Latest / Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast / Spotlight Feature - Teddy Forance

Transcript

Spotlight Feature - Teddy Forance · Making The Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast

• 0:07
  SPEAKER_05: Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the table at a dance competition?
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_05: Exactly what are the judges looking for anyway?
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_05: This is Making the Impact, a dance competition podcast.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_05: Each week we'll cover a different topic related to the world of competitive dance from the perspective of the judges behind the table.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_05: Some things are just meant to be.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_05: A fourth-generation dancer, Teddy Florence, has had an incredible performance career, highlighted by gigs with Janet Jackson, Florence and the Machine, and Stirk de Soleil, just to name a few.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_05: These days, he's making the impact in the dance community as co-founder of CLI Studios and director of CLI Conservatory.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: Hey y'all, welcome to this week's episode of Making the Impact a Dance Competition Podcast.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Courtney Ortiz, and I'm here with my co-host Leslie Mueller.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_05: Hi, Courtney.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_05: How you doing?
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: I'm doing great.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: How are you doing?
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: I'm also great because it's my birthday tomorrow.
• 1:03
  unknown: Yay!
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: Happy early birthday.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: Happy birthday tomorrow to Leslie.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure all of our listeners give us our little shout out over in our Facebook group, everybody.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: February birthdays.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: Hey.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: Hey.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'm gonna get a massage.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_05: I'm gonna get a dinner.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_05: It's gonna be great.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_05: I can't wait.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_05: And, you know, 2023.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_05: Here we go.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_05: I'm just celebrating it.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: It's been a good year so far for sure.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: And it's gonna continue to be a fantastic year for us.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: I'm really, really excited for this week's episode because we have our next spotlight feature of season four.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: And we have a very special guest who I've been asking for a while now, but they're so busy that no wonder uh it's taken uh it's taken about six months to get them onto the podcast because they are truly doing just so much uh in the dance world.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: So we finally got them here with us today, and I can't wait to hear all about their journey in the dance world.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_05: Me too.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_05: And yeah, it's it's it's amazing that we can get some of these awesome guests on because everybody's just like living their life and doing their thing.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_05: And so always grateful that people take the time to come chat with us.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_05: So we're looking forward to seeing what he's got to say.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Me too.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: But before we jump into our spotlight feature episode today, I want to tell you about our sponsor, Apollo Performance Wear.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_00: Have you ever tried Apollo shocks?
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: I couldn't believe how much better my body felt the first time I wore mine, and now I'm obsessed with all of their styles.
• 2:36
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• 2:42
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• 2:50
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• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: I love the arch support and compression that they offer me while I'm teaching, and you can even get your shocks to have traction on the ball of the foot, which allows you to stay nice and grounded while you're doing all of your modern and contemporary.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: Grab yours now by using our exclusive podcast promo code.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: Use the code IMPACT10 in all caps at checkout to receive 10% off your order at ApolloPerformance.com.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: Dance longer, dance stronger with Apollo Performance.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_05: And friends, if you haven't heard already, I'm sure you have, but we're gonna remind you again about our Platinum Premium Podcast subscription.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_05: You can come join us over at the website.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_05: The Platinum Premium subscription is for the Die Hard Making the Impact fan.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_05: We know you're out there.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_05: And it's for people who want to help support our podcast for years to come because I think there are several more years to come.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_05: There's so much to talk about.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_05: Membership with Platinum Premium includes access to our QA live episodes, which only go to Platinum Premium members, priority to have your questions answered on our QA's, add free listening for all of season four, free stickers, a discount on making the impact merchandise, and a discounted online critique from Courtney Ortiz.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_05: And all of our subscribers have the option to receive a shout-out on a podcast.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_05: So we have a few people to shout out today.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_05: Hello to Jocelyn A.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_05: McDonald, a dance parent from Maritime Dance Academy in Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_05: Had to take a minute there in Nova Scotia.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_05: So hello to Jocelyn.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_05: And we got Bronwyn Cleveland, a dance parent from Man Dance Studio in Prattville, Alabama.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_05: They say my 15-year-old sophomore senior dancer and I are very much enjoying your podcast.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_05: She's exploring her options for after high school and the college episode, as well as the transitioning to a new age division episode, have been great for us.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you so much for all the insight and giving us something to listen to together.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_05: That is awesome.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_05: I love I love it when I hear about dance parents and dancers listening together because they're it's it's all of it's for all of you.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_05: It's for everybody.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_05: You know, it there's something here for everyone.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_05: So thank you guys all both for listening and being supporters and subscribers to Platinum Premium.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_05: If you'd like to join, head to the website, impactdanceadjudicators.com slash platinumpream.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_05: You can join the subscription for only$5 a month, or you pay a one-time fee.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_05: We'd love to see you there.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: All right, everybody.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so excited to jump in to our very next spotlight feature episode of season four.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: And we've had some really fantastic guests here with us on our spotlight episodes.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm super pumped to have this guest here joining us today.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: He has is someone that I've actually admired throughout my entire career.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: And fun fact, I've actually competed against him back in the day in competitions.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: And he has just done so many amazing things for our dance industry.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: He's had a career in the performing world.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: He's danced for people and worked with Madonna, Janet Jackson, Lady Gaga, Florence and the Machine.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: He's worked for Cirque du Soleil and danced on the Oscar as like so many amazing achievements as a professional dancer, and has also been a fantastic dance educator and choreographer, and you might know him on the convention circuit.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: And also an entrepreneur.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: He is the co-founder of CLI Studios and the director of the CLI Conservatory.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: I'm very excited to welcome Teddy Florence to the podcast.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome, Teddy.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much, Courtney.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_02: Good to be here.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_02: Really, really excited about this.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_02: And um, yeah, excited to chat and uh let everyone hear kind of my story and and where we are now.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I can't wait to hear your story.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: And I know you grew up in the comp world, because like I said, and I don't know, I you I'm sure you didn't even know that, but just to just throw that out there, we competed against each other.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: What competition Nationals 2000 Las Vegas.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: Junior Dancer of the Year.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_02: 23 years ago.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_02: Like I I remember that, you know, so well.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_02: Those um, yeah, some of my favorite memories, just like meeting so many different people that yeah, now we get into like our old, you know, adult life and and run into people doing different jobs and we're like, oh my god, ADA nationals are dance faster in America, or you know, all these different moments.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_02: So it's it's cool to see how yeah, everyone's kind of flourished in their own directions in the industry uh since then.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: I know.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I think it's just like it's such a cool thing to uh sometimes too, like you remember a certain name or you remember a talented person that you're like, oh my gosh, they were so fantastic.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: Like even at the junior age, I was like, I remembered your name.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_00: And then to see your name into my adult career, I was like, oh my gosh, I totally competed against him.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I I think that's so like important for dancers to hear because we say it all the time.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: This dance world is so small, and you just never know if that person that you grew up competing against is going to be your college roommate, or if that person you grew up at a competition with is going to be on a job alongside you at the next gig you're at.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: Like, you just really don't know.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: So I think it's really, really cool.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: And I can't wait to hear all about your dance journey.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm really grateful that you are willing to share that with us and be here today.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_02: No, it's so true.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I've met my my closest friends through dance competitions.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, for for my experience with comps, it wasn't about, you know, the titles or anything.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_02: Of course, that's like a great reward, but it was really the people.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_02: I've always had a really good experience meeting new friends, meeting new people, and always being stunned by the talent, especially at nationals, and just coming back home after the nationals and be like, I have so much work to do and I can't wait to do it.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_02: And next time you go to nationals, you get to see all those friends from all over the country.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_02: So I think it brings a lot of great things.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: So we have a lot to cover in a short amount of time.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: So, Leslie, you want to jump on into this episode?
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, let's do it.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_05: Well, and normally sometimes we have our guests just like go ahead and tell us about themselves, but I'm just gonna start asking you questions so you don't have to like narrate your whole life.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_05: I love that.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_05: Why don't you?
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_05: So we're back in time.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_05: Let's 23 years ago, you were a junior dancer at ADA.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_05: Can you tell us a little bit about your early dance training?
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_05: Where did you start dancing?
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_05: How did you get into it?
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_05: What made you decide, hey, I think I like this?
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 8:50
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm a fourth generation dancer in my family.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_02: My great-grandfather started a studio in 1934, right across literally the building right next to my parents' studio now in Southampton or East Hampton, Massachusetts.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_02: He started with tap and jazz, ballet, some ballroom and stuff.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_02: And he built a following in the area, had like 500 students in the studio.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_02: It was in his actual house, a very small little ranch house.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, really built up the name, had the studio for like 20-something years, passed it to his daughter, my my Nana.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_02: She had it in her house, built it up from there.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_02: And then my my mom, Allison Forence, and my aunt, Lisa Anthony, have owned the studio for another 47 years.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_02: So we're going into our 90th uh recital season this summer.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_05: Oh my god.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, that is stunning.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, it's really cool.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_05: So you said you said he started in 1934.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_04: Mm-hmm.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_04: Mm-hmm.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_05: So we're talking just after the Great Depression, through the World War II, all the way to 2023.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_05: Like, that is stunning.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_05: That's almost like sounds impossible, but that's amazing.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, for the love of dance, you know, they just um Wow.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_02: My Pepe, my great grandfather, he actually flew to one of the nationals.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_02: He might have been there at that national until they competed against each other.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_02: And he had he passed down his uh tap shoes to me, and they were like, he was like a little man, so his tap shoes were like a size like and it was like he used like 15 nails to put the tap shoe together.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_02: And I passed it to uh my cousin uh Easy Rock, who was his nephew, and Easy Rock was in one of the first uh B-Boy crews.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_02: If you look up Easy Rock, uh he has like you know world records for like head spins and uh part of the rock study crew.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_02: So definitely a family of dancers.
• 10:45
  SPEAKER_02: And what I loved about the way my mom approached teaching me, she said, you know, if you want to do it, do it.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_02: If you don't, you know, go outside, run around, climb trees, you know, get in nature, go play soccer.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_02: So we grew up playing sports and everything as well.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_02: But I feel like I really fell in love with dance when I was probably about 10 or 11 years old when I went to my first Dance Masters of American Nationals and American Dance Awards.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_02: And I just saw all the other male dancers and I was in awe and just realizing, like, you know, this is cool.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_02: I really want to do this.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_02: And I created really strong bonds and friendships with those people at that nationals and kind of furthermore, you know, came back home uh in August and just said to my mom, like, this is really what I want to do.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_02: I I love this.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_02: And I my mom is a brilliant choreographer and and studio owner and you know, obviously been in it for a long time.
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_02: And just seeing her process of choreography and creating productions and stories and her way of teaching, you know, early on we would definitely butt heads.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_02: There was some competition there in the studio.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_02: She'd be like, you know, try this, do this.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_02: I'm like, I can't do that, that's impossible.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_02: And so we'd have kind of like battles in the studio and she could flip and tumble.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_02: She was a gymnast.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_02: So we would we'd be flipping and flying in the studio together on on Sundays as well.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: When you went to those nationals, and like you said, you saw the other male dancers that you were competing alongside.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: Do you was that one of the first times you saw other male identifying dancers represented?
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: Or were you surrounded by other males at your studio growing up as well?
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I was surrounded.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_02: We had a lot of a lot of the brothers of the sisters that were training at the studio.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_02: My mom built like a boys' group, and we had like 115 dance male identifying uh dancers in in our studio, and then probably about like six of us joined the company and took ballet and jazz and all the different things.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_02: I early on realized I loved choreography.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_02: Like I'd always find an open studio and just start making up like hip-hop combos or jazz combos and lyrical that turned into contemporary someday.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_02: And I just would pull, you know, my cousins or anyone who'd want to learn my steps, I'd be like, hey, come in the studio for 15 minutes, let me teach you this combo.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_02: They're like, I I don't, you know, okay, maybe.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_02: And then my cousin Anthony, who also still uh teaches in choreographs, we started really starting to build choreography, and I just, you know, found a real big passion for it.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_02: So my mom slowly started to letting me teach some of the recreational classes when I was in high school.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_02: And um, that was a cool experience because she would come in and give me a lot of advice and be really, of course, honest with me of you know, you know, maybe you know, create the combo based on the level and not just like what you want to do.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: Great advice for all choreographers in this day and aid.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_01: So she taught me a little bit more.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_05: And were you receptive to that at that point from her?
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_05: Or were you like, I can, I can do what I want.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I respected her so much because her choreography was so good and she was such a good teacher and sweet owner that I was like, you know, if I want to do this, she's the best person to learn from.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_05: She's the one.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_05: She's right here.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_05: She's the one.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_02: So I mean, I'll never forget when I saw her do like, she was teaching a hip-hop class.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_02: My mom's really funky, and she like did a wave for the first time, and I was like blown away.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_02: I was like, mom's the coolest person to do a wave.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_02: So spent another five years doing it.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_02: Go, mom.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_05: Wow.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_05: Aw, that's that's really cool.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_05: I mean, what a what a legacy.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_05: And can you remind us, if for our listeners who don't know what is the studio currently called, like what's what's the iteration of it now?
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's called the Hackworth School of Performing Arts.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_02: It's in East Hampton, Massachusetts.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_04: Nice cool.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_04: I love that.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_00: That's really awesome.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_00: And so unique and inspiring.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: And how cool is it that you discovered that love for choreography so young?
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: And that obviously, you know, transitioned you into your professional career, which it sounds like you did have a professional performance career as well as a choreography career and an education as an educator.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: So let's let's go to like, you know, you were a competition kid, you did the thing, you were working on your technique, you trained at mom's stud your mom's studio.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_00: What happened at graduation?
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: What was your game plan at that point?
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_02: So I went to New York City Dance Alliance Nationals in 2005.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_02: I won with Allison Holker and we became really good friends then.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_00: Aw.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_02: And Mia Michaels was a judge.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_02: And she came up to me at the end of the competition.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_02: She said, I really like your dancing.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_02: I have a project coming up.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_02: It's a six-month project in Athens, Greece, and it's for a big recording artist over there.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_02: Would you like to come to the audition on Monday?
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_02: And I said, She's my favorite choreographer in the world.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_02: This is crazy.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_02: I was like freaking out.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_02: I was like, this is a dream.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_02: So I went to the audition on Monday, and one of my best friends, Al Katak, was assisting her and on the project already, and I knew kind of what to expect a little bit.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_02: And they'd already gone through all of like the big auditions with like thousands of dancers.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_02: And I was in a room with uh uh five other dancers, all very unique and very different.
• 15:48
  SPEAKER_02: There was like a hip-hop freestyle dancer, like a salsa dancer, Ruthie, who was Madonna's like right-hand girl on three of the tours, so very like seasoned uh dancers.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_02: And and Mia, of course, was running the audition, and we it was like a six-hour audition.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_02: We did contemporary combos, we did partnering, we did freestyling.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I was like dancing for my life, and by the end of the audition, I kind of felt like, oh, I I feel like this is going good.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_02: And and she told us kind of on the spot, like, you all booked the job and you're moving to Athens, Greece.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_02: So I got to move to Athens, performed there for six months with Anna Visi, like a big pop star in Greece.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_02: Just unbelievable experience.
• 16:25
  SPEAKER_02: My parents had to emancipate me so I could get paid.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_02: So I luckily got to I was homeschooled the last uh year and a half of uh my high school and got to graduate online and then moved to Athens.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_02: And then Mia essentially, once I finished that project, she called me two weeks later and she said, Hey, I'm doing the new Sarge Soleil show called Delirium.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_02: It's a tour, and we would love for you to you know come come to uh do the show.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_02: So I I did Circ for about like another nine months after that, and just mind-blowing experience to be around all the different cultures, artists, people, mentalities.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_02: And it was me and Michael's choreography, so we were like dance, like 12 numbers.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_05: All right, really cool.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_05: Do you have any like Cirque skills?
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_05: Like were you asked to do things like the Cirque people do, or it was pure dance for your track?
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_02: Pure dance.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, pure dance.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_02: Cool.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_02: It um, you know, there was they they would like let us learn some of the things, like the silk stuff, like nothing too intense, but like, you know, climbing up and doing some hip keys and floating around for a sec.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_02: But uh, it was, yeah, purely dance.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_00: And you said that was on tour.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_00: Was that a a US tour or was that an international?
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_02: I did I did the US tour.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_02: I think they did go over to Europe in in in different places, but I was mainly on the US leg.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: And like how epic you just get handed another job.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_00: Here you go.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_00: Let's From me on my group.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I mean, she already put you through the ring earth with that six-hour audition and like you know, really tested you there and knew that you were capable.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_00: And then you do the gig and you probably nailed the gig like you probably were epic over there in in Greece.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: And then she was just like counting down the days, like, okay, when's he coming back?
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_00: I have another job.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_02: It was wild.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_02: And one of my other friends, Noel Bahandas, was on that uh Greece job with me, and he did this research show too.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_02: So we transitioned and on that tour together, and just you know, we're brothers from the start, and then that tour uh was just it was a blast because I was still young.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_02: I was 18 when I started that tour.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_02: So I was definitely one of the young, young guys on there, and they gave me, yeah, just a really big opportunity.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_00: Wow, that's amazing.
• 18:32
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, how lucky.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_00: And also, it again, like it's because of competition dance that you got those jobs because you were at the right place at the right time, the right person saw you and they said with the right skills, yes, like with the with the proper training.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_00: But like, I'm sure that you went to NYCDA nationals just with the hopes and dreams of like I want to win outstanding dancer, male dancer, like not thinking that it was gonna lead to a potential job opportunity in the next few months.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_00: Like, how cool?
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_02: I had no clue.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I had no clue.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_02: I was shocked.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I just won the outstanding dancer title and literally came off stage and and yeah, Mia pulled me aside, and my mom and I were like bawling, crying, like, oh my crazy.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_02: So it was yeah, it was it was uh a really special moment.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_05: Okay, so once yeah, once you finished that the tour, did you come back and were like East Coast based?
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_05: Did you have you ever spent any time in LA?
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_05: Like what what was the rest of sort of performing life for you?
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so I became Mia's ass I I ended up leaving the tour to assist Mia on seasons two and three of So You Think You Can Dance, and then was her assistant for four to five years straight.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_02: I didn't leave her side for more than two weeks at a time ever.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_02: And we just were just on the go.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_02: I got to help her with a Celine Dion uh tour and just really, you know, really be amongst uh all the different projects.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, got to assist on the Pulse Dance Convention and you know, just so many different things with her on that.
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_02: And then I lived in New York, kind of uh back and forth between LA and New York for those two years.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_02: It was like 2006, 2007 for New York, and then I moved to LA in the summer of 2007, I believe.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_02: And I stayed for 13 years and just really loved it, loved the community.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_02: And I happened to be on uh The Pulse with her, and Janet Jackson's choreographer, Gil Dol DeLau, was also a teacher.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_02: And we, you know, became friends and he saw my improvisation stuff as well, where I would improv the combos, and he came up to me and he just flat out said, Do you want to, you know, be a soloist on Janet Jackson's tour coming up?
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_04: And I was like, No.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_02: Like, that's unbelievable.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_02: He's like, Yeah, we have both characters in you.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_02: Janet's um already seen you dance and she wants you on the tour, and we have a name for you.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_02: My name was T5, and I was like the the angel that kind of brought her out of the darkness in the show, and the B-boy and I were kind of like the good and evil side of things.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_02: And while she would change in the show, the band would play and I would get to freestyle and just improvise.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, that's awesome.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_02: She has a few music videos coming up in a promo tour, and we just want you to meet her.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_02: And they didn't know I trained in hip-hop and jazz and like all the other styles, so they said, Hey, come to the the music video feedback.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, come to the audition and just meet her.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_02: And I was like, Oh my god, that is crazy.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I can't wait to meet her.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_02: My, you know, we were always dancing in Janet growing up.
• 21:45
  SPEAKER_02: My mom's a huge fan.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_02: Everyone's a Janet fan.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_02: How can you?
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_02: Love me sometimes.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_02: So I showed up and Tony Testa, who I quick quickly became friends with uh before that project, he was helping run the audition, and Ed Moore, one of the choreographers.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_02: And they said, Hey, you want to get up and just like learn the choreography for fun?
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_02: And I was like, Yeah, I'm gonna rip this.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I would So you were like at the audition to just meet her.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_00: You weren't auditioning.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I you know, it I don't don't quote me exactly on it, but that's that's the way I remember it at least.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_02: And so I got up.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_05: Don't worry, we'll ask Janet.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, let's call her up and find out.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_02: And so yeah, I got up.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_02: I felt really good.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_02: I I, you know, prepped that morning, had a few uh a yoga class, you know, ate really well that morning and just felt really in my body and and really ripped it.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_02: I just like instantly knew I was like, oh, I I booked this.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_02: Like I'm gonna be in the video.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_02: And I ended up booking the music video.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_02: I got the call from my agents, and I was at the beach with my friends, and just my agent told me, You booked the music video, you're gonna be in the video, and I just like threw in my phone and like green into the water.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_02: I was like, ah.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_02: So I got to rehearse and learn all the choreography.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_02: And then Gil called me uh before we were about to go to New York on Monday.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_02: He said, Hey, you're going to the airport right now, you're gonna do a trio.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_02: You and Tucker Barkley um are gonna do a trio with Janet.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_02: Um so we need you to fly like in two hours from LAX.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_02: So I like didn't even pack anything, just went right to the airport and got to New York, landed, and went, you know, pretty much straight to like a clothing store close by the studio, jumped in a rehearsal, and Janet walked in, and then she just you know has this aura about her that's like you know, sounds silly, but she really has like a glowing aura.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_01: And she walked up and she was like, Hey Teddy, how you doing today?
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, I love your movement, I love the way you dance.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_02: And I said, Oh my god, like and then we danced for like a few days, and she was so gracious and brought us out to dinners and just she was my one of my favorite artists I've ever worked with because I got to work with her for a while.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_02: And then um, and then we did Rock With You music video, uh-huh.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_02: And then we did the promo tours, and then we jumped on tour and did uh like 12 to 15 shows, and it was a dream.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_02: We got to do all the classics rhythm nation if 25 pieces in the show.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_00: A dream.
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_02: A dream.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_02: Like I'll never forget that first moment of you know, tour.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_02: We were in Vancouver and you know, the crowd's screaming, we're in our prayer circle and holding hands, and uh a few people spoke, and then we were walking up to the stage.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_02: And literally, when people say you're like walking on clouds, I literally felt like I was not walking on the ground.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_02: And we, you know, I started right next to her before the curtain drops, and I mean the crowd's going like, Janet, Janet, and you just and the curtain drops and it just like erupted.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_02: I can still feel it on my body.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_02: And I almost fell straight on my back.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_02: Like it was just so much energy.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_03: I was like, whoa, like I've never felt this.
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_02: And I, you know, I really try to take that feeling with me every day that I felt.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_02: Um, that adrenaline, that just like gratitude, and um, yeah, just that feeling in that moment with you know, 50,000 people, whatever.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_02: I'll never forget.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_02: So it was, yeah, amazing experience with her.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_02: And and then from there I got to, you know, get connected with a lot of different artists.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_02: Like, yeah, Lady Gaga was a really amazing experience.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_02: I did the Alahantra video.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, I love that one.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_02: It was fun.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it was really like out of my comfort zone in a lot of ways.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_02: I'm glad I I'm glad I did it.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_02: Met a lot of great friends in the project, and working with Lorian was cool.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_02: Loved working with Florence and the machine.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_02: She's like my favorite artist, so got to perform the American Music Awards with her, and she was exactly how you think she is.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_02: She's like a flower child and just like a little goddess.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_02: So she was, you know, singing in rehearsals and hearing an artist like that sing, you know, just for you in rehearsal, the coolest thing ever.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_02: So really enjoyed that.
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_00: Do you feel like that your opportunities with these artists?
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, like we heard how you got in with Janet by assisting on the pulse and the choreographer noticed you and recommended you, and boom, you're dancing for Janet.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_00: And you obviously auditioned for the music video too, but that's how you kind of jumped into that.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_00: But when you like come back off tour with Janet, you're back in LA, you're hitting the ground running.
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_00: Are you all of these jobs that you're talking about, Gaga, Florence and the Machine, are they being like handed to you again?
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_00: Or are they like open cattle calls and you have to go through the whole process like all the other thousands of dancers in LA?
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_00: Like, did you um make enough connections with different choreographers, or did they hear like, oh, I heard Teddy's on the Janet tour and he's coming back and I wanna, I want to pull him in for this gaga video?
• 26:35
  SPEAKER_00: Like, is that how it kind of worked out?
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I had built such strong bonds from a young age through competitions with so many people that you know, I feel really fortunate that I didn't have to audition for for 90% of them.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_02: And it was a friend who called me and said, Hey, are you available?
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_02: Do you want to do this?
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_02: And I was said, you know, available, I would love to.
• 26:56
  SPEAKER_02: I'd be honored.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, people like uh yeah, Gil and Mia and you know, all these different people that I I met through conventions and competitions, they would, you know, see that I was available and and and call me and and ask me to do the projects.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_02: I'd say the Oscars, the Oscars I did have to audition for, and that was with Adam Schenckman and quite a few other choreographers, but I did have some RD connections in in that door.
• 27:21
  SPEAKER_02: So the Oscars uh I did audition for, but I don't remember too, too many auditions, to be honest.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_02: It was mainly the connections that I made before I got into LA.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_00: I just wanted to ask because I kind of assumed, but at the same time, shouldn't assume, and I wanted to hear your story, but I I want to mention that to all of our listeners because networking is crucial in this industry.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_00: From day one, from when you're a young age.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_05: From the ADA Nationals 2000 and 2000.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_05: You just it started this.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_00: The dance world is small, your reputation matters.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_00: So, like, you know, if you made a good impression with Mia and now Mia has ended with other choreographers, she's gonna be like, Oh, I have the perfect person for you.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_00: That's an amazing hip-hop contemporary dancer.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_00: His name's Teddy, just got off Cirque du Soleil tour.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_00: Like, that's really how it works, everybody that's listening.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I know that it's harder for some than others, and not even just networking, but just breaking into the industry.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's definitely not as easy as this sounds.
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 28:20
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 28:21
  SPEAKER_05: But right place, right time, right skills all have to come together.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_05: Yes.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_05: And that does not happen all the time to everyone every time.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_05: Like sometimes that never happens to people, but like when it does, like magic, man.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_05: That's magical.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_02: It's magical, you know, and and and yeah, everyone's route is different.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_02: You know, sometimes it's like, yeah, it takes years and years and years and years and years.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that's what the comp convention studio training, my mom, you know, we really put in those, you know, 17 years of like super focused hard work, which so many dancers do all the time.
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but obviously there is a lot of luck involved too with the timing.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_02: So uh and that was before, of course, social media.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_02: So it was like a whole different world.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_00: Uh yeah, it really was.
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_00: It really was word of mouth back then.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_00: Like it's like you take class and it's word of mouth because it's not like you can go look up online what's this person doing today, and what let me look at their Instagram to get an idea of their style of dance.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_00: Like, no, you had to like actually know the person and like even back then, like they weren't really even filming auditions at it was just like you do the the choreographer watches you and they have to like remember that you're talented and pick you because of that.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_00: Like there wasn't like let's go look at the footage, like no, that didn't that didn't exist.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, not at all.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_02: It was just like presence and energy and you know, really locking in as well.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_02: I think the biggest thing is like when you really, really love something, people can sense it.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_02: And when you're genuinely there to to learn and to, you know, get as much as you can from the choreographers, you know, that's as a teacher too, you always see that and you're like, oh, I want to work with that person.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_02: Like that just seems like someone would be fun to be in the studio with.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so you had a fantastic professional career.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_00: Were you performing in Los Angeles the entire 13 years that you were there?
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_00: Or was there a point in time during that time frame that you decided, all right, did my performing.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_00: This was great, got got all these amazing jobs under my belt.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_00: Now I want to go back to that passion of choreography that I have had since I was a kid.
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_00: When did did that happen?
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_00: Tell me more.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I was always choreographing.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_02: I never stopped.
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_02: I just felt deeper, you know, into the choreographic realm and process.
• 30:39
  SPEAKER_02: So even on those projects and tours, I would always be in my hotel room or in an open ballroom space or anywhere that I could choreograph and just always in the process of finding a song I really liked and trying to create some in-counts and some visions to it.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_02: So it just naturally transpired to kind of build into that.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_02: And I started teaching at more dance studios, and then I got on Junk Dance Convention in 2010 and was on that for about 12 years, and that just ended up, you know, building out more studio connections and you know, other choreographic opportunities from that and just started building more confidence, teaching at Millennium, teaching at Playground and different studios in Los Angeles.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_02: But you know, I don't even still think I've retired from performing.
• 31:24
  SPEAKER_02: Like it was last season, I think Chris Scott called me and said, Hey, I've got a music video coming up.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_02: Would you like to do it?
• 31:31
  SPEAKER_02: And I was like, you know what?
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'll do it.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_02: Sure, let's go.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_02: So I flew to LA for a week and got to work with Chris Scott, who I've always enjoyed working with and had a great time doing it.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_02: So I think if you know the right projects arise and it inspires me to do it, I'm kind of down to do it, and I think I'll probably be that way for a long time.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 31:49
  SPEAKER_05: I like hearing that.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_05: Well, and at this point, when when you have other things going on, which we'll get to, you can be you can choose to say, yeah, I'll do that.
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_05: That sounds fun.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_05: Or no, you know what, I need to be here for this other thing I'm doing.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_05: Like you have the ability to say yes or no, and it's not the hustle of like, well, I gotta take this gig, you know.
• 32:07
  SPEAKER_05: Right.
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_05: Like that's that's everybody so many people's life is just like maybe you take a gig and you don't really want to, but you need to.
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_05: Right.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_05: But like what a great opportunity to just be able to say yes because you just really want to and you can.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah, it's fun.
• 32:20
  SPEAKER_02: You know, there's so many, still so many people I want to work with, choreographers, directors, producers.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, I feel like I'm just in some ways uh getting started as a choreographer and building that out.
• 32:31
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I got to work on a few little Navy commercials uh with one of my friends, and I kind of assisted on that, and then the director from that was doing a commercial for Apple and Telstra in Sydney, Australia.
• 32:44
  SPEAKER_02: And that was probably one of my favorite, I think I sent that video in to you guys.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um just a really cool, it was like contemporary dance.
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_02: Um that's a got to hire 40 dancers in Sydney, Australia.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_04: Awesome.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_02: And that was that was one of my favorite choreographic projects, you know, on that scale to you know build a 30-second commercial, but it takes you know like a month uh to do.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_02: So it was it was really cool.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_02: And projects like that, I'm I'm really inspired by.
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_02: And I think over the next probably five to ten years, I'll I'll really kind of build my choreography in that industry and realm.
• 33:15
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 33:16
  SPEAKER_00: I love hearing that.
• 33:18
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, um, I just I really love what you said about not being done with performing.
• 33:25
  SPEAKER_00: Like it's it's inspiring, even for me as a and I'm sure like you know, a lot of dancers can relate because there's always that like transitional period, or there's that stereotype of, well, once you're 30, you have to retire or your body doesn't last forever.
• 33:41
  SPEAKER_00: And I hear it all the time from people and all the time from even my parents that just don't understand that like you if you take care of your body, you can dance for a very long time if you want to.
• 33:52
  SPEAKER_00: Just because I'm at a certain age doesn't mean that I need to give up my dreams.
• 33:56
  SPEAKER_00: And if you still have things that you want to achieve, you can still make it happen.
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_00: But like again, if you have a lot of other things going on, you're in a different place in your life once you're you're in your 30s.
• 34:06
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, even as your example, you're no longer in Los Angeles, which we're about to get to, but also you have a family now.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_00: Like that's a you know, that comes first in in priorities.
• 34:16
  SPEAKER_00: And you didn't have that 20 10 years ago.
• 34:19
  SPEAKER_00: So like the the priority in the structure of your life, you it was a lot different.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_00: And now you can be a little bit more, okay, well, I'm not gonna audition for things anymore.
• 34:29
  SPEAKER_00: If something falls into my lap and it seems seems like a good gig, sounds like I'm gonna have a good time, gonna make some connections, why not?
• 34:36
  SPEAKER_00: You know, like it's that's it's really inspiring to hear that you're still pursuing that, even with how much other stuff you have, you know, on the horizon and in your life right now.
• 34:51
  SPEAKER_00: Hey listeners, you may remember me mentioning Apollo shocks earlier as the best dance footwear to help you dance longer and stronger.
• 34:59
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• 35:10
  SPEAKER_00: But what is the science of Apollo?
• 35:12
  SPEAKER_00: What makes them so special?
• 35:14
  SPEAKER_00: Apollo socks are not only 100% made in the United States, but they also have the American Podiatric Medical Association seal of acceptance.
• 35:22
  SPEAKER_00: That means foot doctors agree they are good for your feet, and they are the only dancer footwear with that designation.
• 35:29
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• 35:36
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• 35:44
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• 35:50
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• 36:19
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I always my the way my brain works, I like to do a lot at once.
• 36:23
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it kind of like equalizes my adrenaline on a daily basis.
• 36:27
  SPEAKER_02: So usually there's always like a hundred tabs of things that I want to do, and then they all kind of like fall into place at different moments.
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_02: But I I enjoy doing a lot of different things at once, and that keeps me really inspired.
• 36:39
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, when things pop up, my agent's like, hey, do you wanna you wanna try this?
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_02: And like I it was random that so you think you could dance Colby this year after being in LA for 13 years when I leave, they're like, Hey, you should you shouldn't.
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, you're like, uh finally I'll come to LA for a little vacation too, sure.
• 36:58
  SPEAKER_00: I was gonna ask you that because I feel like I did see that you choreographed, right, for this previous seat, this past season that just happened.
• 37:06
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 37:06
  SPEAKER_00: But you never worked on the show before that, besides assisting Mia.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_02: Correct, yeah.
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_00: That is shocking to me.
• 37:13
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I am just also like, so you didn't want to ever audition for the show then either.
• 37:19
  SPEAKER_02: You know, the it's a really interesting question because uh they did ask me to audition, and I don't know why, if I was too nervous or didn't feel ready or what it was.
• 37:29
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I know how intense the show is, and I know the process sometimes of getting your songs approved.
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_02: And if you don't get a song you like, then it's like, oh, I don't know, I don't want to choreograph to a song I don't like.
• 37:39
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and just it's it's really stressful and intense.
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_02: And now at a little bit older, you know, mature age, I I was ready to handle it.
• 37:46
  SPEAKER_02: So then they asked me, I was like, you know what?
• 37:47
  SPEAKER_02: I'll do it.
• 37:49
  SPEAKER_02: I would love to do it and had a great experience, loved, loved the dancers I got to work with, and the producers were great.
• 37:54
  SPEAKER_02: So it was a good opportunity.
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's it's such a it's it's such a great opportunity.
• 37:59
  SPEAKER_00: And and then we've all at this point have grown up with So You Think You Can Dance, and it's just so iconic for our dance industry to just spread art and creativity and you know get that into the forefront of people that have no idea what we do and don't understand what we do.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_00: So uh to have that creative platform for you to be able to share your love of choreography and dance is so awesome.
• 38:22
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm glad that finally fell into your lap.
• 38:25
  SPEAKER_00: So you no longer live in Los Angeles.
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_00: Tell us when, why, when, what made you leave?
• 38:33
  SPEAKER_00: It was it the pandemic.
• 38:35
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I'm just wondering.
• 38:36
  SPEAKER_00: I'm I don't know.
• 38:37
  SPEAKER_00: So what made you leave LA?
• 38:38
  SPEAKER_00: How did you know it was time?
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so we had we had bought in a house in LA in Porter Ranch, like kind of a little bit north of LA.
• 38:48
  SPEAKER_02: And my kids uh, you know, were at that age where they were, you know, gonna be entering kindergarten soon, so we're trying to find the right school, all that jazz.
• 38:56
  SPEAKER_02: We loved the area, it was amazing.
• 38:57
  SPEAKER_02: Pandemic hit, and we were like, oh, okay, what are we gonna do?
• 39:01
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it was it's extremely expensive to live in LA, of course, and and be a homeowner.
• 39:07
  SPEAKER_02: So we started, you know, just like researching like how long is a pandemic gonna go?
• 39:11
  SPEAKER_02: Like, can we afford to stay here?
• 39:12
  SPEAKER_00: You can research that?
• 39:14
  SPEAKER_02: Six months or like eight months, like who knows?
• 39:17
  SPEAKER_02: So my wife and I just started chatting about you know what is you know the best decision for us.
• 39:21
  SPEAKER_02: And also, like, we don't like her parents live in Mexico City and mine live here in Southampton, Massachusetts.
• 39:27
  SPEAKER_02: So we didn't have like family support, which is obviously tough for kids.
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_02: You do need a village for us at least.
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, we started just thinking about you know, what would this transition be like, you know, we're at a different place in my career where I don't necessarily always need to be in Los Angeles.
• 39:43
  SPEAKER_02: At that time, I was thinking of you know, keeping CLI studios running in Los Angeles, and I would fly back, you know, a few times uh uh not a month, but like every month or something to come back and film classes, be there with a company, and uh, you know, be here in my hometown that I grew up in to have you know support of our family and you know, fly out of here for conventions and stuff.
• 40:04
  SPEAKER_02: But uh during the pandemic, it like I get these like instinctual feelings of what I really want to do and and the timing of when to do it.
• 40:13
  SPEAKER_02: So when we started CLI Studios eight years ago, it was my co-founder John Arpino and I, who we met at American Dance Awards uh when we were nine years old.
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_04: Got it.
• 40:23
  SPEAKER_02: And he had a business degree and law degree and all that jazz.
• 40:26
  SPEAKER_02: And we started CLI Studios because we just had this inclination, like, hey, no one's doing this.
• 40:31
  SPEAKER_02: Why?
• 40:32
  SPEAKER_02: It must be really hard.
• 40:34
  SPEAKER_02: But there's a craving for it and people really want it.
• 40:38
  SPEAKER_02: So we we started doing a lot of research with studio owners.
• 40:41
  SPEAKER_02: We called every single studio owner, you know, by the phone that we knew.
• 40:44
  SPEAKER_02: So a few hundred studios, and we said, we would love to know if you'd want to start, you know, this subscription with us.
• 40:50
  SPEAKER_02: And we will, you know, we'll give you guys content every every month and record classes, put them up on the sites.
• 40:56
  SPEAKER_02: And that started, you know, really small.
• 40:58
  SPEAKER_02: We didn't have a studio, so we just would rent out a studio for a day or two, film all the classes, put them up on the site, doing that.
• 41:04
  SPEAKER_02: And then we finally got our own studio space, which was probably about the size of this room.
• 41:10
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's like 500 square feet was the whole like whole studio at first.
• 41:15
  SPEAKER_00: Like the one in the videos?
• 41:17
  SPEAKER_02: Like early, early, early on.
• 41:19
  SPEAKER_00: Early videos, got it.
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_02: Early videos.
• 41:21
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it was like this little small space with down a wood floor.
• 41:24
  SPEAKER_02: It was like an apartment complex, but they let artists kind of have their own businesses complex.
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_02: So uh the chorographers walk in and be like, oh, this is the space, it looks bigger on camera.
• 41:34
  SPEAKER_04: I'm like, Right, that's what I was gonna say.
• 41:36
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so we started there really small, and then um, you know, over the years, you know, really invested and really put the time in.
• 41:45
  SPEAKER_02: And then uh during the pandemic, I just had this feeling.
• 41:48
  SPEAKER_02: I was like, I feel like people are craving an in-person pre-professional conservatory.
• 41:54
  SPEAKER_02: I know this is exactly what I would have wanted graduating high school, someone who loved ballet and contemporary and modern and all those things, but loved commercial dance and wanted to get into commercial dance, but didn't want to lose my ballet, modern, and contemporary training.
• 42:08
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so that's why I personally didn't audition for colleges because I wanted both.
• 42:12
  SPEAKER_02: And there wasn't anything exactly like that.
• 42:14
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, after the pandemic, we, you know, we did 2020 dance experience.
• 42:19
  SPEAKER_02: We filmed like 600 classes, brought in like 300 choreographers and, you know, just really built our networking and our connections and had the company was at a place that was ready to do that.
• 42:29
  SPEAKER_02: So I put out an Instagram video and I said, hey, anyone that wants to, you know, audition for this new conservatory, uh, and you know, give them a list of faculty members and different things, send an email here, and we started getting auditions in, and it was instantly we realized, okay, the talent is here, the interest is here, let's, you know, really build out a strong curriculum.
• 42:50
  SPEAKER_02: So uh we in the process of you know, personally moving back locally here, uh it was you know, starting the conservatory and the you know, it was yeah, a dream project.
• 43:01
  SPEAKER_02: And the second it was like, all right, we're doing this, I just was on the computer every day making schedules and fell in love with sheets and organizing schedules and curriculum planning.
• 43:11
  SPEAKER_02: So that was cool.
• 43:12
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, you know, at a time in my life, I'm 35 years old, and you know, it's really amazing to have my parents close by and both my brothers as well.
• 43:20
  SPEAKER_02: So it's you know, my whole network of family that I've been gone for 18 years before that.
• 43:25
  SPEAKER_02: Spent a half my life away in LA and New York, it's it just feels so right, the timing of it to be home and have my kids in the same school that I grew up in, in the same area, taking classes at my my mom's studio.
• 43:37
  SPEAKER_02: So it's it just is, yeah, the timing really worked out.
• 43:40
  SPEAKER_02: And I think after all the studio owners that I talk to as well, like now is the time to do the conservatory.
• 43:45
  SPEAKER_02: So like go for it and don't think twice about it.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_02: Just you know, give it your all.
• 43:50
  SPEAKER_05: Can you tell us a little bit more for some of our listeners?
• 43:52
  SPEAKER_05: I know probably a lot of our studio owner listeners know exactly what CLI Studios is, but can you explain a little bit for some of our parents who might not be familiar?
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_05: With what that company does and what that program does.
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 44:03
  SPEAKER_02: So CLI, like our core value is to make the world a more creative place.
• 44:07
  SPEAKER_02: And we we have an online platform with over 1,500 classes in multiple, you know, different styles, 500 teachers and choreographers that are on the platform, you know, all the way from ballet to hip hop to ballroom to you know Pilates and you know different forms of of recovery.
• 44:28
  SPEAKER_02: And it's a subscription subscription company, excuse me.
• 44:32
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, we we've gotten to you know see dancers from all around the world, whether it's joining into Zoom sessions or on our app, uh we have these things called challenges where you can join a challenge and you get feedback from that choreographer on the app, which has been a really fun thing.
• 44:48
  SPEAKER_02: It's almost like its own little uh social media where you can follow different dancers and you can get feedback and also comment on other dancers' videos.
• 44:56
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, CLI Studios, it stands for Create, Learn, Inspire.
• 44:59
  SPEAKER_04: Oh.
• 45:00
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, we we started it eight years ago and it's just uh it's been a really cool process.
• 45:05
  SPEAKER_02: I feel like I'm always learning as a business owner, but also just as a dancer because there's so many incredible teachers on the platform.
• 45:12
  SPEAKER_02: So if I'm ever needing inspiration or like new exercises or new thoughts for my classes, I go on CLI, I click on the class, um, and it's you know just really inspiring to see that many different voices and people teaching, how they teach, what they talk about, and if it's a similar style.
• 45:30
  SPEAKER_02: You know, everyone has their own approach.
• 45:31
  SPEAKER_02: So I've learned a lot as a teacher in the mentor from the app and just seeing all those different classes.
• 45:38
  SPEAKER_00: It's just so innovative, and especially for the time eight years ago.
• 45:42
  SPEAKER_00: Like you said, no one was doing that.
• 45:44
  SPEAKER_00: Like we've anything at all like that.
• 45:46
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 45:47
  SPEAKER_05: Not even like Instagram account, like nothing.
• 45:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, like you think about it now and you're like, oh, well, so many people do online dance classes, but it's like, no, no, no.
• 45:56
  SPEAKER_00: This is this was ahead of it.
• 45:59
  SPEAKER_00: But like CLI really kind of launched that for our dance industry, I think, which is so innovative of you to even come up with the idea and then make it a reality.
• 46:08
  SPEAKER_00: It's really cool to see like how much it's grown as well.
• 46:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I do agree.
• 46:12
  SPEAKER_00: I think that it's um it's such a valuable resource for maybe a lot of the studios who might not be able to afford getting guest teachers in and having that in-person experience.
• 46:22
  SPEAKER_00: You can utilize some of the classes that are with these well, well-known choreographers and educators that are living in LA or New York, or just might might be not available to come into your studio or too pricey to come in.
• 46:37
  SPEAKER_00: Like you get this access and it's a learning development.
• 46:40
  SPEAKER_00: It's tools that you can use to continue your education as not just for the dancers, but as an educator, which I think is so crucial.
• 46:47
  SPEAKER_00: I think so many um we get, especially now there's unlimited resources, which it's like you we can always be learning.
• 46:54
  SPEAKER_00: But before things like CLI, we really only had dance conventions that we could go to as teachers and educators to, you know, hear different perspectives or learn from or see different teaching styles.
• 47:07
  SPEAKER_00: And most of the time, a lot of teachers aren't even taking class at conventions.
• 47:10
  SPEAKER_00: They're just sitting watching, which is just as, you know, that's valuable too.
• 47:14
  SPEAKER_00: But I think having access to this at your fingertips and you can type in beginner hip hop and boom, you can figure out, like, you know, you can get a like a crush course on hip hop dance and implement that into your class structure that night if you need to.
• 47:28
  SPEAKER_00: Like it's just so, so unique.
• 47:31
  SPEAKER_02: And I think getting a sense of who the choreographers are, maybe before you bring them out to your studio.
• 47:37
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, great.
• 47:37
  SPEAKER_00: She has a great point.
• 47:38
  SPEAKER_02: It's it's it's a very vulnerable thing to be on camera and to lead a class and share your energy and your thoughts on dance and what you're teaching.
• 47:48
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, there's sometimes when certain, you know, teachers of ours that might not have been on a convention that a studio didn't know about fall in love with this choreographer, like, we need to bring this person out of the studio, and then we reach out to us saying, Hey, can you connect us with this choreographer?
• 48:02
  SPEAKER_02: So that that's been really cool too, you know, some of the choreographers who aren't on conventions to get their name out there a little bit more in that sense.
• 48:08
  SPEAKER_02: It's been really amazing.
• 48:09
  SPEAKER_02: And Zoom, like we started Zoom uh about three to four years before the pandemic.
• 48:15
  SPEAKER_02: And it was one of my favorite parts of the company because we would do um, you know, one-on-one sessions with the studio and then have a projection screen, and you know, like we do uh a lot of times now, and you know, we really got to know a lot of the studios, you know, doing choreography, doing classes, you know, asking their names, getting to know them over time and see the growth.
• 48:34
  SPEAKER_02: So it was a really I knew like early on, like the first Zoom class we did, right when we finished, I was like, this is incredible.
• 48:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 48:43
  SPEAKER_02: Like we're doing classes with dancers in Hawaii and was doing private lessons with someone in Tokyo.
• 48:48
  SPEAKER_02: Like I was like, this is so cool.
• 48:51
  SPEAKER_02: I could do this all day.
• 48:52
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 48:53
  SPEAKER_02: And we did.
• 48:53
  SPEAKER_02: We did, I did like 500 Zoom classes in the first like two years or something.
• 48:57
  SPEAKER_02: And wow.
• 48:58
  SPEAKER_02: It was a blast.
• 48:59
  SPEAKER_02: And it was me and John um setting up the Zoom class ourselves in that little apartment, and we were so proud to have our own space, you know, 500 square feet, and the apartment had a kitchen right in it, so I'd be cooking eggs and bacon between my classes.
• 49:12
  SPEAKER_04: That's awesome.
• 49:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it was uh it was it was a really cool experience.
• 49:17
  SPEAKER_02: And and there's just that feeling of when you feel the instinctual feeling like, hey, the community needs this, or you know, or you you have this instinct.
• 49:26
  SPEAKER_02: It's like if you can follow that instinct and then do the work every day and like be really diligent about the little small details and things in order to do that, and be patient as well of like, hey, we're not hitting our numbers, or we're, you know, financially not at the place where we want to be at, or you know, maybe some of the teachers we want to bring we can't afford, but it's like those little, little, little baby steps every single hour, every single day, every single week, month, year.
• 49:48
  SPEAKER_02: It all adds up and it's um it's cool to see it add up, and we're getting to a place now where it all the work is starting to really come to fruition.
• 49:57
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 49:58
  SPEAKER_05: I mean, that's great advice for just dance, also in general, not only for dance business, but it's like, okay, this week I held my releve for this long.
• 50:04
  SPEAKER_05: This week I held my releve in passe for even longer.
• 50:07
  SPEAKER_05: Then I did a turn.
• 50:08
  SPEAKER_05: Like, you have to be patient to get to, you know, five pirouettes.
• 50:12
  SPEAKER_05: It doesn't just happen overnight.
• 50:14
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely.
• 50:15
  SPEAKER_02: We're talking about patience today at the conservatory.
• 50:17
  SPEAKER_02: Because it can be frustrating sometimes when you see someone else do it, you're like, ah, like, why can I do it?
• 50:22
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 50:22
  SPEAKER_02: It's like everyone has their own timing and you just, you know, put in the work and you hold that relevant and do an extra two pirouettes in in a few months, and it's like, yay, I did it.
• 50:32
  SPEAKER_00: So the conservatory.
• 50:34
  SPEAKER_00: I want to learn more about it.
• 50:36
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I've actually had the opportunity to come to the conservatory last year.
• 50:41
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you guys uh in your that was your first season.
• 50:44
  SPEAKER_00: That was your first year in Yeah, first year last year.
• 50:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 50:48
  SPEAKER_00: So, so, so cool.
• 50:49
  SPEAKER_00: And I was really excited because I've I was following it uh a lot, and I also was kind of like, what is this?
• 50:56
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I at the same time I was like, I've heard about it, but I don't really know what it is because it's it was brand new last year.
• 51:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that the word's gotten out a little bit more and the momentum is gaining with the potential of this conservatory that you've created.
• 51:10
  SPEAKER_00: So can you tell us a little bit more about it?
• 51:13
  SPEAKER_00: Like we obviously know you you had that uh that feeling, that urge, that need for this in the industry, which I totally agree.
• 51:20
  SPEAKER_00: I think it does because, like you mentioned, you didn't go to college because you wanted to do commercial dance and modern dance, but where can you do that in college?
• 51:26
  SPEAKER_00: Because that just, especially back when you were going to school, that didn't exist.
• 51:31
  SPEAKER_00: And there was no college program out there that was gonna give you what you wanted.
• 51:35
  SPEAKER_00: So we've oh we've, you know, there's some new programs out there now that are kind of catching on, but you're kind of creating this atmosphere and this platform and program on your end that is a condensed college, essentially, that's gonna give you the tools that you need to break into the industry, which is genius to me.
• 51:54
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 51:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 51:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's it's it's really it is a space for young artists to come to and discover themselves.
• 52:02
  SPEAKER_02: That's that's the basis of it.
• 52:04
  SPEAKER_02: Because I think a lot of people don't know before they go to school really what they want to do.
• 52:09
  SPEAKER_02: Like, do I want to be a commercial dancer?
• 52:11
  SPEAKER_02: Do I want to be in a contemporary company?
• 52:13
  SPEAKER_02: Do I want to be in musicals?
• 52:15
  SPEAKER_02: How do you really know that at that age and then to commit to a long program is really challenging.
• 52:19
  SPEAKER_02: Some people I think, you know, can can already know, but a lot of people come in discovering that as we go and really discover through a lot of conversation, through a lot of classes.
• 52:31
  SPEAKER_02: You know, we have we dance from uh 9 a.m.
• 52:34
  SPEAKER_02: to like 5 30 p.m.
• 52:36
  SPEAKER_02: So there's a lot of classes every day.
• 52:38
  SPEAKER_02: So you're really meeting so many different guest choreographers, our local choreographers as well, and you know, figuring out what fits you and and how to find your path in the industry.
• 52:46
  SPEAKER_02: So we're really hands-on with the dancers.
• 52:48
  SPEAKER_02: We bring in 75 to 100 choreographers in the season.
• 52:52
  SPEAKER_02: And the focus is on finding your path and how we can help you get there, how we can help you build those network connections.
• 53:00
  SPEAKER_02: We bring in, you know, all the main dance agencies, we bring in some of the cruise shiplines, we bring in sorts of Soleil auditions, so we do shows at the end of the year.
• 53:09
  SPEAKER_02: So it's really giving you, and of course, like creative films, because you know, CLI, we're a content company.
• 53:14
  SPEAKER_02: So we have a film department that, you know, really teaches them how to dance on camera.
• 53:19
  SPEAKER_02: What, what is that relationship with camera?
• 53:21
  SPEAKER_02: What is the language on set, and how do you understand who's the director, who's the first AD, who's the afters?
• 53:27
  SPEAKER_02: Like who are the people on set, and how do you really understand the the full capacity of dance on film?
• 53:33
  SPEAKER_02: Uh so all the dancers get to be in creative films, which is I think a really big highlight.
• 53:37
  SPEAKER_02: We actually have um a film coming up uh this Friday that we're super excited about.
• 53:42
  SPEAKER_02: And and yeah, for me, it's I'm so in awe of so many different choreographers and artists.
• 53:49
  SPEAKER_02: So it's like a dream uh to be able to build a schedule with my team to really give the full scope of concert dance, uh, commercial dance, musical theater, teaching choreography, just the vastness that the dance industry really holds.
• 54:04
  SPEAKER_02: Because I think a lot of times people think like, oh, it's like you have to do this, you have to do that.
• 54:09
  SPEAKER_02: And a lot of times nowadays you see someone go from dancing in a company to dancing in, you know, with Beyonce or on a musical, and it's it's more fluid than it's ever been.
• 54:18
  SPEAKER_02: So I think with our connections with all the choreographers over the years that we built with CLI and my personal relationships, there's a lot of opportunity for the dancers to, you know, talk with me, tell me their career goals, and figure it out through the journey of the 10 months.
• 54:34
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, it's so it's a 10-month program.
• 54:36
  SPEAKER_05: Is that correct?
• 54:37
  SPEAKER_02: This year it's nine, next year it's 10.
• 54:39
  SPEAKER_05: Okay.
• 54:40
  SPEAKER_05: Okay.
• 54:40
  SPEAKER_05: And are you are we 18 plus coming into this program?
• 54:44
  SPEAKER_05: How old do you have to be?
• 54:45
  SPEAKER_05: What's the cap?
• 54:46
  SPEAKER_02: So uh anyone who's graduated high school above 17 years old um can join.
• 54:52
  SPEAKER_02: And we have someone all the way up to 30 years old this year.
• 54:55
  SPEAKER_02: And she's doing amazing work and also helped us like on set.
• 54:59
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, she really loves film as well.
• 55:01
  SPEAKER_02: So it can, you know, be for someone who wants to be a professional dancer or teacher or choreographer.
• 55:07
  SPEAKER_02: So we we put a lot of emphasis and create a lot of space uh between our main space we're in now and the space we're in last year to have open slots for for people to work on their own choreography and teaching and get advice from me and some of the faculty.
• 55:20
  SPEAKER_02: So we have people, yeah, some of the dancers who, you know, have been professional dancers are looking to get into teaching and choreography.
• 55:27
  SPEAKER_02: There are people here with that um that goal in mind as well.
• 55:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'm curious about that.
• 55:32
  SPEAKER_00: Like at the moment, I correct me if I'm wrong, but at the moment, everyone is whoever's in the program is learning the same material and we're all you know on the same path, regardless of like what their final outcome is by the time they quote unquote graduate from the conservatory, then they can go their separate ways and they've discovered what I want to do in the industry.
• 55:52
  SPEAKER_00: But like, do you think down the road there could ever be like different tracks that you can go into of the conservatory where I know that I want to go the choreography route.
• 56:02
  SPEAKER_00: So then there's more class structure that's based around developing choreography and that type of thing versus like, I know I want to be a professional.
• 56:11
  SPEAKER_00: Tell me all the things I need to know to break into the industry.
• 56:14
  SPEAKER_00: Like, do you see that happening throughout the years?
• 56:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, we've already started to create optionality in the schedule.
• 56:21
  SPEAKER_02: So there's usually two classes happening in in studio one and studio two.
• 56:27
  SPEAKER_02: And we've created an optionality at the other space.
• 56:31
  SPEAKER_02: So, say you want to focus more on concert dance, because we usually always have a commercial dance class uh happening.
• 56:37
  SPEAKER_02: And so for those who actually want to continue on the normal schedule, they can do that, or they can come over to the other space and sign up to take extra classes with me and focus on improvisation, you know, floor work, you know, more like concert dance uh work and or choreography and things they want to do there.
• 56:54
  SPEAKER_02: Cool.
• 56:55
  SPEAKER_02: So there's there's a little bit more optionality in the schedule.
• 56:57
  SPEAKER_02: We are, yeah, we're in like such a fun brainstorming uh moment in time where we are, you know, thinking about all the different options that the conservatory could be.
• 57:06
  SPEAKER_02: And I think I'm excited for you guys to see the transformation next year.
• 57:10
  SPEAKER_02: I can't say too much, uh, but there's a lot of really amazing ideas that we have for this second semester we're in now and for for next season, CY3.
• 57:20
  SPEAKER_02: And I started building out the curriculum actually yesterday with the team.
• 57:23
  SPEAKER_02: And it's we're learning a lot, and it's so fun to apply it in real time and be getting feedback from the students, applying it to next year.
• 57:30
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 57:30
  SPEAKER_02: And really just building, you know, what I think could be, you know, one of the best programs in the world.
• 57:35
  SPEAKER_00: Well, one of the other things I want to mention, and um, I know Leslie, we've talked about this before, is the fact that there's a this is kind of like something that happens out internationally.
• 57:45
  SPEAKER_00: Like specifically, I'm thinking of Australia, where all of those kids, you know, grow up as comp kids, grow up as studio kids, but then have this transitional year where like the moment they graduate, they go to this type of pre-professional training program.
• 58:00
  SPEAKER_00: And it's that's like the way to go.
• 58:02
  SPEAKER_00: It's like you if you see, I I can't think of anybody off the top, like the names of the studios, but I follow some on Instagram and I'm always just like, what is this like pre-pro school?
• 58:11
  SPEAKER_00: Like, what is that?
• 58:12
  SPEAKER_00: Are they in college or are they not?
• 58:13
  SPEAKER_00: And it's like a pun like further It's a little foreign to us.
• 58:17
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's because it does that doesn't exist here in the States, you know, and but it seems to be working really well for them over in Australia, which I do think we need to get one of those programs on to the podcast to hear like what what it's all about.
• 58:29
  SPEAKER_00: So we're gonna do that, everybody.
• 58:31
  SPEAKER_00: But it sounds like that's what you've kind of created here because there's always that that struggle, uh, like you said, having a dancer figure out what they want to do for the rest of their life and pick a four-year college program at 18 years old.
• 58:43
  SPEAKER_00: That's hard to do.
• 58:44
  SPEAKER_00: Like we all let's we all go back to 18.
• 58:47
  SPEAKER_00: We're like, we didn't know what we wanted to do.
• 58:49
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we had no clue.
• 58:51
  SPEAKER_02: Some some people think they do.
• 58:52
  SPEAKER_02: And some of our dancers decide after the program that they, you know, now I really know what I want to do, and I want to audition for USC, Juilliard, so you can't.
• 59:00
  SPEAKER_05: Frankly, right.
• 59:01
  SPEAKER_02: And we help them, you know, do those things.
• 59:03
  SPEAKER_02: That's great.
• 59:03
  SPEAKER_02: So it's you know, the I I think having a year to discover yourself is really smart for many different reasons before you do enter something like that, unless you really know.
• 59:12
  SPEAKER_02: And I think college is great for certain people as well, and you know, everyone has a different path.
• 59:17
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, but it's the energy here is uh irreplaceable.
• 59:22
  SPEAKER_02: It's it's like priceless.
• 59:23
  SPEAKER_02: I can't even put a word to it, but I was in the studio today with them and we were improving together and just seeing people grow, like seeing people shift and those light bulbs go off.
• 59:34
  SPEAKER_02: And I've never had that experience before the conservatory because usually I'm on conventions and it's you know, you teach them for an hour and whatever.
• 59:40
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 59:41
  SPEAKER_02: It's a different experience.
• 59:42
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but here it's like the daily journey and knowing how to get people's mindset right.
• 59:47
  SPEAKER_02: That's that is really, really interesting to me of seeing those light bulbs go off and then it physically happening as well as mentally, and all the things are starting to click.
• 59:58
  SPEAKER_02: That, you know, I'm sure all the studio owners, you know, listening, they have those experiences all the time uh through all the different journeys of, you know, from two years old all the way to 18 before they graduate.
• 1:00:09
  SPEAKER_02: There's nothing more rewarding than being a part of the daily journey.
• 1:00:13
  SPEAKER_02: And that's really what I've noticed here and and why I feel like this is what I want to do, honestly, forever.
• 1:00:20
  SPEAKER_05: What I think is really cool about what you said earlier about how you're structuring the curriculum and like getting the feedback from the students to to see what works, what doesn't work, and what's gonna happen next season is that that does not happen in a traditional college dance program.
• 1:00:35
  SPEAKER_05: It is what it is.
• 1:00:36
  SPEAKER_05: The curriculum is what it is, it's been what it is for 40 years, and that's what it is.
• 1:00:39
  SPEAKER_05: Every now and then you might have a little addition of an elective, maybe.
• 1:00:43
  SPEAKER_05: But like, how lucky are you guys to be in your infancy of this business and able to also, you know, yes, you have it's yours, so you can do whatever you want, but like also your the ego is not so big that I know what's best because I'm Teddy Forrens.
• 1:01:00
  SPEAKER_05: No, you are you are seeking information from the people that you're teaching to say, actually, this doesn't work for me.
• 1:01:06
  SPEAKER_05: Could we do this?
• 1:01:07
  SPEAKER_05: Maybe we could do that, or you're just noticing it in the room of like, oh, this is not working for these kids.
• 1:01:11
  SPEAKER_05: We need to, we need we need to shift something because this is clearly not working.
• 1:01:15
  SPEAKER_05: Like, how amazing.
• 1:01:16
  SPEAKER_05: Because just from my own experience, like college dance programs don't do that.
• 1:01:21
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's it's really unique.
• 1:01:22
  SPEAKER_02: And we have a very creative team.
• 1:01:24
  SPEAKER_02: Everyone that's on the team, even if they're not actual dance teachers, grew up dancing.
• 1:01:28
  SPEAKER_02: So we're all very sensitive uh to you know what they need and what they want and their mental health.
• 1:01:34
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, we have an amazing life coach, Chrisha, who's here full-time with us, uh, who I beg to move from LA and thank God she did.
• 1:01:41
  SPEAKER_02: So full-time and she's our mama bear and just gives such good advice and you know, talks about nutrition and wellness and just overall mental health.
• 1:01:52
  SPEAKER_04: That's great.
• 1:01:52
  SPEAKER_02: Which is, you know, really, really important to us that if dancers, you know, need to take a class off to breathe and find their center and or even you know, go take a walk with Chrisha, uh, do their thing.
• 1:02:03
  SPEAKER_02: But there's, you know, what I've noticed is I'd say 60 to 80% of anyone trying to reach a super high level in anything, it's they're really your mindset.
• 1:02:11
  SPEAKER_02: Sure.
• 1:02:11
  SPEAKER_02: Because anyone that gets into the program, you know, physically can do the steps.
• 1:02:15
  SPEAKER_02: But where is your mind and how are you having intention to each class and each day to really get the most out of it?
• 1:02:20
  SPEAKER_02: So there's a lot of mentality that we we do focus on here, like athletes do, you know, like most artists do.
• 1:02:27
  SPEAKER_02: I I think it's extremely important to make sure that these young dancers are mentally prepared to jump into the industry because we all know how tough it can be to go to all these auditions and and potentially not get a job.
• 1:02:39
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, you it's it takes time.
• 1:02:41
  SPEAKER_02: So there's a lot of a lot of that that we focus on, and then a lot of feedback.
• 1:02:45
  SPEAKER_02: You know, we listen to them, and if it makes sense and we feel like it's a good shift in the schedule for them in their best interests, you know, we have the the freedom to do that, which it just feels so good to to really build something that they believe in as well.
• 1:03:00
  SPEAKER_02: And they know that they're they're being listened to and they're heard because they they see it, you know, kind of shift pretty quickly.
• 1:03:06
  SPEAKER_02: Wow.
• 1:03:07
  SPEAKER_05: That's that's just amazing.
• 1:03:08
  SPEAKER_05: That's so great.
• 1:03:10
  SPEAKER_00: I was wondering because when I came up to the conservatory last year, I came with RWS Entertainment and we we hosted an audition, an actual private audition for the conservatory students whoever wanted to participate to potentially lead them to a cruise ship job if that's what they wanted to do once they graduated, which is really awesome that you are giving them these opportunities.
• 1:03:30
  SPEAKER_00: I'm curious to know if you are implementing like mock auditions prior to having hosting actual auditions in the space so they can get familiar with what to expect, like kind of the same kind of thing that you were seeing with like video production and like what it's like on set and getting them prepared for that.
• 1:03:47
  SPEAKER_00: Are you guys also doing like audition seminars and stuff to prep them for rejection and you wore the wrong thing or you know, whatever that may be?
• 1:03:57
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, we so Claire, um, Claire Hanley, one of our producers who moved from uh New York as well, she is heading up kind of like the career goals and the mock auditions and everything.
• 1:04:08
  SPEAKER_02: So we actually start mock auditions next week, and uh each dancer will get to participate uh in a few different uh styles of auditions.
• 1:04:17
  SPEAKER_02: So one being um commercial dance.
• 1:04:19
  SPEAKER_02: So they'll essentially be sent a video um that they'll learn the choreography from home and then come into the audition because that's uh sometimes the way it does happen nowadays, especially.
• 1:04:29
  SPEAKER_02: So they'll they'll learn the uh the choreography, come in, and we'll have actually a prep day first before that.
• 1:04:35
  SPEAKER_02: We'll have a prep day where we, you know, go through their outfits, go through their hair and makeup, give them advice on okay, this is you know the mock uh job, and this is what we're looking for.
• 1:04:46
  SPEAKER_02: This is the vibe, you know, all the things that you would get sent on uh for a real audition.
• 1:04:50
  SPEAKER_02: So we have a full day or a full session to focus on about 10 dancers at a time, 15 dancers, on you know, their outfits, the way they look, the way they feel, how to prepare, how to get ready, how to slate, how to say their name, all that stuff.
• 1:05:03
  SPEAKER_02: That's great.
• 1:05:03
  SPEAKER_02: And so there's a commercial one, uh, a contemporary concert dance track one, and then also a musical one where we have our musical director come in and and you know play piano for them so they can sing their songs too.
• 1:05:14
  SPEAKER_02: So we're really focused on, you know, we put an extra emphasis on mock auditions uh this year.
• 1:05:20
  SPEAKER_02: And I feel like it's you know gonna really pay off come, you know, the end of the season.
• 1:05:25
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 1:05:25
  SPEAKER_00: When those auditions come in and are looking, you know, to hand jobs to people.
• 1:05:30
  SPEAKER_00: Because audition auditioning is like the hardest part of the industry, and you don't get feedback.
• 1:05:35
  SPEAKER_00: I tell this to people all the time.
• 1:05:36
  SPEAKER_00: Like, as competitive dancers, you get nothing but critique tape after critique tape.
• 1:05:40
  SPEAKER_00: And your teachers tell you 24/7 what you're doing wrong in class.
• 1:05:43
  SPEAKER_00: The moment you turn under turn into an adult and the moment you turn into a professional, there is no more feedback.
• 1:05:49
  SPEAKER_00: You rarely get feedback on did I wear the right outfit?
• 1:05:53
  SPEAKER_00: What was my hair too much in my face and that's why I got cut?
• 1:05:56
  SPEAKER_00: Was my singing horrible and that's why I got cut?
• 1:05:58
  SPEAKER_00: Like, what do I need to work on to Do better at the next audition.
• 1:06:01
  SPEAKER_00: No one tells you it's just out, you know, you just are left wondering the rest of your life.
• 1:06:08
  SPEAKER_02: So the rest of your life, truly.
• 1:06:10
  SPEAKER_02: The rest of your life, yeah.
• 1:06:11
  SPEAKER_02: It's like good luck.
• 1:06:12
  SPEAKER_02: Um, yeah, so we'll we'll we'll be giving them lots of feedback and I'm I'm super excited because we had we had about 18 dancers last year get signed with agents and then um a few of them, you know, book other tours and jobs.
• 1:06:25
  SPEAKER_02: Um actually one of them is on a cruise ship.
• 1:06:28
  SPEAKER_00: Nice.
• 1:06:28
  SPEAKER_02: Michael Maciros is on a cruise ship now, so yeah, really uh excited about that.
• 1:06:32
  SPEAKER_02: But yeah, we're we're building up to April is when we start auditions fully for about a month.
• 1:06:38
  SPEAKER_00: Nice.
• 1:06:38
  SPEAKER_00: That's awesome.
• 1:06:40
  SPEAKER_05: So for your program, uh uh how many people do you accept, or is that a changing number every year?
• 1:06:46
  SPEAKER_00: That's a good question.
• 1:06:47
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's uh the first year we had 37 students, and we were out of uh my mom's dance studio the first year and and had an extra space, and then we just moved to like a really beautiful big space.
• 1:07:00
  SPEAKER_02: It's like 20,000 square feet, and we have two studios out of there.
• 1:07:03
  SPEAKER_02: So we were able to accept you know more talented dancers.
• 1:07:05
  SPEAKER_02: So we have 109 students training with us this season.
• 1:07:08
  SPEAKER_05: That's awesome.
• 1:07:09
  SPEAKER_05: That's awesome.
• 1:07:10
  SPEAKER_05: Are they from uh how how far around the country have you received kids from?
• 1:07:14
  SPEAKER_02: All around the world.
• 1:07:15
  SPEAKER_02: So we have 20 international students as well.
• 1:07:17
  SPEAKER_02: We have some from India, UK, Netherlands, uh eight from Mexico, uh or sorry, five from Mexico, eight from Canada, and then all around the US from California and Seattle and Florida.
• 1:07:29
  SPEAKER_05: Kind of everywhere.
• 1:07:31
  SPEAKER_02: There's actually less East Coast people than there is uh kind of from all over.
• 1:07:36
  SPEAKER_02: So everywhere else.
• 1:07:37
  SPEAKER_05: That's awesome.
• 1:07:38
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's a nice melting pot of so many different cultures too, you know, from all the way from India.
• 1:07:44
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, it just you know creates this really unique experience, I think.
• 1:07:47
  SPEAKER_02: Um I've always been fascinated by dancer.
• 1:07:50
  SPEAKER_02: Since Circ, honestly, yeah, since that's our job, it's fascinated by people and and artists from all around the world and how they approach their art and what they think about and how they you know prepare for things.
• 1:08:00
  SPEAKER_02: So it's it's been cool to have yeah, 20 international students this season.
• 1:08:05
  SPEAKER_05: And for our listeners who might be interested in uh auditioning, when is when is the audition for this next season?
• 1:08:10
  SPEAKER_02: We've already started actually.
• 1:08:11
  SPEAKER_02: We started in uh September and uh it will probably go through March or April.
• 1:08:17
  SPEAKER_00: Are they like virtual auditions or are they in-person?
• 1:08:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, virtual auditions and we will be announcing a few in-person auditions.
• 1:08:26
  SPEAKER_02: One will be in New York in March, and we'll be announcing that soon with some more details and stuff.
• 1:08:31
  SPEAKER_02: But most of the time it is either through Zoom or uh through virtual submissions, like a few different rounds, and then once you get to the last round, uh you do an uh an interview with one of our team members.
• 1:08:44
  SPEAKER_02: Nice.
• 1:08:44
  SPEAKER_05: Cool.
• 1:08:45
  SPEAKER_05: Okay, well, this this episode releases right around like perfect timing.
• 1:08:49
  SPEAKER_05: If anybody's still looking for something to do next year, if you're hoping to take take that gap year, but not like go backpacking, like this might be a great dance gap year where you have like a a kind of more of a purpose structure and help help, you know, determine where you want to go next with your career in life and your dance journey, which is what it sounds like it's all about.
• 1:09:10
  SPEAKER_00: And I just I think that's so smart and so great.
• 1:09:12
  SPEAKER_00: And and thank you so much for coming up with another brilliant idea for our dance industry and for the next generation of these aspiring professionals and dancers that are up and coming.
• 1:09:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's just really, really innovative.
• 1:09:25
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you so much.
• 1:09:25
  SPEAKER_02: You guys were awesome to talk to.
• 1:09:27
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, I'm super excited to hear this um come out as well.
• 1:09:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 1:09:31
  SPEAKER_00: So, how we have all of our guests lead us out on making the impact is just with one final thought that you'd like to share.
• 1:09:38
  SPEAKER_00: It can be about your experiences in the professional world.
• 1:09:41
  SPEAKER_00: It can be talking to parents, dancers, teachers, whoever you'd like to speak to.
• 1:09:46
  SPEAKER_00: One final bit of advice, words of encouragement, anything you'd like from Teddy Forents.
• 1:09:54
  SPEAKER_02: That's that's good.
• 1:09:54
  SPEAKER_00: I need to put you on the spot, sorry.
• 1:09:57
  SPEAKER_02: I always do.
• 1:09:59
  SPEAKER_02: I think I think for me, I would love to leave, you know, passion.
• 1:10:04
  SPEAKER_02: Like passion really is when you have a true passion for something and you can sense you have a true passion for it, go after it with everything you got.
• 1:10:12
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, because it feels so good when you when you achieve your dreams and you get to the place where your passion and your work ethic really combine together.
• 1:10:20
  SPEAKER_02: So anyone out there aspiring, whether it is in dance or uh teaching choreography, whatever it is, just be really passionate and make the decision to follow your passion.
• 1:10:31
  SPEAKER_02: That was like my main thing that my dad always said to me.
• 1:10:33
  SPEAKER_02: He's like, you know, I don't care what you do, just be passionate.
• 1:10:35
  SPEAKER_02: And that I think is super important in anything you do in life, uh, with all your connections and all the people you meet.
• 1:10:41
  SPEAKER_02: Be genuine and be passionate about you know what you really want to do in life.
• 1:10:46
  SPEAKER_00: We hope you've enjoyed tuning in to our latest spotlight feature episode featuring Teddy Florence.
• 1:10:52
  SPEAKER_00: We'd like to send a huge shout out to Teddy for squeezing us into his very busy schedule and sitting down with us on the pod.
• 1:10:58
  SPEAKER_00: Be sure to follow him on social media.
• 1:11:00
  SPEAKER_00: You can find him on Instagram at Teddy Forens.
• 1:11:04
  SPEAKER_00: To learn more about CLI Studios and train with the world's top choreographers in on-demand dance classes right from your home, visit their website at CLI Studios.com.
• 1:11:14
  SPEAKER_00: And if you are a dancer interested in attending the CLI Conservatory, head to their website to learn more on how to audition for their next semester.
• 1:11:21
  SPEAKER_00: The CLI Conservatory is a new pre-professional program to prepare students for the professional world of dance.
• 1:11:27
  SPEAKER_00: You must be 17 years or older to apply.
• 1:11:29
  SPEAKER_00: Auditions are now open on their website.
• 1:11:31
  SPEAKER_00: Follow them on Instagram at CLI Conservatory.
• 1:11:36
  SPEAKER_05: Don't forget to follow Making the Impact on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and pretty much everywhere you listen to podcasts.
• 1:11:43
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• 1:11:50
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• 1:11:58
  SPEAKER_05: Join now at Impact Dance Adjudicators.com/slash Platinum Premium or click the link in the show notes.
• 1:12:04
  SPEAKER_00: Be sure to check out IDA affiliated competition Spirit of Dance Awards.
• 1:12:09
  SPEAKER_00: Spirit of Dance Awards has competition events throughout New England and the Tri-State area.
• 1:12:13
  SPEAKER_00: They are committed to providing a fun, fair, and exciting venue for dancers of all levels to showcase their talent and passion in a positive environment.
• 1:12:21
  SPEAKER_00: At SDA, you will find their judges to be highly qualified and knowledgeable dance professionals, exclusively from the roster of judges at Impact Dance Adjudicators.
• 1:12:29
  SPEAKER_00: At each event, they provide designated studio dressing areas, director and teacher VIP perks, scholarships, choreography awards, cash prizes, and so much more.
• 1:12:38
  SPEAKER_00: For more information about Spirit of Dance Awards 2023 Tour dates and SDA's class experience, head to their website now at spiritofdance awards.com.
• 1:12:46
  SPEAKER_00: We hope to see you at one of their upcoming events.
• 1:12:49
  SPEAKER_05: Thanks for listening to Season 4 of Making the Impact.
• 1:12:52
  SPEAKER_05: Coming up soon, we're bringing you episodes on keeping dance physically safe, transitions, and our next studio spotlight feature.
• 1:13:00
  SPEAKER_00: We hope you're enjoying season four of Making the Impact.
• 1:13:03
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for tuning in week after week.
• 1:13:04
  SPEAKER_00: We'll see you next week.
• 1:13:06
  SPEAKER_00: Until then, keep dancing.