Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Really wanted to work for artists and be a hip hop dancer. Like, that is my. My bones.
[00:00:06] Speaker B: Oh, my God. I also wanted that when I was a convention kid. I remember being like, oh, man, I gotta get to la. Gotta be in the music videos.
[00:00:14] Speaker A: Like, it totally.
[00:00:15] Speaker B: It was strong. It was strong.
Hello. Hello, my friend. I'm Dana. This is Words that Move Me. Stoked you're here.
This is a first. There are actually many firsts within this episode, so I really hope you're as excited as I am to hear from Ms. Sidney Mescher. A bright, bright light and a marvelous talent. Sidney is a dancer, a model, an actress, an author. Holy smokes. We're here to talk about her. No, we're here to talk about dance and art and creative life and doing better.
But she happens to also have a book that she brought and gave me and Riley copies. And I'm so excited to read.
It's called she Kept Dancing the True Story of a Professional Dancer With a Limb Difference. Sydney is also a leader and an advocate in the disability community, and I'm thrilled to be sharing this conversation with her today. But first, we're going to do a win. Today I am celebrating being a master manipulator of schedule. Here's what happened this week. I was supposed to have a rehearsal for an upcoming gig, which the gig is in Nashville. Rehearsal was going to be here, but the producers. Hey, Randy Strong, Love you are in Utah. I happened to be in Utah last weekend for a convention, and so I said, hey, Randy, what are you doing this weekend? Do you want to not rehearse next week in la, but do rehearse this week in Utah? And so we finagled away from for me to turn a already long day into a slightly longer day. But as a result, I was able to record not one, not two, not three, not four, but five podcast episodes this week because my schedule is free.
Is that insane? It feels a little like I cheated time.
I was pretty tired, actually. So, no, I didn't cheat time. Time got me. I was wrecked all day Sunday.
But my win is thinking or seeing potential to create space and time in my schedule and taking it. And it went really well. Randy, thank you for being flexible with me. Hannah, thank you for styling me. It's going to be sick. I'm not allowed to talk about it.
That's my win. How about you? What's going well in your world?
Also got a new rug. New podcast rug because Riz destroyed the other one. I'm not going to elaborate how.
Anyways, we're back to a white, fluffy podcast carpet and Riz looks super duper cute on it. If you are listening only, this might be worth jumping over to YouTube for because.
Yay.
All right, I'm glad you're winning. Congratulations.
Let's do this, shall we? Sydney Mescher, convention kid turned Rockette and disability community advocate. I learned so much during this conversation and was so inspired by Sydney and her experience of living and working in LA and growing up in Portland. Shout out.
I think it is super, super important to see and hear Sidney's story. So thank you for being here. Enjoy the one and only Sidney Mescher.
That's me being a Rockette. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
Riz would love for you to meet Sidney Mesher. Sydney, welcome to the podcast, my friend.
[00:04:09] Speaker A: Hello. I'm so happy to be here.
[00:04:11] Speaker B: I'm thrill thrilled to have you. I'm really, really grateful.
I think there are very few, maybe no people to sit in that chair who I have taught on convention, like since student days. Yes, I remember you from nycda, Portland and surrounding cities. Would you ever do.
[00:04:33] Speaker A: I occasionally travel.
[00:04:36] Speaker B: Yeah, I. I remember you so vividly for your style, for your musicality.
[00:04:42] Speaker A: Thank you.
[00:04:43] Speaker B: And also you are one of the very few people in the convention space with a visible disability. Thank you. Like, maybe like, you're the only one I can recall, which.
[00:04:54] Speaker A: Yeah. At the time. At least at the time.
[00:04:56] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:04:57] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:04:57] Speaker B: So I'm really excited to have you and talk about.
I have some notes, but I'm excited also just to flow. Yeah. This is how I start, though. Every guest introduces themselves, so tell us what you'd like us to know about you.
[00:05:10] Speaker A: Well, first off, thank you. That is a huge honor. And I like, I was. I mean, just thinking about it, like when I was a kid and taking.
[00:05:17] Speaker B: Your class, does it feel as close to you as it does to me? Because I was a comp kid. I was a convention kid.
[00:05:22] Speaker A: Totally.
[00:05:22] Speaker B: It doesn't feel like that long ago.
[00:05:23] Speaker A: Well, yes and no. I mean, I. We can talk about that later. But like, it definitely is a different life meaning, but that was such a important part of my training. So I like, hold it so closely.
[00:05:34] Speaker B: Nice.
[00:05:34] Speaker A: So kind of, I guess, to answer your question. But yeah, yeah, we'll put it in the part. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:05:40] Speaker B: You. Your intro.
[00:05:41] Speaker A: Yes. Hello. I'm Sydney Mescher. I am a artist in a lot of different ways, but I'm originally from Portland, Oregon, which is very important to my identity.
And I then lived in New York for about eight years. I went to school There, where I started pursuing art primarily as a professional dancer, but then expanded into being a model, an actor, a disability advocate, and as well as an author. I'm a published author now, which is very exciting.
[00:06:09] Speaker B: Cannot wait to talk about this and show you this book because the illustrations brought a tear to my little eye.
[00:06:14] Speaker A: Thank you.
[00:06:14] Speaker B: So excited.
[00:06:15] Speaker A: Shout out to Natal Kwek. But, and then outside of my art, I am, I love to hike, I love to spend time with my family, I love to explore new restaurants. I'm very passionate about music, about animals, about my, my loved ones.
And yeah, I live, I'm trying the bicoastal life now. I live like, my base is in la, but I go back to New York for work when needed, and it's been working well for about the past year. And so I'm just enjoying putting roots down here.
[00:06:42] Speaker B: Fantastic.
[00:06:43] Speaker A: And, yeah, that's a little bit about me.
[00:06:45] Speaker B: Ooh, good. I. Now I know it's a good intro when I want to go, like, four or five different directions. Can we start with your advocacy for the disability community?
[00:06:54] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:06:55] Speaker B: Because I, I, I think of you as being a leader in that space.
[00:06:59] Speaker A: Thank you.
[00:06:59] Speaker B: And I think there's a lot of confusion and, you know, puckered, totally, like, feelings about having conversations. And I think, as you mentioned, there are more disabled, like, visibly disabled people with visible disabilities.
[00:07:18] Speaker A: Yes. Person first. Always.
[00:07:20] Speaker B: Person first, yes.
That are in the entertainment industry, period. Actors, thankfully, people that we see on screen, dancers, people that we see in ad campaigns, models, but also students.
And I think that it's really important to create safe and welcoming spaces for young people. Like, yes. When we're on set, we should be professionals and we should be creating professional environments.
[00:07:49] Speaker A: Totally.
[00:07:49] Speaker B: But when we're forming these young people's minds and experiences of the world, I think it's really important that we do our best. So I'm curious about your experience in the convention scene coming up, what you wish people did differently.
[00:08:06] Speaker A: Okay, well, yeah, well, let's, let's start there. Yeah.
So just to give a little bit of context about me for people who don't know me, I was born without my left hand. I do identify as disabled, primarily visibly disabled or limb different.
[00:08:20] Speaker B: I love that.
[00:08:21] Speaker A: Depending on, obviously, the context and maybe the job or the interview or something like that. But that is how I identify.
And I. My disability has ebbed and flowed with my identity, with how I experience it as a person and as a dancer.
Growing up, I, it was a different time, meaning we didn't necessarily have social media or other ways to Seek out people similar to me. Like, I would come. I would retreat to newspaper articles or. And that was kind of it, honestly.
[00:08:54] Speaker B: Or maybe an magazine, maybe.
[00:08:56] Speaker A: Totally. Which, like, it was. It did not exist at the time. Right. Any sort of representation in media like that did not exist unless it was a super rare occasion. But yeah, in the convention circuit, at least in my area, I was the one.
And that I really need to give credit to my family and my teachers and my people that I grew up with, because I. I didn't really necessarily, like, realize how different it was in this industry until I, like, really got into the industry. Which is really beautiful because I was able to grow up, like, just focusing on dance, focusing on my love and not, like, worrying about this thing.
[00:09:41] Speaker B: Your place in the world.
[00:09:42] Speaker A: Totally. Which a gift. Totally.
And. But I was like, the one. And what that means I was constantly.
Which is a whole other topic, but like, constantly changing choreography where needed or not internalizing some language used or like, generally, like, if you on a surface level, 10 toes on the floor, or you spread out through your fingertips that, like, it's just.
[00:10:11] Speaker B: You immediately have to edit that note to apply it to make it applicable to you.
[00:10:16] Speaker A: Yeah. Which I do have my 10 toes, but I'm using that as an example of. For other people to understand if there's something with choreography really specifically, at a young age, I was always, like, thinking five steps ahead. Because if there's something really specific to the choreography that includes choreography on my left hand, do I have to make the decision to do it on my right? Which, depending on the choreographer, can be great, or it could be offensive, or just if there's groundwork or occasional partnering and stuff like that. My brain had to move a hundred miles a minute, especially when I was just. Fortunately, I was so focused on my love for dance and, like, I was able. That just, like, kept me going.
[00:10:56] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:10:56] Speaker A: But I was already thinking steps ahead and then that is just, like, gone. That is applicable for how I just move in this.
[00:11:04] Speaker B: In the world. Right.
[00:11:05] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:11:05] Speaker B: Because I am imagining it's not just dancer, actually. Funny story.
Yeah. I'm imagining it's not just choreographers who have a bias towards the body, who are looking for the line of the hand or who are caring about the pointing of the toes and. But Riley told me that when Riz, my dog, met you, that even she had a bias. She was, like, very interested in what was going on.
[00:11:29] Speaker A: Dogs love my left hand. They literally. I think they think it's a chew toy or something. She treated you different. It's great. It's great.
[00:11:35] Speaker B: You were like, leave in.
[00:11:37] Speaker A: Yes.
And I mean, it's. Dogs are an example. Every time I meet a child, that's always a new conversation. Like it is. I'm using this as a time to really get it in people's ear of, like, how my everyday experiences are so different, even with a relationship with a dog.
[00:11:52] Speaker B: Dog.
[00:11:53] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:11:54] Speaker B: And even with a super supportive home life and training life and stuff like that. I can imagine that without that something like a dance teacher saying, extend your left hand or something like that could be.
[00:12:09] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:12:10] Speaker B: We don't remind me of this thing that everyone in my life gives me a hard time for or. I don't even know. I'm assuming that you.
[00:12:17] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:12:18] Speaker B: Are somehow bullied or somehow othered.
I'm like, it sounds like your general experience of specifically the convention environment, which can be brutal.
[00:12:28] Speaker A: Totally.
[00:12:29] Speaker B: Like, it sounds like you actually had a wonderful experience of it.
[00:12:32] Speaker A: Yeah. And yes.
[00:12:35] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:12:36] Speaker A: I did. It really did. Because my, like, I am a dancer. That is my heart, that is my soul. That is who I am. And that was the thing that I cared about so much. I mean, you can hear my voice. Like, I, like, love dance.
[00:12:50] Speaker B: It's your native art language.
[00:12:51] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:12:52] Speaker B: It's like.
[00:12:52] Speaker A: And I didn't care in any capacity as long as I was dancing. And so I loved conventions because I grew up with amazing training and fantastic teachers. But I did grow up at an athletic club with 15 other dancers in a recreational program.
[00:13:09] Speaker B: Okay, word.
[00:13:10] Speaker A: Which is amazing. Like, it was a fantastic facility, but.
[00:13:13] Speaker B: And I'm not your average, like, dance studio with guest choreographers and things like.
[00:13:18] Speaker A: No. With that being said, my dance teacher was the trumpet soloist. So, like, she was. That explains your fantastic.
[00:13:23] Speaker B: Your musicality has always really stood out to me.
[00:13:25] Speaker A: Thank you.
[00:13:26] Speaker B: I remember, like, kind of crossing my eyes at the room at. Because I do that sometimes. There's like a hundred bodies. To try to look at the details of all of them at once is awkward. So sometimes I cross my eyes and I look out and I remember always being drawn towards you at, like, the pocket in a really, like, deep connection to music. So perhaps that's where that comes from or somewhere else or a combination.
[00:13:49] Speaker A: And just like the way my dad taught himself how to play the drums and would always just like, have rock music playing on growing up. And I remember, like, watching the replay of the Rolling Stones taping concert, and I was just like. That was like, in my bones. And rhythm was in my bones, but training. So I. My training was different. I grew up At a recreational. In a recreational program. And so I really use conventions as, like this, this time.
[00:14:14] Speaker B: So you were hungry in there?
[00:14:15] Speaker A: Totally. I was surrounded by the best talent in the area. I was taking from the, working in best instructors, like in the industry.
I was being exposed to new music, new styles, like just everything around a.
[00:14:27] Speaker B: Lot of people who are also interested in what you do. Like more than 15 of you. There's totally hundreds of you.
[00:14:32] Speaker A: Yeah. And it really motivated me. I loved conventions, which is why I would occasionally travel. And thankfully I came from a family who could do that.
[00:14:39] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:14:40] Speaker A: And they really supported that.
But conventions, Yeah, I was like, I said I was like kind of the only one with a visible disability.
And that doesn't mean to exclude anybody with a cognitive or deaf of hard hearing or anything like that. But at the time, and from what I know, that was my experience and I really use those weekends to further my training, further my connections, further my passion.
And they really allowed me to believe that I could have a career in this. So I'm very grateful for those. And I like, I. That credit is due to.
[00:15:17] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. You are a convention kid turned Rockette, which plot twist. Most people born in Portland aren't so interested in becoming Rockettes.
I know about you that you, I think you led with like more of a street kind of heart. So I'm curious where the bite to become a Rockette came from. Did you see them in a show? Did you know, and something was attractive. And so you're like, I'm going to New York, I'm going to audition for the Rockettes and I'm going to book it, by the way, which I think is maybe. Is that like major plot point in the book?
[00:15:52] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:15:53] Speaker B: Okay, so first tell me where the bike came from and then I'll talk about.
[00:15:55] Speaker A: Yes. So I transparently really had and still do have my eyes set on the commercial world and like really wanted to work for artists and be a hip hop dancer. Like, that is my. My bones.
[00:16:07] Speaker B: Oh my God. I also wanted that when I was a convention kid. I remember being like, oh man, you gotta to la. Got to be in the music videos.
[00:16:15] Speaker A: Like, it totally was strong.
[00:16:17] Speaker B: It was strong.
[00:16:18] Speaker A: I. I remember pain at night. Like the hunger that I. Yes, yes.
[00:16:23] Speaker B: I have to be in music videos. Oh my God, that's crazy. I haven't like, I haven't genuinely recalled that sensation in my body in a long time, but I can feel it.
[00:16:34] Speaker A: Yeah, okay, keep going. Yeah. Short story is I decided to go to New York for college. I went to Pace University.
And there was a lot of reasons for that, but great program.
And I wanted to pursue commercial dance and that was a commercial dance bfa.
So I went there, was able to make great connections in the commercial world. That's how I met Luan. That's how I met Candace Brown. That's how I met Liz Imperio. Like, I was able to really meet people and create relationships with them there.
And then like my sophomore junior year, I was randomly picked to be a dance captain for the Rockettes piece. And I say randomly because it was like I seemed, it seemed I was put in the hip hop box there.
[00:17:17] Speaker B: You weren't.
[00:17:17] Speaker A: Okay, yeah, sorry. I was putting the hip hop box there.
[00:17:20] Speaker B: Like, I love the hip hop box, by the way. I should have one in the house. Why do I not have a hip hop box here somewhere?
[00:17:26] Speaker A: No, but the hip hop box.
[00:17:27] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah. You were in the hip hop.
[00:17:29] Speaker A: I was in the hip hop box.
[00:17:29] Speaker B: And then they needed.
[00:17:31] Speaker A: They. I think. Well, I know after conversations that my instructor just like really knew my brain and like, knew, you're smart as shit.
[00:17:38] Speaker B: And organized and, and, and I mean, I could keep going.
[00:17:41] Speaker A: Thank you. Thank you. But really, she, I. She just also, I think maybe saw that for me, but it was going to be a conversation. Yeah, evidently.
And I got introduced to the world via running that piece. And then I decided to audition for what at the time was the Rocket Summer Intensive.
And that was kind of like a trial run for me. I was going to go, gonna see if I liked it, if maybe they liked me. It was just like a saf.
If this was maybe an avenue.
[00:18:12] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:18:12] Speaker A: And I ended up getting a scholarship to go to the intensive. Like, they really liked me. So I then ended up going to the audition my junior year. And I made it all the way through, which was a big deal because with that audition it was, I've been told, like through the years of you got to go like 10 times, you.
[00:18:29] Speaker B: Have to climb the ladder, you have to put the.
[00:18:31] Speaker A: Yeah, And I made it all the way to the end and that was like plenty for me.
[00:18:35] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:18:36] Speaker A: So I was able to really start making that relationship there. And also I fell in love with the work. Yeah, it is very athletic. That is something I also love about dance, is I really do relate to the athlete aspect of dance, which I don't know. Like, I know sometimes it's taboo to say, but like, I love to feel powerful. I love to like work hard and do hard stuff. Yeah, I do. And it's really fulfilling to me. Like, I like that aspect. And there are times or in that work, it feels like that a little bit. Like I can check off the things I'm doing right. I'm pushing myself. It is very hard. Like cardio wise. Like, it's.
[00:19:14] Speaker B: Oh, my God, Yes.
[00:19:15] Speaker A: It's insane.
[00:19:16] Speaker B: And the precision, the attention to detail.
[00:19:19] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, it's crazy.
[00:19:22] Speaker B: But is it not the anti funk? Like, not to say that you can't be interested in both things, but did you feel a void? Because.
I don't know. I.
Yeah, I.
I have this philosophy. I call your shoulders and hips and their relationship ships. So when I teach, I'm always talking about ships. And I have this philosophy that shoulders straight on top of hips is the anti funk.
[00:19:50] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:19:50] Speaker B: And any slight adjustment in any direction is immediately funkier for simply not being square on top of hips.
And I don't know if I don't think I would ever call the Rockettes funky. I would call you funky.
[00:20:04] Speaker A: That's fair.
[00:20:04] Speaker B: And I would say that funky people can do unfunky dancing and still be phenomenal.
Desmond Richardson now teaches for nycda. Chief example of simply being at the command station for that totally like, yes, let me get into my Rockettes mode. Yes, let me get into my street mode. Yes, let me get into my music video mode. Yes, let me get into my model mode, which I'm imagining is even different. Like a whole different.
We'll talk about it.
[00:20:34] Speaker A: So, yeah, it's not funky.
[00:20:36] Speaker B: Not funky.
[00:20:37] Speaker A: It's not funky. And I love that work and it's amazing. But it's.
[00:20:40] Speaker B: How long was your contract?
[00:20:41] Speaker A: It's a year long.
[00:20:42] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:20:43] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:20:43] Speaker B: And did you. Were you able to train outside of that and, like, still satisfy. Look at my bias against the Rocket.
[00:20:49] Speaker A: No, it's okay.
[00:20:50] Speaker B: No idea.
[00:20:50] Speaker A: You know, I actually.
[00:20:51] Speaker B: I feel about.
[00:20:52] Speaker A: People, like, don't know about the world and it's becoming.
Well, the contract. We. We just had the Christmas show now, so that's about three months long, but. And that's when we're like full time.
[00:21:02] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:21:03] Speaker A: But it is. We, like. The Rockets have great dancers.
[00:21:07] Speaker B: Yeah. Oh, yeah. Dancers shout OUT Heather Lang. Love you. See you.
[00:21:11] Speaker A: Oh, I love her.
[00:21:13] Speaker B: Also Lily Colon, who is in. In the Heights. She was the first ever Latina Rockette.
[00:21:18] Speaker A: Amazing.
[00:21:19] Speaker B: Cool as shit. I mean, the first ever with a visible disability.
[00:21:23] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:21:23] Speaker B: Shut up. Legendary.
[00:21:25] Speaker A: Thank you.
[00:21:25] Speaker B: Is that in the book? Yes.
[00:21:28] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:21:28] Speaker B: Okay. Okay. I'm loving this. So you enjoy the dancers and you enjoy the work, so you don't miss doing other things. Also, life is Long. You can be a Rockette for a year and then go about your business doing something else.
[00:21:39] Speaker A: Totally.
And you get to perform at Radio City.
[00:21:42] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:21:42] Speaker A: And if you've ever been there, it is phenomenal. It really is. And also Rockettes are so built into the culture of New York City. Like, you, you feel like a celebrity. Like, I know that sounds it. That sounds vain, I guess, but like, it's really special to have a show that highlights dancers and it's about dancers.
[00:22:04] Speaker B: There.
[00:22:05] Speaker A: There are other aspects and amazing actors and singers and ensemble members and orchestra and everything in the show. The show has everything but like the show, we are the main part of the show. And that is incredible.
[00:22:16] Speaker B: And rare.
[00:22:17] Speaker A: Yeah, it's super rare. It's super rare. Okay. Yeah, that.
[00:22:21] Speaker B: See, I'll turn a corner. You know what? I think I have a chip on my shoulder because so many of my friends have tried to climb the hierarchy of, you know, the intensive and get in and put in the time and felt crushed at not having achieved it. But I cannot blame the Rockettes for that. I mean, fill in the blank. That's. That's.
[00:22:43] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:22:43] Speaker B: So many people pursuing their dream.
[00:22:46] Speaker A: Totally.
[00:22:46] Speaker B: So I'm proud of you for.
[00:22:49] Speaker A: Thank you.
[00:22:49] Speaker B: Approaching it and trying it. For answering the itch that was like, you know what? There are parts of that that speak to me and then coming out of it with like full blown a gig and respect and a whole new skill set. I'm imagining.
Do you entertain the idea of doing it again?
[00:23:09] Speaker A: Yes. So I've actually been there for five years. I've done five seasons with the Rocket.
[00:23:13] Speaker B: And you always do the Christmas show and that's it.
[00:23:15] Speaker A: So we do events in the off season and they're very random. And it could be collaborations. Like we've worked with skims, Lululemon, that stuff. Great. Like we do the Today show in the summer. Sometimes, like it's. It's circumstantial. But primarily, like the Christmas time is when we're. We're working and been there for five years. Accomplish amazing. Couldn't even believe it. Dreams. Like to perform in the Macy's Day Parade.
[00:23:42] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:23:43] Speaker A: It's fantastic. Like, that is my favorite thing that I've ever done. I would probably say like the Macy's Day Parade. Knowing that the entire nation is watching and Rockettes perform every year. Like it's like a designated spot.
[00:23:59] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:23:59] Speaker A: It's crazy.
[00:24:00] Speaker B: Yeah. You guys are a staple. Yeah, you guys, you're in that crew. I just had a flash of like the Rockettes being on abdc or, like, World of Dance or something. Like the Rockettes, like, really competing. And I think they would crush, because you're right. They are athletes. They are masters of quality and detail and all the cool things. I love that.
[00:24:20] Speaker A: Thank you.
[00:24:22] Speaker B: So I wonder.
I've never been in New York. That's not true. I choreographed the New York Times ball drop for Fox one year.
[00:24:31] Speaker A: Cool.
[00:24:31] Speaker B: It was wild. But that's the only time I've been in New York around the holidays. I'm gonna have to make that a priority, especially if it means I could see you. I would cry. I would bring Joe Linderi, my date.
[00:24:40] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh. Please, please. I would cry. He actually came, I think, two years ago.
[00:24:46] Speaker B: I'm sure he does. Yeah, I'm sure he does all the time.
[00:24:48] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:24:48] Speaker B: He's like the mayor in my mind.
[00:24:51] Speaker A: At least I once saw him. This is just, like, a funny little story. I was in Fort Lauderdale with my family on vacation. We're in a back of, like, an Uber, and my mom goes, there's the ponytail. That's Jolynetary.
[00:25:03] Speaker B: Shut.
[00:25:04] Speaker A: She literally. My mother recognized his ponytail, and it was Jolie and Terry.
[00:25:09] Speaker B: I love that guy.
[00:25:09] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:25:10] Speaker B: Okay. So. So glad that we share him in our dance lineage. Okay, now that I understand your history with the Rockettes a little bit, I want to talk about your book. She kept dancing. That's her. That's her girl.
I think what you said about there being no social media is just one small example of representation.
I read a thousand books growing up and saw a thousand movies of people who look just like me living their life. And I am, as I hold this book, thinking of, like, tearing up, thinking of you. Changing that for. For future people.
[00:25:46] Speaker A: Thank you.
[00:25:46] Speaker B: With visible disabilities. And again, dance. Danceability. You're fucking good. Okay, tell me about writing the book.
[00:25:54] Speaker A: Yeah. So to be transparent, when I did book Rockettes, it was a big deal because the company's been around for almost 100 years. 100 years this year.
[00:26:06] Speaker B: Okay, maybe we go to New York this year for Christmas, because it's gonna be bananas, right? Yeah.
[00:26:10] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:26:11] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:26:11] Speaker A: It's gonna be really good.
[00:26:12] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:26:13] Speaker A: But I was the first, and Rockettes are known for uniformity.
And my line.
Lines are different. And that is other people's perception. Right.
I was different. And so I had a lot of press my first year and had got to speak with amazing articles. Like, I have an ESPN article, which is crazy. Like, as a dancer, like, it's amazing.
[00:26:42] Speaker B: Awesome. We're gonna link to it.
[00:26:43] Speaker A: Oh, thank you.
And Just like, I got to speak with a lot of people, and because of that, I was presented with basically an opportunity.
[00:26:52] Speaker B: An opportunity to do this. Fantastic. Did you write it yourself? How long did the writing process.
[00:26:57] Speaker A: A co writer, the incredible Catherine Ledone, who helped me a lot. She was the one that, like, really approached me and was like, this. This should be out there.
She really believed in my story. And so I need to say many thanks to her. Yes. It actually took about three years from start to finish.
[00:27:15] Speaker B: Not easy.
[00:27:16] Speaker A: Not easy. And there's a lot of reasons for that. But it was drafts after drafts after drafts, figuring out, like, what exactly was important to the story. What.
And also I had a lot of imposter syndrome because at the time I was. Was 22 when I got this offer. And so, like, my career had just started and Dance career.
[00:27:37] Speaker B: My dance, let alone your author career.
[00:27:40] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:27:40] Speaker B: So.
[00:27:40] Speaker A: And so I was really, like. I felt. I felt very.
Just head underwater, like, if that's the appropriate term, but sounds about right. Meaning I just. I didn't feel like I was ready to do this. Like, I was still discovering myself, discovering my career.
But as I say in my author's note, actually, because down to social media and things like that, I had children's books growing up. Like, that is what I had.
[00:28:05] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:28:06] Speaker A: And the children's book that I referenced or remember using was about a kid who had red hair.
And that is how I learned or found comfort in being different. Is about a kid who had red hair. Not a different person of color, not someone of a different ability that was.
[00:28:23] Speaker B: Like stretch red hair.
[00:28:26] Speaker A: Yeah.
And that doesn't mean they didn't exist. But just also, social media didn't know what was out there and things like that. And so that is what I had. And so it was.
This is like the most important thing I could do.
[00:28:39] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:28:40] Speaker A: Because having a conversation early, having something that a child can reference, can use to seek inspiration, can use to find strength.
That, like, this is what it's about.
And so it took about three years to publish.
From writing drafts to finding the right publishing house, to finding the correct illustrator.
[00:29:04] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:29:05] Speaker A: And then finding obviously the right publishing date, which is October 31st. Happy Halloween. But great holiday for me.
[00:29:12] Speaker B: Wait.
[00:29:12] Speaker A: Of this past year, it came out 2023.
[00:29:14] Speaker B: Okay. Okay.
[00:29:15] Speaker A: But here she is.
[00:29:17] Speaker B: I'm dying.
[00:29:19] Speaker A: Thank you.
[00:29:19] Speaker B: A note from Sydney, by the way. That young dancer right there with the shirt that says dance is actually. That looks a little bit younger than I remember you at dance science. That might be a little bit younger.
[00:29:31] Speaker A: But it was around that.
[00:29:33] Speaker B: It was around.
[00:29:33] Speaker A: I remember you. That's so cool. Thank you.
[00:29:36] Speaker B: Wow. Isn't it amazing the different directions that dance training can take you?
[00:29:40] Speaker A: Totally.
[00:29:41] Speaker B: And specifically convention life. I ask a lot of people this question, but I'm curious to hear as your Fourier, as you have foyered, as you've fought into modeling and being an author, how do you think convention life prepared you for that or didn't prepare you for that?
[00:29:59] Speaker A: Ooh. I think it was really helpful on learning how to adapt and just like, be fearless because you're thrown into whatever. Like, taking a convention ballet class is nightmares to me.
[00:30:12] Speaker B: Like, absolutely. You just got a little nervous when you said it.
[00:30:15] Speaker A: Yeah. Or even like, love them. But like a Susie Taylor or Joe interior. That's super technical. Like, that was very nerve wracking to me. Or an Andy Palak. When you're gonna throw in maybe an optional Ariel.
[00:30:25] Speaker B: Like, I did not have 100 gonna be an inversion.
[00:30:28] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:30:29] Speaker B: Of some sort.
[00:30:29] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:30:30] Speaker B: I don't like being upside down.
[00:30:31] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:30:31] Speaker B: No.
[00:30:31] Speaker A: Was. It wasn't in my wheelhouse. And. But meaning you were just like, have to adapt. And, uh, that was a great skill that I just like learned that I would be uncomfortable and I could still, like, be okay.
[00:30:46] Speaker B: That's so important in life.
[00:30:50] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:30:50] Speaker B: You can be uncomfortable and be okay.
[00:30:52] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:30:52] Speaker B: You can be really nervous and still keep going.
[00:30:55] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:30:56] Speaker B: I love that.
[00:30:57] Speaker A: And I have to remind myself that.
[00:30:58] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:30:59] Speaker A: But.
Yeah. So when I would go into modeling spaces, it was very hard for me at first. And it still is. Like, I can be very rigid in those spaces because I'm like, oh, I have to be perfect.
I have to make the right angle.
Which, as I've learned through experience, it's just about being natural and moving and finding your perfect harmony with a photographer. But at first it was very uncomfortable for me.
[00:31:29] Speaker B: What was your first gig?
[00:31:30] Speaker A: Hollister underwear ad.
[00:31:32] Speaker B: Yeah, Girl.
[00:31:33] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:31:34] Speaker B: Sexy.
[00:31:35] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:31:36] Speaker B: Okay. What is sexy to you?
[00:31:37] Speaker A: I actually am very passionate about being sexy.
[00:31:41] Speaker B: Let's talk about it. I want to know. I did.
I, like, never thought of myself as like, leading with sexy. But the fact that I aspired to be in music videos at the time that music videos were, you know, TRL was the thing and it like music video dancers. Like, the color was sexy. That was it.
[00:32:04] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:32:04] Speaker B: There. Well, I don't know. Maybe like some punk bands and some emo bands would have like a lead, a leading lady person who was like, quirky.
[00:32:15] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:32:15] Speaker B: But for the most part, female representation in music videos was very one color of sexy.
[00:32:20] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:32:20] Speaker B: And that was bikini.
[00:32:23] Speaker A: Totally.
[00:32:23] Speaker B: And so the fact that I was drawn to that was. It's shocking to me. But I did have, you know, a subjectively successful pop star backup dancing career, but after I stopped.
[00:32:37] Speaker A: Not subjectively.
[00:32:39] Speaker B: I don't know. What do you. I mean, I. I've been on three world tours in some capacity. One of them was as a swing, but I'm. But I know people who've been on seven, so. What do you mean?
[00:32:50] Speaker A: I mean, Dana, like, you're an icon. Like, no, truly. I mean, as a source of inspiration. Like, you're being so. You're speaking so highly of me, but, like, you really were such a source of inspiration for me. And I remember things that you vividly would say. Like, I can, like, recall stuff from your classes that you would say. Yeah, it works. It does.
[00:33:08] Speaker B: It works.
[00:33:08] Speaker A: It does. So, but, like, also outside of what you're saying as a dancer, I remember watching you at the VMAs, and me, I literally can recall tweeting, be like, I want to be up there. And I. Like, you were in that. Like, you. So you.
[00:33:20] Speaker B: You were not the JT's Vanguard Award performance.
[00:33:23] Speaker A: That's exactly the one. That's exactly the one.
[00:33:25] Speaker B: But that was huge for me. That was insane. Yeah, that was huge for everybody. That was huge for Justin. That was huge for the VMAs. Even that broke a record for longest performance, really, that year, I think.
Anyways, back to sexy, which is sexy back. Oh, that's perfect. Okay, Perfect.
After my second tour with Justin, I moved to the Bay Area for a short time and had kind of a identity crisis. Like, if I'm not a backup dancer, who am I? And I started exploring what I find sexy because without it being a suit and tie and without it being pop industry shit, like, what is actually sexy to me?
And I haven't really stopped that exploration. I'm still going. I'm still defining and deciding that.
But I think the sexiest thing to me right now is otherness is not being the thing that happens all the time.
[00:34:28] Speaker A: Totally. So your identity, your individuality.
[00:34:30] Speaker B: Yes. And I think this is where a lot of momentum. I know I'm not alone in this. The Seaweed sisters, Jillian Myers, my two best friends, and Megan Lawson also feel the same way. And I think we're creating the void that we see. Like, I don't. I think there are several colors of sexy that are not represented, that don't involve, like, touching your body or wearing small clothes.
But I'm curious, because I think you're Someone who does otherness very well, even outside of a disability or not.
But I'm curious what. How you would answer that question. What is sexy?
[00:35:10] Speaker A: For me, I think I, like, naturally, like, when I feel good, like, I feel sexy. Like, that is, like, when I feel really. It's just, like, in my, like, ooze, like, which I don't think is very performative. Like, it's very internal.
Yeah. But it, like, that's where I feel like. I don't know. I just, like, I. It's when I feel rested, when I feel healthy, that is sometimes, like, where I feel my best is in that energy.
And I want to just say.
I say that so outwardly, which is really scary for me to say, because I was, like, never allowed to dance sexy.
[00:35:50] Speaker B: Right.
[00:35:52] Speaker A: I was given a lot of guidelines of how to be, and they did not include that as a person and as a dancer.
[00:35:59] Speaker B: Well said.
[00:36:01] Speaker A: And so it's been fun for me to explore because you never see disabled people as sexy ever. Like, ever.
And I think I feel so passionately about that because I think I really could have used that growing up. Like, I really.
I really could have used seeing someone, like, it makes me emotional, which is weird because it's, like, it feels, like, taboo to talk about, but, like, I wanted to be hot at times, and, like, as a dancer, like, it's an important thing. And I never saw disabled people like that. And so I could never envision myself being that. And it's been something that I've had to discover.
And I've, like, I've always growing, but, like, I love my skin. I'm loving myself. And that's been a journey. But, like, includes that. Including in that is sexy is included in that. And it took a lot of time, but I now, like, a huge motivation for me is kind of being that appropriately for other people to see because, like, we're not. We're disabled. People are not seen like that.
[00:37:12] Speaker B: Is that kind of what you hope for the future? Like, this is why you've made this book. You're. Is your North Star to be an example.
[00:37:21] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:37:21] Speaker B: Or. And to normalize. Leading ladies, hero figure, main star, not funny friend or not. Like, not the kid being bullied in these stories, but, like, the lead fucking sexy.
[00:37:35] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:37:36] Speaker B: Cool.
[00:37:36] Speaker A: Because, like, it's just something about me, which it's a huge part about me. And I know that many of my other disabled friends will also feel that way. Like, it is part of our identity, but that is not everything. And you don't see this is a Tangent. But you don't see disabled people in the entertainment industry more often than not. Like, I can give you two to three examples in a role, whether that's dancer, actor, whatever, unless it is this wholesome world that they are, like, in the inclusive bubble with. Like, you do not see a disabled person on screen just as a body unless it is beneficial for the inclusivity realm.
[00:38:20] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:38:20] Speaker A: If that makes sense.
[00:38:21] Speaker B: The token.
[00:38:22] Speaker A: Yes. Like, it's token and it's tokenism and it's actually quite patronizing. Yeah, I'm sure. And I can tell immediately when I'm brought on to set, if I'm being hired as an inclusive talent. Like, immediately. It's so blatantly obvious.
[00:38:37] Speaker B: How can you tell? I'm sorry to be.
[00:38:39] Speaker A: No, it's okay.
[00:38:40] Speaker B: That's why I'm good and bad experiences. I would love to hear more.
[00:38:43] Speaker A: Yeah. Fortunately, most of my experiences have been good. But I will say, and this is, I get nervous because I, like, I see two different sides of the industry, to be totally honest. I see the inclusive world and then I see the dancing world.
Meaning I am in the same audition room, on the same roster as are other disabled people. But, like, going down the typical dancer avenue, I can tell when I'm brought in via the inclusive avenue the second I walk in, if I am being coddled. And disabled people are constantly coddled on set and just in life. But, like, because I think the natural inclination for disabled talent is to pity and to make sure that they are okay. And, like, just what do you need? What do you need? And I get that immediately. Like, I can. I can. I is. It's in the air the second you walk in. If I'm not sure of, like, what way I've been brought in.
[00:39:39] Speaker B: Yep.
[00:39:40] Speaker A: And it's sad because I also think we should just have kindness in general. Like, what I'm saying isn't good. Is like, oh, people are just really, really, really nice. And it's like, that should just exist, like, in the industry in general. But it's blatantly obvious, the difference.
And I think there is, like, natural patience that comes with having disabled talent. Like, that is real. And that is not offensive.
But that doesn't mean you need to, baby. And that the typically, it's like, typically, hand in hand, it's growing, but at least not in the dance world. The dance world, like, I see it in the acting and modeling spaces that continue to grow. But the dance world, I feel like.
[00:40:20] Speaker B: We'Re, like, a little behind.
[00:40:21] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:40:22] Speaker B: Yeah.
I started asking at the Beginning a question about language and demystifying. And what I'm, what I'm learning even as we're talking is that there will not be one thing to say or one way to treat or one way to approach being inclusive, being fully inclusive or not offending anyone. Yeah, I think it's a personal thing that you have to suss and that you have to lead with from sincerity. Like even something as simple as like me talking to you at the beginning of class. Let's say I want to do a locking drill and say, hey Sydney, is there anything I can do to make this more accessible for you? We're going to be wrist rolling like motherfuckers over here.
Like is. Would that be an offensive statement to you?
[00:41:12] Speaker A: Or it's not offensive. It's a matter of if it's necessary and that I don't necessarily have the answers, but I'm trying to have the conversation to help us find that it's not offensive.
Is it needed? Not necessarily. Because that is you trying to be a good educator, which is also really important is that you're taking that initiative to be a good educator. And I think it would be better to go that way than the latter. If you're unsure, like always stay on the side of just like trying to have the conversation. So if anyone listening, like they're not sure, always just like try to maybe take the step ahead because then learning.
[00:41:48] Speaker B: Will happen at least totally, totally.
[00:41:50] Speaker A: And it like will come across as you being respectful rather than ignoring. And that is important.
But I, it also just may be the way that I dance because I'm like, I'm so used to modifying and stuff. But if you have someone who's deaf or hard hearing in class, like from my, from what I know, from my connections and this is me regurgitating information. But like they will come to you and say like, I'm just letting you know this is my modification. I need to be close to you so I can read your lips. Or would you count? Yeah, because counting is very important. That's a really important bit for dead of hard deaf or hard of hearing friends.
But they will maybe initiate that conversation with you.
[00:42:30] Speaker B: Cool.
[00:42:30] Speaker A: If you somebody is in a wheelchair, maybe also they will initiate it with you. But also trust that if they don't have that conversation with you, they maybe know what they're doing. Meaning they've attended a dance class before.
Because even if you have someone who is able bodied attending a class for the first time, they might, they'll probably tell you and they, you know, What? I mean, like, they'd be like, I'm new to this. Like, like, so maybe wait for them. Yeah, maybe wait for them. But it wouldn't hurt if you took the extra mile. Meaning. Because it's coming out of respect.
[00:43:02] Speaker B: Right.
[00:43:03] Speaker A: So.
[00:43:03] Speaker B: Well, and if it was you in my class, I would have that conversation with you because I, I think you'd be willing to help me do better.
[00:43:11] Speaker A: Totally.
[00:43:12] Speaker B: But it's not the job of any old person to help me be a better educator.
[00:43:17] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:43:17] Speaker B: At the expense of making them feel.
Or putting them in an uncomfortable conversation.
[00:43:22] Speaker A: Yeah. And I mean, I. Once again, I'm regurgitating. These are not my experiences, but my friends who are in wheelchairs who take dance classes like it. They don't mind if an instructor's like, oh, let me know if you want me to help you, like, come up with a way to like modify this. Like, but that's a private conversation, obviously. But there's trusting the student that's in the space that they know what's going on a little bit. But also not shying away if there needs to be a conversation because that's what a dance, I mean, a dance teacher relationship should be.
[00:43:50] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:43:51] Speaker A: Even if it is a one and a half hour class, like a drop in. You know what I mean? Like, that still does exist.
[00:43:56] Speaker B: You know, it's funny, in our pre roll, we were talking about Sydney noticed my peloton over yonder in the living room, which is just on the other side of this light.
And you were asking my favorite peloton instructors, I told you, Dennis Morton.
And one of the many reasons why is because he has this sentence that I have borrowed and I now use in class. He says, I make suggestions, you make decisions.
I'm going to tell you that I have the resistance at this number and my cadence is at this. But that doesn't feel right for you today. You can modify whatever I love. I make suggestions, you make decisions. So that's how I usually lead or start the conversation in my class.
I. Yeah, I, I want for us all to be better, you know, when you know better, you do better.
[00:44:48] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:44:49] Speaker B: So I'm grateful for people like you who are open to having, not just having conversations, but being an example of what is doing better and making books like this, making resources, like being an example of it is great. But having an example that is out there doing the work while you are asleep, isn't that the coolest thing? I think that's another reason why I love the entertainment industry, specifically tv, film, blah, blah, no offense. Rockettes. I'm over. I'm. I love the Rockettes now, But I work. That's captured on screen. Is out there working when you are fast asleep. The reputation of the Rockettes is also working while we are sleeping. Like, I can recall what you all look like, but I think to have ways to extend yourself beyond your human body's limits to be in the lives of people as an example of what is possible is just the coolest fucking thing. So I'm so grateful for you. Thank you and your time.
[00:45:49] Speaker A: Thank you. Thank you so much.
[00:45:51] Speaker B: We're not done, though, because we've got a rapid fire section.
[00:45:54] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:45:54] Speaker B: Beautiful.
[00:45:54] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:45:55] Speaker B: It's called wrist roll with it.
[00:45:56] Speaker A: Okay, perfect.
[00:45:57] Speaker B: So start simple. Escalating difficulty as we are you ready?
[00:46:01] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:46:01] Speaker B: Coffee or tea?
[00:46:02] Speaker A: Coffee.
[00:46:03] Speaker B: Morning. Rehearsal, Night.
[00:46:04] Speaker A: Rehearsal, morning.
[00:46:05] Speaker B: Barefoot socks.
[00:46:07] Speaker A: I'm going to go barefoot.
[00:46:08] Speaker B: Okay. Or shoes.
[00:46:09] Speaker A: Barefoot.
[00:46:10] Speaker B: Dogs or cats?
[00:46:11] Speaker A: Dogs, of course. Sorry.
[00:46:14] Speaker B: Technique or style?
[00:46:16] Speaker A: Style.
Style.
[00:46:17] Speaker B: What was the last song that you belted?
[00:46:19] Speaker A: I'm gonna Go you and I by Lady Gaga, I think.
[00:46:22] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:46:22] Speaker A: It's like, one of my favorites.
[00:46:23] Speaker B: I did not see that coming. I was taking you. I was leaning more towards, like a. I thought it was going to be a rock and roll, something like journey or something.
[00:46:30] Speaker A: I do love a good rock and roll, but like that song.
[00:46:33] Speaker B: Yeah. Okay, fair. If you, like, were a member of a band, do you see yourself holding it down in any position?
[00:46:42] Speaker A: Okay, so in another life, I'm a famous pop star.
[00:46:44] Speaker B: Okay. I think I see you as frontman. Energy.
I didn't. I wouldn't put it past you if you were, like, the hot bassist.
[00:46:50] Speaker A: Oh, thank you.
[00:46:51] Speaker B: Do you know what I mean? And there always is.
[00:46:53] Speaker A: Yeah. I, I, I don't sing. I, I don't. Fair. I don't. But like, in another life.
[00:47:00] Speaker B: But if you could, who would you sing like? That's a, that's a rapid fire go.
[00:47:05] Speaker A: Ooh, that's really tough. That's really tough. And I'm.
[00:47:08] Speaker B: Wait, wait.
[00:47:09] Speaker A: I.
[00:47:09] Speaker B: Okay, you do me. You answer me.
[00:47:11] Speaker A: I need to, like, look up. I'm forgetting the name of the band.
[00:47:13] Speaker B: Oh, yeah.
[00:47:14] Speaker A: Can I look it up?
[00:47:14] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah.
Okay.
Yeah. Okay.
You're gonna die.
But if you open your mouth and Tina Turner's voice came out, I would be obliterated. It would. That would be it for me.
[00:47:30] Speaker A: That would be amazing.
[00:47:30] Speaker B: Die happy.
[00:47:31] Speaker A: Me too.
[00:47:32] Speaker B: Right?
[00:47:33] Speaker A: Like, me too.
Thank you. Thank you.
[00:47:36] Speaker B: Like, wow.
[00:47:38] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:47:38] Speaker B: If, like, you singing Private Dancer cracks.
[00:47:42] Speaker A: But just to be able to, like, gutturally do that, it would have to like, if I was a singer and have to be.
[00:47:48] Speaker B: Find that.
[00:47:49] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:47:49] Speaker B: Okay. Okay. So who would you actually.
[00:47:51] Speaker A: Okay, there. I say this all the time. This is not. This is, like, a smaller band, but Lake Street Drive.
[00:47:57] Speaker B: Oh, my God.
[00:47:58] Speaker A: Yes.
I like.
Oh, my gosh. Like, good kisser. The first time I heard it, I was like, if I could sing this, like, it would. I. I just, like, know that would feel so good to sing, so.
[00:48:09] Speaker B: Ooh. Great answer.
[00:48:10] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:48:11] Speaker B: We're gonna say on the music front, what was the favorite. Your favorite combo that you ever learned? What song?
[00:48:16] Speaker A: At convention.
[00:48:17] Speaker B: Yeah. Or. Or beyond.
[00:48:19] Speaker A: I have a really good memory. I can, like, do dances that I learned in the mini room.
[00:48:25] Speaker B: Cool.
[00:48:26] Speaker A: I. I once. I. I have to see it. Like, I have to see a video, but once I see the video, I. I can. I can give you a Jason Parsons combination that I did in mini room. It's crazy and crazy, but I can do it.
Favorite choreography, though. I will say, when I learned, like, the Naughty Girl choreography. Yeah. That was probably one of my favorite. It just felt so good because it's.
[00:48:48] Speaker B: Got a groove that strikes me as being correct.
[00:48:51] Speaker A: It's groovy, but it still, like, has lines.
Yeah.
[00:48:56] Speaker B: For me, it's like, I love you forever. Like, I love you is the greatest choreography known to man, as far as I'm concerned. It's the best there is.
I love it. It's in my bones, like you said.
[00:49:05] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:49:05] Speaker B: Some things are in your bones that will.
Like, to the deathbed. It's coming with me my whole life.
[00:49:11] Speaker A: Really?
[00:49:11] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:49:12] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:49:12] Speaker B: Okay, final question for you.
[00:49:13] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:49:14] Speaker B: What are the words that move you?
Like a poem or a mantra or a guiding principle, A Chinese proverb? I don't know. A horoscope?
[00:49:23] Speaker A: My. Like, go to one. Is anything you can do, anything you put your mind to, which is, like, very, very important to me.
But lately it's just, like, I think, just allowing myself to be and trusting in, like, patience. That's kind of like what I'm leading by a little bit right now.
[00:49:46] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:49:46] Speaker A: Yeah.
Just, like, trust, trust, trust.
Yeah. Yeah. That's like, this season of my life.
[00:49:53] Speaker B: Oh, my God. There were kids doing trust falls at NYCDA this past weekend, and I wanted in.
[00:49:58] Speaker A: You're like. I was like, shit.
[00:50:00] Speaker B: It's been so walk.
They're minis.
Like, it was the most beautiful thing. I was like, I haven't done. I actually don't think I've ever even done that exercise. Ever.
[00:50:11] Speaker A: Trustful.
[00:50:11] Speaker B: Mm.
[00:50:12] Speaker A: Should we do what?
You should absolutely do it. Yeah. Okay.
[00:50:16] Speaker B: I Gotcha. Okay. Tell. Tell me where to go.
[00:50:18] Speaker A: Right here. You can put your arms out first. Ever trust fall. What's the honor? I'm so honored.
[00:50:22] Speaker B: Okay. Okay.
[00:50:23] Speaker A: Ready?
[00:50:24] Speaker B: Yes. Got it.
[00:50:25] Speaker A: Go for it.
There was a moment further back. Sure.
[00:50:31] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:50:32] Speaker A: Let's see.
[00:50:32] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:50:33] Speaker A: That was safe.
[00:50:33] Speaker B: That was good. First.
Okay. Okay.
[00:50:36] Speaker A: Are you sure you have the proportions okay? I'm long as hell. You are long as hell.
[00:50:42] Speaker B: Whoa.
[00:50:44] Speaker A: Yeah, I should do that with all my guests first.
[00:50:48] Speaker B: Dress off.
[00:50:49] Speaker A: How beautiful. That was a good one, actually. You would flirt it out.
[00:50:52] Speaker B: I love that feeling. Okay, so.
[00:50:55] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:50:56] Speaker B: Do you want anyone?
[00:50:57] Speaker A: I'm tall.
[00:50:59] Speaker B: Lean into my arms.
Just lean.
Yeah, we can do that.
[00:51:04] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:51:05] Speaker B: Do you want that? I mean, if you don't want to do it, we don't have to do it, but I'm really strong.
Okay. I don't. I don't. I'm not used to these, though, so.
[00:51:12] Speaker A: You got it. You got it.
That was great. Okay.
Sorry. My par. She really excited.
[00:51:27] Speaker B: She's good.
[00:51:29] Speaker A: We're doing.
That's a good exercise to do with your guest. What the.
[00:51:34] Speaker B: We're starting the interview over now that we've done Trust falls together and that. There's absolute trust here.
[00:51:39] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:51:39] Speaker B: I'm kidding. Sydney, thank you for being here for all that you do for the dance community, for the sexy woman community, and especially, especially the disabled community is very important, and I've learned a lot from you today. Thank you so much.
[00:51:51] Speaker A: Thank you so much for having me.
[00:51:52] Speaker B: Yeah, my pleasure.
I messed up my outro so many times. I had to get my good luck charm.
Thank you, Sydney. And thank you, listener, viewer, for being here. If you're enjoying the podcast, please leave a review or rating. Like it, share it, subscribe, and of course, keep it very funky.
[00:52:13] Speaker A: Yay.
[00:52:16] Speaker B: 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 Vajadares. 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 there. Also, if you want to connect with me and the many marvelous members of the Words that Move Me community, visit wordsthatmoveme. Com. If you're simply curious to know more about me and the work that I do outside of this podcast, visit thedanawilson. Com.
