MOVERS & SHAPERS: A DANCE PODCAST

The Dancer’s Entrepreneurial Leap with Danielle Guillermo

Episode 190: Show Notes

A dancer’s career is often shorter than many others, and for the most part, there comes a time when the performer must pivot and find other ways to find value and joy in their craft. Joining us today is Danielle Guillermo, a former dancer turned dance consultant, as well as brand strategist and web designer. We begin with Danielle’s background and how she got into the world of dance before learning how her home and school support structures gave her the confidence needed to excel in performance. Then, we examine how her career goals have evolved since high school, how being rejected from Juilliard was a blessing in disguise, her role at the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, and other early-career experiences, and everything that happened to instigate the second phase of her career. We also discover how Danielle began building websites, her journey as a brand strategist, why she chose the teaching route, and why it’s possible (and healthy) for artists to have financial aspirations without compromising their art. To end, Danielle walks us through Dance News Daily — the news hub she built for the entire dance community — and we discover what she has planned for the near future as well as how to connect with her and her work.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Danielle Guillermo describes who she is and how she got into the world of dance.
• What drew her to ballet, and a journey through her time at dance school.
• How her support structures gave her confidence that she previously had to fake. 
• The goals she had when growing up in dance school and how they’ve evolved.
• Rejected from Juilliard: The ups and downs of her dancing education after high school.    
• The start of her career and her experience at Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. 
• Her European adventure, and everything that happened post-DCDC 2. 
• How Danielle’s performance career ended and why she chose to focus full-time on teaching. 
• Breaking Glass: How she approached a career crossroads at the age of 31. 
• How artists can also have aspirations of financial freedom without compromising their art.
• Danielle’s website-building career and how it’s transformed her and her client’s lives.  
• The importance of building a personal brand and making it visible to the right people.  
• Unpacking Dance News Daily – a news hub for the entire dance community. 
• Danielle’s upcoming projects and what she’s focused on moving forward.  
• How to connect with Danielle Guillermo and her work.

ABOUT Danielle

A Life in Dance with Amber Sloan

Episode 189: Show Notes.

Amber Sloan’s life in dance has unfolded through curiosity, community, and constant reinvention. Growing up in Virginia, her early exposure to improvisation and composition in high school sparked not just a love of movement but a way of thinking that would shape her future. Her time at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign deepened that foundation and connected her with the people and places that helped her put down artistic roots. From piecing together income through unexpected jobs, including one for Harvey Keitel’s wife, to choreographing for the Joyce SoHo and seeking to scale her work in the years leading up to the pandemic, Amber has never shied away from the uncomfortable or the uncertain. She’s navigated performance anxiety, surgery and recovery, and the challenge of being involved in many facets of the dance world, from performing with David Parker to presenting work through platforms like Women in Motion. Today, with recent pieces like her show at Kestrels (set to return next year), she continues to build a career that defies the assumptions people often make about a life in dance. At the heart of it all is a simple, lasting dream: to keep exploring alongside the dancers who move her work forward. Thanks for listening.

Key Points From This Episode:

• Amber Sloan’s upbringing in Virginia and her introduction to dance. 
• How early experiences of improv and composition in high school shaped her career.
• Continuing her dance journey at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
• How the connections she made while studying helped her develop roots in dance.
• Working various jobs to pay the bills, including a role for Harvey Keitel’s wife.
• Choreographing for the Joyce SoHo. 
• Making an effort to do her work in a bigger way pre-pandemic. 
• Navigating performance anxiety and doing what is uncomfortable. 
• Being involved in many different areas of dance. 
• How a 2015 surgery and recovery impacted Amber’s career. 
• Dancing for David Parker: rehearsals, footwork, and more. 
• Amber’s presenting work, including Women in Motion and more. 
• Recent work including a show at Kestrels which will show again next year. 
• Why a life in dance is often not what you might expect. 
• Her ultimate dream for her work: to keep exploring with her dancers.

ABOUT Amber

Attuning to the Beauty of Passion with Sara Veale

Episode 188: Show Notes

The incredible beauty of passion lies in the relentless dedication of one’s entire being, a force that radiates outward to inspire and elevate others. Today on the Movers & Shapers podcast, Erin is joined by author and dance critic Sara Veale. A North Carolina native, dancer turned dance writer, currently living in London, UK. Tune into the conversation as they dance into what inspired Sara into a lifelong journey in dance, how dance became an integral part of her identity, and what sparked her journey to shift into one that centers around her writing. They discuss her transition from the US to London, UK, the differences in the dance world, and she unpacks the responsibility of writing dance reviews and why she ultimately finds the Stars system to be fundamentally flawed. They then dive into an in-depth discussion on her book, Wild Grace: The Untamed Women of Modern Dance, breaking down what inspired the writing, how she approached the structure of the book, incorporating advice from her editor, delving deeply into the research, and the timeline from beginning to end. She shares how the book ultimately led her to a new attuning of the very beauty of passion itself! Be sure not to miss out on all this, and as always, much more. Thanks for listening, enjoy!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Sara reveals how a two-year-old girl’s fascination with movement blossomed into a lifelong journey in dance.
• Sara explains what about dance made it such an integral part of her identity.
• The journey of her writing career.
• How her future was shaping up during her time at college.
• Sara unpacks how she got into writing as a dance critic. 
• We discuss her transition from the US to London, UK, and how it shaped her dance writing.
• Finding her voice in the dance critic world.
• Why you’ve got to be reading when you want to be writing, according to Sara.
• The responsibility behind writing dance reviews. 
• She shares why she believes the idea of the Stars system, when writing reviews, is fundamentally flawed. 
• We delve into a discussion on her book, Wild Grace: The Untamed Women of Modern Dance.
• How she approached the structure of her book, finding the women, taking advice from her editor, and making tough decisions.
• Sara explains the research journey she undertook for her book and the women she writes about.
• She breaks down the timeline from the beginning to the end of getting her book published.
• How writing her book had a profound personal impact, attuning her to the very beauty of passion itself.
• Sara talks about the creation of the book’s abstract cover.
• What Sara has planned next: books, sabbaticals, and connecting with her family. 
• We talk about the shortage of non-academic, or mainstream, dance writing.

ABOUT Sara

Lessons from 10 Years of Dance Conversations with Erin Carlisle Norton

Episode 186: Show Notes

What does it take to lead a forward-thinking, boundary-pushing dance company in today’s ever-changing artistic landscape? After a decade of hosting Movers & Shapers and nearly 200 interviews, Erin Carlisle Norton, Artistic Director of The Moving Architects (TMA), steps into the guest seat for a special 10th-anniversary episode. In conversation with Megan Mizanty, Lead Editor of thINKingDANCE, Erin reflects on the podcast’s evolution, the inspiration behind it, and the guests and stories that have profoundly shaped her perspective. They explore the intersection of dance and community engagement, the role of adaptability and resilience in the arts, and how collaboration fuels creative growth. Erin also shares her dream interview guest, the unexpected insights and connections that have emerged from the podcast, and how these conversations have deepened her understanding of what it means to build a meaningful life in dance. Tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at the artistry, strategy, and vision that drive Movers & Shapers (and TMA) forward!

Key Points From This Episode:

• An introduction to Erin and the story behind Movers & Shapers.
• Insight into how the podcast has evolved over the past decade.
• Memorable moments and some of Erin’s favorite guest interviews.
• The biggest lessons Erin has learned from nearly 200 interviews.
• Ways that the podcast has influenced Erin’s work and artistic vision
• The importance of adaptability, resourcefulness, and resilience in the arts.
• Exploring the intersection of dance, community engagement, and storytelling.
• Reflections on recurring themes, shifting dance landscapes, and industry trends.
• Unexpected connections and insights that have emerged from hosting the podcast.
• Podcast hosts who have influenced Erin’s approach to storytelling.
• The modern dance icon Erin dreams of interviewing and why.
• What it means to build a rich life in dance and Erin’s advice for emerging artists.

ABOUT Erin