DANCE +: Daily Summaries Delivered

279. DANCE + MAKENZIE & PHILLIP CHBEEB

This is DANCE + Makenzie & Phillip Chbeeb Makenzie and Phillip Chbeeb are the dynamic duo behind the new Netflix coming-of-age dance comedy movie, “Best of the Best” (Premiering September 18, 2026). In this episode, we unpack what it means to choreograph across cultures, across dialogue, and three weeks postpartum. If you’re into being impressed, this episode is for YOU! Three weeks after welcoming their first child into the world, they walked straight into their first pre-production meeting of their on Best of the Best, a film that asked them to hold two things at once: honor the specificity of Western hip hop and South Asian dance forms like Kathak, and build choreography that could survive dialogue, alt takes, and lines that changed on the spot. What they found, again and again, was that the tightest constraints produced the most original ideas. We explore: The shoes-on, shoes-off problem between Chicago footwork and Kathak, and the jump-out-of-your-sneakers solution that turned a limitation into one of the film's best moments How they built "cushion" choreography, loop-able movement with matching in-and-out points, so a scene could breathe as long as a director needed and the music could be solved in post Making a Netflix film three weeks postpartum, and the very literal system they invented for handling a body and mind that felt, in Makenzie's words, "scrambled" This one's for anyone who thinks creative limits are the enemy of good work. For Phillip and Makenzie, the limits were the work. Watch the full episode here. Show Notes: Connect with Mckenzie on IG Connect with Phillip on IG Listen to Phillip’s episode Listen to How Do Dancers Make Money? Learn more about Feybl For more DANA For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

278. DANCE + NATHAN KIM

This is DANCE + Nathan Kim The choreographer behind the newest Spider-Man, on how dance found him almost by accident. Nathan Kim didn't grow up dreaming of being a choreographer. His meet-cute with dance happened almost by chance, with an open slot in an Afro Brazilian dance class, and one impossible-to-mark movement across the floor that cracked something open in him. From there, dance became the throughline of a career that's taken him behind the camera and back, from his early days shaping movement for Charli XCX, to leading the choreography team on Spider-Man: Brand New Day. We explore: The happy accident that got him into that first dance class, and the moment mid-warmup when he stopped holding back The wild logistics of choreographing Spider-Man's biggest movement sequences, in-ears, hand cues, counts, and dancers who can't see what's coming from behind them Why "kill your darlings" hits different at a blockbuster budget, and how the ideas that get cut still ripple through everything that survives This one's for anyone who thinks their path has to be a straight line. Nathan's wasn't, and it swung him to Spider-Man. Watch the full episode on YouTube. Show Notes: Connect with Nathan on IG Listen to our episode with Miquel Zarate For more DANA For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

277. DANCE + TEDDY FORANCE

This is DANCE + Teddy Forance Coming to you LIVE-ish from CLI Conservatory, with the guy who built the place he wishes existed when he was 17 and googling "which college has a dance program for me." Teddy Forance didn't set out to become a studio owner. He set out to dance, and he did, big: Madonna, Lady Gaga, Cirque du Soleil, the Oscars stage. But underneath all of it was a gut feeling that never went away. That there wasn't a space built for dancers like him. So with his brother Jonny, he built one. Literally, twenty seconds down the road from their mom's studio in Southampton, Massachusetts. We explore: My new position at CLI: Director of Professional Development Why Teddy skipped college for a career that found him at 17, at NYCDA Nationals The "Costco math” behind 100 guest choreographers and a fraction of the cost The budget-and-schedule advice Teddy gives every dancer terrified to move to a big city What it feels like to watch five conservatory years soak into the walls of a building you built from nothing This one's for anyone chasing a career nobody handed them a map for. Teddy didn't find the space that fit him, so he built it. Watch the full episode on YouTube. Show Notes: Connect with Teddy on IG Learn more about CLI For more DANA For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

276. DANCE + FANTASY NIGHT

This is DANCE + Fantasy Night Coming to you LIVEish from CLI Conservatory, with a story I NEED to tell you while it’s still fresh in my mind. It's a tribute to my acting teacher Gary Imhoff, whose class taught me that losing can be winning, and that the greatest gift we can give is to support each other in the pursuit of our wildest dreams. We explore: How Gary's class and this once-a-year tradition rewired my relationship to failure and gave me the confidence to finally call myself a choreographer The three rules of my Fantasy Night Party: no bystanders, you can't perform the thing you're known for, and everyone gets a standing ovation. What it felt like on the other side of singing all five verses of "Fast Car" in front of my friends…. I almost threw up. This one's for anyone who desires to express themself in a way they haven’t yet… Consider this your permission slip. Watch the full episode here. Show Notes: For more DANA For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

275.5. DANCE + NICK DRAGO

This is DANCE + Nick Drago Nick Drago holds the honor of being this podcast's very first guest — Episode 0.5, the audition episode, back when I wasn't even sure this whole thing would work. A dancer, writer, and producer with 20+ years in the industry (think La La Land, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Glee, Dancing with the Stars, and about a hundred more), Nick is a walking case study in "just do stuff," imposter syndrome be damned. We sat down to talk about banter as a survival skill, the many different ways to "make the sausage," and why sometimes you just have to try the thing even if it might suck. We explore: Was it false or REAL confidence that kept me going for 270+ episodes The bicep-flex technique nobody asked for, but everybody needed What Michael Rooney, Mandy Moore, and Kat Burns taught Nick about building choreography, and the attitude that keeps him in the game no matter who is calling the shots This one's for anyone who needs a reminder that "just do stuff" is a mantra, not a mistake. Watch the full episode on YouTube Show Notes: Connect with Nick on IG Learn more about The Seaweed Sisters Show “Weed Oh No” Listen to their episode Listen to Mandy’s episode Listen to Kat’s episode For more DANA For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

275.DANCE + MARIE SPIELDENNER

Marie Spieldenner is a self-proclaimed “substitue that stays”. She's assisted and/ or danced for todays biggest artists/ directors/ campaigns and she is a brilliant example of how supporting others can fuel support of yourself. We sat down to talk about support systems, psychology, and all about the gig that made her unshakable on set (spoiler, it’s almost certainly not the gig you think it is). We explore: What it took to save a shot with a 40-person cast at 6 am The reward system of the entertainment industry The big-sister-little-brother dynamic with Robbie Blue that taught her the difference between feeling ready and BEING ready. This one's for anyone who needs to be reminded of their worth. Watch the episode here. Show Notes: Connect with Marie on IG Learn more about The Seaweed Sisters Show “Weed Oh No” Listen to their episode Learn more about Fostering Dreams Listen to Diana’s episode Listen to Meisha’s episode Listen to Taya’s episode For more DANA For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

274. DANCE + THE SEAWEED SISTERS LIVE Q&A

273. DANCE + ALAIN HURRIKANE