Latest / Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast / Three Careers in Dance That Don't Require a Stage

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Three Careers in Dance That Don't Require a Stage · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

• 0:07
  SPEAKER_02: Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the table in a dance competition?
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_02: This is making the impact of the dance competition podcast.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_02: Each week we'll cover a different topic related to the world of competitive dance from the perspective of the judges behind the table.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_02: If you've ever wondered what percentage of studio dancers go on to have a professional dance program, you might not be surprised to know that the number is pretty small.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_02: But just because the dancer doesn't go on to dance professionals doesn't mean they won't be involved in the dance world.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_02: And credit their studio and competition training as a vital part of their career path.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_02: Today on making the impact, we sit down with three fascinating dance industry professionals who make a living in the dance world, but from behind the scenes.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_04: Hi everyone, welcome to this week's episode of Making the Impact.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_04: I'm your host, Courtney Ortiz, and I'm here with my co-host Leslie Mueller.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_04: Hey, dance family.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_04: We're super excited for this week's episode, and thank you all for listening and tuning in.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_04: We have some new guests here with us, but before we get to meet all of them, we want to let you know about our Facebook group that we just launched.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_04: Oh my goodness, how exciting! Head on over to Facebook and find us there.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_04: We just launched a brand new community where we talk about all things dance.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_04: It's called Making the Impact a Dance Competition Podcast Community.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_04: And it's open to anyone who is a fan of our podcast.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_04: So we will be requesting for some of you to answer questions before you enter into the group to make sure that you are a true diehard or making the impact fan.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_04: But this group is welcome to dancers, to dance parents, to dance teachers, professionals, studio owners, or whoever wants to come in and join in on the discussion.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_04: Leslie and I will be active members or over on the group, and we just want to connect with our fans and our dance community.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_04: And it's it's a lot of fun.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_04: We're having a blast making this possible.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_04: So definitely head on over there or click the link in our show notes to learn more and join now.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_02: Another announcement we need to make is about our upcoming solo and group virtual competition.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_02: We had so much success in 2020 with our five virtual events, and we're super excited to offer two more this season.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_02: We will be opening registration for the next in-person event on February 15th.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_02: You can also pre-register if you're interested in doing that.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_02: That way you can just secure your spot.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_02: We are meaning this competition to be either a practice competition for an in-person competition or in place of one in case your competition might get canceled this season.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_02: So registration's open for an entire month, and we've got some great sponsors on board who have generously donated prizes for the winners.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_02: We've got special awards, feedback from the judges, discounts for your bulk orders, and virtual comp merch for purchase.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_02: So head on over to the website, take a look at our upcoming virtual competition dates, and make sure you pre-register and sign up for them.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, y'all.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_04: Definitely check out IDU's virtual competition.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_04: We love making this possible.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_04: And uh we all have fabulous sponsors on making the impact.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm sure you've heard us talk about level up dance supplies, but you're gonna hear us talk about them again because they're so fabulous.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_04: Level Up Dance Applies is your one-stop shop for all dance gear and accessory needs, going from rolling rack travel bags for all of your costumes to pop-up tents for privacy in dressing rooms, to the best brands for travel bags as well.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_04: Level Up also understands that quality and affordability matter.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_04: Right now, Level Up Dance Applies is offering a free mask with every purchase, and we have an exclusive promo code for podcast listeners.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_04: Use the code Bravo5678 at checkout to receive$10 off your next purchase at levelupdanceuppli.com.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_02: Check them out now.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_02: We also have a wonderful new sponsor, Dance Device Lab.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_02: Dance Device Lab produces high-quality, dancer-focused in studio events nationwide.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_02: DDL's uniquely developed adjudication showcase is an interactive two-part competition weekend alternative event.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_02: Part one is the showcase.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_02: Dancers perform their dances, receive live and written critiques, and they will even have an engaging rehearsal period with their adjudicator to help them actively apply the feedback.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_02: Part two is class.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_02: DDL believes change happens in the studio.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_02: After performing, DDL adjudicators will teach a class that will be focused on their observations from the showcase.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_02: This event truly bridges the gap between what happens on stage and in the studio.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_02: Head to dancedevicelab.com for more information and bring one of their events to your studio today.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_04: All right, everyone.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_04: Well, it's time to meet our fabulous guests that are joining us today.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_04: And today we're talking about career options for dancers.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_04: And I think this is a really important discussion.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_04: And we've brought on three brand new guests to the podcast who have all transitioned or stayed in the dance world, but have decided to branch out into different avenues to still stay involved.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_04: And I and they're all coming from different backgrounds, and it's I'm really excited to hear their stories.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_04: So I'd love to first welcome our brand new guest, Lauren Manning, to the podcast.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_04: Welcome, Lauren.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_04: Thank you so much for having me.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_04: Of course.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_04: And Lauren, if you wouldn't mind sharing a little bit about you and what you're currently working on and any career credits you'd like to share.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_01: So I am currently based in Boston, Massachusetts.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_01: I have been a rockhead for seven seasons now.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um so split my time between Boston and New York City.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_01: I am also an account executive at Dance Media.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_01: So we are the publishers of Dance Magazine, Dance Spirit, Dance Teacher, Point Magazine, Dance Business Weekly, and The Dance Edit.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_01: And I am also the founder of Stage Smith Dance Training, my own private coaching company and workshop company.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_04: Awesome.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_04: Yes.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_04: And Lauren and I actually performed together in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Nashville.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_04: That's where we met.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, many great memories.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_01: Oh my God.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_04: Well, I'm so happy to have you on the pod.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_04: So thanks so much for joining us.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_04: And our next guest is a close friend of Leslie's, actually.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_04: Yes.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_04: You can introduce her if you like.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_02: This guest and I go way back from my very first job in New York City, working at a uh dancewear store called Onstage Danceware.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_02: And this guest was one of the first people I met in that industry who was really helpful in propelling me forward through my career transitioning out of the performing industry.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_02: So I'd love to introduce Susie Riefenhauser.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_03: Hi guys.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you so much for having me.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_03: It's an absolute pleasure.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_02: Yay.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_02: We're so excited to have you and just excited to share your story with everybody.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_02: So if you wouldn't mind telling our guests a little about who you are and what you do now.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so I usually just go by Susie because my last name is so long.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_03: It tends to just be the easiest.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_03: I am co-founder of Other Space Innovation.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_03: It is the first and only marketing and business consulting firm specializing in dance, dancers, and dance products.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_03: I've got a long rich history of 15 plus years and getting a little up there in age, working for various dance manufacturers from everything from product development to sales and marketing.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_03: So myself, along with my partner in prime, Maria Montañez, we decided, you know what?
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_03: Let's go for it and start our company.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_04: Awesome.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_04: I love that.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_04: And yes, t girl power, girl business owners in the house.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_04: I love it.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_04: So welcome, Susie.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_04: Thanks for joining us.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_04: All right.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_04: And our final guest is a guest that goes way back with me.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_04: We met in high school, actually.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_04: So whoa.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_04: And I haven't seen him since, and I'm so happy to see him now.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_04: But he's coming to us from the West Coast, and I would love to welcome Ryan Parma to the podcast.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_04: Welcome.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, thank you.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, it's great to be here.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_04: I'm just so excited to hear all about you and get to know you even more since our time was brief when I met you at an agency talent competition thing in high school that we did.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_04: It was do you remember that?
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_04: It was bizarre.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, but I also feel like I did didn't I audition with you for Bring It On the Musical too or something?
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_04: Yes!
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, that's where I like strongly remember you from.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_04: Oh my gosh.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: The audition for Bring It On the Musical.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_04: That is so right.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_04: You're so right because I forgot that was so long ago.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_04: Remember Bring It On the Musical.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_04: That was a good one.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_02: Cheerleading.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_04: But that's what you that it makes all the sense because that's what you did.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: I was a college cheerleader.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, cool.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_04: Wow.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_04: Well, yes.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_04: There's this dance world is so small, I'm telling you.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: It is, it is.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_04: So, Ryan, please feel free to share with our listeners a little bit about you, your background, where you're based, and what you're up to now.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a freelance director out here in Los Angeles, and I direct a lot of music videos, dance concept videos.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: I also happen to film a lot of the dance classes when we were still able to have dance in person at Millennium and then Rest in Peace, Movement Lifestyle, Debbie Reynolds, and Edge.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_00: It's wild.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: Those, you know, besides Millennium and I think Tim Milgram's studio, T Millie Studio, the other studios have gone out of business, which is super sad.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, excited and hopeful for the return of those studios.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: But I digress.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: Anyway, I direct a lot of those videos and I also do narrative content too.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: So a majority of the work that I do is music videos, but it started all in dance because when I moved to Los Angeles, the one group that I wanted to be a part of was the dance community just because I loved it so much.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: And I just formed tons of friendships with choreographers and dancers and soon started directing a lot of dance content that people started putting out on their channels and Instagram and things like that.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and it's been really awesome watching all of your all of your footage and your journey with that.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_04: So I'm really excited to hear more about it.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_04: But thank you all three for joining us today.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_04: It's so exciting to hear so many different, you know, career choices that you have you've taken in the dance world.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_04: So let's jump on in.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_02: All right.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_02: So since we have more guests than usual today, where it's we'll just kind of hear from everybody individually.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_02: And then if there's moments where we can just have sort of a roundtable discussion, we can do that too.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_02: But because everybody is so different, I'd love to just sort of focus in on everybody for a few minutes individually to hear a little bit about your early dance life.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_02: Like how did you grow up dancing?
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_02: Did you compete?
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_02: Did you perform?
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_02: Were you a bunhead?
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_02: You know, what got you into dance first and foremost?
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_02: So, Lauren, if we can hear from you first.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_01: So I grew up dancing at a local studio.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_01: I'm sure like all of us did at my hometown studio.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_01: I did fill a lot of those years with different summer programs.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_01: So I went to Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Summer Program, I went to the Pennsylvania Governor's School of the Arts.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_01: And I just tried to, growing up outside of Philadelphia, close to New York City as well, tried to go into Philly or into New York for any type of additional training.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_01: I did competitions and I loved it.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_01: And I always loved the aspect of using it the weekend as a performance opportunity.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_01: So that's when I really found that performing is what I wanted to pursue.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_01: So after high school, I went on to Elon University where I got my BFA in dance performance and choreography, and then also a degree in strategic communications.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, cool.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_02: So you double majored.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_02: Awesome.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_02: Love it.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_02: Smart cookies.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_02: Cool.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_02: Susie, what about you?
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_03: Oh gosh.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_03: Same.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_03: I started at a small local studio when I was about seven years old.
• 11:22
  SPEAKER_03: I had a lot of energy.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_03: I went to a Catholic school, and the different teachers kept on saying to my mom, you gotta do something with this kid.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_03: She she you gotta do something with this energy.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_03: My mom put me in dance.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_03: And it wasn't until I was probably in middle school that I had a friend who went to a ballet-only studio.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_03: And I was just became an awful and I begged, I wore my mother down to let me go to this prestigious ballet school that was in our town.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_03: And from there, I just grew grew.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_03: Um from I ended up going to a local community college where I was focusing more on theater.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_03: I'd gotten into a local regional dance company and told my parents, I'm gonna go be a dancer.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_03: I'm heading down to the city, taking class and teaching dance center forever.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_03: And my parents said, You gotta go to college, you can't do this forever.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_03: Like you gotta go to college.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_03: So I finished school at Hunter College in New York City, where I've got my dance degree in performance.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_03: And while there, I immediately started working for Block.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_03: They had a retail store up on 74th in Columbus, and kind of the rest is history.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_04: Wow, love that.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_04: All right, Ryan, you're up.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_00: Um, my story's a little different.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: Not your typical studio dancer at all.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: And for me, I consider myself like it's my dance is my passionate hobby.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: I never once thought I was gonna be a professional dancer.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, sure, I think maybe at a time I was, you know, as a small dream, thought it would be so cool to be a professional dancer, but it was never the main focus.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: Being a uh film and TV director is my dream, my main focus.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_00: But I knew that I loved dance, and my dance training, if you were to call it that, would be back in middle school, and I'll never forget this.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: I was watching the end of Inspector Gadget, the live action movie, and they had a music video at the end where people were dancing, and I was thinking to myself, this is so cool.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: What if I try to learn this dance and literally watched the tape, the VCR tape for the people that remember VCR tapes?
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah, and learned the dance and was enthralled with the experience because I love moving my body and I love music so much.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: I was a huge fan of Disney, MTV, making a music video.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a 90s kid at heart, 90s, 2000.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: And and so from there, it spurred this love of okay, I want to learn all the dances that I see on TV.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_00: So then I started recording live dances of all the famous pop stars of the time: Brittany, Pink, J Lo, InSync, Backstreet Boys, any pop star that was dancing or RB artist, I would record their live performance or their video and try to learn it to perform at all the middle school dances because I was not cool or nerdy, however you like to put it.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_00: And so my love for dance came through that.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_00: And my training was literally through learning dances on TV.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_00: And then it wasn't until my senior year that one of my friends in my class told me that Wade Robson was teaching a masterclass at Planet Funk in Houston, and it was like I was about to meet a celebrity because I didn't think it was possible for me to actually take a class from Wade Robson, who I was watching on TV.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: He was doing Brittany in NSYNC, and he was like my dance choreographic idol.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_00: And so I went to the class, and my first dance class ever was in April.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_04: I love it.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_00: And then when I went to college, I found out that you could go take dance conventions.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: So at during during my time, the pulse on tour was really huge and monsters of hip-hop.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: Even though the pulse is no more, monsters are still happening.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_00: But I would go to the pulse and monsters and get like actual training from Kevin Maher, Brian Friedman, Chris Judd, Lori Ann Gibson, all those people that were Wade Robson, Mia Michaels.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_00: And I was getting to experience this whole new realm of knowledge that just further made me fall in love with dance and want to be a part of it in whatever I was filming or directing.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_00: And then finally, when I moved to Los Angeles, I had the ability to finally go take classes from choreographers who I had been watching on YouTube.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: So then I was able to start taking their classes, and it became this thing where I would go take their class, and I had just graduated college, and I was just learning, but also asking, hey, do you guys need a director to direct a dance concept?
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_00: Have you ever thought of that?
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_00: And it's how I started forming these relationships with and closeness to the dance community that are still very close to me and are some of my closest friends out here.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_04: Wow.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_04: That's awesome.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_04: I love that that story and that evolution of of how you kind of just broke on into that dance world.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_04: And it I mean, it's smart.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_04: You were you were offering a service to, you know, these people that you looked up to, these people that you were training from and saying, hey, you know, you're teaching me class.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_04: I can offer you some awesome video skills.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_04: And I'll build your portfolio in the process and establish networking connections.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_02: That's it's such a time and place kind of a story though, because you know, like you, I we're all around, I think, semi the same age.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_02: So like obviously Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, InSync, like all of that.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_02: I have, I have many, many friends who were not dancers who did the exact same thing you did that just looked at these videos like, oh, I want to learn that, and then learned it, you know.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_02: And these people are still great dancers, like, you know, better social dancers than I'll ever be, because they learned this like fun choreography in the 90s and the early 2000s.
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_02: And I think we can't discount that as such a big influence for a lot of people from our generation, you know, whether they were training quote unquote seriously or not, you know.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know I got that Darren's dance grooves, you know.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_04: Oh yeah.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_04: Or do you remember the Wade Robson project on MTV?
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_04: Absolutely.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_00: This is where I was l enthralled with the fact that I could actually take a class from him.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_04: Oh my god, I loved that show.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_04: I loved your story, Ryan.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_04: And I it was so interesting to hear like how you you knew from the beginning that you wanted to always do like videography and and directing, and that was your passion, and then how you incorporated that into the dance world.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_04: I'm curious to hear from Lauren and Susie how you guys I know like Lauren, you are still performing with the Rockets and still an active performer, but when how did you uh transit?
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_04: When did you know?
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_04: Because you both went to school for dance performance.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_04: So I know like right now the times are a little bit different.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_04: And you know, it is interesting to have this discussion right now because I think a lot of people are trying to navigate like how do I get through 2021?
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_04: There's no performance opportunity.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_04: So, like, do I go in a different avenue?
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_04: Do I go in a different direction?
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_04: How did you guys navigate that transition?
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_04: And especially for Lauren, you know, kind of juggling both.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_04: How do you handle that when you're in season with the Roquettes?
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_01: So I I grew up always knowing I wanted to perform, but I didn't know that my side hustle could then be so involved with dance and then turn itself into a career.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_01: I just thought I would do something and then also perform.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_01: And it was really for me a timing thing.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_01: I finished my first season with the Rockettes and Dance Media was hiring for a part-time position.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_01: When I was in college, I knew that I wanted to major in something other than dance because that's just how my parents were.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_01: That's how I grew up was just you can dance, but also let's make sure we have something else because dance is tough and it's a tough world to be a part of.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_01: So it just happened to be that I had this degree in strategic communications and enough of internship experience and job experience that they took a chance on me.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_01: And I just fell in love with I probably because I am a dancer and an artist, I fell in love with marketing and advertising and the storytelling of that as well.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_01: So juggling it with a professional performance career is definitely hard because I would go start the rockette season in October.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_01: It finishes the first week of January, and then you are sitting at a desk from nine to five.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_01: And it's like, wait, I've been kicking your face for three months, and then you sit and you're like, I'm not moving, I'm not, I'm not creating, I'm not, you know, with maybe doing what I feel most passionate about.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_01: But for me, I feel so lucky and humble that I was able to it's in the dance world.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_01: But I think even if this job with Dance Media or whatever company had nothing to do with dance, I think there are ways that from my dance training and being a dancer growing up, just things that I have discovered about myself that make me able to pursue something with excellence and with a desire to learn and the teamwork it takes, right?
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_01: To be to work in any job, the camaraderie that you can find working with with other people.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_01: The balancing act is certainly hard, but it's just something that as dancers, we are used to figuring out time management.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_01: It's a skill that we learn.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_01: So just balancing your creative outlets, balancing the need to move physically with going to work, it's it's a challenge, but I think I felt very prepared for it because of my upbringing and my time at my studio and then also in college as well.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_03: I think I'm a I'm an interesting case in the sense that growing up, think about dancewear products.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_03: Nobody grows up and says, I'm gonna go work for a dance wear brand.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_03: And if you really think about all of the brands that you can name off the top of your head, they really only started to exist in me.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_03: They work out where the whole game kind of movement came into play.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_03: So for me, I had minded.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_03: Like if I was gonna do this, and this is all I knew, this is all that was gonna happen.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_03: And it wasn't until my future college, you know, I had to go read a job, I had to go for a part-time job, I had to go do something.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_03: And I had a friend who I was in college with me, who had a store.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_03: Like you don't think anything about it.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_03: All you think is okay, that was my first parent, you know, my local dance for store, but you don't think this is what I'm gonna do.
• 21:34
  SPEAKER_03: And something clicked.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_03: I had been there for about a year, graduated college, and was offered a job in New Jersey as an evaluation.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_03: And I went in and I actually quit.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_03: And I got a phone call from the owner of the block saying, Well, wait, wait a minute, wait a minute.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_03: Like you were helping us do something bigger.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_03: Like, do you mind just saying?
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_03: And by that time, I'm splitting my time between.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_03: Trying to be to perform attempt to audition, which never felt right.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_03: You know, when you go in and something just feels icky, like something's that unsettling thing that happens in your stomach that would always happen to me trying to show auditions.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_03: But when Paloma Herrera, Julie Kent, on Hell Carrea were coming to me and I'm designing their shoe to make them feel the best when they went to go and perform, it was like this happy place that I never ever explored.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_03: So it was like the owner of the company going, okay, well, wait a second, like stay.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_03: We've got some big things going on that really was that life shift and moment of maybe I'm supposed to do this.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know why, but I'm supposed to do this right now.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_03: I love that.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_02: And RIP, that block store.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, there's the other one now, but it's not the same.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_03: So it's not the same.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_03: And I I had to close it up.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_03: We had to that was in 2008, right?
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_03: When the the bubble burst and I had to let go of the staff.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_03: I thought I was gonna be gone.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_03: And that was the second time.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_03: I was like, you know what, let me go be a teacher.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna go do the things.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_03: And the CEO, the current CEO and my mentor, Kathy Radavan, said, Oh, wait a minute, that kid's special, and we've got all these plans.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_03: Don't go, stay with us for a little bit longer.
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_03: And that just, it's like, you know where you're meant to be somewhere.
• 23:21
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, and like you said, like you mentioned, Lauren, I think timing is a big thing too.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_04: You know, sometimes things will an opportunity will open up and present itself to you that you weren't even expecting, which you might not even have asked for.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_04: And it that opportunity, whether you choose to, you know, walk in that door or not, it can lead to other ones.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_04: And, you know, timing is really I always I think everything happens for a reason.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_04: I I live by that sometimes.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_04: But, you know, it is it is really interesting to hear that.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_04: And it sounds like a timing, a timing game for both of you.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm sure similar, similarly, Ryan, as well, because you know, if you weren't at those dance classes in LA, then you wouldn't have established those connections with those choreographers and then you wouldn't be where you are now.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_04: Like, you know, it's it's really interesting.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_04: And I think this is just really helpful information to hear what types of of opportunities there are within the dance world from from each of you in different avenues.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_02: I think, I mean, going off of that, you know, speaking down to the dancers who are, you know, possibly in college right now in high school, kind of wondering like, how do I do this?
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, one of my first jobs in high school was at a dancewear store.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_02: I worked at my local dancewear store.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_02: It doesn't exist anymore.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_02: It's the Marietta location of shapes, dance and aerobicware.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I worked there from my junior year of high school summers through college.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_02: And after I finished that job, you know, I learned about how to fit a ballet shoe, how to fit a point shoe, you know, the different brands that you you see around the country.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_02: Moved to New York City in a week.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_02: I had submitted on Craigslist to work at Onstage Dancewear, the oldest, you know, independent dancewear store that sells all brands in the city.
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_02: And I got a job in a week.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_02: And then I met Susie.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_02: And then seven years later, I was like, I don't know what I want to do with my life anymore.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_02: And Susie was like, here, come have a job, work for me at Capizio.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_02: And so, you know, A number one, the dance world is very small.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_04: Yes.
• 25:09
  SPEAKER_02: And B number two, like you said, Courtney, timing is everything.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_02: And things that you never would expect to do show up in your life in other other times and places.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_02: And so I think, you know, there's a job for you, kids out there who need a part-time job and you're 16.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_02: Go to your local dancewear store.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_02: You know, you know the products, you wear the products.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_02: You know, you're in them every day.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, I think we it's one of those things that until 2020, we were saying this with no abandon.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_02: But, you know, dancewear stores will always be there because dancers always need shoes.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_02: And like, yeah, that's still the case, but times are a little different now.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_03: I think there's a generational thing too, right?
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_03: Like when I grew up, it was my mom who had my back, my your teachers who had your back to say, here, I'm gonna help you to get to where you're gonna go.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_03: And when I was growing up within New York City, I feel like I don't know about you guys, but I felt lost.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_03: Like I had no idea what I was doing.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_03: I was saying yes to everything.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_03: I was just trying as much as I could.
• 26:07
  SPEAKER_03: Where I think now, as an older and adult, and I look at the the kids in the younger generation, they're so much more brilliant, I feel like, than I ever was.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_03: And I think now it's it's almost our role to be able to continue guiding that generation and saying, look, there's these things for you.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_03: Like this can happen, you know, keep your keep networking, keep talking, because to your point, Courtney, something will happen that that will fulfill what you're looking for.
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_02: And there's always a way to stay involved.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_02: And that's something that I've learned, you know, having recently transitioned out of, you know, professionally performing, but that had having not been my plan, you know.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_02: It's like I always had like the side gigs, kind of Lauren, like you were saying, like I didn't know my side hustle could turn into a job.
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I just thought my side hustles would be side hustles and I'd perform and then I'd teach.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_02: And those dreams kind of shifted.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, but there's always, and I think the fear was well, how what do I do if I'm not a dancer?
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_02: Well, you don't have to be a dancer to be in the dance world.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_02: You know, there's three people here right now who have active engagement in the dance world in different ways without setting a foot in a ballet shoe in a studio, right?
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_02: You know.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_00: But I think a lot of what you're talking about too is universal to anything.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_00: Totally.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_00: And the reason I say that is because I can compare that to my experience.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_00: I knew I wanted to be a film and TV director, which is still my goal, which is still something that I'm pursuing on the level where it's like I'm getting to direct Teen Beach Musical Six or High School Musical Seven, give it to me.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_00: I'm there.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_00: Like Disney, hello, I'm ready.
• 27:41
  SPEAKER_00: Put it out there.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_00: But I also knew when I came out here that no one was going to take me seriously as a director because I had no experience and work to show them that would be oh, Ryan, here's X amount of dollars for you to go direct this music video.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_00: Here's X amount of dollars that will pay you to make this video.
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_00: So I went into Los Angeles with the idea of here's my goal, my end goal that not even end goal, but just life goal that I want to achieve.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_00: I was wondering, okay, what can I do?
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, sure enough, after a year out in Los Angeles, I was able to find a reality show production job that had nothing to do with, in my mind, my future goal, but was still in the realm of entertainment and offered me a nine to five job that outside of those hours, I could still go take class, still go meet choreographers, meet up with musicians that I was becoming friends with and see if they needed someone to direct a video for free.
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_00: And within the span of four years, I started building all of these relationships outside of the one job that was keeping me in Los Angeles.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_00: And in 2014, one of those people that I was working with asked me to go on tour with them and become their tour videographer.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_00: It was it's the Grammy Award-winning group Pentatonics.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, oh, I think I might have heard of them.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_00: And so I had been working with them from 2012 to 2014, and in 2014, they asked me to go on tour to create their tour content.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_00: And I had just been hired and promoted at my other job as a story editor for keeping up with the Kardashians.
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_00: And so what I was able to do is take this reality TV show knowledge and apply it to a tour montage compilation type video content that Pentatonics needed.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_00: And I got to quit my job at Buna Murray and go on tour with them.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_00: Now, what that propelled me forward to is the next step in my career, which is where I'm at now, where I am now a full-time freelance director.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_00: And what's so cool is to see, you know, taking what you had said is the idea that you have no idea, and also what Lauren said, it's like these side things that you would never expect to be part of your life to help move you forward towards something will be.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_04: Hi listeners, it's Courtney, and I want to quickly tell you about Dance Device Lab.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_04: They produce in-studio events nationwide, from workshops to master classes and even a competition weekend alternative.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_04: CDL's adjudication focused is an interactive two-part event.
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_04: For TDL's faculty will come directly to your studio to create a complex two-part class.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_04: I've personally been on faculty with some of their events, and it's a wonderful experience that I highly recommend.
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_04: If you are a studio interested in bringing Dance Device Lab directly to you, head over to dancedevicelab.com for more information now.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm curious for so Ryan, we kind of get a we kind of have a picture of what you actually do day to day.
• 31:17
  SPEAKER_02: Like that's pretty self-explanatory.
• 31:19
  SPEAKER_02: But for Lauren and Susie, I'd love you guys to just go in a little in depth on like what do you actually do?
• 31:24
  SPEAKER_02: What does it mean to be in, you know, dance consulting or dance product development?
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_02: What does it mean, Lauren, with what you your role is with Dance Media?
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_01: So my role at Dance Media is on the commercial side of things.
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_01: So involved in advertising sales, client communication, and day to day, um, it is a full-time position.
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_01: So day to day on the computer, talking with clients in the dance world from danceware to professional ballet companies, run the gamut of who is involved in the dance world and how they can best reach our dance media audiences.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_01: I also teach professionally, so I fill my days with that too.
• 32:03
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, now it's it's a little bit easier on Zoom because I'm able to just move from one room to the other.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_01: My days look very different depending on whether it's rocket season or not.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_01: As you guys can imagine, during that time, I'm I'm in rehearsal and performing.
• 32:17
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, it's it's a lot of interacting with clients and people in the dance world and helping them get their message out to our audiences and the the greater dance community at large.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so I'm gonna step back a little bit and say that one of the reasons why I own my own consulting company or co-found one is when March hit.
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, we all went on Zoom, everything kind of collapsed underneath us within 24 hours.
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_03: Working for the manufacturers, I have a big background in product development and marketing, right?
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_03: How to create innovation and where to take it.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_03: And it's that creating that connection between the end consumer and the product that you're trying to create for that next generation.
• 33:02
  SPEAKER_03: And what Maria and I did with Other Space is we took a page from Lou Lemon's book, and their product development space is called the white space.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_03: And both of us coming from manufacturing backgrounds, we said, you know, in the manufacturers, and Lauren, I think maybe you you can attest to this, there hasn't been any real innovation.
• 33:23
  SPEAKER_03: The last innovation was when I worked part of the team that worked on stretch point shoes for block and you know, creating stretch concepts.
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_03: There hasn't been anything really propelling anybody forward.
• 33:33
  SPEAKER_03: It's been the same thing over and over and over again.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_03: And we had one of those like dumb moments where we're like, we are other space.
• 33:40
  SPEAKER_03: We're gonna create that other space that connects all of dance, whether you're a teacher, a parent, a manufacturer, a professional, to be able to facilitate connections for innovative products and programs.
• 33:56
  SPEAKER_03: Our original goal was, you know, manufacturers in our experience, they've hired outside consultants that don't are or aren't in the dance industry, and it's never been good.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_03: They don't understand dance, they don't understand dance manufacturing, the rules are different.
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_03: And we said, you know what, that's what we're gonna do.
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_03: We're gonna be here for the manufacturers, we're gonna help create product testing groups, we're gonna be the connection.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_03: We know the end consumers, we're gonna be their connection.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_03: So there's a little part of that, but along the way, and through our different connections, dancers and dance companies started to reach out to us and say, Hey, you guys really know a lot about branding.
• 34:42
  SPEAKER_03: How do I gain?
• 34:43
  SPEAKER_03: How do I talk to my target audience on social media?
• 34:46
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, I'm launching this new program.
• 34:48
  SPEAKER_03: Can you guys help us to launch it?
• 34:51
  SPEAKER_03: Can you help us create that strategic marketing brand around what we're trying to say to do and say?
• 34:57
  SPEAKER_03: So we've changed our dynamic just a little bit.
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, product is always going to be a first love because it's tangible and you when you find something you love, you can talk about it all day long.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_03: But we're now starting to see, okay, there's a bigger need in dance when it comes to being able to talk about yourself.
• 35:17
  SPEAKER_03: It's easy when on social media, it's or it's easier here to be able to talk about ourselves.
• 35:21
  SPEAKER_03: But when it comes to trying to sell yourself on paper, a lot of times you kind of hit that white wall.
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_03: So we've really been fine-tuning branding, and that's really where we're concentrating now on, and that's more or less where a lot of our clients are coming from.
• 35:36
  SPEAKER_04: That's awesome.
• 35:37
  SPEAKER_02: Cool.
• 35:38
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I mean, I think that's that's so great to just hear like the tangible day-to-day of both of your jobs because you know that that gives people something that they can look at and say, hey, that sounds interesting to me in addition to performing and teaching and things like that.
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_02: Like those are always there's options out there.
• 35:55
  SPEAKER_04: And I think what's what was really interesting at some of the things that you were mentioning, Susie and I was also thinking of this in your situation, Ryan, as a videographer, you know, there's always going to be someone that can do marketing, there's always someone that can do social media content or development, there's always going to be a videographer.
• 36:13
  SPEAKER_04: But if a dancer is asking for a videographer and they hire someone that's never seen dance in their life, it's going to be a completely different experience if they hire that person or if they hire Ryan.
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_04: Because Ryan has been ingrained in dance.
• 36:26
  SPEAKER_04: He takes dance, he's a dancer.
• 36:28
  SPEAKER_04: Like he's going to know the different angles of the shots to get that's going to make the dancers look their best, or the different lighting and the things like that.
• 36:35
  SPEAKER_04: And that same thing can be applied to social media content.
• 36:38
  SPEAKER_04: What are the dancers into right now?
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_04: Or shoe shoe development.
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_04: If you've never worn a dance shoe, how can you develop one?
• 36:45
  SPEAKER_04: You know, like things things like that.
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_04: And same with dance photography or dance write writers that write for dance spirit and things like that, you know.
• 36:53
  SPEAKER_04: I think that writers who are passionate about the arts and are, you know, going to those live performances and seeing them and writing reviews about them are going to be more excited to do it and more passionate about writing about that than a random Joe Schmell on the street that's a writer that's never seen dance in their life.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_04: You know what I mean?
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_04: So I think that that's what's so important about this discussion is that there is so much work within the dance industry that we don't even think is possible that you can still keep yourself involved in so many other ways, which is why I love it so much.
• 37:25
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, I always try to with my business impact, I always try to bring on different people and different roles that, you know, were ac were dancers growing up.
• 37:35
  SPEAKER_04: Oh, you used to be a competitive dancer.
• 37:37
  SPEAKER_04: Cute, me too.
• 37:38
  SPEAKER_04: Now you do videography.
• 37:39
  SPEAKER_04: Awesome.
• 37:39
  SPEAKER_04: Can you edit my video for me?
• 37:41
  SPEAKER_04: You know what I mean?
• 37:41
  SPEAKER_04: Like I really think that, and that's how small the dance community is as well.
• 37:45
  SPEAKER_04: Everybody's really connected in that sense.
• 37:47
  SPEAKER_04: So I think that's that was really interesting from what you said, Susie, because you mentioned that there were people that were coming to you because of dance.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_03: Well, and it just again, it facilitates that connection and growth and validation.
• 37:59
  SPEAKER_03: Just yesterday, Maria and I were meeting with a husband-wife team based out of London, but now they're in Finland because London's in lockdown.
• 38:08
  SPEAKER_03: But they are a PR marketing for contemporary companies.
• 38:12
  SPEAKER_03: And in Europe, we know it works completely different, where a lot of the companies, they're government funded.
• 38:17
  SPEAKER_03: So they stumbled upon us and it was, they just wanted to meet us and talk shop.
• 38:22
  SPEAKER_03: And it's like the more you facilitate connections like that, the more you become validated within the industry, which opens up more possibilities.
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 38:31
  SPEAKER_02: Let's go back a little bit to your studio life and your early dance life, because I want to know what lessons did you learn in the studio that influence how you work in your career today?
• 38:41
  SPEAKER_02: So if you know we're talking to, you know, current dancers or maybe even dance parents who are like, well, I don't know why I spent so much money on dance class because they're just learning how to dance and da-da-da.
• 38:50
  SPEAKER_02: What directly influences you now on what you learned back then?
• 38:55
  SPEAKER_01: For me, I think it is the desire and the ability to learn something new and then also fail at that and then go back the next day.
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_01: You know, the first time you learn how to do a double pirouette, you're not going to do a double pirouette.
• 39:10
  SPEAKER_01: So it can be the same thing.
• 39:12
  SPEAKER_01: You come to an office one day and you you've never done coding or you've never gone on a client call, you've never pitched an idea to someone and it did not go well.
• 39:22
  SPEAKER_01: So just having that resiliency and facing adversity is so important because if you don't know how to deal with that, then how will you ever get better?
• 39:30
  SPEAKER_01: How will you succeed not only in the dance world, but in any type of business world?
• 39:34
  SPEAKER_01: It's just having that ability to react and react with positivity, I think, is something I really was honed to me growing up as a dancer.
• 39:43
  SPEAKER_01: I think also receiving feedback is definitely something.
• 39:48
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I will say, even if my husband makes an innocent comment about dinner, I'm still not happy about it.
• 39:53
  SPEAKER_01: But but in a professional setting, feedback is the only way everyone's going to have their own opinion about you and your work.
• 40:02
  SPEAKER_01: And you need to be able to deal with that.
• 40:03
  SPEAKER_01: And whether it's it's positive or negative, you have to accept it and move on.
• 40:08
  SPEAKER_01: And how you move on is it's so important.
• 40:11
  SPEAKER_01: It's the only way that you can continue to grow and to excel in what you're doing, is if you can hear feedback, you can take it and you can turn it into a positive opportunity for growth.
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_03: A client of ours, who also I see as a mentor, said, and I was pulling it up, dance training is life training.
• 40:29
  SPEAKER_03: We were just having this conversation, right?
• 40:31
  SPEAKER_03: And like your dance life, what you learned back then, really is your life training.
• 40:35
  SPEAKER_03: Dancers receive this confidence, or they are able to find this confidence with the right tools you're able to translate into your everyday life.
• 40:45
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I think the closest thing for me is I was a gymnast before I got into high, I was a gymnast for 14 years, competitive gymnast.
• 40:52
  SPEAKER_00: So even though it wasn't necessarily dance, it was still the same concept.
• 40:57
  SPEAKER_00: It was a competitive sport, it was a solo sport, and it was very, even though it definitely gave me more of my perfectionism to, you know, little characteristics that I have, maybe even some OCD, you know, traits, it did prepare me for the life lessons of hard work, practice, failing, improving from your failures, and understanding how you have to step into your fear in order to move forward into the next stage of your life.
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I mean, we have thick skin 100% as dancers in general, regardless if you continue on to pursue a professional career.
• 41:39
  SPEAKER_04: I I really feel like that my training growing up prepared me and I'm still an active professional and I do a lot of different things in how I make my money these days, but like as a business owner and this and that.
• 41:53
  SPEAKER_04: But uh heading into the professional world after my studio training really prepped me for getting rejected at auditions.
• 42:00
  SPEAKER_04: And I think that so many kids, you know, go being in a competitive world, like we grew up in competitions, are going to be able to walk into the real world with thicker skin 100%, because you're not going to always get first place.
• 42:15
  SPEAKER_04: You're not always going to get that trophy, you're going to apply for 20 jobs and get zero acceptance.
• 42:22
  SPEAKER_04: Like you're not even going to hear back from an email.
• 42:23
  SPEAKER_04: Like those things, it's it's hard to process and understand.
• 42:28
  SPEAKER_04: And honestly, I'm not gonna lie, I feel like I'm a little nervous for our next generation, just a little bit with that like instant gratification.
• 42:35
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, the like participation trophy comes.
• 42:38
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah, participation trophies 24-7 everywhere.
• 42:41
  SPEAKER_04: I don't I think that we need to get a little bit, we need to go back a little bit to the old days to make sure that our kids that are coming up that our next generation are gonna be ready to walk into that that real world because it's real, y'all.
• 42:54
  SPEAKER_04: Like when you walk in, it's real.
• 42:56
  SPEAKER_04: It is not sugar, like bubblegum everywhere and fluff.
• 43:01
  SPEAKER_04: It is you you're gonna hit the ground many times in in the real world and you're gonna learn a lot of lessons.
• 43:07
  SPEAKER_04: But I think I do feel like dance definitely prepares us for that.
• 43:11
  SPEAKER_04: And honestly, any sport, like you said for your example, Ryan, like gymnastics or any sport that any kid is is participating in, it really teaches us discipline.
• 43:20
  SPEAKER_04: It really teaches us, you know, a lot of life skills and a lot of life training for sure.
• 43:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 43:24
  SPEAKER_02: And just the nobody has mentioned this yet, but like the teamwork aspect of being a competitive dancer or even just a, you know, studio dancer who trains, you know, dance can be a solitary thing.
• 43:33
  SPEAKER_02: There's a lot of times when it's like, okay, I'm gonna focus on me and my technique and my training.
• 43:37
  SPEAKER_02: But when you think about competitive dance as an entity, you know, you are thinking about working as a team.
• 43:42
  SPEAKER_02: You're thinking about, you know, turning on a dime if you are missing a a class member for whatever reason, you have to reblock.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_02: And like I think the flexibility and the adaptability really play into the real world as well.
• 43:53
  SPEAKER_02: You know, there's just so many times where you have to show up and you're you're told one thing and you're prepared for one thing and you show up and the job's like, nope.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_02: It's this other thing.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_02: And you're like, mm, okay.
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_02: You can just pivot and do it.
• 44:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 44:04
  SPEAKER_02: Yay dance.
• 44:06
  SPEAKER_02: Lastly, I have a question for each of you individually because you all do such different things.
• 44:11
  SPEAKER_02: If you were to be speaking to a young dancer who is interested in your line of work, what kind of training would you recommend to them?
• 44:18
  SPEAKER_02: Is there any kind of, you know, handbook, so to speak, anything that you could recommend to them that would be helpful, you know, in possibly pursuing a similar kind of career path?
• 44:27
  SPEAKER_04: And with that, do with your response, do you feel like college was crucial to you getting these jobs that you now currently have or jobs that you've had working your way up to this?
• 44:41
  SPEAKER_04: I'm I'm curious to hear about college in relation to that as well.
• 44:44
  SPEAKER_03: So I will say, I'm gonna put the blame, no, I'm gonna put the blame on myself, and I don't want to, and blame isn't the right word.
• 44:51
  SPEAKER_03: Hindsight is the better word.
• 44:52
  SPEAKER_03: I wish that my college prepared me more, right?
• 44:57
  SPEAKER_03: It was a performance program.
• 44:59
  SPEAKER_03: We are gonna teach you how to put on a show, and you're gonna get that's what you're gonna walk out of the building with.
• 45:06
  SPEAKER_03: And it has nothing to do with footwear design, it has nothing to do with it.
• 45:12
  SPEAKER_03: And it's like you think you're going into one thing, and if I were to tell my younger self or even another dancer who, you know, I meet so many kids, they're like, What you mean you made this?
• 45:23
  SPEAKER_03: How did that happen?
• 45:25
  SPEAKER_03: It's be invested and ask the right questions.
• 45:28
  SPEAKER_03: Find and if you're not, if you feel uncomfortable asking the questions, find someone who you are comfortable and just ask the questions.
• 45:37
  SPEAKER_03: Find the place that allows you to be curious because it's through that curiosity you'll be able to meet the people to help get you to your end goal and whether that's footwear design and development.
• 45:50
  SPEAKER_03: You know, one of the colleagues that I worked with, he's a Frenchman, he went to university and won this huge scholarship to train at all of the major fashion houses, and he did all of the footwear in the Devil Wars product.
• 46:06
  SPEAKER_03: He has nothing to do with point shoes.
• 46:08
  SPEAKER_03: But it's like find those people or ask the questions to be curious to find those people to then take that to the knowledge that you know.
• 46:19
  SPEAKER_03: And kind of going back to what Ryan said of this is where my goal is.
• 46:22
  SPEAKER_03: How what's the steps I have to get to it?
• 46:25
  SPEAKER_03: That's a really great exercise in trying to navigate who you want to be.
• 46:31
  SPEAKER_01: For me, college was the path to merge my now career with my my love for performance and for dance.
• 46:40
  SPEAKER_01: And that's not the path for everybody, but for me, it gave me the opportunity to pursue a degree in uh strategic communications and take classes that helped me advance myself in that career, you know, whether it's accounting, econ, finance, a marketing class, a writing class, uh, media law and ethics, whatever those those classes were, that helped me kind of merge the two and follow this career path.
• 47:05
  SPEAKER_01: I think, though, if if you're interested in marketing or you're interested, whatever it is, there are so many real-world experiences that you get you can have to help build yourself up.
• 47:16
  SPEAKER_01: For me, also too, any opportunity I get to do public speaking.
• 47:20
  SPEAKER_01: I think people should take that opportunity, get comfortable in front.
• 47:23
  SPEAKER_01: And as dancers, I mean, people can't even imagine that we get up in front of audiences full of people, but just continuing to build that confidence is so important.
• 47:33
  SPEAKER_01: The information diet.
• 47:35
  SPEAKER_01: If you're interested in something, there is a podcast for you to listen to.
• 47:39
  SPEAKER_01: Put it on in the morning.
• 47:41
  SPEAKER_01: Put it on in the morning, put it on while you're working out.
• 47:44
  SPEAKER_01: What and like I said, whatever it is, whether it's marketing, whether it's sales, whether it's product development, or you want to be a coder and you want to write code, that there is a podcast for you.
• 47:55
  SPEAKER_01: There is information on the internet, it's free.
• 47:58
  SPEAKER_01: You can add it into your learning.
• 48:00
  SPEAKER_01: And and whatever it is, my my thing, especially too now that I've I'm kind of I am still professionally performing, but moving more seriously into a different career path is just trying to learn something new about that subject every day.
• 48:13
  SPEAKER_01: What can I learn today about sales?
• 48:15
  SPEAKER_01: What can I learn today about advertising?
• 48:17
  SPEAKER_01: Doesn't have to be a huge long novel, but just a little tidbit that I can kind of take through through my week, through my month, and and just make it a priority to continue to fill my bucket with things every day.
• 48:30
  SPEAKER_00: It's really cool listening to Susie and Lauren's perspectives on it.
• 48:35
  SPEAKER_00: I think a lot of it is stuff that I use in my own daily life.
• 48:39
  SPEAKER_00: And I think the cool thing is hopefully listeners are understanding that it is a very universal thing learning about life and how to better yourself and how to follow your dreams and become the person you're meant to be, whether that is within dance or outside of dance.
• 48:56
  SPEAKER_00: And I think for me to first answer the question about the college experience, I have a very unique position that I am, I would say personally, I think the college experience is, I don't want to say needed, because that's not how I would believe it, but I think it is advantageous.
• 49:16
  SPEAKER_00: Only reason I say that is college is the first time that you are taken away from your family in a safe-ish environment before you enter the real world.
• 49:28
  SPEAKER_00: So you're put into a space where you have a cushion to fail, whereas in the real world, your failure does not have a soft cushion.
• 49:38
  SPEAKER_00: It is harsh.
• 49:40
  SPEAKER_00: Now, that being said, I know so many incredibly talented people in the dance industry, in my industry, in other industries that did not go to college, and it was the best decision they could have ever made.
• 49:55
  SPEAKER_00: And so, you know, it's for me, I say it's advantageous, but not needed only because of the experience I had.
• 50:04
  SPEAKER_00: And the one thing that I would love to say to any dancer that is choosing a career, whether it be a director like myself or continuing to perform or whatever, is there is no handbook.
• 50:17
  SPEAKER_00: There is no handbook.
• 50:18
  SPEAKER_00: And that is the one thing that was the hardest thing for me to learn because I remember moving out here and saying, I want to be like John Chu.
• 50:26
  SPEAKER_00: I want my first major feature film to be a studio production.
• 50:31
  SPEAKER_00: That is not my story, and that is not how my story will go.
• 50:36
  SPEAKER_00: My story will go the way my story happens.
• 50:40
  SPEAKER_00: And the biggest thing in whatever you do is figuring out who you are and what makes you unique to what you do.
• 50:50
  SPEAKER_00: And then finally, for me, the other thing that college was advantageous for me is because I went to school for film.
• 50:57
  SPEAKER_00: I met a lot of film friends that moved out to Los Angeles that I'm still friends with, that I still create with and work with, and it offered me that opportunity.
• 51:07
  SPEAKER_00: Now, did college necessarily prepare me for the entertainment industry?
• 51:11
  SPEAKER_00: No, absolutely not.
• 51:13
  SPEAKER_00: What college did for me was teach me how to make something for no money, but make it look like it was a lot of money.
• 51:20
  SPEAKER_00: And when you move to Los Angeles, if you can do that, you will get hired way more than someone who says, I can't do that.
• 51:27
  SPEAKER_00: There's not enough money here.
• 51:28
  SPEAKER_04: And there's so much, there's so many resources now.
• 51:31
  SPEAKER_04: I mean, I wish there were that this was around when I was making like big life choices.
• 51:36
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 51:36
  SPEAKER_04: You know, like when I was 18, I didn't know what I wanted to do.
• 51:39
  SPEAKER_04: All I knew was dance.
• 51:40
  SPEAKER_04: So I was like, I guess I'm going to college for dance because mom and dad said I have to.
• 51:44
  SPEAKER_04: But if I was smart, I probably would have gone to school for business because I didn't even know who knew at 18 that I would be owning a business one day.
• 51:51
  SPEAKER_04: And I didn't get all of those awesome classes that you got to experience, Lauren, because I am one of those people that didn't go to college.
• 51:58
  SPEAKER_04: And I'm I'm happy with my choice.
• 52:01
  SPEAKER_04: You know, I I think it's a tough decision to make when you're 18 years old to try to decide what you're gonna do for the rest of your life.
• 52:07
  SPEAKER_04: And I agree, I think college is important, especially if you know that if you eat, sleep, breathe, dance your whole life growing up until you're 18 and now you're heading to college and you don't know anything different, but you have interest in other things.
• 52:19
  SPEAKER_04: Maybe it is a double major, maybe it is dance as a minor, or maybe you go to school for business and and minor in dance and that love for dance is still there, or maybe you go to college that has an awesome you know program and what you're interested in studying, but has a great dance team, so you can still keep dancing your life, but get a degree that's gonna help you after you graduate.
• 52:37
  SPEAKER_04: Because not that a dance degree isn't great, it's great, it's good, but it really, if you're going for dance performance, like you mentioned, Susie, it's not gonna prep you for any of these other real world type of jobs.
• 52:47
  SPEAKER_04: And I think that's what's hard.
• 52:49
  SPEAKER_04: Any of our dancers out there who are listening or any dance parent who have dancers who are, you know, unsure as to what their their path is going to be post-graduation or how they're going to navigate the real world or keep dance involved in their life.
• 53:03
  SPEAKER_04: Do do any of y'all have any final thoughts and words of wisdom for all of those listeners out there?
• 53:10
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I I feel like I shouldn't say too much because I feel like I over I I I speak a lot.
• 53:15
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sure I'm sure people have heard way, you know, lots of things from me in this podcast.
• 53:21
  SPEAKER_00: But I think to me, the ultimate the last thing that I would say to maybe parents and dance teachers is to encourage your kids with thoughtful in a thoughtful manner where you can be realistic and help them understand what the real world has to offer them back.
• 53:44
  SPEAKER_00: But if they show passion, if they show an actual affinity and love for dance, anything of the sort, is to encourage it and to not shut them down.
• 53:58
  SPEAKER_00: I I don't know.
• 53:59
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's that balance between my parents would always tell me, How are you gonna make money?
• 54:04
  SPEAKER_00: They didn't necessarily say you can't be a director.
• 54:08
  SPEAKER_00: They just kept asking me, How are you gonna make money?
• 54:11
  SPEAKER_00: And and I think that mindset for me helped me get where I was because I wasn't ever thinking, I can't be a director.
• 54:19
  SPEAKER_00: It's how do I be a director and how do I make that career choice possible and be also open to whenever your kids fail and let them know that just because this didn't work out, there are you have an entire life ahead of you to figure out what your passion is.
• 54:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I'm I want to piggyback on what both Lauren and Ryan said of not only be all in and believe in possibility, but instead of the phrase, you know, how are you gonna make money?
• 54:50
  SPEAKER_03: Think about how to rephrase it.
• 54:52
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, you're gonna have to live out in LA.
• 54:54
  SPEAKER_03: What do you think you need to do to be able to do that?
• 54:57
  SPEAKER_03: And it completely shifts that mindset.
• 55:00
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, now I can figure out the roadblock to get to where I want to go.
• 55:06
  SPEAKER_04: Thanks so much for listening to this wonderful discussion about career options for dancers.
• 55:10
  SPEAKER_04: And thanks so much to each of our guests for joining us.
• 55:13
  SPEAKER_04: You can find them on social media Susie at susie.
• 55:23
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• 55:28
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• 55:34
  SPEAKER_04: Are you still thinking about what gear you may need for competition season?
• 55:38
  SPEAKER_04: Level Up Dance Supplies has a large selection of gear that will help your dancer get and stay organized at every event.
• 55:44
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• 55:49
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• 55:52
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• 56:02
  SPEAKER_04: Hey listeners, guess what?
• 56:04
  SPEAKER_04: Our QA with Courtney live event is back.
• 56:07
  SPEAKER_04: This upcoming Monday, February 1st, I will be going live on Facebook to record this month's QA episode, and I hope you'll join me there.
• 56:14
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• 56:20
  SPEAKER_04: Which, by the way, have you joined our new group?
• 56:23
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• 56:25
  SPEAKER_04: So go check it out now.
• 56:26
  SPEAKER_04: I'll be going live with the special guest, IDA Judge, this Monday, February 1st, from 2 to 3 p.m.
• 56:32
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• 56:33
  SPEAKER_02: I hope to see you there.
• 56:36
  SPEAKER_02: We're having a blast with the second half of season two, and you won't want to miss what's coming up.
• 56:40
  SPEAKER_02: Stay subscribed for presentations of the competition stage, judging preferences, and the February edition of the QA recording.
• 56:47
  SPEAKER_04: Thanks so much for joining us for this week's episode.
• 56:50
  SPEAKER_04: Until next time, keep dancing.