DANCE +

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...

This (100TH) episode is a peek into my life and mind! Not only am I celebrating 100 episodes with a list of 100 things I am grateful for, I am also celebrating over 100k downloads!  Thank you all for ALL of your love and learning.  Now buckle up and get ready to get to know me better (…for better or for worse). Quicklinks: WTMM IG for contest details! Words That Move Me Shopping List: https://www....

We have a long way to go before we reach TOTAL diversity, equity and inclusion in the ballet industry, but today’s guest is hopeful and full of heart.  Jonathan Batista was born in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, and went on to train at The Royal Ballet School in London, England, before graduating from the English National Ballet School and Trinity College London with a degree in dance. That was the very...

Oh my friend, you are in for a sweet treat today!!!  In this Episode, Alexis “Tilly” Evans-Krueger  brings us backstage at Moulin Rouge on Broadway for a little pre-show dressing room chit chat… but only no, this isn’t a chit chat… it is a deep dive on several big and important topics.  Tilly talks about creating the feeling of freedom daily and her experience with college for dance.  Her journey...

Those that know me/ have been listening to the podcast for awhile, might call me a “Joy Machine”.  My default setting is “SPARKLE”… but my ratio of joy to sadness has been inverted as of late.  I am deeply sad as I am recording this episode, and that is OK.  Stepping into the booth and talking to a microphone was my Minimum Viable Effort and I am so glad I did it, because it turns out, this episod...

Today’s guest means BUSINESS, and she’s been in it for 26 years.  She got a late start (relative to most dancers) but it seems like there’s nothing she hasn’t done: films, tours, TV, TWO Super Bowl halftime shows, and her very own training program Lipstick Diaries. The great thing about Jessica is that it seems she is only getting started. This episode holds so many golden nuggets of business wisd...

This episode is NOT an A-Z glossary of camera and film terminology.  It IS a deep dive into  why “film speak” is important for dancers and choreographers… and also why it is a total set up.  Yes, I’ll demystify a few of the basic terms and technicalities, but I also dish out some of my favorite resources for a deeper dive on jargon, and I zoom in on (sorry, couldn’t help it) a few simple cues you...

“Negotiation” shouldn’t be a scary word.  Advocating for yourself and your values is cool, AND it is part of the job! In this episode, I discuss the role of intimacy coordinators and how much they can teach us about establishing and communicating boundaries in our work (and in our lives).  We practice using the terms Yes, AND” and “No, BUT” to set clear parameters that will help to protect your me...

This episode’s guest is the reason I pursued a professional career in dance,but she isn’t only an inspiration and a hero in MY life, she is a creative leader in the entertainment industry at large.  Nina McNeely’s work is singular… it is dark, it is bright, and so is she.  I can’t wait for you to hear her thoughts about social media and the way it has changed BRAVERY in art.  We also explore the s...

In this Q&A episode I get to tackle questions from listeners that span the spectrum from technical to philosophical.  I share the best advice I’ve ever gotten (from David Frickin Fincher), and I talk about some outstanding gigs!  I tell you about the race and dance history programs/ resources that have been game changers to me, I outline my mental health regimine, AND talk about “that talk” th...

This may be the first time we really dig into the subject of status and power dynamics on the podcast! FUN!!!  In this episode,  insiders and outsiders are under the microscope, and we approach the subject from the position of moving into a new role or industry AND I’ll point out how this power dynamic can shift during the course of ONE audition , or pitch meeting.  I hope that after listening to...

In this episode, I talk about why many creative people feel the need to take on the world by themselves… Then, I hand out all of my favorite ways to do more by NOT doing it alone.  The key is to simplify.  It really is that simple. Not EASY, but SIMPLE.  Quick Links: Wyzant and Lynda.com <- for general Tutoring). I’ll ask obvious but GOOD questions Contest fines or enrollment fees: https://dono...

Reshma Gajjar had to be my first interview back after vocal cord surgery no doubt about it.   In this episode, Reshma and I discuss the importance of humanness in dance and how silence and meditation can help to achieve it.  She also speaks about how stepping away from dance helped her change her definition of success, and how her ethnicity has both helped and hurt her at different times in an eve...

You know me as a dancer/ choreographer, you know me as a talker, but I am ALSO a person who WRITES… in a journal.  You better believe I journaled the crap out of my 10 days of silence that turned into 21 days of silence post vocal cord surgery.  I yielded about 3 pages of stream of consciousness writing every day, and as you can imagine, thos pages turned up a lot of… STUFF.  So, As an exercise fo...

This week’s replay is so special because my guests were SO special. Welcome to the world of Jermaine Spivey and Spenser Theberg where good questions are met with GREAT answers. These humans bring so much thought into their words, movement, and world and I couldn’t be happier that they are a part of my world! Quick Links: Watch Jermaine in Kid Pivots’ Betroffenheit  https://www.marquee.tv/watch/cry...

On our third replay of August, take a listen to Not Booking, AKA not getting what you want. With the world reopening again, this can be a GREAT topic to revisit. What do you do when you’re not booked and blessed? Come explore in this episode the wonderful world of not getting what you want and how the wanting most often does not equal the getting. Show Notes: Donate to the Words That Move Me Commu...