Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast DANCE +

THIS IS DANCE + WHAT WE OWE EACH OTHER

Dani Vitale is a Choreographer, Creative Director, + Movement Coach who by September of this year had already wrapped four films and two tours. But what stuck with me in this conversation wasn't the résumé, it was her definition of loyalty: to the dancers she leads, to the truth about hard jobs, and to the people she loves through loss. What do we actually owe the people around us, and what happens when we pay up?

Here's what we're exploring:

• The one thing Dani never bent on when she started choreographing: dancer rates and conditions, because "once you lose the support from dancers... you can't gain that back"

• Why she pushes back on "choreographer vs. dancer" and thinks of it instead as one team doing one job: movement

• The gap between what happens on a brutal set and what gets posted after, and why she'd rather "report the facts" than romanticize the process

This one's for anyone who's ever had to decide what they're actually willing to bend on, at work, on a team, or at home. Dani's answer is the same in every direction: tell the truth, and show up.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Dani on IG

Learn more about Dancers Alliance

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

This is DANCE + CONFLICT AND TEAM DYNAMICS

I've been sitting with this idea that wherever you put art, money, a deadline, and a hierarchy in the same room, conflict is coming. That's not a flaw in the system, it's actually a good thing! What I want to answer with this conversation is this:  How do we navigate inevitable conflicts and criticisms in a way that neither the people or the product suffer?! 

Here’s what we’re exploring:

• Why art, money, deadlines, and hierarchy each carry their own built-in opportunity for conflict, and why that center overlap is where teams actually fracture

• The trap of "it should be different" and how it quietly drains my empathy out of a room full of talented people

• A simple mental tool I use to get unstuck: asking whether the opposite of my assumption is just as likely to be true

• The best teammates know how to do two things: Give constructive criticism +  receive constructive criticism

This one's for anyone who's ever felt small on set, or big on set, and let that feeling run the show. Empathy isn't the soft option here. It's the thing that turns conflict into better work.

Watch the full episode on YouTube.

Show Notes:

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

This is DANCE + Makenzie & Phillip Chbeeb

Makenzie and Phillip Chbeeb are the dynamic duo behind the new Netflix coming-of-age dance comedy movie, “Best of the Best” (Premiering September 18, 2026). In this episode, we unpack what it means to choreograph across cultures, across dialogue, and three weeks postpartum. If you’re into being impressed, this episode is for YOU!

Three weeks after welcoming their first child into the world, they walked straight into their first pre-production meeting of their  on Best of the Best, a film that asked them to hold two things at once: honor the specificity of Western hip hop and South Asian dance forms like Kathak, and build choreography that could survive dialogue, alt takes, and lines that changed on the spot. What they found, again and again, was that the tightest constraints produced the most original ideas.

We explore:

• The shoes-on, shoes-off problem between Chicago footwork and Kathak, and the jump-out-of-your-sneakers solution that turned a limitation into one of the film's best moments

• How they built "cushion" choreography, loop-able movement with matching in-and-out points, so a scene could breathe as long as a director needed and the music could be solved in post

• Making a Netflix film three weeks postpartum, and the very literal system they invented for handling a body and mind that felt, in Makenzie's words, "scrambled"

This one's for anyone who thinks creative limits are the enemy of good work. For Phillip and Makenzie, the limits were the work.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Mckenzie on IG

Connect with Phillip on IG

Listen to Phillip’s episode 

Listen to How Do Dancers Make Money?

Learn more about Feybl

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

This is DANCE + Nathan Kim

The choreographer behind the newest Spider-Man, on how dance found him almost by accident.

Nathan Kim didn't grow up dreaming of being a choreographer. His meet-cute with dance happened almost by chance, with an open slot in an Afro Brazilian dance class, and one impossible-to-mark movement across the floor that cracked something open in him. From there, dance became the throughline of a career that's taken him behind the camera and back, from his early days shaping movement for Charli XCX, to leading the choreography team on Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

We explore:

• The happy accident that got him into that first dance class, and the moment mid-warmup when he stopped holding back

• The wild logistics of choreographing Spider-Man's biggest movement sequences, in-ears, hand cues, counts, and dancers who can't see what's coming from behind them

• Why "kill your darlings" hits different at a blockbuster budget, and how the ideas that get cut still ripple through everything that survives

This one's for anyone who thinks their path has to be a straight line. Nathan's wasn't, and it swung him to Spider-Man.

Watch the full episode on YouTube.

Show Notes:

Connect with Nathan on IG

Listen to our episode with Miquel Zarate

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

This is DANCE + Teddy Forance

Coming to you LIVE-ish from CLI Conservatory, with the guy who built the place he wishes existed when he was 17 and googling "which college has a dance program for me."

Teddy Forance didn't set out to become a studio owner. He set out to dance, and he did, big: Madonna, Lady Gaga, Cirque du Soleil, the Oscars stage. But underneath all of it was a gut feeling that never went away. That there wasn't a space built for dancers like him. So with his brother Jonny, he built one. Literally, twenty seconds down the road from their mom's studio in Southampton, Massachusetts.

We explore:

• My new position at CLI: Director of Professional Development 

• Why Teddy skipped college for a career that found him at 17, at NYCDA Nationals

• The "Costco math” behind 100 guest choreographers and a fraction of the cost

• The budget-and-schedule advice Teddy gives every dancer terrified to move to a big city

• What it feels like to watch five conservatory years soak into the walls of a building you built from nothing

This one's for anyone chasing a career nobody handed them a map for. Teddy didn't find the space that fit him, so he built it.

Watch the full episode on YouTube.

Show Notes:

Connect with Teddy on IG

Learn more about CLI

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok 

This is DANCE + Fantasy Night

Coming to you LIVEish from CLI Conservatory, with a story I NEED to tell you while it’s still fresh in my mind.  It's a tribute to my acting teacher Gary Imhoff, whose class taught me that losing can be winning, and that the greatest gift we can give is to support each other in the pursuit of our wildest dreams.

We explore:

• How Gary's class and this once-a-year tradition rewired my relationship to failure and gave me the confidence to finally call myself a choreographer

• The three rules of my Fantasy Night Party: no bystanders, you can't perform the thing you're known for, and everyone gets a standing ovation.

• What it felt like on the other side of singing all five verses of "Fast Car" in front of my friends…. I almost threw up.

This one's for anyone who desires to express themself in a way they haven’t yet… Consider this your permission slip.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

This is DANCE + Nick Drago

Nick Drago holds the honor of being this podcast's very first guest — Episode 0.5, the audition episode, back when I wasn't even sure this whole thing would work. A dancer, writer, and producer with 20+ years in the industry (think La La Land, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Glee, Dancing with the Stars, and about a hundred more), Nick is a walking case study in "just do stuff," imposter syndrome be damned. We sat down to talk about banter as a survival skill, the many different ways to "make the sausage," and why sometimes you just have to try the thing even if it might suck.

We explore:

• Was it false or REAL confidence that kept me going for 270+ episodes

• The bicep-flex technique nobody asked for, but everybody needed

• What Michael Rooney, Mandy Moore, and Kat Burns taught Nick about building choreography, and the attitude that keeps him in the game no matter who is calling the shots

This one's for anyone who needs a reminder that "just do stuff" is a mantra, not a mistake.

Watch the full episode on YouTube

Show Notes:

Connect with Nick on IG 

Learn more about The Seaweed Sisters Show “Weed Oh No”

Listen to their episode 

Listen to Mandy’s episode 

Listen to Kat’s episode

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

Marie Spieldenner is a self-proclaimed “substitue that stays”. She's assisted and/ or danced for todays biggest artists/ directors/ campaigns and she is a brilliant example of how supporting others can fuel support of yourself.  We sat down to talk about support systems, psychology, and all about the gig that made her unshakable on set (spoiler, it’s almost certainly not the gig you think it is).

We explore:

• What it took to save a shot with a 40-person cast at 6 am

• The reward system of the entertainment industry

• The big-sister-little-brother dynamic with Robbie Blue that taught her the difference between feeling ready and BEING ready.

This one's for anyone who needs to be reminded of their worth.

Watch the episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Marie on IG 

Learn more about The Seaweed Sisters Show “Weed Oh No”

Listen to their episode 

Learn more about Fostering Dreams

Listen to Diana’s episode 

Listen to Meisha’s episode 

Listen to Taya’s episode

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok 

This is DANCE + WEED OH NO! The live Q&A

Most companies build a show. The Seaweed Sisters built a whole world — a language, a color-coded family, a cloud that pops out babies — and then invited an audience into their room to ask about it. Jillian Meyers, Megan Lawson and myself were joined by our Executive Producer, live at the LA Theater Center on the closing weekend of Weed Oh No! for an open Q&A with the very audience that just watched them do it — thirteen years of Blue, Pink, and Green distilled into 80 minutes of Swinglish, upcycled sets, and a cloud rig that had to be talked down from an emotional breakdown it couldn't physically perform.

We explore:

• Why "Seaweed mode" isn't a switch any one of them can flip alone — it only exists when three sensibilities collide

• The luxury and terror of a year-long timeline after thirteen years of built-on-a-deadline shorties

• How two days of pre-tech taught them the difference between a 16-foot ladder and a 12-foot one, and saved a scene they'd already built an emotional ending around

This one's for anyone who's ever wanted to invite people into their room and just play.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Donate to WEED OH NO!

Watch our past episodes:

Ep #15 

Ep. #266

Watch Emily’s episode

Watch all the Seaweed Sister’s shorties

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

This is DANCE + Hurrikane

Most dancers battle to win. Alain aka “Hurrikane” Lauture battles because he is in love— deeply in love— with the music, with dance, and with the practice of acceptance. Listen in on his journey from being a kid from Port-au-Prince who only danced alone, to sharing stages with Madonna, MTV, Samsung, and winning battles like Juste Debout, Hip Hop Internationals, and Summer Dance Forever. Hurrikane joined me this week to talk about stillness as dialogue, how Maya Angelou changed his mind about judgement, and why he is NOT Locking…

We explore:

• Why he refuses to call it a battle — it's a game, it's play, it's "with" not "against"

• How stillness is a real-time negotiation with his own insecurities

• Why it took years to understand an early conversation with Don Campbellock

This one's for the love of all dance, and the context that makes it sticky for generations to come.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Hurrikane on IG

Listen to Toni’s episode

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

This is DANCE + DANIEL “CLOUD” CAMPOS

Most people find one creative medium and stay. Cloud Campos found dance — then learned stop-motion, animation, PLUS directing because he refused to let a story outrun his tools. He joined me this week to talk about premiering unreleased work at CLOUDFEST, real budgets, and the dog slide that had an entire room convinced it was rotoscoped.

Spoiler: it wasn't. It was muscle memory.

We explore:

• The festival Cloud built himself and WHY

• Why freestyle dance is the perfect training for stop-motion + why every filmmaker SHOULD learn stop-motion

• Emotionally, mentally, + physically what it costs to create Cloud’s worlds

This one's for the makers who hide their fingerprints in the details, hoping someone will find them.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Cloud on IG

Watch “Macho Man”

Watch “Into The Cosmos”

Watch “Hey”

Watch “Todays The Day”

Read “Figure It Out!”

Try out “Magic Poser”

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

This is DANCE + REBRANDING.

This episode is a masterclass in when and HOW to pivot using our very own podcast as the case study. I'm telling you why, why NOW, and HOW I moved from “Words That Move Me” to DANCE + 

Here’s what you can expect from our pivot:

Same great content, new name, logo, iconography, and then some! 

Spoiler: Rebrands are as much MIND MANAGEMENT as they are BRAND MANAGEMENT. Pivots aren’t just about new directions; they are an exercise in negotiating where you put your weight.  They're a conversation with self (inward) and a statement of self (outward) that can expose a TON of unwanted feelings. 

Get ready for all the juicy details:

• The moment I KNEW beyond a doubt that I needed to change the name of the podcast.
• How Toni Basil influenced the new title. 
• Why I decided to SHIFT, not STOP.

271 episodes in. We're just getting (re)started.

Watch the full episode on YouTube.

Show Notes:

Hire Bree Reetz for your Brand Design!

Listen to DANCE + Will Loftis

Listen to DANCE + Toni Basil

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

Bret Easterling has spent his entire life (even pre-birth!) dancing, and his entire career building worlds on stage, on screen, and inside the communities that make dance possible. A producer, Juilliard-trained and award winning choreographer, former Batsheva performer, founder of LGBTQ+ nonprofit BEMOVING, and one half of the creative duo EICHTERLING, Bret joined me this week to talk about what it actually takes to make a dance film, why the logistics always threaten to swallow the artistry, and what happens when you let something be easy.

We explore:

• Bret’s new film “True Love Will Find You in the End”. WATCH IT HERE

• The Clown Car Theory of a creative process

• What gets cut and why, finding the ending no one planned, and what that says about following ease.

• Teaching as space-making: Why Bret is never really in the business of telling people what to do, and how the most important thing a teacher can do is make someone feel capable of discovering something new.

This episode is for anyone who's ever let logistics push the love of the work to the back seat, and those who need a reminder that the Joy of Dance is always there, waiting.

Watch the full episode here. 

Show Notes:

Connect with Bret on IG

Watch “True Love Will Find You In the End”

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

Tali has spent 20+ years at every level of the dance world, with credits ranging from Rihanna and P!nk to the West End production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. She joined me this week to talk about what it really means to advocate for choreographers, why freestyle is one of the most advanced skills in the room, and how a single conversation got one of her clients double the offer.

Spoiler: Productions will lowball until someone teaches them not to. Tali's decided that's part of her job too.

We explore:

• Can we just be storytellers? Tali on representing Black and Brown choreographers in an industry that too often boxes them into Black and Brown stories, and why the chance to choreograph a fantastical world, post-COVID, felt like a gift.

• The pros and cons of freestylers showing up in more traditionally "choreographed" spaces.

• Production not batting an eye when she asked for double the rate for one of her clients: What that says about bottom-line culture, and why asking is always worth it.

This episode is for anyone who's ever watched an artist undercharge, underestimate themselves, or wait for permission to take up more space.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Tali on IG 

Join Tali’s Programme: “identity/ideas/industry”

Read the Choreographer’s Guild Handbook

Read The Choreographer’s Handbook

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

Karen Chuang is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer based in Los Angeles who has toured with Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, taught across nine countries, and built a career that moves fluidly between the commercial and contemporary dance worlds.

Spoiler: Excellence alone won't get you (and *keep* you) the gig!

We explore:

The Jack Johnson T-shirt moment. A moment when the most important lesson of your career arrives in a phone call you never expected.

“Wherever you go, there you are.” The quote Karen has carried with her for years — and what it actually means to embrace a circumstance that isn't your ideal one, reframe it with intention, and then decide whether to stay or move yourself somewhere new.

Financial literacy for dancers. What Karen wishes dancers knew earlier about money, and how her approach to educating at conventions like Hollywood Vibe has shifted from when she first started, and why that evolution matters for the next generation coming up.

Being the cool auntie (or not). Karen reflects on what it means to be connected to her nephews not as a career success story, but just as family.

This episode is for every dancer who has ever been told to pick a style, a lane, or a world, and needed one person to show them what's possible when you don't.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Karen on IG 

Learn more about Hollywood Vibe

Learn more about Pathways in Motion

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

Jackie Sleight is a choreographer, founder of LA Dance Magic, and founder and co-director of LA Jazz Company, and an example of what happens when a woman decides NOT TO STOP!

Spoiler: Your favorite dance teachers’ favorite dance teacher didn't get there by playing it safe.

We explore:

• Nine recessions and still standing. Why Jackie believes that choosing to do something else isn't failure; it's moving forward, and what it actually takes to stay in the dance industry through every economic wave that tries to knock you out.

• The clipboard moment. The story of Roland Dupree, the Wilshire Ebell, and the day Jackie showed up with a pencil and a clipboard, only to note the best worst thing that ever happened to her.

• Stop snooping, start leading. How Jackie spent years watching what other conventions were doing until she realized it was exhausting, inauthentic, and completely beside the point, and the decision to follow her own vision that became the backbone of LA Dance Magic, Educators Dance Collective, and the Los Angeles Jazz Company.

This episode is for anyone who has ever been tempted to look to the left and right instead of straight ahead and needed one person to remind them that nobody else can bring what you bring.

Watch the full episode HERE.

Show Notes:

Connect with Jackie Sleight on IG

Learn about LA Dance Magic 

Learn about Jazz Company 

Learn about the Dance Educators Collective

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok 

WEED OH NO! The Seaweed Sisters' first-ever live show, premiering this June at the Los Angeles Theater Center with @latinotheaterco. TICKETS ARE ON SALE HERE 

This week, special guest host Emily Wanserski — executive producer of the show — brings @TheSeaweedSisters together to pull back the curtain on how it all gets made. What the show actually is, what it feels like, and what you can expect when you walk into their bubble.

We explore:

•   What WEED OH NO! actually is: A magical show-and-tell. A talent show. Weeds popping up in the world, except now you get to step inside one of their spaces. Expect the unexpected, and expect to be surprised by where you're sitting.
•   How it gets made when there are no rules. No client, no single, no existing material. Just the Seaweeds and a whooolllee lot of silliness (and heart).
•   What makes this moment different. Why everything the Seaweed Sisters have made in the last 12 years has been building toward this, and why a first time only happens once.

This episode is for anyone who wants to know what's waiting for them downtown this June before they walk through the door. 

Because the Seaweed Sisters are inviting you into their bubble for the first time.

And they won't ever have a first time again.

Watch the episode here.

Show Notes:

Buy tickets to see WEED OH NO! June 5-14

Watch “Still Got It” 

Watch “Racks”

Watch “Night at the Seater”

Connect with the Seaweed Sisters on IG 

Connect with Emily on IG 

Listen to our first episode with The Seaweed Sisters

Listen to our episode with Meg 

Listen to our episode with Jillian 

Listen to our episode with Taylor

Learn more about the Center for Provocative Thought

Book space at Elements Dance Space

Learn more about our Production Manager, Tatum

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

This is my episode on what happens when someone makes falling off buildings look like an art form.

Marissa Labog is a dancer, stunt performer, filmmaker, and mom, and she joined me this week to talk about something I didn't expect: how stunts and dance are actually the same conversation, just with better padding.

Spoiler: the scariest part of doing something dangerous isn't the danger. It's skipping a step.

We explore:

• The stunt that had no rehearsal. What happened when Marissa landed in Mexico City with no prep, a third-story window, and a drainpipe, and why not having time to think might have been the whole point.

• Back to basics as a superpower. The day a group of veteran stunt performers all froze at once, and the simple method they used to get each other moving again. (Spoiler: it works for everything, not just stunts.)

• Building your own path vs. following someone else's. Why Marissa started UP Productions, what she wants female action heroes to look like, and her response to the guy at the Q&A who said he hated her movie.

This episode is for anyone who has ever stood at the edge of something terrifying and wondered if they were built for it.

Because if Marissa has taught me anything, it's that courage isn't the absence of fear. It's the evidence you've been collecting all along.

So, are you okay hitting the ground?

Show Notes:

Connect with Marissa on IG

Follow Upproductionz on IG

Subscribe to Upproductionz on Vimeo

Watch “When Kids Grow Up”

Listen to our Parents episode 

Listen to our episode with Toni 

Listen to our episode with Samo

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok 

This is my episode on the pattern that lives between your worst feeling and your best one.

I'm going solo this week to talk about something I discovered mid-move — four steps up a staircase, a king-size mattress, and a full emotional spiral that somehow led to one of my favorite realizations yet.

Spoiler: your worst feeling isn't the end. It's actually the beginning.

We explore:

• The mattress that broke me (and then didn't). What happened when Riley and I couldn't muscle a king-size mattress up 17 stairs, why my brain immediately jumped to men and women going to war with weapons, and what that says about how fast our minds can catastrophize from one moment of feeling incapable.

• Incapable → Learning → Offering. The three-part pattern I didn't know I had — and why recognizing it changed how I relate to my hardest feelings. When you know what's on the other side, the beginning doesn't feel quite as terminal.

This episode is for anyone who has ever felt incapable and taken it as a verdict instead of a starting point.

Because feeling like you can't do something isn't a life sentence. It's the first step in a cycle that ends with you handing someone an opportunity they didn't see coming.

So, what's the feeling that feels like your end?

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

This is my episode on Credits, Collaboration, and the Industry Conversations We've Been Waiting to Have

I sit down with choreographer Jamal Sims and associate choreographer Will Bell to talk about what it actually looks like when the dance industry takes care of its own — and what happens when it doesn't.

Spoiler: the best collaborations aren't built on titles. They're built on trust.

We explore:

• The meet-cute that almost didn't happen. How juggling Beauty and the Beast and Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl simultaneously led Jamal to one phone call, one name, and a partnership that just worked, and what that says about the power of the right person in the room.

• Assistant choreographer ≠ personal assistant of the choreographer. Why the industry still confuses the two, what it cost Will when someone called him "difficult" for knowing his own job description, and why having a choreographer's handbook on standby might not be the worst idea.

• The credit problem nobody wants to talk about. How the line between assistant and associate can define someone's entire career trajectory, and why giving people their proper title isn't just courtesy, it's how they get their next job.

This episode is for every dancer, choreographer, and creative who has ever done the work and watched someone else get the credit.

Because being an assistant isn't a life sentence. And “Associate” isn't just a title.

So, are you willing to advocate for the people in your room?

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Jamal on IG

Connect with Will on IG

Watch Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies

Watch the Beauty & The Beast: The 30th Anniversary Special

Watch the Encanto Live at the Hollywood Bowl 

Read the Choreographers Guild Handbook 

Listen to our episode with Julie 

Listen to our In The Heights Episode

Listen to our episode with Kai

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

This is my episode on Healing, Collaboration, and the Care You Didn't Know You Were Missing

In this episode, I sit down with the team at Offset Med, the referral-only practice that's quietly taking care of some of the hardest-working bodies in the industry, to talk about what it actually looks like when healthcare meets you where you are.

Spoiler: the best care isn't a diagnosis. It's a discovery process.

We explore:

• Activity-based care vs. cookie-cutter treatment. Why your ankle sprain and your friend's ankle sprain are not the same injury and why the best providers know that your history, your habits, and how you live are just as important as what's actually hurting.
• The couch that broke the camel's back. How a three-day travel stretch, a night out with friends, and one heavy piece of furniture combined into the injury I thought was just the couch, and what that taught me about how bodies actually break down.
• Referral culture as a business model. Why Offset Med skipped the client avatars and the marketing funnels and built something real instead by solving real problems for real people and letting the snowball do the rest.

This episode is for every dancer, performer, and human who has ever walked out of a provider's office feeling like a diagnosis instead of a person.

Because you're not going to get fixed in one session. And that's okay.

So, are you willing to trust the journey?

Watch the full episode here!

Show Notes:

Connect with Offset Med on IG

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

This is my episode on Confidence and what’s keeping you from feeling it!

In this solo episode, Dana (movement director, artist developer, and your unofficial confidence coach) breaks down the one thing her students, pop stars, and actors keep asking for, and why they've been thinking about it all wrong.

Spoiler: confidence isn't a skill you build. It's a feeling you're willing to have.

We explore:

• Task-based confidence vs. self-confidence. Why the version of confidence most of us are chasing is actually the smallest slice of the pie, and what the rest of the grocery store looks like when you finally walk in.

• The milk metaphor that started it all. From shaking toddler hands to one-handed, foot-on-the-door pouring, and why crying over spilled milk is actually the origin story of every performer who's ever said, "I just need more confidence."

• Willingness as the real currency. How walking into a room of 500 phenomenal dancers with zero world tour credits on your resume can still look like you've done it before, and the single mindset shift that makes that possible.

This episode is the one her student asked for, the one she thought she'd already made, and the one that might permanently change the way you think about what it means to be unflappable.

So, are you willing to feel your least favorite feeling?

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok 

This is Paul Turner on Feedback, Family, and Finding Your People in Unfamiliar Territory

In this episode, Performer, Reality Star, “Production Fairy” and Producer, Paul Turner, shares his perspective on compassion, improvisation, and building creative community in spaces that demand instant connection. From competing on Survivor Europe with two weeks' notice and a rainbow tank top to launching Where's My Phone Productions, Paul reveals what it means to give feedback that builds people up instead of breaking them down. We explore:

• Criticism with compassion over criticism with a period. How stern feedback creates a full stop that erases all the good someone just did, and what it means to remember performers are on hour nine of day 65 before you open your mouth.

• The journey from being on reality TV to making it! The found family that comes from it and how Paul developed an improvisational nature.

• From purple-haired Alaskan dancers to production company founders. The origin story of Where's My Phone Productions (yes, it's named after a very drunk Vegas photo), why partnering with choreographer Brittany Riddle to tell stories about people who don't fit the Alaska stereotype matters, and what happens when they capture those lightning-in-a-bottle moments of forced intimacy and creative survival.

This conversation reveals what happens when you lead with empathy instead of authority, when you say yes to opportunities that scare you (even if you don't speak the language), and when you realize the most interesting stories come from the people who never quite fit the expected mold.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Paul on IG

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

Celebrate FIVE years of Words That Move Me with Producer & Host, Dana Wilson, joined by Executive Assistant & Editor Riley Higgins! 

This episode is a wild ride including:

• Friends drinking adult hot cocoa
• A trip down memory lane of the last five years of the podcast! 
• How we handled grit vs grace this year
• Our essential travel items
• PLUS a story that will have your heart beating out of your chest! 

Thank you listener/viewer for FIVE WHOLE YEARS! We couldn’t do it without you. Here’s to five more!

Watch the full episode here. 

Show Notes:

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

This is Sienna Lyons on Sensuality, Specialization, and the Strength to Sustain

In this episode, Choreographer, Educator, and Dancer Sienna Lyons shares her perspective on power, versatility, and longevity in an industry that often demands everything at once. From backup dancing for JLo and Taylor Swift to choreographing for Gwen Stefani and The Masked Singer, Sienna reveals what it means to command attention without giving everything away. We explore:

• The art of the tease over the reveal. Why she gravitates toward the "don't look at me, but look at me" approach to sensuality, how different opacities of sexy—from the subtle smirk to what she calls "the yeast infection"—shape character choices, and what it means to keep certain elements as a privilege rather than a given.

• The generalist advantage in a specialist world. How training in everything from tap to commercial hip hop since age three became her secret weapon, why being fluent in both technical and commercial languages opens doors across choreographic camps, and the radical notion that "of course" having multiple skill sets works in your favor.

• Prehab over rehab at 36. The lightbulb moment when she realized PT isn't just for when you're hurting, why consistency matters more than intensity as the body ages, and what happens when you're still in great shape but gravity and years of abnormal physicality start sending reminders.

This conversation reveals what happens when you refuse to perform easiness as a character trait, when you embrace being many things instead of one singular thing, and when you learn that maintaining your instrument is just as important as mastering your craft.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Sienna on IG

Listen to Tony’s episode 

Listen to Dominique’s episode 

Listed to Jillian’s episode 

Listen to Slay’s episode 

Listen to Mimi’s episode

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

 Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

This is Dr. Arnel Calvario Ripkens on conscious leadership, cultural stewardship, and the dance program that says “yes” when others say “no”.

In this episode, dancer, leader, and Doctor of Occupational Therapy Arnel Calvario Ripkens shares three decades of wisdom on building community, honoring roots, and creating space for everybody. We explore:

• The antidote to lonely leadership. Why "you're not alone" is the first thing every leader needs to hear, the power of reciprocal mentorship relationships, and how mission statements become your compass when organizations grow and evolve.

• Conscious cultural participation. What it means to be a guest in black-created art forms, how Culture Shock LA showed up for the communities whose culture shaped their choreography, and why knowledge of where dance comes from strengthens the power of what we do.

• Awesome Shock and neurodivergent dancers. The parents who shared that studios turned their kids away, the grant-funded after-school program that became a full dance troupe, and how 27 dancers ages 6 to 28 proved that diversity includes neurodiversity.

• Plus, more insights on being the best leader you can be!

This conversation reveals what happens when you lead with a mission first, when you honor the heritage of the art forms you practice, and when you create programs that affirm every dancer—especially those who've been told they learn differently.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Arnel 

Listen to our first episode with Arnel

Arnel’s Leadership Tools for the Dance Leader 

Learn more about Culture Shock LA

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

This is Will Johnston on new projects, originality, and the moment in a lunge that changed everything.

In this episode, choreographer and director Will Johnston discusses his creative process, artistic influence, and the evolution of his work, from competitive dance beginnings to directing music videos for major artists. We explore:

• The choreography of numbness through cathartic movement. How his film "Pepper" explores over-consumption and paralysis, when the body holds chaos and vibration even when it can't move, and what happens to our vessels when the stimulation stops.

• Originality, influence, and the proofread process. Whether truly original thoughts exist, how dancers physicalize and remanifest what they see, and the idea of adding a "proofreading" step to creative work

• The lunge that sparked everything. That pivotal seventh-grade moment when recreation became serious, when "I should work hard" became a defining thought, and how weight-bearing holds can catalyze life-changing realizations.

• Plus, insights on evolving from dancer to director, working with DPs, and bringing technical precision to artistic vision.

This conversation reveals what emerges when we examine our influences honestly, when we create space between inspiration and imitation, and when a single moment of clarity in class becomes the foundation for a global career.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Will on IG

Watch “Pepper”

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

This is The Full Circle Boys & Keone Madrid on evolution, trust, and what becomes possible when creative roles shift.

In this episode, The Full Circle Boys and choreographer Keone Madrid discuss their collaboration journey—from DIY beginnings to finding their distinct lanes. We explore:

• The sonic vision of a modern American boy band. How their creative sessions revealed a sound and aesthetic that broke from traditional boy band templates.

• The power of role clarity and creative trust. How the group transitioned from being hands-on choreographers juggling multiple responsibilities to focusing on music while trusting Keone completely.

• Creating beyond algorithms and benchmarks. What it means to navigate engagement metrics and content benchmarks (three seconds, six seconds, fifteen) while staying true to what speaks to you.

• Plus, some big laughs and a brand new 8 count!

This conversation reveals what's possible when collaborators find their zones of genius, when trust replaces the need to control everything, and when the work itself becomes more important than perfecting your response to praise.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with the Full Circle Boys on IG

Connect with Keone on IG

Watch all the latest FCB Music Videos 

Listen to their new EP “Plié”

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

This is an episode on injury, resistance, and the thoughts that become available after you stop fighting what is.

In this episode, Dana shares her first-ever back injury at 39 and the 4 key lessons that came with it. We explore:

• The non-negotiable truth about injury. Why pretending you're not hurt serves no one, no job is worth pushing through real pain, and "if" you'll get injured is actually "when", even if you shop exclusively at Whole Foods and still manage to scrape your knee in Crocs

• Separating physical pain from emotional shame. How we compound very real injury-related pain with unnecessary embarrassment, why you're not stupid for thinking you could move the couch without warming up (you're human), and the essential practice of telling people you're healing without kicking yourself while you're down

• The egg white layer of resistance. What happens when you actually sit with unwanted thoughts like, "I can't be injured right now" instead of bypassing them, how that paper-thin friction softens into acceptance when you give it airtime, and the thoughts that become available on the other side: "I'm 100% exactly when I need to be, and I can handle what's in front of me with this body, exactly as it is."

This conversation reveals what's possible when we stop resisting our human limitations and start recognizing that our bodies don't always cooperate with our timelines—and that's not a character flaw. Whether you're currently injured, recovering, or inevitably will be someday, Dana's experience offers a framework for meeting pain without adding suffering, and finding agency even when your body has other plans.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

This is Mel Mah on intuition, container-shifting, and letting dance lead you to your voice.

In this episode, Mel Mah, writer, director, producer, former professional dancer, and internationally renowned yoga teacher, shares her journey from dancing for icons like Janet Jackson to directing her first feature film. We explore:

• The art of creative incubation. Why Mel treats her work like birthing a child, protecting ideas in their vulnerable early stages, and the deep meditation required to step back from your own material and see it objectively, especially when you're both writer and director

• Dance as energy, not identity. How Mel discovered that rhythm, emotional expression, and storytelling don't disappear when you leave the stage, they simply find new containers. Why she never really left dance; it just transitioned with her into teaching, directing, and writing

• The unexpected gift of rejection. How not booking tours early in her LA years created space for something else: teaching yoga at Millennium's loft on Sunday mornings to five or six people, discovering her voice, and recognizing a calling that dance alone couldn't fulfill

This conversation reveals what happens when we stop defining ourselves by what we do and start recognizing the essence that flows through everything we do. Whether you're navigating your own transition out of performing, searching for ways to use your voice, or learning to trust divine timing when doors don't open, Mel's journey offers a masterclass in how dancers inherently understand transformation; we just have to trust the choreography.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Listen to our Parents Roundtable

Listen to Kat’s episode

Listen to Mimi’s episode

Listen to the Seaweed Sisters Episode

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

This is Andy Funk and Jeremy Keeton on legacy, transition, and the next chapter for Monsters of Hip Hop.

In this episode, Andy Funk, founder of Monsters of Hip Hop, and Jeremy Keeton, founder of Adreneline, sit down to discuss one of dance education's most significant transitions. As Andy passes the torch of his iconic brand to Jeremy, they explore:

• The catalysts for major life transitions. How the loss of Andy's father prompted deep reflection on priorities, family, and the desire to explore new challenges beyond what he and his team have built over the years

• Intentional legacy planning. Why preserving the integrity, uniqueness, and essence of Monsters of Hip Hop mattered more than any other consideration, and how their relationship through the Dance Educators Collective made Jeremy the natural choice for stewardship

• Leading through action in times of change. Jeremy's commitment to honoring the foundation of Monsters, learning from the existing faculty and community, and showing up with actions rather than words as he navigates this responsibility

This conversation reveals what thoughtful leadership transitions look like in the dance industry, rooted in relationships, respect for community, and a shared understanding that some legacies are too important to leave to chance. Whether you're building something you hope will outlast you, considering your next chapter, or learning to steward what others have created, this episode offers a masterclass in how dancers naturally understand the art of transition.

Watch the full episode on YouTube.

Show Notes:

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

This is Brinn Nicole on evolution, authenticity, and redefining success in dance.

In this episode, professional choreographer and Heels dance instructor Brinn Nicole—creator of the Pumpfidence—opens up about the profound shift from industry ambition to inner transformation. Brinn, whose work treats Heels dance as a pathway to emotional development and empowerment, explores:

• The evolution of artistic drive—how her focus transitioned from "racking up credits" and booking tours to tapping into her feelings, being a working mom, and witnessing the freedom her work brings to others

• Building sustainable creative careers—the strategic pivot that led her to develop teacher training programs and franchise her assistants as Pumpfidence instructors, creating passive income streams that allow artistic freedom while honoring the recovering from labor. 

• The branding evolution of Heels dance—from the pioneering work of teachers before her creating individual brands to the eventual umbrella term "heels" that unified the genre, and how she navigates positioning her "Pump" style within this landscape

Brinn Nicole represents a new generation of dance educators who prioritize authentic self-expression and sustainable business practices over traditional industry validation. Whether you're questioning conventional definitions of success, building a teaching-based creative career, or exploring dance as a tool for personal transformation, this conversation offers essential insights into creating meaningful impact while staying true to your evolving artistic vision.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Brinn on IG

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

This is Moncell Durden on dance education, culture, appropriation, and activism. 

In this episode, renowned dance educator and ethnographer Moncell Durden, professor of dance for 22 years and founder of INTANGIBLE ROOTS, is back on the podcast and challenges fundamental assumptions about dance history and pedagogy. Moncell, whose groundbreaking documentary "Everything Remains Raw" was featured at international film festivals and whose work spans from Mop Top Crew to academic institutions, explores:

• The house music revolution—why there are no "steps" in authentic house dance, how hip-hop dancers appropriated and codified a free-form club culture that was never meant to be systematized, and why you don't need to learn New York's claimed vocabulary to truly dance to house music

• Musicality versus moving musically—the crucial distinction between dancers who reflect sound and true musicianship, and how understanding harmony, melody, and tone color transforms dancers into musical collaborators rather than mere interpreters

• Dismantling ballet supremacy—why a 600-year-old European form cannot claim to be the "beginning of everything" when dance traces back 2.5 million years to the Paleolithic era, and the importance of understanding any dance form within its proper cultural and social parameters 

Moncell Durden represents the cutting edge of decolonized dance scholarship and the preservation of Afro-Diasporic movement traditions. Whether you're questioning Eurocentric dance hierarchies, seeking authentic approaches to cultural dance forms, or exploring the intersection of embodied history and contemporary pedagogy, this conversation offers essential insights into reclaiming dance's true global heritage.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Moncell on IG

Listen to Moncell’s 1st episode with WTMM 

Watch Everything Remains Raw

Watch Check Your Body at The Door 

Take Moncell’s Intangible Roots Course

Read the USC article 

Listen to Chloe’s episode

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE

This is Will Loftis on creativity as an act of service, finding your personal "in," and the Adele approach to sustainable artistry!

In this episode, visionary choreographer and creative director Will Loftis—fresh off his Hollywood Music Video Award nomination for Ariana Grande's "Yes, And?" and his work on the iconic Wicked films—shares wisdom from the biggest stages in entertainment. Will, whose movement has brought life to everything from Met Gala performances to major film musicals, explores:

• The personal "in" philosophy—how working with director John Chu on Wicked taught him that every project demands finding your authentic connection point, why saying no becomes easier when you can't find that spark, and the difference between taking work because you can versus taking work because you must

• The Adele model of artistry—embracing cycles of intense creative output followed by intentional retreat, why "you can miss me" creates space for deeper work, and how thinking about desired lifestyle rather than just career goals shapes better creative decisions

• Creativity as pure service—his revelation that at its truest form, creative work channels something bigger than individual ego, how this perspective removes the pressure of ownership over outcomes, and why remembering "it's never really your thing" liberates artists from perfectionist paralysis

Will Loftis represents the intersection of commercial success and artistic integrity in today's entertainment landscape. Whether you're navigating creative career choices, seeking sustainable approaches to high-pressure industries, or exploring the spiritual dimensions of artistic collaboration, this conversation offers profound insights into building a meaningful creative life while working at the highest levels.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Will on IG

Listen to Mandy’s episode

Listen to Jillian’s episode 

Listen to Tyce’s episode

Listen to Comfort’s episode

Listen to the In The Heights episode

Listen to Marty’s episode

Listen to the Seaweed Sisters episode

Watch "Rather Important" by The Seaweed Sisters

Watch “Yes, And” 

Watch “Cold Hearted Snake” 

This is Taya Lee on assistant choreography, the clarity of movement, and learning while earning in the dance industry!

In this episode, professional dancer and choreographer Taya Lee takes us from her San Diego roots to assisting on Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour and dancing with Doechii. Taya, whose credits span MTV Movie & TV Awards performances to standing in for Missy Elliott, explores:

• The evolution of assistant choreography—how stepping into rooms with legends like Tyrik Patterson means being ready when "choreographer" in your title suddenly demands you create those crucial 8 counts, and learning that every creative partnership requires different skills, from demonstration to invention

• Movement as language—why dancing "like water" isn't enough if you're unclear, and her revelation that fluid movement without punctuation creates run-on sentences that leave both performer and audience breathless

• The myth of complete preparation—discovering that the industry teaches you while paying you, breaking down the assumption that you need to know everything before stepping into professional spaces, and finding freedom in learning through doing rather than studying from the sidelines

Taya Lee represents the new generation of dance artists championing work that amplifies Black womxn experiences. Whether you're interested in the behind-the-scenes reality of major tours, the philosophy of clear movement communication, or navigating creative careers where expertise develops through practice, this conversation offers profound insights into growing as an artist while staying true to your values.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Taya on IG

Listen to How Do Dancers Make Money

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

Kid David on breaking, terrifying tour stories, his Emmy-winning broadcast coverage of the Olympics, and finding freedom through mastery!

In this episode, professional B-boy and breaking commentator Kid David (David Shreibman) takes us from the streets where he discovered breaking to the biggest stage in sports—the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Emmy-winning commentator, whose credits span the Step Up film series to NBC's Olympic coverage, explores:

• The art of "forgetting" your technique—how spending decades mastering footwork, glides, and freezes is ultimately about trusting your body so completely that you can stop thinking and start truly listening, creating those magical moments where raw authenticity emerges through pure reaction

• Surviving Hollywood's disposable dancer culture—from literally almost dying in a malfunctioning stage lift during a major tour, to learning the harsh reality that performers are often seen as replaceable line items

• Breaking down breaking for the world—the intense preparation behind NBC's Olympic commentary.

Kid David embodies the evolution of breaking from underground culture to mainstream recognition. Whether you're interested in the intersection of street culture and elite competition, surviving creative industries that undervalue artists, or learning how mastery creates space for genuine expression, this conversation offers powerful insights into staying true to your craft while navigating its commercial possibilities.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Kid David on IG 

Read The Believing Brain by Michael Shermer

Listen to our episode with Marty 

Read the Art of Learning by Joshua Waitzkin

Listen to our episode with Randi 

Listen to the episode with Alison

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

Kai Martinez on marketing, empowering women through choreography, jealousy, Anderson. Paak, and all things Encanto!

In this episode, accomplished dancer and choreographer Kai Martinez shares her journey from passionate performer to industry innovator, revealing how clarity of purpose transforms both artistry and career trajectory. The Latina powerhouse, whose credits span from Christina Aguilera and Kendrick Lamar to Disney's Oscar-winning Encanto, explores:

• "tuning into your frequency"—discovering what you stand for as an artist and how that clarity naturally aligns you with the right projects, from empowering women through movement to championing underserved communities and sharing diverse cultural stories

• The groundbreaking process behind Disney's "We Don't Talk About Bruno"—how they reated choreography from storyboards alone, with their studio footage directly informing the animation layout, then spending six months collaborating with Disney's animation team to ensure every hip rotation and beat hit with precision

• Her revolutionary work bridging dance and animation—collaborating with Disney's Michael Woodside to establish new standards for how choreographers and animators work together on musical sequences, creating a template that elevated the entire industry's approach to animated dance

• The power of reframing jealousy as a navigational tool—using the "jealousy map" technique from The Artist's Way to transform envy into actionable insight, discovering what you truly want and taking immediate steps toward those goals rather than scrolling past inspiration

Kai represents the evolution of choreography across mediums. From her roots watching dancers in underserved neighborhoods to mentoring the next generation, she embodies how finding your authentic voice and values can create pathways not just for personal success, but for lifting entire communities. Whether you're interested in the intersection of live performance and animation, building authentic artistic relationships, or learning how to channel inspiration into action, this conversation offers powerful insights into creating work that truly matters.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Kai

Take a class with Kai

Kai’s Black Sweat video

Watch colorwise by the Seaweed Sisters

Listen to our episode with Popin'’ Pete

Listen to our episode with Jamal

Listen to our episode with Marty 

Listen to our episode with Reina 

Listen to our episode with Asiel 

Comfort Fedoke on Emotional Choreography, Collaborative Art-Making, and the Power of Adaptability

In this episode, Emmy Award-winning dancer, choreographer, and multi-hyphenate artist Comfort Fedoke opens up about her innovative approach to movement as emotional language and the art of authentic collaboration. The Nigerian-American performer, known for her journey from So You Think You Can Dance contestant to All-Star to judge, reveals:

• Her groundbreaking new show "A/VOID"—a double entendre exploring the emotions we avoid and the void they create, developed with creative partner Zoe Rappaport and set within the immersive light-and-sound installation Chromasonic Field in downtown LA

• The magic of synesthetic performance—how she's creating work where "color becomes audible and sound becomes visible," using all the senses to help audiences viscerally understand what they're feeling through movement

• Her collaborative choreographic process—the late-night living room sessions that led to the Ozdust Ballroom Scene in Wicked, where authentic movement language emerges through freestyle experimentation, building "like a puzzle" until the soul speaks louder than technique

• The biggest lesson from her So You Think You Can Dance journey: learning to be adaptable and understanding her role as a muse and influential collaborator, discovering how to elevate choreographers while maintaining lasting artistic relationships

As a performer who has shared stages with H.E.R., John Legend, Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, and countless other A-list artists, while also working as a commentator for Red Bull TV and judge on Nigeria's Maltina Dance All, Comfort embodies the evolution of dance as storytelling. From splitting time between London (where she's associate choreographer on "Wicked" and the West End's "Cabaret") and LA, she's creating work that transforms spaces and challenges audiences to feel more deeply. Whether you're interested in the intersection of technology and movement, the business of being a creative collaborator, or simply want to understand how dance can make the invisible visible, this conversation offers profound insights into making art that moves both bodies and souls.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Comfort on IG

Get Tickets to Comfort’s show

Donate to A/VOID

Watch “Try A Little Tenderness” from SYTYCD

Listen to our episode with the In The Heights Team

Watch the full Ozdust Ballroom Scene

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

Zoey Anderson on Becoming Undeniable Talent, Defying Gravity, and Finding Your Artistic Home

In this episode, Parsons Dance Company principal Zoey Anderson shares her remarkable journey from summer intensive discovery to becoming one of contemporary dance's most captivating performers. A 10-year company veteran, Clive Barnes Award winner, and Bessie Award nominee reveals:

• Her serendipitous path into Parsons Dance—how being spotted at Marymount's summer intensive led to an immediate company placement when the stars aligned and a dancer departed

• Dana’s philosophy on developing "undeniable, untouchable talent" over focusing on industry mechanics—why she believes pre-professional dancers should redirect energy from questions about hair color and tattoos to becoming the artist companies can't live without

• The mesmerizing solo "Caught"—a gravity-defying illusion performed in strobe lighting that creates the impossible: a body suspended in space for five minutes, executing over 112 jumps while appearing to never touch the ground

• Operating at extremes: her all-or-nothing approach to energy management, planning for both 100% intensity and complete restoration through 13-15 hour sleep cycles

As a performer who has graced stages from Broadway's "On The Town" opening night gala to the Academy Award-winning film "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," and competed as a National Champion in Ballroom Smooth dancing, Zoey embodies the athletic artistry and infectious joy that defines contemporary dance. Whether you're an aspiring dancer seeking your artistic home or anyone fascinated by the intersection of illusion and movement, this conversation offers both practical wisdom and pure magic for understanding what it means to become irreplaceable in your craft.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Zoey on Instagram

Watch a Parsons Dance performance

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok 

From Basketball Dreams to Dance Floors: Lisa "L-Boogie" Bauford's Journey of Art, Family, and Finding Light in Darkness

Meet Lisa "L-Boogie" Bauford - a professional dancer, creative entrepreneur, and the heart behind Blame Boogie LLC. In this inspiring conversation, Lisa opens up about her incredible journey from childhood basketball dreams to becoming a world-traveling dancer and emcee.

What You'll Discover:

Family DNA of Dance - How Lisa's love for movement began at age 3-4 in a juke joint, with party lights flashing and grown folks cheering her on

The Pivot - Why her first love of basketball led her to an even greater passion for dance and the stage

Chronicles of Tour Life - Stories from her global dance career and how travel experiences influenced her unique clothing designs

Survivalist to Artist - The courageous leap from financial security to chasing dreams, and how her community rallied to support her audition journey

The Philosophy That Drives Everything:

"People will forget what you did, people will forget what you said, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou (tattooed on Lisa's body and embedded in her soul)

Plus Some Real Talk:

Ever wonder about those pre-performance jitters? Lisa gets hilariously honest about the universal performer experience of suddenly needing to pee right before showtime.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Lisa on IG

Listen to the Seaweed Sisters episode

Listen to Shaun’s episode

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

Sydney Mesher on Disability Representation, Kicking Down Barriers, and Changing the Entertainment Industry

In this episode, trailblazing performer Sydney Mesher shares her journey as the first visibly disabled Radio City Rockette and her mission to transform representation in entertainment. Born without her left hand, Sydney reveals:

• Her transformative experience making history with the Radio City Rockettes and performing on iconic stages

• The often overlooked reality of navigating dance training and professional choreography with a disability, including the mental gymnastics of constantly adapting instructions and movement on the spot while never wanting to disrupt the creative process

• The profound importance of portraying disabled bodies as desirable and sexy in media—a taboo topic that Sydney addresses with remarkable candor—and how the absence of such representation affected her own self-image growing up

• Creating more examples of her in the world with her book “She Kept Dancing”

As a multi-disciplinary artist working across dance, modeling, and acting, Sydney exposes the stark contrast between being hired as a dancer versus being brought on as "inclusive talent," and her determination to change how the entertainment industry approaches disability. Whether you're a performer with a disability seeking representation or anyone passionate about creating more authentic and diverse art forms, this conversation offers both emotional honesty and inspiring insights for breaking boundaries and embracing your unique artistic voice.

Watch the full episode here!

Show Notes:

Connect with Sydney on IG

Buy Sydney’s book “She Kept Dancing”

Read Sydney’s ESPN article

Listen to Joe’s episode

Listen to the Seaweed Sisters episode

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

The Business of Dance: Revealing the 3 Paths to Income for Professional Dancers. This episode pulls back the curtain on the financial realities of dance careers through a fascinating analysis of booking patterns and relationship-building. Discover the surprising statistics that show how much work Dana has booked from established relationships rather than auditions. Learn why unpaid passion projects often fuel paid opportunities, and explore the universal value-creation formula that applies to dancers and entrepreneurs alike.

This episode will help you:

• Understand the three primary ways dancers secure paying work

• See the crucial connection between unpaid artistic projects and paid opportunities

• Recognize the "full-time job" of community relationship maintenance

• Apply a simple 6-step formula for creating and monetizing value

• Balance artistic passion with practical business strategy

• Transform your perspective on dance as both an art form and a viable career

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Coach with Dana

Listen to our episode with the Seaweed Sisters

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

Erik Cavanaugh (Dicks: The Musical, SavageXFenty, Apple Billboard) joins us on Words That Move Me this week!

Breaking Barriers in Dance: Erik Cavanaugh on Body Representation, Big City Dreams, and Creating Inclusive Spaces

In this inspiring episode, groundbreaking dancer Erik Cavanaugh shares his journey of reshaping the dance world and challenging body stereotypes. Drawing on his experiences across fashion, television, film, and advertising, Erik reveals:

• His surreal moment seeing himself on billboards in major cities worldwide—from Times Square to Tokyo—and the emotional impact of representation in an industry that often excludes diverse body types

• Practical wisdom for dancers considering relocating to major entertainment hubs like LA and New York, including why building a strong foundation before making the leap can prevent burnout

• The frustrating reality of costume departments failing to accommodate plus-size performers, forcing dancers like Erik to bring their own wardrobe or make last-minute purchases out of pocket

As the creator of the movement "Dancers Come In All Sizes," Erik is committed to mentoring the next generation and creating spaces where all body types feel welcome in dance. Whether you're a performer facing body discrimination or someone passionate about creating more inclusive creative industries, this conversation offers both validation and actionable insights for breaking barriers and embracing your authentic artistic voice.

Watch the full episode here!

Show Notes:

Connect with Erik on IG

Watch Dicks the musical 

Take Erik’s class in Nashville

Watch Holland 

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and

The Choreographer's Canvas: Jasmine JB Badie on Redefining Stage Direction

As both a performer and creator, JB knows the distinction between dance class choreography and effective stage direction. Whether you're a dancer looking to transition into choreography or a creative director developing your leadership style, this conversation offers loads of wisdom for crafting performances that serve the vision while preserving the humanity of everyone involved.

Drawing on her experiences with Beyoncé, Sabrina Carpenter, and more, Jasmine breaks down:

• Why her "humane choreographer" approach prioritizes kindness and efficiency over intimidation, creating better results without the trauma

• The pivotal moment when mentor Gil texted that he and Janet Jackson wanted to attend her show, culminating in a full-circle career validation

• The importance of purpose-driven choreography—why she refuses to create exhausting "class routines" when they don't serve the artist or audience

• Her unique creative process focused on viewpoint and feeling rather than technical complexity

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with JB on Instagram

Watch the seaweed sisters at Vibe

Victoria Monet BET awards

Listen to the seaweed sisters episode

Listen to Mandy’s episode

Listen to Tony’s episode

Listen to Gary’s episode 

Listen to Toni’s episode

Listen to Good Questions episode

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and

In this eye-opening episode, dancer and registered dietitian Sherry Lin shares her holistic, non-diet approach to nutrition and wellness. Drawing on her thirteen years of experience specializing in eating disorders, gut health, and performance nutrition, Sherry breaks down:

• The three types of hunger we experience (physical, emotional, and mental) and how to identify each in your body

• Why restrictive approaches to eating often backfire and how an “affirmative voice” can transform your relationship with food

• The surprising truth about hormonal cycles and metabolism—including why we experience intense cravings during certain phases

As the founder of Rhythm and Nutrition and a professional dancer with an MFA from the University of Michigan, Sherry brings a unique perspective on body awareness and nutritional needs. Whether you’re struggling with disordered eating patterns or simply want to develop a healthier relationship with food, this conversation offers practical wisdom for anyone looking to nourish both body and soul.

Watch the episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Sherry on IG

Learn how to work with Sherry 

Listen to my episode on Grit vs. Grace

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

Beyond Boundaries: The Multifaceted Journey of Samø Soto

Join us for a revealing conversation with Samø Soto, a professional who has masterfully navigated the transition from B-boy to Stuntman while challenging industry perceptions about artistic identity.

In this episode, Samø shares the emotional complexities of expanding beyond dance—the guilt, the external perceptions, and the struggle to be seen as multidimensional in an industry that prefers singular labels. Despite his passion for choreography and battling still burning bright, he’s determined to prove his commitment to stunts while advocating for a world that embraces versatility. 

What you’ll discover:

• The internal conflict of pursuing multiple passions while fighting against binary job labels

• How dance fundamentally prepared him for stunt work through adaptability and quick choreographic thinking

• His journey from being the “weakest link” in crew battles to finding his unique contribution through dynamic movement

• Why dancers have the “biggest cheat code” in entertainment with unprecedented access across production departments

This conversation reveals how dancers occupy a position in the entertainment hierarchy not practiced often—a “hallway lined with doors” offering opportunities to explore lighting, wardrobe, stunts, and beyond. Samø’s story is a powerful testament to creative evolution and finding strength in versatility.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Samø on Instagram

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

Behind the Curtain: The Extraordinary Life and Art of Toni Basil

Featuring legendary Choreographer, Dancer, Director, Producer, Recording Artist, Historian, and “Hey Mickey” hitmaker Toni Basil in a rare, intimate conversation! We explore her remarkable career spanning decades in entertainment, from backstage memories as Vaudeville royalty to collaborating with icons like Elvis Presley, David Bowie, Bette Midler, and Tina Turner. 

Here’s what you’ll discover:

– How Toni’s behind-the-scenes childhood at the Chicago Theater shaped her love for performance 

– The creative process behind Elvis’ in “Viva Las Vegas” assisting David Winters

 – Her unexpected journey to becoming co-director for David Bowie after connecting through their shared mime vocabulary

– Insights on working with superstars who “care about their legacy” and the work ethic behind true stardom

This conversation reveals how following your artistic intuition—even when it leads to unexpected places—can create a lifetime of extraordinary creative collaborations. Toni’s fascinating stories illuminate how being fully present in each moment helped her navigate a groundbreaking career across film, television, and music.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Follow Toni on:

IG: officialtonibasil

X:Toni_Basil

YouTube: ToniBasilsHouse

TikTok: officialtonibasil

Listen to Toni’s re-release of “Breakaway”

Watch Hey Mickey 

Watch Toni in West Side Story

Watch Toni’s parents’ Vaudville Act

Watch Toni’s aunt and uncle in a silent film from 1919

Watch Toni’s judges’ demo from Street Beat 2024

Watch Street Beat

Watch Shopping A-Z

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY 

To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE 

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