Dancer Talks
by McCall Sheetz
Dancer Talks is a dynamic podcast aimed to connect the dance world through sharing stories and uplifting artists globally.
Podcast episodes
Season 4
How Dancers Can Build Confidence and Overcome Obstacles with Kirsten Kemp
On this week's episode I spoke with Kirsten Kemp. We talked about tools for dancers to help them perform better, how to build confidence in situations like auditions, how having confidence can help you achieve the career of your dreams, and more! Kirsten Kemp is a former full-time professional ballet dancer turned High-Performance Mindset Coach for dancers, International Speaker, and Founder of The Confident Dancer specializing in helping dancers break through the mental blocks that have been holding them back and build a confident mindset that allows them to feel and perform their best consistently. On top of serving 200+ clients globally, including soloists and principals in top ballet companies and YAGP finalists, she's also the host of The Confident Dancer YouTube channel and podcast, a show with 21k+ subscribers and counting. As a speaker, she's also had the honor of speaking to groups of dancers at top institutions such as Miami City Ballet School, Estonian National Ballet, University of Utah's School of Dance, Texas Ballet Theater School, and many others. Follow her here! Website: https://kirstenkemp.com/ IG: https://instagram.com/kirsten_theconfidentdancer Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheConfidentDancer/videos Podcast on Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-confident-dancer Podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-confident-dancer-podcast/id1719883279 Subscribe for more Dancer Talks Episodes!
Season 3
Artists Climate Collective: Sustainability in the Dance World
On this episode of Dancer Talks I spoke with Artists Climate Collective Co-Founder Madeline Bez. We spoke about her organization, Artists Climate Collective, a collective of dance artists dedicated to using art as a tool to grow environmental awareness, share resources and build community as we fight for a more sustainable future. We also spoke about sustainability in the dance world, and steps dancers and companies can make to become more sustainable in their daily lives. I hope you enjoy this episode! Please like and subscribe for more episodes. About Madeline Bez: Madeline is one of the co-founders of Artists Climate Collective (ACC), as well as a freelance artists in New York City. When she was 18 she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, and seeing the quickly melting glaciers brought a new awareness and urgency to the importance of climate change. Though she has followed the path to become a professional ballet dancer, the climate crisis has always remained important to her. Amidst the pandemic, a vision for ACC was formed and since then, many environmentally inspired arts projects have emerged. Some of the most successful projects have been dance films which have been selected to be played at many international film festivals. About the Artists Climate Collective Trailer Shown in the video of Art 2 Action: https://www.artistsclimatecollective.... The Artists Climate Collective Website: https://www.artistsclimatecollective.... The Dancer Talks Instagram: @dancertalks The Artists Climate Collective Instagram: @artistsclimatecollective Cover Photo By: Antonio Anacan During this episode we had a special guest dog Remy in case you were wondering about the dog sounds. You can also view this podcast on our Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/gCRqVaHM1TQ?si=9IoQ00UMHay3a7uh
Ali Block: Dancer Mental Health and Perfectionism
Does being a perfectionism make you a better dancer? Listen to this week's episode to find out! I had the pleasure of chatting with Ali Block. Ali Block is a professional ballet dancer in New York City as well as graduate of Columbia University with a degree in Psychology. She is currently researching perfectionism and how it relates to professional ballet dancers. In this episode we chatted about the research that Ali is doing currently. We also talked about: does being a perfectionist actually make you a better dancer?, how to capitalize on the "dancer mentality" of being a perfectionist while also finding balance that will make you a better dancer, mental health tips for a longer dance career, why going to college is valuable for dancers, what the future of dance psychology research looks like, "re-humanising", and more!You can follow Ali Block on instagram: @ali_p_block and you can check out her website: http://alipaigeblock.comMake sure to follow Dancer Talks on Instagram @dancertalks to stay up to date on our episodes!
Episode 9: Talking with Jack Gray of Atamira Dance Company
I had the pleasure of talking to Jack Gray of Atamira Dance Company.A few weeks ago, I saw the Atamira Dance Company Perform at the Joyce Theatre in New York City. The show was stunning, I had never seen anything like it before, and I was so intrigued to learn more about the company, the choreographic process, and the Māori Culture. My conversation with Jack Gray was pretty life changing. I uncovered a new way of thinking and I am so excited to share this episode with you!The Atamira Dance Company is the leading creator and presenter of Māori contemporary dance theatre from Aotearoa New Zealand.Jack Gray is a world class recognized Māori contemporary dancer, choreographer, teacher, facilitator, and writer. He is a founding member and became Artistic Director of Atamira Dance Company in 2018. The conversation that I had with Jack Gray was so meaningful, and I learned so much during our talk. I hope that you enjoy this episode and are moved just as I was.To connect with Atamira Dance Company, visit their website: https://atamiradance.co.nzand follow them on instagram @atamiradancecompanyhttps://www.instagram.com/atamiradancecompany/?hl=enMake sure to subscribe to Dancer Talks for more podcasts, and follow us on Instagram: @DancerTalks https://www.instagram.com/dancertalks/?hl=en
Season 2
Episode 8: Robbie Downey: West Coast Ballet
This week I am so excited to have Robbie Downey on the podcast. Some of you may know her as Ballet Freak from her YouTube channel that she started many years ago at the beginning of her ballet journey, well she has become such an amazing ballerina and I am excited to catch up with her and share her story with you! Robbie now dances in Los Angeles and has her own ballet school. She is a very accomplished and hard working dancer who has such a great mindset, and I am so inspired by her and I hope you are too. You can follow Robbie on Instagram @balletfreak and you can follow her school @westcoastballetschool and her company @west.coast.ballet