DANCE +

This is DANCE + DANIEL “CLOUD” CAMPOS Most people find one creative medium and stay. Cloud Campos found dance — then learned stop-motion, animation, PLUS directing because he refused to let a story outrun his tools. He joined me this week to talk about premiering unreleased work at CLOUDFEST, real budgets, and the dog slide that had an entire room convinced it was rotoscoped. Spoiler: it wasn't. I...

This is DANCE + REBRANDING. This episode is a masterclass in when and HOW to pivot using our very own podcast as the case study. I'm telling you why, why NOW, and HOW I moved from “Words That Move Me” to DANCE +  Here’s what you can expect from our pivot: Same great content, new name, logo, iconography, and then some!  Spoiler: Rebrands are as much MIND MANAGEMENT as they are BRAND MANAGEMENT. Piv...

Bret Easterling has spent his entire life (even pre-birth!) dancing, and his entire career building worlds on stage, on screen, and inside the communities that make dance possible. A producer, Juilliard-trained and award winning choreographer, former Batsheva performer, founder of LGBTQ+ nonprofit BEMOVING, and one half of the creative duo EICHTERLING, Bret joined me this week to talk about what i...

Tali has spent 20+ years at every level of the dance world, with credits ranging from Rihanna and P!nk to the West End production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe . She joined me this week to talk about what it really means to advocate for choreographers, why freestyle is one of the most advanced skills in the room, and how a single conversation got one of her clients double the offer. Spoi...

Karen Chuang is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer based in Los Angeles who has toured with Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, taught across nine countries, and built a career that moves fluidly between the commercial and contemporary dance worlds. Spoiler: Excellence alone won't get you (and *keep* you) the gig! We explore: The Jack Johnson T-shirt moment. A moment when the most...

Jackie Sleight is a choreographer, founder of LA Dance Magic, and founder and co-director of LA Jazz Company, and an example of what happens when a woman decides NOT TO STOP! Spoiler: Your favorite dance teachers’ favorite dance teacher didn't get there by playing it safe. We explore: Nine recessions and still standing. Why Jackie believes that choosing to do something else isn't failure; it's mov...

WEED OH NO! The Seaweed Sisters' first-ever live show, premiering this June at the Los Angeles Theater Center with @latinotheaterco. TICKETS ARE ON SALE HERE  This week, special guest host Emily Wanserski — executive producer of the show — brings @TheSeaweedSisters together to pull back the curtain on how it all gets made. What the show actually is, what it feels like, and what you can expect when...

This is my episode on what happens when someone makes falling off buildings look like an art form. Marissa Labog is a dancer, stunt performer, filmmaker, and mom, and she joined me this week to talk about something I didn't expect: how stunts and dance are actually the same conversation, just with better padding. Spoiler: the scariest part of doing something dangerous isn't the danger. It's skippi...

This is my episode on the pattern that lives between your worst feeling and your best one. I'm going solo this week to talk about something I discovered mid-move — four steps up a staircase, a king-size mattress, and a full emotional spiral that somehow led to one of my favorite realizations yet. Spoiler: your worst feeling isn't the end. It's actually the beginning. We explore: The mattress that...

This is my episode on Credits, Collaboration, and the Industry Conversations We've Been Waiting to Have I sit down with choreographer Jamal Sims and associate choreographer Will Bell to talk about what it actually looks like when the dance industry takes care of its own — and what happens when it doesn't. Spoiler: the best collaborations aren't built on titles. They're built on trust. We explore:...

This is my episode on Healing, Collaboration, and the Care You Didn't Know You Were Missing In this episode, I sit down with the team at Offset Med, the referral-only practice that's quietly taking care of some of the hardest-working bodies in the industry, to talk about what it actually looks like when healthcare meets you where you are. Spoiler: the best care isn't a diagnosis. It's a discovery...

This is my episode on Confidence and what’s keeping you from feeling it! In this solo episode, Dana (movement director, artist developer, and your unofficial confidence coach) breaks down the one thing her students, pop stars, and actors keep asking for, and why they've been thinking about it all wrong. Spoiler: confidence isn't a skill you build. It's a feeling you're willing to have. We explore:...

This is Paul Turner on Feedback, Family, and Finding Your People in Unfamiliar Territory In this episode, Performer, Reality Star, “Production Fairy” and Producer, Paul Turner, shares his perspective on compassion, improvisation, and building creative community in spaces that demand instant connection. From competing on Survivor Europe with two weeks' notice and a rainbow tank top to launching Whe...

Celebrate FIVE years of Words That Move Me with Producer & Host, Dana Wilson, joined by Executive Assistant & Editor Riley Higgins!    This episode is a wild ride including: Friends drinking adult hot cocoa A trip down memory lane of the last five years of the podcast!  How we handled grit vs grace this year Our essential travel items PLUS a story that will have your heart beating out of y...

This is Sienna Lyons on Sensuality, Specialization, and the Strength to Sustain   In this episode, Choreographer, Educator, and Dancer Sienna Lyons shares her perspective on power, versatility, and longevity in an industry that often demands everything at once. From backup dancing for JLo and Taylor Swift to choreographing for Gwen Stefani and The Masked Singer, Sienna reveals what it means to com...

This is Dr. Arnel Calvario Ripkens on conscious leadership, cultural stewardship, and the dance program that says “yes” when others say “no”. In this episode, dancer, leader, and Doctor of Occupational Therapy Arnel Calvario Ripkens shares three decades of wisdom on building community, honoring roots, and creating space for everybody. We explore: The antidote to lonely leadership. Why "you're not...

This is Will Johnston on new projects, originality, and the moment in a lunge that changed everything. In this episode, choreographer and director Will Johnston discusses his creative process, artistic influence, and the evolution of his work, from competitive dance beginnings to directing music videos for major artists. We explore: The choreography of numbness through cathartic movement. How his...

This is The Full Circle Boys & Keone Madrid on evolution, trust, and what becomes possible when creative roles shift. In this episode, The Full Circle Boys and choreographer Keone Madrid discuss their collaboration journey—from DIY beginnings to finding their distinct lanes. We explore: The sonic vision of a modern American boy band. How their creative sessions revealed a sound and aesthetic t...

This is an episode on injury, resistance, and the thoughts that become available after you stop fighting what is. In this episode, Dana shares her first-ever back injury at 39 and the 4 key lessons that came with it. We explore: The non-negotiable truth about injury. Why pretending you're not hurt serves no one, no job is worth pushing through real pain, and "if" you'll get injured is actually "wh...

This is Mel Mah on intuition, container-shifting, and letting dance lead you to your voice. In this episode, Mel Mah, writer, director, producer, former professional dancer, and internationally renowned yoga teacher, shares her journey from dancing for icons like Janet Jackson to directing her first feature film. We explore: The art of creative incubation. Why Mel treats her work like birthing a c...

This is Andy Funk and Jeremy Keeton on legacy, transition, and the next chapter for Monsters of Hip Hop. In this episode, Andy Funk, founder of Monsters of Hip Hop, and Jeremy Keeton, founder of Adreneline, sit down to discuss one of dance education's most significant transitions. As Andy passes the torch of his iconic brand to Jeremy, they explore: The catalysts for major life transitions. How th...

This is Brinn Nicole on evolution, authenticity, and redefining success in dance. In this episode, professional choreographer and Heels dance instructor Brinn Nicole—creator of the Pumpfidence—opens up about the profound shift from industry ambition to inner transformation. Brinn, whose work treats Heels dance as a pathway to emotional development and empowerment, explores: The evolution of artist...