DANCE +

01:13:02

281. DANCE + DANI VITALE

DANCE + ·

2026/09/30

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

en-US

00:18:44

280. DANCE + CONFLICT AND TEAM DYNAMICS

DANCE + ·

2026/09/23

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

en-US

00:18:44

280. DANCE + CONFLICT AND TEAM DYNAMICS

DANCE + ·

2026/09/23

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

en-US

01:04:00

279. DANCE + MAKENZIE & PHILLIP CHBEEB

DANCE + ·

2026/09/16

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

en-US

01:04:00

279. DANCE + MAKENZIE & PHILLIP CHBEEB

DANCE + ·

2026/09/16

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

en-US

01:08:24

278. DANCE + NATHAN KIM

DANCE + ·

2026/09/09

This is DANCE + Nathan Kim The choreographer behind the newest Spider-Man, on how dance found him almost by accident. Nathan Kim didn't grow up dreaming of being a choreographer. His meet-cute with dance happened almost by chance, with an open slot in an Afro Brazilian dance class, and one impossible-to-mark movement across the floor that cracked something open in him. From there, dance became the throughline of a career that's taken him behind the camera

en-US

01:08:24

278. DANCE + NATHAN KIM

DANCE + ·

2026/09/09

This is DANCE + Nathan Kim The choreographer behind the newest Spider-Man, on how dance found him almost by accident. Nathan Kim didn't grow up dreaming of being a choreographer. His meet-cute with dance happened almost by chance, with an open slot in an Afro Brazilian dance class, and one impossible-to-mark movement across the floor that cracked something open in him. From there, dance became the throughline of a career that's taken him behind the camera

en-US

00:34:52

277. DANCE + TEDDY FORANCE

DANCE + ·

2026/08/19

This is DANCE + Teddy Forance Coming to you LIVE-ish from CLI Conservatory, with the guy who built the place he wishes existed when he was 17 and googling "which college has a dance program for me." Teddy Forance didn't set out to become a studio owner. He set out to dance, and he did, big: Madonna, Lady Gaga, Cirque du Soleil, the Oscars stage. But underneath all of it was a gut feeling that never went away. That there wasn't a space built for dancers

en-US

00:34:52

277. DANCE + TEDDY FORANCE

DANCE + ·

2026/08/19

This is DANCE + Teddy Forance Coming to you LIVE-ish from CLI Conservatory, with the guy who built the place he wishes existed when he was 17 and googling "which college has a dance program for me." Teddy Forance didn't set out to become a studio owner. He set out to dance, and he did, big: Madonna, Lady Gaga, Cirque du Soleil, the Oscars stage. But underneath all of it was a gut feeling that never went away. That there wasn't a space built for dancers

en-US

00:16:59

276. DANCE + FANTASY NIGHT

DANCE + ·

2026/08/12

This is DANCE + Fantasy Night Coming to you LIVEish from CLI Conservatory, with a story I NEED to tell you while it’s still fresh in my mind. It's a tribute to my acting teacher Gary Imhoff, whose class taught me that losing can be winning, and that the greatest gift we can give is to support each other in the pursuit of our wildest dreams. We explore: How Gary's class and this once-a-year tradition rewired my relationship to failure and gave me the

en-US

00:16:59

276. DANCE + FANTASY NIGHT

DANCE + ·

2026/08/12

This is DANCE + Fantasy Night Coming to you LIVEish from CLI Conservatory, with a story I NEED to tell you while it’s still fresh in my mind. It's a tribute to my acting teacher Gary Imhoff, whose class taught me that losing can be winning, and that the greatest gift we can give is to support each other in the pursuit of our wildest dreams. We explore: How Gary's class and this once-a-year tradition rewired my relationship to failure and gave me the

en-US

00:32:24

275.5. DANCE + NICK DRAGO

DANCE + ·

2026/08/05

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

en-US

00:32:24

275.5. DANCE + NICK DRAGO

DANCE + ·

2026/08/05

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

en-US

01:04:33

275.DANCE + MARIE SPIELDENNER

DANCE + ·

2026/07/22

Marie Spieldenner is a self-proclaimed “substitue that stays”. She's assisted and/ or danced for todays biggest artists/ directors/ campaigns and she is a brilliant example of how supporting others can fuel support of yourself. We sat down to talk about support systems, psychology, and all about the gig that made her unshakable on set (spoiler, it’s almost certainly not the gig you think it is). We explore: What it took to save a shot with a 40-person

en-US

01:04:33

275.DANCE + MARIE SPIELDENNER

DANCE + ·

2026/07/22

Marie Spieldenner is a self-proclaimed “substitue that stays”. She's assisted and/ or danced for todays biggest artists/ directors/ campaigns and she is a brilliant example of how supporting others can fuel support of yourself. We sat down to talk about support systems, psychology, and all about the gig that made her unshakable on set (spoiler, it’s almost certainly not the gig you think it is). We explore: What it took to save a shot with a 40-person

en-US

00:29:13

274. DANCE + THE SEAWEED SISTERS LIVE Q&A

DANCE + ·

2026/07/15

This is DANCE + WEED OH NO! The live Q&A Most companies build a show. The Seaweed Sisters built a whole world — a language, a color-coded family, a cloud that pops out babies — and then invited an audience into their room to ask about it. Jillian Meyers, Megan Lawson and myself were joined by our Executive Producer, live at the LA Theater Center on the closing weekend of Weed Oh No! for an open Q&A with the very audience that just watched them do

en-US

01:12:41

273. DANCE + ALAIN HURRIKANE

DANCE + ·

2026/07/08

This is DANCE + Hurrikane Most dancers battle to win. Alain aka “Hurrikane” Lauture battles because he is in love— deeply in love— with the music, with dance, and with the practice of acceptance. Listen in on his journey from being a kid from Port-au-Prince who only danced alone, to sharing stages with Madonna, MTV, Samsung, and winning battles like Juste Debout, Hip Hop Internationals, and Summer Dance Forever. Hurrikane joined me this week to talk about

en-US

00:53:49

272. DANCE + DANIEL “CLOUD” CAMPOS: Breathing Life...

DANCE + ·

2026/07/01

This is DANCE + DANIEL “CLOUD” CAMPOS Most people find one creative medium and stay. Cloud Campos found dance — then learned stop-motion, animation, PLUS directing because he refused to let a story outrun his tools. He joined me this week to talk about premiering unreleased work at CLOUDFEST, real budgets, and the dog slide that had an entire room convinced it was rotoscoped. Spoiler: it wasn't. It was muscle memory. We explore: The festival Cloud built

en-US

00:24:45

271. DANCE + REBRANDING: Know When to Pivot

DANCE + ·

2026/06/24

This is DANCE + REBRANDING. This episode is a masterclass in when and HOW to pivot using our very own podcast as the case study. I'm telling you why, why NOW, and HOW I moved from “Words That Move Me” to DANCE + Here’s what you can expect from our pivot: Same great content, new name, logo, iconography, and then some! Spoiler: Rebrands are as much MIND MANAGEMENT as they are BRAND MANAGEMENT. Pivots aren’t just about new directions; they are an exercise

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00:58:44

270. Bret Easterling: In J.O.D. We Trust

DANCE + ·

2026/06/10

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

en-US

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