DANCE +

What do Tik Tok, a hydraulic press, and my favorite city in Australia all have in common?  This week’s guest, Smac McCreanor. In this conversation, Smac and I dig into TikTok, commercials, building creative spaces, and living the lives of our dreams, so get ready to giggle, take notes, and maybe even tear up a little bit, because … This woman lives to laugh, she is strategic AND silly, and she kno...

I love boldness, otherness, and a full spectrum of “sexy”… so, in a word, I love Miguel Zarate. In this episode, Miguel and I go from zero to 100 in 1.5 seconds.  We talk pronouns, sexuality, our own artistic identities, and we go IN on what it means to be “sexy” in an industry where sex sells.  So… grab a glass of wine and some ear muffs for the little ones, and ENJOY! Quick Links: Miguel’s Youtu...

There comes a time in a dancer’s life when the questions stop being about “favorite job or favorite dancer” and start being… USEFUL.  In a short time, we covered everything from  handling criticism, to audition mentality, and even a little dive into @intheheightsmovie BIG THANKS to everyone who came to our live Q&A episode (and to those that submitted questions prior) for helping me to make go...

I’ve been taking notes from this woman my whole life, and now, she is sharing answers to questions we’ve all been asking, like:  What is the secret to managing a busy schedule?  How do we OVER-deliver without burning out?  Does dance save lives? Yes, all that, and then some, because my guest this week is all that and more!  Movers and shakers, I am so proud to present,  my sister and my hero, Dr....

I’m celebrating Cinco De Mayo this year by sharing this conversation with the FABULOUS Lily Frias.  Lily is simply sensational and in this episode we cover everything from her style, her process, her history, Mexican history (and what you SHOULD know about Cinco De Mayo), to her take on using dance as self discovery.  I absolutely light up for Lily and I hope you do too!   Truth is, you don’t know...

My long time friend, Erika Mori, joined me on the podcast today!  The conversation bounces between sensitive, smart, and very silly as we walk down memory lane, dig into the importance of technique to access emotion, and discuss the inevitable “professional heartbreaks” that we’ll experience in our work. Quick Links: Life is Strange Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6CkzwVAr0M The Lucid Bo...

I hope this episode reminds you of the brilliance of children… and gets you more in touch with your brilliant inner child!  I have started to look at young people as little Baby Yodas.  Full of potential, wisdom and plenty of life hacks up for grabs!  In this episode I focus on the willingness to play (and walk into every game like a winner), the bounce back (after our losses), and the importance...

This episode is a response to something I have noticed coming up A LOT lately.  I’m calling it FOMAD (Fear of Making a Decision), but you can call it whatever you’d like.  I created this acronym to address the feeling of immobilization that comes along with thinking: “It’s HARD to choose a path when I don’t know exactly where I’m going and I have so many interesting paths ahead of me!”  Let’s unco...

This one is touchy my friends, and I’ve been getting smoke signals from near and far to do a podcast on this topic. FOMO is REAL… but it is not tremendously useful… This episode is full of ways to turn it into something that IS! Quick Links: Register for April 14ths FREE Coaching Call here: https://www.thedanawilson.com/registrationform For more DANA For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY ...

What are the biggest mistakes an independent contractor can make? How important is it to file quarterly?  What can you do to get on the same “money page” as your partner? 1099’s… there are so many, what do I do with all of them?  THIS episode is all of your money questions… ANSWERED! Thanks to my very special guest, Julia Grubbs , Dancer, Aerialist, Personal Trainer, and CPA! Quicklinks: Find Juli...

My goal for this episode is NOT to tell you what you should or shouldn’t think about money, or even THAT you should or shouldn’t think about money.  My goal is to  hold a safe place for you to explore, and discuss your RELATIONSHIP with money.  By the end of this episode, you’ll understand your beliefs about money, how (long it takes) to make a billion dollars AND the very significant role your em...

Let’s talk ORGANIZATION! Choreographers and their teams (assistant choreographers, associate choreographers, co-choreographers etc.) along with production assistants are the ONLY category of workers on Film/ TV/ Commercial sets that do not have Union representation.  What does that mean? It means no minimum daily rate, no Health & Pension contributions, no residual structures, no penalties for...

Dancers are unique in many many ways, not least of which is our income.  It comes from MANY different places, at inconsistent intervals, it’s often not taxed… and then there’s the actual numbers!  We might make $17.49/ hour, we might make over $1k per day, we might make $0.00 in a month, we might make $250,000.00 per year. Still interested?  Yea, me too.  In this episode, I break down the rates, t...

    The chapters of the Nika Kljun story read a bit like a fairy tale of a girl who followed her heart, but if you read between the lines it is the story of certainty in uncertain times.  Nika is an example of dreaming big and achieving BIG THINGS.  This episode dips into the strategies behind big moves (geographically and otherwise).  Movers and shakers, (and fellow ambassadors) Please welcome th...

This episode is equal parts education and celebration and 100% of it comes with love.  Guest host Dom Kelley bridges the generational gap with two dance icons, Eartha Robinson and Big Will Simmons. Listen as these three unpack and unfold their history, Black history: past, present, and future.  They say don’t meet your heroes, but if your heroes are Dom, Eartha and Will, we highly recommend you do...

THIS is history right here; past, present, and future.  I am honored to be co-hosting this episode with my dear friend and long time (tour time) bookend, Ava Bernstine Mitchell (aka Ava Flav).  Ava is a journalist, world renowned dancer, choreographer and educator, podcast host and much more!  In this episode, Ava and I go down memory lane AND look to bright and wealthy futures with the one and on...

Many of us are missing a big slice of the pie when it comes to jumping in the freestyle circle… we are missing a big slice of dance history in general!  We are missing the CONTEXT. Leave it to my guest, Moncell Durden, to give you the full 360, and then some.  We are kicking off Black History Month, by going below the surface.   Moncell is a dance educator, choreographer, ethnographer, embodied hi...

Over 100 million viewers world wide, 6 minutes to set up, about $833,000.00 PER MINUTE in production costs, NO SECOND TAKES. NO PRESSURE RIGHT? This is what I live for. This is what WE live for. This is (literally) what Champions are made of. This episode is a collection of spectacular Super Bowl Halftime Show Stories from a few of my favorite dance types, Victor Rojas, Brittany Parks, and Chris D...

This episode is all about mining one precious resource, COMMITMENT.   The dictionary defines Commitment as “The state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.” That is a very neat and tidy way to explain such a dynamic spectrum of being!  I see commitment as a sliding scale, and I see the WTMM Team dialing up our commitment to racial equity.  Happy first episode of Black History Mo...

My guest on this episode is one of the reasons I am hopeful for the future of dance… and for the world!   She is bright, wise, beautiful, and  a master of her craft from a young age.  Today, we are joined by Galen Hooks!   We dig into The Galen Hooks Method and making “good choices” on the job, activism and the responsibility of artists, and the value of following your gut. So, get your notepad re...

My guest in this episode, Matty Peacock, works closely with more than “some” of today’s most influential pop sensations.  The most influential thing about him, however, is not his resume…  It is his respect for the work, the mystery, and the collaboration within the process.   From performing to choreographing and directing Matty shares *almost* all of his secrets and stories that land him where h...

There are thousands of articles and podcasts and videos about New Year’s resolutions.  You can find countless lists like “Top 4 (or 5, or 15, or 30) Reasons Resolutions Don’t Work”.  You’ll find even more lists of how to keep them!  Well, in this episode, I give you ONE.  ONE REASON why you aren’t seeing your goals through and ONE sure fire way to make sure you do.  This one goes out to all of my...

  My year + of doing daily changed my life more than any other project to date.   It helped me redefine creativity.  It helped me put perfectionism in the passenger seat.  It got me better acquainted with my talents and my taste.  Exactly one year ago, in episode one and two of the podcast, I went deep on Doing Daily. I encourage you go back and get all the juicy details, but today, we are approac...

    Show Notes: Quicklinks: Vulfpeck Christmas in LA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5K3UgrPdbQ Raspberry Sumac Snickerdoodles: https://mynameisyeh.com/mynameisyeh/2019/11/sumac-snickerdoodles Get The New Jim Crow, White Fragility, How to be Anti-Racist, and Changing the Conversation from one of these independent black owned bookstores: https://lithub.com/you-can-order-today-from-these-black-own...

The Cinnamon Bear: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfPhisoXl8jvuij8NVdv_8gHIUUJnwzfw Donate to the Words That Move Me Community WTMM Membership: Join Here    Follow us on IG & Tiktok   View Full Episode Transcript