The body is not static. Neither is identity.

In this episode of Why We Dance, Mia Tate welcomes Viktoria Modesta for a bold and expansive conversation about movement as authorship, creativity as survival, and the freedom found in refusing fixed forms.

Viktoria shares her early life in Latvia and the medical challenges that shaped her relationship with her body from a young age. She reflects on immigrating to the UK and immersing herself in London’s underground and fashion subcultures—spaces that gave her permission to imagine herself differently and to design her own visual language.

The conversation moves into Viktoria’s decision to advocate for amputation at fifteen, not as an act of loss, but of self-determination. She speaks candidly about reclaiming agency through choice, and how movement and performance became tools for rewriting narratives around beauty, disability, and power.

Viktoria also discusses her recent recovery period and the innovative ways she integrated AI into her creative process—exploring how technology, healing, and imagination intersect. Together, Mia and Viktoria examine the relationship between science and spirituality, alternative body architecture, and why evolving the body is inseparable from evolving the self.

This episode is a meditation on becoming—on embracing transformation, honoring curiosity, and choosing movement as a way forward.

About the Guest

Viktoria Modesta is a boundary-defying performance artist and musician known for reimagining the body as a site of authorship rather than limitation. Born in Latvia and based in the UK, she gained global recognition as a “bionic pop artist,” blending avant-garde fashion, music, and alternative body architecture to challenge conventional ideas of beauty and identity. Her work spans performance, technology, and embodied practice, exploring transformation, agency, and the art of becoming.

Episode Timestamps:

(00:00) Empowerment Through Creativity and Self-Design
(01:04) Meet Viktoria Modesta: The Bionic Pop Artist
(02:16) Early Life, Disability, and Medical Challenges
(07:25) Immigration, London Subculture, and Identity Formation
(09:29) Choosing Amputation and Reclaiming Body Autonomy
(14:46) The Power of Dance, Movement, and Embodiment
(20:47) Breakthrough Performances and Creative Transformation
(26:34) Imagination as Resistance and Reinvention
(29:55) Small Shifts, Big Personal Evolution
(30:16) Posture, Recovery, and Physical Realignment
(31:13) Resilience, Body Awareness, and Strength
(32:06) Curiosity, Reinvention, and Lifelong Learning
(32:30) Movement, Fashion, and Avant-Garde Expression
(34:55) Innovative Healing and Alternative Body Architecture
(37:53) AI, Technology, and Creative Recovery
(42:11) Embodied Cognition, Science, and Spirituality
(50:57) Future Vision, Advocacy, and Sharing Knowledge
(56:31) Universal Truths, Identity, and Final Reflections

Links & Resources:

Mia Tate’s IMDb
Viktoria Modesta
Subscribe and Follow Why We Dance on YouTube and Instagram
Podcast Producer S.J. Nichols (Seannon Gonzalez)
Executive Producer Meredith Gooderham
Production Studio Caspian Studios
Camera Operator Kai Irvine
Assistant Camera Ben Drummond
Production also by Dark to Light Productions
Thank you to Davies Reid Rugs

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Presence as Craft. Movement as Meaning.

In this episode of Why We Dance, Mia Tate welcomes Will Swenson for an intimate conversation that looks beyond the spotlight and inside the life of an actor shaped by movement, memory, and truth.

From their shared high school years in Salt Lake City to Will’s acclaimed career on Broadway, the conversation traces the arc of a life lived in performance. Will reflects on growing up in a theater family, his early connection to movement and dance, and how those foundations informed his approach to acting long before he stepped onto a Broadway stage.

Together, Mia and Will explore the importance of presence in storytelling, the differences between theater and film, and what it means to stay grounded while inhabiting iconic roles in productions such as Hair, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Les Misérables, Waitress, and A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Story. Will speaks openly about balancing career and family, navigating change, and learning to remain honest—both in performance and in life.

The conversation also touches on faith, identity, and Will’s decision to step away from the LDS Church, examining how movement and embodiment can become tools for truth and self-connection. The episode closes with Will reading a deeply personal letter about dance and movement—an invitation to listen more closely to the body and stay present as life continues to unfold.

This is a conversation about craft, courage, and what it really means to live inside the work.

[00:00] Introduction and Guest Welcome
[00:31] High School Memories with Will Swenson
[03:16] Movement and Acting
[07:03] Growing Up in a Theater Family
[14:28] Journey to New York and Early Career
[21:44] Balancing Career and Personal Life
[23:44] Theater vs. Film: The Actor’s Perspective
[30:06] Experiences in Iconic Roles
[33:02] Tony Nomination and a Humbling Preschool Moment
[34:31] A Beautiful Noise and Neil Diamond’s Influence
[37:12] Landing the Role
[42:22] Creation, Pottery, and Staying Grounded
[46:22] Leaving the LDS Church and Family Dynamics
[52:45] Reflecting on Life’s Journey and Memory
[01:01:33] The Power of Dance and Movement

Mia Tate’s IMDb
Will Swenson IMDb
Subscribe and Follow Why We Dance on Youtube, TikTok, and Instagram
Podcast Producer S.J. Nichols (Seannon Gonzalez)
Executive Producer Meredith Gooderham
Production Studio Caspian Studios
Camera Operator Kai Irvine
Assistant Camera Ben Drummond
Production also by Dark to Light Productions
Thank you to Davies Reid Rugs

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Freedom as Practice. Movement as Choice.

In this episode of Why We Dance, Mia Tate welcomes Aaron Walton for a reflective and wide-ranging conversation about freedom—not as a destination, but as something lived, practiced, and earned through motion.

Aaron shares how growing up in a musically rich household shaped his earliest relationship to rhythm and expression, long before his career in advertising took shape. He reflects on formative professional experiences, including working alongside Michael Jackson, and how proximity to cultural icons taught him less about spectacle and more about discipline, trust, and creative rigor.

Rather than lingering in the spotlight, the conversation moves forward—through fashion, embodied learning, and spiritual curiosity. Aaron traces his path from Paris runways to the quiet intensity of the ballet studio, including his involvement with Alonzo King LINES Ballet, where structure, humility, and presence reshaped his relationship to movement.

The episode culminates in a deeply personal moment as Aaron reads a letter on why he dances—an intimate reflection on authenticity, gratitude, and the courage to remain open to change. This is a conversation about loosening definitions, honoring lineage, and discovering that true freedom is not found in stillness, but in motion.

Episode Timestamps:
[00:00] Embracing Curiosity and Growth
[01:22] Introducing Aaron Walton
[03:02] The Power of Dance and Movement
[06:36] Childhood and Early Influences
[08:36] Educational Journey and METCO Program
[12:03] Career Beginnings at Pepsi
[14:36] Michael Jackson’s Bad Tour Experience
[17:57] The Discipline Behind Creativity
[22:12] Fashion Week and Personal Growth
[29:17] Embracing Confidence and Body Awareness
[30:29] Joining the LINES Ballet Board
[32:05] Winning the Auction and Preparing to Dance
[33:46] The Joy of Ballet and Continuous Learning
[35:03] The Power of Movement and Creativity
[37:09] The Importance of Disruption and Curiosity
[45:11] Personal Truths and Coming Out
[47:08] Spiritual Connection to Movement
[49:19] Reflecting on Family and Upbringing
[54:25] Concluding Thoughts and Letter Reading

Links & Resources:
Mia Tate’s IMDb
Aaron Walton – Walton Isaacson
Alonzo King LINES Ballet}
Subscribe and Follow Why We Dance on Youtube, TikTok, and Instagram
Podcast Producer S.J. Nichols (Seannon Gonzalez)
Executive Producer Meredith Gooderham
Production Studio Caspian Studios
Camera Operator Kai Irvine
Assistant Camera Ben Drummond
Production also by Dark to Light Productions
Thank you to Davies Reid Rugs

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.