WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.000 Yes, we can go back anytime. 2 00:00:01.000 --> 00:00:02.000 We can go back anytime. 3 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:04.000 We are in the clown car. Moving forward, we are slow. 4 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:12.000 My career peaked at 7, but we're here now. 5 00:00:12.000 --> 00:03:52.000 Hey, friends. You're so lucky. You are so lucky. I'm lucky. You're lucky by proxy. My guest today is Brett Easterling, and he's a national treasure. Kind of speechless right now because even within the episode, I learned more about Brett that I did not know. Like, I knew Batsheva. I knew Juilliard School. I knew a lot. But I did not know that Brian Friedman taught Brett how to do an aerial. And I did not know that Brett was a tap kid. And I did not know that Brett is hysterical and has basically created a new religion that I'm gonna be following and would love for you to join us to learn more. Please do tune in to the rest of the episode. But first wins. Today, I am celebrating. Oh, my God. This is a big one. So I, most of the time, like, 98% of the time, prefer a cold brew. I just dusted off my mocha pot. It's like, from the back of my cupboard. Because when I was in Oregon, I was. It was cold, and I was like, hot coffee. That's what's happening. And I had an amazing cup hot coffee this morning that then turned into an iced coffee because it lasted that long. And then I made a protein foam top for it, and it had, like, a third life. The out of here. That's my win this morning. I. My coffee had three lives. What's going on in your world? Yay, guys. Congrats. I'm glad that you're winning, but I'm back on Brett already. No offense to you and your win, but I'm just reading through Brett's bio and bullets and I'm like, how am I so lucky that the person who's performed with Fiona Apple is iconic? That that's on this alongside Will Smith and Christina Aguilera. That's insane. But we're gonna add not only a BFA from Juilliard, but he also won the Hector Zaraspe prize for choreography. Like an award winning choreographer who's had films at more film festivals than I can count or read, has had work showing up at institutions like the Lincoln center and Jacob's Pillow and Baryshnikov Arts Center. I'm just kind of gagged right now. I know. I'm just, like, reading the bullets. I'm rocked. This is the coolest person that I know. And when. When I say films, I mean no notes. Films we talk about his latest film, True Love Will find you in the end, which was presented alongside Seaweed Sisters. Still got it at Dance Camera West. I unfortunately was not able to be at the screening or at the festival, but Brett sent me the link and I watched it five times back to back, and I'm obsessed with it. And we're talking about the film and how it's perfect in all of its ways. The process, the inspiration, the end result, the lessons learned. Like we're. We're going in on making film, on choosing Joy of Dance, and on a whole lot more other random, fun, friendly things. Get ready for the one and only bread. Easterling. We're doing a podcast now. Welcome to the podcast. 6 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:56.000 No, I don't understand. That transition was really smooth. 7 00:03:56.000 --> 00:04:06.000 Thanks. The transition that I want to inspect is how. How are we hanging out one on one for the first time right fucking now on camera? 8 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:08.000 I know. Roll the tape. Let's go. 9 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:19.000 Our planets have been orbiting. I've been an admirer of your work. I really love listening to you talk. I think you are funny. You have actual clown shoes on. 10 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:20.000 I sure do. 11 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:29.000 Okay, so this is tradition on the podcast. All my guests, except for two who I've forgotten to do this with, all my guests. Only that guy Stack. 12 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:32.000 Yeah, 13 00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:56.000 we're already taking a break and it's just the intro. Yes, perfect. I wish it was something stronger. All of my guests introduce thems on the podcast and I'm so curious to hear how you introduce yourself because from the outside looking in, you're very much Renaissance person. And I'm like, what do you lead with when you tell people who you are? Ready, set, go. 14 00:04:56.000 --> 00:05:01.000 My name is Brett Easterling. Strong start so far that that's accurate. 15 00:05:01.000 --> 00:05:03.000 Fact checks. 16 00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:38.000 I don't know how I introduce myself. I'm dance forward. I'm a dancer, I'm a dance artist, I'm a dance maker. I live and breathe dance and also then all the like, elemental spaces that help support the act of dance. So. So also directing and producing and teaching as an educator, just investing like in all the tangential circles that touch upon dance. But dance is always the center and has always been the center of my world, like pre birth. 17 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:40.000 So how do you know that? 18 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:42.000 Because my mom was teaching dance. 19 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:43.000 Okay. 20 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:47.000 Okay with me jumping around in there. 21 00:05:47.000 --> 00:05:52.000 Did she tell you stories about, like, you would always kick when I did adagio? 22 00:05:52.000 --> 00:06:00.000 No, just like she taught her aerobics class the day she went into labor. So she's just like going, she's a goer. 23 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:18.000 Super Freaking hero. That's incredible. Shout out. Darlene, I love that. I really loved what you said about the tangential forms that support dance versus dance being in support of films. No, like, films support dance. Thank you, films. 24 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:19.000 Thank you, films. 25 00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:20.000 Thank you, films. 26 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:21.000 Thank you, films. 27 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:32.000 Thank you for that reframe. Also, I have a good feeling that you'll be reframing a lot of things that I think about in this conversation. Very smart person. I'm very grateful for your time and can't wait to just talk shop with 28 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:34.000 you and thrill to be here and 29 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:49.000 have my little puppy snoring through the whole thing. You gonna get cozy now, my tiny? I'm gonna clean her face. It's what moms do. Okay, great. So I've got a very loose roadmap for us. I want to just like, enjoy each other's company and talk shit a little bit. 30 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:50.000 Let's do it. 31 00:06:50.000 --> 00:07:05.000 But I cannot get to the end of an hour long conversation with you and not absolutely shower you with flowers for your film, which is called longer than I think it will be called. Oh, how was the full title? 32 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:06.000 You can just call it True Love. 33 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:10.000 Okay. True love will find you in the end. Is the whole thing right? 34 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:11.000 Yes. 35 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:29.000 Okay. True love will find you in the end. Riley said this earlier. I cannot take credit. She's like, I have no notes. Like, there is nothing I would change or do differently. Is there anything you would change or do differently? 36 00:07:29.000 --> 00:07:51.000 It's so interesting you bring that up because as you know, with films, there's a lot of time that goes by between when you shoot it, when it gets edited, and when people are finally seeing it. And then you're like, do I like spaces with people? Yeah, totally. And that happens. I mean, that happens with all the forms that we're making. Totally. Even live performance. But unlike live performance, film is like, it's kind of done. That's kind of. That's. That's a wrap. 37 00:07:51.000 --> 00:07:54.000 Literally, it's now contained in that space. 38 00:07:54.000 --> 00:08:18.000 But with True Love, actually looking back, I have so much, like, joy and care and. And I'm. I don't. Which is really weird. I mean, of course, a little. A little thing here or there, but, like, overall also, I'm just like, I'm. I'm really pleased with how that. How that turned out and. And, yeah, I wouldn't change anything at this moment. 39 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:20.000 Would you call it a collage? 40 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:22.000 Yeah, definitely. 41 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:36.000 It doesn't feel like a film in the way that most people think of a film. It feels like many films that are saying the same Thing in wildly different languages that are all dance. But good luck figuring that out. 42 00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:37.000 Yeah. 43 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:58.000 Can you tell me why you made it? I think having a strong why is important. Because shit's expensive. As you mentioned, it takes time. Accidents, like, no notes. Films don't just happen. So it was deliberate. It was probably expensive. Why? What was your why? Because it's got to be good. 44 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:38.000 Yeah. My why? My why was coming from a commission that I actually had to make a duet and inside for live performance. And that live performance. Duet. A lot of times with my work, I like to build out, like, a container that things can be messed around with. So in this, like, the concept for this duet was that these two beings, every time they touch, they restart. Every time they touch, they restart. So then inside that series, it was kind of like, okay, well, let's play with a lot of different dance forms, medium styles, perspectives. 45 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:39.000 With that one rule. 46 00:09:39.000 --> 00:09:45.000 With that one rule. So each time they touch, we reset, and then it's a whole new piece. It's like a series of beginnings. 47 00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:47.000 It turned into. 48 00:09:47.000 --> 00:10:07.000 And yeah, anytime they met, we did that. And kind of conceptually, we. I had the two dancers who were students of mine at USC at the time, one would draw a line that didn't have any crossings, and then the other one would draw another line from the end point of theirs without crossing. 49 00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:08.000 Okay. 50 00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:28.000 So then we had the floor map for how the duet traveled to the Touch Fun. So we kind of, like, we're playing with a lot of different elements to get us to the Touch Fun. And so that was a super fun process. And we built out. A lot of the scenes that you see in the film are just translated from that piece. 51 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:29.000 Got it. 52 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:34.000 But with live performance, it was hard to have the. The cut. 53 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:35.000 Because we're human bodies. 54 00:10:35.000 --> 00:11:02.000 Because we're human bodies, and we have. So we had this, like, kind of beep in the middle that was like a reset. We had a cue for no blackouts, just kind of like drop everything and reset. And then music would go in a new world, kind of build up. So it felt like a really nice space for translation to film because we could build out even more. The costuming, the looks. We could have quicker changes every location. 55 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:20.000 I was like, this is delicious. Yeah, I want to see it. I want to go, yo, you know how airbnb does experiences? I want to go on a location day experience from everywhere that you shot that. The True Love, the Laundromat, the Black and White Hill, the. Oh, my God. My Bonnie. My Bonnie. 56 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:23.000 I think that's the Best. My body same. 57 00:11:23.000 --> 00:11:26.000 But every time I say that, I'm like, my Bonnie is definitely my favorite. 58 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:27.000 Yeah. 59 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:39.000 But the Laundromat is really good. And the ding dong ping pong balls. Oh, man. Brett. I truly know notes. It's delightful. And I feel in such good company that it was designed for live first. 60 00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:40.000 Yes. 61 00:11:40.000 --> 00:13:17.000 The origin story of the Seaweed sisters shares that with you. We. We. Our first project together was a live show that someone saw and our dear friend Lando Wilkins, who was like that. Really, you've got to put that on film like that should be. You got to have that. And it wasn't, I think, the style of that film, actually. Similarly, although it is one location, we're in very different places. Nonsensically. Cuts, cuts, cuts, cut. And I love that nonsense nature about it. Your film really spoke to me in the nonsense way. But it was one idea done very well many different times. And I do, I think, like, I might say this word wrong. An affect of being a person in the social media moment is that you always need to be putting out new, new, different, new, new, different. And I think what, like, some of my favorite artists have done in the past is one idea. Infinity Picasso was like, yep, that's a face, but it's not a thousand different ways. Baldessari with his dots. Fucking Mondrian and the color block. Like, we get like, why are we. There's always gotta be a new song and new moves and new, new, new, new, new. And it was just so refreshing to see one thing done for, what was it, 20 minutes? Yeah. But in a thousand different ways. It was endlessly creative. Wildly creative. 62 00:13:17.000 --> 00:13:50.000 I appreciate that. Thank you. Receiving all the flowers. And I think it's that mix of. I'm always interested in deciding what it is and then seeing how deep we can dig into that idea, because that's when a lot more solutions and new actually shows up by committing to that. But I think inside the form of the film being a series of duets, it still has that kind of, like, scroll ability where, like, nothing's lasting too long in the sense that we're refreshing the viewer's eye. 63 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:51.000 Yeah. 64 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:57.000 But still staying loyal to the concept at the heart of the heart of the work. 65 00:13:57.000 --> 00:14:28.000 So when you watch it, do you feel like. Do you feel like you're flexing on everyone? Because when I watched it, I was like, there's nothing Brett can't do. But it didn't feel like an audition. And like, look, I can do this and I can do this and I can do this, and I Can. But it was a buffet. It's a sampler platter. Yeah. But when you watch it, you're kind of like, dude, I can. I can do. I can do a lot. 66 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:31.000 No, actually, no. 67 00:14:31.000 --> 00:14:32.000 No, it's not. 68 00:14:31.000 --> 00:14:38.000 No, no. I. It gives me so much joy. It feels like a celebration of, like, a specific time or, like, times. 69 00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:39.000 Totally. 70 00:14:39.000 --> 00:14:44.000 And it's a celebration of my creative partnership with Julia Eichton, which is decades 71 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:51.000 long, so loud, and is so clear. Is, like, these two, orange and green meant to be. 72 00:14:51.000 --> 00:14:52.000 Yeah. 73 00:14:52.000 --> 00:15:03.000 And yet we see them being for collectively, what, like, 15 frames? Yeah, you only see them in contact for maybe 15 frames. So cool. Yeah, I really loved it. 74 00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:32.000 But it feels, you know, it's like a way to immortalize this bond. And I think I feel also very sisterhood with seaweed sisters inside of our processes. Where it is. It is focused on friendship first and that sense of, like, family that you get from friendship and celebrating that through our art making. And, like, and I think the trust and the, like, sensitivities and I don't know, I just. I feel like there's a lot of kinship. 75 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:42.000 Okay. In a. In a duo, how do you two handle difference in taste or decision making? Because with three, it's very easy. We. We take a vote. 76 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:43.000 Yeah. 77 00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:45.000 How do you do it with two? 78 00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:57.000 I think. I think we're always aligned. No, I don't think we're always aligned. No, I think we're always. We have a little bit of a yin and yang that I think balances each other. Yep. 79 00:15:57.000 --> 00:15:58.000 Yep. 80 00:15:57.000 --> 00:16:12.000 Where I'm always, you know, like, more streamlined, and she's always a little bit more, like, surreal beyond. And so I think trying to find that meeting point is actually where the magic happens. 81 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:13.000 That's where the answer is. 82 00:16:13.000 --> 00:16:14.000 Yeah. 83 00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:18.000 The answer is whatever her ideas and your ideas is together. 84 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:26.000 Because that's then the thing that couldn't have been made if either one of us were doing it on our own. Which is the point of collaboration. 85 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:29.000 If you didn't know which is the goal. 86 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:30.000 Which is the goal of collaboration? 87 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:37.000 It is. It's like, let me enhance your idea with this idea. Let me support you in this way. 88 00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:38.000 Right. 89 00:16:37.000 --> 00:17:30.000 Man, I really just had one of my favorite collaboration new collaborations, period, ever. And I think this person is different in many ways than I am. I like to move fast. I have a lot of fun moving fast. I. In. I. I can make a lot of assumptions. Like, oh, my assumption is that we'll figure it out. We don't need to talk about it. And this person Is like very slow, very patient, very curious about exploring a carve out that they might even think is definitely not it. But I'm like, wait, if it's not it, then what are we doing there? But we found something in there that is it that I would have never found if I was just jets blazing, going and going. So it's nice to have somebody with a really. Not just different taste, but different way and modes of getting to the end. 90 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:31.000 Totally. 91 00:17:31.000 --> 00:17:33.000 Really fun. It sounds like you guys have that. 92 00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:45.000 It's also like, we have specific to our relationship. We have so much shared history that a lot of the collaboration is actually unspoken. It's like you can throw us in a sports together. Yeah. 93 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:46.000 Okay, cool. 94 00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:46.000 That's where we met. 95 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:47.000 Got it. 96 00:17:46.000 --> 00:18:32.000 So you can throw us in a room together, which we've done before, and like put on the. Put on the video. No sound, just go. Improv, performance, kind of whatever. And so much exists without us even needing to communicate to even have a meeting about it. Yeah, yeah, we actually. I think less meetings is probably good for us. Amazing. But that's like, I think inherent to our art form is how much of the work that we do actually is unspoken. And I think that gets in the larger conversations about how then it's hard to translate into words what it is we're doing and why it's important, all that stuff. But yeah, I value that bond that specifically my collaboration with Julia. 97 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:38.000 Are there other collaborators from the project you'd like to shout out? Because I notice, of course, notice wardrobe featured heavily. 98 00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:41.000 Costume was phenomenal. 99 00:18:41.000 --> 00:18:42.000 Bratz. 100 00:18:41.000 --> 00:18:52.000 So good. Well, as you know, Mimi Haddon is a magical, mystical being. Oh, my God. That made so many dreams come true. 101 00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:53.000 Yeah. 102 00:18:52.000 --> 00:19:26.000 And was able to pull so many references from like, here's. Here's our like 11 to 15 ideas of worlds. So kind of being able to put those together in a really crafty, scrappy, like, creative, easy way. Because also, yeah, things are expanded, expensive. So Mimi Haddon definitely gets a huge shout out. Jasmine Sugar, who did our hair and makeup for the work, also transformed us each and every day on that set to really help us kind of settle into how this being is different from the one we shot yesterday or a week ago. 103 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:29.000 Being not seen, but like life form. 104 00:19:29.000 --> 00:19:30.000 Yeah, life form. 105 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:31.000 Yeah. 106 00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:31.000 Yes. 107 00:19:31.000 --> 00:19:33.000 They were very alive, all of them. 108 00:19:33.000 --> 00:19:40.000 So thank you. Yeah. So it's thanks to Mimi and Jasmine for getting us to kind of feel. Feel different, feel the new life, feel the full part. 109 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:41.000 Cool. 110 00:19:41.000 --> 00:20:03.000 And Rybg, of course, super talented students of mine from usc, of course Alumnae, cinematography, kind of sound supervisor. Like all of the. All of a director photography kind of work. All the set work. They were so supportive and helpful and, like, making it look so expensive. They made it look so expensive, and I love them for that. 111 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:20.000 Oh, my God, it looks like it's full of love. It really feels so special. And thank you for sharing. And please, pretty please, my friends, do yourself a great favor and jump to the show notes for this episode where you will be able to find true love. Will find you in the end. Meet you in the end. Find you in the end. 112 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:22.000 Find you. No, you nailed it. 113 00:20:22.000 --> 00:21:13.000 And other works bundled together to just, like, tickle your sweetest fancies. I'm. I'm upset. I'm actively gonna watch it again. It's gonna leave. It's so good. And you know what? You know what? It's. I don't think it's. I didn't clock this the first time. It made. Oh, this dog leg. Watching it made contact and touch more important. In my immediate minutes that followed, the things that I touched mattered more. And the things that touched me had a bigger impact. Because what you train us to do is like, touch is important. When touch happens, something happens. And so in the moments that followed watching it, I really felt a sensory change in my body. And what a fucking cool effect of a work. I don't know if it's desired, but I. I was. I was different in my experience of my body after watching. 114 00:21:13.000 --> 00:21:20.000 Thank you. That's. Yeah. That's some really meaningful feedback. I really. I haven't heard that, so I appreciate that. Really. 115 00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:21.000 I do have one more question. 116 00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:22.000 Yeah. The laundry. 117 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:24.000 The Laundromat. Sc. 118 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:26.000 We will. We're hanging out. 119 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:28.000 Like, let's. It's just. It rocked me so hard. 120 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:30.000 I'm so grateful. I love. 121 00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:32.000 But if you get bored, we could talk about something. 122 00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:35.000 No, I love talking about the stuff that we're up to. 123 00:21:35.000 --> 00:21:50.000 That. That, like it. People being lit up by something. I'm like, yeah, let's talk about, like, what's lighting it up. And right now it's this film. Okay. The Laundromat. Scripted, improvised, improvised entirely. 124 00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:52.000 Her story, Skeleton. 125 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:53.000 Okay. Okay. 126 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:53.000 Improvise. 127 00:21:53.000 --> 00:21:54.000 Okay. 128 00:21:53.000 --> 00:22:05.000 Yeah. Just the idea of, like, yes, we're in the Laundromat. Yes. We kind of have a little back and forth to get us into. I had this dream the other night conversation. 129 00:22:05.000 --> 00:22:08.000 You knew there would be a dream. We knew that that talk would happen here. 130 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:09.000 Yes. 131 00:22:09.000 --> 00:22:13.000 And that. And that later in the dream talk. We'd be over here. 132 00:22:13.000 --> 00:22:20.000 Yeah. We kind of structured out the. The oner and how it would flow with the team and. 133 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:23.000 Oh, that's a oner. 134 00:22:23.000 --> 00:22:24.000 It's a winner. 135 00:22:23.000 --> 00:22:47.000 You know what's cool is that it's really. The oner has really turned into a shtick where it's like oner is like king. And it so was just a byproduct of the story. It was just like. Oh, coincidentally. Yeah. We didn't cut. But not like the stunty. Like people are gonna be so impressed by this one or so. 136 00:22:47.000 --> 00:22:48.000 Totally sick. 137 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:49.000 Thanks. Awesome. Keep going. 138 00:22:49.000 --> 00:23:04.000 No, I. Thank you. I mean, I think it's like how. How are all the choices in support of the product versus choices that are in like in with the intention of like impressing. 139 00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:05.000 Yeah. 140 00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:14.000 So it felt like with that scene where it is kind of an unscripted improvisational dialogue of sorts, kind of turns into a monologue. But. 141 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:15.000 Yeah. 142 00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:27.000 How then the idea of like not cutting or being able to kind of float around this laundromat let like kind of supported the improvisational aspect of the work. 143 00:23:27.000 --> 00:23:39.000 Yeah, that makes sense. Are you working on something magical right now? Are you in a decompress? You mentioned that this was kind of a while ago, actually. When did you wrap on the project? I'm talking to you like it was yesterday. Cuz that's when I watched. 144 00:23:39.000 --> 00:23:43.000 No, I know. I mean, we started filming in 20 top of 20. 22. 145 00:23:43.000 --> 00:23:44.000 Oh, okay. Yeah. 146 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:48.000 So. And. And first day we had co scare. So that was. 147 00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:50.000 This kid is in first grade, basically. 148 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:51.000 Yeah, yeah. 149 00:23:51.000 --> 00:24:01.000 Got it. And I'm talking to them about them like they're a newborn. That's great. You're like. Actually they drive, but sure. Yeah. They want to be a doctor when they grow up and. Okay. 150 00:24:01.000 --> 00:24:37.000 And it took. It took a couple years because we just kind of kept chipping away. Yeah. Julia was in Vermont and I was here. And so just the moments that we would connect, we could try to get a screening in. We had one location that we were gonna like. Yeah, yeah. That we didn't necessarily have the rights for. So we're just gonna kind of just jump in there. And then the like, the. The like park police people, whatever came and like shut it down right away. So then we had to like. Which is fine. You know, it's. It's for the best actually. That location, it's. It was the Bonnie location. 151 00:24:37.000 --> 00:24:38.000 Was it? 152 00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:41.000 So then we found this Bonnie location which ended up being the most. 153 00:24:41.000 --> 00:24:42.000 I can't imagine it. 154 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:43.000 Yeah. Moment. 155 00:24:43.000 --> 00:24:49.000 I think of things straight out of Sound of Music. 156 00:24:49.000 --> 00:24:50.000 That was the goal. 157 00:24:49.000 --> 00:24:50.000 So good. 158 00:24:50.000 --> 00:25:01.000 So, you know, just trying to. You have to roll with it as things happen. But it took many years to kind of get together, and that's why it does feel like a time capsule. 159 00:25:01.000 --> 00:25:39.000 Yeah, I love that about making a thing. It's so cool. Were there any other bits that. Like, how did you edit yourselves? Because it's very clear to me that you have no shortage of great ideas. How did you know? Okay, no, that's a different thing. We'll put that in something else. Like there. Okay. We could have had a swing set moment and we could have had a fucking coffee shop moment and we could have had a on top of cars on the freeway moment. And how did you edit. How did you know what ideas were definitely good enough to go for? Because you could. You could have done a thousand million things and you did what, 15, 12. 160 00:25:39.000 --> 00:25:42.000 Little something around there being. Lost track. Yeah. 161 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:45.000 Okay. Yeah. Were there any that didn't make the cut? 162 00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:46.000 Yeah. 163 00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:46.000 Okay. 164 00:25:45.000 --> 00:26:49.000 Yeah, there was one that was actually going to be like our. Our final one, which existed in the live performance version of it. The. In the live performance with Anthony Tett and Elise Munson. I should say that they were the original makers. We had a section that actually ended and they did find Touch. And then we had a whole duet where they never stopped touching, kind of to take us in to the, like, endlessness of it. We fade and they're still going. And it was really beautiful and kind of effective on stage, but so we filmed a version of that for the film. And actually it just didn't. Didn't really. Yeah, it didn't read. It looked. It kind of. To be honest, it kind of looked like a dance film. Oh, in a sense of like. No, but like, in the sense of like, it's just like there was no point of. There was no point of view. It was just like us kind of dancing on film. And like, maybe we can still release it as a separate kind of idea or entity, but as far as supporting the overall concept of the work, this. This is perfect. 165 00:26:49.000 --> 00:26:51.000 The shape that is happening on my 166 00:26:51.000 --> 00:27:01.000 lap and the one foot upside down foot, because of that kind of losing the finale one, then like, where do we end up going with it? 167 00:27:01.000 --> 00:27:02.000 How do you fucking end it? 168 00:27:02.000 --> 00:28:29.000 Right. Because it's an endless thing. And purple virtual, which is Noah Gauthier. And it started this animation that we were playing with. He took 3D kind of pictures of us and built out what he could do inside of the scenarios. And so we had a lot of different virtual worlds also that we could, like, maybe play with. And that's, of course, even more endless than, like, our own physical bodies and what we can do. So he built this really beautiful kind of animation where we're kind of, like, floating around and wiggling and we. Julia's partner, Juniper Rose. JuniperXR on Spotify, had a piece of music that was an original composition of hers that we then kind of just threw on top of the animation. And it just was, like, so perfect and seamless, and it was so sweet and touching, and it was just like, that's it. That's the kind of culminating thing that we needed. So it's really important inside the creative process to, like, continue to recognize where, like, ease exists and where, like, the alignment and things that kind of land in your lap, like, at this particular time, that we. That we lean into them and allow them. Allow things to be easy sometimes, because looking back, there were so many logistical complications inside the whole project. 169 00:28:29.000 --> 00:28:31.000 It's not easy to make a thing like that. 170 00:28:31.000 --> 00:28:42.000 But the. The things that show up that are the most magical and meaningful are the ones actually that kind of just landed in place. So we like to kind of give it up to Joy of Dance. 171 00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:53.000 Yes, to the Joy of Dance. And yet those technical. I was just saying this a second ago. Those technical, crunchy bits are the tax that we pay for Joy of Dance. 172 00:28:53.000 --> 00:28:54.000 Yeah. 173 00:28:53.000 --> 00:29:05.000 Like, yes, I will definitely endorse losing my hard drive or having a shitty export, because my job is the thing I've been looking at on the screen and my body that can do these things. I'll take it. 174 00:29:05.000 --> 00:29:06.000 Totally. 175 00:29:05.000 --> 00:29:10.000 Yeah. If that is the crunchiest part of my life. Day project. Yeah. Bring it. Bring it on. 176 00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:40.000 And for us, it's like, the more we can be a vessel for the Joy of Dance, the better, because we kind of coined them jod. Joy of Dance. To be Jod. So, like, we believe in Jod, and we're just gonna, like, allow. When do we meet to kind of support this project that we're trying to figure out and lean towards. And so those are the magical moments where they're like, oops, this kind of lined up, perfect, done that. We feel like it's like, ship it. 177 00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:41.000 Yeah, that's great. 178 00:29:41.000 --> 00:29:42.000 In Jod we trust. 179 00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:47.000 In Jod we trust. Oh, my job. That's great. 180 00:29:47.000 --> 00:29:48.000 New things. 181 00:29:47.000 --> 00:29:56.000 Yeah, new things that you're working on. Do you have something in the canon that you are, like, either chipping away at or still in the visualization phase? What is exciting you right now? 182 00:29:56.000 --> 00:30:02.000 Yeah. So Julia and I were recently commissioned by Lincoln center to make another short film. 183 00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:03.000 Yes, yes. 184 00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:15.000 In the vein of our True Love series. So been dreaming up what that scene or world might look like and trying to organize all the things and trying to. 185 00:30:15.000 --> 00:30:16.000 What's the deadline? 186 00:30:16.000 --> 00:30:18.000 Well, we have to shoot in May. 187 00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:21.000 Oh, it's April 23. 188 00:30:21.000 --> 00:30:24.000 It's April 23 when we're filming this. 189 00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:25.000 This is sick. 190 00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:33.000 When this is released, it will have been filmed in theory. Great, great. So it's a very quick, very quick process. 191 00:30:33.000 --> 00:30:38.000 Okay. Do you like that? I kind of love a tight deadline. 192 00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:46.000 I think deadlines are really important, especially for Julie and I, because we can talk and talk and talk and dream and dream and dream forever. And we will. 193 00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:48.000 And it works. It's good for you. 194 00:30:48.000 --> 00:31:02.000 But I think a deadline is really valuable to us. So this kind of commission is a super. Yeah. Welcomed opportunity to kind of continue to practice and develop our skills as filmmakers. 195 00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:07.000 And what's your biggest question mark about it right now? 196 00:31:07.000 --> 00:31:26.000 For me, it's. It's when. That's when you start to get the logistic and the artistic thing. Because there's a lot of logistic things that are kind of taking front of mind for me of like, okay, well, where are we filming it? And, like, who is the director of photography? And, like, can we find a producer to kind of help us do this so that it's not us? So, like, all those kind of. 197 00:31:26.000 --> 00:31:27.000 Okay, yeah. 198 00:31:27.000 --> 00:31:30.000 Questions are at top of mind, especially when it is such a short deadline. 199 00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:31.000 Yep. 200 00:31:31.000 --> 00:32:11.000 And then that ends up putting the artistic back seat questions in the back seat, which is hard for me because that's where I want to be. I want to be in the front seat with those kind of figuring out. So, like, who are they in this film and what is their arc or what is their journey? And, like, what is. Is there conflict? What's the resolution? Where do we go? Like, all those questions that are more important and so fucking important and so important. And, you know, again, it's like dance. Actually. The dance, the movement, actually becomes the last thing that's considered, which is, you know, both good and bad. Both good in the sense that Julia and I have so much unspoken chemistry that we actually don't need to work on it a lot. 201 00:32:11.000 --> 00:32:17.000 Dance is your native language. It is the part that will fall out of you if somebody just dangles you upside down and shakes a bit. 202 00:32:17.000 --> 00:32:44.000 And especially when the parameters that you're working inside of are clear. So if we know who we are, if we know what kind of aesthetics or genres or styles we're Kind of referencing or who or what we're parodying inside of it because I think we're leaning towards our roots as competitive dancers and competition dance babies. So we're doing a little bit of a like, competitive space where it's a little bit hard. 203 00:32:44.000 --> 00:32:45.000 I can see it. 204 00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:52.000 I can do anything better than you kind of competition because that's where we both from. 205 00:32:52.000 --> 00:32:53.000 Yes. 206 00:32:52.000 --> 00:32:53.000 Our roots. 207 00:32:53.000 --> 00:32:55.000 Britt, may make you an offering. 208 00:32:55.000 --> 00:32:56.000 Yeah. 209 00:32:56.000 --> 00:33:57.000 An image is coming to mind sometimes that happens. Of a clown car. And you're talking about front seat and backseat. But what I would like to offer is that we are all in the car together. And when the clowns get out, nobody knows what seat they were in. Nobody fucking. They weren't even in a seat. They were like bundled up like your weird skin bags at the top of the car where the sunroof should be. And it came can feel like they're deprioritized, but you're so right. And that they're all connected. Like the who's and what's and whens that you need to have answered now are rubbing out there with the other guys and they will. Everything will be answered and filled in at exactly the right time. But I. I know how it feels to like put baby in the corner and like when the love is the dance. And you are not doing that part yet. The Seaweed sisters process for the show. Our live show. We don't know. We don't know. Thank you for knowing. Has been hugely discussion for like very little actual making of dance. 210 00:33:57.000 --> 00:34:04.000 But you've done so much prep. I mean, I was so grateful to be a part of the kind of quick draft viewing. 211 00:34:04.000 --> 00:34:17.000 Yeah, our quick draft viewing. It was draft one viewing. We know our to do list. And then there will be a point where we're like, okay, now we need outside eyes because we're not sure from the inside if our decisions that we made are having the effect that we want. 212 00:34:17.000 --> 00:34:18.000 Totally. 213 00:34:17.000 --> 00:34:18.000 So, yeah, you will be getting. 214 00:34:18.000 --> 00:34:20.000 I would love to come by. 215 00:34:20.000 --> 00:34:21.000 Thank you so much. 216 00:34:21.000 --> 00:34:22.000 It'd be an honor. 217 00:34:22.000 --> 00:34:23.000 Oh, thank you so much. 218 00:34:23.000 --> 00:34:30.000 Yeah, I'll be in Canada. I have a. I'm doing a residency at Banff to build out a piece I made at Red Cats Now Fest. 219 00:34:30.000 --> 00:34:31.000 Okay. Okay. 220 00:34:31.000 --> 00:34:35.000 So evening length ensemble work. Biggest kind of largest scale I've ever. 221 00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:40.000 I was gonna say I just got heart palpitations. That sounds intimidating. Where are you at emotionally with that? 222 00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:41.000 Really? 223 00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:41.000 Okay, so I'm not helping. 224 00:34:41.000 --> 00:34:44.000 Really. Above. Really? Just above. Yeah. 225 00:34:44.000 --> 00:34:45.000 Yeah. It's there. 226 00:34:45.000 --> 00:34:46.000 Money. 227 00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:47.000 Oh, yeah. Money. 228 00:34:47.000 --> 00:34:48.000 Yeah, it's made up. 229 00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:49.000 Yep. 230 00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:53.000 But again, logistics. I gotta book flights. But like also what are we gonna do there? 231 00:34:53.000 --> 00:34:54.000 It'll happen. 232 00:34:54.000 --> 00:34:58.000 I love the clown car image. Honestly. That's really meaningful. Thank you. 233 00:34:58.000 --> 00:35:00.000 All together because it's, it's. 234 00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:01.000 This is a clown car. 235 00:35:01.000 --> 00:35:04.000 Yeah. And it is a clown car. 236 00:35:04.000 --> 00:35:05.000 Couldn't tell. 237 00:35:05.000 --> 00:35:13.000 And I don't. I understand. Like maybe you truly can only hold space for one thought at a time. 238 00:35:13.000 --> 00:35:14.000 Yeah. 239 00:35:13.000 --> 00:35:44.000 Or maybe you can only make decisions one at a time. But the way that dance and taste work are that they live in you. So they won't. They're not going anywhere while you're making the decisions. Your idea, like an idea can come at any time and so you've got a full car. That's fine. Everybody's gonna be so delighted when all of those things come out and one at a time and we're just like, no way. That's all been. No way. It's gotta be the end. And you're like, no, I've really been holding onto a lot actually. And then they just keep coming out. 240 00:35:44.000 --> 00:35:46.000 A lot of clowns existing in there. 241 00:35:46.000 --> 00:35:47.000 Oh, I can't wait. 242 00:35:47.000 --> 00:36:04.000 But I think that's like at least mentoring, you know, compositional students at school. It's like the idea and those decisions are actually the most important ones. I feel like there's a trend of wanting to make cool moves. 243 00:36:04.000 --> 00:36:05.000 Yes. 244 00:36:04.000 --> 00:36:06.000 In sequence. Which is. 245 00:36:06.000 --> 00:36:07.000 I get it. 246 00:36:07.000 --> 00:36:44.000 Powerful and part of the research and effective inside of our social media world that we exist in. But I think longevity to have really clear concepts and really clear world building and really clear investment in all the other mediums and disciplines that you're engaging to support the dance. Whether that's like music or lighting or like whatever costuming. But like answering those will give you so much more for then the cool moves to exist inside of and. 247 00:36:44.000 --> 00:36:56.000 And to land even like sometimes the moves aren't even landing because the supporting systems are not supporting. Can I tell you a huge, huge, huge, massive insecurity of mine? 248 00:36:56.000 --> 00:36:58.000 Yeah. Let's hear it. 249 00:36:58.000 --> 00:37:17.000 I think I am shitty with composition. I did not go to school for dance. I grew up a comp kid. No further education outside of my high school diploma. I graduated AP Scholar. It's no big deal. High achiever over here. Whatever. 250 00:37:17.000 --> 00:37:18.000 Dance forward. 251 00:37:18.000 --> 00:38:53.000 Yeah. But I really like, I am a child of the music video generation. Eight counts for eight counts sake. I was never a great technician so I leaned into emotion and performance technique to keep an audience. But like up until, I mean my almost all of my work was Audience focused until probably after my fully second tour with Justin Timberlake, when I got really curious about my relationship to dance, if it's not as a backup dancer. And so then I start asking questions about femininity, sexuality, what is sexy, what is attraction, what is attractive. And none of those things had anything to do with composition. All of that was just solo investigation. And so I feel like I have, like, sneaked by an entire career without ever learning this big, major fucking piece of what choreography means, or is. I guess I've just had great examples and been in the room with people who are good at things. And so I'm borrowing things that I think and see have worked. But maybe you could take a couple minutes to give, like, a choreographic composition crash course for dummies. Like, what are the most important components of composition for a dummy? 252 00:38:53.000 --> 00:39:10.000 Well, I feel like I have to start by saying you're selling yourself short in a really big way, obviously. And I know everyone listening is also, like, lies. She's telling lies. Well, but. But I understand. I understand a little bit of imposter syndrome. And, like, of course. 253 00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:18.000 And having seen such incredible work and knowing, like, I don't have that training. I don't know. Like, y' all were in school for a long time. 254 00:39:18.000 --> 00:39:30.000 Well, that was a choice we made. But you have. You have, like. Okay, there wasn't maybe a formal, organized means for you to do it, but obviously it's. It's washing over you. 255 00:39:30.000 --> 00:39:33.000 Like, all of it's in the water. Absolutely. Swimming in. 256 00:39:33.000 --> 00:39:43.000 And you're also, like, extremely observant and extremely, like, receptive and playful and, like, willing to. 257 00:39:43.000 --> 00:39:44.000 Yes and, yes. 258 00:39:44.000 --> 00:39:52.000 Take on and try, not. No. And I think that's okay. I think that. Think that's, like, essential inside of any compositional process is the, like, play. 259 00:39:52.000 --> 00:39:53.000 Okay. 260 00:39:52.000 --> 00:39:53.000 And I think. 261 00:39:53.000 --> 00:39:55.000 Love that. Great, then, yes, I do know things. 262 00:39:55.000 --> 00:39:57.000 Yes, you do, of course. 263 00:39:57.000 --> 00:39:59.000 Because I know things about games. 264 00:39:59.000 --> 00:40:00.000 Yeah. 265 00:39:59.000 --> 00:40:01.000 And play and rules. Yeah. 266 00:40:01.000 --> 00:40:34.000 And that's all it is, is you're creating rules that then you can either choose to follow or purposefully break. And that's. I think. I think that's, like, the most distilled version of what composition is through. Like, for me, it's important that it's in a playful lens. Yeah, of course. There's, like, relationship to, again, whatever other disciplines you're playing with. So if music is a part of it. So, like, how are you in relation to music? You know, with a pose. So, yeah, I think. I think you have access to all of the ideas and you know what a canon is? You know, you know how to. 267 00:40:34.000 --> 00:40:39.000 Oh, I fucking love a canon. Or like, how do you make 18 count, 38 counts a canon. 268 00:40:39.000 --> 00:40:50.000 Or the idea of counterpoint having two different phrases at once that are in relationship to each other that. So, like, when they go high, you go low. Like, it turns out I'm like, really? Yeah, of course you are. 269 00:40:50.000 --> 00:40:51.000 I. 270 00:40:51.000 --> 00:40:52.000 You just wanted me to guess. 271 00:40:51.000 --> 00:40:57.000 I just. No, no, no. I just never learned those things formally. 272 00:40:57.000 --> 00:40:58.000 Sure. 273 00:40:58.000 --> 00:41:02.000 Or got to practice them specifically. 274 00:41:02.000 --> 00:41:03.000 It's that part. 275 00:41:03.000 --> 00:41:07.000 Yeah. I didn't get to like, go across the floor doing six step pirouettes with composition. 276 00:41:07.000 --> 00:41:18.000 Well, with school, that provides you a, like, little greenhouse to discover and play around in. So I feel like your stakes have always been inside of a, like, workspace. 277 00:41:18.000 --> 00:41:19.000 Yeah. 278 00:41:19.000 --> 00:41:20.000 Like, this is a page on a 279 00:41:20.000 --> 00:41:21.000 playground or in a sandbox. 280 00:41:21.000 --> 00:41:46.000 Yeah. This is versus being in a studio for, you know, 15 weeks in a semester to, like, work on and listen to composition and look at other people's compositions and, like, learn how to give feedback about what that is. Or what does it mean if a dancer's. Center. Center. And what does it mean if a dancer's in the back corner? And, like, there's so many elements to, like, unlock and play with inside of composition. 281 00:41:46.000 --> 00:41:47.000 Really good. 282 00:41:46.000 --> 00:41:57.000 So it's just about. It's just about like, what school did, at least in my perspective, was create a space for that to be played with without the stakes of like, it's your career on the line. 283 00:41:57.000 --> 00:41:59.000 Yep. Sandbox. 284 00:41:59.000 --> 00:42:01.000 But you learn, I think, probably really quick when it's. 285 00:42:01.000 --> 00:42:02.000 I guess I did. 286 00:42:02.000 --> 00:42:03.000 When. 287 00:42:03.000 --> 00:42:04.000 Yeah, I guess I did. The stakes are high. 288 00:42:04.000 --> 00:42:05.000 Yeah. Yeah. 289 00:42:05.000 --> 00:42:50.000 That's awesome. I love this question. What does it mean when. And what is my relationship to. Yes, those I've always asked myself, but maybe not in those exact words specifically relationship. And every time I hear my voice on a critique tape, I'm either saying, bend your freaking knees or what? How do you feel? How do you feel? And how do. Would you like your audience to be left feeling, knowing that you cannot control my feelings? But do you have an objective here, feelings wise? And then what is your relationship to each other? If there's more than one person on stage, to the music and to the audience, and then it all circles back to bend your knees again and have a relationship to the floor? 290 00:42:50.000 --> 00:42:54.000 Please. Yeah, please. Begging, begging you for that. 291 00:42:54.000 --> 00:42:57.000 Our corpse is vertical. 292 00:42:57.000 --> 00:42:58.000 Yes. 293 00:42:58.000 --> 00:43:00.000 With locked out knees. So hard to watch. So hard to watch. 294 00:43:00.000 --> 00:43:01.000 Your pelvis can't travel. 295 00:43:01.000 --> 00:43:04.000 I'm like, actually, how did you even do that? Because I swear you didn't mention me. 296 00:43:04.000 --> 00:43:11.000 Sometimes it gets more impressive when they jump without doing a plie. It's like, wow, I'm actively impressed. What if you plie, where was your 297 00:43:11.000 --> 00:43:20.000 weight in your feet when you just did a full rotation saute, arabesque, and then suit new with straight legs, where was the weight? 298 00:43:20.000 --> 00:43:21.000 It's impressive. 299 00:43:21.000 --> 00:43:22.000 It's very cool. 300 00:43:22.000 --> 00:43:36.000 But those are. Those are essential questions, I think, in any creative process or compositional process. So it's like, the questions that I also. To, like, embellish. That is like, where are you? Right. If you're doing this solo, are you outside? Are you in a field? Are you. 301 00:43:36.000 --> 00:43:37.000 What's under your feet? 302 00:43:37.000 --> 00:43:47.000 What's under your feet? Right. All these things that can then help them answer the question of, like, what am I feeling? Or what is my objective inside of the piece? That. 303 00:43:47.000 --> 00:45:11.000 Do you think that there's an age that those kind of questions are too much? Like, I don't know. I feel like little kids are better at imagination and sometimes better at receiving those seemingly big questions. What they're not so good at is holding two at once. Like, they can. Like, I can definitely see that there is gravel under your feet or that your shoes are actually deflated footballs or like, whatever my prompt was, I can. I'm borrowing that from Kurt Vonnegut. It was a character description once where I was just like, that's too, too good. I'm using that as freestyle prompts always. But when. When I introduce those big ideas, whatever the choreography was, eight counts, be gone. It's just like, they're just running. And then with older cats that I teach, it's. It seems like it's really hard for them to abandon the safety of what is set for exploration of concept or imagination or the vulnerability of what it is to dance feeling forward instead of aesthetics first. So, yeah, I. Timing wise, I don't know what I'm asking, but I know you teach a lot. Do you find that there's, like, what is the most effective way to introduce those ideas? And when is it just. Everybody gets it all the time. 304 00:45:11.000 --> 00:45:13.000 I think it's. Everybody gets all the time. And I think it's like. 305 00:45:13.000 --> 00:45:15.000 And if it sticks, then great. 306 00:45:15.000 --> 00:46:30.000 I think it's by, like, sticking with it that I think, yeah, if I'm in middle school and I feel a type of way, and then all of a sudden I'm in this space and I'm being asked to do this, like, of course some insecurities are gonna probably show up and block some of the creative possibilities that is being asked of me. But if I was already kind of in conversation with those ideas from a younger age, and that doesn't necessarily feel like a new idea. And I think it's really. It's always about. I think teaching is less about teaching and more about, like, creating a space for discoveries to happen inside of that. Like, it's actually never about me telling someone what to do, but more about me creating a space in which someone feels available to unlock or discover something new. And I think there's a lot of strategies for that and like constant learnings to be happen and constant act of being present inside the act of teaching that support that idea. But so I think that's kind of where I try to prioritize at least my own voice inside of a leading a space. 307 00:46:30.000 --> 00:47:51.000 Thank you for that and thank you even more for being an example of the or for your work and you like the way you live your life being an example of the fruits of operating that way. Because I think we see a lot of the fruits of operating with product first versus person first or process first or play first is it's like, okay, well, I am gonna get likes, so I am gonna do this trend, and my leg is gonna do this thing and whatever. And so it's really nice to have examples. Like, I can point to this film as like, look what happens. Like, repeat, repeat an eight count to me. Show me an eight count from your film. You can't. You can't. But it will be burned on your eyes. It will be the only thing you think about for weeks. And so to give people an example of, like, this is what's possible if you operate this way, yes, it's totally cool to do the other thing as well, and you can even do both. But to know how to. To create from a place of option versus a place of designations like must dos. But can do, can do, can do, can do, can do feels just so very who you are and very succinctly put. And thank you for your way. 308 00:47:51.000 --> 00:48:00.000 Thank you. I think for us, the challenge then with dance is how do you have space for the can do can dos when time and resources are extremely limited. 309 00:48:00.000 --> 00:49:05.000 Great. This is my question that I wanted to ask my friend who every day had, like, all the time in the world. And I was like, don't we tech eventually? And we did, and tech was tight. But guess what? The show went up on opening and it was great. I think it's probably the answer. Your question doesn't need an answer because it's all possibilities. But I do love the thought that we always have exactly as much time as we need and we will always want more. It will always feel like there isn't enough, but it is always exactly the right amount of time. Even if that amount of time is a 45 minute class, which I'm always like, what the hell am I even gonna do with 45 minutes? No, it's a perfect. It's just like 45 minutes this year and 45 minutes next year where I'm championing the same thing. It's like, thank you for saying what you said about not so much when as in what age, but when as in always. Like, you are always underlining, always showing, always being an example of or creating spaces for that type of making. Yeah, it's always. That's when always. 310 00:49:05.000 --> 00:49:18.000 And I think for me, similarly, I felt aligned with you in the sense that, like, for me, it wasn't about, like, I have the most amazing facility and availabilities inside my body, so. But I had a lot of heart. And so I think that I really 311 00:49:18.000 --> 00:49:20.000 want to see the tapes. 312 00:49:20.000 --> 00:49:22.000 My mom's got them. 313 00:49:22.000 --> 00:49:24.000 Denise. Debbie. 314 00:49:24.000 --> 00:49:25.000 Darling, Darling, darling. 315 00:49:25.000 --> 00:49:26.000 Darlene. 316 00:49:26.000 --> 00:49:38.000 Darlene. Darlene Castro Easterling. She had a studio called Darlene's Dance and such. And such when I was growing up. And the N is apostrophe and apostrophe iconic. 317 00:49:38.000 --> 00:49:39.000 It's. 318 00:49:39.000 --> 00:49:51.000 I really want to, like, buy a space and restart it in the apostrophe. Dance and such. Yeah, it's container. She's brilliant. She's brilliant. I know. I know. So she had that until I was like maybe 8 or 9. 319 00:49:51.000 --> 00:49:52.000 And then what happened? 320 00:49:51.000 --> 00:50:14.000 We moved from my dad's work and we moved to Palo Alto. There wasn't a big dance scene, so she started a nonprofit for teens to kind of help connect them to dance in higher ed and teach them about dance as an art form, not as a competitive sport. So teen dance company Shout out doesn't exist anymore, but that's where myself and Karen Chuang are from. 321 00:50:14.000 --> 00:50:17.000 She was a guest yesterday, so we talked about the company. Yeah. 322 00:50:17.000 --> 00:50:18.000 Stop. 323 00:50:18.000 --> 00:50:21.000 Yeah. I did not know that your mom was the source of this. 324 00:50:21.000 --> 00:50:24.000 That's my mother. Yeah. She's an icon. 325 00:50:24.000 --> 00:50:28.000 Okay, now we are gonna do some rapid fire. You ready for it? 326 00:50:28.000 --> 00:50:29.000 I hope so. 327 00:50:28.000 --> 00:50:29.000 I'm so excited. 328 00:50:29.000 --> 00:50:30.000 I hope so. 329 00:50:30.000 --> 00:50:32.000 I'm going rogue. By the way, sometimes I have a list. I don't know. 330 00:50:32.000 --> 00:50:34.000 Yeah, let me drink water. 331 00:50:34.000 --> 00:50:39.000 What are you doing on time? Oh, okay. Yes, we're gonna. We're wrapping it up. 332 00:50:39.000 --> 00:50:43.000 That's the issue when we're, like, doing this for the first time. No, but there's. It's endless. 333 00:50:43.000 --> 00:50:44.000 Oh, I can't wait. 334 00:50:43.000 --> 00:50:53.000 Because we haven't even gotten into, like, the Tony test of it all. And I was a tap kid, and, like, I know y' all are like. There's just, like, so many circles to connect to in this moment, so. 335 00:50:53.000 --> 00:50:57.000 Yeah, I know I didn't do enough research. Brett, it's. 336 00:50:57.000 --> 00:50:59.000 You don't need to do research, cuz. This is lifelong. 337 00:50:59.000 --> 00:51:08.000 This is all there, and it's only going forward. We can go back anytime. We are in the clown car. Moving forward slow. 338 00:51:08.000 --> 00:51:11.000 My career peaked at 7, but we're here now. 339 00:51:11.000 --> 00:51:17.000 Okay. Rapid fire burnout round. Coffee or tea? T. Dogs or cats? 340 00:51:17.000 --> 00:51:20.000 Cats. Sorry, Riz. Don't look at me like that. 341 00:51:20.000 --> 00:51:23.000 She is. She's like. 342 00:51:23.000 --> 00:51:27.000 But like, dogs that act like cats and cats that act like dogs. So. 343 00:51:27.000 --> 00:51:29.000 Yeah, basically, yeah. 344 00:51:29.000 --> 00:51:30.000 Great. 345 00:51:29.000 --> 00:51:31.000 Acting like a bum right now. 346 00:51:31.000 --> 00:51:32.000 Yeah, no, she's perfect. 347 00:51:32.000 --> 00:51:38.000 She's definitely nailing that. Nailing the podcast. Morning rehearsal or night rehearsal? 348 00:51:38.000 --> 00:51:41.000 Night. Yeah. I'm a night owl. 349 00:51:41.000 --> 00:51:45.000 Okay. When are you, like, waking up in the morning? 350 00:51:45.000 --> 00:51:48.000 My ideal, like, wake up time is like, a nine. Ten. 351 00:51:48.000 --> 00:51:52.000 Nice. Okay. Yeah, but how many hours of sleep do you get? 352 00:51:52.000 --> 00:51:53.000 I try to do seven. 353 00:51:53.000 --> 00:52:12.000 Okay, seven. Seven is good for me. Six. Seven, six. I can really do. Five I can do for a short period of time. Three. I can do once ever in my life. No, I'll just feel it later. But I. Yeah, there was a time when I was like, six is a lot. And now I'm like, seven is. Seven is good. Seven. 354 00:52:12.000 --> 00:52:14.000 Yeah. It's crazy. 355 00:52:14.000 --> 00:52:19.000 It's crazy. Like, how do you even go still? I would be a bag of wet sand if I got eight hours of sleep. 356 00:52:19.000 --> 00:52:24.000 I would just. I'm in my, like, jet lag phase from Japan, so I'm just, like, really trying to figure out how to get. 357 00:52:24.000 --> 00:52:39.000 Oh, my God. Thank you for bringing that up because I did want to talk about sumo. Wait, wait. Now I can't remember. What is it that I texted you? I was like, I just gave a feedback. I gave. Why was it that Sumo got brought 358 00:52:39.000 --> 00:52:42.000 up entering the DMs. 359 00:52:42.000 --> 00:52:43.000 Serious. 360 00:52:42.000 --> 00:53:35.000 Serious stuff. I got to see sumo in Japan for the first time. I was so. I felt so lucky to be in Osaka when they had their tournament. I magical snagged a ticket. It was. It was magical. It made me be like, oh, sports are kind of fascinating. Sorry to sports fans, but, like, like the. The performance of it, the ritual of it, the tradition, the advertisements being, like, embroidered flags that they just walk around on. Like, we're not doing LED screens, people. It was so analog. Magical. And the. And the. Yeah. And the. The actual, like, matches are seconds, long seconds. They spend three minutes with the salt and, like, the stomps to kind of clear the spirits. And then we do a five second match. It's. It's amazing. Incredible. 361 00:53:35.000 --> 00:53:37.000 Adding to bucket list. 362 00:53:37.000 --> 00:53:38.000 Yeah. 363 00:53:37.000 --> 00:53:39.000 Okay. So on. On the subject of sumo. 364 00:53:39.000 --> 00:53:40.000 Yeah. 365 00:53:40.000 --> 00:53:55.000 You were sharing those stories on. While I was on a convention weekend and was trying to teach the good children of the world to bend their freaking knees. And in a demonstration of how much better it is to have bent knees, I said, I need a volunteer who thinks they're really strong. 366 00:53:55.000 --> 00:53:56.000 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. 367 00:53:56.000 --> 00:54:01.000 And I went down onto the floor, jumped off my. My soapbox. My perch. 368 00:54:01.000 --> 00:54:02.000 Yes, it's a soap. 369 00:54:02.000 --> 00:54:22.000 And I was like, who thinks they're really strong? And somebody volunteered. And I was like, okay, knock me over. And I got into my, like, super low sumo squat and this mini. Bless their heart, they tried so hard. They got a running start. I was like, truly get. Give me all you got. Running start. They're trying to knock me over and they can't because I am in a deep squat. Yeah. And my glutes are. 370 00:54:22.000 --> 00:54:23.000 Yeah, we're dropping our center of gravity. 371 00:54:23.000 --> 00:54:32.000 I was like, do you. I was like, do you want a friend? Do you think a friend could help? Yes, you. You can call a friend. Phone a friend. Go get a friend and have them help you. Still could not knock me over. 372 00:54:32.000 --> 00:54:33.000 So fun. 373 00:54:33.000 --> 00:54:41.000 In a whimsical, foolish moment, I was like, all right, minis, let me have it. Give me your words. 374 00:54:41.000 --> 00:54:42.000 Attack. 375 00:54:41.000 --> 00:54:50.000 They attacked me. I was in a suit. There was a dog pile. Several of them got smushed. 376 00:54:50.000 --> 00:54:53.000 Yeah. That's a high risk teaching moment. 377 00:54:53.000 --> 00:55:03.000 High risk teaching moment. But also high reward. Because after that, everybody was in the deepest squat I've ever seen. Everybody was like, give him. Giving some really Sumo energy. 378 00:55:03.000 --> 00:55:04.000 Effective. 379 00:55:03.000 --> 00:55:15.000 And it was the day you shared that story. I must tell you what just happened in my mini room. I should not be allowed to teach anymore. It was not safe. Not well thought out. But I did make my point. 380 00:55:15.000 --> 00:55:18.000 Yeah, I did get fired. But they did start bending their legs, 381 00:55:18.000 --> 00:55:20.000 which is why I'm here. 382 00:55:20.000 --> 00:55:21.000 Exactly. 383 00:55:21.000 --> 00:55:26.000 Okay, favorite dance move. Go, Guts, go. 384 00:55:26.000 --> 00:55:28.000 Kickball. Change. 385 00:55:28.000 --> 00:55:31.000 Least favorite dance move. 386 00:55:31.000 --> 00:55:34.000 The one. Oh, I might get in trouble. 387 00:55:34.000 --> 00:55:35.000 What? 388 00:55:35.000 --> 00:55:46.000 Threading. I'm so sorry. So sorry. To all the threading. People out there. I know there's a lot of you. I love you, but it is fun for you. 389 00:55:46.000 --> 00:55:56.000 I. It doesn't thrill me. I am not impressed. Well, occasionally I am impressed by the options of patterns and relationships that I have. 390 00:55:56.000 --> 00:55:57.000 Sure. 391 00:55:57.000 --> 00:56:08.000 Absolutely. But you. You understand shoulder mobility. Perfect. And then finally, the words that move you. A quote, a mantra, a guiding principle. 392 00:56:08.000 --> 00:56:13.000 The words that move me. I know it's rapid fire, but I did think about this because I knew it was coming. 393 00:56:13.000 --> 00:56:16.000 Good. You know, you do your homework and. 394 00:56:16.000 --> 00:57:10.000 And I had a hard time kind of trying to understand where I wanted to land with it, but I think for me, kind of a core. A core memory of this idea of like a quote that kind of, you can stick with. My dad wrote me a card. I don't know how old I was. I could have been graduating and going to college. I could have been 11. I have no idea. But I know it's a photo of a black cat reading a book. Like, sitting in a chair and reading a book. And inside, all it says is in. In all caps. Never stop learning, dad. And I think for me, I'm gonna go ahead and choose that as my words that move me. Because I do recognize in myself that if ever I'm kind of depressed or, like, not having it or, like, stuck in the Ls, I think that 395 00:57:10.000 --> 00:57:11.000 I 396 00:57:11.000 --> 00:57:14.000 can recognize that I'm actually not in the process of learning something. 397 00:57:14.000 --> 00:57:16.000 And like, when I'm not open to being learning something. 398 00:57:16.000 --> 00:57:27.000 Yeah. Or I'm too stressed about some other thing. And I'm not. I don't have that space to, like, be fueling and feeding. So I think I'm gonna land with that one. 399 00:57:27.000 --> 00:57:36.000 I cannot think of a better place to land. That was gorgeous. Thank you so much for sharing. Thank you, listener, viewer. Thanks, dad. And thanks, Brett. And thanks. 400 00:57:36.000 --> 00:57:37.000 And thanks, Mom. 401 00:57:37.000 --> 00:57:38.000 Mom. 402 00:57:37.000 --> 00:57:38.000 Thanks everyone. 403 00:57:38.000 --> 00:57:43.000 And thanks Palo Alto. And thanks, Riz and Riley. Oh, my God. 404 00:57:43.000 --> 00:57:48.000 Thank you, Riz. Thank you, Riley. No, stupid. It's been. 405 00:57:48.000 --> 00:58:44.000 We've been having a nice a side flop. Thank you, listener, viewer, for being here. Please click the bell for notifications. Subscribe Leave a review or rating. Share the podcast with people that you think will love it and of course, get out into the world and keep it very funky. This podcast was produced by me with the help of many Big, big love to our executive assistant and editor, Riley Higgins. Our communications manager is Fiona Small with additional support from Ori Vagidares. Our music is by Max Winnie, logo and brand design by Bri Reitz. And if you're digging the podcast, leave a review and rating and please share. Share. Also, if you want to connect with me and the many marvelous members of the Words that Move Me community, visit wordsthatmoveme. Com. 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