Dance Matters Podcast

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It’s no secret that it takes years of hardwork and determination to become a successful dancer. However, we often overlook the role that good nutrition plays in  supporting that journey and in helping dancers achieve their goals. We chat with Holistic Nutritionist and Professional Dancer, Meg Cartwright to find out how to best fuel our bodies. Meg grew up dancing competitively and gave it away when her struggle with body image and food outweighed the joy dance brought. Determined to create a better educated relationship with food and herself, Meg became a qualified holistic nutritionist. Once she had developed that knowledge her connection with her body improved and she once again found her love for dance. Meg now works as a Holistic Nutritionist supporting dancers in particular. Once again dancing and working as a professional dancer, Mindfully Meg (as she is known to her Instagram followers) is passionate about helping young dancers develop their knowledge around nutrition. We delve into what fuels dancers bodies best and ways they can best meet their nutritional requirements.

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Ben Zammit has the world at his feet. He is a talented dancer, teacher and choreographer. As a young dancer he was extremely successful winning national titles and even a scholarship to train at Broadway Dance Centre in New York. After completing full time training at Ev and Bow, Ben went on to perform as part of the Dream Dance Company. He has also worked with Opera Australia and danced on the Australian leg of the Hugh Jackman tour. In this episode we talk all things performance, choreography and dance teaching. 

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Will Sanchez is proof that dance can be so much more than a hobby or sport. By his admission it is dance and the people who brought it into his life that changed his pathway dramatically and saved him from the slippery slope he was on.

Growing up in the Bronx he discovered dance through his mentor the legendary Crazy Legs. Under his guidance Will managed to travel the world dancing at festivals and competitions. Will has travelled the world as a professional break dancer representing the USA Breakdancers and has performed on Broadway as well as countless movies, music videos and TV shows in the US. Having worked with international artists like Kanye West, Ciara, Neyo and Twister, he brings a wealth of industry moves, knowledge and experience to Australia where he continues to dance, model and now pursue his other love of cooking.

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Kaylie Yee is proof that hard work and determination leads to success. From a shy child growing up dancing in Sydney at her parents dance school to performing in Las Vegas with Britney Spears, Kaylie shows that dreams can come true. Starting her  career touring Australia with Nikki Webster as a preteen, Kaylie has gone on to work with artists such as Kylie Minogue, Taylor Swift, Nick Jonas, Ke$ha, Sam Smith, Katy Perry and J Balvin. Her musical theatre credits include Miss Saigon and Candyman. She was also a featured dancer in movies Happy Feet 2, The Great Gatsby and Goddess, and worked on 3 seasons of The X Factor before heading to Las Vegas to join Britney Spears as a dancer and then dance captain in her Piece Of Me show. Since then Kaylie has joined with The Squared Division to take on other creative roles such as their associate choreographer and assistant creative director.

She has been responsible for hiring a number of professional dancers and throughout this chat Kaylie not only shares her own incredible journey but gives us an amazing insight into the process of applying, auditioning and landing these dancing jobs.

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In this episode we join forces with Mille Slennett from The Dance Pod to chat all things dance and Dance Matters Podcast. In a role reversal, Kali and Charlie are put in the hot seat to answer questions. Get to know a little more about your host, cohost and how Dance Matters Podcast came about. 

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This episode features a very special double interview with two absolute superstars from The Next Step. You might know Liam Mackie as Finn on The Next Step. Liam began dancing competitively at the age of 6 and was a part of Team Canada at the World Hip-Hop Championship. Apart from The Next Step he has also appeared in Disney Descendants 3. Liam continues to dance, act, teach and choreograph as well as pursuing  his new interests of DJing and working behind the scenes on film and television.

Our second guest Carter Musselman has been dancing since he was 9 and you might know him best as Heath in the Next Step. Carter has had the opportunity to train with some of the best in the industry at several dance conventions and has had the honour of assisting Blake McGrath and Ian Eastwood. He was also a guest dancer for Janet Jackson during her unbreakable tour. Apart from the next step Carter has also appeared In Stephen King’s IT and the television show Backstage.

In this episode we chat all things The Next Step, Including; the audition process, filming process and how it all comes together behind the scenes. 

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Shannon Atkins is an Australian success story. From directing and owning a leading performing arts school on the Gold Coast and working at the Queensland Conservatorium in Brisbane, Australia, Shannon has made the transition to successfully working in New York City. 

Since the move, her talent and passion for dance has led her to travel throughout the US, UK, Europe, Canada, Mexico, and Australia regularly judging and setting award-winning choreography and company repertoire. She is a coach for the USA Dance Team/American Dance Company, who represent their country in the International Dance Organization’s annual competition in Poland. She is also a judge for the World Dance Championships and has appeared on TV’s Dance Moms. In this chat Shannon shares her knowledge and experience as a; performer, choreographer, studio director, adjudicator and teacher. 

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Dr. Lisa Ellis holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (Hons) and is currently working as a doctor in Melbourne, Australia. She has over 15 years of experience as a dance coach with expertise in jazz technique, classical ballet and ballet conditioning. She holds her Certificate IV in Dance Teaching and Management and an Associate Diploma in Cecchetti Ballet. She also holds her Advanced II Cecchetti Ballet Certificate, attained with Honours. As well as running her DANCE PRESCRIPTION program based in Melbourne, Australia, Dr. Lisa tours nationally and internationally with her Just What The Doctor Ordered Workshops. In this episode we chat all about strength and flexibility training as well as how to improve your kicks, leaps and turns.  Dr Lisa provides us with a lot of tips to help get the most out of your dance training. 

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Sage Linder is a Canadian dancer and actress best known for her role as Summer in The Next Step. Sage’s career in entertainment developed from an early age when she attended the Professional Program at her Dance Studio, and the program for gifted children at her high school. Sage booked her first stadium performance as a guest dancer with Janet Jackson on her Unbreakable World Tour in 2016 at the age of 15. She has also appeared on Riverdale, Motherland: Fort Salem, and Disney’s Descendants 3. We talk all about the world of professional dance and acting. We chat about everything you need to know to become a professional dancer and actress. From her training, finding an agent, the audition process and then what actually happens on set, we cover it all. Of course we also chat all things The Next Step. 

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Katie Sanchez is a highly sought after Australian commercial dancer and model. After completing her full time training at Brent Street Katie went on to have a very successful dance career. Katie has worked across Stage, TV, Film, Fashion and advertising over the past 13 years - both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. As a dancer, Katie has travelled around the world, performing alongside artists including Pink, Jason Derulo, Kylie Minogue, Flo Rida, Ricky Martin, Zara Larsson, Black Eyed Peas, Ricki-Lee, Jessica Mauboy and Havana Brown. She has also featured in music videos for both local and international artists like Beyonce, Ricki-Lee, Havana Brown and Natalie Bassingthwaighte. Katie works alongside Marko Panzic with his Dream Dance Company and is a course co ordinator for their show business course. We chat all things dance and the dance industry as well as how she is feeling about becoming a first time mother.