MSP 190: Danielle Guillermo

PODCAST 190: Danielle Guillermo

Release Date: 12.4.25

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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.

Additional Notes about Danielle’s first dance jog:

“In my first company position, I was paid $283 per week in NYC. I was fortunate to find an apartment for $300/ month with a roommate. It was 2002, and it was a miracle to find such a deal in Manhattan. Everything was tight but with $25/week from my parents and a nice social network, my needs both physical and social were met. I never felt trapped at home unable to have fun. We also did a bit of touring and had our expenses and per diem covered.” Read more on her BLOG

ABOUT Danielle

Danielle Smith Guillermo has been involved in professional dance for over 20 years. A featured educator-turned-entrepreneur in Dance Teacher Magazine, Danielle is recognized for helping dance business owners elevate their marketing and management strategies. Prior to her career pivot, Danielle was an Adjunct Instructor of Dance at Messiah University and Director of the Messiah Summer Dance Intensive. She has also been on faculty at Pennsylvania Regional Ballet (PRB), Hershey School of Dance, and the school of Dayton Contemporary Dance Co. Her choreography has been shown at Symphony Space (NYC), Messiah University, Regional Dance America, and events nationally and abroad. She was awarded the Monticello Award and Josephine Schwarz Award for choreography and selected for the inaugural Breaking Glass Emerging Female Choreographer’s Project. One of her most meaningful projects is The Ugly Duckling, a modern-ballet, adapted story, and residency with an original score by the late James Casey, created to address bullying in elementary-aged children. This outreach project was performed by and grant-funded through PRB, making an impact on over 2000 students. As a dancer, Danielle has been a member of Avodah Dance Ensemble, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company II, and was a featured performer, dance captain, and choreographer at Sight & Sound Theatre. Most recently, Danielle launched DanceNewsDaily.com, a leading platform and daily newsletter delivering the latest dance news. She continues to provide web design services and resources for dance at DanielleGuillermo.com.