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    Explore " dance classes" with insightful episodes like "99. The Illusion of Job Security + How to Combat it", "98. Growth Phase vs. Demand Phase of a Dance Career", "95. 4 Ways to Play the Long Game", "92. Finding Consistency After a Long Break" and "91. It's Not That Deep - When the Career Becomes too Serious" from podcasts like ""Breaking the Wall Podcast", "Breaking the Wall Podcast", "Breaking the Wall Podcast", "Breaking the Wall Podcast" and "Breaking the Wall Podcast"" and more!

    Episodes (57)

    99. The Illusion of Job Security + How to Combat it

    99. The Illusion of Job Security + How to Combat it

    It's never ideal to lose your job, but losing it on your birthday feels like an angsty Alanis Morissette song. Early on in our lives and careers, we hear messaging that is pushing this desire for us to find job security. The issue here, especially in the arts, job security is more of an illusion than a tangible reality.  

    In this episode, Brandon share three ways to protect against and combat job loss. Although dancers traditionally move from job to job, how can we refocus our goals from job security, to job fulfillment? 

    Interested in working with Brandon? He works with pre-professional and early career artist to help them book and build fulfilling work. You can learn more about his coaching HERE

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE

    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    98. Growth Phase vs. Demand Phase of a Dance Career

    98. Growth Phase vs. Demand Phase of a Dance Career

    We move through two phases as we navigate our careers and most dancers (if not all) will start in the Growth Phase. Here, we are gaining new skills, experiences, and creating value for ourselves, but maybe not always getting the pay we want. Ideally, this phase will lead us to a Demand Phase where we have more autonomy over the jobs we do and create work that fulfills us artistically and financially.

    In this episode, Brandon breaks down these two phases and emphasizes their utility as a guide to filter jobs and projects as we move forward in our careers. When is a growth phase necessary in order to reach a demand phase?

    Additional Call to Action:
    I'm creating a new program and looking for a specific group of dancers to participate in the pilot season. If you meet at least 4 of the following criteria, I want to hear from you:

    1. In your first 1-2 years of a pro dance career
    2. Currently living in or near NYC
    3. Contemporary dance
    4. Actively looking or auditioning for dance jobs in the next 3-6 months
    5. Haven't had the best luck booking work OR haven't booked any fulfilling work in yet.

    Shoot me a DM on IG if this is you and you want to hear more about the program. 

    Interested in working with Brandon? He works with pre-professional and early career artist to help them book and build fulfilling work. You can learn more about his coaching HERE

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE

    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    95. 4 Ways to Play the Long Game

    95. 4 Ways to Play the Long Game

    I think one of the main reason dancer's don't continue to pursue a career in dance is because they get defeated before they even start. We face a lot of rejection early on and can't always see the bigger picture when it comes to a successful career.

    In this episode, Brandon shares 4 ways dancers can stop living in the short term losses and focus on the long term success. Through consistency, awareness, and adaptability, dancers can stay present in their careers without feeling defeated by a wave of rejection.

    Interested in working with Brandon?  SIGN-UP for a FREE Coaching Consultation HERE
    Brandon helps pre-professional dancers find their voice as they navigate their careers and helps them stay accountable  when pursuing their goals.

    Through coaching, Brandon helps dancers define whats important for them and redefine what a successful life/career looks like.

    Learn more here: http://www.brandoncolemandance.com/career-coaching

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE
    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP


    Interested in working with Brandon? He works with pre-professional and early career artist to help them book and build fulfilling work. You can learn more about his coaching HERE

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE

    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    92. Finding Consistency After a Long Break

    92. Finding Consistency After a Long Break

    We all navigate our careers in our own time. Some of us find that we love to dance but don't see it as a viable career option right away and decide to take some time off. Dispite what you're hard core ballet teacher has told you, you can always take a break and get back into dance. How you do it safely and consistently is the real question.

    In this episode, Brandon talks about how to navigate your reentry into the dance world. Through Ihis own experience with taking time away, Brandon shares three things dancers can do to make sustainable choices as they dive back in (or maybe just dip a toe in at first).

    Interested in working with Brandon?  SIGN-UP for a FREE Coaching Consultation HERE
    Brandon helps pre-professional dancers find their voice as they navigate their careers and helps them stay accountable  when pursuing their goals.

    Through coaching, Brandon helps dancers define whats important for them and redefine what a successful life/career looks like.

    Learn more here: http://www.brandoncolemandance.com/career-coaching

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE
    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    Interested in working with Brandon? He works with pre-professional and early career artist to help them book and build fulfilling work. You can learn more about his coaching HERE

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE

    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    91. It's Not That Deep - When the Career Becomes too Serious

    91. It's Not That Deep - When the Career Becomes too Serious

    The wildness of a dance career comes in waves.  Between shows, auditions, class, and anything else that can fill our days, we can go for weeks without having a full day off. As we go through these motions, we can start to feel the weight of our careers.

    In this episode, Brandon shares three ways he finds useful to simplify the role we play as dancers. Through these mindset shifts we can make space for more joy and less intimidating stress in our busy day to day lives.

    Interested in working with Brandon?  SIGN-UP for a FREE Coaching Consultation HERE
    Brandon helps pre-professional dancers find their voice as they navigate their careers and helps them stay accountable  when pursuing their goals.

    Through coaching, Brandon helps dancers define whats important for them and redefine what a successful life/career looks like.

    Learn more here: http://www.brandoncolemandance.com/career-coaching

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE
    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP


    Interested in working with Brandon? He works with pre-professional and early career artist to help them book and build fulfilling work. You can learn more about his coaching HERE

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE

    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    90. Freelance Thriving with Christine Flores

    90. Freelance Thriving with Christine Flores

    The freelance life is no joke. It takes time, energy, and a drive that isn't for everyone. However, if you're able to stick it out, you could have a stellar career like Christine Flores.

    In this episode, I chat with my good friend and Freelance Queen of NYC, Christine Flores. We talk about the schedule of a freelancer, how we'll never like auditions, and the importance of listening to what you want to do and keeping an open mind.

    Christine Flores is originally from Toronto, Ontario and has been working with Pam Tanowitz since 2016. She graduated from New World School of the Arts (Miami) in 2015 with a BFA in Dance and received additional training at Springboard Danse Montreal, the Contemporary Program at Jacob's Pillow, and Cunningham Fellowship workshops. Named one of Dance Magazine’s 2021 “25 to Watch”, Christine is currently based out of New York City and also performing with Company XIV, Danielle Russo Performance Project, Keigwin + Company, Dance Heginbotham, NVA & Guests, and Shinsa Collective.

    Connect with Christine!
    Instagram: @ChristineFl0res

    Interested in working with Brandon?  SIGN-UP for a FREE Coaching Consultation HERE
    Brandon helps pre-professional dancers find their voice as they navigate their careers and helps them stay accountable  when pursuing their goals.

    Through coaching, Brandon helps dancers define whats important for them and redefine what a successful life/career looks like.

    Learn more here: http://www.brandoncolemandance.com/career-coaching

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE
    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP


    Interested in working with Brandon? He works with pre-professional and early career artist to help them book and build fulfilling work. You can learn more about his coaching HERE

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE

    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    88. Debating an Apprenticeship

    88. Debating an Apprenticeship

    One of the more common job offers for dancers fresh out of school is and apprenticeship. These positions have varying responsibilities form one company to the next but you can't know what to expect until you're in it....right?

    In this episode, Brandon talks about what to consider before accepting a role as an apprentice. What questions should you ask up front and what experience are you looking to have? We step into these positions with specific goals or hopeful outcomes. What do you need to figure out so you can have a positive experience and avoid being left with nothing but resentment and disappointment.


    Interested in working with Brandon?  SIGN-UP for a FREE Coaching Consultation HERE
    Brandon helps pre-professional dancers find their voice as they navigate their careers and helps them stay accountable  when pursuing their goals.

    Through coaching, Brandon helps dancers define whats important for them and redefine what a successful life/career looks like.

    Learn more here: http://www.brandoncolemandance.com/career-coaching

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE
    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    Interested in working with Brandon? He works with pre-professional and early career artist to help them book and build fulfilling work. You can learn more about his coaching HERE

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE

    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    The Bright Side of Under/Unemployment

    The Bright Side of Under/Unemployment

    Unfortunately, getting a job as a dancer is not the easiest process straight out of college and many dancers will find themselves without work right away. Although this is true, how can dancers find the bright side of the time they have?

    In this episode, Brandon talks about the highlights of being under or unemployed and the unique opportunities this situation presents. He dives into his own journey and talks about how he used the time to prepare and push Ihis career forward. This career is full of ups and downs, how we spend out time in both is a game changer.

    Interested in working with Brandon?  SIGN-UP for a FREE Coaching Consultation HERE
    Brandon helps pre-professional dancers find their voice as they navigate their careers and helps them stay accountable  when pursuing their goals.

    Through coaching, Brandon helps dancers define whats important for them and redefine what a successful life/career looks like.

    Learn more here: http://www.brandoncolemandance.com/career-coaching

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE
    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    Interested in working with Brandon? He works with pre-professional and early career artist to help them book and build fulfilling work. You can learn more about his coaching HERE

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE

    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    Considering Post-Grad Training Programs

    Considering Post-Grad Training Programs

    The options after we graduate or enter the workforce are numerous. For some, the need to fill gaps in training or education bring them to a variety of training programs in order to book the jobs they want.

    As useful as these programs are, they come with a cost. Between the time, money, and energy commitment, these programs may not be suited for everyone.

    In this episode, Brandon ways the cost of training programs and highlights some major components that dancers should consider before they register for them.  Each program is different and each will create a different outcome for their participants. Dancer's need to know exactly what they are getting into so they can maximize the value for their investment.

    Interested in working with Brandon?  SIGN-UP for a FREE Coaching Consultation HERE
    Brandon helps pre-professional dancers find their voice as they navigate their careers and helps them stay accountable  when pursuing their goals.

    Through coaching, Brandon helps dancers define whats important for them and redefine what a successful life/career looks like.

    Learn more here: http://www.brandoncolemandance.com/career-coaching

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE
    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    Interested in working with Brandon? He works with pre-professional and early career artist to help them book and build fulfilling work. You can learn more about his coaching HERE

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE

    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    Season 6 Episode 8: The Science of Music

    Season 6 Episode 8: The Science of Music

    In this week's episode Lance and Jacklyn share some wedding updates and dish about their dance lessons.

    Jacklyn is back from a business trip in Orlando where things got weird.  

    This week's treasure chest is all about the science backed benefits of music and how it has been shown to help with mood regulation, sleep, and focus.

    Jacklyn has been interested in the power of music for decades and recounts her science fair project from 8th grade.  

    Listen in for some hot takes on the latest comedy specials and more treasures from the chest.

    Thank you for listening and supporting.  


    Making Auditions Fun

    Making Auditions Fun

    Auditions are one of the most stressful parts of being a professional dancer. For many, especially at the beginning, auditions are the main way to book a job. Between the high stakes and poor conditions that can come with an audition environment, it's easy to feel burned out or avoid this process all together. 

    In this episode, Brandon talks about how to make an audition fun. Through his own experience, he shares five ways to not only make an audition environment bearable, but actually fun to be in. If auditions are a barrier to the jobs we want, how can we better navigate them as to not crush our soul.

    Interested in working with Brandon?  SIGN-UP for a FREE Coaching Consultation HERE
    Brandon helps pre-professional dancers find their voice as they navigate their careers and helps them stay accountable  when pursuing their goals.

    Through coaching, Brandon helps dancers define whats important for them and redefine what a successful life/career looks like.

    Learn more here: http://www.brandoncolemandance.com/career-coaching

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE
    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    Interested in working with Brandon? He works with pre-professional and early career artist to help them book and build fulfilling work. You can learn more about his coaching HERE

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE

    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    Building an Anti-Fragile Career: Part 2

    Building an Anti-Fragile Career: Part 2

    A part of building a sustainable career means being able to do consistent work. Sometimes that means making the work yourself while you wait for work to show up on your doorstep. The challenges of this career are guaranteed but how we deal with them is up to the individual.

    In part two of this episode, Brandon continues to shares how to build a career that is sustainable through the highs and lows. To build a more sustainable career we need to:

    1. Give ourselves many different experiences early on
    2. Celebrate both the big and little wins
    3.  Practice abundance over scarcity.
    4. Be willing to show up when others don't
    5. Know everything comes to an end
    6. Just stay in the game the longest

    Interested in working with Brandon?  SIGN-UP for a FREE Coaching Consultation HERE
    Brandon helps pre-professional dancers find their voice as they navigate their careers and helps them stay accountable  when pursuing their goals.

    Through coaching, Brandon helps dancers define whats important for them and redefine what a successful life/career looks like.

    Learn more here: http://www.brandoncolemandance.com/career-coaching

    Connect with Brandon!
    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    Interested in working with Brandon? He works with pre-professional and early career artist to help them book and build fulfilling work. You can learn more about his coaching HERE

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE

    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    Building an Anti-Fragile Career: Part 1

    Building an Anti-Fragile Career: Part 1

    Growing up as dancers, we hear a variety of messages about what to expect in our careers. Teachers, parents, and other mentors tell us how our time is limited, how how competitive the field is, and how only the strongest survive. This does have some truth to it however, this kind of thinking can lead to some limiting ideas that might hold us back from thriving in this career.

     In this episode, Brandon shares how to build a career that is sustainable through the highs and lows. To build a more sustainable career we need to:

    1. Give ourselves many different experiences early on
    2. Celebrate both the big and little wins
    3.  Practice abundance over scarcity. 

    Interested in working with Brandon?  SIGN-UP for a FREE Coaching Consultation HERE
    Brandon helps pre-professional dancers find their voice as they navigate their careers and helps them stay accountable  when pursuing their goals.

    Through coaching, Brandon helps dancers define whats important for them and redefine what a successful life/career looks like.

    Learn more here: http://www.brandoncolemandance.com/career-coaching

    Connect with Brandon!
    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    Interested in working with Brandon? He works with pre-professional and early career artist to help them book and build fulfilling work. You can learn more about his coaching HERE

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE

    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    The Key to Direct Booking

    The Key to Direct Booking

    We all want to book jobs more easily and efficiently. We also all know those people who seem to always be booked. Instead of waiting hours in a cattle call audition, how can we get to a place where were waking up with job offers in our DMs. This is where direct bookings become the goal.

    In this episode, Brandon talks about how dancers can get on the path to direct booking. Through many small, consistent, and purposeful practices, dancers can create relationships that fuel there career in a way that relieves them from the stressful audition process. By investing in our relationships and letting people get to know us inside/outside the studio, we can better position ourselves to book jobs we love and pay us what we want.

    How to Book Yourself Workshop Waitlist--
    SIGN UP HERE  to receive early access to this program
    http://eepurl.com/dtRu35

    Interested in working with Brandon?  SIGN-UP for a FREE Coaching Consultation HERE
    Brandon helps pre-professional dancers find their voice as they navigate their careers and helps them stay accountable  when pursuing their goals.

    Through coaching, Brandon helps dancers define whats important for them and redefine what a successful life/career looks like.

    Learn more here: http://www.brandoncolemandance.com/career-coaching

    Connect with Brandon!
    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    Interested in working with Brandon? He works with pre-professional and early career artist to help them book and build fulfilling work. You can learn more about his coaching HERE

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE

    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    Build it Yourself: Drop-in Class

    Build it Yourself: Drop-in Class

    Whenever we see dancers doing the things that we want to be doing, many times it is because they built the project, tour, event, or show themselves.  In the "Build it Yourself" series, I share my own projects and how I built the first iterations of them. I hope these episodes bring some clarity to the potential every dancer holds to build a career they love.

    In this episode, Brandon talks about how to build your own drop in class and why now is the best time to start. From renting space, promoting, and getting paid for your class, there's a specific order he recommends to achieve success. Furthermore, Brandon talks about the mindsets and practices he holds onto to keep yourself and your students engaged and showing up week after week.

    Interested in working with Brandon?  SIGN-UP for a FREE Coaching Consultation HERE
    Brandon helps pre-professional dancers find their voice as they navigate their careers and helps them stay accountable  when pursuing their goals.

    Through coaching, Brandon helps dancers define whats important for them and redefine what a successful life/career looks like.

    Learn more here: http://www.brandoncolemandance.com/career-coaching

    Connect with Brandon!
    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    Interested in working with Brandon? He works with pre-professional and early career artist to help them book and build fulfilling work. You can learn more about his coaching HERE

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE

    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    Knowing When to Increase Your Rate

    Knowing When to Increase Your Rate

    Asking for money only gets easier with practice but for many dancers, they struggle to justify rate increases even if they know they aren't being paid enough. The world is constantly changing the worth of a dollar and the artists need their price tag to match the value of their work the changing landscape around them.

    In this episode, Brandon outlines four times when dancers, teachers, and choreographers should consider increasing their rate.  Artists can take too much time to increase their rate and it results in them being underpaid and resentful of the jobs they do.

    Interested in working with Brandon?  SIGN-UP for a FREE Coaching Consultation HERE
    Brandon helps pre-professional dancers find their voice as they navigate their careers and helps them stay accountable  when pursuing their goals.

    Through coaching, Brandon helps dancers define whats important for them and redefine what a successful life/career looks like.

    Learn more here: http://www.brandoncolemandance.com/career-coaching

    Connect with Brandon!
    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    Interested in working with Brandon? He works with pre-professional and early career artist to help them book and build fulfilling work. You can learn more about his coaching HERE

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE

    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    Collaboration in the Studio: Speaking Up

    Collaboration in the Studio: Speaking Up

    As dancers, many of us grow up in a discipline that teaches us to be seen in not heard. But for many dancers, they find themselves in professional environments that ask them to give input and collaborate with a choreographer. When we are in these situations, we need to know when and feel confident about the ideas we're presenting to a choreographer or director.

    In this episode, Brandon talks about the importance of speaking up in a collaborative environment and how timing is everything. Dancers need to have an idea/solution and be able to articulate it in an effective way.

    Interested in working with Brandon?  SIGN-UP for a FREE Coaching Consultation HERE
    Brandon helps pre-professional dancers find their voice as they navigate their careers and helps them stay accountable  when pursuing their goals.

    Through coaching, Brandon helps dancers define whats important for them and redefine what a successful life/career looks like.

    Learn more here: http://www.brandoncolemandance.com/career-coaching

    Connect with Brandon!
    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    Interested in working with Brandon? He works with pre-professional and early career artist to help them book and build fulfilling work. You can learn more about his coaching HERE

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE

    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    School Should Feel Overwhelming

    School Should Feel Overwhelming

    I sometimes forget what the college work load was like, but when I think back to it, I remember how dense the schedule and workload actually was. Between school work, technique classes, rehearsals, and trying to my #LifeLongFriends, I remember feeling overwhelmed at times. However, I also feel like there was great value to what that experience brought me.

    In this episode, Brandon talks about the value of overwhelm and why it can be good to seek out while you're in school. How do we look at our schedules and fill in space where we can challenge ourselves? Could biting off more than we can chew have benefits for once we enter the real world? 

    Interested in working with Brandon?  SIGN-UP for a FREE Coaching Consultation HERE
    Brandon helps pre-professional dancers find their voice as they navigate their careers and helps them stay accountable  when pursuing their goals.

    Through coaching, Brandon helps dancers define whats important for them and redefine what a successful life/career looks like.

    Learn more here: http://www.brandoncolemandance.com/career-coaching

    Connect with Brandon!
    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    Interested in working with Brandon? He works with pre-professional and early career artist to help them book and build fulfilling work. You can learn more about his coaching HERE

    Connect with Brandon!
    Join his Email List: HERE

    Instagram: @itsBrandonColeman | @BreakingTheWallPodcast
    Website: www.BrandonColemanDance.com/BTWP

    Rhythms of Connection: Dancing Through Community with Sarah Sullivan of Mobtown Ballroom

    Rhythms of Connection: Dancing Through Community with Sarah Sullivan of Mobtown Ballroom

    Join us on 'The Truth in This Art' podcast, where your host, Rob Lee, leads the way. Our today’s guest Sarah Sullivan, an accomplished small business owner and dedicated community builder, is the co-owner of Mobtown Ballroom, a vibrant arts and entertainment haven nestled in Baltimore's historic Pigtown neighborhood. Over the past decade, Sarah's unwavering commitment has transformed Mobtown Ballroom into a cherished second home for Baltimoreans, offering a haven for lindy hop, swing dance events, dance classes, and live music. Her journey began when she moved from rural Massachusetts to attend Goucher College, where she majored in Peace Studies, and subsequently, as an Americorps Volunteer Coordinator at the St. Francis Neighborhood Center, she orchestrated impactful initiatives like the Reservoir Hill Festival. As a principal member of Guardian Dance for 8 years, Sarah toured Baltimore City Schools and universities, using her performances to champion racial justice and equity. Furthermore, she has been a pivotal force in the House of Ruth Maryland and managed the band, the New Old Fashioned, for 7 years. Notably, her unwavering dedication extends to advocating for arts organizations in the prevention and response to sxual asault, a role she has assumed for the past 5 years. Amidst the pandemic's challenges, Sarah initiated a weekly livestream that amplifies local artists, engages with political figures, and raises funds for progressive causes, underscoring her resolute commitment to her community's betterment.


    In this installment, we reveal:

    • Embark on an exploration of Mobtown Ballroom as more than just a venue—it's a dynamic space where dance and music converge, allowing individuals to find their voice, form connections, and weave stories through movement and rhythm.
    • Join us in a conversation with Sarah, as she delves into her belief in the transformative power of dance, sharing how it serves as a catalyst for forging authentic bonds and uncovering personal authenticity within a diverse and supportive community.
    • Tune in to discover the profound lessons Sarah gained through her journey with Guardian Dance, as she unveils the insights about dedication, ethics, and the significance of building meaningful connections through shared artistic endeavors.
    • In a captivating episode, Sarah unveils her entrepreneurial journey and discusses how she envisions business as a tool to create genuine impact, shifting the focus from mere profit to a mission-driven pursuit that leaves a lasting footprint of positivity and connection.


    Get ready to be inspired as Sarah shares her journey as a small business owner and community builder. From her early exposure to swing dancing through her father to her travels as a dancer and nanny, Sarah's love for dance and community led her to open Mobtown Ballroom. She discusses the importance of creating a space where people can be themselves and find a sense of belonging. Sarah also reflects on her experiences as a member of Guardian Dance, a dance company focused on preserving and passing on African American dance forms.


    Mentioned in this episode
    Mobtown Ballroom

    🎧🌟 Don't forget to rate and review this episode to support the best in podcasting! 🌟🎧


    This program is supported (in part) by a grant from the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation.

    If you have a story about art, culture, or community, share it with us at rob@thetruthinthisart.com for a chance to be featured on 'The Truth In This Art' podcast.

    Follow The Truth In This Art on Twitter, Threads, IG, and Facebook @truthinthisart

    Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard.

    Episode illustration by Alley Kid Art.

    About "The Truth In This Art"


    "The Truth In This Art," hosted by Rob Lee, is a podcast that explores the essence of creativity and its community impact, amplifying artists' voices and their profound stories.

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