Dance Muse Podcast: Recent Episodes
Dance Muse
Dancers empowering dancers and non-dancers alike to break their limits! At Dance Muse we share YOUR stories to inspire others.
Lee Gumbs believes you should just go for it when it comes to chasing down your big dreams. And he has certainly followed his own advice. As one of the most sought-after Los Angeles based photographers in the dance industry today, Lee shares how he went from being self-taught to having a wildly successful career, and how his background in dance greatly influences his creative work. Tune in to hear all about his experiences falling in love with dance and photography before touring professionally with Bad Boys of Ballet. We also chat about overcoming challenges that are uniquely present for boys in dance, and tips on why it is totally worth it to go all in when following your creative endeavors.
Every once in a while we are fortunate enough to cross paths with someone who helps shape our future or inspires our thinking in a way that is life changing. For Nardia Boodoo of The Washington Ballet, that person was Arthur Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell invited her to her first ballet intensive at the Dance Theater of Harlem, and has helped shape so many dancers by changing the way people think about who gets to do ballet. In this episode, Nardia shares her inspirational story about becoming the professional dancer, model, and college student that she is today, and her thoughts on what is happening now to make the world of ballet more equitable for all dancers.
Elina Miettinen believes, "It's never too late to start a new dream." After spending a decade dancing professionally with the world-renowned American Ballet Theatre, Elina uncovered a love for acting and film at perhaps just the right time. In this episode, Elina shares her story of moving to the United States, her professional dance career, and what it has been like transitioning from full-time dancing to a multi-faceted career that spans the worlds of dance, acting, film, and modeling. Elina also launched a brand new business this year, Ballet Body Today. Tune in to be inspired by Elina's creative spirit and remember why a new dream is always within reach.
Cami Voorhees is an incredibly accomplished competitive dancer who was selected as Best Dancer at the Dance Awards in 2018. What might surprise you as you watch Cami own the dance floor with mesmerizing fluidity and strength is that she was actually born with a disability that caused overly turned-in legs and prevented her from walking correctly in her youth. When doctors suggested ballet class as a way to overcome her physical challenges, she began dancing and it has since flourished into the love of her life.
In this episode, Cami shares with us what it's like to learn from some of the top choreographers in the industry, how dance has helped shape who she is today, and the big dreams she has to dance professionally abroad and travel the world.
How do we bring more body positivity and body kindness to dance? In this second of a two-part series, Colleen Werner talks about these ideas, and shares tips and resources for anyone dealing with body image issues in their life today.
Colleen Werner is a ballet dancer, writer, social media influencer, and therapist in training, who graciously shared the story of her own struggles with body image and eating disorder and her path to recovery in part one of Body Positivity and Dance.
Ashley Bouder, principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, shares her unique experiences as a ballerina, mother, student, author, and equality seeker. Be inspired by Ashley's stories of resilience, her witty sense of humor, and her insightful thoughts on inclusion in dance today. Beyond dancing professionally with NYCB for more than a decade, Ashley has recently released a whimsical new children’s book, Welcome to Ballet School, and founded the Ashley Bouder Project, an arts collaborative dedicated to furthering the inclusion of women and marginalized people in leadership roles in the performing arts.
Internationally acclaimed ballet dancer Miko Fogarty says in her TEDxBerkeley talk, “It’s never too late to reinvent yourself, if you are not happy with who you currently are.” And Miko has done exactly that. In this episode, Miko shares her story of deciding to pursue science and now medical school after many years of devoting almost “every minute of every day” to the craft of ballet.
Miko has received worldwide recognition as a ballet dancer including the Gold Medal at the Moscow International Ballet competition and was featured in the documentary “First Position.” After dancing with the Birmingham Royal Ballet in England for one year at the age of 17, Miko decided to reinvent her path, enrolled in college and studied Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley where she recently graduated, and now is on her way to a whole new journey that includes medical school. We think you’ll be inspired by her courage and Miko’s willingness to listen to her heart to follow her dreams, even when those dreams change in a big way.
Ashley and Becky Lew are the dynamic mother and daughter duo for the ages. Guided by unconditional love and family support Ashley has never been afraid to take on challenges to follow her big dream of being a professional ballerina. Becky has been by her side every step of the way, and especially through difficult decisions like studying abroad at a young age. Ashley is an incredibly talented dancer who has trained and performed all around the world. She is the recipient of many prestigious awards, most recently the Spotlight Grand Prix award. Get ready to be taken away by this mother and daughter team's positive energy and their useful tips for aspiring performing artists.
Struggles with body image have affected most of us, especially dancers. Colleen Werner is a ballet dancer, writer, social media influencer, and therapist in training who graciously shares her story of dealing with body image and eating disorder as a young dancer, her path to recovery, and her view on its role in dance today.
In part two of Body Positivity and Dance, Colleen dives deeper into the ideas of body positivity and body kindness, and shares resources and tips for anyone dealing with body image in their life today.
Get to know aspiring ballerina Ashley Lew and her mom Becky in a fun round of quick-fire questions as a precursor to their full-length episode, Empowered by Family. Guided by unconditional love and family support Ashley has never been afraid to take on challenges to follow her big dream of being a professional ballerina. Becky has been by her side every step of the way, and especially through difficult decisions like studying abroad at a young age. Ashley is an incredibly talented dancer who has trained and performed all around the world. She is the recipient of many prestigious awards, most recently the Spotlight Grand Prix award.