🎙 Guest: choreographer, director, and LA Pops Up founder Kitty McName 

a  conversation about artistry, authorship, and carving your own path in dance.

Starting her dance journey at 17, Kitty shares how beginning “late” pushed her toward choreography and directing — because what her body couldn’t execute, her imagination could. From stage works to opera, TV, and dance film, she explores why capturing movement on camera can preserve what live performance cannot.

We dive into:

• The difference between dance on stage vs. dance on film
• How LA Pops Up champions dance filmmakers and gives work a life beyond festivals
• The financial realities of dance — and why diversification is survival
• Injury, identity, and the emotional toll of not being able to move
• Funding challenges in the arts and why community allies matter
• Ignoring “no” and trusting your creative instinct

Kitty reminds us: no one is born knowing how to choreograph, direct, or lead — you figure it out by doing. Dance isn’t just performance. It’s authorship. It’s reclamation. It’s a time capsule of who you were in that moment. 

🎬 Learn more or support:
LA Pops Up — lapopsup.com
Instagram — @hystericaprods @kittymcnamee
Dance Camera West — dancecamerawest.org