DANCE +

This week’s guest, Katie Schaar has done the tours, the TV shows, the big award shows, THE SUPER BOWL (#nbd) and she has worked with some of today’s biggest stars (Tom Cruise and Cher, to name a few…). She’s truly done it all, and the thing she is most passionate about is MAKING MOVEMENT MAKE SENSE and keep it SAFE for all people.     Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode: What Katie encourages...

This month, I want to unpack MASTERY, and I am inviting some of my heavyweight champion super master friends to help me. In this episode, I dig into what mastery means to me, why I stopped considering myself a master, and why I am recommitting to the pursuit of mastery! Here’s what you’ll learn: The 6 defining qualities of a master My movie and book recommendations for inspiration along your pursu...

Y’all, I’m not gunna lie… For a 20 minute episode, this one hits HARD. If you’re a person who struggles with family dynamics, this one’s for you!   Here’s what you’ll learn: Why your parent / caregiver has such a special way of getting under your skin Why so many of us revert to acting like children when we visit with parents How to better care for yourself AND them when your buttons get pushed Th...

Today, we’re talking about how to decide on and use your personal style to introduce your values and taste, AND build consistency and trust… Without saying a word. Here’s what you’ll learn: The FIVE things that can rob you of your personal style My 2 out of 3 rule for deciding what to buy, wear, use, or loose My super secret commercial audition wardrobe accessory A self tape style tip that will sa...

How do you develop your personal style in dance? Today my guest Shaun Evaristo, choreographer for Miquel, Pharrell, and many many more, talks to me about where he got his signature style from. Who does it come from? How do you describe it?  Shaun talks through his process of finding himself as a dancer/choreographer and as a human. Get ready to dive deep on the topics of freestyle, process, and go...

  Welcome to Aesthetic April listeners where we will be taking a deep dive into personal style. Are you happy with your personal style? Have you ever thought about changing your style? What influences your style? Well before we get there let’s define what you think personal style is.  I will talk to you through my style guide. You’ll learn a bit about what I think about what clothes you can wear w...

Michelle De Castro (or Money Michelle as listeners know her) joins me on the podcast today, and YES we definitely talk MONEY. Michelle is my personal bookkeeper and personal superhero when it comes to tax time. As the USA is gearing up for tax season on April 18th, Michelle gives us her best tips on tackling taxes and even some advice on getting  a head start for tax season next year! How does a c...

Have you ever wondered, “where do productions like Ariana Grande’s tour or Wicked get their money from?” Us too! Nikole Vallins, producer of The Dancing With The Stars Live 2022 Tour, came onto the pod to demystify the process of producing. You’ll learn where exactly that money comes from, what it goes towards, and how she uses it to create and maintain the best team for the job.  Nikole also gets...

We’ve all heard the “starving artist” narrative; you work, you struggle, and you end up broke trying to pursue your dreams. Geri here is proof that that no longer has to be your story. You can be an artist AND be paid a living wage.  In this episode Geri Brown, certified fundraising expert and owner of companies such as; The Dance Education Equity Association & Liberate Artists, shares her top...

Last week’s episode taught you how to calculate your fixed expenses, your past three years AGI, and your total debt.  Now, we are talking about how to evaluate your spending so you can accomplish your biggest, boldest, wildest dreams. Using a modified version of one of my favorite exercises from The Money Book (by Joseph D’Agnese and Denise Kiernan), you’ll learn how to use (very) basic math and m...

Welcome to Money March 2022! If you’re interested in making money moves, you have to know where you stand. This is the first episode of a five part series and we are starting with the essentials. Today you’ll learn about the three numbers you need to know in order to frame your current financial snapshot. If you have money goals, you must start with a clear and honest picture of where you are now....

Joining me on the pod today is the kid orange himself, Brian Nicholson! Brian is one half of the creative duo, with his twin brother Scott, for all your favorite pop stars. We get to talking about the importance of his family bond and how Brian managed to find a healthy work life balance amongst all of his iconic moments on stage. If you’re looking for a new way to show up to auditions, classes, a...

Buckle up everyone! This week’s guest is one of the most mentioned people on the podcast and one of the most influential people in my creative life! Gary Imhoff was my acting teacher for many years, but he is much much more than an acting teacher, and in this episode we dig into much much more than performing! We talk about willingness and winning, technique and teaching, and yes, we also talk abo...

This marks a FIRST, but certainly not the last Words That Move Me Community HAPPY HOUR!  Wine isn’t the only thing sparkling in this episode my friend.  I come ALIVE talking about my most embarrassing moment on stage, then we have a special guest appearance by Marty Kudelka and we learn that the members of WTMMCOMM have at least one thing in common: Bernie Sanders in Mittens… ON SHIRTS! Join us fo...

Today I am talking to the Legendary Popin’ Pete, and you can hear my ear to ear smile in my voice! In addition to being dance history royalty, Pete is one of my favorite dancers, teachers, and straight talkers.  He is the first person I turn to when I am looking for a pointed perspective… That’s probably dramatically different from my own. So, if you want to have your mind blown, or if you’ve ever...

Cat Rendic comes from a long line of Entertainment business lineage. In this episode, we talk about the thrills of performing, choreographing, and teaching and their subtle differences between the three. We talk about trial and error in the beginning stages of starting your business, and we dig into how to take criticism. We talk about heels (the shoe) and knees (the body part) and how we find our...

I’m super lucky (and grateful) that the worst part of having Covid (for me) was emotional pain. In this episode, I dig into the difference between painful sensations (like a cough) and painful emotions (like guilt), and why it is so important to experience them both.  This distinction is so important for physical performers in high stakes circumstances like dancers and choreographers. In this epis...

Let’s say this episode is a grocery store…  It has one of a kind quirky goodies with a focus on affordability like Trader Joes, it’s ALL organic like Whole Foods, it’s direct from the source like a Farmers Market, and it is HIGH FREAKN QUALITY like Erewhon (which ironically gets a shout out today).  The only difference is that this episode is FREE… but it really is a one stop shop. This episode ha...

This episode is a heart-full ride through some of our favorite themes:  purpose, navigation, growth, and creation. Our guest, Liana Blackburn Snarburg dives head first into making and maintaining BIG life changes from diet to lifestyle and career path.  She doesn’t pretend it is easy, but she does have a recipe that works, and she shares it with so much flavor! If you are looking to make big moves...

If you like insects, you’ll LOVE this episode.  Also if you like a good perspective shift to start the year off strong you will love this episode   Real short and sweet, and REAL helpful: today I am talking about all of the ways we are smart, strong, and destructive. Just like ants! But also NOT like ants at all. Quicklinks: FREE Coaching Call January 13th 2021: Register Here: https://www.thedanaw...

Last year, my final episode was a compilation episode. Every single guest from the season took a stab at answering the same question: What is the difference between technique and style? I enjoyed that episode and all of those conversations so much, I decided to make a tradition out of it.   This year, I asked every guest a question, but I switched it up a bit…  Here we are, closing our year season...

This episode- a year in review- was so fun to make, it will become a WTMM tradition for sure!  Today, I’m joined by my executive assistant and podcast editor, Riley Higgins (who takes great notes), and we recap being moved by this podcast for all of 2021.   Get all the BTS and best bits of Season 2 AND a hint of what’s to come in Season 3!!! Show Notes: For more DANA For coaching with me, join the...

This episode is all about techniques within the realm of improvisation.  The big idea: when focus narrows, possibility widens! Ardyn Flynt and I talk about the techniques of mime, Forsythe, cyphers, Laban, and even the technique of TikTok.  I always learn a lot from Ardyn, but in this conversation, I walked away with a knowing of what it means to be a participating observer, AND how easy it can be...

Wowza, our guest today is not a dancer or choreographer, but if are, chances are she has impacted your life in some way… probably a BIG way.  Jin Lee has been the Director of operations of  Millennium Dance Complex for over 20 years. In this episode, we talk about getting the studio out of debt and through the pandemic, the impact social media has on the people that come through their door, and… h...

This week’s guest is unique in practically every way… I mean, to start, he is Japanese with an English accent, he has worked in over 50 countries, has an Emmy for outstanding choreography…and a hair salon, ANNNND his first dance class ever was a Locking class. He is a decorated dancer and choreographer and a budding philosopher, you’ll see   In this episode, we dig into praise and accolades, real...