Creative Impact Podcast

I am delighted to have Lara Bianca Pilcher back on the podcast as we celebrate the launch of Lara's new book Audacious Artistry: Reclaim Your Creative Identity and Thrive in a Saturated World . Lara's personal artistic journey and her experience coaching artists come together beautifully in her message of hope for artists--that it is possible to thrive in today's noisy world! Lara shar...

We are wrapping up our Belhaven Dance Alumni Series with the very first graduate of the Belhaven Dance Department, Jill Pelhan Day! It was such a joy to spend this time with Jill and hear more about the beginnings of the dance program. While so much has changed over the years, we both reflect on how the heart of Belhaven has remained the same. Jill shares her inspiring journey from a small town in...

What a gift to spend time with Kim Holloway for part eleven of our Belhaven Dance Alumni series! Kim is a choreographer, performer, teaching artist, and Pilates instructor based in Seattle, Washington. I love Kim's heart for connection and community and her belief that movement has the power to bring healing and change. In our conversation, Kim shares her artistic journey from her early influe...

I loved reconnecting with Lauren Messina for part ten of our Belhaven Dance Alumni series! Lauren is an award-winning choreographer, community builder, and founder of Skool Dance, an innovative online space connecting dancers of all backgrounds worldwide. In our conversation, Lauren shares about her journey in dance, the importance of community, and her experiences at Belhaven for both her undergr...

It was so sweet to connect with the lovely Goldie Mims for episode 136, part nine of our Belhaven Dance Alumni Series! Goldie is a recent graduate of Belhaven University and is currently dancing with Enoch Contemporary Ballet in Tennessee. She shares her journey beginning with the inspiration of growing up in a creative family in Jacksonville, Florida, to the unexpected pursuit of her dance degree...

We are continuing our Belhaven Dance Alumni series with performer and dance educator Jamie J. Thompson! Jamie joins me for part eight of our series, episode 135, sharing the integral significance of dance in his upbringing in Belize and the path he has journeyed to becoming a professional dancer and educator in New York City. He reflects on his formative years, both his experiences growing up in B...

My lovely friend Carina Nasrallah joins me for episode 134, part seven of our Belhaven Dance Alumni Series! Carina is currently an outreach athletic trainer for Houston Methodist Hospital and is an athletic trainer for the Houston Ballet & Academy. Throughout our conversation, Carina and I enjoy reminiscing about our time at Belhaven together and our shared experiences living and working in Ho...

It was so fun to reconnect with Matthew Palfenier for episode 133, part six of our Belhaven Dance Alumni series! We reminisce about our time at Belhaven University and the sense of camaraderie that was built during that season. Matthew and I explore his journey from early foundations in the arts, to his time at Belhaven, to becoming a professional dancer and educator. He shares about the pressure...

We are diving back into our Belhaven Dance Alumni Series for part five, episode 132, with the inspiring Elle Ciccarone! Elle received her BFA from Belhaven University and is currently pursuing her MFA there and teaching the undergraduate students. After graduating with her BFA, Elle spent several years performing, teaching, and choreographing in New Orleans. While there, she established her own mo...

It was such a joy to reconnect with my beautiful friend Elisabeth Mather for episode 131, part 4 of our Belhaven Dance Alumni Series! Elisabeth is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Substance Abuse Counselor. With a background as a professional dancer and educator, she brings a unique and impactful perspective to her work as a Counselor. In our conversation, we dive into Elisabeth&#3...

I loved catching up with the lovely Brittany Walker for part three of our Belhaven Dance Alumni Series! Brittany is the founder of Evolve Dance Project based in Southern Colorado. Listen in to this inspiring episode as we dive into Brittany’s journey from her formative years, to her time at Belhaven University, to her current role as a choreographer and dance instructor. Brittany shares the story...

We are back for part two of our Belhaven Dance Alumni Series with my amazing friend, Joanna (Tan) Koleth! Joanna was a guest on the podcast back in November 2020 for episode 24. It is a delight to have her back and to hear about her journey since we last spoke! Joanna is a dance-artist, educator, choreographer, and comprehensively certified BASI Pilates teacher. Her business, MADE TO MOVE STUDIO,...

We are kicking off our Belhaven Dance Alumni Series with the incredible Cheri Orr! Cheri is the artistic director of Jubilee Dance Company and co-founder of Jubilee Arts Collective in Colorado Springs. Cheri is also a company dancer with Ormao Dance Company and serves as an adjunct dance instructor at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Cheri was an early graduate from the Belhaven Uni...

I am so excited to share this special episode of the Creative Impact Podcast with you! In this episode, I have the joy of interviewing various leaders in the dance community! These interviews took place live during the Project Dance Houston event in March 2024. The conversations explore the intersection of dance, worship, and community, emphasizing the importance of using dance as a form of worshi...

What a joy to have Jordan Haley EuDaly joining me for episode 126! Jordan is a painter, wife, mother, and inspiring creative living in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Jordan is a working artist who goes by the name Jordan Haley. Her husband Brent is founder of The Serious Toy Company, and together they are working towards building a unique treehouse bnb experience on their property. With a passion for h...

I absolutely loved this conversation with creativity coach Lauren Spangler! Lauren shares about her journey of being a multi-passionate artist, the challenges of burnout, and the importance of finding balance in our creative pursuits. We then jump into a mini coaching session where she guides me (Rachel) through exploring what it would look like to cultivate a healthy relationship with my creativi...

I am so excited to have the lovely Hannah Anderson back on the podcast for episode 124! Hannah joined us previously on episode 39 where she shared more about her professional dance journey and backstory. Hannah is currently the director of Earthen Image Movement , and she is currently producing a collaborative dance concert entitled “For the Beauty of the Earth.” In this conversation, Hannah refle...

I am so grateful to have Shannon Dooling-Cain joining me for episode 123! Shannon is a dance educator, choreographer, writer, and founder of The Holistic Dance Teacher. She combines her love of writing with her love for the dance community in her work with The Holistic Dance Teacher. Through her blog, resource collection, and in-person events, Shannon helps dancers, choreographers, and dance teach...

What a joy to connect with Misty Lown, founder of More Than Just Great Dancing!® More Than Just Great Dancing!® is a licensed dance studio affiliation program positively impacting over 120,000 dance students around the globe each week. Misty is a recognized teacher, speaker, business coach, and author. In this episode, she shares valuable wisdom and insight from her experience as an entrepreneur....

What is the impact of the arts around the world? Enjoy this bonus episode wrapping up our mini-series where we are diving into conversations focused on the global impact of the arts. It is such a joy to have Cheryl Cutlip back on the podcast! Cheryl Cutlip is the founding director of The Project Dance Foundation, formed in 2002 as a mission to bring hope and healing to the world through the univer...

I’m honored to be joined by mentor and friend, Anthony Gurley, for episode 120. Anthony spent thirty years at his alma mater, Guilford College, as the Director of Financial Aid, retiring in 2009. He recently published his first book, Deadly Dilemma: A Memoir . I originally met Anthony through a scholarship and mentorship program he founded called Mo-T-Vation Ministry. Anthony would describe himsel...

We are kicking off December with this fun and rich conversation with my new friend, Gabe Baker! Gabe is a singer/songwriter and cellist who is currently on tour with Grammy-winning group For King + Country. Their “A Drummer Boy” Christmas tour is happening now, and if you happen to be near one of the cities included in the tour - I highly recommend you check it out! Gabe is a former college footba...

What is the impact of the arts around the world? During this mini-series, we are diving into conversations focused on the global impact of the arts. I am honored to have Keith and Kathy Thibodeaux joining me for part eight of this series! Keith and Kathy are the Founders and Directors of Ballet Magnificat!, an arts organization dedicated to presenting the good news of Jesus Christ to the whole wor...

What is the impact of the arts around the world? During this mini-series, we are diving into conversations focused on the global impact of the arts. For part seven of this series, I am so excited to introduce you to Chelsea Dawn! Chelsea serves on the global and regional arts faculty with the University of the Nations for Youth WIth A Mission (YWAM) and hosts the new dance and faith podcast called...

What is the impact of the arts around the world? During this mini-series, we are diving into conversations focused on the global impact of the arts. I am so grateful for the opportunity to connect with Jeff and Natalie Lewis of Arrows International for part six of this series! Jeff and Natalie Lewis are the Founders and Directors of Arrows International, which is a full time training program and d...