Carol Haney wasn't just a dancer — she was the engine behind the scenes.

Before Bob Fosse found his style, before Gene Kelly dazzled in Singin' in the Rain, before Jack Cole set the standard for theatrical jazz… Carol Haney was there. Assisting, dancing, innovating.

She spent years in the chorus, often uncredited, helping shape the golden age of movie musicals.

The Pajama Game changed everything — launching her into the spotlight and, finally, into a new era as a choreographer in her own right.

In this episode, I dig into her full legacy, including the oft-repeated story about Shirley MacLaine's lucky break — and why it should never overshadow the work Haney actually did.

And yes, an exclusive: for the first time ever, you'll see images from Haney's high school days — never before made public. This podcast is the original source of their release, and Hey, Dancer! is proud and honored to bring them to light.

This is Carol Haney's story. And it's about time.

Check out my ⁠Return to Dance docuseries!⁠

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Are dancers athletes? It's a question that's everywhere now — but back in the 1950s, Gene Kelly already had a very specific answer. In this episode, we dig into a rare piece of dance history where Kelly draws a surprising line between dancers and athletes. His language is careful, intentional, and honestly… both shocking & illuminating. What he says — and what he doesn't say — might change the way you see movement altogether.

We'll unpack what this means for dancers today, how we talk about physicality and performance, and why language matters more than ever in the dance world.

Watch this podcast on YouTube for the full effect!

Check out my series: Why Dance is a Sport | Part I

Check out my ⁠Return to Dance docuseries!⁠

Support my Instagram — where I post daily dance inspo, insights and fun! ⁠@backtogreat

Transcript, Gene Kelly's words:

"Now all these men, dancers and athletes alike, possess something very much in common, skill and physical movement. And more important than that, physical movement and rhythm. Now just as the dancer, the athlete does not exist who doesn't move with a certain rhythm. His timing is based on the same elements as the dancers.

There are just two differences. The athlete, after having trained his body and learned to move rhythmically in whatever the demands of its court may be, must change his rhythms to meet the spontaneous requirement for the instant. He's also playing to win a game, and the ultimate thing is the competition. Now the dancer, after having learned to control his body rhythmically, goes even further and with the use of music, tries to express something to the onlooker. Now this could be done all with a deep emotion or with a light one or it could be just a story told visually.

In short, we could say that the athlete uses his body skills and controls in a competitive manner but the dancer must have something to say…

Mickey Mantle throwing a ball is dancing. And even though he is not doing it to music, it's still a beautiful, rhythmic thing to watch."

Toni Basil was a Go-Go icon in the '60s. A street-dance pioneer in the '70s with The Lockers. And by that same decade, she was choreographing for Tina Turner and Bette Midler — shaping the stage presence of music legends before MTV even launched.

Oh — and she's also the force behind "Mickey," one of the most iconic pop hits (and videos) of the '80s.

In this episode of The Rest of the Story, we trace her extraordinary path — from a childhood in vaudeville to Elvis musicals, from bringing street dance into the mainstream to choreographing some of Hollywood's most unforgettable films.

A one-hit wonder? Please. Toni Basil is the moment. Always has been.

Thank you to Cristina Benedetti for recounting Toni's viral story!

Check out my ⁠⁠Return to Dance docuseries!⁠⁠

Support my Instagram — where I post daily dance inspo, insights and fun! ⁠⁠@backtogreat⁠

To celebrate hitting 100K on Instagram and 10K on YouTube, I'm doing something I've never done on this podcast: talking about myself. Not dance stories. Just… me.

In this very personal (and sometimes silly) episode, I'm sharing 10+ personal things about me you don't know, like:

• the breakfast I've eaten every day for 15+ years
• why I trained myself to sleep like a mummy
• what happened when I booked a guest spot on the #1 show on TV… and then didn't
• the time I was robbed at gunpoint
• how I cured my IBS
• and so much more!

Some of it's deep. Some of it's trivial. Some of it's just plain human.

It's awkward, honest, and a little all over the place — but so is life. And that's the point.

Check out my ⁠⁠Return to Dance docuseries!⁠⁠

Support my Instagram — where I post daily dance inspo, insights and fun! ⁠⁠@backtogreat⁠

Geoffrey Holder was a true Renaissance man.

An iconic actor — the face of 7 Up, a Bond villain, Punjab in Annie.

An award-winning painter, director, designer, poet. The list goes on.

But at the root of it all… was dance.

It started in Trinidad, imitating his older brother Boscoe, moving to the rhythm of drums and dreams.

He caught the eye of Agnes de Mille, stormed into New York like he belonged there, and built creative partnerships that would last a lifetime — with Carmen de Lavallade, with Alvin Ailey.

It all moved fast.

At one point, The Wiz slipped through his fingers. But when the call came again — he took the reins and left Broadway changed.

And even when the world saw the icon, the star, the voice… DANCE stayed at the center of everything.

Right up to the final breath.

This is the dancer behind the icon.

This is Geoffrey Holder's Rest of the Story.

Check out my ⁠⁠Return to Dance docuseries!⁠⁠

Support my Instagram — where I post daily dance inspo, insights and fun! ⁠⁠@backtogreat⁠

What happens when someone asks for your combo footage… while dance class is still happening? What if your outfit throws you off before the first count of eight? And what do you do when the studio starts filming everything — even your warm-up?

In this storytime-style episode, I'm sharing a few recent class moments that threw me off my game — and what they taught me about distraction, boundaries, and the power of processing.

If you've ever felt off in class, this one's for you — with a few lessons along the way that might just help you find your footing faster.

Check out my ⁠⁠Return to Dance docuseries!⁠⁠

Why Dances Class Combos Don't Travel Anymore (podcast ep referenced in this show)

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For a time, Bobby Banas was everywhere.

West Side Story. Mary Poppins. Bye Bye Birdie. One of the most prolific dancers on film — though you may not have known his name.

That changed when a 1964 TV clip of him performing "The Nitty Gritty" suddenly went viral decades later. The internet wanted to know: Who is this dancer!?

In this episode of The Rest of the Story (Hey, Dancer! podcast), we trace Bobby Banas's journey from small-town beginnings to Broadway, from uncredited film roles to one unforgettable moment on The Judy Garland Show. We look at the discipline, luck, and sheer force of personality that helped him carve out a lasting place in dance history.

This is the story of a dancer who spent decades in the background… until the world finally caught up.

Check out my ⁠⁠Return to Dance docuseries!⁠⁠

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Is acro really a legit style of dance? Or just gymnastics with music?

In this episode of Hey, Dancer!, I dive into the roots of acro dance, its rise in competitions and studio culture, and why — despite its popularity — some major dance institutions still don't recognize it as a core genre. I also explore why I respect acro, even love it… but still can't quite call it home.

Whether you're team "It's a style!" or side-eyeing the flips in lyrical solos, this one's for you.

Previous acro episode: Acro in Dance: Then vs Now (and My Suprising History)

Check out my ⁠Return to Dance docuseries!⁠

Support my Instagram — where I post daily dance inspo, insights and fun! ⁠@backtogreat

Vera-Ellen could do it all — tap, pointe, jazz, acrobatics, adagio — and made it look effortless.

For a time, she was one of the most celebrated dancers in Hollywood, starring alongside Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Donald O'Connor, and Danny Kaye. But today, she's largely forgotten.

In this episode of The Rest of the Story (Hey, Dancer! podcast), we trace her extraordinary rise — from a shy, bookish child in Ohio to a bona fide movie musical star. We dig into the training that shaped her, the roles that defined her, and the discipline that never wavered — even after the spotlight faded.

And yes — we'll also address the rumors. The ones that have unfairly overshadowed her legacy.

This is the dance story Hollywood never quite knew how to tell. Until now.

Watch this episode on YouTube for full appreciation of Vera-Ellen's mad skills!

Check out my ⁠Return to Dance docuseries!⁠

Support my Instagram — where I post daily dance inspo, insights and fun! ⁠@backtogreat

What happens when a dance teacher tears apart your technique — and you're pretty sure they're wrong?

In this episode, I'm sharing a raw, unfiltered story from my return-to-dance journey that I've never told before — one that didn't make it into my docuseries, but definitely left a mark. It's about self-trust, feedback that doesn't land, and the moment everything shifted.

Oh — and I've got a bonus NEW dance story involving a mirror, a tripod, and one (obnoxious) dancer's shockingly bold move that you truly have to hear to believe. It really happened!

Check out my Dance Class Etiquette ep (referenced in the pod)!

Check out my ⁠Return to Dance docuseries!⁠

Support my Instagram — where I post daily dance inspo, insights and fun! ⁠@backtogreat