian and American dance communities, highlighting strengths and difficulties of his Russian dance education. Perhaps most interestingly, Julian gives a "peek behind the curtain" on how the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show opportunity fell into place and what it's like backstage during a ballet performance. All of this and more in an episode that listeners are sure to enjoy.

Moving Quotes:

"My day always starts out with motivation, where I'm always working to improve on what it is that I'm focused on. My philosophy is, if you have an opportunity to do something today and improve on it, then maybe tomorrow, it'll be a little bit better."

"I'd say definitely giving it your all in rehearsals is the best way to prepare for a competition because if you can do it three times full-out in the rehearsal, you're definitely going to be able to do it one time on stage."

"[Dancing in Russia,] it's really important to keep up a connection with my teacher and keep growing. I finish a show, and right away, there are corrections — right away, you're trying to fix what you did wrong and become better. Because there's not much time until the next thing already comes."

"The most difficult [part of my day] is that, whenever you have a lot of things to rehearse, you have to really learn to change your mindset to different characters or different emotions or different styles of dancing, which can be difficult when you're giving it your all."

Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:

2:21: Julian discusses his introduction to dance and how he went from small-town Montana to renown The Mikhailovsky Theater.

7:24: Julian shares what he loves about Russian dance culture and what he finds most difficult.

12:08: MacKay discloses the behind-the-scenes story behind being a featured dancer in primetime on the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

14:34: Julian gives a peek behind the curtain and shares what backstage is like during a ballet production.

15:44: MacKay, who is a world traveler, shares some travel tips for keeping your body fresh during long plane rides.

17:17: Julian describes a typical day in his shoes and shares his philosophy on staying motivated by constantly improving your skills.

21:28: Julian explains how he remains so grounded and humble while being viewed by many as a celebrity in Russia.

23:50: MacKay, an award-winning ballet dancer, shares his best advice on preparing for competitions.

25:15: Julian spends some time encouraging aspiring dancers to pursue their dreams and speaks on the importance of pursuing your life passions.

26:30: Julian discusses the most difficult aspect of being a dancer — the physical pain.

29:01: Julian looks to the future, which includes several personal projects and quite a bit of touring and dancing.

Bullet List of Resources –

Julian MacKay

• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Julian MacKay — a ballet dancer whose award-winning ballet skills and striking physical features have gained him worldwide notoriety in both dance and fashion circles.

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Cory-Jeanne Houck-Cox, a choreographer, teacher, regional and national dance adjudicator, and retired prima ballerina. During her run as a ballerina, Cory-Jeanne gained recognition nationally and internationally, having performed for American presidents and having co-created and performed award-winning pieces for the Kennedy Center. Houck-Cox's true passion is in educating others to love the art of dance, having served as a teaching artist or adjunct faculty at several institutes of higher education. She is now heavily involved in the National Dance Education Organization, working to offer professional development opportunities for dance teachers.

On the podcast, Cory-Jeanne lays out her entire ballet career, from her late start as a ballet dancer to the day she accepted that life without dancing was okay. Along the journey, she shares life lessons that she picked up from the art, including how to appropriately accept criticism and how to push through difficulty. One thing that becomes abundantly clear is Houck-Cox's love of education, and on the podcast, she details how she is furthering dance education across the world and even gives some practical advice on how, from her experience, to best teach dance to the younger generation.

Moving Quotes:

"Whether my students make it as dancers or even choose to be dancers, it doesn't matter as long as they have a love of dance."

"You have to have a fairly thick skin to be able to deal with the [dance] critiques because… there are times when the teacher would say something, and you'd just want to go in a corner and cry… But they would look at me and say, 'That's your homework.'"

"It wasn't just going into the studio and walking away. It's a completely different way of life… 'Okay, how can I make myself better? How can I become better at what I'm trying to achieve?' It's constant improvement in your craft."

"With the Internet and Instagram, it's completely changed the process of how kids process dance, in my opinion."

"The hardest moment [of retiring from dance] was being able to say, 'Okay, I'm able to do this and find happiness in another area of my life that doesn't require me to necessarily dance… That was a defining moment in my life."

"It's a total package — of being able to have your own self-protection, to be strong enough to take what comes at you. But at the same time, pliable enough to take the corrections and be able to allow yourself the freedom to move in the ways that they are asking. But at the same time, realizing how did they do it before [in the history of ballet] and why and how can I improve upon it."

Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:

4:19: Cory-Jeanne describes how her late introduction to ballet turned into a passion worth pursuing with her entire life.

10:38: Cory-Jeanne shares some life lessons that she learned while taking dance classes and living on her own early in life, including the importance of being receptive of criticism.

14:29: Cory-Jeanne explains how she gracefully managed the change from prima ballerina to teacher and learned to be okay moving forward in a life without dancing.

17:50: Houck-Cox describes an extremely difficult time in her life where she was plagued by injuries and how she used determination to fight through feelings of self-pity and overcome odds.

21:09: Houck-Cox discusses an activity where she's become involved, featuring choreographers from all different genres of dance, coming together to create a set of shared performances.

23:35: Cory-Jeanne speaks on another passion of hers — writing — and shares how one of her two screenplays made it to the finals of the Sundance Screen Writers Lab.

24:42: Cory-Jeanne describes a piece of choreography she created surrounding the incredible story of her mother that has turned into a full ballet and is garnering awards and praise.

27:26: Cory-Jeanne discusses how she takes pride in helping student gain and maintain a love of dance.

28:36: Houck-Cox describes how she is working to open up the door for more professional development opportunities for dance teachers.

31:29: Houck-Cox shares what's next for her life and expresses a desire to foster more collaboration in the dance world.

Bullet List of Resources –

Cory-Jeanne Houck-Cox

• Personal Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Cory-Jeanne Houck-Cox, a choreographer, teacher, regional and national dance adjudicator, and retired prima ballerina.

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra chats with Skylar Campbell, Principal Dancer at The National Ballet of Canada. While Campbell has spent the majority of his career at The National Ballet of Canada, his quick rise to stardom has been recognized internationally, including gaining a mention in Dance Magazine's "Top 25 to Watch in 2015" list. Skylar has also been awarded a Bronze Medal in the Pas de Deux category at the 2009 Youth American Grand Prix and was a finalist in the 2009 prix de Lausanne — a prestigious, invitation-only dance competition.

Having ballet-dancing parents, Campbell was introduced to the art from a very young age but didn't decide to pursue ballet as a career until his mid-teens. However, from that moment until now, Skylar's trajectory quickly escalated, gaining a fair amount of notoriety along the way. On the podcast, Skylar recaps his whole journey and shares some wisdom he's picked up, including how to keep goals from becoming a distraction, how being on stage can have a calming effect, how success in dance is more than keeping the right steps, and more.

Moving Quotes:

"Being a dancer is so much more than the steps. I encourage people to let loose and leave your heart out there."

"Dance can teach a lot… Even if you put your kids in dance and they don't become professionals, it wasn't a waste. It teaches so many things that are applicable to your 'little toolkit' in life."

"Dance is a beautiful form of escapism for audience members. There is nothing like it. The theater, overall, will never die."

"The stage is bliss for me. It's where I found my calm… Even when I retire, I always want to be active."

"Don't focus on the things that you need to work on all the time. Highlight the things that you know you can pull off really well. And people will be amazed by it."

"I found ballet to be more appealing to my personality than any of the other forms of dance."

"I didn't set any serious long-term goals. I took every day as a new challenge and worked baby steps along the way. It turned out to be something that I would have never dreamed of."

"[When you're young in competitions] you're always thinking about the medal… It's so hard to block that out. But I couldn't stress more that that is not what directors are looking for."

"When I'm on the stage, I feel free. I want to be true to myself, to the audience, and to anyone who's watching — that this is what ballet is and this is what ballet can be and this is who I am."

"I had dreams, but I didn't let them affect my daily routine… I didn't let the little things eat away from my overarching goals."

Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:

2:01: Skylar discusses how he first got introduced to ballet and why he was drawn to ballet above all other dance forms.

7:20: Skylar explains how, through his goals, he accomplished so much in his ballet career in such a short amount of time.

9:01: Campbell describes the feelings of being invited to compete in the prix de Lausanne — an invitation-only competition of the world's most talented young dancers.

11:15: Campbell explains why he feels most comfortable on the stage, as opposed to being in the studio.

12:44: Skylar retells some funny moments from his dance career, including accidentally no-showing a performance, only to be covered by a friend who improvised his entire routine.

14:31: Skylar discusses the one thing from his dance career that makes him most proud.

16:00: Skylar gives more details around his "dance collective" that he's organizing in southern California, in order to showcase international dancers for a broader audience.

19:24: Campbell discusses his favorite dance competitions and explains how he best prepares for them.

22:29: Campbell explains how he has found success and what's left for him to accomplish.

24:07: Skylar spends some time discussing why dance is important in 2019, both for the audience and for the dancer.

Bullet List of Resources –

Skylar Campbell

• Instagram
• Skylar on National Ballet of Canada site

The National Ballet of Canada

• Company Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Twitter

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra chats with Skylar Campbell, Principal Dancer at The National Ballet of Canada.

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Christopher Fairbank, motivational speaker and business leadership strategist. Christopher is truly a Renaissance man. Prior to his current motivational speaking and coaching work, he was an 18-year professional ballet dancer, with experience dancing for some of the nation's top ballet companies. Fairbank also held a career as a Sheriff's Deputy, and his incredibly unique (and successful) transition from "ballet to bullets" in many ways inspired his motivational speaking catchphrase — Dare to be Different.

Fairbank is a storyteller extraordinaire. On the podcast, Christopher walks through his entire career thus far — from a young boy's first foray into dance to stumbling into the police academy to stepping into the motivational speaking circuit. His incredible stories are sure to entertain and enlighten, as he ties all of his life's events into the importance of embracing your identity and uniqueness and using those things to your advantage.

Moving Quotes:

"I am a leader. I have integrity. And I want to be the change that I want to see in this world."

"When you get to the point where you feel like there's nothing more that you can give — or you feel like there's nothing more that you want to give — then it's time for you to step away and do something different."

[On working with a public speaking coach] "There was someone else there to help me and to say, 'Hey. You can do this, and you need to do this. Because you have a story that needs to be told.'"

"Everybody is unique in their own way. When we find our own uniqueness and our own personal power, we can then share that with so many other people and bless people's lives and help strengthen them."

"What a wonderful [ballet] career that all was, and it was all fun and games. And I never once have ever looked back and have never said, 'Oh, if I would have done this. If I could have done that.' Because I really lived the dream of being able to dance in these different places."

Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:

2:10: Christopher retells his first foray into ballet, which changed his preconceived idea that ballet was only for girls.

7:16: Christopher looks back at his first professional ballet role at the young age of 14, playing the role of Beast in Beauty and the Beast.

10:43: Fairbank discusses how his ballet career skyrocketed, landing gigs at some of the biggest ballet companies in the nation.

13:10: Christopher briefly speaks on at why he decided to ultimately call it quits on ballet at the time that he did.

14:28: Fairbank shares the amazing story of his life post-ballet, including his extremely successful stint in the police force and some incredible events occurring during his time at the police academy.

24:09: Christopher further describes his police academy success and looks back at his time as a police officer, where he became fondly nicknamed "No Ticket Chris."

31:26: Christopher shares how his career took a turn towards professional public speaking and business leadership strategy.

38:06: Christopher discusses his goals for the next five years and speaks on the importance of embracing your uniqueness.

Bullet List of Resources –

Christopher Fairbank

• Personal Website
• LinkedIn