Conversations for the Moving Self

In this episode, Megan and Mak reflect on the challenges of maintaining a consistent movement and well-being practice while moving frequently between locations. They discuss the balance between routine and spontaneity, and how adapting to new living and working environments can shape creative practice.
The conversation expands into the dance industry—balancing technical skill with personal expression, navigating comparison, and embracing both the motivation and the pitfalls it can bring. Mak shares his teaching philosophy of blending technique with passion and emphasizes the importance of valuing simplified or modified movements as equally rich.
Together, they explore how embarrassment can become a tool for growth, and how embracing both “yes” and “no” can open pathways to personal and artistic development

Ella joins Megan to share her well-being practices, from recapitulation and journaling to the power of returning to a beginner’s mindset. They trace Ella’s movement journey—from discovering salsa at 14 to dancing professionally across salsa, samba, contemporary, circus, breakdance, and yoga—and her current studies in rolfing, exploring the connection between movement and emotional release.

Together, they reflect on creating spaces for growth and creativity, balancing technique with expression, and the importance of listening to the body. The conversation closes on finding harmony between structured training and personal well-being.

In this episode, Megan and Steffi dive into the adaptability required in a freelance career and how creative work shifts alongside personal needs. Steffi shares about a design project she’s working on and reflects on the ways different outlets—movement, martial arts, cross-training, and personal practice—bring balance and perspective to her freelance life.
She also opens up about her strategies for navigating off periods, from keeping a visual diary to booking regular studio sessions and building a catalog of practice to draw from. Together, they explore the challenge of sustaining creative momentum and finding grounding practices amidst the unpredictability of freelance work.

In Episode 2 of Conversations for the Moving Self, I’m joined by my childhood dance best friend, Stazia Ritch. We begin by reflecting on our friendship—how it’s grown across distance and through the many chapters of life.

From there, our conversation moves into the dance between teaching and personal practice: how they intertwine, support each other, and yet remain distinctly separate. We also explore how stepping more fully into being human can deepen and sustain a creative career. Along the way, we talk about finding work–life balance, the ways the body carries memory, and much more.

In this episode of Conversations for the Moving Self, I’m joined by my close friend Charmaine Hiller. Charmaine is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice weaves together movement, dance, film, photography, visual art, and poetry. Her work is rooted in curiosity about the human condition and in creating spaces where people can connect, explore, and share vulnerability through art.

We reconnect over our time studying together and open up about the realities of navigating freelance movement and creative careers. Our conversation touches on what it means to prioritise wellbeing while sustaining creativity, and how connection keeps us grounded along the way.