The Dance Podcast

Melissa Emrico walked into her first dance class at age 12 and fell in love... well after overcoming a few aesthetic details! She shares her Ballet journey what it took to switch directions and head into the commercial world. Melissa opens up about her first and favorite roles in Cats. And what happened on the national and international tour of "FAME: The Musical" that changed her career and train...

Julio Fuentes is a Vancouver based dancer, MT performer, and choreographer. Although dance came to him at the later age of 19, he has since then fallen in love with dance and has been training & teaching throughout Canada. So, what's it like to take your 1st ballet class as a grown man? How do you break into the Cdn MT industry? Julio shares his dance stories, audition rituals & the powerful lesso...

Lisa La Touche never imagined Tapping her way through a dance career, but through a lot of love and hard work, Lisa has performed in Shuffle Along on Broadway, Stomp off-Broadway and educates around the world. We talk about her Plan A vs Plan B career strategy, how she locally created the opportunities that she was in search of, and about the inner voices & Artists Will that guided her journey. Sh...

What are the best & worst parts of being in a company? What is it like to be the only boy dancer, in the studio and at school? How do you get over the Europe to dance?  Jake Casey shares his thoughts and experiences. Casey was a 2013 NYC Finalist for the Youth American Grand Prix and joined Cincinnati Ballet in 2014 in the Corps de Ballet. In 2015, he choreographed a piece for the Inaugural Cincin...

Let's talk about building an International festival, teaching dancer's with a new vocabulary and the debatable line between Bravery and Stupidity! Emily Bufferd talks about NYC show BUSINESS and PERFORMING arts.  A Producer, Choreographer, Teacher, and Performer, Emily Produces The Young Choreographer's Festival. She also teaches at Joffrey Ballet School and Broadway Dance Center in NYC where she...

Kathryn McCormick is a world class dancer who is recognized for appearances on SYTYCD, as a competitor and all-star, Step Up Revolution, and Like Air. Beyond the stage, Kathryn mentors the next generation of dancers to navigate the dance world and know their worth. We talk about how she got her agent, what grounds her when self doubt and fear show up, and her most powerful performance ever!

Mentorship is a powerful way to receive guidance and advice from the people who you admire and respect. So many of us crave mentorship, but what how do you approach a mentor? What do you do when you have one? And do you need one? With 5 steps, Lauren dives deep into the strength, approach, and relationships with a Mentor. 

Erica Sobol is an LA native, now working as an International choreographer, movement maker, and soul shaker.  We talk about Dance in College (as she holds a BA in dance-theater from the illustrious Columbia University), her time in NYC, what's like to be doing Contemporary work in the Commercial Hub of LA, and what she looks for in dance for her projects. She is a Grand Prize Winner of the prestig...

Casey Garvin is the ultimate Triple Threat - singing, acting and dancing on the Broadway stages. Currently in Miss Saigon, Casey shares his journey from the audition, to rehearsals, tech onstage and opening night! What do you do when you bomb an audition? What's is like to work with  comedy masters like Zach Braff? How do you maintain your body? What did he wish he would have known about NYC? List...

They have dance for over 20 Seasons with Alvin Ailey - and done it withmastery and grace. From Injury prevention, to what dancers and parents need to know- Glenn and Linda share how dancers create longevity and happiness within their career, Linda Celeste Sims began her dance training at Ballet Hispanico School of Dance and is a graduate of LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts. In addition...

Born in LA and raised in a pivotal period of street culture, clowning and growing aggression, Jo'Artis Ratti is one of the original creators of Krump. We talk about what KRUMP means, how it grew into an international phenomena, documentaries and dancing on tour with Madonna. It's a conversation with history, reality, and inspiration for all dancers and the dance community!

This episode is dedicated to the Evolution of You; the wandering, curious soul committed to big dreams and personal growth!

Chris Hale is Associate Director and Director of Education at Pushing Progress Contemporary Dance in NYC. He started out in the industry as a Triple Threat and at a young age,  established himself at one of the world's leading Dance Drop-In studios, Broadway Dance Centre. Chris talk about how he built up his classes in one of the largest dance communities in the world,  how his perceptive of a dan...

What is the key to booking the job? How do you differentiate yourself? What are the "dos" and "don'ts" of reels? Paul Becker answers all of these questions and more! By the age of 19, Paul choreographed his first commercial and by 21, his first feature film. It all propelled him to quickly become one of the worlds top choreographers. Considered to be a protégé; of the genius Kenny Ortega, Paul has...

Taylor Ward, of True Dance Potential, has been creating dancer-specific strength and conditioning programs to support a dancer's body and development. Taylor's passion for dance was first sparked during her years of rigorous training under a nationally ranked high kick team. Well known for their athletic ability and stunning technique, winning national champions in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. To ta...

A sought-after choreographer and the Artistic Director of 02 the dance company, Sarah Dolan opens up about what it's like to navigate this unpredictable dance career. Sarah shares questions and answers to help all dancers find and build their artistic path. Listen now to hear Sarah's tips on your first steps entering a dance career, what inspires her choreography and what will make every job you d...

Bree Melanson knows all about dancing in LA. I mean...booking one job means you've made it, right?! After playing in industry, Bree shifted into her other energetic gifts like helping people move through their "what next" and "I feel stuck" moments.  She is continually assisting people to unfold their potential and this week she shares a crazy, awesome amount of tools to help YOU achieve your best...

The Texas native is known as the "It Girl" of music videos and tours, she has appeared alongside chart-topping artists, including: Selena Gomez, Rihanna, Beyonce, Katy Perry, Chris Brown, Nick Jonas, Meghan Trainor, and many more. Brittany speaks powerfully on what happens when you get fired, how to treated your fellow dancers, and the most effect way to build your career. Perry-Russell has made a...

It's been 1 year since our first interview together and now Taylor James helps us kick off Season 2. Taylor speaks candidly about Body Image, Dancer Advocacy, living in Purpose and how all of these have shaped him and how he has experienced this career.   

What a year! It's been full of stories, authenticity, advice, lessons learned and a lot of laughter. Lauren shares some of her takeaways from season 1 and what to look forward to in Season 2! 

Heather  has performed on stage and screen as an actor, dancer and singer. Her journey has lead her to weave in and out of the commercial and company sectors of dance. She recently choreographed the Lifetime Biopic "Britney Ever After". As an on set choreographer Heather has choreographed for The CW Network's iZombie (season 2& 3), A&E's "Bates Motel",  Hallmark Network's "Harvest Moon", and many...

Andrea Dvorak was deep into her Ballet training when she started to struggle with identity, self worth and relationship with food. When she could no longer walk, she knew she needed help. We talk about she was able to deepen her artistry and compassion as she recovered and share some tidbits of wisdom to anyone working through their emotions.... which is all of us, right?!

David Hofmann, better known as 'Sharkcookie', is a renowned dance photographer with over 600k follows on instagram alone! David shares how he took his career from the movie industry into the dance community, what he believes makes a great photo shoot, and how experimenting and failing is the best thing you can do for your craft.

The best kind of reunion - old duet partners!! Scott Maybank had a late start in his training, but that didn't let him shy away from pursuing the top Ballet schools across Canada. Over his ten year career Scott worked for Ballet British Columbia, West Australian Ballet and the Queensland Ballet, eventually retiring in his hometown of Edmonton after dancing with Alberta Ballet. With the help of the...

Jeff Mortensen is a multi-talented dancer, gymnast, assistant choreographer, and performer. Jeff shares his unique journey through So You Think You Can Dance, to Cirque Du Soleil, to performing and assisting on renowned productions like Disney's The Descendants and Rocky Horror Picture Show. Jeff gives quick and applicable advice on what you can use as inspiration in your career and solid tips whe...