DanceSpeak

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 speaks openly about going through cancer, and powerfully reinventing herself - Lee talks about his experience being injured last year - The conversation of support revisited - Delightful stories and tidbits from their journeys - And much much more! Again, I’d like to give a special thank you to our guest for opening up and keeping it so real, letting others get connected, gain knowledge and get inspired from your journeys. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/take-dancespeak-podcast-to-the-next-level-dance-community#/

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 things alone is something that one could take notes on. Enjoy! https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/take-dancespeak-podcast-to-the-next-level-dance-community#/

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 speaks openly about going through cancer, and powerfully reinventing herself - Lee talks about his experience being injured last year - The conversation of support revisited - Delightful stories and tidbits from their journeys. Again, I'd like to give a special thank you to our guest for opening up and keeping it so real, letting others get connected, gain knowledge and get inspired from your journeys.

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 spending 14 years in Los Angeles - What it was like touring with Chris Brown twice with different choreographers - Financial advice for artists - Why he is forever known as "XMAS Tree Mike" - Dealing with rejection - The theme of overcoming major adversity and how it ultimately provided for major openings in his life. This episode is packed with so many years and so many topics, it just doesn't make sense AND you will be able to enjoy being brought into Michael's beautiful world.

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 backpack line, how he started it etc - How Jose balances it all - How Hollywood got his name. Enjoy, and be sure to check out our Indiegogo campaign!

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 of the more vulnerable moments in hopes that it can ultimately create more space for the conversations that we need to have. If you'd like to support the growth of DanceSpeak, check out our Indiegogo Campaign (every dollar counts!): https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/take-dancespeak-podcast-to-the-next-level-dance-community/x/18070767#/

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.