THIS IS DANCE + RACHAEL MARKARIAN

Rachael Markarian is a dancer, actor, choreographer, and author whose résumé runs from two Super Bowl Halftime Shows and world tours with Rihanna, Katy Perry, and Chayanne to Captain America: Brave New World, Top Gun: Maverick, and Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias. But the story that stayed with me wasn’t a credit, it was what happens when you’re at the top of one field and have to start over at the bottom of another. What does it take to build the room you aren’t being invited into, and what do you do when the door finally opens two days before the shoot?

Here’s what we’re exploring:

• The transition from in-demand pro dancer to actor, and the humbling reality that “because I said so” belief only gets you so far

• A booking story that nearly slipped away

• How she wrote The Dancer’s Edge, from a little student workbook to a four-act guide on mindset

This one’s for anyone who’s ever had to start over, or been told “we’ll get the next one” and kept going anyway. Rachael’s answer: advocate for yourself, create the opportunity if nobody hands it to you, and be ready for the “yes” before it arrives.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:
Connect with Rachael on IG

Buy Rachael's book: The Dancer’s Edge

Listen to Joe’s episode

Listen to Nick’s episode

Listen to Liana’s episode

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

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THIS IS DANCE + BOBBY AMAMIZU

Bobby Amamizu is a dancer, educator, and choreographer whose résumé runs from Cirque du Soleil's original Viva Elvis cast to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Etoile, But the story that stayed with me wasn't a credit, it was a 17-year-old at an open call getting stopped mid-combo and asked, "Who are you?" What does it actually take to get kept in the room, and what do you owe the people standing next to you once you're in it?

Here's what we're exploring:

• The Fame audition where Marguerite Derricks stopped the music, called Bobby out by name, and told him she couldn't hire him if he kept dancing like a soloist, "so I can't hire you if you're gonna dance like that"

• A case study in Networking that is literally money in the bank

• What it meant to be trusted with a 5am ballet class before an 8am call, part of the job of keeping a company of dancers ready to be as authentic as the story asked them to be

This one's for anyone who's ever had to prove they could be trusted with more than their own moment. Bobby's answer: show up exact, show up for the people beside you, and let the work speak before you do.

Watch the full episode on YouTube.

Show Notes:

Connect with Bobby on IG

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

THIS IS DANCE + WHAT WE OWE EACH OTHER

Dani Vitale is a Choreographer, Creative Director, + Movement Coach who by September of this year had already wrapped four films and two tours. But what stuck with me in this conversation wasn't the résumé, it was her definition of loyalty: to the dancers she leads, to the truth about hard jobs, and to the people she loves through loss. What do we actually owe the people around us, and what happens when we pay up?

Here's what we're exploring:

• The one thing Dani never bent on when she started choreographing: dancer rates and conditions, because "once you lose the support from dancers... you can't gain that back"

• Why she pushes back on "choreographer vs. dancer" and thinks of it instead as one team doing one job: movement

• The gap between what happens on a brutal set and what gets posted after, and why she'd rather "report the facts" than romanticize the process

This one's for anyone who's ever had to decide what they're actually willing to bend on, at work, on a team, or at home. Dani's answer is the same in every direction: tell the truth, and show up.

Watch the full episode here.

Show Notes:

Connect with Dani on IG

Learn more about Dancers Alliance

For more DANA

For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY

To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES

Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE

Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok