Episode Transcript
Transcript:
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, Hello, good people. And how are you? I'm Dana. And this is words that move me. Welcome back. If you are a regular and welcome, welcome If you're new here, I am so stoked to be talking to you today. And as always, I am jazzed about this episode, but of course we're not jumping right in. Oh no, that would be rude. It's like dancing. Before you warm up, I'm going to give you this warm up. This is where I'd like to start today. Today, I'm starting with my win, which is very common practice here at the podcast. We always start with a win, but this win comes with a very deep and personal story. Six years ago, my two best friends, Megan Lawson, Jillian Myers, and myself created I'll call it a whimsy. We created a whimsy that we now call the seaweed sisters. We are a dance… Well, you know what? I'll take that back. We are a trio. We are a trio that dances. We are a trio that makes things. We are a trio that teaches. We are a trio that performs. And now I can say we are a trio that inspires. Here comes the, win just a few days ago, I got a FaceTime call from my sister. I'm always very excited when those happen. No offense, SIS, but I'm even more excited when I hit accept and it's my niece taking up the full frame, not my sister. So my niece is seven. I believe. Well, seven and a little bit more than a half. I think she turns eight in January. She called me as if she was like producing a film. She said, Dana, do you have a minute to talk? I was like for you. Absolutely. And she goes, I have a question. I think you're going to like it. I was like, okay, I can't wait. And she goes, how did you do the seaweed sister's video. The one in the pool. The first one, I was like A. I love that. You remember my group, the seaweed sister. She's been watching these videos since she was born B. I'm so glad that she knows that the first one was the one that happened in the pool. Although on a technicality, we've done two that involved pools, but only one that involves a pool with water. I digress. Number three. I love that. She wants to know how I made it and that she thinks I can tell her the answer to that over a FaceTime call. This is great. I say, why, why do you ask? And she said, well, well, Charlotte and I, Charlotte is her sister, my niece, who's younger, Charlotte and I are creating her words. Exactly Charlotte and I are creating the fishy sisters. And we would like to remake your seaweed sisters video. So I'm going to need to know how you did that. And I was like, amazing. This is great. Okay. Well, first you're going to need, um, costumes. So we talked about what her costumes are going to be. She showed me all of her available leggings, which by the way, were many good job sis, that kid is stocked on the legging front. Um, she showed me the color options. I told her, she's going to need to make a swim cap with a hot glued rhinestones on it. I told her she would need adult supervision for that. Um, she was very excited about the costuming. I asked her if she was prepared to do the moves, she was like, Oh yeah, the moves. I'm not so worried about the moves, but how did you actually make the movie? And I was like, well, that's, you're, you're probably gonna need some help there with, with that as well. You'll need a camera operator. And she says, what's an operator. And I said, camera operators, the person that operates the camera, they control where it is and how it moves and whether or not it's on and recording. And she goes, Oh, okay. That can be my mom. And I was like, nice. Okay. So we've got a camera operator. I can send your mom a shot list. And she says, what's a shot. And I say, a shot list is basically a recipe for the movie. It tells you what you need and how much of it. And when to put it in. And she was like, okay, great. So you can send us the shot list in the mail and then I'll do the costumes and we'll do the dancing. And we will make the fishy sisters video. And I, this conversation, I don't know how, but it wound up lasting, It was like 30 minute conversation. We got very specific about how she will be remaking the seaweed sisters as the fishy sisters. I'm counting this away in a, because I'm completely smitten that I have a niece that's interested in making things and B because I know we forget it. Sometimes I have to say it here, Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And I couldn't be more flattered that my own blood, the magical Emilia is going to be flattering the seaweed sisters by creating a remake of the seaweed sisters. First video. So thrilled, please do be on the lookout. I will gladly be sharing that on the socials over at words that move me podcasts. And on my personal probably I'm DanaDaners on the gram. All right. That's my win. Had to get it out. Thank you for listening to that. Now, what is your win? What's going well in your world in particular, who and what are you inspiring these days? Obviously I'm open to any answer. The answer to my question was a seven year old. I'm here for all of it.
All right. My friend, congrats and keep winning. I'm so proud of you and I know you can do it forever. Okay. Let's get into this interview today. I'm so jazzed to be sharing this conversation with you guys. This was part of three interviews that I did in collaboration with my friends over at CLI studios. Over the summer, they had a 2020 dance experience. And during that 2020 experience words that move me and CLI teamed up to hold these three interviews. I talked to Heather Morris, Dexter Carr. And today I am sharing with you the conversation that I had with the one and only Joshua Smith. Josh is a person that I had been admiring from afar for quite a while, but he and I had never met before this day, before we actually sat down and had this conversation, I was a little nervous. I'll be totally honest, but Josh was completely open, so friendly, so warm and so tremendously insightful. I was, I was wrapped. Top-to-bottom so engaged and so excited. So I hope you are too. I hope you get a lot out of this conversation. I know Josh has a lot to offer, um, tiny little backstory on Josh. He's born in Durham, North Carolina. He moved to Atlanta when he was young. He has absolutely made his mark on the entertainment industry by performing with mega stars like Usher and Chris Brown. He actually won the 2019 soul train award for best dance performance in Chris Brown's video, No Guidance. He is an outstanding teacher. He champions a healthy mindset. He champions hard work, and I am just so thrilled for you. Let's not wait any longer. Enjoy this conversation with Josh Smith.
Dana: Hi everybody. I'm Dana.
Josh: I'm Josh.
Dana: And this is words that move me on CLI how lucky are we? We're so lucky. And so are you, I might add I'm I know I'm saying that at the top of the interview, maybe I should have reserved that until the end, but, um, I think you're in for a treat because I feel privileged to be sitting here talking to you today. Josh, I'm so excited. Um, I want to start with this. I know your other half Lindsay. She and I have had, I have had the honor and the pleasure of working with her before, but our professional paths have never crossed. So answer me this is the dance world big or is it very, very small? We like to say it's such a small world, but I'm like, how has this never happened?
Josh: I think it is a small world. I think just, uh, it's different avenues. You know what I'm saying? Cause I've definitely heard about you and definitely seeing you around for sure. And I think he just different pathway, you know, different artists. We are different. However, we go, so he never got to meet, but this is the perfect time. And we're here.
Dana: It is. I'm so excited. I have a million D questions and they're all right here and I should have written them maybe somewhere else, but that's risky. So let's start at the almost beginning. I won't go into birth, but, um, I understand that growing up, you were very athletic soccer, football. Am I missing anything?
Josh: Baseball, basketball, you name it? I ran track for a little bit. I was on the step team. I was in band and I was a drum major.
Dana: Just a couple of extracurriculars. Thanks. Alright. So when I grew up, I, my only extracurricular was dance and I feel a little bit shortsighted in my experience of like team building and learning myself. And I, I really kind of have become sort of an indoor cat more or less. So I'm always really curious when I hear the discussion about dancers are athletes and dance is a sport. I'm curious about that, cause I, because I'm not an athlete I well, or am I, I don't know. I'm asking you like, where do you stand on dance as a sport and dancers are athletes,
Josh: Dance is definitely a sport. And definitely because we have the same traits and characteristics between the two, you know, you have a coach, you have a choreographer, you know, you have people who are on a team, you know, whether it's a camp or it's a team. So where it's togetherness as we both, we all have to go through these eight hours and there's regular rehearsals or practice four hours. So the togetherness of it, it's a team aspect. And then we do have to stretch and keep our body warm and all that we do high magnitude like moves and impact on our bodies is so much. And, uh, it very, very, very, very close. So I do consider dancers as athletes, for sure. Like it's, it's a, the same similarities, tough times, blood, sweat, tears, you know, and we, we run it together and that's how you gotta do it. So if you think that way as a sports, which you are an athlete, then that's what it is.
Dana: Don’t give me too much confidence. Now you might see me on a field of some sort like, no, I can do this. I'm an athlete. Trust me, tombe pas de bourses. Um, okay. So what is different? Could you put a finger on a difference between a dancer and an athlete or are we just straight up
Josh: You know, I guess it's different because a basketball player and a football player, not the same, you know, and you're an athlete, but it's different magnitude and impact on your body. And I think with that being said, like soccer is more endurance than physical. You know, it is physical, but it's more endurance, but football is very physical. And the thing about dancing is different genres are different, uh, style of dance for quiet. That b-boy is more physical. You know what I'm saying? And ballet is physical, but in a different way, it's more a up core, so, and very on your legs. Well, so when you think about it in that way, in that aspect, you know, it's different, but, um, there's different way of going about it. Right?
Dana: Right. I like that. I think there's so many different, you know, dances and artistic expression. It's nuanced, it's subjective. It's not even from one style to the next is not the same. You're reminding me of a mantra that I, that I harness with my fellow, my two best friends, Megan Lawson and Jillian Meyers, shout out the seaweed sisters. We have a saying, um, our saying is strength is not our strength, but in every sport strength, isn't the value. Um, it's focus, placement, endurance, all the things that you just mentioned. So that is cool. I like to now think of the seaweed sisters as athletes as well, even though, even though strength is not our strength, we have different strengths.
Josh: Shout out to y'all because y'all are amazing.
Dana: Thank you so much, man.
Josh: Lindsay was he was giving me a .. rundown, I knew you got, but she gave me a rundown on the seaweed sisters. And I didn't know about that.
Dana: You got research, you had research before you came into the interview as well. No vice versa. Okay. Okay. Speaking of research, I learned that you want a soul train award in 2019 for No Guidance for Chris Brown. That's a, that's a very cool, very prestigious thing because soul train, obviously this is not something that people have decided is new and important, but been around for a very long time. Um, my question is broadly, what is your relationship with external validation? Because a lot of people seek the awards, the credits, the, you know, the relationships and having a credit like that, having an award like that is a pretty big deal. Was that ever a thing that drove you?
Josh: That's a great question. Um, honestly how my mentality is, I think that, uh, I always looked at it like, yes, I want the awards and I want some know some feedback and people to see my name, but honestly not really, you know, I'm not that type of guy, but not really because even now within my stage of my career, which I'm honored and like so thankful and blessed to be in, you know, I'm not really in the forefront. I don't, you don't really see my face too much. I, I do teach when I want to teach. I'm not a teacher of saying that I just want to teach because I just want to get some money to go around the world and teach, see my name. I love teaching when it feels right for me and everything I teach is probably what I'm going through at that moment. So if I teach a ratchet piece, because I want to have fun and not really thinking about doing moves. And sometimes I might, this one, I felt, uh, empathy for so much and you know, vulnerability with this piece I just made and I wanted something way more relaxed to calm my mind down. Cause I didn't want to have to fake on camera. I don't like faking anything. So, you know, I, I, I take that with my own personality. I don't like faking anything. So I don't seek validation. I like, I go kind of street smarts and I'm really I'm. I was raised in the streets with it and have great family. So not in a bad way, but more so I had street smarts in the sense of, I liked to think. People will know you when they need to know you and the right people should know you. So my whole thing is maybe not millions of people know who I am, but the right people are knowing me because they keep asking me to come back around. And that's what I want to get to outreach to. You know what I'm saying? They know the people who want to be inspired and thank God they're inspired by me. I want it to bestow it to people. And everyone knows you can fall in between whenever you get there.
Dana: It's beautiful. Put a Bow on it and ship it. That sort of speaks to the notion of quality over quantity and being driven by the substance or the process even of the work instead of the end result itself. Yeah.
Josh: Yeah. You can't know a lot of people do the work and I want to say a lot, but I know people tend to work for the outcome. Oh, I know there's going to be great. People are gonna love me. Oh my God. Like, I'm going to get this love, but it's like, to me, I want you to love it. Not just because of me. I want you to love the work in its entirety. So then when you do realize its me like, wow, Josh, you did that. But I don't really like shouting out to telling people, look at me, look what I did. Look what I choreographed. I did that. No, I want people to get their credit even assistants So whoever is involved is you're right. You know what I'm saying? Just as my right.
Dana: That's a really good segue. Something I hadn't planned on talking about this really important to me is crediting your team. Um, I know that you kind of came up through ranks as being a dancer and an assistant. I would love to know what your experience was in getting credit for the work and how that's affected the way you credit the people on your team.
Josh: Yes. Um, so, uh, when I started, no, I started with a crew when I moved to LA. I'm not originally from Atlanta. A lot of people think that it's like a side note, but I'm from Durham, North Carolina research research right there. So Durham, North Carolina. And, um, I moved to Atlanta and I had a crew collision crew, Jeremy Strong, and a couple of people was in that and Cody was affiliated Cody Wiggins. And uh, you know, I had good people surrounding me the whole entire time. And loyalty is a big thing for me. Cause I will be loyal to you. And if my friends or whoever you work with, we know you can be a millionaire and I can still say no, if it doesn't feel right, you know what I'm saying? So, and I got into the Jamaica Craft, my mentor, fix it, big homie friend, all that great stuff.
Dana: And so talented.
Josh: Like that's like, you know, a big, big homie of mine. And uh, she taught me law too. You know, as much as she didn't her career and what she's continues to do, she, um, trusted me and she showed me the ropes. She showed me what it means to be really a dancer and be a dancer with power. She doesn't, she told me, I had my manager, China who taught me to say the power of no. And, and saying that don't look and seek people who will you think are already made it. And you're getting to that place. When you get to that place, I have to leave my team behind to go meet this person. When all you should really do is bring this person with you to meet each other. So then for, because you know, for a fact, this person has made it already, but this person has rolled with me the whole time. So loyalty is a big thing with me. And then when my loyalty, Jamaica has taught me that and uh, she always held me down. She never did no weird, nothing crazy. Like when this job it's a job, when she hit me and I said, add for advice. And she was very secretive. Cause he wasn't like, she was not a person you can get around in Jamaica. Right. When I got around her, if she installed so much knowledge, you know their stuff so much ambition, you know? And like I had it already, but she just said, you know, you're talented and never let anyone take that away from you. Like not even me, like go as far as you can inspire people as you can. She, the one who told me the right people would see you, even if it got to take four years, cause it's four or five years ago, nobody really seen me. I was still, you know, I was dance for usher. I didn't live in LA. I was still going, but no one really knew me, but that's what I, like I say, no, it's cool. The attention, not on me right now, but when it is, I'll be ready.
Dana: I love that attitude. That's awesome. Thank you for that insight. That's super cool. Yeah. I, I like to think of the notion that it's lonely at the top as kind of a lie I would like for it to be very, um, crowded and friendly at the top. I think that that is the top that I want to make.
Josh: I tell people all the time there is room at the table, man. But the good thing to know is, is when you get there, you earned it. But now it's about holding it. Keep it don't show it. Don't talk to me. Why aren't you? Yeah. You are under a lot of people earned this seat, but do they get to stay here? Longevity? A thing for me, I don't want to be I'm young. I'm still 28 now. I mean, I said 28 I'm 27. I want to be 28 years here, but I'm 27. And like, um, I think that, I know I have a long way to go. We know people who I do look up to is Rich & Tones and Fatima and Jamaica and hi-hat, these are people who have longevity. These are people who, their generation, another generation and generation after that, they're still here. You know what I'm saying? And that's something that I wanted. So I don't live for now all the time, which I have to do more, but I'm more so like I want my name to be great for years to come. So
Dana: I'm going to ask a question now, what's your plan for that? How do you, how do you achieve that? Um,
Josh: I’ve been trying it so far, I don't have the right answers for that, but being a good person, training really stunning and really knowing who and knowing that it's time with this, but knowing who you are, you know, like I never tried to be perfect or within relationship within, you know, dance. I'm very, very open book. I'm very like, I like to base myself on with, you know, even my own demons or whatever it's and find me. So if I know I can be the better version of myself and truly be the better version, don't have to worry about Limelights or personas or you know, all that good stuff. I'll be okay now eventually I will make it there. So I don't know when I will make it there.
Dana: I believe that you will, by the way you're talking right now and I want to be there at the end too, right? Yes. Longevity is so important to me. One of my mentors and inspirations is Toni Basil. She's 76 years old and could roast me right now like me and my 30 something year 34, a few days ago, self,
Josh: Happy belated birthday!
Dana: Thank you. Thank you. Um, and, and I think part of Basil's secret to success is persistence. Every single day, she dances, even when she doesn't want to dance, she does. And I think that that's something speaks to what you just mentioned about bringing all versions of yourself might not be perfect today. It might not be happy today. It might not be the coolest moves today, but continuing to show up is how you continue to show up. It's simple as that. It's nothing earth shattering, no simple, not easy though. Simple, not easy. Um, okay. I'd love to segue into like perception and persona public, um, public presence, maybe dare I say social presence. Um, one of the things that I really admire about you and the way you use your voice, not just in your choreography, but in the social platform is that you're not afraid to talk about things that are important to you. Yes. The black lives matter movement is tremendously important to you and to so many people. Thank goodness. And we'll find out we'll find out yes. If this is something that can be important to everyone. Yes. But, um, I, in this process of learning the world that I live in and becoming really working to become more culturally sensitive when I watched dance, like when I consume dance and when I make it, and here's what I'm learning that takes time. I mean, it's very easy to scroll and watch a piece. Yes. But if you want to be sensitive, what you're watching culturally, racially and otherwise, yes. You are asking, who is this person? Where is this person from? What is this person experience? Where is this person going? What, what does this mean? Like, what does that mean? What does it mean when this person kneels versus when this person kneels, what is the meaning of a movement? So then you have to like, you go, you wind up looking. So a scroll is now taking three and a half hours. I get why people don't do that. It's a lot. And, and it doesn't even, you might not necessarily wind up at right or better, or, but, but it's responsible and it's an important time to be. And also we do have time arguably to be doing that. So my question is that was a very long winded way of asking your question, is what might people think about your work on a scroll and what might they learn by going deeper? Okay.
Josh: Okay. Well through dance or just on my page in general.
Dana: Oh man. Let's talk about dance,
Josh: Dance. Okay. So hopefully when you see, when you scroll through my stuff quality. Cause I, I strive for that. You know, I I've danced as we all dance for years, but I've tried hard, I can say to not master, but in a sense perfect my style, you know, and I'm moving away that I will love for you to be like that. It's nice that you know much about this guy, but he looks good.
Dana: Achieved, achieved party of one because when I watch, I'm like, nice. Really? Truly like that word probably happens a lot. Yeah.
Josh: I like that. Just be like, Oh, nice swell. Okay. Then after that, I will hope that you will feel to want to know even a little about me by, because I like to details. Like, even if it's the slightest thing I like to, why do you, like you might see, you know, I realized that I've seen Josh's clips that he wears all black a lot. Why is that?
Dana: Great example, great example.
Josh: It makes you dig in deeper and it makes you want to see more about me. Like, cause I am like, again, open book. I like wearing my beard, whether it's clean or not. No, I had this beanie. Why did he have this been here?
Dana: I've I've heard the beanies of thing. Why, why do you have the beanie on all the tests?
Josh: It was when I was on tour with usher, uh, I was finding myself as a dancer. That's when I really found just so you know, that's when I really found myself, like right after that tour, um, as a mover, I had Kento, I had Yusuke. I had Antonio Hudnell, I had Marvelous. I had Quita, you know, Ashley Everett, you know? So it, it was like a lot of power Naeemah, you know what I mean? And um, we did yoga and all this things and it was like, it was just very togetherness. And um, I found my style and uh, I don’t want to drop the question. Tell me the question one more time. Sorry.
Dana: Um, Oh gosh, no, I lost the question. Specifically. The beanie, is there a story? Why is it the, what is it? Is it a signature? It's a thing. Yeah,
Josh: It's a signature for sure. And I found it on tour after tour and I was, I used to wear like a towel.. on my pocket. Every time I go on stage, because you know, when you go on carver, doesn't really give you the freedom to be like, this is where whatever you think is fly. So Jamaica was like, you scanned kento. They had really a box of shades. Yeah, Like 30 pair of shades. And that box every night, they changed different shades. What they want to wear with that outfit. So she was like, Josh, if you want to wear a towel, whatever, whatever do your thing. Cause she told him about Swoop back in the day and he used to wear his gloves. You know what I mean? So like, it's like, what is your sauce? When you step out to make you feel like that's going to be the best you when you're on stage. So I had a towel and then eventually I see Tone and Tone used to wear, his, his, uh, his hat regular though, you know, regular stuff. And he'd have his towel tied up tights on. Cause he came from the ballet. Right. He was very like protecting his body. I got to stay warm. So I was like, what's my little niche. I like, and I don’t want to be a gimmick. But I just want my own little sauce, you know what I'm saying? It belong to me. So one day I had my beanie up in the house now I rolled it and I kept rolling it. And I wrote up high, like a little sailors hat. I was like, I'm not mad at it. So I did it a couple of people, a couple of years, people was like, why you got your hat like that? I'm like, Hmm. It didn't eventually everyone caught on. And now it's weird. I didn't start it. But I see people now like there’s hats that made like this now, like, and people ask me, where do you get your hat from? I said, to be your supply store, a gas station really.. I just rolled it up certain way. And then rock it. So it's been stuck ever since.
Dana: I love it. I love it. I think there's something so unique about dancers and getting to feel this like very this like in your body difference, depending on what you're wearing.
Josh: Oh, that's a big thing. I mean, it's a big thing right there. You can be in rehearsal for three months and then you go on stage. He was like, this is what I'm wearing. I lost all the feelings.
Dana: 20/20 Experience is a perfect example. I love a loose pant. I mean, borderline put me in a burlap sack. We're good. I just space and air. And then all of a sudden I'm in a high waist, high crotch it, all of it. And it really, it changes. It changes things, um, in the way you feel. But it also changes the visual, like your center of gravity is now high, different shapes. Look good up here. Then the shapes that look it down here. So it's a part of it and it flatters the outline, the silhouette. I love it. It's great. Okay. So we're back though. The tough, the more, not tougher question, because ask answering questions about your signature and your style is not easy and finding your signature and your style is not easy. I don't mean to downplay that at all, but um, I'm wondering when people dig deep on you, what is it that you want them to find? What is it that they find now? And is that what you want them?
Josh: I want them to find that honestly, first off I'm a genuine person. You know, that's what, that's just what I tell. When I talk to people, when I dance, I'm very vulnerable and I want you to see that I'm a genuine person. And I see that. I take my craft very seriously. And to know that my whole goal is to inspire. My dad taught me back in the day. He always taught me this. I had a story and I won't go too long in it, but pretty much saying your gift is not for you. You're gifted for people. God gave you the gift to make people smile and make people happy. So no matter what, whenever you do in your career, if you keep that in mind, you can never lose. So that's what I've tried to give up on my Instagram and my dancing. And when I talk to people, I give so much energy people. How can you give so much energy all the time? You always, so I say, because it's not for me, you know what I mean? It's for, it's for the people who can't do it for the people who want to do it for the people, even when I was in that stage in my life. And I wish I could be there. Cause you know, you tend to get to a place and you're like, dang, I still need to get to this place. But it's like, did you remember when you wanted to be in this place right now? So, you know, I kind of always go back to that and tell people, look at me in genuine light and know that I love what I do.
Dana: Ugh, thank you for sharing that story. That's so important. And I'm glad that we had time. I think we have time for one more. Um, in, in my research, um, I discovered that you have a favorite quote. I am a masterpiece that is trying to master peace. Yes. Would you be so kind as to share with us anything you've learned in your quest for mastering peace?
Josh: Yes. I got it tatted on me, man.
Dana: Let's hear it. Let's see it.
Josh: Yeah. So it's back here, you know, you really can't see, I know you can't see it too much, but I got that quote, my masterpiece, trying to masterpiece because you know, within our own right, we are artists. No, I am an artist. I am sensitive about my art and I love what I do, man. And like, I'm a massive piece that we all are in ourselves and God has given us the right to feel that, you know, no one can take that away from you. And like that goes to parenting. I had great parents who made me feel that love that no one else can take that from me and trying to match the peace because I am an Aries and I'm a fire sign and I can get, I am very passionate so I can get to a very high level of aggression, you know, because out of my passion, but knowing that I want to master peace, I want to be able to be levelheaded and, and, and think clearly and move with purpose. You know what I'm saying? Move with purpose, move with a divine plan, move knowing sometimes I'm not going to have the answer. That's why I'm a masterpiece trying to masterpiece
Dana: Trying emphasis. And that's a constant, right? Because the moment you've achieved it, something is gonna happen.
Josh: And that's why I kind of remind myself, like I'm trying to masterpiece, you know what I mean? That's the thing. That's the biggest thing for me, because I don't want to handle relationships or friends or, you know, business offer like, you know, anger or upset. Because back in the day I used to just get upset and I just cut people off. I don't want to talk. I'm cool. Like, cause I'm not a loner, but I'm, I'm comfortable. So comfort with myself for being alone. I'm comfortable being alone. I went through enough in my life that I'm like, I respectfully bow out. We don't have to be friends. We don't have to be here. We don't have to do work. I'm okay. I'll make it. I'll find a way to make it. So I don't want to have to leach or you have to leach you off of me. We can stop it. Now. Now I'm saying, but now mastering the peace that knowing that relationships are good and talking through things is the best way to do it because communication is key
Dana: With, with a person. But also the self was so like, if you, it sounds like you were a person who's okay with being with yourself. And if you can master like peace within, you're more prepared to achieve it, receive it out there in the world from other relationships. Yes. That's awesome. I think it's the, I think it, it should be, could be everyone's right?
Josh: Yes, man. Like, you know, I think everyone, we, if we move non selfishly, like, and just know that everyone can be great within your own, right. Doesn't have to oversize and overstep. You don't have to move that way. You know what I'm saying? And I know sometimes within not feel the industry, the, it can get very tricky, right. But everyone can move a certain way to get to a certain place, you know? And that's why you got a room at the top. There's always room.
Dana: We have to like change this, this imagery of it being a mountain with a peak and a flag. That's one person's flag to being like, Ooh, what if it was just an, also a mountain, but upside down,
Josh: Upside down,
Dana: Ascending is going to be way harder. Cause you're in an inversion. But I, yeah, I think that that's possible. There's the saying I'm going to botch it. I'm not going to get it right. Um, but one, one matches flame does not take away the light from another, like this match being over here and bright and lit doesn't mean that this one is going to be dim, light it up, let there be light illuminate. I think that's another one that my husband has gifted me. Light is the best disinfectant. And I think that in this time we're shedding light on a lot of things and
Josh: Which, which needs to happen. And these are steps they need to happen. Black lives does matter, you know? And like, I'm just going to put this out there. You know? No one wants to say that no other lives matter. We say that because like you said, you might not know the generational, like depression that we had over the years that I've experienced because I am from the South. So, you know, I've like no cultural and police brutality and all that stuff. Since I was like 13, you know what I mean? As a black man in the world. So no I had the police talk and even me now talking to my friends, knowing that they didn't have the same talk that I would have grown up. So
Dana: The conversations is training and experience
Josh: The same experience. So just to say that we all have love for each other. We just want to come at peace with everybody in the world and live our life exactly how everyone knows can live that life.
Dana: Yes. Josh, thank you so much. I have nothing left to say, except for, thank you. Thank you for being here and being open, um, for somebody that I've honestly not before today, shared word in person words, right? I feel like we could do this for a very long time and I hope that we get to, I would love to spend more time with you and Lindsey. I'm such a fan of your moves. They're so nice. And it's really nice to get to know what's what's beneath them as well.
Josh: Well, it's the kinjaz
Dana: Yeah. We're going to throw it to the Kinjaz. There's a cipher. Josh and I are going to go. You guys should go. I think it's a very exciting time to have dance and have community and you can feel connected even at six feet distance. You can feel connected even on the other side of your computer screen. Um, and I'm excited actually now to be digging deeper because you mentioned people not knowing, not having known you before. And I love a deep dive. So where could I go to find more of you Josh
Josh: Thats the bad thing, I'm horrible at social media. I'm just now I'm about to get my YouTube started out.
Oh, okay. But we'll be on the lookout
Josh: And we don't look out my damn, uh, my Instagram Dasher underscore boys Smith. That's pretty much on Twitter and everything else. Uh, watch out for any upcoming projects. I do have old clips that you could probably look at on YouTube, but ask me, y'all gotta go dig on that.
Dana: You're going to dig on that. You know, I'm going to dig on that. Yeah.
Josh: Hey Dana, I appreciate you, man. Thank you so much.
Dana: She's lovely talking to you and thank you CLI thank you everybody watching and listening. I had a ball. Let's go cipher. Let's do it. I wore the wrong shoes for sure. Definitely going to have a blister. If there's a lot of dancing, I should have made my signature thing. Socks, really comfortable socks. That's my signature. Move that way. I'll always have them. Okay. Enough enough on me. Thank you so much, Josh. We'll talk to you later!
Dana: All right. All right. I hope you got as much out of that conversation as I did. I absolutely loved hearing Josh talk about the relationship between being an athlete and being a dancer. I thought it was fascinating to hear him talk about his relationship to the public perception of him, his work and social media. I also loved hearing from Josh about the importance of activism in his life and using his voice and in supporting his community. To me, this is a hugely important part of our work as artists, as makers, and especially as teachers. So cheers to you, Josh, thank you so much for being such a great example for all of us and thank you all for listening. Enjoy the rest of your day afternoon, night, whatever it is. And of course keep it funky. I'll talk to you soon.
Thought you were done? No. 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 you have a weight change over to patreon.com/WTMMpodcast to learn more. All right, everybody now I'm really done. Thanks so much for listening. I'll talk to you soon.
