What a beautiful, flowing, value packed, full of gold and silver and everything in between conversation with Karina. I simply can not acknowledge all the goodness!
If you love Musical Theatre, are IN Musical Theatre or wish to make it a career path, this is the episode for you.
If you are inspired and touched by notions such as we are all Earth Humans, borrowing things and time and even our own experiences here in this life time, then this episode is for you. 
If you want to feel who is the wonderfully talented on stage, and equally real and impactful off stage HUMAN that is Karina, this is the episode for you. 

We talk audition process and what best serves us and what does not. Hint - Be the authentically, unique YOU every time. We talk getting the part, and how perfect bliss turns quickly to panic as that adventure then begins. 
We love and gush all over Cats and I get a chocolate craving talking about winning the Golden Ticket. I admit I want to wear a Tiara every day just because and Karina admits she secretly adored being the world's biggest brat. 
We dive into the theatre's secret ingredient of deep cast love and I share my own theory on that phenomenon. We both get goose bumps over the reverence that can be conjured within a cast for each other and for the creation of something truly timeless and soul moving. 

I stalked Karina's Instagram for this one and it shows. I am proud to say that I know all about her love affair with New York (you should see the stars projecting from her eyes as she speaks of it), her Kit Kat sponsorship that surely must be on the way, her Plan B Tik Tok career and most importantly, her daily practice of gratitude, grounding, humour and being present in the here and now. Powerful stuff. 

Karina's emphasis on the importance of the little things, the truth of there being place for all of us (Yes you do Westside Story), and her mission to bring eco friendly accountability to theatres in Australia is admirable and a definite "watch this space". Her desire to see more representation and gender neutrality within the Industry is another "I know she will make change" in this camp note to make. 

Karina and I both profess our no fear attitudes to lemons and our fierce capacity to make some serious lemonade. Queens.

There is a warming celebration of the artist and the artist's arena is this episode that every performer will recognise and relish in. For this very reason, every artist will also feel the pain in the current global climate of an Art's traumatising shutdown. Karina's message of hope? Reach out and reach together, connected and as one. Remember who you are, and why we do what we do. 

We recorded this on a full moon and it was so fitting to read this Cats reference and Instagram post from Karina, "And if you're ever feeling lonely just look at the moon. Someone, somewhere, is looking at it too." We are in this together my artist friends, and this too shall pass. Let us have the conversations, share the real stories, and know none of this is meant to be gone at alone. Pandemic or no pandemic. The performing artist's journey is an intense, struggle fuelled, overwhelming, yet oh so magical choreography... best done with a collective force field. 

Karina embodies the Dancer's Circle mantra - Human first, Dancer second and I am still buzzing from connecting and sharing with this incredible and light filled fellow performing soul. Endlessly grateful.