September 22, 2023 • 25 mins
Episode 3: "Turning Pirouettes into Profit - Alicia Pociask's Bold Journey During COVID"
In this sizzling episode of "Fired Up" we're chatting with Alicia Pociask, the dynamo behind Bold Dance Project. Get ready for an inspirational tale that defies the odds—building a thriving dance company right in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic. Alicia didn't just survive; she thrived, delivering high-quality dance experiences for folks of all abilities and backgrounds. Tune in and remember: get fired up and go do something great!
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Episode Transcript
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(00:01):
I said to my business partner I said I I
have to do something I'm like my
company's like four months old and
there's no way I'm not gonna I'm not
folding by any means I just that's not
an option so I remember going to dinner
after and said I I think this is it I
think I don't know so over Mexican food
(00:21):
we like figured it out
[Music]
welcome back to the fired up Podcast I'm
your host Brad Reba we're here to help
you get fired up and do something great
and we are about all things 10x and my
(00:42):
next guest has just been 10xing the
dance world I got the opportunity to
meet my next guest by my daughter taking
a workshop with the Bold Dance Project
and if you haven't heard about bold
you're going to know all about it by the
time you're done here so I'm really
excited to introduce my guest Alicia
poch ask thank you so much for being on
(01:02):
the show
yeah thanks Brad for having me I'm
excited to be here well so for those who
are not familiar with the Bold Dance
Project or or the movement that you've
created and I call it a movement just
looking at all of the the dancers that I
saw and all the energy tell us a little
bit about yourself and and bold so a
little bit about myself I'm originally
from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania I've lived
(01:22):
in New York for the past 10 years and
somewhere in between that time from 18
uh well I went to college at Point Park
University in Pittsburgh and then I
graduated and pretty much traveled the
world from 22 until
um about 29 and then I moved to New York
and continued to travel and work within
the industry so yeah there's a little
(01:45):
bit of everything I've been a performer
I'm a choreographer director I work in
casting I run a company right so my hand
is in all of the pots that's great and
and I can see that you do it all and you
do a lot so you know with all the things
you have going as a performers
choreographer uh casting and all the
things that you're into talk to me about
(02:05):
the why uh for bold why why the Bold
Dance Project what is this uh that is
really you know in your heart and the
passion that you show it's it's clear
that it's there and and I'm curious how
it all got started so I grew up
um in the dance Community as a
competition and Convention kid obviously
that was a very long time ago um and
(02:26):
conventions and competitions has shifted
as everything does
um I remember starting
being at these conventions and they're
they were in these huge ballrooms but
there wasn't a ton of dancers it was
pretty intimate pretty small
um it was pretty new essentially
conventions I would say probably maybe
10 years old and we only had about a
(02:49):
hundred kids or so in the room and I
loved I loved that about conventions I
loved that it was a little bit of a
smaller capacity of dancers but you got
to dance with kids from all over uh
whether you came to a city like a
convention would come to a city like
Pittsburgh and we would all come there
or you'd do a Nationals and you'd get to
(03:10):
go to Vegas or New York or Orlando or
wherever it was having La
um and meet dancers from all over and I
like loved that I was like I got I loved
it I got to meet dancers from different
places and back then obviously we didn't
have Instagram or I mean we were doing
AOL dial up internet so we just didn't
have the tools that we have today you
(03:31):
know I would meet performers and art
dancers and singers and everyone and
it's so excited to meet people just from
all over doing the same thing I love to
do
um and I loved conventions I really
really did and I think as the years have
gone
conventions have just gotten even bigger
which is amazing because there's
sometimes there's a choreographer in La
(03:52):
that you might not get to take from and
they come to the east coast and it's
such a great opportunity to take from
some of these amazing uh teachers even
in smaller rural towns that can maybe
you know drive an hour instead of having
to get on a plane and go six hours
somewhere to be with a teacher
um but I do I have noticed that
sometimes the rooms just get a you know
(04:14):
I don't want to say overfilled but
there's just so many dancers and I feel
like sometimes dancers get lost in the
mix uh I would probably say in about
2017 I always kept saying that I just
wanted to create something that just
felt personal that felt small it it's to
me it's not about the money it's not
about the paycheck am I lucky that that
(04:35):
is it can happen from it of course but
that was definitely not why I started I
wanted dancers to feel seen uh I wanted
them to be able to have a personalized I
called in Intimate learning experience
because they have a name tag with their
name on it we get to talk to them and uh
that was just super super important to
(04:55):
me and I always wanted to have my
workshops in an actual rehearsal studio
uh I ballrooms are amazing because they
can fit so many dancers but it was
something for me I was there's something
about being in a studio that just
gets me excited and gets dancers excited
(05:15):
to be in a new space especially we do
workshops in New York and seeing the
kids come up there and in the room next
door is a Broadway audition happening
it's so cool and so for me I just wanted
dancers to be seen and there's something
special about every performer about
every kid you might not be the best at
(05:37):
maybe the specific specific style of
dance but there might be another one
that you are great at or maybe you're
great at the acting part of it maybe
you're great at the technical part of it
and they think in a small setting
myself and my faculty really get to see
those dancers shine to the best of their
ability and what they are the best at
(05:58):
which in this industry you're not always
you don't always have to be the best
dancer you don't always have to be the
best singer sometimes you're just right
for the part
um whether it's your look or your
passion there's so many things that go
into it sure so for me creating bold was
I had always wanted to do it and a very
(06:21):
dear friend of mine she owns a studio in
Pittsburgh and had talked to me this was
like April of 2019. she was said I'm
Alicia I want to bring my kids to New
York and I said great let me get some
rehearsal like a studio space
um let me just get a couple people that
I know together to and we'll teach it'll
be me and probably two other people she
brought her kids up uh it was a pretty
(06:43):
short day it was like four hours
um it wasn't very long but the kids came
and her and I were sitting at a table in
the corner just crying because she
couldn't believe that she got to bring
her kids up and they were in this
beautiful studio in New York and I was
like oh my gosh I have people in this
industry that are so amazing such great
Educators and I remember going to dinner
(07:05):
after and I was with who's now my
business partner and said I think this
is it like I think I don't know so over
Mexican food we like figured it out and
I don't know pulled names out of a hat I
don't even know we just lists of names
and um yeah that really was it it's
really for for performers to be
seen and for kids to just feel like
(07:29):
they're heard they're seen and even if
they're not the best at something
they're great at something and I think
that that is something that bold really
offers is we really try to find and pull
out the best in every kid
um to make sure that they feel special
and that they shine and they sparkle
yeah yeah it's great I love to see the
(07:49):
energy and and you're right they you
make sure that they are seen you know
their name and I think part of that uh I
think part of the touch that's different
that I noticed having my daughter go
through different workshops and
different schools is not just your
energy but the staff that you bring tell
me about how you found your team and
then the dance instructors you work with
(08:10):
because I think that's something that is
really unique and you've got some very
special people working with you
thanks uh yeah I have a faculty of 15.
uh I will say I've had a really
wonderful and continue to have a
wonderful career in this industry I'm so
lucky to have met some of the people
that I have met
um and a lot of it's so everyone has a
(08:32):
different story that works for me some
of the people that worked for me started
out as dancers and performers for me and
in shows that I was creating uh some I
was an associate choreographer for and
they were choreographing some pieces and
I got to work hand in hand with them and
some of them were just friends of mine
that I knew that were excellent at what
(08:52):
they do in the industry and I I mean I
just you know text your friends and I'm
like hey I think I'm gonna start this
business do you want to come and work
for me
um so I feel extremely extremely lucky
to have the people that I have my
faculty I always say this my faculty
number one they're amazing performers
but they are the biggest thing they're
(09:16):
amazing Educators and I can't say that
every dancer singer actor is our
performer is great at educating and that
goes you know you have Educators who
might have not grown up really dancing
but they're great at what they do so I'm
really lucky to have people that have
worked in this industry as performers
and continue to work as either
performers choreographers directors um
(09:38):
but they're just amazing Educators and
they love what they do like they love
love what they do and
for me also they're they're my best
friends I mean I get to travel with my
friends like we go to dinner the night
before a workshop and just catch up and
we don't always get to see each other
all the time because we're always
traveling everywhere but it's really fun
(09:59):
to have just a great group of people who
we all support each other and they
support this dream of mine and I support
theirs and yeah I just got really lucky
I have really great friends and super
talented friends
um I mean my faculty comes I have a
faculty member who's been in Hamilton
(10:20):
since my gosh 2017. he's been on
Broadway in the tour Universal slaying
associate choir like I have people
who've been associate choreographers I
have a faculty member who's actually at
bold in Pittsburgh
um Ronnie todorowski who's from
Pittsburgh so I'm always like if I'm
coming into town I'm like do you want to
come visit your family yeah right I mean
(10:40):
he's been in like 12 Broadway shows and
just the most humble amazing human and
my I get to work with some of my best
friends Brandon Kelly is one of my best
friends and it's just it's so cool to
work with
people who are so great at their craft
and who just love this art form as much
as I do so I I consider myself extremely
(11:03):
grateful because I know where some of
these or not some of them most of these
people choreograph for and teach for I
mean and their resumes are in are
ridiculous but the fact that they love
teaching and they love educating and
they love being in a room and they're
they love the mission of what I'm doing
with bold is just I'm like so lucky I
(11:25):
could talk about every single one of my
my faculty for like hours on end because
they're amazing and it's so important
that they're committed to the mission
and they believe in the vision that
you've set up and and I agree just from
the small interactions that I got to
have you've got outstanding performers
and teachers which are very different
skills and and they're just great human
(11:45):
beings so it's no surprise that they're
they're great friends and and it's
helped you guys it's helped you grow the
movement I I think
um along the way had to have been
challenges as well and I'd love to hear
about you know the one or two things
that stick out in your mind that we're
just you know there's really those those
moments where you had to say okay I'm
gonna get through this but but you know
it was a growing moment
(12:06):
yeah I mean obviously covid for
everybody was a huge was a huge um so I
started my I officially announced bold
in August of 2019. uh we did a New York
experience which was really cool in
October and then uh you know I had set a
spring experience for March in the city
(12:26):
they both all of both of these were in
New York and uh
we he I want to say it was like a
Tuesday and people were like kind of
like closing stuff down and my workshop
was like going to be that Sunday and I
mean I had so many kids coming I was so
excited uh my faculty was so excited and
then Broadway shut down on the Thursday
(12:46):
and I was like well that's it I guess
we're not doing it and
um as you know you think of course we
all thought it was gonna be like two
weeks and then what turned into you know
almost three years and um I said to my
business partner I said I I have to do
something I'm like my company's like
four months old and there's no way I'm
not gonna I'm not folding by any means I
(13:06):
just that's not an option so I had at
that time I had including myself nine
there were nine faculty members um
when all of that happened and
I said I got my faculty on a on a zoom
and I was like listen I think I'm gonna
do like a combo contest I was like I
told them you'll get you can pick your
(13:27):
song
um my business manager also is like a
sound and video editor so I was like
he'll put everything together it just
you know record yourself do a breakdown
of the combo do it with music we'll put
it online and we'll see if kids bite and
actually want to do it and it became a
(13:49):
thing and we did it for nine weeks and
kids from I mean all over we had kids
from California I had kids from
Australia doing it I have kids from the
UK doing it I have kids all over wow
just participating and all they had to
do was videotape they learned to the
dance videotape themselves uh we
featured every kid every week so every
kid that submitted they got to go on our
(14:10):
on our Instagram story
um so everyone saw them and then the
videos would go out on a Tuesday they'd
learn them on Tuesday
um through like Sunday was the last day
and then uh we would vote my faculty we
would like pick a couple winners and we
put together a little video of all the
winners and they I gave them merch just
(14:33):
sent them like some free stuff and it
was great we had kids for nine weeks it
was
what I just wanted kids I just wanted
kids to be able to still have an
opportunity to do something
um because I know I knew a lot of
Studios too some of them couldn't do
Zoom or they couldn't have classes so
they were trying to figure it out and I
said well this is just an easy way
(14:53):
everyone has a computer for the most
part hopefully everyone has a computer
or a phone or something that they can
learn on
um so I would say that was the that was
the number one the biggest thing is to
and to just keep kids interested and
then continuing after that just we did
virtual experiences we did um a UK
(15:14):
virtual experience for a ton of kids and
uh mainly England I think I had a couple
in Scotland that that joined and then we
did one in Australia
so it was very fun teaching it like one
in the morning our time which was like 8
A.M for them so
um but yeah we just did we got on Zoom I
had kids sign up and it was fun for
(15:35):
these kids in different parts of the
world to be able to come and take a
class from from the faculty and it was
yeah that it was is
awful as covid was it was the one thing
that I was so proud of not just myself
but my whole faculty and everyone really
like willing to chip in and like help
(15:58):
out and be able to give something to
kids since you know we were all kind of
stuck in our homes and you know
everywhere was different England we had
different restrictions Australia had
their restrictions were so so big and
and they really couldn't do anything so
it's just nice to be able to give them
(16:18):
different options of things so yeah I
mean that was that was really just
the biggest the biggest thing and I
think also just the next thing is I
think it's what like every new business
it's just getting people to know who you
are
um and
were bold will never be this big
(16:40):
extravagant over the top in in the sense
of I never I always say I'll never have
more than 60 to 70 kids in a room ever
I'm like I always want it to feel really
small and I it you know it is hard
sometimes to get people to
pay attention to who you are or see who
you are or you know I'm I'm four years
(17:00):
old I'm I'm still a baby of a company
and
yeah it's it's
like anything that's new you know people
one don't they want to know where their
money is going especially families and
parents because you are it's a it's also
I I'm running a business and I it's a
service as well and so you want to make
sure that you're getting quality of what
(17:21):
you're paying and especially it's your
kids that are coming and I think that as
I'm not a parent but I have all of my
friends most of my friends are and I
know what that
is being able to let your child take
from a bunch of strangers that you don't
know and making sure that it's really
quality and that they're getting
something worthwhile out of it uh that
and that they end up feeling good when
(17:41):
they leave the room so that's probably
the next and will always continue to be
the most difficult part of it is
getting people to jump on board but once
they are I'm like I feel like we're good
she's just getting people like to jump
to jump on board and then once they jump
on board
um it's nice and and the feedback I've
(18:02):
gotten especially I always want the kids
to the kids are my number one priority
but also the families and when I get
emails and for back from families that
are saying their kids loved it it's just
I mean there's like no better feeling
ever so that's great yeah that's that's
always the continued push I'd say for
sure it's great and I I can attest being
(18:23):
in the room and feeling that it was just
like this is a this is a place I want to
come back or send my kid back to and
it's such a positive environment I think
the great thing about that story is I'm
listening is that you just had a
commitment to your mission and you kept
that going whenever there was anything
that got in in the way so even something
as big as covid you know if it was just
(18:43):
about the money or was just about trying
to build a name then well I can go do
that doing something else right maybe
that fits in the model of a distance
type of business where you can be online
but you didn't do that you stuck to the
mission you said I'm here so the kids
could be seen so these dancers these
performers could really have a place to
shine and I think we were missing that
(19:04):
during covet I know my kids just really
felt like they were stuck at home right
there was there wasn't a regular dance
class they could go to there was no
Outlet to perform and and be in front of
your peers and just express yourself to
the world we all felt closed in and I
think the great thing about what you
said is you you gave them an outlet you
gave them a way to express themselves
(19:25):
that they didn't have so it's no wonder
people jumped on they were looking for
that right they were looking for a way
to get their message themselves out into
the world and you provided that so I
think that's great
thanks yeah it really
you know I think especially during that
time
I have so many friends that own dance
studios and it was really important to
(19:48):
me to make sure that they kept the
students they had so to be able to give
offer them something a little different
that makes them stay interested while
while we were all figuring it out um
that was just that was like super super
important to me so yeah right so so with
everything that you've done what is the
what is the next step in your mind where
(20:09):
are the plans to go forward and grow and
what what's next on uh on the map for
bold
yeah so uh where it's always a journey
at bold dance projects
um I'm like a one-woman show over here
um it's I you know I I
am working on getting us over because I
do have a lot of connections in the UK
(20:30):
and I have a lot of connections in
Australia um the goal is to within like
say the next two years get ourselves
over there and start doing workshops uh
with those dancers over there uh like I
said I have I have I know people that
own Studios over there
um just have good connections so I've
that's in the works it's just a process
and just takes time
(20:52):
um and then just continuing to teach so
we all bold always does a New York
experience which is usually in the
winter
um it's in November this year and then
the Pittsburgh experience that we did
was the it was the first time that I
chose to do it at Point Park and uh I I
(21:13):
wanted to have some really beautiful
rooms to dance in so that is now a
constant that will happen every single
year around the same exact time it's um
and then other than that I will say
during covet too
it's so funny because covid really
shifted what I kind of started bold as
and I think it shifted in a great way we
(21:34):
started doing
in studio experiences and that's like
taken off and people love it because we
just come to the studio and the kids I
mean the kids get to get in the car and
come to their home studio and they feel
comfortable because they're in their
home studio and we do workshops
(21:55):
for specific Studios
um and that kind of really did come from
coven and people just love it because
there are you know I I go to a studio
it'll be my third our third time there
there are small studio in the middle of
Vermont like the closest city for them
to get to anything is almost a two hour
drive so for us to come there for those
(22:16):
kids it's so they love it and they just
look forward to it and that's like what
it's about you know what I mean being
able to be with those kids and come up
there so
yeah I would love I mean would my goal
be to be in a new studio every single
weekend from like the end of summer
until the end of the year 100 we don't
do a whole lot in the spring it's
(22:37):
competition season and I don't really I
let kids kind of there's so much going
on with competition season there that's
really big for Studios so or kind of
bold is kind of quiet from say like
January till till around the end of June
beginning of August and then we really
pick up the rest of the year which is
nice that's great um but yeah just to be
(22:58):
at different Studios New Studios to get
to see us
um yeah but like I said we'll always do
a Pittsburgh it's gonna happen every
year now and uh right we we always do in
New York
um in the winter New York there's
something magical about New York in the
winter I don't know it's just it's such
a great place
um and there's I mean I love New York so
(23:19):
much but it really is great in the
winter time so we'll always be doing
that and then just bringing like the New
York experience of what we have to these
Studios and I think that's I also think
that's the one thing about bold that I
love is my faculty is has all worked in
the industry like in New York where and
we're very much about bringing musical
(23:41):
theater and dance together so every
every thing is coming from an act same
point of view everything is coming if
okay if you were to do a
uh ballet piece
what show would it be in you know we try
to like really include kind of the
Broadway musical theater world into the
dance world and let them combine
together which is really nice it's not
(24:01):
just class for taking class and that's
something that I always I kind of wanted
to always like bridge that Gap so we
really try to bring like a New York Vibe
everywhere we go which is which is
really fun so that's cool yeah so it's
just continuing to build just yeah build
be somewhere new every weekend that's
the goal so that's great yeah yeah and
(24:23):
you are traveling quite a bit and I
definitely look forward to uh seeing you
again when you're back here in
Pittsburgh how can uh how can if someone
wants to be a part of the Bold Dance
Experience and and just wants to be part
of the bowl Dance Project if they want
to have you in their area or contact you
what are the ways they can get in touch
yeah so our website is the easiest it's
(24:44):
just
bolddanceproject.com uh there's a little
tab that says experiences has all the
information on there we post a lot on
our social media so we're on Instagram
it's
bold.dance.project uh and then uh
Facebook as well which is just full
dance projects easy peasy um yeah so
(25:04):
we're everywhere we post all the time uh
you can join our mailing list so you can
get all of the information that we have
and all of that's on our website also
but yeah we post all the time all over
every social outlet that there is so
fantastic you won't won't miss it yeah
that's great well with that I I think
that's a wrap for us it was really
(25:26):
really great to have you on so good to
see you again I hope to continue
following and seeing some great things
so and that's what we do here at the
podcast so just reminding you guys to
stay fired up and do something great
[Music]
(25:52):
um
I said to my business partner I said I I
have to do something I'm like my
company's like four months old and
there's no way I'm not gonna I'm not
folding by any means I just that's not
an option so I remember going to dinner
after and said I I think this is it I
think I don't know so over Mexican food
(00:21):
we like figured it out
[Music]
welcome back to the fired up Podcast I'm
your host Brad Reba we're here to help
you get fired up and do something great
and we are about all things 10x and my
(00:42):
next guest has just been 10xing the
dance world I got the opportunity to
meet my next guest by my daughter taking
a workshop with the Bold Dance Project
and if you haven't heard about bold
you're going to know all about it by the
time you're done here so I'm really
excited to introduce my guest Alicia
poch ask thank you so much for being on
(01:02):
the show
yeah thanks Brad for having me I'm
excited to be here well so for those who
are not familiar with the Bold Dance
Project or or the movement that you've
created and I call it a movement just
looking at all of the the dancers that I
saw and all the energy tell us a little
bit about yourself and and bold so a
little bit about myself I'm originally
from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania I've lived
(01:22):
in New York for the past 10 years and
somewhere in between that time from 18
uh well I went to college at Point Park
University in Pittsburgh and then I
graduated and pretty much traveled the
world from 22 until
um about 29 and then I moved to New York
and continued to travel and work within
the industry so yeah there's a little
(01:45):
bit of everything I've been a performer
I'm a choreographer director I work in
casting I run a company right so my hand
is in all of the pots that's great and
and I can see that you do it all and you
do a lot so you know with all the things
you have going as a performers
choreographer uh casting and all the
things that you're into talk to me about
(02:05):
the why uh for bold why why the Bold
Dance Project what is this uh that is
really you know in your heart and the
passion that you show it's it's clear
that it's there and and I'm curious how
it all got started so I grew up
um in the dance Community as a
competition and Convention kid obviously
that was a very long time ago um and
(02:26):
conventions and competitions has shifted
as everything does
um I remember starting
being at these conventions and they're
they were in these huge ballrooms but
there wasn't a ton of dancers it was
pretty intimate pretty small
um it was pretty new essentially
conventions I would say probably maybe
10 years old and we only had about a
(02:49):
hundred kids or so in the room and I
loved I loved that about conventions I
loved that it was a little bit of a
smaller capacity of dancers but you got
to dance with kids from all over uh
whether you came to a city like a
convention would come to a city like
Pittsburgh and we would all come there
or you'd do a Nationals and you'd get to
(03:10):
go to Vegas or New York or Orlando or
wherever it was having La
um and meet dancers from all over and I
like loved that I was like I got I loved
it I got to meet dancers from different
places and back then obviously we didn't
have Instagram or I mean we were doing
AOL dial up internet so we just didn't
have the tools that we have today you
(03:31):
know I would meet performers and art
dancers and singers and everyone and
it's so excited to meet people just from
all over doing the same thing I love to
do
um and I loved conventions I really
really did and I think as the years have
gone
conventions have just gotten even bigger
which is amazing because there's
sometimes there's a choreographer in La
(03:52):
that you might not get to take from and
they come to the east coast and it's
such a great opportunity to take from
some of these amazing uh teachers even
in smaller rural towns that can maybe
you know drive an hour instead of having
to get on a plane and go six hours
somewhere to be with a teacher
um but I do I have noticed that
sometimes the rooms just get a you know
(04:14):
I don't want to say overfilled but
there's just so many dancers and I feel
like sometimes dancers get lost in the
mix uh I would probably say in about
2017 I always kept saying that I just
wanted to create something that just
felt personal that felt small it it's to
me it's not about the money it's not
about the paycheck am I lucky that that
(04:35):
is it can happen from it of course but
that was definitely not why I started I
wanted dancers to feel seen uh I wanted
them to be able to have a personalized I
called in Intimate learning experience
because they have a name tag with their
name on it we get to talk to them and uh
that was just super super important to
(04:55):
me and I always wanted to have my
workshops in an actual rehearsal studio
uh I ballrooms are amazing because they
can fit so many dancers but it was
something for me I was there's something
about being in a studio that just
gets me excited and gets dancers excited
(05:15):
to be in a new space especially we do
workshops in New York and seeing the
kids come up there and in the room next
door is a Broadway audition happening
it's so cool and so for me I just wanted
dancers to be seen and there's something
special about every performer about
every kid you might not be the best at
(05:37):
maybe the specific specific style of
dance but there might be another one
that you are great at or maybe you're
great at the acting part of it maybe
you're great at the technical part of it
and they think in a small setting
myself and my faculty really get to see
those dancers shine to the best of their
ability and what they are the best at
(05:58):
which in this industry you're not always
you don't always have to be the best
dancer you don't always have to be the
best singer sometimes you're just right
for the part
um whether it's your look or your
passion there's so many things that go
into it sure so for me creating bold was
I had always wanted to do it and a very
(06:21):
dear friend of mine she owns a studio in
Pittsburgh and had talked to me this was
like April of 2019. she was said I'm
Alicia I want to bring my kids to New
York and I said great let me get some
rehearsal like a studio space
um let me just get a couple people that
I know together to and we'll teach it'll
be me and probably two other people she
brought her kids up uh it was a pretty
(06:43):
short day it was like four hours
um it wasn't very long but the kids came
and her and I were sitting at a table in
the corner just crying because she
couldn't believe that she got to bring
her kids up and they were in this
beautiful studio in New York and I was
like oh my gosh I have people in this
industry that are so amazing such great
Educators and I remember going to dinner
(07:05):
after and I was with who's now my
business partner and said I think this
is it like I think I don't know so over
Mexican food we like figured it out and
I don't know pulled names out of a hat I
don't even know we just lists of names
and um yeah that really was it it's
really for for performers to be
seen and for kids to just feel like
(07:29):
they're heard they're seen and even if
they're not the best at something
they're great at something and I think
that that is something that bold really
offers is we really try to find and pull
out the best in every kid
um to make sure that they feel special
and that they shine and they sparkle
yeah yeah it's great I love to see the
(07:49):
energy and and you're right they you
make sure that they are seen you know
their name and I think part of that uh I
think part of the touch that's different
that I noticed having my daughter go
through different workshops and
different schools is not just your
energy but the staff that you bring tell
me about how you found your team and
then the dance instructors you work with
(08:10):
because I think that's something that is
really unique and you've got some very
special people working with you
thanks uh yeah I have a faculty of 15.
uh I will say I've had a really
wonderful and continue to have a
wonderful career in this industry I'm so
lucky to have met some of the people
that I have met
um and a lot of it's so everyone has a
(08:32):
different story that works for me some
of the people that worked for me started
out as dancers and performers for me and
in shows that I was creating uh some I
was an associate choreographer for and
they were choreographing some pieces and
I got to work hand in hand with them and
some of them were just friends of mine
that I knew that were excellent at what
(08:52):
they do in the industry and I I mean I
just you know text your friends and I'm
like hey I think I'm gonna start this
business do you want to come and work
for me
um so I feel extremely extremely lucky
to have the people that I have my
faculty I always say this my faculty
number one they're amazing performers
but they are the biggest thing they're
(09:16):
amazing Educators and I can't say that
every dancer singer actor is our
performer is great at educating and that
goes you know you have Educators who
might have not grown up really dancing
but they're great at what they do so I'm
really lucky to have people that have
worked in this industry as performers
and continue to work as either
performers choreographers directors um
(09:38):
but they're just amazing Educators and
they love what they do like they love
love what they do and
for me also they're they're my best
friends I mean I get to travel with my
friends like we go to dinner the night
before a workshop and just catch up and
we don't always get to see each other
all the time because we're always
traveling everywhere but it's really fun
(09:59):
to have just a great group of people who
we all support each other and they
support this dream of mine and I support
theirs and yeah I just got really lucky
I have really great friends and super
talented friends
um I mean my faculty comes I have a
faculty member who's been in Hamilton
(10:20):
since my gosh 2017. he's been on
Broadway in the tour Universal slaying
associate choir like I have people
who've been associate choreographers I
have a faculty member who's actually at
bold in Pittsburgh
um Ronnie todorowski who's from
Pittsburgh so I'm always like if I'm
coming into town I'm like do you want to
come visit your family yeah right I mean
(10:40):
he's been in like 12 Broadway shows and
just the most humble amazing human and
my I get to work with some of my best
friends Brandon Kelly is one of my best
friends and it's just it's so cool to
work with
people who are so great at their craft
and who just love this art form as much
as I do so I I consider myself extremely
(11:03):
grateful because I know where some of
these or not some of them most of these
people choreograph for and teach for I
mean and their resumes are in are
ridiculous but the fact that they love
teaching and they love educating and
they love being in a room and they're
they love the mission of what I'm doing
with bold is just I'm like so lucky I
(11:25):
could talk about every single one of my
my faculty for like hours on end because
they're amazing and it's so important
that they're committed to the mission
and they believe in the vision that
you've set up and and I agree just from
the small interactions that I got to
have you've got outstanding performers
and teachers which are very different
skills and and they're just great human
(11:45):
beings so it's no surprise that they're
they're great friends and and it's
helped you guys it's helped you grow the
movement I I think
um along the way had to have been
challenges as well and I'd love to hear
about you know the one or two things
that stick out in your mind that we're
just you know there's really those those
moments where you had to say okay I'm
gonna get through this but but you know
it was a growing moment
(12:06):
yeah I mean obviously covid for
everybody was a huge was a huge um so I
started my I officially announced bold
in August of 2019. uh we did a New York
experience which was really cool in
October and then uh you know I had set a
spring experience for March in the city
(12:26):
they both all of both of these were in
New York and uh
we he I want to say it was like a
Tuesday and people were like kind of
like closing stuff down and my workshop
was like going to be that Sunday and I
mean I had so many kids coming I was so
excited uh my faculty was so excited and
then Broadway shut down on the Thursday
(12:46):
and I was like well that's it I guess
we're not doing it and
um as you know you think of course we
all thought it was gonna be like two
weeks and then what turned into you know
almost three years and um I said to my
business partner I said I I have to do
something I'm like my company's like
four months old and there's no way I'm
not gonna I'm not folding by any means I
(13:06):
just that's not an option so I had at
that time I had including myself nine
there were nine faculty members um
when all of that happened and
I said I got my faculty on a on a zoom
and I was like listen I think I'm gonna
do like a combo contest I was like I
told them you'll get you can pick your
(13:27):
song
um my business manager also is like a
sound and video editor so I was like
he'll put everything together it just
you know record yourself do a breakdown
of the combo do it with music we'll put
it online and we'll see if kids bite and
actually want to do it and it became a
(13:49):
thing and we did it for nine weeks and
kids from I mean all over we had kids
from California I had kids from
Australia doing it I have kids from the
UK doing it I have kids all over wow
just participating and all they had to
do was videotape they learned to the
dance videotape themselves uh we
featured every kid every week so every
kid that submitted they got to go on our
(14:10):
on our Instagram story
um so everyone saw them and then the
videos would go out on a Tuesday they'd
learn them on Tuesday
um through like Sunday was the last day
and then uh we would vote my faculty we
would like pick a couple winners and we
put together a little video of all the
winners and they I gave them merch just
(14:33):
sent them like some free stuff and it
was great we had kids for nine weeks it
was
what I just wanted kids I just wanted
kids to be able to still have an
opportunity to do something
um because I know I knew a lot of
Studios too some of them couldn't do
Zoom or they couldn't have classes so
they were trying to figure it out and I
said well this is just an easy way
(14:53):
everyone has a computer for the most
part hopefully everyone has a computer
or a phone or something that they can
learn on
um so I would say that was the that was
the number one the biggest thing is to
and to just keep kids interested and
then continuing after that just we did
virtual experiences we did um a UK
(15:14):
virtual experience for a ton of kids and
uh mainly England I think I had a couple
in Scotland that that joined and then we
did one in Australia
so it was very fun teaching it like one
in the morning our time which was like 8
A.M for them so
um but yeah we just did we got on Zoom I
had kids sign up and it was fun for
(15:35):
these kids in different parts of the
world to be able to come and take a
class from from the faculty and it was
yeah that it was is
awful as covid was it was the one thing
that I was so proud of not just myself
but my whole faculty and everyone really
like willing to chip in and like help
(15:58):
out and be able to give something to
kids since you know we were all kind of
stuck in our homes and you know
everywhere was different England we had
different restrictions Australia had
their restrictions were so so big and
and they really couldn't do anything so
it's just nice to be able to give them
(16:18):
different options of things so yeah I
mean that was that was really just
the biggest the biggest thing and I
think also just the next thing is I
think it's what like every new business
it's just getting people to know who you
are
um and
were bold will never be this big
(16:40):
extravagant over the top in in the sense
of I never I always say I'll never have
more than 60 to 70 kids in a room ever
I'm like I always want it to feel really
small and I it you know it is hard
sometimes to get people to
pay attention to who you are or see who
you are or you know I'm I'm four years
(17:00):
old I'm I'm still a baby of a company
and
yeah it's it's
like anything that's new you know people
one don't they want to know where their
money is going especially families and
parents because you are it's a it's also
I I'm running a business and I it's a
service as well and so you want to make
sure that you're getting quality of what
(17:21):
you're paying and especially it's your
kids that are coming and I think that as
I'm not a parent but I have all of my
friends most of my friends are and I
know what that
is being able to let your child take
from a bunch of strangers that you don't
know and making sure that it's really
quality and that they're getting
something worthwhile out of it uh that
and that they end up feeling good when
(17:41):
they leave the room so that's probably
the next and will always continue to be
the most difficult part of it is
getting people to jump on board but once
they are I'm like I feel like we're good
she's just getting people like to jump
to jump on board and then once they jump
on board
um it's nice and and the feedback I've
(18:02):
gotten especially I always want the kids
to the kids are my number one priority
but also the families and when I get
emails and for back from families that
are saying their kids loved it it's just
I mean there's like no better feeling
ever so that's great yeah that's that's
always the continued push I'd say for
sure it's great and I I can attest being
(18:23):
in the room and feeling that it was just
like this is a this is a place I want to
come back or send my kid back to and
it's such a positive environment I think
the great thing about that story is I'm
listening is that you just had a
commitment to your mission and you kept
that going whenever there was anything
that got in in the way so even something
as big as covid you know if it was just
(18:43):
about the money or was just about trying
to build a name then well I can go do
that doing something else right maybe
that fits in the model of a distance
type of business where you can be online
but you didn't do that you stuck to the
mission you said I'm here so the kids
could be seen so these dancers these
performers could really have a place to
shine and I think we were missing that
(19:04):
during covet I know my kids just really
felt like they were stuck at home right
there was there wasn't a regular dance
class they could go to there was no
Outlet to perform and and be in front of
your peers and just express yourself to
the world we all felt closed in and I
think the great thing about what you
said is you you gave them an outlet you
gave them a way to express themselves
(19:25):
that they didn't have so it's no wonder
people jumped on they were looking for
that right they were looking for a way
to get their message themselves out into
the world and you provided that so I
think that's great
thanks yeah it really
you know I think especially during that
time
I have so many friends that own dance
studios and it was really important to
(19:48):
me to make sure that they kept the
students they had so to be able to give
offer them something a little different
that makes them stay interested while
while we were all figuring it out um
that was just that was like super super
important to me so yeah right so so with
everything that you've done what is the
what is the next step in your mind where
(20:09):
are the plans to go forward and grow and
what what's next on uh on the map for
bold
yeah so uh where it's always a journey
at bold dance projects
um I'm like a one-woman show over here
um it's I you know I I
am working on getting us over because I
do have a lot of connections in the UK
(20:30):
and I have a lot of connections in
Australia um the goal is to within like
say the next two years get ourselves
over there and start doing workshops uh
with those dancers over there uh like I
said I have I have I know people that
own Studios over there
um just have good connections so I've
that's in the works it's just a process
and just takes time
(20:52):
um and then just continuing to teach so
we all bold always does a New York
experience which is usually in the
winter
um it's in November this year and then
the Pittsburgh experience that we did
was the it was the first time that I
chose to do it at Point Park and uh I I
(21:13):
wanted to have some really beautiful
rooms to dance in so that is now a
constant that will happen every single
year around the same exact time it's um
and then other than that I will say
during covet too
it's so funny because covid really
shifted what I kind of started bold as
and I think it shifted in a great way we
(21:34):
started doing
in studio experiences and that's like
taken off and people love it because we
just come to the studio and the kids I
mean the kids get to get in the car and
come to their home studio and they feel
comfortable because they're in their
home studio and we do workshops
(21:55):
for specific Studios
um and that kind of really did come from
coven and people just love it because
there are you know I I go to a studio
it'll be my third our third time there
there are small studio in the middle of
Vermont like the closest city for them
to get to anything is almost a two hour
drive so for us to come there for those
(22:16):
kids it's so they love it and they just
look forward to it and that's like what
it's about you know what I mean being
able to be with those kids and come up
there so
yeah I would love I mean would my goal
be to be in a new studio every single
weekend from like the end of summer
until the end of the year 100 we don't
do a whole lot in the spring it's
(22:37):
competition season and I don't really I
let kids kind of there's so much going
on with competition season there that's
really big for Studios so or kind of
bold is kind of quiet from say like
January till till around the end of June
beginning of August and then we really
pick up the rest of the year which is
nice that's great um but yeah just to be
(22:58):
at different Studios New Studios to get
to see us
um yeah but like I said we'll always do
a Pittsburgh it's gonna happen every
year now and uh right we we always do in
New York
um in the winter New York there's
something magical about New York in the
winter I don't know it's just it's such
a great place
um and there's I mean I love New York so
(23:19):
much but it really is great in the
winter time so we'll always be doing
that and then just bringing like the New
York experience of what we have to these
Studios and I think that's I also think
that's the one thing about bold that I
love is my faculty is has all worked in
the industry like in New York where and
we're very much about bringing musical
(23:41):
theater and dance together so every
every thing is coming from an act same
point of view everything is coming if
okay if you were to do a
uh ballet piece
what show would it be in you know we try
to like really include kind of the
Broadway musical theater world into the
dance world and let them combine
together which is really nice it's not
(24:01):
just class for taking class and that's
something that I always I kind of wanted
to always like bridge that Gap so we
really try to bring like a New York Vibe
everywhere we go which is which is
really fun so that's cool yeah so it's
just continuing to build just yeah build
be somewhere new every weekend that's
the goal so that's great yeah yeah and
(24:23):
you are traveling quite a bit and I
definitely look forward to uh seeing you
again when you're back here in
Pittsburgh how can uh how can if someone
wants to be a part of the Bold Dance
Experience and and just wants to be part
of the bowl Dance Project if they want
to have you in their area or contact you
what are the ways they can get in touch
yeah so our website is the easiest it's
(24:44):
just
bolddanceproject.com uh there's a little
tab that says experiences has all the
information on there we post a lot on
our social media so we're on Instagram
it's
bold.dance.project uh and then uh
Facebook as well which is just full
dance projects easy peasy um yeah so
(25:04):
we're everywhere we post all the time uh
you can join our mailing list so you can
get all of the information that we have
and all of that's on our website also
but yeah we post all the time all over
every social outlet that there is so
fantastic you won't won't miss it yeah
that's great well with that I I think
that's a wrap for us it was really
(25:26):
really great to have you on so good to
see you again I hope to continue
following and seeing some great things
so and that's what we do here at the
podcast so just reminding you guys to
stay fired up and do something great
[Music]
(25:52):
um
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