Sandy chats with Menina Fortunato, dance business mentor and podcaster. Menina has been 3 decades in the dance industry involving herself on stage, in front of the camera and behind the scenes on numerous notable productions, tv shows and films—having collaborated with such artists as Brittany Spears, Beyoncé, Pink, Earth, Wind & Fire and many more. She is the mother of 3 and founder of “The Business of Dance.

Over the past month our team has been in contact with our online community & have collected audio recordings from former students, teachers & friends to share with Sandy during this special episode. During this episode Sandy will be answering and asking questions for our listeners so stay tuned until the end.

Sandy chats today with a group of young dancers who are part of a pre-professional dance training program. They’re going to touch on the many opportunities and diverse dance journeys that are available to them and how they are approaching the idea of dance as a career.

Today Sandy chats with a whole family of artists - Linda Arkelian, David & Joylyn Secunda. Linda is involved in Ballet, Contemporary/Modern, Acting/Musical Theatre, David is a Writer|Visual Artist|Theatre Director, and Joylyn is an actor, dancer, mime, and puppeteer. They talk about sustaining life in the arts and how their collaborative work as a family has brought a wealth of creative synergy and unique productions and opportunities.

Sandy chats today with emerging dance artist, Kaitlin Cheung. Kaitlin is a contemporary dance artist who is currently a member of Ballet BC Annex. Kaitlin gives us some insights into the journey of establishing a career in dance. She is a recent graduate from the Modus Operandi Training Program and has worked with many notable choreographers.

Sandy chats today with physiotherapist, Erika Mayall, who has a special interest in dance medicine and science. As a former elite dancer, Erika’s passion lies in treating dancers and other performing artists. She has a keen interest in not only treating injuries, but also in injury prevention and maximizing performance potential in dancers.  They will be talking about how to develop a healthier, more supportive dance culture in our studios, specifically addressing the dilemma of overuse injury and the need for good periods of rest and recovery. Erika has completed specialized training in the field of dance medicine in Australia, Canada and the United States, and has studied with leaders in the field.  Erika is an active member of the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) and Healthy Dancer Canada (HDC).

Sandy Chats today with Shine Dance Festival Director, Tamara Thompson Levi. Tamara is a lifetime dance artist with a background in television, commercials and music videos as well as being a dance mentor, who leads programs that bridge communities and empower dancers, educators and business owners. She is deeply committed to promoting a wellness-centred approach to dance culture, has a Youth Protection Advocates in Dance certification and seeks to create a more holistic environment for dancers.

Co-hosts Sandy and Danielle chat about the highlights of this season and add some of their own commentary on things that matter to them. Danielle Harvey is a seasoned dancer, choreographer and performer who now also enjoys being a mom. Sandy Rosen is a studio owner, dance mentor and choreography coach who owns and runs Bez Arts Hub.

Sandy and Danielle chat with Sherrie Scherger about choreography, inspiration and adjudication. Foundationally trained in RAD Ballet, Jazz and Tap, Sherrie was further educated in Dance/Music history, anatomy, kinesiology at Grant MacEwan. She has been an educator for 35yrs and adjudicator for over 20yrs. As a professional she has been principal dancer with various companies, is an international choreographer and instructor with numerous others and has worked on many film projects as choreographer and movement coach, winning numerous distinguished awards for her creative choreography. Her motto,“ASPIRE TO INSPIRE”

Sandy and Danielle chat with Amelie Lavoie about the pleasure of getting people dancing and the joys and challenges of studio ownership. Amelie has carved out a dynamic professional dance career placing her in high demand within the entertainment industry, performing in various professional shows and teaching workshops. Amelie just can’t get enough of dance, so when she can’t perform or take a class she’s sharing her passion and exercising her creativity in choreography by teaching it! She now owns her own studio and aspires to pass on everything that has stuck with her over her years of training and believes there is always room to grow in dance which is what makes it so interesting.