Page 63 - APAP - Inside Arts - Conference 2020

“how” of what we do is incredibly important and sometimes can get lost in our day-to-day.
I wonder if people know that dance, from the artists' perspective, can be a very destructive place. Few people are asking to go into a room filled with mirrors with just a leotard and tights and be criticized for hours on end. But that is a big part of what we do. I want to make sure that that experience for young dancers and those more familiar with the field is one of positivity and a joyful expression of all that makes you who you are while working hard toward your dream of becoming a professional. I take extreme pride in being able to pay my bills through my art. Dance is not a hobby that should make you feel bad about yourself. It is a legitimate career that brings beauty and joy to our world.
I would like to see leaders in the field be more fearless, try some things that may not work but that could possibly be game changers. There is a lot of complicity regarding the status quo I believe
due to lack of confidence, but we are the keepers of the culture so standing still is death for us. We need to push, pull and stretch to continue pushing boundaries, breaking walls and changing lives.
I subscribe to the servant leadership model, which has its ups and downs as all models do, but I believe that leadership is having the ability and capacity to act quickly, ethically and morally when called upon.
Ken Foster: Deepened my critical thinking.
David Bowie: Taught me that reinvention and imagination are an artist's greatest assets.
Ann Williams: Said take part in the community that you serve.
My Mom: Work for it.
he LFP program split open my mind – and
my soul, too. In order to be a "better leader," I actually had to learn how to be a better citizen and community member. This program helped me do that. And it continues to help me do that by placing me within a network of thinkers and motivators in the field who are always down to take my call or open up the door.
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