Breaking the Wall Podcast

CJ and I met back in 2016 while working with Shannon Gillen at Springboard. I was a year into my career and CJ was navigating the end of his college experience. As many dancer are in their early 20's, CJ was full of curiosity, drive, and ambition. Today, not much has changed. Now he spends his time between NYC and Europe as both a dancer, collaborator, and choreographer.

In our talk, CJ talks about big pivots he's had to make over the years, seeking out the worlds most inspiring choreographers, and how dancers can better navigate their careers.

About CJ:
A Chicago native, Cj is a dancer, choreographer, and movement director. After finishing his studies at The Chicago Academy for the Arts and Suny Purchase College, where he was awarded the Adopt-A-Dancer Scholarship, Claude then became a full-time company dancer with A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham from 2017-2022 where he became a Princess Grace 2021 nominee. Claude has gotten the opportunity to perform works by Kyle Abraham, Merce Cunningham, Trisha Brown, Aszure Barton, Johannes Weiland, Doug Varone, Kevin Wynn, Nicole Von Arx, Keerati Jinakunwiphat, Princess Madoki , and many more. As a performer and black queer artist, Claude dances to translate the human experience to audiences to recognize the art form of dance as the best catalyst to motivate self-expression and social change. In any artistic space he believes his responsibility is to increase the knowledge and perspective of his community’s vast experience.

Connect with CJ!
Instagram: @Cj4400

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 when is really out of our control when it comes to achieving the career goals we set for ourselves. Over the years we have to pivot, engage with new ideas, and much of the time learn on the job. When I first joined Visceral in 2015, Paige Fraser was one of those dancer's I looked up to.

In our conversation we dive into the life of a dance captain on Broadway, the importance of sharing your story, and how dancer's today can focus their energy when they want to do it all.

About Paige!

Paige Fraser (Bronx, NY) trained at Ballet Atlantic Academy and the Professional Performing Arts High School/Ailey School in NYC. She was a scholarship recipient at; ABT, DTH, Complexions, Jacobs Pillow, and The Juilliard School summer intensives. In 2012, Ms. Fraser graduated Cum Laude from Fordham University/Alvin Ailey BFA. Paige was a member of Ailey II for 2011-2013 seasons. In 2013, she became a founding dancer of Visceral Dance Chicago for 6 seasons. She has been a guest artist with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater since 2016. She is a Princess Grace Award recipient (2016) and a Dance Magazine “Top 25 to Watch” (2017). She has done commercial work with Beyonce, Chanel Iman, and Jussie Smollett; and has been featured in international campaigns with INTEL, ESPN Latin America, and ELLE Magazine. Ms. Fraser made her musical theatre debut in “West Side Story” at the Lyric Opera in Chicago (2019). She toured with the The Lion King, and is now the Dance Captain and Swing for The Lion King on Broadway. Ms. Fraser is the Chief Artistic Officer and Program Director of Dance for The Paige Fraser Foundation. She is currently getting her MA in Art Management from University of Denver.

Connect with Paige!
Instagram: @lovingthispaige | @thepaigefraserfoundation
www.thepaigefraserfoundation.org
www.paigefraser.net

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

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

About JBC!

Joshua Blake Carter is the Artistic Director of Dance Kaleidoscope in Indianapolis, IN. Originally from Atlanta, GA, he spent 14 years in Chicago with Giordano Dance Chicago, first as a dancer and then as an administrator and Director of Giordano II, a position he held for 10 years. During his time at GDC, Joshua created three original works for the main company and nine original works for Giordano II. As a freelance artist, he has created works for dance companies, theater companies, and events across the nation. Joshua was the 2009 winner of Wonderbound’s (formerly Ballet Nouveau Colorado) national choreography competition dancemakers2.0. In 2013, he was commissioned to create a new work for DanceWorks Chicago’s DanceMoves choreography competition, and he was awarded the Producers’ Panel Prize by the Ruth Page Foundation for his work, Ripen. Joshua’s choreography for Disney’s Newsies at the Paramount Theatre was nominated for a Jeff Award and a Regional Broadway World Award. Other commissions include Missouri Contemporary Ballet, Nomi Dance Company, Visceral Dance Chicago, and Artifact Dance Project, as well as an original work for Embarq with Joffrey Ballet. In 2016, he created the finale for the event Sing! Featuring Elton John. Joshua has been an Artist in Residence with Brenau University, Glendale Community College, Illinois State University, Salve Regina University, and Southeast Missouri State University.

Connect with JBC!
Instagram: @jbcchoreography
Dance Kaleidoscope's handle: @dance_kaleidoscope_indy
Website: www.dancekal.org

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

Although many dancers dream of making larger cities like NYC or LA their homes, this isn't the case for our Guest on todays episode. Elisa and I met back in 2018 when I took a road trip across the country with my friend Owen. We made a stop in Pittsburgh where Elisa took ous out and let us crash on her couch for the night. Years later she would invite me to teach at her FireWall Dance Theater Summer Intensive and we.d be friends ever since.

In our conversation we touch on the importance of community, building your own opportunities, and the blur of a work/life balance and why we love it!

More about Elisa:

Elisa-Marie Alaio is a native of Brooklyn, NY and a graduate of Point Park University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in dance with a primary focus in modern/jazz. Elisa is the founder and owner of fireWALL Dance Theater, currently operating as a drop in dance studio in Pittsburgh. fireWALL was established in 2013 as a modern/contemporary dance company, known for their ability to story-tell in an abstract and theatrical way. fireWALL currently has a resident professional dance company along with a team of young, aspiring dancers that perform and compete nationally. Over the years Elisa has curated and choreographed over twenty full length productions, many that have toured throughout the east coast and have been recognized in magazines, newspapers and critics. Elisa is currently a faculty member at Point Park University and Seton Hill University!

Connect with Elisa!
Instagram: @elisa_alaio | @firewalldancetheater
www.firewalldance.com

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

"Please stop expecting superior results from mediocre effort." -- Dr. Shante Cofield

This quote really hit me this morning as I was drinking my coffee and made me think about how we show up to class.

In this episode, Brandon rants about the importance of prioritizing quality over quantity in class and workshops. While its important to just 'check the box' from time to time, we also want to find ourselves moving the needle of our effort more often than not.

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

A lot of the time on this podcast, I speak with artists who are established or moved onto other aspects of their career. I'm excited to have Hannah on the podcast today because she is approaching her three year anniversary of NYC living.

In this episode, Hannah talks about her journey so far, what she recommends for dancer's who are interested in moving to NYC, and what she didn't expect when she moved here.

Hannah Weinmaster graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of Dance. As a dancer, Hannah has worked with and performed works by choreographers such as Chelsea Thedinga, Peter Chu, Brandon Coleman, Martha Graham, Shannon Gillen, and Paul Taylor. Most recently, Hannah performed as a Radio City Rockette at Radio City Music Hall and has performed works for Dumbo Dance festival, Uptown Rising and White Wave Soloduo Festival in NYC. With choreography, Hannah has been selected as a finalist for Steps Beyond Choreography Lab, Made by Women Film Festival, Utah Dance Film Fest, CDC McClaine Timmerman Choreography Festival, and the Palm Desert Choreography Festival.

Connect with Hannah!
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hannahgraceweinmaster

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

In our community, there is a lot of talk about working for free, valuing our talent, and being paid what we deserve for the work we do so well. A lot of advice around working for free revolves around early-career artists and the hoops they have to jump through. However, as some one who has worked for free in the past, there are times when I STILL would and times I never would and don't think you should either.

In this episode, Brandon talks about two types of jobs that he would still do for free and why. Our careers revolve around relationships and skills. How do we nurture both and find joy in discovering new ones?

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

It's that time of year again! Summer teaching and choreographing is how a lot of dancer's support themselves over the slower performing months. However, when we set our rate, no one ever tells us what the "right amount" is.

In this episode, Brandon breaks down what studio owners are thinking and what they probably wont be telling you. It important to set the correct value on your work so you can 1) support yourself and 2) not finish a job feeling resentful but fulfilled!

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

Dancer's are no longer just one thing. They never really have been. But these days, dancers are simultaneously making their own work, teaching classes, setting other peoples work, and taking on additional skills/responsibilities.

In this episode, Brandon talks about the importance of being a multi-hyphen artist and why you can be even as you primarily focus on your dance journey.

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

As a mentor, I want to offer only the best tools and resources for the dancers I work with. However, what they do with that information is up to them.

In this episode, Brandon shares why decision making is such an important factor in a successful dance career. We face so many obstacles on our journeys and our ability to make decisions in the face of constant change is paramount for what were able to accomplish along the way.

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