Sandy and Danielle step into an intriguing discussion with dancer Shannon Cluff about "body neutrality” vs. “body positivity”. Shannon has an enlightening perspective on how body positivity can still induce an heightened focus on the body and suggests that body neutrality - creating a space where there’s not a need to assess bodies - is often a more life-giving perspective in our studios. Shannon is an energetic and compassionate dancer, choreographer, Pilates & yoga instructor and studio owner.

Maintaining a sense of pleasure and enjoyment in the studio and dance class is always a challenge when there’s so much ‘work’ to be done. Our guest Leslie Kuny, thinks that through play in the studio, you can’t fuel a greater sense of positivity and joy in dance. Leslie is a Co-Owner & Director of Ignite Dance Center in South Surrey BC and has a BFA from Simon Fraser University where she worked closely with Brian Webb, Rob Kitsos, Barbara Bourget, and Wen Wei Wang. Over the past 20 years, Leslie has devoted herself to training dancers in a supportive empowering environment, and choreographing for competitive and recreational studios, schools, and pre-professional training programs. Her dancers and choreography have been recognized for the use of space, a balanced approach of technique and performance, as well as humour.

Join us for a unique look at a movement wellness strategy that targets muscle activation to relaxation to enable optimal movement preparedness and minimal movement injury. Our guest Teresa Ojinma has a unique perspective as an exercise physiologist, Kinesiologist and an Essential Somatics Movement Teacher who cares about the ongoing wellbeing of movers and people everywhere.

Today Danelle and Sandy chat with Dance Artist, Elya Grant - together they unpack the importance of keeping creativity flowing as a dance artist and what it takes to maintain that crucial element in every part of your dance practice. Elya is a graduate of the contemporary dance program Modus Operandi and has been a company member of Out Innerspace Dance Theatre since 2015. She received further formative training with Rubberbandance Group, Domaine Forget, Ecole de Danse Contemporaine de Montréal and the Eastman/Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s Intensive in Antwerp and has worked with Amber Funk Barton, Heather Laura Gray, Company 605 and many others.

Our Voice of the Artist Podcast host, Sandy Oshiro Rosen is a guest on Family 360 podcast and chat with host Rachel Cram about how dance and movement can be a part of embodiment and wellness, specifically as connected to grief. Sandy is the owner and Creative Director of Bez Arts Hub and is the author of the book Bare - The Misplace Art of Grieving and Dancing

Today, Sandy and Danielle chat with dancer,  choreographer, company director and dance entrepreneur, Joanne Pesusich about launching as a professional, developing a dance career that pivots with age, stage and opportunity, and loving life through it all.

Jo has trained in New York, LA and Vancouver and has performed with such notable artists as The Artist formerly known as Prince, The Backstreet Boys, Kool and the Gang, Lauryn Hill, Busta Rhymes and more. She has been choreographer and performer for numerous high profile events and movies & television including the NAACP Image awards, The President’s Annual Easter Celebration, The L Word and many others. Jo is currently the director of the Source Dance Company and is the co-founder of Groove Street Productions.

This episode we talk with Andrea Gibson about keys to reimagine our studios as places with provisions for self-care, compassion and mental health considerations.  Andrea is a Self-Compassion and Mindset coach, dance educator and mental health advocate. She is the creator and founder of UNCONDITIONAL the Self-Love movement where she helps women reconnect to their wants & needs & enjoy life again by falling in love with themselves through spiritual and self-care practices.

David Cooper is veteran photographer who has a 40 year career of photographing performing arts. He has captured everything from The Stratford Festival to the National Ballet of Canada, to Arts Club Theatre, to Company 605, having worked with some of Canada’s more notable artists. He is a pioneer member of the BC Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Order of Canada. His current interest is in crafting dance film and on this episode David chats with us about the key to capturing great dance images. David Co-runs Crane Studios in Vancouver.

Sandy chats with Sarah Brewer Clowes about her unusual entry into dance training and her remarkable approach to training healthy, balanced dancers through compassionate teaching and attending effectively to dancer mental health.

Sarah is a master teacher with a career spanning 38 years - having danced with the Munich Ballet, Northwest Florida Ballet, Banff Festival Ballet and Vancouver Opera. She choreographs for both amateur and professional dancers and has a passion for for seeing the potential of every dancer and creating space for them to flourish in movement clarity, physical health, self-discovery and technical individuality. Sarah also has her own podcast called “Sarah’s Space” which addresses a number of subjects from the arts world, to social unrest and everything in between.

Sandy and Danielle talk with Amber Funk Barton about the ever-changing career of the dance artist. Amber reflects on her extensive dance career and now on the shifting dimensions of dance in collaboration with other aspects of the arts.

Born and raised in Vancouver, Amber is a cisgendered woman of mixed race descent. She received her training with Goh Ballet Academy, Arts Umbrella, The Banff Centre Dance Training and Ballet British Columbia’s Mentor Program. As a dancer she has worked with various companies and choreographers, and as a choreographer herself, Amber’s work has been presented in various venues in Vancouver, across Canada, and internationally in Wales, Seattle and New York.