Shows
Dance JourneyJames Velasco's Dance JourneyJames Velasco is an amazing professional ballet dancer, and it all started when he was a kid watching his sister in her ballet class. He tried to do one of the positions, and quickly the teacher noticed him and encouraged him to take ballet as well! That was the beginning of a lifelong journey of falling in love with ballet and performing. He and his sister competed in dance and singing and also acted in musical theater. They got into competitive cheer in middle school, and that's where James's acrobatic skills developed. After that, he decided to make ballet...
2025-12-101h 16Dance JourneyShirlene Quigley's Dance JourneyShirlene Quigley started training in dance at 16, taking four to six classes a day at Millennium Dance Complex, and that was before she knew dance could be a job. A year in, she learned what a dancer could get paid on tour, and it wasn't long before she got an agent and was touring herself! Shirlene loved dancing but wasn't prepared for how the industry was going to push her to be the "sexy girl," which was never who she really was. Her pictures, clothes, and dance moves felt like a different girl, but soon she started to crave...
2025-12-031h 06Dance JourneySophie-Kate Tutokey's Dance JourneySophie-Kate Tutokey is in high school, busy with dancing in the competition world. But she also takes class at Millennium and Athletic Garage when she can, focusing on contemporary and jazz funk. She also LOVES ballet and has participated in the Joffrey West Summer Intensive! Sophie-Kate has been dancing her whole life but decided to train more professionally with it a few years ago. She takes 10+ classes a week at Revolution Dance Center and enjoys competing and performing with them. She's done group dances and trios, but this season will be her first time competing with a solo, and...
2025-11-0451 minDance JourneyKelly Etter's Dance JourneyKelly Etter had a 20-year professional dance career, including performing as a Rockette in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular! She has such an interesting story of what got her started in dance in the first place, but she quickly fell in love with it and was training hard in ballet and all styles. She also was highly academic and wanted to be a doctor. Kelly was always able to work hard at her school subjects as well as dance, but it was a different experience when she went to college for premed and was trying to dance and work...
2025-10-281h 07Dance JourneyJacob Bowers' Dance JourneyJacob Bowers loved dancing his whole life but didn't realize how extreme his passion was until at 14, he stumbled upon Sia's Chandelier music video, and he was mesmerized. He just had to dance like that! He then got his whole family to start watching Dance Moms, and he learned many of the solos and taught himself acro tricks in his living room! He moved to LA at 19 and was taking fifteen hours of ballet a week. He got signed by an agency right away and began teaching acrobatics and contemporary at various studios, as well as performing! But even...
2025-10-1457 minDance JourneyCeline Chai's Dance JourneyCeline Chai began her dance journey in Indonesia and different parts of China. Then she came to LA where she got two degrees at Loyola Marymount University–Dance and Marketing. Then she went back to Malaysia where she was born (but had never really lived) and spent three years there while traveling, teaching dance, and working remotely for the marketing agency she owns. Now she's back in LA and enjoying her first season dancing with LA Unbound! She loves ballet and modern dance, and much of her experience in Asia was performing and choreographing concert pieces that were 20+ minutes lo...
2025-10-0759 minDance JourneyLindsey Dean's Dance JourneyLindsey Dean is fresh to LA as of a few months ago, and I'm so grateful to call her my friend! We met in a contemporary class at Millennium, and now we take regular classes together every week where we are growing from amazing teachers like Sam Nelson and Shelby Fletcher. Lindsey also trains hard in jazz funk with Mary Mason, and she is KILL-ING IT! Lindsey actually spent two months in LA about a year ago to do the Millennium Certificate Program. She lived in a house with other dancers, and they all took ten classes a week...
2025-09-2356 minDance JourneySanna Rafalovich's Dance JourneySanna was the very first person from LA Unbound dance company to reach out and get to know me when I was new last season, and she made me feel so welcomed! She is one of the kindest souls and also very hard working and disciplined. Sanna grew up in San Francisco. Her family is from Ukraine, and she was the first of them to be born in America. They quickly connected with the Russian-speaking, Jewish community at the San Francisco Jewish Community Center, and that is where Sanna first learned to dance! It was mostly Russian folk and...
2025-09-1654 minDance JourneyEric Huang's Dance JourneyYou've probably seen him dancing in hip hop classes at Millennium and Athletic Garage, or maybe you knew him in his ballroom stage, but now it's time to get to know Eric Huang's full dance story! Eric didn't get into dance until after college, and the main thing that drew him in was the community aspect. He's especially grateful to have started training in dance before the pandemic because it gave him something to focus on and a way to connect with others, as it did for so many of us during that time. Learn how it's been for...
2025-09-0948 minDance JourneyDanielle Celestino's Dance JourneyI met Danielle through LA Unbound, and I was in awe of her dancing and dance teaching abilities! She didn't choreograph for that season's show, but she is for this upcoming one in November, and we are all so excited! Danielle loves dancing and has many years of performing experience, ever since middle school when she started competing on her school's dance team. She studied dance in college and then became part of a dance company called Evoke, where they put on annual shows, and she was often in multiple contemporary pieces as well as hip hop! For most...
2025-08-271h 18Dance JourneyCaroline De La Rocha's Dance JourneyCrazy story–I actually met Caroline at church and then found out she used to be a professional dancer! It's also a funny story how I discovered this because she's so low-key about it, lol. She's not one to brag or try to draw attention to herself, but she did used to curate her Instagram when she was pursuing dance so that she could book those jobs! So scroll down a bit on her IG and check it out if you're interested. :) She was on "So You Think You Can Dance" and danced in music videos for artists like Sa...
2025-08-1958 minDance JourneyWillow Beccia's Dance JourneyShe just moved to LA a couple months ago, but you may already know her because she takes so much class and is such a fierce dancer, especially in hip hop and contemporary! Willow Beccia grew up dancing in Massachusetts among her family of dancers, doing all styles and competing. Also, her mom owns a studio, so she ended up teaching there full time and loving it! She became the assistant director and thought she might work there forever. But then she started to realize she had sort of lost sight of her own dancing and dance training. She...
2025-08-1255 minDance JourneyYari Rivera's Dance JourneyYou've met a lot of her friends already, but now it's time to get to know dancer/teacher/choreographer Yari Rivera! Yari has been dancing all her life–every style but with much focus on ballet and currently contemporary. We would describe her choreographic style as angsty floorwork contemporary with lyrical vibes, and it is GORGEOUS. She has created multiple pieces for dance company LA Unbound, and she considers this a vulnerable process as she puts a meaningful part of her heart on stage. Tracy describes taking Yari's class as a challenging and fulfilling experience. They also discuss Yari's LA...
2025-07-2945 minDance JourneyAukai Cain's Dance JourneyThis week we have the amazing hip hop performer, teacher, choreographer, artistic director... Aukai Cain!! You may know Aukai for his 20+ years teaching hip hop at Athletic Garage or for his dance company Legacy VDC, but did you know he started out as a singer and performed in a boy band??!! This was his full-time job for many years, but then he got into musical theater, and then through a series of events, found himself becoming a professional dancer. He didn't start taking hip hop classes until 31 years old, but check out the full episode to learn what led...
2025-07-221h 06Dance JourneyKaycee Tacata's Dance JourneyI met Kaycee Tacata through LA Unbound. It was my first season performing with them and her second. We were in a contemporary piece together, but she was also in five other pieces! This girl can do it all–contemporary, jazz, jazz funk, cheer and pom, musical theater, you name it! So talented not only at dance but also in organizing and administration. She was the PCN (Pilipino Cultural Night) coordinator her last year of college, and she loved being able to put that dance show together. She also teaches dance and choreographs for competitions. She's starting grad school so...
2025-07-011h 02Dance JourneyChristina Wampler's Dance JourneyChristina Wampler is a beautiful dancer. She grew up loving dance, training in dance, and even teaching dance by age 14! She taught mostly ballet and acrobatics, and that definitely shows in the type of choreography she creates today. I met Christina because she started a Christian contemporary class called The Way Dance Company that meets once a month and learns a dance to a worship song. This has been a wonderful experience. Her class is so peaceful and inviting, but then she throws in a crazy turn or floor work move, and the challenge begins! I have loved getting...
2025-06-171h 06Dance JourneyMakia Chantel's Dance JourneyMakia Chantel has an amazing dance story, and I can't wait for you all to hear it! Makia and I first saw each other at a free Christian hip hop class put on by non-profit organization Dancing Disciples. Shortly after that class, I ended up dancing in the piece she created for her church's Easter service, which was so fun and crazy! But Makia wasn't always dancing for Jesus. She used to dance for many big artists–in music videos, at the Grammy's, in commercials, and touring! In terms of her dreams and what she had worked so hard fo...
2025-06-113h 24Dance JourneyZoe Ortiz's Dance JourneyI'm so excited for you all to meet Zoe Ortiz! She's only 15, moved to LA about a year ago, and has already booked dance and acting jobs. She takes multiple classes a day, mostly at Millennium and Playground, and she is loving the training here. (Good thing, because she actually convinced her parents to move here from Texas through a PowerPoint presentation and months of persuasion, lol.) I noticed Zoe so quickly because of her amazing talents, humble spirit, and kind heart. She also works so hard, as you'll hear more about in this episode. And you would never...
2025-06-0554 minDance JourneyPaul Sivertsen's Dance JourneyHe dances, he acts, he sings, but you probably know him best for his creative and unique choreography... it's Paul Sivertsen everyone! (pronounced SEE-vert-sen) Paul moved to LA in 2009 to pursue his performing dreams and plans to continue forever! He loves to create and has now choreographed about 20 shows for LA Unbound, from country musical theater to Mortal Kombat theme to his most recent piece "Jurassic Creep," which had people and dinosaurs dancing together to TLC, and the audience ate it up! So much fun and hilariousness, as with all his pieces. I was actually a dinosaur in that...
2025-05-281h 41Dance JourneyMichelle Shvedov's Dance JourneyYou would never believe that Michelle Shvedov started her dance journey last year because she is flying! She did spend 10+ years of her life doing rhythmic gymnastics where she also learned dance, but it wasn't until this past October that she started taking studio dance classes regularly. Her gymnastics skills shine in contemporary class, and her ability to give 100% effort to everything she does has helped her grow in dance quickly. She's starting to get called out in small groups and solos and is enjoying every bit of it because she loves performing! She also loves ANIMALS and will...
2025-05-231h 11Dance JourneyGiorgia Bertolotti's Dance JourneyGiorgia Bertolotti moved here from Italy about six months ago, and it was so fun to chat with her about her dance experience in LA so far! She grew up doing ballet, lyrical, and contemporary, and her first ever class here was Shelby Fletcher's contemporary class at Millennium! She had no idea what she was getting herself into with all the floor work, flips, and thrashing movements, but she ended up loving it and going consistently ever since! She also started taking hip hop from Kayla Janssen, joined Kore Dance Academy, and has even performed multiple times already! Tune...
2025-05-0747 minDance JourneyKam Feiz's Dance JourneyYou've probably seen him around at one of the many classes he takes at Millennium, but now it's time to get to know Kam Feiz! Kam grew up playing soccer and wrestling, but he discovered dance as an adult and quickly got hooked. In college, after only taking two dance classes ever, he auditioned for a show and ended up performing in a Latin dance piece, and he loved it! Now, years later, he's training everyday, mostly in contemporary, but also hip hop, jazz, and others. And he's taking more advanced classes because he enjoys learning and growing so...
2025-04-301h 04Dance JourneyJess Keene's Dance JourneyOkay I'm so excited for you all to hear Jess Keene's story because she has been so influential in my dance journey the past few months. I met her at a class she taught for LA Unbound, and since then, I started taking her regular Monday night class, trying all the classes she likes at Millennium, and now I'm in her piece for the LA Unbound spring show! Literally Jess has helped blossom my potential to do more acrobatic-style contemporary. I've always wanted to get more into this, but she helped motivate me to go for it sooner than...
2025-04-161h 31Dance JourneyScarlett Anastasia's Dance JourneyI've had the privilege of taking Scarlett Anastasia's contemporary class the past couple months, and WOW. It was a challenge! Her combos are usually over a minute long and full of acrobatic moves and floorwork. But I'm so, so grateful she reached out to me because if she hadn't encouraged me to come, I never would have thought I could do it. She believed in me from the beginning and took time to teach me crazy stuff I had never done before, and I've grown so much because of it! So I'm very happy to share this interview of...
2025-04-0255 minDance JourneySal's Dance JourneyI met Sal through an organization called Dancing Disciples, that gives free hip hop class on Fridays! Sal killed it in the cypher that night, and it's not surprising since he's been freestyle dancing since he was a kid, performing and competing with it too! It wasn't until a couple years ago, though, that he decided he wanted to learn how to pick up choreography as well. He discovered Athletic Garage and started going to hip hop classes there as well as taking private lessons. He's also been challenged by his teachers to make up his own choreography and...
2025-03-2642 minDance JourneyReva Pincusoff's Dance JourneyI feel so blessed to have been connected with my newest podcast guest Reva Pincusoff, former ballerina who trained with The Royal Ballet and danced with Pennsylvania Ballet (now Philadelphia Ballet), Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, and Eliot Feld's ballet company, among others! It all started for her after watching The Red Shoes at 9 years old, when she asked her parents if she could take ballet class, and they said she could if she practiced everyday. Reva said, "Deal," and from then on, she was committed. Ballet companies were noticing Reva when she was still in high school, and she...
2025-03-191h 05Dance JourneyStephanie Law's Dance JourneyLawyer by day, dancer by night... it's Stephanie Law, everyone! Okay, well, maybe she's still in college right now, but that's her current career dream. Stephanie grew up in California and danced her whole life but recently cut back on her 40-hours-a-week dance schedule to focus on her majors at LMU - Political Science and African American Studies. Stephanie is very busy with school but is great at time management and always makes time for friends, family, dance, and sleep, surprisingly! Stephanie may seem quiet in class, so it was fun to get to know the other sides of...
2025-03-0546 minDance JourneyFinley Gamberg's Dance JourneyIf you don't already know this gorgeous dancer, meet Finn! Finn has had a passion for dance her whole life and is currently majoring in it in college. Learn what it's like to juggle gen ed classes, school dance classes, and studio dance classes... all while choreographing and directing her own piece. And she sews all the costumes too! We also discuss physics, jobs, Harry Potter, and our true feelings about New York. :) Listen or watch today! Follow our dance journeys on Instagram: @finleybergg@DanceJourneyPodcast@TracyinLA
2025-02-1848 minDance JourneyCatherine Engberg's Dance JourneyCatherine Engberg was in town from the Bay Area, and I was so happy to be able to grab some of her time for the podcast! Catherine and I took lots of Zoom classes together from Broadway Dance Center during the pandemic. (The New York time zone was perfect for us Californians to take class before work!) But now we're both back to in-person dancing, and Catherine shares what it's like juggling dance with being an attorney!
She grew up doing musical theater but eventually got busy with college and starting a family. But once her kids...
2025-01-2847 minDance JourneyAngel Hass's Dance JourneyMany of you already know and love her, but this week we get to know Angel Hass a little better. Angel is a dancer, dance teacher, and actress, and she moved to LA from Germany five years ago! Tune in to this episode to learn more about Angel's background, interests, and teaching style; and hear us chat about priorities, time management, and the importance of taking a break sometimes. Angel teaches Street Jazz at The C Spot in LA on Mondays at 6:45pm. Check it out!
Follow our dance journeys on Instagram:
@anghass
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2025-01-1448 minDance JourneyNavi Lee's Dance JourneyIntroducing... Navi Lee! She's new to LA but not new to dance. Her main styles are acrobatics, silks, pole, and lyra (aerial hoop), but she also takes contemporary and ballet, and she is a beautiful dancer! Tune in to the full episode to learn more interesting facts about Navi, like how she grew up in the "circus scene," how she does high school online, and why she moved to LA. Navi also opens up about progressive hearing loss and what it's like for her to feel the music. Navi's story is truly inspiring, and I hope you'll check it...
2024-12-2435 minDance JourneySophia Moritz's Dance JourneyIt's time to get to know Sophia Moritz! I met her in a parking lot of a ballet we were both going to see, but that 20-minute chat wasn't enough. I also barely knew she was a dancer at the time because she was so focused on hyping up her dancer friends and their amazing projects. Sophia is humble and super supportive and encouraging to others, so I couldn't wait to get the chance to hear about her own dance life, which, wow, does not disappoint. From working with USC's dance department during the day, to playing Jo in...
2024-12-1057 minDance JourneyMelissa Briggs' Dance JourneyMelissa Briggs became a serious ballet dancer at age 8, knowing without a doubt that's what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. From New York to Rhode Island to Massachusetts to Florida and then back to New York and then finally in California, her parents always made sure there was a good ballet studio so she could get the training she needs to do the thing she was called to do. And it worked! Melissa is now a professional ballet dancer with The Realm Company as well as a movement therapist. She loves what she does...
2024-11-2651 minDance JourneyKristen Shaffer's Dance JourneyI'm sure you've seen her around at C Spot, LA DanceFit, or FlowMotion Dance Studio (to name a few), but now it's time to get to KNOW this dedicated dancer, Kristen Shaffer! Kristen and I love to take dance classes constantly, and we both post all the videos to our dance diaries (aka Instagram). So we have that in common, but it was even better to chat with her for an hour because she's so fun and easy to talk to! From the struggle of the LA commute, to being "older" dancers, to our journeys with improv and freestyle...
2024-11-121h 08Dance JourneySarah Chan's Dance JourneyWho even knows when I very first met Sarah Chan, we've taken so many classes together! From ballet at Westside to Jazz at Millennium to Contemporary at C Spot, we both love to run around the city trying all the different studios. Lately Sarah's been focusing on ballet, contemporary / modern, and heels, and she's in two dance companies! (And if you thought that was a lot, she also works as a dietitian, which she also loves.) It was so encouraging to hear Sarah's story about how she pursued dance her whole life but then took time to reflect on...
2024-10-291h 03Dance JourneyTalyssa Cruz's Dance JourneyI'm sooooo glad I got to interview Talyssa Cruz before she moved far, far away to Northern California! Talyssa and I first took class together at Athletic Garage, but then we didn't see each other for a while because I was mostly on the west side, and she was injured for a bit from rock climbing! We followed each other on IG, but it was so nice to start taking jazz and contemporary classes together again a few months ago. Talyssa's been training more and more at AG and other studios - Movement Lifestyle, Ruts, etc., and her technique...
2024-10-151h 00Dance JourneySarina Lowe's Dance JourneyIt's time to introduce you to Sarina Lowe—a beautiful ballet dancer with one of the strongest drives for dance I've ever seen, plus an amazing sense of humor! I've only taken two dance classes with her ever, but she's one of my biggest dance encouragers, and it was so great to hear her dance story. Sarina loved performing so much as a kid that she used to search out extra dance competitions to go to on her own to perform her solos as much as possible. She even got to be on an episode of Dance Moms for a...
2024-10-081h 16Dance JourneyElaine Adolfo's Dance JourneyThis episode is so exciting because I finally got to hang out with Elaine Adolfo, my biggest dance fan/friend/Insta pen pal from the Bay Area! Elaine and I have been chatting on IG and liking each other's videos practically every day for almost a year now, ever since we realized we like a lot of the same dance teachers, but we never met in person until the podcast! Elaine doesn't live in LA, but she's good at learning choreo off the video, so she takes class from teachers in LA, New York, and Canada, in addition to...
2024-09-241h 26Dance JourneySusan Seletsky's Dance JourneyHere she is... our link to so many amazing dance classes and teachers... owner of The C Spot LA... Susan Seletsky!!!!!!! What a joy to get to interview Susan and hear all about her dance adventures. Susan started taking dance classes later in life and retired early to open a dance studio! She embarked on this journey to create community and help herself heal, and she got to be part of my journey and helping me heal too. The C Spot was my first main studio after my year-long injury, and Susan watched me go from taking one jazz...
2024-09-1048 minDance JourneyBarni Rothman's Dance JourneyBarni Rothman is living my retirement DREAM cause all she is does is dance dance dance! I met Barni at a tap class three years ago, and we've been following each other's journeys ever since. I knew she mostly started training in dance after she retired from law, but I didn't realize she trained in ballet as a child, or that she danced at disco clubs for fun through her whole life! Tune in to find out what brought Barni back to dance class and all the opportunities that have opened up for her since. Commercials, music videos, shows...
2024-08-271h 15Dance JourneyBethany Dean's Dance JourneyThis week we get to know dancer Bethany Dean, who Tracy met a year ago in a jazz class but then ran into at church recently! Bethany is living the dancer life - teaching kids at a studio she loves, going to class and auditions, and recently booking a dancing and singing role in The Music Man! Bethany has an intriguing beginning to her dance journey. She grew up in Hong Kong and started training there after her mom received a prophetic word that her daughter would be a dancer! Bethany has a strong technical background in ballet and...
2024-08-191h 01Dance JourneyTracy's Dance Update!I got a few requests for this, and that was enough for me! Lol. Tune in to hear the latest going on in my dance life - plus some other random things - with guest host Bridget Renshaw! (If you want to hear my full dance journey, check out Season 1.)
Follow our dance journeys on Instagram:
@TracyinLA
@DanceJourneyPodcast
@thebridgetrenshaw
2024-08-121h 07Dance JourneyChasen Greenwood's Dance JourneyFinallyyyyy the one we've been waiting for... your ballet teacher and mine... Chasen Greenwood! Follow along as I interview Chasen in between his Saturday morning classes at Westside School of Ballet. From teaching at Westside to coaching kids in Pasadena to setting choreo on his professional dancers of The Realm Company, Chasen is all ballet all the time. He's choreographing it and having new ideas for it, not to mention performing it recently in a mesmerizing rendition of Noah's Ark with Pacific Festival Ballet! But he didn't always do ballet. Chasen actually got his start in acting and singing...
2024-08-0643 minDance JourneySydney Kinney's Dance JourneyYou've probably seen her around at Millennium - teaching tap or being a star in Hip Hop and Jazz Funk! Sydney Kinney started dancing at 2 years old in Ohio and knew by the time she was 7 that she wanted to be a professional dancer. Come along on her inspirational journey where she overcame so many obstacles, particularly a foot injury right before she was about to start the scholarship program at Edge Performing Arts Center in 2019. Sydney couldn't bear weight on her left foot, but that didn't stop her! She did the Edge program anyway and would sit for...
2024-07-261h 12Dance JourneyHelen House's Dance JourneyIt's that time... Tracy interviews dancer and dance studio owner Helen House! Tracy and Helen take you through their friendship journey of when they first met in Basic Jazz, which they used to take twice a week at Edge Performing Arts Center in 2019. Helen was staying in LA to do the Edge intensive, and she thought she'd probably move here officially soon after. But then Covid hit, and she ended up moving back to Mississippi and opening her own dance studio, House Studio Dance! Fortunately she still gets out to LA often, and she and Tracy had a blast...
2024-07-151h 09Dance JourneyMelissa Miles' Dance JourneyYou may know her from The C Spot, Millennium, T Milly, USC, AMDA, or Dupree Dance Convention (to name a few, lol!). Melissa Miles seems to be everywhere these days - teaching, choreographing, and dancing! Tracy is so excited to take you with her on the journey to Melissa's dance past, growing up in Michigan where she thought she only wanted to do sports and gymnastics because dance was "too girly." But then she discovered JAZZ DANCE at age 10 and knew by 12 that she wanted to dance the rest of her life. She began training in all the styles...
2024-07-0557 minDance JourneyLily Sheahan's Dance JourneyYou've probably seen her around The C Spot LA dance studio - taking class and teaching class, but this week we're going to learn more about dancer Lily Sheahan! Lily grew up competitive dancing in Arizona but then moved to California for college where she joined the CSUN dance team. Soon after, Lily started exploring the adult dance studio scene in LA where she began to love dancing for enjoyment rather than perfection and competition. During the day, Lily teaches reading and coaches the Pom team at Santa Monica High School. Dance is pretty much Lily's life, but recently...
2024-07-011h 01Dance JourneyAngel Strittmater's Dance JourneyThis week Tracy interviews her favorite dancer/comedian (is that a category?), Angel Strittmater! Tracy originally discovered Angel's funny videos about dance on TikTok but then soon realized she's a fantastic dancer and dance teacher as well! Follow along to find out what it was like for Angel to grow up dancing in Minnesota but then move to LA to navigate the dance industry here. From performing in music videos to dancing with contemporary dance company Klein Collective, Angel has done a lot in her first few LA years and continues to book and choreograph as she confidently goes...
2024-06-241h 13Dance JourneyZack Pinto's Dance JourneyAnd now... the moment we've all been waiting for... Zack Pinto's Dance Journey! Follow along to find out how a group of first grade girls brought shy, 6-year-old Zack out of his shell by getting him to dance with them! From that point forward, it was dance, dance, and more dance, as Zack soon started training everyday and competing by age 7! He competed in many styles (including salsa), and by high school became dedicated to ballet and played Fritz in The Nutcracker! Zack continued to pursue dance in college, grad school, and after, amidst many other pursuits and jobs...
2024-06-171h 12Dance JourneyLaetitia Garcin's Dance JourneyThis week, Tracy interviews dance friend Laetitia Garcin! Laetitia is an accountant by day, dancer by night and weekend! She takes dance class at studios all over LA, and her favorite styles lately are lyrical, jazz, and jazz funk. Follow along to hear what it was like for her to grow up learning dance in Seychelles (islands off East Africa) and then France before moving to Northern California and now LA. Tracy and Laetitia discuss favorite teachers and teaching styles, along with their good dance advice. They share specifically about Malaya's lyrical class, which they took that night!
2024-06-1057 minDance JourneyHaley Royal's Dance JourneyYessssss. It's finally here. Tracy interviews one of her closest friends of 10 years - dancer Haley Royal! Tracy lived with Haley for almost 3 years back then, and their friendship and dance journeys have grown and transformed in different ways since. Find out how Haley went from liking only ballet in high school to enjoying various dance styles by the end of college and exploring the dance class scene after she moved to LA. She then got involved with LA Unbound - an adult dance company that performs twice a year. She danced with them for years and choreographed for...
2024-06-0355 minDance JourneyChristian Espinel's Dance JourneyHe's been a topic of conversation on other episodes, but now it's time to talk to the source! Christian Espinel shares how he got started in dance. From training at Debbie Allen to dancing full-time with a Utah-based company, Christian has lived the dance dream! He now teaches a regular contemporary class at C Spot LA that is loved and cherished by so many students. Follow along to learn the details of Christian's dance journey, plus his current dance goals. Also hear how it was for Christian and Tracy to take a lyrical class together from Malaya at Heart...
2024-05-271h 03Dance JourneyRachel Bonilla's Dance JourneyTracy learns about Rachel Bonilla's dance journey from elementary school teacher to gymnastics instructor to bachata dancer! Follow along to see what brings Rachel the most joy (hint: it's not teaching long division, lol). Rachel could barely do a cartwheel when she first started taking class at Mats Gymnastics as an adult a couple years ago, and now she can do almost anything flip-wise, and she teaches there and helps run the place! She recently started her salsa / bachata journey and overcame fears there too - like touching people and dancing close and being social. Rachel and Tracy were...
2024-05-201h 05Dance JourneyBari Grossman's Dance JourneyTracy chats with dance friend Bari Grossman, who she “met at the bar” - the ballet barre! Lol. Join us as we follow Bari’s dance journey growing up in New Jersey, taking ballet as much as possible and loving it more than anything. Her goal was to join a professional ballet company, but she was encouraged to give up that dream after high school. This unfortunate conversation led her to give up ballet completely for 16 years! Find out what finally brought her back and how she ended up in LA, loving her dance life at Westside School of Ballet...
2024-05-1357 minDance JourneyCambrey White's Dance JourneyTracy interviews her new dance friend Cambrey White! Cambrey grew up in Redondo Beach and enjoyed learning jazz dance and musical theater through the local community center, as well as competing and performing with them! She eventually started driving to Hollywood to take class at Edge when she could, and she studied dance at UC Irvine, despite not making it into the program the first time she auditioned. It was Cambrey's dream to dance on Broadway, but her strong aversion to risk led her to getting a degree in psychology instead. But as she moved forward in that direction...
2024-05-061h 04Dance JourneyTaugata Pa'aga's Dance JourneyTracy met her new dance friend Taugata in Brandi Chun's jazz funk class, and now they're chatting about his dance journey on this rainy day in Orange County! Tau was born to dance - from winning a radio station dance contest at age 8 to dancing professionally with a Polynesian dance team by middle school. He didn't have much opportunity for official dance class when he was young, but he learned dances off music videos and ended up quitting football in high school to learn gymnastics and join the cheerleading team. Tau always loved dancing but ended up taking a...
2024-04-291h 31Dance JourneyIsabelle Richards' Dance JourneyTracy chats with dance friend Isabelle Richards who she takes jazz class with at C Spot in Culver City! Isabelle grew up dancing almost every day and loved it but never really had a desire to do it professionally. She did dance competitions in high school and performed with the Song Girls cheer team at USC. Although Isabelle enjoyed these experiences, she now is extra grateful to dance completely as herself and for fun in dance class! Tracy and Isabelle take Melissa Miles' lyrical class at C Spot and discuss their thoughts after. :) You can follow Tracy's current dance...
2024-04-2250 minDance JourneyBridget Renshaw's Dance JourneyThis week Tracy interviews dance friend Bridget Renshaw who she takes class with twice a week! Bridget has been dancing only a few years, but she takes class almost everyday and has been challenging herself lately with harder classes. Bridget and Tracy discuss what draws them to certain teachers and what keeps them going even when a class is difficult (spoiler alert: when Bridget can't make a decision about a class, she ends up accidentally committing to it, lol). You'll hear their thoughts on performing and hear about Bridget's day job doing voice over work! Tracy and Bridget also...
2024-04-151h 02Dance JourneySara Glaser's Dance JourneyTracy chats with dancer friend Sara Glaser to get to know her dance journey before she leaves LA in a few months to go to medical school! Sara grew up dancing her whole life but also always liked learning about the body and growing in medical knowledge like her dad. :) Now she has her own fitness company and wants to become a doctor to help dancers. Learn about Sara's many dance dreams as well as what kept her going through the pandemic and a hip surgery! Tracy and Sara also try Liz Guerrieri's street jazz class at TMilly before...
2024-04-081h 22Dance JourneyTiffany Gene's Dance JourneyTracy chats with hip hop dance friend Tiffany Gene! Tiffany started taking dance class at age 5 and eventually moved to LA from Missouri, where she started teaching dance to kids in the LA school system as well as at Millennium Dance Complex! Tiffany shares about her relationship with God and how he answered her specific prayers about dance. Relationships with teachers play a big role in Tiffany's dance journey, and it was specific encouragement from them that helped her persevere after the pandemic. Tracy and Tiffany also share their thoughts about Coby Mosby's hip hop class, which they took...
2024-04-0150 minDance JourneyIrene Georgerian's Dance JourneyTracy interviews her ballet dance friend Irene Georgerian! Follow along with Irene's dance journey as she started taking dance class in New York as an adult and then continued her ballet training in LA. Irene talks about her various dance performances (and the stress! lol), as well as the learning approach she takes when it comes to ballet (and rowing... and playing pool!) Tracy and Irene discuss what they like about their ballet teacher Chasen Greenwood's class at Westside School of Ballet in Santa Monica and how Irene works diligently to "live up to her leotard." :)
You...
2024-03-251h 09Dance JourneyTess Sophia's Dance JourneyTracy interviews dance friend (and old roommate!) Tess Sophia. Learn about how Tess and Tracy reconnected in a dance class after not seeing each other for years! Longtime dancer and teacher Tess Sophia had recently taken a break from dance with no idea Tracy started dancing 5 years ago, so it was a shock to see her in class. Tess is dancing again now too, and we get to hear all about her dance journey including thoughts on teaching styles, ageism in dance, and rejection therapy! Tracy and Tess take JM Rodriguez's contemporary class together right before the interview and...
2024-03-181h 15Dance JourneyCaroline Folds' Dance JourneyTracy interviews her dance friend Caroline Folds! Learn about how Caroline went from working in the music industry to becoming an actress and a dancer! Tracy and Caroline discuss pursuing dance in singleness vs. marriage, some of their favorite dance teachers, and the stress of dancing in a cypher, lol. They also take the hardest hip hop class of their lives from Canadian dancers Adrian Vendiola and Kelvin Tu and discuss the experience right after.
You can follow Tracy's current dance journey on Instagram @TracyinLA. :)
2024-03-121h 12Dance JourneySarah Noh's Dance JourneyJoin Tracy as she interviews her first Dance Journey guest Sarah Noh! Sarah shares her story of growing up doing ballet, studying other forms of dance in college, and now navigating the LA dance studio scene to grow in hip hop and jazz funk as she pursues her dream to be a professional dancer. They also take a challenging jazz funk class from Jonathan Sison at Movement Lifestyle halfway through the interview and share their fresh thoughts after!
You can follow Tracy's current dance journey on Instagram @TracyinLA. :)
2024-03-0551 minDance JourneyDancing with an InjuryWe are now at the biggest obstacle to my dance journey... my injury! Follow along to see how I made it through this long and confusing trial.
You can follow my current life on Instagram @TracyinLA and get random tips from me on TikTok @TracyinLA. :)
2024-02-261h 18Dance JourneyDancing in the PandemicEpisode 5, and we're now dancing in the pandemic! Follow along with my dance journey as I share what it was like to take class in New York! (virtually :) )
You can follow my current dance journey on Instagram @TracyinLA.
2024-02-221h 00Dance JourneyDancing in LA, Part 2Welcome back to my new podcast, Dance Journey! Follow along as I share how I got more committed to taking dance classes in LA (with a little help from God and my ex-boyfriend, lol).
You can follow my current dance journey on Instagram @TracyinLA. :)
2024-02-121h 06Dance JourneyDancing in LA, Part 1Welcome to my new podcast, Dance Journey! In this episode, I talk about what it was like to start taking dance classes in LA. :)
You can follow my current dance journey on Instagram @TracyinLA.
2024-02-0543 minDance JourneyMoving to LAWelcome to the second episode of my new podcast, Dance Journey! In this one, I share the story of how I ended up moving from Chicago to California and eventually LA. Happy Listening!
You can follow me on Instagram @TracyinLA. :)
2024-01-2858 minDance JourneyMy Childhood Dance ExperienceIn this first episode, I go into detail about my experience with dance as a child, which (spoiler alert) is not a lot, lol.
Follow me on Instagram @TracyinLA. :)
2024-01-2242 minDance JourneyMy New Podcast! (intro)Welcome to my new podcast: Dance Journey! In this series, I want to share my dance journey and hear about yours! Follow me on Instagram @tracyinla.
2024-01-1902 min