The Compass

Dancer Chanel DaSilva shares her experiences battling the dark side, transitioning from dance company life to freelancing, the drive to be visible as a dancer, and starting a new dance organization with her best friend, which will provide a free summer dance intensive to NYC youth. Learn more about MOVE(NYC) at http://www.movenyc.nyc #jointhemovement

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Musician Alex Chappo, lead singer of the band CHAPPO, shares his thoughts on the dark side, creativity, life as part of a band, and making stop motion videos that took over his apartment. Check out the videos in question (and more info about CHAPPO) at www.chappomusic.com/singularity

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Dealing with the dark side myself this week; join me for a quote from Rainer Maria Rilke, a poem by Billy Collins and check back next week for another full episode of The Compass. -Leah Walsh

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Actor Jess Watkins shares her experiences trying to stay out of the dark side, exploring the world of stand up comedy, writing her own material, and healing from an injury which forced a change in day job.

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Actor Mark Junek shares his thoughts on finding the work that's important to you, building a home in a crazy city, starting and maintaining a non-profit, piecing together the finances of an actor, and being a true fan. Check out his amazing artist retreat: Makehouse www.makehouse.org . Other great organizations mentioned in this episode: Artists Striving To End Poverty www.astep.org and Arts In The Armed Forces www.aitaf.org 

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Actor Nick Choksi talks about the ways he combats self doubt, how his outlook on filling every second of his day has changed, how he and his wife (who is also an artist) are approaching planning for the future, and his family's first reaction to him pursuing acting as a career. Nick is also a beautiful songwriter and shares a new song with us.

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Actor MacKenzie Meehan talks about dealing with the ups, downs and the seeming randomness of life as an actor. She shares her experiences confronting the dark side with the help of close friends, making her own work, learning to prioritize what is important to her and deciding to start a family. 

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Actor Joel Rainwater shares his experiences with the dark side, navigating working out of town with a spouse who is also an actor, taking care of himself in the city, and how he stays creative when he's not acting. 

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Lighting designer and musical theatre book/lyric writer Alana Jacoby talks about how she avoids the dark side by staying busy, problem solving, being in a relationship with another designer, balancing her alter egos of designer and writer, and her artistic community. 

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Actress Rebecca Hirota shares her thoughts on the dark side, the evolution of her day job, being a collaborative artist, and how you leave a state like Hawaii.

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