The Dance Podcast

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#160 Lauren Ritchie. Season 5 Finale. Words from the heart. Oct 28, 2020

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It has been another incredible season! In this episode, Lauren shares the words she needs to hear, a takeaway from 2020, and true facts about rest, recovery, high performance and pivots.

Lauren Ritchie

Mental Performance and Mindset Educator, MEd, BA, ESFCC.

As a human, you can train three things: your mind, your body, and your craft. Lauren Ritchie has been studying, researching, and educating dancers and teachers on the physical, emotional and mental intricacies of dance. Recognizing the lack of mental skills training in dance, Lauren has created programs and exercises dedicated to educating and empowering both dancers' and educators' mental health and mindset to optimize physical and artistic training. From her MEd in Coaching Studies to a BA in Professional Communications, to multiple Yoga certifications and an accredited Art & Science of Coaching Certification, Lauren has a unique blend of education and resources that offer a holistic training approach for dancers.

An established educator, facilitator and speaker, Lauren has delivered workshops to prestigious schools and programs like Harbour Dance Centre, the Alberta Ballet School, the Dancer Transition Resource Centre, Capilano University and The Bridge Program with The Protege Movement. She is the co-founder of the Dance Teacher reTREAT, the creator of Mental Skills Training Teacher Training program and has been a keynote speaker for the Women In Sport Speaker Series, Dance Studio Owners Association, House of Jazz (London), and the Dance Teacher Expo.

Lauren has firsthand knowledge of the attributes required to achieve and sustain peak performance. She was a highly competitive and decorated dancer having classically trained in ballet, jazz, tap and lyrical. After completing her A.R.A.D, Lauren knew she "wanted to dance" but had little guidance and awareness of the true process of transitioning into a professional dance career. This is why Lauren has created and hosts The Dance Podcast; an invaluable resource dedicated to inspire and educate dancers, teachers, and parents through candid conversations with industry professionals.

Lauren's engaging and encouraging teaching style has inspired dance teachers and students across the country to be their best – mind, body, and craft.

#159 Julie McDonald. Los Angeles Talent Agent. McDonald/Selznick Associates Oct 21, 2020

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Julie McDonald is co-owner of McDonald Selznick Associates (MSA). She is the pioneer in the field of dance and choreography representation, having formed the first talent agency in 1985 devoted exclusively to dance. While breaking ground by representing her clients across all mediums of entertainment, she became an advocate for better terms and working conditions for dancers and choreographers and devoted herself to raising the visibility of the art and craft of commercial dance and especially choreography. In 2000 she and Tony Selznick formed McDonald Selznick Associates. (MSA). Their clients represent a who's who in the world of dance and have been nominated for or have won numerous Emmy, Tony, and MTV awards. MSA clients have directed and/or choreographed Las Vegas spectacles, Broadway productions, television prime time dramas and sitcoms, awards shows including the Emmys, Grammys, and Oscars, and numerous films spanning the past three decades. Ms. McDonald co-created the American Choreography Awards (1994-2004), an event honoring choreography achievement in media. She was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Choreographers Carnival and Dance under the Stars Choreography Festival for pioneering the representation of dancers and choreographers. She is on the Board of American Dance Movement a funding organization that builds healthy communities by expanding access to dance and movement. She is also on the Boards of Center Dance Association at the Music Center, and Dance Magazine.

#158 Erin Pride. Dance Boss Podcast. Online Business Coach. Dance Educator. Oct 14, 2020

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Erin is an online business coach for dance educators and host of the Dance Boss Podcast. She is a Jersey girl all the way, graduated from Montclair State University with a B.F.A. in Dance and received her Masters in Dance Education from New York University. Erin helps dance educators niche down, build an online business, and bring in additional revenue for them and their families. Erin began her coaching journey as a dance education coach, providing resources and training to help dance educators run more successful classrooms. Now Erin helps her fellow dance educators pursue their dreams and start an online business that impacts the masses. To learn more about Erin visit erindpride.com, and you can hang out with Erin on Instagram and Facebook.

#157 Matt Cady. Madonna. FannyPak. Katie Perry. Oct 07, 2020

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Matt Cady is an extremely creative, versatile, and dynamic choreographer and artistic instigator. Madonna said of his movement: "It's pristine.. wonderful staging." Adi Salant, Co-Artistic Director of Batsheva Dance Company, remarked: "His movement is very smart." An young introverted Matt started expressing himself in Sign Language freshman year of high school, which blossomed his interest in theater and ultimately modern dance. In college, Matt double majored in Deaf Studies and Dance, dropping out after two years to pursue an apprenticeship at Millennium Dance Complex, needing to enrich himself in the ever changing culture of the commercial LA dance scene. After being offered his own class at Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio, Matt's professional choreographic career took off with the success of his company Fanny Pak on MTV's America's Best Dance Crew. This is where he met supervising choreographers Tabitha and Napoleon Dumo, whom gave him his first taste at choreographing for a touring show with ABDC Live. Matt went on to contribute choreography under Chonique Sneed and Lisette Bustamante for Ricky Martin's World Tour and Britney Spears' Femme Fatal Tour, which is where he first met tour director Jamie King, whom he would work under years later on Madonna's tours. Meanwhile, Fanny Pak's success catapulted being the only dance company to ever win a MTV Video Music Award. They were enlisted for several music videos, Yelle's "Que Vuex Tu/Safari Disco Club," Lil Mama's "Truly In Love," Patrica Kazadi's "Go Crazy," and soulful icon Toni Braxton's "You Make My Heart." The movie Honey 2 was Fanny Pak's cinematic debut, directed by Billy Woodruff. Off screen, Fanny Pak was commissioned for corporate events and collaborations with Canon Electronics, toy makers Hasbro, TeenVogue, MetroPark Clothing, and the hugely popular dairy company, WhiteWave. Continuing in the cinematic world, Pepsi sponsored a short film through USC which Matt choreographed called "Beth Hooper and the Super Awesome Dance Battle." Matt's most favorite of his collaborations are with colleague Megan Lawson, whose initial teamwork was scoped by Madonna herself off of a youtube video. Together, they choreographed multiple numbers for her most recent tours MDNA and Rebel Heart, including the tension filled blood bath Gangbang, and "..broadway worthy.." opening number Iconic. Most recently Matt and Meg were commissioned to create dance works for Ariana Grande's Dangerous Woman Tour, Ricky Martin's All In Vegas Residency, brotherly duo Mak + Val's (from Dancing With the Stars) touring show Our Way, and Katy Perry's "Bon Appetite" music video. Matt's ability to materialize an intention and translate his movement across such a spectrum has made him a sought after collaborator and dance instructor, having worked on several American and international dance conventions as well as in studio workshops.

#156 Rosalynn Miller. Studio Owner. Dedicated Educator. More Than Just Great Dancing Mentor. Sep 30, 2020

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Rosalynn Miller graduated from Point Park University, Conservatory of Performing Arts, with two dance degrees in 2008. With a duel concentration in jazz dance and dance pedagogy (the art of teaching dance), Rosalynn, affectionately referred to as Roz by her students and peers, quickly landed teaching jobs at various prestigious dance establishments in the Pittsburgh area. While in college she was Vice President to the student hip hop dance group "Impulse", first Hispanic President to the United Student Government at Point Park and maintained an apprenticeship through the COPA department all four years of her education. She fulfilled her apprenticeship working as a hip hop teacher for an after school dance program at McKees Rocks Middle School.

In an effort to continue her dance education, Roz attends an array of dance teacher conventions, seminars, workshops and classes to better serve her students and help strengthen the local dance community. The Dance Teacher Summit in New York, More Than Just Great Dancing with Misty Lown and Dance Masters of Pennsylvania are just some of the dance teacher functions she regularly attends throughout the year.

Roz is the owner and artistic dance director of Synergy Performing Arts Academy located in Canonsburg, Pa. Her students perform in local parades and community charity events. The Synergy Dance Company trains and competes at a competitive level. Roz's choreography has received recognition at both regional and national levels and has received multiple award winning titles. Synergy just celebrated their 10th year anniversary.

Outside of teaching, Roz judges for local dance competitions and talent shows. She has judged for Showbiz National Talent Competition and On Stage America dance competition. She is proud to be one of the founding 15 members of More Than Just Great Dancing, "MTJGD", with Misty Lown, the PA Charter member of MTJGD, and a MTJGD certified Coach . In 2014 Roz was accepted into Dance Masters of America (Pa chapter 10), Dance Educators of America (Pittsburgh chapter) in 2015, and in 2019 she was awarded "Dance Educator of the Year" by GROOVE dance competition at their Myrtle Beach Nationals. In July of 2019 she was honored to be on the faculty and present business seminars at the NYC Dance Teacher Summit. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and playing with her son, a cancer survivor, Cruz!

#155 Maud Arnold. Tap Superstar. Syncopated lady. DC Tap Festival. Sep 23, 2020

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Known as one of "Tap's Leading Ladies" and cover girl for Dance Spirit magazine's Tap issue, Maud Arnold is a member of Syncopated Ladies and performed in their sold-out full-length concerts in Los Angeles, NYC, DC, and Dubai.

We dive deep into rejection and the mental skills needed for a long, healthy dance career. We pick apart topics like success, hustle and the impact of generosity and service. Maud tells us about the phone call that cleared her schedule and how she prioritizes sharing happiness - especially through her instagram show - Maudcast.

Maud has appeared on ABC's Good Morning America and at Essence Fest in New Orleans after their video covering Beyoncé's Formation, went viral. Beyoncé shared the video on all of her social media and then hired the Syncopated Ladies to perform at her Ivy Park active wear clothing line launch at TopShop, London.

Maud has quickly become a sought after teacher, judge and performer worldwide. Mentored and trained by Debbie Allen, Maud has taught at Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles and Allen's Dance Institute in Texas. Further to teaching in the USA, Maud has taught tap dancing and Afro-Funk in Dubai, Brazil, Japan, Spain, United Kingdom, Croatia, Ukraine and Russia.

Maud's Television Credits Include: BET Experience: 106 and Park, The Late Late Show With James Corden, HBO's Boardwalk Empire, Switched at Birth, Secret Talents of the Stars as a featured dancer with Mya, The Today Show and Syncopated Ladies winning Season 11 of FOX's So You Think You Can Dance: Dance Crew Battle. Maud can be seen in national commercials and print ads for Toyota, GAP and CANTU and has worked with Beyoncé on several commercials and music videos.

Maud is the co-director and producer of the critically acclaimed DC Tap Festival, pioneering new experiences for dancers and artists worldwide and with her sister Chloé Arnold they were recognized by the US House of Representatives as arts preservers and ambassadors.

Maud is also a female entrepreneur that holds a degree from Columbia University. Further to teaching, she oversees Chloe and Maud Productions and their many entities including their clothing lines: I LOVE TAP and UniLove as well as their tap dance workshops and after school programs.

Maud exudes her passion for tap dancing with her high energy, fun and action-packed dancing.

#154 Lucie Clements. The Dance Psychologist. Sep 16, 2020

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Lucie is a Chartered Psychologist and has published in peer reviewed articles, spoken at international conferences and worked with leading dance schools and companies across the world.

After tears to both of Lucie's hips ended her dreams of a professional dance career, she redirected her curiosity and creativity towards a BSc Psychology from the University of Surrey. While there, Lucie quickly developed a new goal; to use her understanding of the science of behaviour to help dancers to navigate some of the challenges she herself had faced. After a year working in the neuroscience of dance, Lucie completed her Master's and PhD in Dance Science at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. During this time, she lectured in psychology and research methods at a number of Higher Education institutions throughout the UK.

Now a Chartered Psychologist (British Psychological Society) and Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Chichester, Lucie continues to research the psychology of dance and leads the Wellbeing and Creativity in Performance Lab within the Institute of Education, Health and Social Sciences.

Lucie researches the psychosocial underpinnings of optimal performance, including the training environment and significant individuals (such as the teachers/parents) in nurturing healthy dance engagement. Some of her recent research focusses on creativity in the life of a dancer, understanding what it means to achieve not only technical excellence in dance but also to flourish creatively.

Since 2016 Lucie has been listed by One Dance UK, the UK's body for dance, as a recommended Healthier Dancer Speaker, and has since worked freelance within world-leading dance institutions. Lucie uses her expertise gained as an academic researcher to develop evidence-based psychoeducational workshops and consultancy for performing artists.

#153 Dana Wilson. Justin Timberlake. Seaweed Sister. Words That Move Me podcast. Sep 09, 2020

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This one will leave you wanting more! Dana Wilson is a bright and vivacious content creator, choreographer, and performer. She illuminates everything she crosses from the worlds biggest stages to smallest cell phone screens. She may be best known for performing along side Justin Timberlake (on three world tours and at last year's Super Bowl Halftime Show), Dana's feature in Dance Magazine declares her "Anything But A Backup Dancer". Dana shares her expectations after high school, Justin TImberlake Tour experiences, relationship with her body and the stories around navigating "cool" and "sexy" in LA. She has created an incredible podcast, Words That Move Me, and after this convo - I have no doubt you will be seeking her and the Seaweed Sisters out!

More on Dana:

Most recently, Dana contributed choreography to the Film adaptation of In The Heights, and acted as the pre-production movement coach for Baz Luhrmann's upcoming Elvis Biopic.

Dana also makes up one third of the wildly original and imaginative group "The Seaweed Sisters" (adored and admired by a wide range of audiences from toddlers and their parents to the screens of Dance Camera West, and the Cascadia International Women's Film Festival).

Dana has been teaching for over thirteen years, and she is constantly experimenting with new technologies and techniques (like 360 degree video, VR and Drones). She draws inspiration from every corner of the dance world, from street styles to social dances, and Mime to Burlesque. Most distinguishable by her refined yet bizarre style always calling on a healthy sense of humor sure to leave a smile on every face.

#152 Richard Elszy. Educator. Choreographer. Building Blocks of Dance. Sep 02, 2020

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Richard Elszy is passionately dedicated to training the next generation of dancers through his technical expertise, and inspiring them with inventive and picturesque choreography. We talk about starting late as a dancer, how he had to work through alignment and his body type that wasn't technically ideal, the power of using imagery, the nerves that come with sharing his work on social media and online platforms, and Building Blocks of Dance!

"Building Blocks of Dance" is an online dance technique program for teachers. BBD provides strategies and tips on how to make complex concepts relatable to young dancers. This program has successfully inspired teachers throughout the US and across the globe. However these are not the only online tools he has to offer. Richard has become a teaching sensation, offering online Lyrical Dance Classes, which are featured on DancePlug.com and as well has his own "Dance Technique on the Edge" videos available to dancers around the world.

As a Los Angeles bases choreographer, Richard's classes at the esteemed Edge Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles are a popular place for students to work toward formulating technique into artistry. He has presented numerous works of choreography at Club Jeté – LA's Premier Dance Showcase, as well as coaching and choreographing dance concept videos featuring Nia Frazier of 'Dance Moms' titled "Young Love", Chelsie Hill and the Rollettes "Be Boundless" and "We Can Together" campaigns and choreographing a TV pilot for TV star and Emmy nominated actress Shanti Lowry of 'Family Time.' Richard also travels throughout the US, Canada and Australia teaching master classes and choreography for studios and conventions such as "Immerse Artists Experience" "Movement Dance" "Dance Masters Of Michigan" "Chicago National Association of Dance Masters" and the "Rollettes Experience". He was also recently awarded the "Believer Award" at the 2019 "Be Boundless Summit" for his choreography work with the" Rollettes".

Richard's choreography has earned several national awards, and other accreditations including the 2011 Rainbow Elite 'Video of the Year' for "Step Sisters" and nomination for Best Novelty/Character Musical Theater at the 2012 KARTV Dance Awards for "500 Miles." Richard was recently awarded the Star Award in the Best Ballet/Open Category for his piece "Swim Good" at 2019 Industry Dance Awards in Hollywood. This was Richard's second time receiving this honor as he was the 2014 winner for his piece "Tornado". He also received a 2015 Industry Dance Award nomination for his work entitled, "All I Could Do."

Richard combines his extensive understanding of technique with an innovative choreographic style to create a unique class and coaching experience for dancers of all levels across America and abroad. With his endless yearning for knowledge, Richard is eager to see what journeys he will embark on next, and is enthused by the opportunity to continue inspiring future generations of artists.

#151 Christie Lee Manning. House of Jazz. Inside Out Podcast. Aug 26, 2020

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Expectations we put on our art and ourselves, how to cultivate our own self worth, embracing the growth and transitions as us as artists and, of course, failure. We cover it all this week with Christie Lee Manning!

Christie Lee Manning is one of the UK's most versatile performers. Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Christie has worked with such artists as Lenny Kravitz, Nelly Furtado, and Michael Buble. She played a lead role in the musical 'Sweet Mystery', and has performed and adjudicated in Brazil for the XXI International Dance Seminar alongside Chan Goh, Monica Proenca, and Karah Abiog. Other credits include the sitcom Package Deal (TV), sci-fi series Warehouse 13 (TV), and Sky 1's 'Got To Dance' Season 5, mentored by Adam Garcia.

Christie has taught all over the world, from New York to Australia, choreographed for the National Lacrosse League, and is also the Creator of Industry Dance Magazine, a Canadian online website for dancers and choreographers alike. She is a member of Lukas McFarlane's contemporary company, UnTitled, and is the artistic director of BODY Jazz Theatre UK.

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