Mind in Movement

Welcome to Season 3 of Mind in Movement! On this first episode of the season, I have a conversation with Keo Sanedrin about the origins behind Two Car Studio, the impact its had on the community, and the impact that it has had on him. I really appreciate Keo and the safe space he created for dancers to freely express and create, and wanted to learn more about the mission as well as the story behind Two Car. 

Two Car Studio is a two car garage that was converted into a studio to serve as a safe place for dancers during the pandemic. The creation of this home studio, by Keo Sanedrin , was a way to try and fulfill a need in the community as studio space became scarce. A 15.1ft x 18.3ft area with wooden floors, floor to ceiling mirrors, a Bose S1 pro speaker, smart TV, LED flood lights, WiFi etc. was all purposefully added with the intention to provide everything a dancer would need in a space and then some. Keo himself has been dancing since 2011 and in the community ever since moving from Vegas in 2013. Fast forward to 2022 he is currently in nursing school at Stanbridge University. With balancing school, family and other extracurriculars he is hoping to continue to provide this space for dancers as long as his schedule allows.

Below is a list of Instagram handles, be sure to check these people out!

@twocarstudio

@keo_

@justine.wang_

@mind.in.movement

On today's episode of the podcast, I have a conversation with Victoria Castreje, someone I met through Voyage and have just admired for her positivity and her strength. We have a conversation about creating safe spaces for women, leadership, accountability, and vulnerability. It was a conversation that really healed my soul, and this hour long conversation was just a snippet of the kind of energy that she brings to the table. Thank you Victoria for being the one to close out this season! 

Victoria Castreje is a dancer, personal trainer, and wellness enthusiast with 10 years of dance experience and 7 years in the Southern California dance community. She spent her college years at UC Riverside studying Business Administration and dancing with 909 Dance Troupe, serving her last year as Co-Director. She has worked dance competitions including Ultimate Brawl and Arena LA, and has taught high school students pieces for recital performances. Victoria is also a certified Personal Trainer through the American Council on Exercise as of September 2019. As an Asian-Hispanic American, Victoria is interested in multicultural marketing and event planning for diverse communities.

Since graduating in 2020, Victoria continues to prioritize her health and fitness through various forms of exercise and dance training. She has studied under Sorah Yang through her program, The Artful Balance of Business and Dance (May 2020), Offset Med’s Virtual Mentorship Program (July 2020), Movement Society’s Dancers Are Athletes Performance Development Program (September 2020) and Camp ABBD (July 2021). Victoria has trained with Voyage Dance Team, led by Sorah Yang and Halima Dodo, under the Vessel Dance Company umbrella, and has trained with the ily-girl community in Los Angeles (August - October 2021).

With her values embedded in women empowerment, self-improvement, and healthy living, Victoria continues to educate herself in various realms in an attempt to empower others and help them reach their full potential.

You can find her website at: 

https://www.victoriacastreje.com/

Below is a list of Instagram handles, be sure to check these people out!

@victoriacastreje

@justine.wang_

@mind.in.movement

On today's episode of the podcast, I take the time to reflect on my dance journey, focusing on my mindset change around choreography and taking class/performing. I share some valuable tips and insights that are really good reminders for me as I continue on this journey, and I hope you find them insightful or helpful for your journey as well. 

I really wanted to take a moment and thank all of you for listening. It's been a wild ride, and to know that I have people supporting me and listening to this podcast is truly wild. Thank you so much for spending any amount of time listening to me speak, it really means the world to me as I'm learning that my voice does matter.

Below is a list of Instagram handles, be sure to check these people out!

@justine.wang_

@mind.in.movement

On today's episode of the podcast, I take the time to reflect on my journey last year and also share some valuable lessons that I have gained. This is part of a 2 part episode, where in this episode, I share more about my current life lessons, and in the next episode, I will share about my dance journey and lessons. 

I really wanted to take a moment and thank all of you for listening. It's been a wild ride, and to know that I have people supporting me and listening to this podcast is truly wild. Thank you so much for spending any amount of time listening to me speak, it really means the world to me as I'm learning that my voice does matter. 

Below is a list of Instagram handles, be sure to check these people out!

@justine.wang_

@mind.in.movement

On today's episode of the podcast, I have a conversation with Ysa Penarejo, someone I met in the dance community and someone that I recently got close to, so I absolutely wanted her on the podcast because of her light and her energy. We talk about her approach to dancing and acting, her values, and how uncertainty is welcoming and scary at the same time. 

Born and raised in San Diego, California, Ysa fell in love with dancing at 4 years old. Growing up,  She trained in jazz, lyrical, ballet, tap, hip-hop, contemporary, tumbling and danced competitively through high school. At the age of 8, dance provided her the opportunity in the entertainment industry booking acting jobs for networks like Netflix, Lifetime, and the CW.  Recently, she has joined Vessel, directed by Sorah Yang, a new dance company based out of LA with the mission of using dance to best serve the community and the world. She also resides on the professional hip hop team Choreo Cookies.

Below is a list of Instagram handles, be sure to check these people out!

@ysapenarejo

@justine.wang_

@mind.in.movement

On today's episode of the podcast, I have a conversation with one of my directors and someone I really look up to, Halima Dodo. We talk about the courage it takes to follow your own path, having values and embodying them in each role that we take on, and being adaptable and resilient to whatever life throws at us. 

Halima is a Movement Artist who wears many hats: Dancer, Teacher, Choreographer, Movement Coach, and creative lead for branded campaigns. Whether on stage, in front of the lens, or behind the scenes directing the vision—Halima is no stranger to commercial appeal. Her sky-high energy has electrified music videos and Live Shows for major recording artists like Meek Mill, DJ Khaled, Justin Beiber, Daddy Yankee, Anitta, and Yemi Alade, web shows for Pop Sugar and Steezy Studio on YouTube and Facebook, and a variety of indie/feature films—including Ryan Murphy’s The Prom, now streaming on Netflix and Beyonce’s Black Is King on Disney plus. Halima is based in Los Angeles but credits her humble beginnings in Miramar, Florida for her signature style. Her mission is to captivate the world wherever her feet land, fusing Miami, Jamaican, and West African roots with Hip Hop and Contemporary Styles.

Below is a list of Instagram handles, be sure to check these people out!

@_haaalima_

@passiondanceintensive

@justine.wang_

@mind.in.movement

On today's episode of the podcast, I have a conversation with my friend, Hirari Watanabe about the importance of teaching the art and culture behind dance, specifically about Waacking. I took a couple of Waacking classes from her, and I absolutely loved how she taught them, so I wanted to bring her onto the show to talk about her intentionality with teaching. We also generally talk about bridging the gap between the "freestyle" community and the "choreo" community. 

Hirari was introduced to dance in 2007 through Youtube videos and the local Boys and Girls Club of San Diego. She then found her love for dance again in 2011 at Culture Shock Dance Center. Since then, Hirari has immersed herself into the dance community joining teams in San Diego and Los Angeles such as Syde FX, Soul Fresh Fam, Super Galactic Beat Manipulators, Immabeast, Culture Shock SD, BYOG, and KreativMndz Dance Academy.  As of 2016, she was put onto a freestyle crew called Wild by Nature and has been growing alongside them since. In 2019, she co-founded an All Female Freestyle Battle called “Ladies First” with Sierra Duarte on a mission to give back to the ladies of the Hip Hop and San Diego communities. Although dance started as a hobby for her, she aspires to pursue dance professionally while continuing to grow and give back to her San Diego community.

Below is a list of Instagram handles, be sure to check these people out!

@hirari.w

@wildnation_7

@ladiesfirstjam

@mind.in.movement 

On today's episode of the podcast, I have a conversation with my friend and dance mentor, Austin Edwards. We sit down and talk about his creative journey and process as a dancer, and his journey with teaching as well as directing. 

Austin Edwards is a dancer based in San Diego, CA. He co-directs a team called Choreo Cookies and teaches dance regularly. Austin hopes to share all the experiences he gains on his dance journey with as many people possible.

Below is a list of Instagram handles, be sure to check them out!

@austnedwards

@choreocookies

@futureiscolor

@mind.in.movement

On today's episode of the podcast, I have a conversation with my friend that kept me sane through quarantine, Khue Vi Tran. We unpack a lot of important topics, primarily focusing on how to embrace our own identities within a reductionist capitalist framework. We breakdown our identities as Asian American dancers, learning the shape of our fear and emotions, and what it means to center the most marginalized communities. 

Khue Tran (she/her) is a member of the Political Education committee in Asian Solidarity Collective. As a queer Vietnamese woman from Westminster, California who grew up in an immigrant household deeply impacted by discussions of war and trauma, she aims to hold space for critical conversation about how mainstream media, culture, and language impact the ways in which our bodies move through this world. Drawing on a background in both biology and psychology, her personal mission is to center progress over perfection. "I challenge us as Asian Americans to dismantle and decenter white supremacy in our communities while centering Black, Brown, and Indigenous lives through difficult conversations, questions, and uplifting lived experiences."

Below is a list of Instagram handles, be sure to check them out!

@khueyonce

@asiansolidaritycollective

@mind.in.movement

On today's episode of the podcast, I have a conversation with my friend and teammate, KJ Estudillo about physical and mental fitness. We go into the topics of Chiropractic Care and Physical Therapy, how to warm up properly, his approach to teaching, and how mental health ties into physical health. 

At the age of 9, KJ started dancing for the Golden State Warriors’ Jr. Jam Squad where his dance career began. After dancing for the Squad for 5 years, he was signed by Bloc Talent Agency in LA along with his twin sister, Caitlin. From there, he started assisting dance conventions like The Pulse On Tour for choreographers Brian Friedman, Dave Scott, Tyce Diorio, Chris Judd, Nappytabs and Marty Kudelka. KJ was also featured dancing in the fashion show Macy’s Passport for 3 years under the direction of Brian Friedman. During the Macy Passport shows, he danced alongside the Jabbawockeez, the Harajuku Girls and Brian Friedman. He was recently part of the show Beyond Babel under the direction of Keone and Mari Madrid as an ensemble dancer. KJ was part of Choreo Cookies from 2017-2019 in San Diego and was also part of The Company from 2010-2017. He is currently a full-time chiropractic student and aspires to become a chiropractor to give back to dancers and promote injury prevention and rehabilitation.

Below is a list of Instagram handles, be sure to check them out!

@kje23sole

@mind.in.movement