Sophie-Kate Tutokey is in high school, busy with dancing in the competition world. But she also takes class at Millennium and Athletic Garage when she can, focusing on contemporary and jazz funk. She also LOVES ballet and has participated in the Joffrey West Summer Intensive! Sophie-Kate has been dancing her whole life but decided to train more professionally with it a few years ago. She takes 10+ classes a week at Revolution Dance Center and enjoys competing and performing with them. She's done group dances and trios, but this season will be her first time competing with a solo, and we are so excited for her! Did you know that you can actually go to dance competitions just to watch? Hopefully I'll get to see SK perform in this way at some point, but for now it's fun to dance with her in class and cheer each other on. She also has experience singing as well as teaching dance to little ones, so it will be interesting to see how her dance and performing journey unfolds.
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@sk_dances
@DanceJourneyPodcast
@TracyinLA
Kelly Etter had a 20-year professional dance career, including performing as a Rockette in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular! She has such an interesting story of what got her started in dance in the first place, but she quickly fell in love with it and was training hard in ballet and all styles. She also was highly academic and wanted to be a doctor. Kelly was always able to work hard at her school subjects as well as dance, but it was a different experience when she went to college for premed and was trying to dance and work a job around that. So she eventually decided to fully pursue dance while also training in acting and singing. Kelly shares her audition and performing experiences as well as what led her to eventually transition from dance into teaching pilates. She also shares about some tough experiences she's gone through and what has helped her continue to thrive.Follow our dance and life journeys on Instagram:
@betterwithkellyetter
@DanceJourneyPodcast
@TracyinLA
Jacob Bowers loved dancing his whole life but didn't realize how extreme his passion was until at 14, he stumbled upon Sia's Chandelier music video, and he was mesmerized. He just had to dance like that! He then got his whole family to start watching Dance Moms, and he learned many of the solos and taught himself acro tricks in his living room! He moved to LA at 19 and was taking fifteen hours of ballet a week. He got signed by an agency right away and began teaching acrobatics and contemporary at various studios, as well as performing! But even with this success, Jacob felt apprehensive to take class at some of the bigger dance studios because he thought he needed even more formal training first. Cut to a few months ago, and he's been taking contemporary classes regularly at Millennium and feeling so encouraged by the teachers and community there. Jacob plans to continue training and choreographing, and he's looking forward to future opportunities to perform and work with other creatives.Follow our dance journeys on Instagram:@Jacob.Bowers
@DanceJourneyPodcast
@TracyinLA
Celine Chai began her dance journey in Indonesia and different parts of China. Then she came to LA where she got two degrees at Loyola Marymount University–Dance and Marketing. Then she went back to Malaysia where she was born (but had never really lived) and spent three years there while traveling, teaching dance, and working remotely for the marketing agency she owns. Now she's back in LA and enjoying her first season dancing with LA Unbound! She loves ballet and modern dance, and much of her experience in Asia was performing and choreographing concert pieces that were 20+ minutes long! In this episode, Celine compares the dance training she grew up with versus the training here in LA. Tune in to learn more, and find out why Celine is soaking up as much dance experience as she can while she's here.
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@celinec_xx
@DanceJourneyPodcast
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Lindsey Dean is fresh to LA as of a few months ago, and I'm so grateful to call her my friend! We met in a contemporary class at Millennium, and now we take regular classes together every week where we are growing from amazing teachers like Sam Nelson and Shelby Fletcher. Lindsey also trains hard in jazz funk with Mary Mason, and she is KILL-ING IT! Lindsey actually spent two months in LA about a year ago to do the Millennium Certificate Program. She lived in a house with other dancers, and they all took ten classes a week! Lindsey reminisces on that time when the only thing she had to think about was, "What classes am I gonna take today?" Now that she's living here, she has to think about work, money, balancing her schedule, and other responsibilities, along with being consistent in all her dance classes. Tune in to the full episode to find out how Lindsey is making it work and what it's like to be new to LA, pursuing dance!
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@lindsey.dean15
@DanceJourneyPodcast
@TracyinLA
Sanna was the very first person from LA Unbound dance company to reach out and get to know me when I was new last season, and she made me feel so welcomed! She is one of the kindest souls and also very hard working and disciplined. Sanna grew up in San Francisco. Her family is from Ukraine, and she was the first of them to be born in America. They quickly connected with the Russian-speaking, Jewish community at the San Francisco Jewish Community Center, and that is where Sanna first learned to dance! It was mostly Russian folk and Israeli dance, but she started training in jazz and hip hop once she was in middle school. She then started taking classes at other studios, learned ballet, and joined her high school dance team that had a more modern focus. Her interest in musical theater developed in college where she helped choreograph and produce musicals. She loves performing dance, especially fosse style, and it's her dream to be in a production of Chicago. So if you know of any auditions coming up, please reach out! Tune in to this episode to hear more about Sanna's journey pursuing dance as an adult and all the feelings and thoughts that go with it.
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@Sanna_Rafalovich
@DanceJourneyPodcast
@TracyinLA
You've probably seen him dancing in hip hop classes at Millennium and Athletic Garage, or maybe you knew him in his ballroom stage, but now it's time to get to know Eric Huang's full dance story! Eric didn't get into dance until after college, and the main thing that drew him in was the community aspect. He's especially grateful to have started training in dance before the pandemic because it gave him something to focus on and a way to connect with others, as it did for so many of us during that time. Learn how it's been for Eric to step out of his comfort zone with new styles of dance and how he's been enjoying LA since moving here less than a year ago!Follow our dance journeys on Instagram: @dancing_ericc@DanceJourneyPodcast@TracyinLA
I met Danielle through LA Unbound, and I was in awe of her dancing and dance teaching abilities! She didn't choreograph for that season's show, but she is for this upcoming one in November, and we are all so excited! Danielle loves dancing and has many years of performing experience, ever since middle school when she started competing on her school's dance team. She studied dance in college and then became part of a dance company called Evoke, where they put on annual shows, and she was often in multiple contemporary pieces as well as hip hop! For most of Danielle's adult life, she did dance around her elementary school teaching career. But she recently resigned from it and spends much of her time focusing on dance class, LA Unbound, and other dance performances. She is currently in a season of exploration to figure out what's next for her in life, and we are loving that she has more time to dance and hang out! Danielle is one of the kindest people and also just so much fun to be around, and we can't wait to see where life takes her.
Follow our dance journeys on Instagram:
@daniella_wella
@DanceJourneyPodcast
@TracyinLA
Crazy story–I actually met Caroline at church and then found out she used to be a professional dancer! It's also a funny story how I discovered this because she's so low-key about it, lol. She's not one to brag or try to draw attention to herself, but she did used to curate her Instagram when she was pursuing dance so that she could book those jobs! So scroll down a bit on her IG and check it out if you're interested. :) She was on "So You Think You Can Dance" and danced in music videos for artists like Saweetie and Olivia Rodrigo. She was booking TV jobs. She also has some really fun dance class vids, killing it in hip hop and contemporary. BUT! She retired from dance????? At 22???? Why???? Well, you'll have to check out the full episode to learn about that. She also gives good tips and advice for how to book jobs in the dance world (or at least how it worked for her), while also sharing candidly about what it was like for her to live that "dream" and why she felt like it was no longer her path. Learn how she found a new career direction and whether or not she thinks she'll ever return to dance.
Follow our dance and life journeys on Instagram:
@carolineghd
@DanceJourneyPodcast
@TracyinLA
She just moved to LA a couple months ago, but you may already know her because she takes so much class and is such a fierce dancer, especially in hip hop and contemporary! Willow Beccia grew up dancing in Massachusetts among her family of dancers, doing all styles and competing. Also, her mom owns a studio, so she ended up teaching there full time and loving it! She became the assistant director and thought she might work there forever. But then she started to realize she had sort of lost sight of her own dancing and dance training. She felt compelled to push herself out of her comfort zone and move to LA to train hard for dancing professionally. So here she is, loving studios like Millennium and Playground LA and enjoying the warm, sunny weather. She is working hard to attain her goals and having faith they can happen, but in the meantime, she's enjoying the journey and just happy to be here. :)
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@MyDancingMoments
@DanceJourneyPodcast
@TracyinLA
You've met a lot of her friends already, but now it's time to get to know dancer/teacher/choreographer Yari Rivera! Yari has been dancing all her life–every style but with much focus on ballet and currently contemporary. We would describe her choreographic style as angsty floorwork contemporary with lyrical vibes, and it is GORGEOUS. She has created multiple pieces for dance company LA Unbound, and she considers this a vulnerable process as she puts a meaningful part of her heart on stage. Tracy describes taking Yari's class as a challenging and fulfilling experience. They also discuss Yari's LA Unbound dance from May, which was a tribute to her grandmother and uncle who passed away in recent years. It was beautiful and touching, and we are so excited to see what she'll bring to the stage this November!
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@LeorizRivera
@DanceJourneyPodcast
@TracyinLA
This week we have the amazing hip hop performer, teacher, choreographer, artistic director... Aukai Cain!! You may know Aukai for his 20+ years teaching hip hop at Athletic Garage or for his dance company Legacy VDC, but did you know he started out as a singer and performed in a boy band??!! This was his full-time job for many years, but then he got into musical theater, and then through a series of events, found himself becoming a professional dancer. He didn't start taking hip hop classes until 31 years old, but check out the full episode to learn what led him to pursue dance and how he achieved a successful career in it. Aukai discusses his own dance story as well as his passion for helping other dancers achieve their goals. Whether it be professionally, fitness-wise, or just to have fun and be challenged, Aukai enjoys reaching everyone where they're at and inspiring them to love dance as much as he does.
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@HouseofAukai
@DanceJourneyPodcast
@TracyinLA
I met Kaycee Tacata through LA Unbound. It was my first season performing with them and her second. We were in a contemporary piece together, but she was also in five other pieces! This girl can do it all–contemporary, jazz, jazz funk, cheer and pom, musical theater, you name it! So talented not only at dance but also in organizing and administration. She was the PCN (Pilipino Cultural Night) coordinator her last year of college, and she loved being able to put that dance show together. She also teaches dance and choreographs for competitions. She's starting grad school soon and plans to go into entertainment industry management, but she's also auditioning for pro cheer teams! Kaycee is driven and hard working, ready to give 100% to everything. She's equally inspiring as she is vulnerable and relatable. We have so much fun in this episode, and I hope it gives you joy and comfort for your own dance journey!
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@KayceeCamilleee
@DanceJourneyPodcast
@TracyinLA
Christina Wampler is a beautiful dancer. She grew up loving dance, training in dance, and even teaching dance by age 14! She taught mostly ballet and acrobatics, and that definitely shows in the type of choreography she creates today. I met Christina because she started a Christian contemporary class called The Way Dance Company that meets once a month and learns a dance to a worship song. This has been a wonderful experience. Her class is so peaceful and inviting, but then she throws in a crazy turn or floor work move, and the challenge begins! I have loved getting to know Christina and learning from her, so it was extra fun to learn way more about her story on this episode! Like I didn't realize she moved to LA as a child to do acting with her older brother and sister. And get this, she was on two of my favorite TV shows!! Whaaaaat. Such a fun conversation about that, but she hasn't been focusing on acting lately because she mostly feels called to teach dance and work with kids. She teaches preschool and kindergarten, as well as high school students, so she has the full spectrum! Tune in to learn all the details of Christina's dance journey and what her ultimate vision is for dance performance.
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@CricketWampler
@DanceJourneyPodcast
@TracyinLA
Makia Chantel has an amazing dance story, and I can't wait for you all to hear it! Makia and I first saw each other at a free Christian hip hop class put on by non-profit organization Dancing Disciples. Shortly after that class, I ended up dancing in the piece she created for her church's Easter service, which was so fun and crazy! But Makia wasn't always dancing for Jesus. She used to dance for many big artists–in music videos, at the Grammy's, in commercials, and touring! In terms of her dreams and what she had worked so hard for since childhood, she had made it. She had everything she wanted. She looked shiny and successful on the outside, but inside she was dealing with insecurities, health issues, and depression. She was partying and doing things she never thought she would do, but she was so far deep in destructive habits and lying, she didn't know how she could ever get free. But then, one day, a friend talked to her about God, and this started a long and winding journey of her exploring this new idea. Makia had so many questions. Is God even real? Is it a he / she / force / energy? Is the Bible true? Who is Jesus? What's the deal with Christians? Follow along as Makia takes us through her adventure of navigating God, life, and her dance career. There are so many wild stories, you won't want to miss it!
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@hi5_makia
@DanceJourneyPodcast
@TracyinLA
I'm so excited for you all to meet Zoe Ortiz! She's only 15, moved to LA about a year ago, and has already booked dance and acting jobs. She takes multiple classes a day, mostly at Millennium and Playground, and she is loving the training here. (Good thing, because she actually convinced her parents to move here from Texas through a PowerPoint presentation and months of persuasion, lol.) I noticed Zoe so quickly because of her amazing talents, humble spirit, and kind heart. She also works so hard, as you'll hear more about in this episode. And you would never believe some of the challenges she's had to face, because nothing is deterring her from being the best dancer she can be and achieving her goals.
Follow our dance journeys on Instagram:
@zoe.g.ortiz
@DanceJourneyPodcast
@TracyinLA
He dances, he acts, he sings, but you probably know him best for his creative and unique choreography... it's Paul Sivertsen everyone! (pronounced SEE-vert-sen) Paul moved to LA in 2009 to pursue his performing dreams and plans to continue forever! He loves to create and has now choreographed about 20 shows for LA Unbound, from country musical theater to Mortal Kombat theme to his most recent piece "Jurassic Creep," which had people and dinosaurs dancing together to TLC, and the audience ate it up! So much fun and hilariousness, as with all his pieces. I was actually a dinosaur in that one, so tune in to hear all about our experience and how it came together. Paul and I also connect on how we moved to LA the same year and what it's been like trying to live our artistic dreams while also surviving here and paying the bills!
Follow our dance journeys on Instagram:
@silverjolt
@DanceJourneyPodcast
@TracyinLA
You would never believe that Michelle Shvedov started her dance journey last year because she is flying! She did spend 10+ years of her life doing rhythmic gymnastics where she also learned dance, but it wasn't until this past October that she started taking studio dance classes regularly. Her gymnastics skills shine in contemporary class, and her ability to give 100% effort to everything she does has helped her grow in dance quickly. She's starting to get called out in small groups and solos and is enjoying every bit of it because she loves performing! She also loves ANIMALS and will be leaving LA in the fall to go to grad school to be a veterinarian. Could be Ohio, could be London... but wherever it is, she will find a way to keep dance a part of her life. Check out the full episode, and get to know Michelle while she's still in LA this summer!
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@MichelleShvedov
@DanceJourneyPodcast
@TracyinLA
Giorgia Bertolotti moved here from Italy about six months ago, and it was so fun to chat with her about her dance experience in LA so far! She grew up doing ballet, lyrical, and contemporary, and her first ever class here was Shelby Fletcher's contemporary class at Millennium! She had no idea what she was getting herself into with all the floor work, flips, and thrashing movements, but she ended up loving it and going consistently ever since! She also started taking hip hop from Kayla Janssen, joined Kore Dance Academy, and has even performed multiple times already! Tune in to hear how she does it all around her job as a nanny and about why she loves dancing in LA so much!
Follow our dance journeys on Instagram:
@giorgia.bertolotti1
@DanceJourneyPodcast
@TracyinLA
You've probably seen him around at one of the many classes he takes at Millennium, but now it's time to get to know Kam Feiz! Kam grew up playing soccer and wrestling, but he discovered dance as an adult and quickly got hooked. In college, after only taking two dance classes ever, he auditioned for a show and ended up performing in a Latin dance piece, and he loved it! Now, years later, he's training everyday, mostly in contemporary, but also hip hop, jazz, and others. And he's taking more advanced classes because he enjoys learning and growing so much. And speaking of learning, he's also a fourth grade teacher and in the middle of editing his first novel! How does he have time to do all this? Well, you'll find out when you watch his Dance Journey podcast episode. Hope you like it, and small warning: you will have no excuse to not pursue your dreams after watching this one. :)
Follow our dance journeys on Instagram:
@KamFeiz
@DanceJourneyPodcast
@TracyinLA