Performers & Creators Lab

This is a true story of Glenn Robinson (Weez), a man who had a 40 year prison sentence, for a crime he committed at 18, J.R. Furst his penpal, a poet and provocatuer, and Cate White, the artist who brought life to their letters. This is the story of how friendship, wisdom, and creativity became the lifeboat for one man’s literal freedom from prison and the mental unshakling of hundreds others. Vis...

In this Part II episode with Daria Halprin we talk about the expressive arts work she’s spent forty plus years creating. We cover the “transportation” issue of how to take your “new self” out into the world and the importance of assuming aesthetic responsibility. Bonus: Daria shares about the last time she made a self-portrait, what still surprises her, and what she’s still fascinated with pursuin...

From the time she can remember, Daria Halprin , was immersed in an artistic life dancing with her famous mother, Anna Halprin, and then finding her way into acting and being thrust into the spotlight.  But for Daria, like so many other young performers, this wasn’t always a healthy place to be, and she found herself seeking to get off the stage and create something else entirely. She began teachin...

We kick off the New Year with the choreographer and visionary, Bianca Cabrera as she leads us into her imagined world where modern dance has subcultures like rock genres, art is a for profit business, and your work can live beyond a single performance. Also, tune in to hear my personal new year’s resolutions and why sacrificing your happiness for your goals is a losing game. ​ Click here to take t...

Do you sometimes feel icky about self-promotion? Or you’re just unsure about how to get the word out so you can actually have an audience, a fan base, a following? In this episode and the next one we dive all in and around and over and through this topic. In this rich double-interview with Emily Zisman, a singer/songwriter who wants to know how to promote her work, and Arya Jha, a marketing &...

Artists are the shamans of today, leading the world on an emotional journey. Listen as Holly Shaw explains how performing artists in particular use entrainment, channeling and ecstasy in order to invoke the creative movement that the planet is calling for. Exploring examples from her own orgasmic experience on stage, to that of other artists like Tori Amos, Gabrielle Roth, Mickey Hart, Emily Dicki...

What’s it like to perform in a flash mob?  This week we find out when we interview the organizers of Bay Area Flash Mob , Britney Briggs and Leah Ferrer - winners of the #PACL Performance challenge! We talk about crazy gigs, crashing weddings, and how to maintain your groove and capture the audience in the chaos that can be surprise performances.  Find out more about Holly Shaw and the Performers...

“How do I access the stoned dancer when I’m not stoned?” Listen as Holly answers this question and coaches a professional dancer wanting to find a different way other than marijuana to access her creative genius when she choreographs. The episode covers insights into the way marijuana works with creativity, how to achieve a natural high, the four essential components in creating trance states with...

You'll learn so much about revealing what’s hidden in this riveting conversation with showgirl shaman, Kellita Maloof . I loved hearing this award winning burlesque dancer talk about audience participation, consent, the medicine of certain movements, immanence v. transcendence, what is “de-animation,” of the body and how dance has healed her and brought her back into hers. Listen to her journ...

Have you ever been accused of being “too sensitive”?  Find out how your sensitivity is actually a superpower, not a hindrance, when it comes to being an artist in this episode with psychotherapist, Brett Rhodes , who specializes in HSP, or Highly Sensitive People.  You’ll learn about the D.O.E.S. characteristics of this trait, how to know if you are HSP or not, and how you can use it to benefit yo...

Choreographer/Director Erika Chong Shuch is a sought after creative collaborator, having worked with dozens of artists and ensembles to create and direct works that have been performed in city halls, theaters, industrial offices spaces and food courts always pushing the boundaries of how dance and theatre are shared and viewed.  Listen to our conversation as we dive into what it takes to collabora...

If you struggle with substances on a regular basis, then the holidays can be especially tough and so I have a special guest today, Koorosh Rassekh, MMFT founder of Evo Health and Wellness Addiction Center that offers a different solution and some radical ideas around substance use and abuse. We talk about why entertainers especially have problems with substance use, about changing your habits from...

An inside look into the community and the magic behind Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir’s famed director, Terrance Kelly, an Emmy Award winning vocalist and composer who has been called everything from a “a man of great passion and conviction” to a “demanding taskmaster” to “an absolute musical genius.”  Hear from members of the choir who are closest to him and his stories of growing up in a musica...

Listen as I talk with John Santos, 7 time Grammy nominated percussionist and one of the foremost exponents of Afro-Latin music in the world today. John straddles both sides of many worlds, tradition and innovation, the sacred and the profane, the old and the new - all explored throughout this in-depth conversation about his near death experience that helped shape his path, the artist as today’s sh...

Is it possible to make art with the help of ghosts? Cynthia Whitcomb , a successful screenwriter, has sold over 70 screenplays, 30 of which have been produced on national television and . . . also admits to receiving “help” from the beyond. In this fascinating interview Cynthia shares how she broke into the Hollywood filmmaking business, the riveting details of her discovery that her made up stori...

Performance artist, Shea Greene, just received her Private Pilot’s License! She joins us as part of her celebratory tour as we talk about face smooshing performance art, endless hunger, how she healed her distorted body image through hypnosis, and her journey to becoming a pilot.  Wanting to create a new habit or break an old one? You don't have to do it alone! Your show host is a Certified H...

How do you envision yourself aging as an artist?  My guest today never imagined she’d be dancing and performing and teaching into her 70’s and yet she is! This fall we’ll skirt the edges of the spirit world as we talk with guests who channel the dead to write movies and allow their ancestors to play piano with them - starting with this guest, flamenco dancer, writer, avid spiritual practitioner, M...

Award winning composer, Steven Chesne , just released his latest album, Sapient which is being called a “landmark recording” by music reviewers. Listen as we talk creating fusion from sacred traditions, musical counterpoint (aka “mash ups”) and monks walking through the streets of Santa Monica.   For more than a year, Steven Chesne unearthed the ancient words of peace from Buddha, Lao Tzu, Jesus,...

What are you afraid of? And how do you persist in spite of it? In this revealing interview with Raz Kennedy , a renowned vocalist dubbed the "coach to rock royalty," Shaw's questions cut right to the core and we get a glimpse into the story of a living legend who persevered through early traumatic experiences to make his desire bigger than his fear. Learn about subconscious imprints...

Want ideas for how you can access different archetypes and use them to create dynamic and commanding performances, talks, or even pitches? Listen to this conversation with performance coach, Dr. Miluna Fausch where she also shares tips on body language and how to know who listen to and let into your “arena.” What is your default archetype? And what could you bring more into the forefront to help y...

You may recognize this week’s guest, singer Ranella Ferrer, from her starring appearance on Khloé Kardashian’s T.V. Show, Revenge Body , and in this week’s episode we talk about how she went from one of the most sought after singers in Hollywood to dropping out of music, gaining weight, and falling into a depression.  Now returning to music full force after Revenge Body , Ranella shares an inspira...

How do you captivate an audience when they’re on their way to somewhere else? For this week’s episode listen as Holly spends the day at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf and talks with two street performers: Adam White, the M.C. of Bay Area Breakerz, break-dancing crew; and  Jonathan Strange , an award winning magician. Find out what it takes to gather a crowd, keep them entertained, and get them...

In this episode overflowing with stories and heart, brand manager, Ron Roecker will blow your mind with tales from working with some of the industry's best and brightest in music and entertainment over his 20 year career. Ron shares his secrets on gathering the right team, reflects on "authenticity" and answers the question: What is the difference between an artist and an icon? List...

Ever felt like the audition process is set up to fail you? You’ll love this coaching episode with SAG Hollywood actor, Meli Alexander as she relays a recent co-star audition that didn’t go as she hoped and I coach her through how to approach it better next time.  We talk about how to use your natural gifts in auditions, improvisation as a tool to conquer self-doubt and how to bounce back after bom...

How do you deal when you are hating on yourself after a disappointing performance? Holly records her raw thoughts and hurt feelings as she grapples with a less than stellar performance the night before - straight from her tent at a music and dance festival. Listen as she shares first hand her moment to moment experience, thoughts and how she finally manages to let go of her story and trade the ugl...