Dissecting Dance: Kickin it with Ren

Have a message for us? Send it here! Thank you all for listening! Follow me on Instagram at @dissectingdance for current updates on postings and more!

Have a message for us? Send it here! Thank you all for listening! Follow me on Instagram at @dissectingdance for current updates on postings and more!

We have Danielle Sampson (she/her) on the show to discuss the intersectionality between being a dancer, and mental health. As dancers, we develop a lot of very important skills: Not limited to self-discipline, teamwork, accountability, and body awareness.  Dance is a beautiful sport and art form; however, if a dancer is not in a proper learning environment, or another factor, it can lead to the da...

After a super long hiatus, we are back, and ready! On today's episode, I will be discussing my thoughts on the Dancing with the Stars Live Tour 2025 from an attempted perspective of a dance critic.  Please keep in mind! In the dance world, everything is subjective. The opinions I share is an opinion! The purpose of this podcast is to promote discussion surrounding dance and is not meant to up...

Happy 2025! In this episode, we talk about Wii Fit, a game that was released for the Wii in the late 2000s, that was meant to create a fun way for people to get exercise and stay healthy. I played the game as a kid frequently, and I loved it. But now I am starting to think about how the structure of the game could have played a role in potential body image issues down the line.  Please keep in min...

In this episode, we have special guest Courtney McCarthy on the show to discuss societal pressures on women in the gym environment, and her story on creating Loyobo. Women specifically are put under a lot of pressure to look a certain way, and meet stereotypes. Her goal was to create an environment that allows women to work out as a way of self love, setting personal goals, and taking back their b...

Today I bring on my friend and DCC enthusiast Kayla to discuss all things Making the Team and the Netflix special that came out earlier this year. Overall, we consider this an example of the standards we don't exactly want representing the dance community. Please keep in mind that a lot of things mentioned without evidence is our own opinion, and should not be taken as factual statements. Thi...

Aliya Cheyanne came on the show to discuss her online consulting business and algorithms in social media! We also discussed the importance of self improvement, especially in the arts where it is extremely difficult to achieve perfection.  Check her out here! Website: https://www.aliyacheyanne.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theprolifichubpod?igsh=MTZxZzZpOWJzaWJtMw== Podcast:  https://the...

In this episode, we speak with Lauren Tait, who shares her experience as a company director who owns a theater (that's pretty cool!) and discuss her choreographic process when it comes to creating dances. Dance creation comes from a lot more than a thesaurus of terms, it is movement generated by the body, for the body.  Have a message for us? Send it here! Thank you all for listening! Follow...

On this episode I share my approach to favoritism, bias, and jealousy and delve into what that could look like in the dance education world. My goal for the episode was to share potential risk factors of favoritism and encouraging dance students to think critically about their teachers perceptions of hard work, and their ability and willingness to provide feedback.  Oftentimes, when a student obse...

I have my friend Mara on for PART 2 of discussing the negative impact that Dance Moms has on the dance industry. Please note that this was recorded in March 2024, before any mention of the new Dance Moms, and before break dancing was announced in the summer Olympics.  Have a message for us? Send it here! Thank you all for listening! Follow me on Instagram at @dissectingdance for current updates on...

In today's episode I have my friend Mara on as a guest, where we discuss the impact that the original television show "Dance Moms" has had on us as well as the dance world.  This episode has two parts: The second part will be out on September 19th at 12PM EST.  Have a message for us? Send it here! Thank you all for listening! Follow me on Instagram at @dissectingdance for current up...

We have my friend Tamaya on the podcast to discuss all things K-Pop! She is in a leadership position of a K-Pop student organization that focuses on teaching choreography, organizing showcases for the public, and traveling to other organizations to perform. She's also a great dancer and Just Dance enthusiast which we touch on in this episode.  Have a message for us? Send it here! Thank you al...

A common issue that occurs in dance is the lack of consent that dancers are able to give, whether it comes to contact or social media. On this episode, Gwyn and I discuss the repercussions associated with not being able to give proper consent in the dance world.  Have a message for us? Send it here! Thank you all for listening! Follow me on Instagram at @dissectingdance for current updates on post...

I have my friend Gwyn on today to discuss our experiences with being gender non conforming dancers in an industry and discuss ways to assist ways to create a more inclusive environment in the dance world.  Have a message for us? Send it here! Thank you all for listening! Follow me on Instagram at @dissectingdance for current updates on postings and more!

Elizabeth Higgins has been the Coordinator of the Dance Department at Howard Community College as well as Artistic Director of the HCC Student Dance Company. We discuss her journey on how she got there, as well as her providing her insight and wisdom for people who have an interest on pursuing dance in the industry. Have a message for us? Send it here! Thank you all for listening! Follow me on Ins...

Ryan Bailey is here to talk about his experiences with being a professional in the dance industry, and gives us a realistic view on what doing dance as a full time career looks like, as well as sharing his journey and experiences that got him to where he is today. https://instagram.com/byan_railey?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Have a message for us? Send it here! Thank you all for listening! Follow me o...

This episode a former dance teacher of mine, Becca Sigmund, who is a dance teacher, dance injury prevention specialist, dance conditioning specialist, and a PBT (Progressive Ballet Technique) certified teacher. She is here today to discuss misconceptions of what dance when it comes to what is considered safe for the body versus what isn't as well as sharing her story as a dancer, and how she...

In this episode, I have discovered a hyper fixation in ballet history, so we will be focusing specifically on the eras of how ballet dance came to be. Every style of dance has a history behind it, and I feel that as dancers and dance enthusiasts, we should be obligated to study what we do. The next episode I will do about dance history, will be focused on George Balanchine, one of the most popular...

This episode dives into the discussion about the relationships and streotypes when it comes to race and dance. I will have a friend of mine, Sanai, who studies Political Science, Africana Studies, and Critical Sexuality Studies on the show to lead the discussion of dance and race.  Trigger Warning Spot: 20:00-21:30 Have a message for us? Send it here! Thank you all for listening! Follow me on Inst...

This episode focuses on introducing the podcast as well as starting up a discussion on how the two dance styles, modern and contemporary dance styles differ from each other. These two terms in regards to dance are not interchangeable, so why not talk about it? Have a message for us? Send it here! Thank you all for listening! Follow me on Instagram at @dissectingdance for current updates on posting...