Episode Transcript
ranscript:
Intro: This is words that move me, the podcast where movers and shakers, like you get the information and inspiration. You need to navigate your creative career with clarity and confidence. I am your host master mover, Dana Wilson. And if you're someone that loves to learn, laugh and is looking to rewrite the starving artist story, then sit tight, but don't stop moving because you're in the right place.
Dana: Hello, my friend. And welcome to the podcast. I am so excited that you are here and I am so excited about this episode. I really cannot emphasize enough. This is a gem. Get ready to be inspired. Um, before I get into this interview with the fabulous Marguerite Derricks, I will start this episode as I always start, but this one comes with a warning. I always begin with wins because I think it's very important to celebrate. What's going well in your world.
I want to be very clear. This week's win is not a copout. This is really truly my win. And when I say this, I mean this episode and this day, this day is my win this week, because in the course of this, you know, this the last 24 hours, I have experienced actual pain and embarrassment. Um, I started my day by falling. You guys, literally hands and knees on the concrete fall. I fell down on the ground. Um, and that doesn't happen very often because you know, dancer coordinated, but I really ate it today. I hit the deck. There was a guy with a leaf blower who actually like ran over and tried to help me up. But social distancing it's okay. I got up on my own and I didn't even spill my coffee because I know what's important and what should be protected. But I, you know, I don't know if you can recall the last time you actually fell, but there's this flush of heat in your body. I started sweating it. I was really checked in like, Whoa, what a Swift warmup. I don't think it's possible to actually get that warm any other way than a real true, honest fall. So I ate it. I felt embarrassed. I felt pain. Um, I felt low literally and emotionally. And then I experienced some extreme technical difficulties in the moments leading up to this interview with Marguerite that I had really prepped for and was planning in my head, the way that it would go down. Of course, nowhere in my plan was zoom difficulties. I really thought I'd had that figured out, but alas, I fell. I had the technical difficulties and then I had this conversation with Marguerite. Tremendously inspiring and informative, and wow, just took me on a ride. So today's my win. Because today I experienced the full realm of human emotion. Well, maybe not full, but a wide spectrum. And that just feels so great. So that is my win today. What is yours? What's going well in your world.
All right, let's do this today. Marguerite and I talk about gratitude. We talk about readiness. We talk about climbing and when it's time to jump and we talk about setting the bar high. Marguerite is much more than a choreographer. True fact. She actually carries the title producer of dance. She is a teacher. She is a leader and she is an example of what is possible. She brings the marvelous to all that she does, and she's been doing it for a long, long time. So please enjoy this conversation with the marvelous Marguerite Derricks.
Dana: Alright. Yes. Marguerite Derricks. Thank you so much for being here today. I'm thrilled to have you. I'm so thrilled to get to talk to you. Oh my goodness.
Marguerite: Thank you. I'm really happy to be here. All right.
It is par for the course on my podcasts that my guests introduce themselves. So have that. What would you like us to know about you?
Oh my gosh. Well, my name's Marguerite Derricks and I'm a choreographer sometimes producer aspiring director, um, at one three Emmy's um, currently, well, I was currently working on season four of the Marvelous Mrs Maisel season four of GLOW before we hit this lovely pandemic. Um, but I work in TV and film and commercials and videos and Broadway and Vegas. So I get to do it all and I love doing it all. So I guess that's it.
That was a gorgeous introduction. Um, and I love the way that you have framed our pandemic as lovely. I think there are a lot of hidden gems in this moment in time. Um, I understand the magnitude. I understand that it is awful in so many ways, but I also do see tremendous opportunity in this moment
When I say lovely, um, you know, I try to find lovely every day, I guess, you know, um, it is horrific cause a lot of people are suffering. Um, and you know, so I, you know, I feel there's so much going on right now. That's so heavy. Um, but I do every single day, I wake up with counting my blessings and finding gratitude in the day and in my life. And, you know, trying to find a lovely, I guess for sure.
I love that. Um, I did a little listen to the podcast that you did with Tony Selznick, um, the Hollywood dance project you mentioned in that episode, starting your day with gratitude. What does that look like for you? Is it a mantra a meditation, a journaling moment? What's the process there?
I wake up every day and I start, I just, I give thanks for, I just start counting my blessings, remember, my dear friend, Doug, Doug Caldwell always ended everything with counter blessings. And so I, I wake up and I start to pray out loud and just think to give thanks for everything that I'm blessed with. And then I go and I press go on the coffee machine and I come back and I say, my prayers, I literally get on my knees. And I say my prayers and I put it my intentions into the universe. And then I there's, um, I open up my, my phone and there's, uh, two books or like they're daily inspirational books that I've been reading the same two books over and over for about 10 years. They're both from Joel Olsteen and they're, you know, just one is a daily, you know, their daily blessings, but there's something interesting about it. It comes from, “Your best life now”, um, which was a book that my friend Tyce Dirorio gave me years ago when I was going through a really difficult time. So these are like scriptures and little verses from your, uh, your best life now. And it's so interesting. I literally, as soon as I finished the book, I started again, but it's very interesting on the days that I read something I've read before that all of a sudden has so much meaning on a specific day for me. So I, that's how I start every single day. If I have to go to work at 5:00 AM I get up early so that I can do those things. And I, I don't ever miss a day. And that's how I, I kickstart my days is with gratitude and prayer and, you know, intentions, manifestation. Yeah
That's super powerful. And I'm sensing a little bit of an overlap. I did read a long time ago, Twyla Tharp's the creative habit. She mentioned being a creature of habit and a person who religiously does certain things that put her in this space where she's able to create freely and create freely, but also create on demand that creative muscle is exactly that. So I think, I think perhaps gratitude also is a muscle. The more you practice it, the more accessible that is for you.
For sure. Absolutely. And I'm, I am definitely a creature of habit. I do things the same way. Always like sometimes change is almost jarring to me. Um, so there is something I think for me, that's empowering about that.
I'm so curious. What are the things, what are the, the habits? The alwayses
Well, just, just how I start my morning. Like it's, it's you could almost, you know, it's almost like Groundhog Day. You saw me wake up every day. You would go, Oh, you could say, okay, now she's got a, you would know what to, what exactly what it is that I do. It's a ritual
Opening sequence of all that jazz.
Exactly. It's a, it's a, it's my spiritual ritual that starts my day. And then, you know, the, the, you know, I create, I have a, a certain way that I create, like, I like to start, like there's an ABC and D to how I do each job. Um, yeah, I'm just kind of a creature of habit. I find things at work and I get very comfortable with that.
Well, the things that you have found that work work very well because you're at work is some of my favorite, some of the most memorable dance on screen that I have ever seen. And this is not to discount the live shows as well because La Reve is one of my favorite shows in Vegas, but my husband is not a dancer. He is an engineer, he's an optical specialist in lenses, cameras, camera displays, arrays, all sorts of technical things. When we met, he didn't know who Justin Bieber was, who I was working for at the time, very far removed from the entertainment industry. And when he asked who I was talking to today, I was like, if you have seen movies, like more than one that have dance, chances are Marguerite choreographed that movie, or one of those movies and the breadth of your work. And in addition to the different, you know, the amount of work itself is incredible. You've been working as a choreographer for 35 years and not just in commercials and not just in music videos and not just in live shows, but I call it a diversified portfolio, which is one of your keys to longevity. And we'll talk about that in a second, but, um, I think the most memorable dance that I've seen on camera is likely yours. So I wonder what is the most important thing while you're making and do you seek to make something memorable or, or are you seeking to make it something else.
You know, I, I never, I never approach a project with that in mind. I never think about it being memorable or it like ha like escalating to a certain place. I try to, I just try to find something magical about everything that I do. Um, and I, I really, you know, serve whatever the project is. Right. And I work really hard. I do a lot of research. I try not to repeat myself, although I'm sure I have many, many times. Um, but I never really think like, Oh, this is going to be, you know, memorable, or this is going to, people are going to talk about this for years and years to come. And it is, it's always surprising to me some of the things that are, and some of the things you think are going to be super successful, they're not. And then the thing that you think is just this little thing that you did is it's just like, it's, it's huge. Like when I did that gap commercial, that GAP, Gogo commercial, I became a, like an overnight celebrity and literally it, it opened up more doors for me. Then my three Emmys did, that GAP commercial, a 60 second commercial, a little spot. I did big movies with big stars that I thought were going to be very successful. And then along came this little indie film, Little Miss Sunshine. It became this thing, you know, so I now, like I've learned early on, cause I, I got really hammered, you know, not just me, not me, but me because I was a part of it. I felt very hammered early on when I did Show Girls and Striptease, I felt, I felt the pain of even though Showgirls then turned around to become a whole different thing. Um, but when they came out, like I, early on, I learned, you know, all you can do is your best, and then it's not in your hands anymore. You know? And after, after Striptease and Showgirls or Showgirls and Striptease then came Austin Powers and that was so, so hugely successful. Um, and I didn't know, like the first Austin Powers was an indie film. I think I got paid a nickel and a dime for the first one, you know? And, um, but you know, so I learned early on and I'm so grateful for that, not to expect anything, um, to do my best and to have a good time doing it, to really try to like, enjoy the process, which I'm learning more as I get older to really kind of like take it all in and breathe it and just go like, Oh my God, like, this is so amazing. Like, I, I think when I first started, I like, you know, it kinda, I got on a roll pretty like once it started, it started, I was doing always like three, three or four movies at a time. So it was hard for me to go look what I'm doing, look who I work, you know, like it was just, I was just hustling and getting it done. So I'm in a different space now where I breathe it in and I, I kind of like try to like go, Oh my God, look what I get to still do, you know? But yeah,
The, the first thing that I'm relating that to in my mind is my wedding day when everybody's like, breathe it in, just take a moment and pause and just breathe it in. It is such a big, exciting day and a big, exciting moment. And I think if I were to practice that type of excitement, as often as you are practicing the exciting role of being, living your dreams or the exciting role of being first in command of this massive dance number on this massive project, then yeah. You would probably get more practiced at that moment.
It's just a part of the gratitude, right? It's like, you know, really just, just because it all, everything goes by so fast, like your wedding day, it probably felt like a second to you, you know? Um, so life goes by really fast and you know, the more we can slow it down. And I think maybe that's one of the lovely things that we can come out of this time with this, because we are all slowed down to almost a stop right now. And, you know, I, I hope that, um, when we go back to the life that we know, however, that's going to look that I hold onto some of this, of this kind of like being in the stillness and you know, like I lived in my home for 20 years. I have enjoyed my backyard. I never went out in my backyard before I have friends. Like people come over and say “such a beautiful backyard.” I'm like, yeah, it is. I, I never really came out here before, you know, so just enjoy the simple things and, you know, to just take it all in. And I think that I know, Oh, I I'm always the first one rush. Like when, like the minute I'm done with work, I rush off the set. I don't think I'll be rushing off anymore after this. I think I'll stick around and, you know, just like take it all in. Even when my work is done and just watch everybody. And I don't think I'll be rushing out anymore. I know that's something that's going to change on this when I go back.
Oh, that is a beautiful sentiment. I love that thought
My dancers are not going— like dancers are not going to believe it. Cause they know. I, I always say like, well, we're getting ready to do the last shot. Okay. I'm going to say goodbye now because it won't be that anymore. I think I'll slow it down. And you know, like, like maybe do at the end of the day, how do I start? The beginning of my day is slowly leave and count the blessings and the gratitude as I'm ending the day.
Oh, I love that. Taking stock on the, on the, in and out. Um, uh, my several years of life on tour with pop stars, we, we call it a quick out, after the show, you don't even have time to shower. Well, I still consider the baby wipe head to toe a shower, but I've embraced that. I brought that into my social life. Occasionally like guys, I'm doing a quick out tonight, I'll see you later. And there is something effective there, like efficient, trust me, I can talk a podcast is exactly where I should be living. I could talk forever goodbyes. A quick round of goodbyes can take an hour and a half. So I do see the value of a quick out, but I really like the idea of taking stock in and taking stock out. Um, so this, this thought of being grateful in this thought of taking pause and taking a moment to witness yourself doing the things, um, that's powerful to me. I really I'm right now, 34 years old transitioning from being primarily a performer to primarily not a performer. I am many things. Podcast hosts, choreographer, movement coach, um, movement director on several projects, which I love that role by the way. But I really right now am interested in the power of our thoughts and how those guide our actions. So on, on your podcast with Tony Selznick, you talked about a lot of the actions that keep you in this position of continuing doing a thing and continuing to love it. You talked about a lot of the things that you do that have perpetuated a career of longevity. For example, being really diverse in the type of work you do. Commercials, TV shows, award shows, um, Vegas, movies, all the things you talk about being prepared and being a champion of having all the options. You talk about understanding money and understanding how productions are looking to dance team leader, as a guide for how much time things need, how much money they require, how many dancers does that actually take if we want this and how do we, this you're the person with those answers. Um, and this is so great. I love the actions I love like, Oh, just listening to the way you talk about your team and how you utilize time. And, and people is very inspiring, but I would love to know some of the thoughts that keep you in your, in your ongoing love of dance. And is it always been love? Is it, has there ever been love, hate moments of, of this thing in 35 years?
Nope. Never, never hate. I think I've always loved what I do and I still, I still do. I know there's a lot of people that, um, they want to go to a different level. So they, they, there becomes this negative thing about the thing that they love.
Mm. The level that they've been. Yeah.
Yeah. So like, you know, wanting to go here, they hate where they are and I don't, I still love what I do. I still love, I love being with dancers. I love creating movement. Um, I love what I do. I do want to do other things, but it doesn't mean I'm going to stop loving what I do and going, well, I'm not going to do that anymore. I did that when I was a dancer, I stopped dancing to be a choreographer. I felt at the time that I started doing choreography, that there weren't, it was way different than it is now. There, there, there were only that the top dogs there, weren't a lot of young choreographers coming in. That wasn't a thing. So now it's a thing it's like, you know, they're there, there's a more openness to young choreographers, you know, now than what there was then. So I felt like I had to stop dancing and just go into choreography to be taken seriously. And, um, Debbie Allen has never forgiven me for stop dancing. She's always tells me, you know, we got to get you to dancing. I'm like, Debbie, if it's in a rolling chair, sure. I'll do it. But I honestly, I've never regretted it. Um, I loved dancing, but I, I think that I, I do know that I was meant to do what I'm doing now. I was doing it as a young girl. I just didn't realize what I was doing. I didn't, I didn't know that I was choreographing, but I was creating dance. So I never thought, Oh, I want to be a choreographer that just happened. But when it happened, I went, Oh yeah, this is what I'm here for. This is why I'm here. Like, it just fits so well.
Oh, that's a power thought. This is why I'm here. This is why I'm here.
Yeah. So that, that I knew that right on. And, um, it makes sense the way I've been guided through, you know, through magical moments by the universe, you know, big disappointments that led me to, Oh, pushed me onto the track that I was supposed to be on. I always tell people, you know, have a focus in a dream, but be ready to really open it up because, you know, you may think you're going down this road, but this road over here might be so much grander that you just didn't even see it. So, um, you know, by just, I think by just, just keep moving and keep doing your thing and being open to a shift, there's been a lot of shifts in my life. There's been things that I've thought, Oh, that is going to be it, that's going to change my, no, it wasn't that it's always the surprising things. So I try not to attach myself to anything anymore. Like I don't, Oh, this is going to be huge hit. Is it, you know, you never know, Hey, I did so much TV. I think Maisel and GLOW.
are The first TV shows that I've worked on that have gone beyond one season.
Really?
There have been so many TV shows like bunheads and shows that I love so much. They were the first. And now they're both in season four. I just remember thinking, hearing of like, you know, shows that would go on for three or four seasons going, Oh my God, that would be amazing. Cause I really love doing television. And I love being on a TV series where you really, you know, you get in there and you, you know, the characters, you know, you get to know, you know, the voice of the show and like with Maisel and GLOW, I know the voice of the show, I am part of that voice. And I, I just remember always like, Oh, that would be so cool. You know, to have a TV show that goes longer than a season. And you know, I'm feeling that now. And you know, I never knew it would be Masiel and GLOW You just don't know what it's going to be. Right.
Follow the lead. Um, I heard a BTS interview or video that you did on the set of Maisel and you, you mentioned that the first step in that process for you and there all the processes will be different, but on Maisel your first step is always to talk to Amy, the director and Dan the producer. So my question is what, what will your first step be when you are the director or when you are the producer, what's the, what's the first step then when you're just, when you are driving.
When I’m when I'm directing, I will have a really good long talk with myself before I get to set.
So the same, the same first step, different audience.
So my first step will be, you know, um, having that, you know, I'm a team player and I really do believe it takes it. It, you know, it takes a village, right. To create greatness, and it would be, um, surrounding myself by, you know, some great, great, great talent. And I think it would be, I would then be an Amy and Dan's position where I would be talking to my people and getting them on board with my vision. Um, so that would be the first step. I would just be sitting in a different seat
Or sitting with a mirror. I love this. So on the subject of teams and the importance of like having a really solid team, you have a rep reputation for using A plus plus talent and for running a tight ship, if you are not A plus, plus you can't hang. And I respect that. I think that is brilliant. And I am not the same. That's not to say that my team isn't A plus plus, but I'm so interested in error in humanness, in, uh, the mess ups in being exposed um, my taste in art is very rarely the modern, sleek, pristine, clean, minimal. It's the thing that has like, you know, epoxy dripping out of the side, or like a smudge over here. And it looks, it looks homemade or manmade. Um, I know because I know a lot of the people that work with you a lot, your work is polished, pristine, exquisite, but your process, your working with you is human and, and open and accepting, and kind of like this, this homemade feeling, this, we are a team we're doing this together. I am wondering personally, professionally, how you navigate that balance for yourself, the maintaining of this ridiculously high standard simultaneously nurturing the team, being a teacher, a lot of like your, your you're training, your dancers and your assistants. You're, you're teaching simultaneously as you're creating.
Absolutely well, that's, that's the thing. It's that? I I'm number one. I am a teacher and I love teaching and I, I keep that going at all times, no matter how busy I am. Like when I'm in New York shooting, Maisel on my days off, I'm at Broadway Dance Center, teaching class, I'm a teacher. I love teaching. Um, I think it probably is the most joyful thing that I do. And I think that I am a great teacher. I know that that's where my, I really have greatness. Um, and so that's where I find my team. All of my assistants start in class, you know, they start in class and a lot of the dancers I hire, I'd meet them in class and it's in class where it's, it's a more loving, nurturing space, it to see how I work and really get to feel the way I want my, the movement to be, you know? And, um, they get to know me and I get to know them. That is always the beginning for all of my, all of my assistants. My assistants are, I mean, A plus plus plus plus plus plus plus like they are, and they're insane and they're wonderful. And, um, they've been doing this, there's this thing that I've just really started to recognize and acknowledge. I've always recognized it, but I'm really speaking on it. Now, my assistance train, the new assistants that come in and they've been doing it since the beginning of time, you know, Michelle Elkin, she trained Jen Hamilton and Shea Spencer. They trained, you know, they, they just pass, they pass it along and they, they, they send, cause they know all my choreography that I do starts in class. Everything that is on film that I've done was in a routine that I did in class. Le Reve is a routine I did in class. A lot of those, I created 15, 20 years ago when I was teaching so much and I had this teen company at Tremaine. And, um, so they, they have old videos that they send each other so that they know my background and the stuff I did because they know, Oh, I'll go wait. There was something I did in Sarah Smile that would be great here. And then boom, we start doing the old routine and you know, then we start to flip it and change it and use it. So, um, then coming to class and knowing like this summer, I've taught nine classes at CLI and for the first time, in a long time, I had the time to go in and create new choreography for class. And I'm so excited to take all this new choreography that I have now, this ball of choreography. I can't wait to put it on film.
That's awesome.
That's all I, you know, I've had the time to really go in and, Oh, it's just, that's been probably the most joyful time of, of the pandemic for me is getting into the studio with my assistants and creating new class choreography. Cause I know it's gonna go on film. I know it's going to go on stage. Um, and yeah, so it all, it all starts for me in the classroom and I'm teaching and learning. I learned from everybody that I teach. So it all starts there and it's, it's such a more relaxed atmosphere that auditions and you know, really a place for us to all really get to know each other. Yeah.
Oh, that's awesome. And I cannot wait to see, I did drop in on a couple of your CLI classes that looked like so much fun and I can't wait to see those sweet moves manifest on some silver screen or some cell phone screen somewhere. Um, okay. So from, as you take from your classwork, put it out there in your, whatever. I mean, they're both professional work, so it's weird to say classwork versus industry or, um,
It's definitely.. people view it differently, but yeah. Yep.
If I were to cross section your early class material say 30 years ago or 20 years ago, and something from this - from this past summer, what do you think would be the biggest difference between these, these two moments in your creative vocabulary, your movement vocabulary, or maybe the easier question if we want to segue with an easier question is what's the same? What is your work? Always
Technical and strong. Yeah. Yeah. Technical and strong, um, lines, clean lines, you know, um, and you know, really heightened and pushing, but making it look easy and effortless. You know, I like, I look, I, especially when I was doing CLI my assistant Lonnie and Bobby, like wholly, they were sweating, they were working their butts off. It was not easy, what they were doing.
They are so capable. They are so good.
They did it, it looks so easy, but I know how hard it is. I think the best thing that ever happened to me is when I, um, busted up my knee early on in my career in my early thirties, I blew my knee out. I had major knee surgery and I had to learn to choreograph without using my body for a while. And then I stopped using my body and I just saw, saw things in my head. So I like, I'm like, can we do five turns? Like I never could do five turns, but I can choreograph five turns. Do you know what I'm saying? So I took it off of what I could physically do into what these two young. So I think that's, what's different. The ability of the dancer as they're, as they're getting higher and higher, I'm able to do higher and higher
Well said. And Holy smokes. Yes, I am constantly, I'm shocked. I mean, a triple pirouette at when I was a junior coming up in competition was like, wow. And now holy smokes. Like it's, it's unreal. The things that these young dancers are capable of. And so cool. Mmm, Where do I want to go next? I could, I could tell a story. This is a fun one. So because the dance world is small. I know a lot of people that have worked with you very closely, KC Monnie is a good friend.
I love him so much.
I Love KC Monnie so much. And, uh, so we were having a chit chat as I was preparing for this. And he was like, you know, Marguerite gave me my first job. Right. And I was like, no, I had no idea. Well, you've been that for many people, which is actually contrary to what most people say about, which is you only hire people that, you know. Nobody would have their first job with you. If you only hired people that you knew. So I think that's very cool. Number one, number two, KC mentioned that when he walked on set, I'm gonna abandoned my family friendly language just for a second. Cause I have to quote him specifically, I'll bleep this out. But KC said, “I was scared as ** ***” I was like, I bet you were. You know, we talked a little bit about what that project was for him. And then he said at the end of it, I felt truly loved and supported. And in that moment I knew that it is not just your work that I admire, but the way that you work, that I admire. And I think that probably speaks to the longevity as well. If you're able to create a space like that and you're able to come with all the rest of the, the technical preparedness, the, the knowledge, not just what it takes to do something great, but the knowledge that you yourself are great, but you're sharing that greatness with your team. I'm just like, Ooh, that is a sweet spot for me. Um, so I'm wondering if you could maybe talk a little bit about what your dancers mean to you and how they get from, I guess you mentioned class as an entry point in a big way, but you do hold auditions occasionally. What is it that you look for in your dancers?
Well, you know, once again, like I love well-trained dancers. I love strong technical dancers, even if, you know, like just really, I love well-trained dancers. I just, I just do, um, and KC is all of that. Um, and I like people that are respectful of, of, you know, that there's sometimes, you know, you have an audition, I've know dancers that will go to an audition and they show you one thing and then they walk into rehearsal and you're like, I'm like, who is that? You know what I mean? So I want whoever I, whoever auditioned for me, that's the person I expect to come to my rehearsal. Um, I always on time, I've always early looking at the clock. The minute it hits, I start I'm so efficient with time. I don't like to waste time. Um, so I, I want really wonderful dancers that, you know, have a great work ethic and I love to have fun, but I like to get the work done. I'm super intense day one. Cause I like, I want to please Amy, like if I'm, if I'm doing something for Maisel, I want to get it done, film it, send it to her, get her okay. Or get her notes. So it's day one is like that. And then we glide, then we have fun. We have breaks, you know, we get to know each other, but day one is like really important to me. Um, so any dance, any dancer that has worked with me knows that about me. They know I come in prepared. It's always usually choreographed. So they're not standing around while I'm trying to figure out 8s and very efficient that way. So I like, I like to dancers that come ready to get it done. Cause then they might be done in an hour. They're getting paid on a side contract for 12 an hour. You know what I mean? And then we can have lunch together, whatever. Like I just like to get the work done because I, you know, there's people that I want to show it to and, you know, get approval by it. All of that. Um, you know, I was different when I was younger. When I, when I first started to choreograph, I was, uh, a hard-ass I was young. I was, uh, hiring my peers. So there was I, there was a wall that I put up. I was known. I used to wear dark glasses all the time, even though they were prescription, like I always had this wall up. I don't have a wall up anymore, but I think there's something lovely about my urban legend because people dancers come in and they know they gotta get it done for me. Like, yes, I am a sweetheart. And I do love you. I love dancers. I love them. And I would do anything for them, but I expect everything from them. And so knowing that like Amy, Amy, we do, we've been doing a lot of interviews, uh, you know, lately. And she talks about me as like this little blonde sargent girl, you know, like, you know, like there's nobody, you know, like, you know, she gets it done. Like I like, I'm not mean I don't have to be, but people, but people respect me so much and they know if it's not good, I'm gonna let you know. And I'm not going to be happy with that. I don't need to scream. And like, and humiliate, I'm not that kind of person, but I expect greatness because I bring greatness, but we can have fun and I can be loving, wrapped all around that. And anybody that's worked with me more than once knows that about me, my dancers they're like my army. They protect me. I remember I was doing the Emmys one year and I had Brandon Henschel and I can't, I remember what there were a couple of my guys, I was, I was dealing with Conan O'Brien and he was nervous. They were like, they were standing at the door to make sure like that. I don't know. Like I just remember seeing them stand there to make sure I was okay. I don't know
Your angels
Angels. So dancers know how much I respect them. They know how much I really do love and care about them. And yes, if I love working with you, you're going to get a call. I'm going to give you jobs. Doesn't mean I'm not going to hire somebody new. But if you are in my circle and you've been an angel to me, why would I not hire you again? Like KC Monnie you know? And sometimes I'll say, guys, you might come into the audition. You're going to get the job. But, but there's always room for new people. But you know, if people are mad at that, I'm sorry. Like they're like Amy Sherman Palladino has hired me for bun heads, Gilmore girls and now the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and we have a relationship and she knows that I know how to get it done. She says one word to me. It's like, uh, like having to say, talk to somebody for 10 minutes, why would she want to go there? She's got this person that's in her brain that knows. So that's how I am with dancers. Always room for new, especially with Maisel because I'm in New York and I'm starting to get to know all the New York dancers, which is great. And I got some angels there now. I have so it's just, um, there's, that should be for me, any dancer should want to be somebody's angel because that's a relationship. And then you can count on my people that have worked with me. I'm sure when they hear I have a job, they probably perk up because there's a very good chance. If they've worked with me before that, I'm going to try to get them the job because we've had a great relationship and I know what they're going to do on set. I know what they're, how they're going to be in rehearsal. Um, that's a beautiful thing. And you know, if you, if you have a good experience and you do a good job, you deserve that. You just, and not every job, I can't like guarantee them every job. Cause sometimes it's a typecasting thing. But if I can, I do, if there's something wrong with that, then I’m just going to be wrong.
That me tearing up Marguerite, you're dropping the, the, um, uh, what are they called? Dramatic pause.. soundbites. Good Lord. That was tough
Right now. The word. And.. is sometimes I can't find it.
I'm searching. I'm searching. Um, it's funny. I do the same thing in podcasts as I do in the room when I'm creating, I search with my eyes up here. Like that's apparently where I look for them.
I always look off to somewhere. Yeah, yeah.
Like it's there. Yeah. That's funny. Um, I really love what you just said about expectations and respect. High expectations equals high levels of respect. And I really love the idea and I’m faced with this. So often, almost every time I positioned myself with, well, it's either this or that in this, in this case. Well, you're either a softy lover friend of all dancers who doesn't, you know, run a tight ship or you're the drill Sergeant that you mentioned, and you are reminding me as I get reminded all of the time that it is not an either or conversation you can have and be both.
Yeah, absolutely. 100%.
That's so refreshing and inspiring to hear. And to see that example,
When we walk in the room, we all know that we have a job to do so all of those dancers that know me, that I've worked with before that I'm very, like, I call, I've been calling KC every couple of weeks just to check up on him through this time. I've been calling a list of my dancers just to check up on them cause I care about them. But when we go, when we walk in that room, we are all there to work. And like, you know, KC and those people that are close to me, they got their eyes on me. Even if I'm working with a different grouping, KC is focused. Like what can I help her? Like they all become my assistants. They all be. They all, I get that from them. They're there. So they, they, they care for me and they take care of me. And I, I do the same for them. It's it's a mutual respect.
Yes. And this idea that when you do well, they do well. And when they do well, you do well. I do not understand how you could be disrespectful or use demeaning language in a rehearsal process. Although I have been in there as it happens and I've heard terrible stories and I just don't understand how that has a place still
Look it. Nobody deserves that. I think that, you know, um, we have a choice whether we put up with that or not. And I understand sometimes you need the job, so whatever, but I, I, I don't, I don't think anybody deserves that. And I would hope that they could just flip it off and walk out the room because it's nobody's deserves that.
Well, Hey, with more examples like you, then I would say that the time is running out on that end of the, on the spectrum. Um, okay. I have one more theme that I would love to talk about. Although I think people are getting way more than their time dollars worth in this conversation. So I want to talk about readiness because you've done a lot and you've done it in some kind of unusual ways. You did act as an assistant for a short time, but you didn't necessarily, you know, like find the artist that it worked with and just stuck that out or like find me a person that you assist well and just assist them forever or come up through a really successful company, you know, from the core to the principal, to the, you know, those traditional ways of getting places. I don't think were your ways of getting places. So I'm wondering how you navigate the moment or how you make the decision between when it's time to fall in line and climb the ladder. And when it's time to just jump and try something you've never done before.
Hmm. I don't know the answer to that. Actually. I think that I've been, I I've been climbing the ladder by whole career, but it's been a steady climb. I always like, yeah. I don't know. I don't know.
Well, we can, we can find out together we can be a buddy system because I've always got my finger on the pulse of like when to jump and when to climb.
I mean, right now during this time, my son and I have are creating some projects together. It's cool. Yeah. I was supposed to direct a movie last year that he came in and was helping me. We were like really flipping the script upside down and, and we worked so well together and the project fell apart and we looked at each other and we're like, well, let's just come up with our own. So we have a couple projects right now that we're developing and I think I'm ready to jump, but you know, um, yeah. So I guess I'm ready to jump, but I'm still, I don't know that a lot, I guess I'm, I guess I'm, I'm I'm as I'm climbing, if this, when this thing goes, I'm ready to jump so
Well, there, it goes to the saying, one of my favorites. If you stay ready, you don't have to get ready. So if the entire time you're climbing, you're ready for the ladder to be gone.
Cause I used to, I there's something that I said that somebody thought was genius. I don't know the thought behind it, I think is important right now. The difference right now with all of the young choreographers that are working, it's different now they're not climbing a ladder. And so I fear that they're jumping and they may fall off the other side because there's something about climbing like that, you know, building, working your way up, just that the wealth of knowledge and this, the situations that you have to make you get through, like, as you keep going up, you're ready for the next level because you're, you're, you're, you're, you're taking it step by step. I fear sometimes some people that get there too quick, they don't stick around for 35 years. Tell me how many choreographers are still at the top of their game. After 35 years, there are some, but there's not a lot of them. So that's what I would rather do the climb, the climb has been a blast and a good time, man. Like I, I have loved everything that I've done, you know? Um, it's a blast. So
Like a beautiful hike and less like a, like a cargo net. That's terrifying.
It's, it's, it's, it's really beautiful. So I think there's something wonderful about that. But if you do have a desire now what you did now, I jumped here was my big job, 23 year old Marguerite and the back of the addition, like a lion back and forth. Should I audition? I don't know. Should I addition? I don't know. I was starting to work. I wanted to become a choreographer. I was a couple of jobs as a choreographer and I would still go to the auditions and I, cause I was on the fence and then I finally just took the leap and that was, that was my big leap. I haven't, since then I've been climbing the ladder, you know, I found what, like what my real purpose was and it's just been a joyful like journey for me. So that was my big leap was when, early on, like I was a really good dancer, but I was ready for something else.
Uh, and, and willing for whatever pain might come along with falling.
That's right.
That's something I'm working to practice in my, um, in my daily practice, I call them downloads. Um, I suppose you could call it a meditation or like a, a free writing exercise, just like a check in with myself, really focusing on my willingness to feel all the fields. And this is a perfect moment to be doing right face to face with a lot of discomfort and uncertainty and, and, and, and um, and so I'm really learning the value of simply being willing to experience a fail or a humiliation or, uh, um, a missing of the mark, like so down, what is the worst thing that can happen to me in that case? The worst thing is that I feel a bad feeling though, we're saying, is that, yeah, that's it like, even if you told me that the worst thing is like, well, you lose your friends still. It's just a feeling of being lonely or you could not get hired again, that's a feeling of being unrecognized or useless or incapable. Like those are all, this is just feelings. If I'm willing to feel all the feels I am unstoppable. So from that place, I can jump when I'm, when I'm willing to be okay with whatever feeling happens, where wherever, whenever, however, I land
Thats a beautiful way to put it.
Willingness. Hi, well, um, I'm exercised. I feel great. My face is numb and tingly in certain places from just having been smiling for an hour. Uh, is there anything else Margaret you'd like to add or, um, that my audience really truly is a mixed bag of creative types. Some of them are dancers have been dancers for a long time. Some of them are in other areas of entertainment and art. Um, some of them have left dance and are coming back, I think, as a person who wears many hats and has a tremendous amount of passion. Anything else you might say to people who are looking for information and inspiration in, in this moment?
I think, you know, just never give up, you know, manifest, put out, put out into the universe, what it is you really want. And this is a good time to get quiet and really see what it looks like. You know, what is it that you really want and, and manifest it and just don't give up, like, there's, it may come in such a different package. You know, it may come in like in such an odd way. So be open to the delivery of your dreams, but don't give up dreaming.
And on that ladies and gentlemen, we will round it out. Thank you Margaret so much for your time for your wisdom wisdom and for your work. That is so great. And I just can't wait to see where it goes from here all the direction. Oh my goodness. I can't wait. I'm so excited.
It was my pleasure.
Okay. What did I tell you? Good one. Right. So insightful so wise, and I really was taken aback at how willing and ready Marguerite is to share at all times her, her insights, her wisdom, her experiences, um, her wins. I really, really loved what she had to say about building her team, a team that supports each other. Thank you all as listeners. Thank all of you listeners for being a part of my team. I hope that you got as much out of that conversation as I did. And I'm going to go ahead and venture a guess. You're going to want to download that one. That is a conversation that I want to have in my pocket at all times. If you're digging, what you hear, don't be shy. Please share and leave a review or rating if you're loving what you're hearing. Thank you guys so much for listening. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day, night, week, month. All of it, keep it funky. Everybody. I'll talk to you soon.
Thought you were done. Now, I'm here to remind you that all of the important people, places and things mentioned in this episode can be found on my website, theDanawilson.com/podcast finally, and most importantly now, so kickball change over to patreon.com/WTMMpodcast to learn more and join. All right, everybody. Now I'm really done. Thanks so much for listening. I'll talk to you soon.
