Sandy welcomes career dancer, talent scout and choreographer Rick Tjia to discuss his notable life as a dance professional. From performing with various Ballet companies, to a company member in LaLaLa Human Steps to a Dance Specialty Talent Scout for Cirque de Soleil to developing online dance & choreography resources Rick has run the gamut of what a dancer can find to embark on as a full and exciting career.
Sandy speaks with dance artist and choreographer Sean Smith about the keys to sustaining a career in dance—about being malleable, disciplined, professional and tenacious.
Sean has had a robust experience in numerous dance schools and companies and has continued to be sought after as a performer and choreographer.
Sandy chats today with Kirsten Wicklund, Director of Ballet Edmonton about life in a professional dance company. Kirsten is a lifelong dance artist and her years of training span numerous renowned dance training programs including Pacific Dance Arts, The Goh Ballet, The Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Modus Operandi to name a few and her professional career has had her involved with the Washington Ballet, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen and Ballet BC as a performer and often as a choreographer. At Ballet Edmonton, she looks forward to: “fostering a culture of dance excellence, exploration, and dedication to amplifying diverse voices across Canada and internationally.”
Sandy chats with Menina Fortunato, dance business mentor and podcaster. Menina has been 3 decades in the dance industry involving herself on stage, in front of the camera and behind the scenes on numerous notable productions, tv shows and films—having collaborated with such artists as Brittany Spears, Beyoncé, Pink, Earth, Wind & Fire and many more. She is the mother of 3 and founder of “The Business of Dance.
Over the past month our team has been in contact with our online community & have collected audio recordings from former students, teachers & friends to share with Sandy during this special episode. During this episode Sandy will be answering and asking questions for our listeners so stay tuned until the end.
Sandy chats today with a group of young dancers who are part of a pre-professional dance training program. They’re going to touch on the many opportunities and diverse dance journeys that are available to them and how they are approaching the idea of dance as a career.
Today Sandy chats with a whole family of artists - Linda Arkelian, David & Joylyn Secunda. Linda is involved in Ballet, Contemporary/Modern, Acting/Musical Theatre, David is a Writer|Visual Artist|Theatre Director, and Joylyn is an actor, dancer, mime, and puppeteer. They talk about sustaining life in the arts and how their collaborative work as a family has brought a wealth of creative synergy and unique productions and opportunities.
Sandy chats today with emerging dance artist, Kaitlin Cheung. Kaitlin is a contemporary dance artist who is currently a member of Ballet BC Annex. Kaitlin gives us some insights into the journey of establishing a career in dance. She is a recent graduate from the Modus Operandi Training Program and has worked with many notable choreographers.
Sandy chats today with physiotherapist, Erika Mayall, who has a special interest in dance medicine and science. As a former elite dancer, Erika’s passion lies in treating dancers and other performing artists. She has a keen interest in not only treating injuries, but also in injury prevention and maximizing performance potential in dancers. They will be talking about how to develop a healthier, more supportive dance culture in our studios, specifically addressing the dilemma of overuse injury and the need for good periods of rest and recovery. Erika has completed specialized training in the field of dance medicine in Australia, Canada and the United States, and has studied with leaders in the field. Erika is an active member of the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) and Healthy Dancer Canada (HDC).
Sandy Chats today with Shine Dance Festival Director, Tamara Thompson Levi. Tamara is a lifetime dance artist with a background in television, commercials and music videos as well as being a dance mentor, who leads programs that bridge communities and empower dancers, educators and business owners. She is deeply committed to promoting a wellness-centred approach to dance culture, has a Youth Protection Advocates in Dance certification and seeks to create a more holistic environment for dancers.
Co-hosts Sandy and Danielle chat about the highlights of this season and add some of their own commentary on things that matter to them. Danielle Harvey is a seasoned dancer, choreographer and performer who now also enjoys being a mom. Sandy Rosen is a studio owner, dance mentor and choreography coach who owns and runs Bez Arts Hub.
Sandy and Danielle chat with Sherrie Scherger about choreography, inspiration and adjudication. Foundationally trained in RAD Ballet, Jazz and Tap, Sherrie was further educated in Dance/Music history, anatomy, kinesiology at Grant MacEwan. She has been an educator for 35yrs and adjudicator for over 20yrs. As a professional she has been principal dancer with various companies, is an international choreographer and instructor with numerous others and has worked on many film projects as choreographer and movement coach, winning numerous distinguished awards for her creative choreography. Her motto,“ASPIRE TO INSPIRE”
Sandy and Danielle chat with Amelie Lavoie about the pleasure of getting people dancing and the joys and challenges of studio ownership. Amelie has carved out a dynamic professional dance career placing her in high demand within the entertainment industry, performing in various professional shows and teaching workshops. Amelie just can’t get enough of dance, so when she can’t perform or take a class she’s sharing her passion and exercising her creativity in choreography by teaching it! She now owns her own studio and aspires to pass on everything that has stuck with her over her years of training and believes there is always room to grow in dance which is what makes it so interesting.
Sandy and Danielle interview accomplished dance artist, Kate Franklin. Kate has spent this time training, performing, producing, administrating, educating and creating. She has performed in works by nearly 50 different choreographers/creators/directors over the course of her career so far. Kate is now, as she was 20 years ago, a passionate, open-minded, optimistic and curious dance artist. She loves improvisation, collaboration, making dance education more joyful, and empowering the dance artists in her community, one interaction at a time.
Sandy and Danielle chat with emerging artist, Tessa Davies to talk about the process of choosing and training in dance for a sustainable career. Tessa is a pre-professional dance artist and dance instructor who has set her sites on a career in dance. She trained in dance through her elementary and then high school years and now is about to complete a 4 year post-secondary dance training program (Bez Dance Mentorship). Tessa is the process of launching her first full-length dance production called ReFrame at the Waterfront Theatre in Vancouver.
Sandy and Danielle chat with veteran dance artist Carla Catherwood about building a healthy, holistic life as a mover. Carla Catherwood’s career has spanned almost three decades as a movement teacher, creator and facilitator, and 20 years building businesses as an entrepreneur. As she says she has “woven a unique path one step at a time.” In 2020, when the world shifted, she knew it was time to explore new modalities and opportunities, specifically with regard to the body and regulating the nervous system.
Sandy and Dannielle chat with Ashley Sweett about dance and motherhood and the ever-changing role that balances between the two. Ashley is a dance artist who has collected 20 years of experience working locally and has had a broad and immersive experience in a variety of opportunities from film to stages to television to interdisciplinary work, making her mark amongst notable artists as perfomer, producer, dance director and more. Most recently, Ashley has stepped into a forever role as a mom which is her favourite job and proudest creation.
Sandy and Danielle Harvey chat with Danielle Jeal about getting dancers and instructors organized and inspiring confidence in the classroom. Danielle Jeal is a dance artist, instructor, and writer from Vancouver, BC. Over the past twelve years Danielle has followed her passion, teaching, choreographing, and reviewing screen dance across the lower mainland. She created Exult Dance as a movement storytelling dance company in 2012—since then Exult has evolved into a home for dance instructor resources.
Sandy and Danielle chat with veteran dancer, teacher, choreographer, performer, Suzanne Ouelette about the evolution of dance and the dance community/industry. Originally from Vancouver, Canada Suzanne is well-known in the Canadian Dance and Theatre community, having performed on stage and screen as an actor, dancer and singer for over 40 years. She is a master ballet teacher, a stretch and body conditioner for dancers and actors, as well as an established choreographer.
Rachelle is a career dancer who spent years in Dance Academies, on cruise ships, in dance companies and as a dance instructor, but chronic pain began to force her to delve into other territories of creativity, specifically visual art - initially it became a way to cope with the dance void in her life, but it gradually became a “obsession”. Since 2010, she has made it her goal to create art every day - she is a firm believer that if you show up everyday to put in the work it will pay off. Art is a practice and a skill as well as a healing form of therapy that has enriched Rachelle’s life