August 12, 2020

S1E8: Dance Reflects your Life with Julian Sena

1 hour 7 minutes

*Heads up for our listeners, this episode was recorded pre-pandemic*

In this episode, we sit down with a highly accomplished dancer who has found the perfect balance between becoming a successful industry dancer and pouring back into the dance community. Juju, a true master in his craft, sits down with us for a virtual conversation about living in New York, being part of the Beyond Babel cast, and eating all of the colors of the rainbow. Juju shares his philosophy on dancers as athletes and we also discuss the loss of NBA legend: Kobe Bryant. Juju reminisces on his once in a lifetime experience performing in front of 60,000 screaming fans. We also talk about super powers, professional gaming and what’s good in the dance community. It’s an episode full of insight, reflection and inspiration.

In this episode, we explore:

00:25Introduction
02:39How to stay focused
03:46A Master in his craft
04:38The loss of a legend, Kobe Bryant
08:27Being part of the Beyond Babel cast
12:07Living in New York
13:31Preparing for Beyond Babel: A Physically demanding endeavor
18:34A well-balanced diet: The rule of 5 colors
20:28Platform Showcase: How to run a successful show from afar
23:16Juju’s philosophy on dancers as athletes
26:47E-Sports and Marketing
27:32 The K-Pop experience: Performing with BTS
31:43Walking the line between Industry and Community dance
37:43If Juju had a “quirk” (that’s anime for “superpower”)
40:54Strategy gaming
43:15Pursuing dance in a traditional Filipino household
46:04Doubting dance as a profession and finding guidance in God
50:47Rapid Fire Questions
52:22 What’s the best part of dance?
53:35Juju’s generosity
55:15Remember us when you’re famous
56:35Not phased by the followers
59:01Going back in time and giving advice to yourself
1:03:00What’s good in the dance community?
1:05:00Closing remarks