Dance Careers: Unfiltered

So thrilled to sit down with Jenni Thomasson, Dance Captain (and more!) for the incredible Todrick Hall, on this week's episode. Like a lot of my guests, Jenni is a former FLIRT Dancer and I've been thrilled to watch her journey with Todrick and see all the magic they have created. She is such a bright light in any space she is in. I'm grateful she took the time to talk about her jo...

Branding... One of my favorite topics and I'm breakin' it DOWN! If you're thinking about changing your look, or just curious about what that would look like if you did in the future, I've laid out all the details. I dive into all costs involved, what it means for you, your agent and everything else ato take into consideration. When you want to chat about your look, HMU because...

Rachael's tenured career is quite impressive. But she is equally humble, eloquent, and kind. We talk a lot about: - how taking risks will drive your journey - making the leap into the acting world - letting the joy drive your career decisions - the differences in the Atlanta scene vs. LA. Rachaelmarkarian.net | IMDB | @RachaelMarkarian The Dancer's Edge   Rachael is a successful and mult...

I had a lot of revelations myself while recording this episode. I truly feel like this is an important topic that doesn't get talked about often. After 15+ years of navigating life in the industry in LA, I can say with certainty the rejection = redirection and it's all a part of the big picture that is your unique career. The reason this all came up was because of a guest blog post I did...

I can't hold back the giggles in this episode - Cedric just has so many positive vibes and one-liners that get me every time. While I've known Cedric a long time (10+ years!?), it was important for me to peel back the layers and give everyone a glimpse into the drive, passion and hard work that he's poured into his career. We chat a lot about listening to your inner voice, being con...

Being an artist and a freelancer, can lead to a lot of time on the struggle bus. I recently had a revelation I wanted to share and dive deeper into: we. never. get. feedback! This is not just a bummer, but wildly stifling after leaving school that we are used to our whole lives. This is the first micro episode of tips/tricks/insights into the dance world that will be sandwiched in between my indus...

Jim Keith, Founder, President and Sr. Agent at Movement Talent Agency in LA has been my choreography agent for 10 years. This episode is a recording from a zoom event we did (minus the exclusive Q&A section for participants) and it spills all. the. tea! If you want to know what's currently happening in the industry in regards to casting and what kind of materials you need, and even the be...

Ok y'all. We're back! Welcome to Season 2 of Dance Careers: Unfiltered. This season I'm going to switch it up a bit. I'll still be a weekly podcast (now dropping on Tuesdays) but now I'll be posting interviews with badass/inspirational guests every other week and infuse the content with tips/tricks in between. I'm aiming to have all of these episodes easily digestible...

Meet the positive light that is Kelly Allen. With over 16 years in LA and 30+ tv/film credits under her belt, Kelly brings her wisdom and experience to the DCU listeners. I LOVE that she dishes all the goods about being an assistant choreographer and a glimpse into how she got where she is now. She just finished filming Amazon's Marvelous Mrs. Maisel final season assisting Marguerite Derricks...

There's some people you just vibe with from the get-go, and Emily Wanserski is for sure one of those for me. We have super similar philosophies on the business of dance and I'm so excited for the intensive that her and co-producers WHYTEBERG (Laura Berg + Gracie Whyte) and Madison Hicks are whipping up this summer for the LA dance community. We talk alllll about it in this week's ep...

It's super refreshing when you have an artist who creates work based on their genuine, innate belief system. Toogie talks to us about her unique dance journey, how her upbringing inspired her career, and how meditation and breath work amplified her work and her world. She has this super grounding presence that will leave you feeling simultaneously both zen and ready to get-after-it upon liste...

We get into how dancers need to see themselves as a business! Erin Pride from the Dance Boss podcast is back with us to discuss how to take your dance skills and work towards monetizing your skill set.  We talk about the boom of online dance presence on social media. We also talk about the biggest pitfalls of dancers on social media. An episode we ALL need right now as our professional lives conti...

Most of the guests I have on here are seasoned vets, so it was a breath of fresh air to welcome Tal Kamin as a super inspiring representative of GEN Z. This woman is barely out of college and already established a non-profit organization spanning 20 college chapters across America. I also align greatly with her philosophies and approach to building community and development for the dance community...

I could go on and on with Teddy! He makes me laugh quite a bit and beyond our (really awesome) jokes, we go beyond the surface to chat about the starving artist mentality and forging your own path.  We also dive in to the ever-evolving landscape of the classroom and how to juggle the need for digital representation in that space. I love his unique voice and journey and you will too. MNTR MGMT Webs...

When you are in LA long enough, you get to see your friends do some pretty cool things. Leah McKendrick is one of those people for me.  I started choreographing for her in 2009 for a live show and then went on to collaborate on multiple projects after that.  I've watched her morph into an incredible producer, screenwriter and just an overall badass boss babe! I'm happy to get a perspecti...

Ohh man I loved this conversation with Monika Felice Smith. She is such a positive light and we talk a lot about who we want to work with in the industry and gravitating towards the right people. Once you find your people, it just clicks. MNTR MGMT Website @mntr.mgmt @justinementer Monika Felice Smith Website @monikafelicesmith MONIKA FELICE SMITH is a professional choreographer, director, movemen...

Here goes nothing: today is my first solo episode. I want to document as much as I can about my journey - both the good and the bad. I want yall to know that I don't have a perfect career.. but we are all here to learn and grow, including myself. Here are a few things I wish I knew before I started my pants career.. I mean dance career :) Listen to the episode to find out. And send me a DM @m...

Welcome back! We are getting all into mental wellness with our good friends at Danscend. We are talking about dealing with stress on the daily instead of having all the emotions pile up.. Olympic athletes have mental coaches so why don’t dancers?  Yes, we are talking about a healthy mindset around auditions. Not to mention.. What's going on in the dance class world?  MNTR MGMT Website @mntr.m...

Anything is possible at any age! Kim Hale does it all and is kicking butt! She is going after her dance career and social media in full force at a sophisticated age and she is absolutely killing it.  Kim Hale can inspire us all to take control of our own narratives and careers. In this episode, we really break down what it takes to be that hustler behind your career at any age.  MNTR MGMT Website...

Today we are joined by Caitlin Sloan AKA the Brainy Ballerina. We discuss the difference and similarities between commercial and ballet company worlds. We talk about how to make yourself valuable as a dancer by: being the most prepared, most on time and being a pleasant professional over relying on your talent. We discuss how your go-getter attitude and work ethic can outweigh your audition skills...

Let's get into the real methods behind social media. Dr. Sandra Colton Medici has done it all! She has performed with some big names in the industry such as Rihanna and Justin Timberlake, and was a cast member on the 1st ever season of So You Think You Can Dance !  Many lives later she started College of Style for entrepreneurs. She is dropping some easy tips and tricks to boost your social e...

Y'all know I love speaking about the psychology behind the biz, too. The insightful John Sovec, who is a former dancer turned therapist, joins me in this important episode to discuss the importance of attitude and positive energy within the entertainment field. We talk about how to support yourself emotionally and the importance of supporting your friends and colleagues. He explains how this...

Life is for sure a crazy roller coaster ride.  Especially the last 2 years. Today I'm joined by Maryann Chavez to discuss the importance of self-care, staying up to date and working on your craft. She knows it’s paramount to know who you are as an artist and also how to work on your dance skills in this crazy time to prepare for the future!   MNTR MGMT Website @mntr.mgmt @justinementer MARYAN...

The word of social media as a dancer has become an integral part of your portfolio. But, where do we start?  Is it important to have the followers, the aesthetic, or the content? In this episode we are joined by “Dance Boss” podcast host Erin Pride to discuss how to navigate Instagram and branding as a dancer. The mntrU waitlist is now open! Jump on for community, career support and educational to...

Today I am joined by the radiant light that is Mackenzie Martin who I've known for the better part of a decade. We are talking all things purpose and creation, along with how to tackle the hustle and work at your own unique pace. This is an episode to keep your mind full of possibilities and help relax those dance anxieties. There is always a path as long as you keep creating. MNTR MGMT Websi...