unPLUGGED by The Dance Plug Canada: Recent Episodes
The Dance Plug Canada
Go in-depth as we hear the stories and opinions from some of Toronto’s Influential Dance Artists from the past and present. We hope that these stories provide you with some very valuable insight about the current state of the city’s dance industry and will help you to make informed decisions about your journey.
This week, we sat down with dancer, choreographer and studio co-owner of Harbour Dance Centre, Moe Brody. In her episode, we talk about her journey as a professional dancer in the Vancouver Industry, the history of Harbour Dance Centre, and advice to dancers thinking about moving into Vancouver to pursue a career in dance.
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ABOUT MOE BRODY
As co-owner of Harbour Dance Centre, Moe Brody has deep roots within the industry and is broadly recognized as a leading choreographer, teacher, and mentor.
Her repertoire includes multiple genres of dance and because of this, she is routinely hired for her choreography for film, television, stage productions and industrials.
After graduating with a degree in Human Kinetics from UBC, Moe returned to the dance world as a dancer with the NBA Grizzlies Extreme Dance Team. Subsequently she was hired as choreographer for the CFL’s BC Felions and UBC’s Dance Team.
Her talent in choreography in the entertainment industry grew to be widely recognized landing her positions as choreographer for Twilight Zone,The X-Files, The Order, 90210, Virgin River, No Tomorrow (Netflix), Home Before Dark, Main Event, Man In The High Castle, The In-between and several TV Movies. Included as well were feature films with Hayden Panetteire in I Love You Beth Cooper, for Ashanti and Brittany Snow in John Tucker Must Die, Dr. Doolittle 3 and Percy Jackson & The Lightening Thief. Her commercial credits include Toyota, McDonalds, Barbie, Kyocere, Coca-Cola and Disney.
Her favorite place to be is in class, sharing a good story or two. Adding her uncanny natural knack for comedy into the mix, it’s no wonder that she has achieved much success both on camera and in the studio.
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This week, we sat down with educator, choreographer and dancer, Nii 'Prince' Engmann. In his episode, we talk about about his experience as a black dancer in the Vancouver Dance Industry, allyship in the Black Lives Matter movement, and the importance of having integrity as an artist.
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ABOUT NII 'PRINCE' ENGMANN
Nii "Prince" Engmann is an educator, choreographer and dancer from Vancouver, BC. Born in Toronto, Prince grew up dancing and playing instruments in a cultural setting which contributed to his movement and understanding present day. He has had the opportunity to dance and work for the likes of Mandy Moore, Tony Testa, Kenny Ortega and Chris Scott and currently teaches Afrobeats and HipHop classes around the world. Prince hopes to spread his love and understanding of music, movement and culture in every space he enters.
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We're back! This week, we sat down with the Director of PraiseTEAM, Missy Reyes. In her episode, we talk about about the connection between spirituality and dance, challenges she’s faced during this uncertain time and how she’s using her voice as a female POC to affect change in her community.
This episode is brought to you by Harbour Dance Centre. Harbour Dance Centre is a place to explore what dance is to the individual. Whether it’s the music, the movement, an artist, or a familiar memory; your body can create a stimulus for the mind that brings a sense of harmony. The result is a feeling of personal growth that can expand to all aspects of life. It’s not just a dance class, it's giving your body life, connectivity, and challenge. With over 100 Drop-in Classes a week, and variety of Workshops, you'll find a class you love. Visit www.harbourdance.com for class schedule and more information.
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Now each week, we would normally bring you a guest or guests who talk about their experiences working in the industry along with some personal opinions about hot topics in our community. Now, you may have seen that we are moving to remote recordings of our episodes to encourage social and physical distancing during this pandemic. While we batch our upcoming episodes, we want to take a listen back to our favourite moments of Season 1.
Have you ever wondered what your life would be like after dance? Or, have you asked yourself, “When would be the right time to hang up your shoes?”
This week, we sat down with Toronto Legend, Kojo ‘Tuch’ Mayne. Through Toronto’s premiere entertainment company – Do Dat Entertainment – Tuch has transformed his passion for dance into a thriving career. Tuch has risen to the top of his craft as a sought after dancer/performer and choreographer known for his performance abilities & professionalism.
Tuch joined Do Dat Entertainment in 1998, and since then has performed with top musicians and entertainers, such as Shawn Desman, Eve & Gwen Stefani, Jully Black, Missy Elliott, and Selena Gomez. He’s worked with Sean Paul, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, and Jay-Z in music videos and commercials. In addition, Tuch has appeared in numerous television/film and stage productions such as: the 2011 Much Music Awards, the Listener series, 2010 Olympic Torch Ceremony, E! News Weekend, the motion picture Honey featuring Jessica Alba, the Junos, and the BET Awards.
A few highlights have been assisting Luther Brown on So You Think You Can Dance Canada, Lifetime’s 2014 biopic "Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B" & the 2015 Pan Am Opening Ceremony. Most recently, Tuch choreographed for Chinese superstar Kris Wu’s performance on the 2018 iHeartRadio MMVAS and the 2019 television series “TallBoyz” on CBC.
With over 20 years of experience, Tuch is a fixture in the Toronto dance industry, having taught classes & workshops internationally, guiding and working with up-coming artists, and judging at the World Of Dance Competition 2011- 2012 & the 2017- 2018 Canada Hip Hop Dance Championship.
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Are you a visible minority who struggles with your voice in the entertainment industry? Are you a dancer who loves to create and wants to transition into choreographing? Or did you work on a Film or TV Show last year and looking for ways to build longevity within the commercial world?
This week, we sat down with Amanda-May Wilson. She is a professional dancer and aspiring choreographer, born and raised in Toronto, Canada. After being self-taught for many years, she began her formal dance training at 14 years old, studying hip hop, jazz, contemporary and musical theatre through several collectives, companies and troupes. Through achievements such as The Pulse On Tour's Elite Protege Scholarship and The Monsters of Hip Hop Show, she has trained and worked closely with global industry heavy-hitters such as Brian Friedman, Gil Duldulao, JaQuel Knight & Parris Goebel, to name a few.
You can see Amanda-May onscreen in Full Out (Family Channel/Netflix), Heartbeats (Myriad Pictures/Das Films), Disney's Zombies (Disney) & The Next Step (Family Channel/Disney). She's worked with artists such as Deborah Cox, Janet Jackson, and Agnez Mo, as well as major brands, Nike and Roots. You can catch her choreographic works in Make It Pop (Nickelodeon), Firefly (TIFF), and Utopia Falls (Hulu), Amanda- May is looking forward to continued growth in her craft and what she prays will be a career of longevity in dance.
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Do you constantly take heels classes as a way to feel empowered through your sensuality, vulnerability? Are you the type of dancer who has doubts if this career is right for you? This is Season 2, Episode 3 - Number 036 called Faith & Affirmations with Kaela Faloon.
Now, it’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected artists around the world. But, if there’s one thing that we know about artists, it’s that we are very resourceful, resilient and above all, supportive. Just this last week, dancers have been participating in online dance classes from their favourite instructors, challenging eachother to in-home sessions and have been providing resources and support to one another.
At the Dance Plug, we started a relief fund dedicated to the freelance dance artists residing in Toronto who are dealing with tremendous financial losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now as most of you know, most dancers in our community are not eligible to apply for Employment Insurance as they are Independent Contractors. You can find the link to donate here.
About Kaela Faloon:
FROM SMALL TOWN MANOTICK, ONTARIO TO NOW BIG CITY LA, KAELA IS A TRUE EXAMPLE OF WHAT HARD WORK, DEDICATION, AND UNDENIABLE FAITH CAN ACHIEVE. KAELA'S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS STARTED AT THE AGE OF 11 WHERE SHE BEGAN TRAINING IN BALLET, JAZZ, CONTEMPORARY AND HIP HOP AT HER HOME STUDIO "GRETA LEEMING". FOLLOWING THIS SHE WAS ACCEPTED INTO RYERSON'S DANCE PROGRAM, WHERE SHE IMAGINED PURSUING DANCE AS A CONTEMPORARY COMPANY MEMBER, BUT TO HER SURPRISE HER DANCE CAREER TOOK A WHOLE NEW DIRECTION AND KAELA WAS INTRODUCED TO THE COMMERCIAL WORLD. FROM THERE KAELA BEGAN WORKING WITH WELL RENOWNED CHOREOGRAPHERS ON NUMEROUS PROJECTS AND PERFORMANCES.
KAELA’ S CREDITS INCLUDE; IHEART RADIO MUSIC AWARDS, TIFF (TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL), WE DAY, CALGARY STAMPEDE, GREY CUP, FASHION ART TORONTO, LUMINATO FESTIVAL, AND THE PAN AM GAMES
MUSIC VIDEOS – RIHANNA, DRAKE, SNOOP DOGG, NELLY FURTADO, SHAWN MENDES, SHAWN DESMAN, AND JULLY BLACK TO NAME A FEW
SHE HAS ALSO WORKED WITH ARTISTS ON NUMEROUS LIVE AND TOURING PERFORMANCES, SOME OF THESE ARTISTS INCLUDE MEGHAN TRAINOR, NICK JONAS, FIFTH HARMONY, MYA, ESTELLE, FLO RIDA, CARLY RAE JEPSEN, MIA MARTINA, MASSARI, HEDLEY, THE ROOTS AND MANY MORE.
IN 2016, KAELA INCORPORATED HER HEELS COMPANY, SENSUAL HEELING, WHERE SHE TRAINS WOMEN AND MEN HOW TO EXUDE CONFIDENCE IN THEIR HEELS. HER COMPANY HAS HAD HUGE SUCCESS, WITH CONTINUOUS SOLD OUT WORKSHOPS AND SHOWS, AS WELL AS FEATURED PERFORMANCES AT TORONTO’S FASHION WEEK, CHOREOBALL, INDUSTRY NIGHT, MONTREAL'S ARTICIEN, HER CREATIVE, AND MANY MORE. KAELA RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT SHE WILL BE TAKING HER CAREER TO THE NEXT LEVEL, AND SAYING goodbye TO TORONTO, AND HELLO TO LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA. KAELA IS EXCITED ABOUT THIS NEW CHAPTER, AND LOOKS FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO INSPIRE ARTISTS TO UNAPOLOGETICALLY LIVE IN THEIR PURPOSE.
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This week, we sat down with Artist and Financial Director, Nissrine Shuman. She is a professionally trained dancer who has both CPA and ACCA designations with over a decade worth of experience working in creative industries. She provides financial stewardship and helps create a bridge between artists and the finance world.
Have you asked yourself the following questions: Do you consider yourself to be a starving artist? Are you guilty of accepting low or no wages just to have a specific name or brand on your resumé? Or are you an instructor at a dance studio and wondered why you’re not entitled to certain government perks like holiday, overtime or vacation pay?
In her episode, we talk about the difference between being an Employee and an Independent Contractor, the importance of Financial Literacy and why you need it to survive in a capitalist society, and what is the most valuable commodity a dancer possesses.
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Kicking off Season 2 is the dynamic duo, Flow XS.
Originating in Brampton, Ontario, their unique advantage lies in the fact that they are brothers who have trained together for over 10 years, dancing on studio, competitive and performance teams. Both as individuals and as Flow XS, they have also participated in various battles/freestyle events in Canada and the US and have taught hip-hop choreography workshops at various studios in Toronto, Canada. They are members of the world famous immaBEAST dance company founded by LA choreographers, Willdabeast Adams and Janelle Ginestra. Recently, you can find the brothers on the newly released Disney feature film, Zombies 2.
In their episode, we talk about teaching at a young age and its benefits, the importance of training and having a strong support system.
Michael "Hydroflow" Scheitzbach - Instagram
Kevin "Kid XS" Scheitzbach - Instagram
Today’s episode is brought to you by Dance Vocab. The world’s first and only app designed with the aspiring dancer in mind! Learn and practice hundreds of individual dance moves across multiple styles anywhere, anytime - the perfect way to practice outside of dance class! Download the app today! It’s free on iOS, Android and on dancevocab.com
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This week, we sat down with Toronto-native Samara Tong. In her episode, we talk about her journey as a dancer from Toronto to London, the VISA Process for the UK and the opportunities London has for dancers.
This week, we sat down with the Choreographer, Casting Director and Producer of The Next Step, Amy Wright. In her episode, we give you a crash course on the basics you need to get started in the commercial industry of dance.
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This week, we sat down with Thomas L. Colford. In his episode, we talk about having integrity working in the industry, when should your personal ethics take over when it comes to making tough decisions and his event called Interpose and the effects of the event 3 years later.
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This episode is brought to you by the Dance Vocab app. The world's first and only app designed with the aspiring dancer in mind. Learn and practice hundreds of individual dance moves across multiple styles, anywhere anytime. The perfect way to practice outside of dance class. Get the the app now, FREE on iOS, Android and DanceVocab.com
This week, we sat down with the All Styles Queen - Caroline ‘Lady C’ Fraser. In her episode, we talk about the link between healthy mentorship and the preservation/longevity of the dance culture, the difference between training and just “getting down” and her journey into music.
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This episode is brought to you by the Dance Vocab app. The world's first and only app designed with the aspiring dancer in mind. Learn and practice hundreds of individual dance moves across multiple styles, anywhere anytime. The perfect way to practice outside of dance class. Get the the app now, FREE on iOS, Android and DanceVocab.com
This week, we sat down with Alex Pollard. In his episode, we talk about the state of the market and the effects it has on dancers, how it’s beneficial to have a backup plan when it comes to your career as a dancer and his new venture, the GTA’s newest showcase Arcadia.
This week, we sat down with the host of EverythingAnisha, Anisha Joshi. In her episode, she offers some tips and tricks on how you can make the industry work for you. As an artist with a plethora of industry experience under her belt, she also provides some insight as to what it’s like to work on set, do’s and don’ts in an audition, and how being an unconventional artist who flies under the radar can work wonders for you.
This week, we sat down with the lovely Cora Kozaris.
Cora was born with a passion for movement and an innate desire to create. Her unrestrictive style coupled with her sensitive qualities are what make her choreography breathtakingly memorable.
In her episode, we talk about her dance style and how she prefers not to label it to any specific genre, class etiquette, and her creative process when it comes to producing full length shows. I got teary-eyed recording this interview with Cora because it was filled with so much emotion.
This week, we sat down with the lovely Ming-Bo Lam. She is known, first and foremost, for her love of dance and ability to share that passion with all whom she encounters.
In her episode we talk about the benefits of going to an educational institution for dance, the misconceptions about contemporary dance and how to stay positive and uplifting through some exhausting and frustrating times.
This week, we sat down with event producer extraordinaire, Diamond Osoteo.
Born state side, Diamond was raised in Toronto Canada. He is one of the founding members of C2 Genesys, Executive Director of RightFoot Studio and one of the Founders & Creative Director of The Industry. Over the last few years he has been apart of many different aspects in the Toronto dance scene. Everything from running dance events ,competitions, workshops, working with world known choreographers, as well as being a dancer himself.
In his episode, we talk about his shift into a more administrative role, the misconceptions about planning for an event, and how his view of the scene has shifted which resulted in planning for other events.
Instagram: @diamondosoteo | @goattorotono | @theindustryto | @elevate.to
This week, we sat down with Aaron Aquino-Annobil. He has a strong foundation in hip hop and Krump, and was the co-founder of JLaSoul and Soul Society. His credits include; Lupe Fiasco, Kardinal Offishall, Jully Black and Terry Crews.
In his episode, we talk about his experience coming from a family or artists and educators, leaving a full time job and pursuing his passion for teaching dance, and what its like working with mature recreational dancers who just have a passion for movement.
This week, we sat down with the super talented Kiana Smith. In her episode, we talk about the benefits of diversifying your skill set and how it can benefit you in the commercial industry, the importance of foundations in a style, and how to keep yourself motivated as a working professional artist.
This week, we sat down with Stef Williams. Stefanie has worked with some of the industries most reputable artists such as Pitbull, Sean Paul, Marc Anthony, FloRida, Nelly Furtado, Don Omar, Machel Montano and many more.
In her episode, we talk about her experience as a professional dancer working in Miami, her decision to move back to Toronto, and how important it is to think about what kind of dancer you want to be.
This week, we sat down with Brandon ‘Bizzy’ Owusu. Born and raised in the west end of Toronto, Bizzy has trained in styles such as Dancehall, Hip Hop, and African. He has danced with artists such as Ariana Grande, French Montana, Rihanna, Drake, Sean Paul, Paula Abdul, and many more.
In his episode, we talk about how artists should strive for longevity, how Social Media can be used effectively for artists, and how dancers can find purpose in their craft.
This week, we sat down with the lovely Leah Totten. She is the artistic director of the all-female collective BOSS Dance Company, on faculty at Centennial College and dedicates the majority of her time to youth training and development. She has produced four full-length theatre shows and taught in over 150 studios across Canada, the U.S, and Europe. Her unique style and approach have been described as one that combines community heart with industry work ethic and artistic integrity.
In her episode we talk about the misconceptions dancers have about teaching, how she’s dealt with adversity and persevered through her transition to Toronto, and why she started BOSS Dance Company. We are really excited for you to hear what she has to say, so without further ado, here’s Adversity & Perseverance with Leah Totten.
This week, we sat down with Paul Mula. He is a dancer/choreographer born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. Known for his unique and diverse abilities in movement quality and choreography, Paul has learned a lot from working deeply with local dance artists. In his episode, we talk about his come-up in the dance scene and he offers some advice for the current generation on how to deal with some of the criticism they face from the older generation.
This week, we flip the script and the host becomes the interviewee! In episode 016, Roy sits down with Mikee Victoria - a freelance journalist who works for a major broadcasting company here in Toronto. Get to know the host, why he started The Dance Plug, the podcast and hear his thoughts after the first 15 episodes.
This week, we sat down with the lovely Apolonia Velasquez. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Dora Award winning dance company GADFLY, TUDS Festival of Urban Dance Culture, and the ProFRESHional Training Program. We talk about her journey from Montreal to Toronto, What it’s like to be on the opposite side of the desk in auditions, and the stigmas behind booking jobs in the commercial dance world.
This week, we sat down with Derick Robinson - a dancer, choreographer and teacher from Toronto by way of Keswick, Ontario. We talk about his experience as a dancer for various groups and companies throughout his career, advice for any high school students looking into various post-secondary school dance programs, and his experience being in this ‘generation gap’ due to Social Media.
In this week's episode, we talk about Danny's journey as a working commercial dancer to owning a dance studio, burning and creating new relationships, and how to learn to stand up for what you believe in.
ABOUT DANNY DAVALOS
Danny is an internationally known professional dancer, teacher and choreographer and was the owner of O.I.P. Dance Centre, a staple drop-in studio in Toronto for over 10 years.
As a dancer, Danny has performed and toured worldwide with top artists such as Rihanna, Ricky Martin, Shakira, and Sean Paul. A few of his greatest performances include those with Danny Fernandes and Shawn Desman on their "Hit & Run European Tour", the Much Music Video Awards, the motion picture "Shall We Dance" with Jennifer Lopez, and the Carnival Choreographers Ball.
Outside his dance career, Danny has directed and produced many theater plays, live performances, music videos, and short films.
In 2015, Danny was an assistant choreographer with the Cirque Du Soleil team for the PanAm Opening Ceremonies alongside Luther Brown. Today, he is focusing much of his attention on growing and enhancing Toronto dancers by utilizing all he has experienced throughout his career through training the ladies of the Badass Babes program.
This week, we sat down with Chris Clarke, a multi-disciplinary artist and co-founder of Duality Entertainment.
He specializes in performance training, technique building, and combines theatrics with execution. Chris has a unique brand of creative direction and concepts, while harnessing individuality and dancer development.
In our episode, we talk about how difficult it is for his generation to stay relevant in an ever-changing industry and how important it is to use words in the right context.
This week, we sat down with Leon Blackwood - a choreographer and artistic director from Toronto. We talk about what Toronto’s Dance Scene was like for him as he was on the come-up during Luther Brown’s time in Toronto, unkept promises and the lack of loyalty in this city, and what the future of this city can look like if the proper steps aren’t taken now.
Disclaimer: The views, information, or opinions expressed during this episode are solely those of the individual involved and do not necessarily represent those of The Dance Plug Toronto and its affiliates. Listener discretion is advised.
Our guest this week is the lovely Esie Mensah. She is an award-winning dancer and choreographer who has worked with some of the Industry’s biggest icons such as Rihanna, Drake and French Montana. Currently, she is the choreographer and dancer for Francesco Yates who is the opening act for Justin Timberlake’s Man of the Woods Tour. Esie is committed to bringing a new fresh genre of dance into the Industry. Her unique style of Afro Fusion includes movements from traditional and contemporary African, Commercial, Urban and Contemporary styles.
This week, we sat down with Gregory Villarico from Toronto. A multi-disciplinary dance enthusiast who's worked as a professional dancer, competitive team director, instructor, battler, and movement coach/choreographer.
He is the Co-Founder of C2 Genesys, Rightfoot, RAW DANCE CREW and his credits include: Roy Woods, Daniel Caesar, Nike, NBA All Star Game, Family Channel, Nickelodeon, and Cirque Du Soleil.
For this episode, we tried something a little different this time based on some of the feedback we received in our survey. This is also our first lengthy episode. There was a lot of content we covered in our conversation that it could not be split in two. Make sure to let us know your thoughts on this episode through Instagram.
This week, we sat down with Mel Mah. A professional dancer turned film director from LA. She was one of Janet Jackson’s unbreakable tour dancers and recently assistant directed on the film, The Hate U Guve. She is also the founder of You Got This Girl - a female empowerment company which teaches women how to be their best selves while chasing their dreams. We talk about her journey as a dancer and her transition into filmmaking and many similarities across both mediums.
This week, we sat down with Tamina Pollack-Paris a dancer, actress and mentor from Toronto. We talk about the stigmas behind audition prep, women in the industry and the proprietorship of dancer’s training experiences.
ABOUT TAMINA:
Tamina is the founder of both The Girls Club and Intuitive Feels and has worked with artists such as Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, and Ke$ha. Her TV career includes roles in The Next Step, Degrassi, Glee, American Idol, X-Factor, and Canada’s ‘So You Think You Can Dance: Season 1′.
Now, the Girls Club is a distinguished Academy geared towards the development and empowerment of tomorrow’s top female performers. Their students earn industry level dance training and business leadership skills through a specialized curriculum that provides the necessary skill set to thrive in any professional environment. Tamina is always training and pushing herself to the limit, so she can help dancers around the world to create their own path to success.
Instagram: @taminapollackparis | @thegirlsclub.ent | @intuitivefeels
This week, we sat down with Dancer, Mentor and Actor, Andrew 'Pyro' Chung. We talk about how the battle scene in Toronto has changed, what aspects of the culture he’s trying to preserve and the crossovers between the street dance and the commercial worlds of dance.
ABOUT PYRO:
Andrew Chung better known as “Pyro” has a reputation on the street dance competition floor as a “Jack of all Trades” within the street dance culture. Having won over 20 different competitions (battles) throughout North America in multiple styles since 2006, Pyro has been a great influence by setting standards within his hometown community (Toronto, Canada).
When Pyro began his street dance career in the year 2000 he always had a passion to reach out to anyone that showed interested in similar art forms. Having a passion to share knowledge and mentor since he was a teenager, Pyro now leads his dance crew “Twisted Ankles” and is a co-founding member of the “Footnotes Elite Training Camp”. Mentoring students since the year 2007, he prides himself to see his students that he once mentored, branch out and become community leaders themselves.
After establishing himself within the freestyle/competition community, he then sparked an interested in the art behind choreography and cinematography. Pyro then started to create his own stage pieces and continues to perform regularly for multiple corporate events as their main entertainment. And also directing his own video projects that he shares on social media called, “Locking in a Different Light.”
Currently, Pyro has re-sparked an interest in the art of acting and continues to mentor a community of young professional dancers within the community of Toronto. Training new students every year with in the Footnotes Elite Training Camp and giving opportunities/jobs to his students that have proven themselves.
This week, we sat down with dancer and actress, Sarah ‘Cali’ Francis. We talk about her transition from Toronto to LA, some of the struggles that come along with it, and what life is like for her years after she moved.
ABOUT SARAH:
Sarah first showed a love for the arts at the age 5 in the theatre production of “showboat” at the Mel Lastman theatre, she continued to train in all genres of dance taking exams in Tap, Jazz and ballet and winning various awards and scholarships. At the age of 11 she was nominated for a Young Artist Award for her role as “Erin” (James Earl Jones' grand-daughter) in the movie “Summers End.”
Throughout the years, she starred in many commercials and had various roles in film and television including playing the role of Leticia in the movie “Honey” starring Jessica Alba and Janetta in the movie “Hairspray” starring John Travolta and Michelle Pheiffer. Sarah has danced professionally on tour with some Billboards top artists including, Keisha Cole, The Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato and Lil Wayne. She also performed on the "Ellen Show" as well as the show "The Voice." Look out for Sarah in the Disney movie “Descendants 3” coming in the summer of 2019.
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This week, we sat down with Dominic Cooper-Clarke, a professional dance artist from Toronto by way of Birmingham, England. We talk about his adjustments coming back from a Cruise Ship job and some of the changes he’s noticed since his return. Let’s hop right into this episode with Dominic Cooper-Clarke.
ABOUT DOMINIC:
Born and raised in Birmingham, England; Dominic grew up around a musically influenced family, ranging from vocalists to music production. Being part of a Gospel choir, he grew up singing both locally and worldwide, from all across the UK, to South Africa. It wasn’t until his secondary years where he found his love and passion back on the stage.
Having only been dancing for a short period of time compared to most, Dominic believes that “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” In spite of his relatively tender years, he has been noticeably seen on Britain’s got talent, and even won the UDO Street Dance World Championship with his former crew, High Definition. Since being in Canada, he has worked with the likes of Ariana Grande, Shawn Mendes, Victoria Duffield, Scott Helman and The Toronto Raptors.
During his time in Toronto, Dominic has had the opportunity to receive mentorship from Toronto’s leading Influential Choreographers and Artistic Directors such as Shavar Blackwood, Leon Blackwood, and Angela Mahoney. Dominic has also been fortunate enough to receive various scholarships from Monsters of Hip Hop, allowing him to train and learn from the best internationally. Dominic was recently recognized by his peers as a recipient for the Trailblazer Award, which recognizes his ability to take initiative and his contributions to the Canadian dance community.
Most recently, Dominic just completed a year abroad, performing on the biggest cruise ship in the world, Symphony of the Seas. Dominic was a featured Acrobat, in the High flying aqua show “HiRo” produced by Royal Caribbean, and Choreographed by Shay Kuebler.
Social Media: @dcsoulchild1
This week, we sat down with Choreographer and Creative Director, George Jones Jr. He offers some insight from an outsider looking in about what he feels the Toronto Dance Community lacks, and we also talk about the reasons behind his decision to move to Toronto and the kinds of opportunities that it presents to the Toronto Dance Community.
ABOUT GEORGE JONES JR.
Relatively new to the industry, George Jones is a Work in progress, but has been blessed to already have toured & perform with such artists as Britney Spears, Boa, Katie Perry, Nicki Minaj, Keri Hilson, and he’s also performed on Vh1 Hip Hop Honors, Vh1 Divas Live, Latin Grammy Awards, America’s Got Talent, and MTV VMA’s. His powerful stage presence and naturally charismatic personality is what sets him apart from others. But his outstanding work ethic and professionalism is what has made him the performer that he is today. He continues to work extremely hard to grow to a greater place creatively as a performer and teacher.
Hailing from New York City as a Dancer, George attributes the majority of his training and performance knowledge to Rhapsody the Company, but has a BA in Dance from Marymount Manhattan College as well. He connects his unique quality of movement to understanding the balance between swagger,musicality, attack, and cleanliness, as well as being honored to learn from and work with great Choreographers such as Choreographers as Rhapsody James, Luther Brown, La Jon Dantzler, Flii Stylez, Fatima Robinson, Bobby Newberry, Laurieann Gibson, Jaquel Knight, Tiana Brown, Annibal Morero, Jamal Sims, Don Draico, Chris Dupre’, and Brian Friedmen.
He as also appeared in Britney Spear’s “3”, & “If You Seek Amy” video, Boa’s “Eat You Up” video, and Marcy Place & Daddy Yankee video “ Todos lo soy”. Most recently George was one the dancer featured in “The Circus Tour: Starring Britney Spears”. Which was directed by Jamie King. In 2010 George has also had the honor of being an associate choreographer to Ms. Tiana Brown on the Television show “Dance Your Ass Off”, dancing in promo performances with the beautiful Estelle for her new song “FREAK”, being the featured actor/dancer in the “Strong Man” Vitamin water Campaign, 2 episodes of “America’s Got Talent”, “The World Music Awards” with Jennifer Lopez, The “Logo Awards” with Swedish Pop sensation Agnes, and he just finish of the year assisting Luther Brown on an episode of Season 3 of “Sytycd Canada”, filming the Paramount Remake of the motion picture “Footloose, and was a featured dancer in Vh1 Divas Salute the Troops. 2011 has been another blessed year for George, filming his second feature film “Jack and Jill”, as well as continue to Perform with Jennifer Lopez as she promotes her new album “LOVE”.
George has taught all across the USA and in many countries across the world. As well as having had a class at the world renowned Broadway Dance Center in New York City with his partner in crime La Jon Dantzler, and is currently teaching at Millennium Dance Complex in LA.
He is currently residing in Toronto and is the proud co-owner of Industry House Studios where his companies, The Vibe Men and Ladies train.
His class is a rigorous learning experience which, combined with an energetic and fun personalities, makes for a comfortable and motivational environment that allows you work to your full potential. He focuses on musicality and being inside of the music first and foremost. He then concentrates on the cleanliness of the movement, while allowing the students’ personal styles to emerge. George always brings his knowledge, experience and passion for dance to his students, and hopes they walk away with a knew and improved self worth and understanding of dance, music, and themselves.
This week, we sat down with the lovely Giulia Tripoli all the way from Montreal. We talk about what it’s like moving from a different city into Toronto and the kinds of experiences it creates. We also talk about her job as both an instructor and a studio owner and how important it is to find that balance.
ABOUT GIULIA TRIPOLI:
Giulia Tripoli has been dancing, choreographing and creating on local, national and international stages since 2007. Building a career based on respect for the discipline and passion for the art, dance has been her vehicle for change both in herself and in those she is fortunate enough to teach. Through her personal work with artists like Lukay and Paul Lizzi and behind the scenes as the founder of both Tripoli Studios Inc. and its Agency of 60 professional dancers, she has developed a reputation in the industry for precision, professionalism and polish. Her studio has become a Montreal staple for any dancer looking to train in an open and accepting environment and those who participated in the 6th annual Tripoli Studios original production are proof that her methods produce the finest performers. Most recently, Giulia has graciously accepted positions as a judge for the JFK Foundation’s Dancing with the Stars Gala and the Move With The Beat competition, as a regular visiting teacher at Millenium Dance Complex Toronto, The Industry and R2D Homegrown Intensives and as a repeated invited guest at Articien - Montreal Choreographers Showcase. While always appreciative for the opportunities to create for events like WeDay and Mini Pop Kids, Giulia continues to nurture her love of performance by participating in the Montreal Pride Parade for MAC Cosmetics and dancing for Fafa Khan at Ile Soniq. Her unique style has become a trademark for the growth and innovation that can exist in the dance industry.
For our pilot episode, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Choreographer and Creative Director, Mark Samuels. We talk about the history of dance in Toronto, his personal experiences and some advice for dance artists to are looking to make a career in dance.