The Business of Dance

Interview Date: November 9th, 2025 Episode Summary: In this episode, Menina sits down with Rhonda Kaufman Malkin to unpack how a competition kid from Irvine turned a packed schedule of AP classes, UCLA coursework, the UCLA Dance Team, and three seasons as an LA Laker Girl into a long-term professional career. Rhonda shares how she balanced college with high-level pro work, why she switched from a...

Interview Date: October 26th, 2025 Episode Summary: In this uplifting episode, UK-based choreographer, educator, and West End performer Ryan Jenkins shares his extraordinary journey from a late-starting dancer at 14 to performing in some of London’s most iconic productions. Known for his work on Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake , Wicked , Cabaret , Kismet , Phantom of the Opera , So You Think You Can Da...

Interview Date: October 19th, 2025 Episode Summary: In this empowering episode, Dana Wilson—dancer, choreographer, creative director, and podcast host—joins The Business of Dance Podcast to share an inside look at her two-decade career working alongside icons like Justin Timberlake, Marty Kudelka, Baz Luhrmann, and Chris Scott. From her early years at the Michelle Latimer Dance Academy to performi...

Interview Date: October 12th, 2025 Episode Summary: In this inspiring episode, international choreographer, performer, and TV judge MELCHARLOT shares her powerful journey from Montreal to the global stage. Known for her work with Lizzo, Beyoncé, Cardi B, and her Broadway debut in Holler If You Hear Me , MEL opens up about the challenges, sacrifices, and growth that shaped her as both an artist and...

Interview Date: October 5th, 2025 Episode Summary: In this powerful and nostalgic episode, Emmy-nominated choreographer and MTV Award winner Tina Landon takes us behind the scenes of her legendary career shaping the choreography that defined an era of pop culture. From her early days as a Laker Girl under Paula Abdul to becoming the creative force behind Janet Jackson’s “If”, “The Velvet Rope Tour...

Interview Date: September 28th, 2025 Episode Summary: Strength & conditioning coach and dance athleticism specialist Karl Flores joins the Business of Dance for a science-meets-studio deep dive. Karl traces his path from competitive dancer to Equinox trainer to founder of Movement Society in Los Angeles, explaining how structured training, recovery, and style-specific programming extend dancer...

Interview Date: September 14th, 2025 Episode Summary: In this inspiring conversation, Carol Borjas Cantrell shares her remarkable evolution from a Venezuelan rhythmic gymnast to touring the world as a professional dancer and raising the next generation of talent, including her daughter Kylie Cantrell (Disney’s Descendants: The Rise of Red ).Carol walks listeners through her early ballet training,...

Interview Date: August 24th, 2025 Episode Summary: In this captivating conversation, Juliet Prowse, author of Born to Dance , joins The Business of Dance Podcast to share the untold story of her legendary aunt, the late Juliet Prowse — a trailblazing British-South African dancer and actress who conquered Hollywood, Las Vegas, and Broadway. From performing alongside Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley...

Interview Date: August 10th, 2025  Episode Summary: In this powerful and uplifting episode, we sit down with Aubrey Fisher — dancer, recording artist, and creative powerhouse — who went from teaching himself choreography in his living room to sharing stages with Jason Derulo, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, DaBaby, and Tyga . Aubrey opens up about his unique path into the entertainment industry, revea...

Interview Date: August 3rd, 2025 Episode Summary: Choreographer/director Lindsey Blaufarb (half of LNC Collective) maps the leap from touring dancer to Emmy-nominated creative. A military kid who moved often, she found community through arts, earned an Urban Jam scholarship, then moved to L.A. at 17 to attend Hollywood High and the EDGE program—surviving on bar-mitzvah gigs and big dreams. Lindsey...

Interview Date: July 14th, 2025 Episode Summary: Eden Shabtai shares how a kid from a tiny Israeli kibbutz—obsessed with MTV and training in ballet and modern—willed her way into New York’s scene and eventually L.A.’s major stages. She opens up about the unglamorous decade of artist development, underpaid gigs, and nonstop outreach that built the foundation for her “overnight” break assisting on C...

Interview Date: June 22nd, 2025 Episode Summary: Dytto (aka Courtney Kelly) — the fembot icon of the dance community whose viral “Barbie Girl” freestyle on World of Dance launched a global following of ~10M across platforms. A professional mover, personality, and director, she’s appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, starred in national campaigns (Android Wear, Target), and most recently served as...

Interview Date: July 6th, 2025 Episode Summary: MSA New York’s Talent Director Bre Traver breaks down exactly how dancers get on an agent’s radar and build sustainable careers. From her path from dancer to agent, to what MSA looks for in reels, headshots, and Instagrams, Bre shares practical, no-fluff guidance on submissions, onboarding, and being an ideal client. She contrasts the NYC vs. LA mark...

Interview Date: June 1st, 2025 Episode Summary: Menina sits down with Tara-Jean Popowich—winner of So You Think You Can Dance Canada Season 2—for an inspiring look at resilience, self-belief, and adventure. From moving out at 15 to chase training, to struggling with $5/hour jobs in L.A., to the heartbreak of being cut from SYTYCD Season 1 and the comeback that won her the crown, Tara-Jean shares h...

Interview Date: October 17, 2025 Episode Summary: In this landmark 100th episode , the spotlight turns onto the visionary behind it all — Menina Fortunato , creator of The Business of Dance as a dance mentor and podcast host. Interviewed by longtime friend and fellow performer Linda Ayentes , Menina reflects on her extraordinary career over the decades spanning live entertainment, television, tour...

Interview Date: May 25th,2025 Episode Summary: Corynne Barron shares how a late start in dance, a ringette goalie’s grit, and a chance UK scholarship reshaped her technique and career trajectory. She walks us through So You Think You Can Dance Canada , cruise ships, and ultimately headlining as the Black Widow in Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère . Corynne opens up about saying “no” until the right “yes,...

Interview Date: December 14th, 2024 Episode Summary: Vanessa Fuller, a dancer, choreographer, and the artistic director of Xcape Dance Company. Vanessa shares her inspiring journey from growing up in Eugene, Oregon, to becoming a multifaceted professional in the dance industry. She discusses her extensive career, including working with artists like E-40 and Twista, and her recent appearance on HBO...

Interview Date: May 11th, 2025 Houston Ballet soloist Jacquelyn Long traces her path from living-room pliés with her mom (a former pro) to summer intensives, HBII, and the main company. She shares how relationships and coachability shaped her trajectory, why modern/contemporary versatility now matters as much as classical technique, and how social media helps—but shouldn’t replace—the messy, vital...

Interview Date: May 4th, 2025 Episode Summary: Australian dancer–choreographer–TV judge Joshua Horner traces his wildly diverse path: asthma kid → Australian Ballet soloist → West End lead in Movin’ Out → Broadway’s Billy Elliot → Disney creative in Los Angeles → Dancing With The Stars judge → reality-TV creator → and finally, a show-stopping pivot into real estate where he sells homes with full t...

Interview Date: September 21st, 2025 Episode Summary: In this inspiring conversation, Menina Fortunato sits down with Julie McDonald, the trailblazing co-founder of MSA Agency and the first dance agent in history. Julie shares her incredible journey from professional dancer to industry visionary—representing some of the biggest names in choreography and performance. She reflects on the evolution o...

Interview Date: June 29th, 2025 Episode Summary: Menina welcomes actor–dancer Rachele Brooke Smith for a candid ride from fearful gymnast to leading roles in Center Stage: Turn It Up , Bring It On , Iron Man 2 , and a new superhero film. Rachele unpacks visualization, journaling, and “do the brave thing” as career fuel; navigating post-win lows; rehabbing injuries with PT, anti-inflammatory nutrit...

Interview Date: April 13th, 2025 Episode Summary: International choreographer, aerialist, and performer Johanna Sapakie (Cirque du Soleil, Super Bowl LIV with Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers , Dita Las Vegas) drops a masterclass in longevity and reinvention. From creating her own “scholarship program” after a studio closed, to bold networking that led to her first agent within months, Johanna shows how r...

Interview Date: April 6th, 2025 Episode Summary: Eseniia is an 8-year-old dance prodigy originally from Moscow, now performing and training in the U.S., who rose to international attention after viral clips and a standout run on America’s Got Talent . In this episode Eseniia  joins the Business of Dance with her parents—both dancers and teachers—to trace how a family training method, early multist...

Interview Date: March 30th, 2025 Episode Summary: Florida-based trademark and contract attorney Kayla Moran joins the Business of Dance to bridge two worlds: the discipline of competitive dance and the realities of creator-economy law. Raised in Miami in a Cuban-Ecuadorian family and trained for 15+ years across ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical and hip-hop, Kayla shares how a teacher’s challenge— “Don’t...

Interview Date: March 23rd, 2025 Episode Summary: This episode spotlights Robert Garland, Artistic Director of Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH)—former principal dancer, DTH’s first resident choreographer, and a Juilliard BFA graduate. Beyond the concert stage, Garland’s work spans New York City Ballet, The Royal Ballet, Oakland Ballet, and commercial projects from Sesame Street to Nike and the NAACP...