DanceSpeak

Welcome to episode 153 of the DanceSpeak podcast with Yani Marin (The Beyoncé Experience, Broadway's Westside Story, Empire, Jack Ryan and more). From starting ballet as a child at one of the most competitive ballet schools in New York (School of American Ballet) to making her debut as an actress on television with Empire, Yani knows the entertainment industry and what it takes to pivot. This epis...

Welcome to Episode 152 of the DanceSpeak podcast with Gordon Watkins (Prince, Kendrick Lamar, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd at Super Bowl LV and moreee). Gordon originally appeared on the podcast early on as one of our youngest guests at the time. The general public might know Gordon best at the moment for his presence on social media, but what is behind it is years of experience in Los Angeles and a...

Welcome to episode 151 of the DanceSpeak podcast with Dr. Arnel Calvario (Culture Shock LA, Beat Freaks, Kinjaz, Fanny Pack, Kabba Modern, and MORE!). Arnel is an Occupational Therapist who simultaneously maintains his purpose and distinguished role in the dance world. This episode explores who to make room for the things you love. Arnel's journey teaches us that you don't have to choose or be jus...

Welcome to Episode 150 of the DanceSpeak podcast where we lift the veil of podcasting and SHARE SHARE SHARE. Jojo Diggs (previous guest episodes 15 and 91), who is known in the dance world as a community leader and educator, is starting work on her own podcast: "Healing Shame." Jojo asks me to go in-depth on how I started DanceSpeak, the creative choices I have navigated, pitfalls, and wins. Benea...

Welcome to episode 149 of the DanceSpeak podcast where we talk about love, s-x, romance, our own experiences and do not hold back. Dare I say more? Jasmine Raphael and Alyssa Stamp sit down with me for a roundtable where we get into different types of relationship styles, benefits and drawbacks, our own identify, and things no one seems to talk about that go down in the bedroom. This episode is an...

Welcome to a re-release of April 2018's episode 74 of DanceSpeak with Fresh Redding!! (Credits Include: Kendrick Lamar, Pharell, Justin Bieber, Will. I.Am, Busta Rhymes, America's Best Dance Crew, Nike, DWTS, Kia and more...) Fresh has proven himself to be an accomplished dancer, choreographer, and a true entrepreneur. With a clothing brand, event company, and management company, Fresh epitomizes...

Welcome to episode 147 of the DanceSpeak podcast with Ray Basa. Ray is one of those unbelievably fly dancers who is equally as warm as he is talented. To keep it so real, this episode does one of the best jobs we've done so far at keeping the conversations as real AS IF it wasn't even being recorded. And that's what I LOVE. We talk about everything from freeing up your freestyle, to choreographing...

Welcome to Episode 146 of the DanceSpeak podcast with Kim Gingras (Madonna, Beyoncé, Dua Lipa, Justin Timberlake... the list goes OOOON). I think it's impossible not to love Kim. She came from Montreal to Los Angeles with a dream and unstoppable work ethic, which paid off FOR SURE. On top of this, Kim emanates humility and kindness, with a clear passion for sharing as much as she can to contribute...

Welcome to episode 145 of the DanceSpeak podcast with Violeta Galagarza (In The Heights, Grand Theft Auto, the Latin Grammys). Violet is a forever dancer, choreographer, and founder of a non-profit dance company, KR3Ts, which plays a major role in the bridge between underground and industry dancers in New York City. Violet and KR3Ts have come up in loads of episodes here (if you re-listen or go ba...

Welcome to episode 144 of the DanceSpeak podcast; this is the Fifth Year Anniversary episode! This episode is a switcheroo as the industry vet and 'Words That Move Me' host, Dana Wilson, interviews me, Galit, the creator and regularly scheduled host of DanceSpeak. I let Dana know we can go DEEP and that nothing is off limits. We get into what prepared me for my journey to move and STAY in Los Ange...

Welcome to episode 143 of the DanceSpeak podcast with veteran dancer, choreographer and creative director, Chase Benz (Britney Spears, Rihanna, J Balvin, Florida Georgia Line and so many more!). Booking his first tour at age 15, Chase's career is an action-packed trajectory of growth and jaw-dropping work. Chase, a family man, shares about how he finds balance between being a husband, father, and...

Welcome to episode 142 of the DanceSpeak podcast with Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist John Sovec. First and foremost, let me clarify that John was a full-on working dancer for years and years before transitioning into being a phenom therapist. So... John GETS it! Naturally, one of the first things we dive into is how John had clarity when it was time for him to transition out of dance and h...

Welcome to episode 141 of the DanceSpeak podcast with Brian 'Footwork' Green (A BONUS episode that follow's up on Brian's longer interview in 140). This interview moment is kind of the dream. We were wrapping up a conversation and Brian starts sharing GEMS, so I ask+ed if I could record and he was cool with it and here is how our bonus episode came to be. The originating question that spurred this...

Welcome to Episode 140 of the DanceSpeak podcast with Brian 'Footwork' Green. Brian is that teacher, that mentor, that dancer, that does not need an introduction within most dance spaces. He is the teacher to teachers, and the one that can back it up with a level of dancing that has most of us asking ourselves 'do I even know how to dance?' Brian shares about civil rights and how it interweaves wi...

Welcome to episode 139 of the DanceSpeak podcast with Maleek Washington (Camille A.Brown & Dancers, Sleep No More, Abraham. In. Motion, Sia, Rihanna, and more). I met Maleek at LaGuardia H.S. of the Performance Arts when we were students there 200 years ago (that wasn't a typo). He ALWAYS booked work, and continued to always work and still continues... So naturally, I wanted to learn about how Mal...

Sitting with Anissa Williams (Straight Outta Compton, Missy Elliot, 2Pac, Nike etc.) brings the HUMAN side from casting to our ears. Anissa shares about her journey from graduating school to getting into casting and how she earned he seat at the elite level that we so venerate. Anissa and I talk about everything from working on In Living Color, to the importance of work-life balance. The thing I'm...

Welcome to episode 137 of the DanceSpeak podcast with Kara Mack (Coming 2 America, Kendrick Lamar, Africa in America) Let me just say Kara Mack. Is. The. One. I promise you will fall in love with her in this week's episode of the podcast. We go through it all, including: - The beginning of her journey studying African and African diasporic movement - Bringing African diasporic movement and studies...

Here we are! Episode 136 with are three-peat Teresa Espinosa has arrived. I finally got to indulge and ask for juicy tidbits from dancing on the legendary Velvet Rope Tour. Then we talked about navigating through a pandemic with a world-famous studio that is between homes (and how it's still going) and... high-performance coaching. This episode answers the question: what can life look like after p...

Welcome to episode 135 of the DanceSpeak podcast with Jonte' (Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, Tamar Braxton, and more). We talk about everything from auditioning for years without results and then booking Janet Jackson's infamous Super Bowl performance to being a celebrity in Japan! We also cover topics including what it looks like to put your foot down and chase your dreams, navigating homophobia, and ti...

Welcome to Episode 134 of the DanceSpeak podcast with Noel Bajandas. Noel is a dancer and choreographer with decades in the industry and credits that include the upcoming movie “In The Heights”, LA LA Land, Circue Du Soleil’s Delirium, Madonna and Toni Braxton. This is the most perfect time for Noel's episode to be released as his story is inspiring, fun, and he keeps it REAL. Noel shares about ho...

Welcome to episode 133 of the DanceSpeak podcast. In this unprecedented year, one of the major guiding factors I've experienced is having our guests share how they have been navigating Covid times. After nearly a year of physically distanced interviews from around the country (and Paris too), I have been bursting with information to share, because there are some major things in common that our thr...

Welcome to episode 132 of the DanceSpeak podcast with Marissa T. Schaeffer (Licensed Physical Therapist and NCSA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist). Marissa has worked with dancers from Broadway to ballet serving companies such as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, José Limón Dance Company, and Doug Varone. She has also written and contributed to dance articles in Dance Magazine, Dan...

Welcome to episode 131 of the DanceSpeak Podcast with Laure Courtellemont (Neyo, Major Lazor, SYTYCD and more). Laure means so many things to us, the podcast. She is the story of having passion beyond fear, of having a dream that takes her across the ocean from Paris to the US, of being pulled into her career of dance by an inexplicable force. Our interview takes place remotely as we are hunkered...

For Mature Audiences Only! If you are familiar with us at all, you probably know we are all for sharing unfiltered and enlivening conversations with our audience. Episode 130 of DanceSpeak delivers an interview with Alicia and Erwan, the relationship coaches of Erwan Davon Teachings, who work with singles and couples to create soulful and sexy relationships. Nothing is off guard here. We get into...

Welcome to episode 129 of the DanceSpeak podcast with Tiffany Mellard (Hamilton, Chicago, West Side Story). What got me super geeked about Tiffany is that while I'm trying to navigate not eating all of the cookies in the jar during Covid, Tiffany, who was in Hamilton prior to everything shutting down, is obtaining a Master's degree from Harvard. Not that this is a comparison game... no, not that!...