The Leadership Dance

"The things that make me different are why I am who I am." Professional ballerina Alexandra Hutchinson joins Alissa Hsu Lynch to talk about a journey that began as a "miracle baby" and led to performing with the Dance Theatre of Harlem on stages around the world. She trained at the Academy of the Dance, Washington School of Ballet, and Indiana University, where she earned a B.S. in Ballet with an...

"The first time you swim with a whale, you realize your place in the world — that not everything revolves around us humans." Karim Iliya, photographer, filmmaker, and whale swimming guide, joins Alissa Hsu Lynch to talk about a life built on curiosity and constant motion. He grew up moving every two to four years across the Middle East and Asia, taught himself photography at 13, and eventually fou...

"I think music was a way of me finding identity, of finding purpose." Clive Chang, President and CEO of YoungArts, joins Alissa Hsu Lynch to talk about a career that began as an immigrant in Canada, bonding with his twin sister and their first piano teacher over music when neither spoke the other's language. He went on to earn degrees in both music and finance, adding an MFA in musical theater wri...

"I don't think ballet ever left me. Ballet has had my heart since I was a child." Sonja Kostich, Executive Director of Houston Ballet, joins host Alissa Hsu Lynch to trace a career that began at 17 when Mikhail Baryshnikov personally recruited her to American Ballet Theatre. She went on to perform with San Francisco Ballet, Zurich Ballet, and the White Oak Dance Project, and co-founded her own con...

"The goal isn't to avoid change. It's to bend without losing yourself." In this episode of The Leadership Dance, Matt West, executive coach, facilitator, speaker, and author of Bend, Don't Break, shares how his years as a professional jazz musician shaped the way he thinks about leadership, change, and human connection. From touring the world as a trombonist to coaching leaders at some of the worl...

What does it take to build a career across continents, art forms, and social movements? Yemi Dele Akinyemi, Czech-Nigerian entrepreneur, choreographer, and founder of the Moonshot Platform, joins host Alissa Hsu Lynch to trace a path from dancing in front of a communist-era TV to choreographing for Kanye West, advising a robotics company, and mobilizing young changemakers from over 100 countries....

What does it take to rise to the top at one of America's leading ballet companies, after dozens of rejections, a serious injury, and a recession? Samantha Hope Galler, Principal Dancer at Miami City Ballet, joins host Alissa Hsu Lynch to share the resilience and self-belief that carried her through 30+ auditions and years of setbacks, including a near career-ending injury. She also reflects on fou...

Jenna Segal is writing women into the history books in arts and entertainment. Women make up more than 75% of theater audiences, yet are rarely in the decision-making seats. Jenna has stepped in to change that narrative. She is an Emmy, Tony, and Clio award-winning producer of Broadway hits including Hadestown, Gigi, and Six, as well as the visionary behind The 31 Women Collection of remarkable fe...

Spotlight, pressure, and the power of example. In this episode of The Leadership Dance, Chloe Misseldine, Principal Dancer at American Ballet Theatre, talks about her surprise promotion on stage after her debut as Odette/Odile at The Met, how she prepares for the technical and emotional demands of taking on leading roles in Swan Lake, Giselle, and Sylvia, and what she's learned about artistry, set...

Who gets funded depends on who's deciding. In this powerful episode of The Leadership Dance, Lawton Cummings, General Partner at Capital Factory, shares why women in venture capital matter—and how her experience navigating cancer has influenced her approach to life. Lawton gets vulnerable about navigating breast cancer twice while continuing to work and raise a family, and what survivorship taught...

What can leaders learn from fighter pilots about performing under pressure? Former fighter pilot and CEO Christian "Boo" Boucousis joins The Leadership Dance to share how elite performers make decisions in chaos, execute with clarity, and stay calm when it matters most. From cockpit-tested leadership habits to practical tools like plan–brief–execute–debrief, this episode breaks down what it means...

"Curiosity is a cure for stagnation." Tune in to meet mover and shaker Tina Wells, an author, entrepreneur, and trend spotter, as she shares her insights on what it takes to design a life and career you love across multiple chapters. Her incredible journey from teen founder to agency leader, product designer, and bestselling writer reflects her approach to embracing curiosity in all its manifestat...

What does it mean to lead with values when the political landscape makes inclusion harder, not easier? In this episode of The Leadership Dance, host Alissa Hsu Lynch sits down with Liana Guzmán, CEO of FOLX Health, to explore what real leadership looks like when rhetoric, risk, and responsibility collide. Liana shares her personal journey growing up in Puerto Rico and the mainland U.S., her nonlin...

A little over a year ago, I launched The Leadership Dance podcast to shine a light on amazing people who don't fit the conventional mold - people who are choreographing their own leadership dances. Over the past year, this podcast has grown into a global community through honest conversations with trailblazers across business and the arts. As we head into the next year, I'm excited to continue exp...

Former Emmy award-winning SNL producer Lindsay Shookus shares the trust-building strategies, people skills, and leadership lessons that carried her from two decades at Saturday Night Live into a powerful next act as a speaker and executive coach. In this candid conversation, she opens up about resilience, reinvention, and the transformational relationships that shaped her career, and how you can a...

What does it really take to build an organization where people thrive - especially in a world transformed by technology, generational change, and new expectations? In this energizing episode, host Alissa Hsu Lynch sits down with James D. White, renowned board leader and former Jamba CEO, and his daughter Krista White, rising workplace culture strategist and writer. Together, they share how their e...

After 25 years with American Ballet Theatre, iconic ballerina Misty Copeland took her final bow in a historic gala performance – but her work is far from over. In this episode of The Leadership Dance, host Alissa Hsu Lynch sits down with Misty to explore what comes next: leading from the boardroom, expanding access to the arts through the Misty Copeland Foundation, and reimagining ballet's future...

Renowned ballerina Stella Abrera joins host Alissa Hsu Lynch on The Leadership Dance to reflect on her extraordinary career with American Ballet Theatre and her journey from the stage to shaping the next generation of dancers. Stella opens up about growing up in a home filled with music and discipline, the perseverance behind rising to principal dancer, and the back injury that nearly ended her ca...

Harvard leadership instructor and author Margaret Andrews joins Alissa Hsu Lynch to trace her unconventional journey from accounting to academia, sharing how a series of "lucky accidents" and bold choices propelled her to the forefront of executive education. This episode is chock-full of practical advice for leaders at any stage of their careers. Margaret, who leads Harvard's most popular profess...

New York City Ballet star Mira Nadon joins Alissa Hsu Lynch to reflect on her journey from California rehearsal studios to becoming the first Asian American principal dancer at the company. Hailed by the New York Times as "a once-in-a-generation dancer," she opens up about growing up in an academic household, the "aha moment" of her promotion, and why she didn't always see herself as a role model...

Visionary artist Janet Echelman joins Alissa Hsu Lynch to pull back the curtain on her creative journey - one that's anything but conventional. Oprah ranked her work #1 on her list of 50 Things That Make You Say Wow, and it's easy to see why: Janet's monumental, wind-borne sculptures transform skylines across continents, inviting viewers into immersive, contemplative experiences. In this episode,...

Get a peek inside the commercial dance world from Angela Elgani, a renowned dancer, choreographer, and mentor whose two-decade career has taken her from world tours with Britney Spears, NSYNC, and the Backstreet Boys to blockbuster films like You Got Served and Step Up Revolution. Angela shares her remarkable journey from a determined young girl in St. Louis to performing on some of the biggest st...

In this recap of Season Two, host Alissa Hsu Lynch reflects on the top 10 leadership insights she's gathered from conversations with 10 trailblazing leaders. From world-class dancers and CEOs to athletes and change makers, these guests have shared powerful stories of joy, resilience, vulnerability, and reinvention. Alissa reveals the lessons learned and how they can inspire and empower you on your...

In this powerful episode, Alissa Hsu Lynch speaks with Chantale Zuzi, a remarkable young leader whose journey from a small village in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the halls of Wellesley College is nothing short of extraordinary. After surviving the personal tragedy of losing her parents in a village massacre, Chantale became a refugee at age 13—fleeing to Uganda with her siblings and st...

Step into a conversation that explores the power of reinvention, the courage to disrupt your own path, and the art of weaving creativity into leadership. In this episode, Kim Alexis Newton—board director, entrepreneur, fine artist, and former Hallmark executive—joins Alissa Hsu Lynch to share her extraordinary journey from leading a $1 billion business to building a thriving art and quilting enter...