The Art of Body Language Podcast

Welcome to the first episode of The Choose Joy podcast! In this episode, we explore the power of self-love, authenticity, and simplicity in both life and business with our special guest, entrepreneur and physical therapist, Paul, aka the "Flyestman Alive." —------------------------------------------------------------- Episode Overview :  Join us for a deep dive into Paul's journey and his insights on finding joy amidst life's storms, maintaining meaningful relationships, and navigating the world of entrepreneurship with simplicity and authenticity. Deriving Confidence from Heritage: Paul shares how embracing his heritage has empowered him to exude confidence and style that go beyond physical appearance. Choosing Joy in Adversity: Reflecting on personal experiences, both Paul and the hosts discuss the importance of choosing joy and gratitude, even in the face of adversity. Faith and Perspective: The role of faith and prayer in uncovering hidden blessings and maintaining a positive perspective through life's trials and challenges. Balancing Relationships and Entrepreneurship: Paul shares insights on balancing personal connections with business responsibilities, emphasizing the significance of checking in with loved ones. Managing Energy and Avoiding Burnout: Tips on managing energy levels, aligning with authenticity, and holding oneself accountable to avoid burnout in entrepreneurship. Simplicity in Business and Life: Discussing the merits of simplicity, efficiency, and straightforwardness in business plans and life decisions. Overcoming Entrepreneurial Obstacles: Advice on avoiding overcomplication and the dangers of overthinking in business strategies, advocating for a "keep it simple" approach. —------------------------------------------------------------- Closing Remarks: As we wrap up this episode, we leave you with renewed inspiration to embrace simplicity, authenticity, and the pursuit of joy in your everyday life.Don't forget to hit subscribe to stay updated on future episodes, and we'll catch you on the next one. Until then, choose joy!

Ja’ Malik, named “a choreographer to watch” by The New York Times, is quickly becoming an in-demand choreographer around the country. A former member of Cleveland Ballet, Oakland Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theatre, Ballet Hispanico, and Ballet X. He has created original works on such companies as Oakland Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theater 2, City Dance Ensemble, Columbia Ballet Collaborative, Intermezzo Dance Company. Self produced worked in Harlem Stages E:Moves, Ballet Builders, 92nd Street Y, McCallum Theater Festival, The Young Choreographers Showcase & The Battery Park Dance Festival. Off Broadway Theater Credits include choreographer "Miss Julie" August Strindberg Repertory Co. Assistant Choreographer to Camille A. Brown for The Public Theater's production of "For Colored Girls..." In 2019. A 2016 CUNY Dance Initiative Residency. A 2019 Choreographic Resident apart of UNCSA's Choreographic Residency. 2019 marked the Debut Performance of Ballet Boy Productions at the 38th Annual Battery Dance Festival in NYC, NY. Ja’ Malik is also the host of “ARTS UNCENSORED” a monthly podcast discussing topics going on in and and around the arts. Follow him on social media @balletboyproductions & @artsuncdnsored

Merlyne Jean-Louis, Esq. is the founder and owner of Jean-Louis Law, P.C., a New York-based law firm that focuses on business and entertainment law. A former dancer, she uses her legal and creative knowledge to help transform her clients (content creators, influencers, creatives and entrepreneurs) into CEOs. A former dancer, Merlyne is also a dance law commentator. She has discussed copyright law as it relates to choreography on CBS, The Verge, Marketplace Tech and the podcasts Poplaw and Carry on Friends. She also was mentioned in the book Choreographing Copyright: Race, Gender and Intellectual Property Rights in American Dance. Merlyne received her J.D. from Duke Law School and B.A., cum laude, in Psychology and French, minor in Pre-Business Studies from NYU. She is a member of the Entertainment Arts Sport Law (EASL) Section of the NYSBA and the Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association (BESLA). For more information about Merlyne and her practice and a free business checklist, visit www.jllaw.net. IG: Wizardlawyer FB: Jeanlouislaw

Born and raised in Saint. Petersburg, Florida, Amos began his professional training at the Academy of Ballet Arts and the Pinellas County Center for the Arts. Prior to AMDA College and Conservatory of Performing Arts-LA, Amos received his BFA in dance performance from The Boston Conservatory. While at the conservatory, he performed many works by world-renowned choreographers. Amos has been seen as “Thad” in NBC’s Hairspray LIVE!, The 50th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Gotham, LOVE, and many more. Next up you can catch him as “Thad” on Royal Caribbean’s largest ship in the world “Symphony of the Seas” Amos would like to thank God, his family, his agents and his friends for the immense amount of support!! You can follow his journey through his IG at Amosoliver90

Antwon Keith Collier is a South Florida native who has discovered true passion and purpose while living in Los Angeles, CA. Having worked with some of the industries top choreographers, directors, and celebrities like Missy Elliot, Camila Cabello, Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Lizzo, Miley Cyrus and Normani. Least just say, “the man has moves". His love for fitness and wellness has always been tied to the dancers need to stay in shape, and to be able to take their shirts off in front of thousands of people. From his charm, beautiful bright smile, and electrifying spirit he is guaranteed to positively impact any and every room he steps in. This Actor, Dancer, Model, Entrepreneur, Motivator, and Trailblazer, promotes self love, and constantly pushes those around him to be bold, to be limitless and to be free. There is no one on this earth like you he says “BE YOU!” He is a firm believer that with hard work, patience, and faith, all things are possible and if its not bringing you peace, let it go! You can reach Antwon on IG: @letsgetfloridafit and Youtube: Florida Fit

Chantel Williams is a native New Yorker, story-teller, mover, travel enthusiast, and lover of bright lipstick! She began her dance training at the age of nine, exploring all genres of dance but developed a passion for street styles that she nurtured throughout her years in college. Following her graduation from NYU's Stern School of Business, Chantel pursued a career in digital marketing. As a digital strategist, she spends her time building unique approaches for brands that exist at the intersection of data-driven insights and creative storytelling, which ultimately allows them to connect with their consumers. After seven years of working in advertising with clients from fortune 500 companies, she decided to turn her lifelong passion for dance into a career and is learning to navigate the commercial dance industry one day at a time. You can connect with Chantel at the following places: IG: Chantelrenee21 www.chantel.nyc

Carmillia “Carmi” Harris has performed in several musicals & plays including Roe, A Motown Christmas, Memphis, The Wiz, Beehive The Musical, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and more. She has also performed in several cabarets at venues including NYC favorites “Feinstein’s/54 Below” & “Don’t Tell Mama” and more. The vocalist, actor & model has also appeared in several short films, commercials and performances on national networks including PBS, BET, HSN and more. In 2016, Carmi debuted her first self-written & co-produced solo show Carmi's Playlist at “The Space at 2106”. Her motto is to inspire; to share love & to serve with love through storytelling. “We dance though we are still. We are on fire, though we do not burn.”- Rumi. Stay connected at www.carmiharris.net & on instagram @carmi_harris.

Christopher Charles McDaniel is originally from East Harlem, NY, and is a former dancer with the Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble, and more recently, Los Angeles Ballet and Ballet San Antonio. Christopher has had the honor of dancing many featured roles in the company's eclectic repertoire. He has received multiple highlights and shout outs from critics at the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, and Broadway World. In addition to dancing, Christopher served on faculty at Los Angeles Ballet School, and the Lula Washington Dance Theatre, teaching ballet and jazz dance. Christopher was very active in the development of several outreach programs at Los Angeles Ballet. Christopher has appeared as a guest teacher at Los Angeles County high School of the Arts, Lake Tahoe Dance Collective, Infinity Dance Company, Ballet Conservatory of South Texas, San Antonio Metropolitan Ballet, and Debbie Allen Dance Academy! Christopher has completed the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet's Ballet Teacher Workshop, where he learned how to teach and apply the syllabus created by Marcia Dale Weary. In 2016 Christopher was invited to join the School of American Ballet’s National Visiting Fellows program. There he consulted on diversity and inclusion and learned the SAB curriculum/syllabus! Students of Christopher's have gone on to get scholarships at many prestigious dance institutions. After appearing with Ballet San Antonio as a Guest Artist in the Fall of 2015, Christopher joined the company as a Soloist, dancing an array of principal roles. In the fall of 2017 Christopher excepted a contract with the Dance Theatre of Harlem company! Since joining he has traveled the world dancing leading roles and teaching master classes!

Kathleen is a former dancer, a writer, and a fundraiser. She is also one of millions of people who have battled depression.  As a dancer Kathleen trained at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School and the San Francisco Ballet School in their pre-professional divisions. She also spent summers at the School of American Ballet and the Chautauqua Festival program.  Over the last 10 years, Kathleen has written more than 100 articles on dance for Dance Magazine, Pointe, Dance Spirit, and Dance Teacher magazines. As a result she has had the opportunity to conduct nearly 1,000 interviews with dancers, teachers and dance medical professionals. In 2014 she was named a contributing writer to Dance Magazine.  Kathleen is also a dedicated nonprofit development professional and was the Director of Development at the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy where she worked for more than 7 years raising money to support public parks. She serves as a member of the development committee for the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science.   Minding the Gap was founded as a reaction to the outpouring of support Kathleen received after she posted the article Why are we still so bad at addressing dancers' mental health on the Dance Magazine website in the summer of 2017. Her ambition is to enact a movement which results in mental health being regarded with the same seriousness as physical health in dance culture.

Eryc Taylor, Artistic Director/Founder of Eryc Taylor Dance, has presented work worldwide since 1995. Originally from Los Angles, he received his BFA in Dance from the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA, and an MFA in Dance from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Eryc Taylor has studied abroad at both the London Contemporary School of Dance and the Centre de Danse du Marais in Paris. Taylor has been awarded several major scholarships, including residency at Jacob’s Pillow, and spent two years with Merce Cunningham's Junior Ensemble (RUG). He is currently on the University of the Arts Alumni Council. Taylor has performed works by Merce Cunningham, Mark Dendy, Group Motion, Paul Taylor, Milton Meyers, Sean Curran and Gus Solomons Jr, and strongly believes in artistic collaboration. With Eryc Taylor Dance, he has worked closely with artists Chris Annas-Lee, Mark Beard, Gerald Busby, Simon Hayes (Swarm Intelligence), David Kagen, Sidney Grant, Scooter LaForge, Salomon Lerner, Laura Peterson, Daniel Tobias, and Stephan Michael Smith. His work has been presented at Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors, Joyce Soho, The Second Avenue Dance Theater, Joe's Pub at The Public Theater (NYC), New York Live Arts, Armando Manzanero Teatro and Teatro José Peón Contreras (Merida, Mexico), Martha Graham Studio Theater, Bryant Park Theater, Guild Hall (East Hampton, NY). ETD is slated to perform at the Busan Cultural Center (Busan, South Korea) and the Provincetown Dance Festival (Cape Cod, MA) for 2019. Taylor’s work, E A R T H, was recently awarded a generous match grant from the Marta Heflin Foundation, which will premiere in its entirety in 2020. E A R T H is made possible in part with public funds from Creative Engagement, supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and administered by LMCC. As the Founder & Director of ETD Outreach, Taylor oversees a curated community outreach program that works to better society through the healing powers of dance. In 2019 his outreach team of instructors taught over 918 workshops at fifteen locations in the New York area, including Hour Children, The Acacia Network, Felix Organization, PCMH, Lantern & NYU Langone. Ways to contact Eryc Taylor: Etd.nyc- website @eryctaylordance- IG @etdoutreach- IG etdoutreach.org burnbarre.com @burnbarre-IG @burnbarretechnique- IG

Rick Johnson is a Creative Director/ Entertainment Stylist from Baltimore. He works at the intersection of Art, Fashion & Entertainment. He is responsible for conceptualizing and birthing ideas for brands & artist, and he coined the phrase “Creative Surrogate”.

Dr. Andre Williams is a physical therapist from San Diego, California currently studying in the orthopedic residency program at NYU. Although I do not usually interview any medical professionals on this podcast, Dr. Williams gave me good vibes, so I went with my gut and had him on the 'cast. Lets just say, I have no regrets. On this episode he shares various learning experiences that are sure to make an impact on any listener, and I bring all of his life lessons full circle when I recap how to apply his keys to the dance world. I hope you enjoy this wild card episode, invite his words of wisdom into your life, and let it help you grow.

Anthony Santos, born in New York City, began his dance training at Rosie’s Theatre Kids under the direction of Lori Klinger where he studied Tap, Jazz, Theatre dance and some ballet from 2005-2013. Later he continued his training at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater from 2009-2013, working with Adrienne Hurd, Pedro Ruiz and Kristen McGrew among others. Summer intensives include Joffrey Ballet, Jacob’s Pillow, and Alonzo King LINES Ballet, all on full merit scholarships. Anthony graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts under the direction of Susan Jaffe. While at UNCSA he has performed works by Susan Jaffe, Doug Varone, Ton Simmons, Lucinda Childs, Brenda Daniels, Merce Cunningham, Twyla Tharp, Jose Limon, Paul Taylor, and Sasha Janes. He has a background in musical theater, singing and acting. Has performed with Zest Collective, Caitlin Trainor Dance in NYC and Antonio Ciacci’s La Spezia Jazz Festival. Now Anthony is a dance artist with the Dance Theatre of Harlem under the direction of Virginia Johnson.

Carlos Polk is a videographer and photographer from Maryland that is passionate about helping artists and other businesses brand themselves. In this episode he shares his entrepreneurial journey with us, it is one you do not want to miss. Dancers in NY, make sure you catch his event : Brandance on Feb 21 and 22 if you need a new video reel or headshots. You can find Carlos at www.carlospolk.com and on IG: @iloswork.

On July 1, 2012, Troy Powell became only the second person to lead Ailey II since its inception in 1974. A native New Yorker, Mr. Powell began his dance training at the age of nine as a scholarship student at The Ailey School. Following his graduation from The High School of Performing Arts, he became a member of Ailey II and then joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1991. He toured throughout the United States, South America, Europe, and South Africa for ten years with the Company before becoming a master teacher at The Ailey School and resident choreographer of Ailey II. Mr. Powell has choreographed ballets for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, The Ailey School, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, National Dance Company of the Bahamas, and Alaska Dance Theater, as well as three episodes of “Sesame Street.” His guest artist credits include performing with companies including Batsheva, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, and Complexions. Mr. Powell has been featured in an American Express commercial with the Ailey company and has also appeared on television in George C. Wolfe’s The Colored Museum, the PBS Great Performances: Dance in America special “A Hymn for Alvin Ailey,” choreographed by Judith Jamison, “America’s Next Top Model,” and most recently the Polish version of “So You Think You Can Dance.”

Christy classically trained on scholarship at The Ailey School in New York City before finding her love in professional musical theater and commercial dance. She performed many genres of dance globally in theaters, industrials and with touring companies, as well as holding a Dance Captain and featured dancer/singer position with Princess Cruise Lines. Some additional professional theatre credits include: CATS (Cassandra/ Asst. to Choreographer/Dance Captain) / W.S.S. (Consuela/Dream Maria/ u.s. Rosalia)/ Annie (Ronnie Boylan/Dance Captain/u.s.Lily) / Grease (Patty Simcox) /Chicago (Hunyak) / Hairspray (Brenda) /Sweet Charity (Frenchy) / Cabaret (Rosie) /A Christmas Carol (Belle) / Swing! (Featured Dancer) / 42nd St. (Diane/Sexy Lady) as well as the original review shows "Boogie Wonderland" and "Piano Men." In addition to her stage experience she has also directed, choreographed, show managed, taught, and adjudicated for national dance competitions. Now she continues to perform and combines this with her passion for health and wellness to mentor about the importance of nutrition for optimal health and performance for athletes. You can find her on IG @littlechristy317

Joe Rosko started his fitness career at the age of one. He was in his family’s garage when his dad put a pair of 2 and a 1/2 lb plates on each side of a broom stick and taught him to do clean and jerks (video evidence accessible). Since then, Joe has been working as a fitness professional starting back in 2007. Joe’s professional acting career also dates back to 2007. Joe prides himself in knowing how to get the best results for performers while they are preparing for a role, in a role, or just leaving and prepping for the next. In shape, out of shape, experience, no experience, Joe has the tools to give you the body your talent deserves. You can find Joe on IG: @builtforthestage and www.builtforthestage.com

Martina Sykes is a native of St. Petersburg, Fl graduated from Gibbs PCCA High School and received her Bachelors in Public Relations from the University of Florida (Go Gators!). She is currently touring as Shenzi the Hyena in THE LION KING. Her favorite credits include: MOTOWN THE MUSICAL (Broadway and 1st National Tour), RENT (regional), RAINDOGS (US premier) and recording with Tituss Burgess from Broadways THE LITTLE MERMAID and Netflix’s THE UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT.

On this week's episode we talk to Blaine Krauss, a performer that is all too familiar with the broadway scene! We discuss the importance of therapy, analyzing your roll so that you can keep your body safe while performing, take random singing breaks, and much more! Blaine Alden Krauss is a native of St. Petersburg, Florida. He holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) at the University of Cincinnati. After making his broadway debut in the critically acclaimed “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812” he strutted across Al Hershfield in the Tony Award Winning “Kinky Boots” and is currently featured in the “The Cher Show”. He was also seen in the Radio City New York Spectacular under the direction of Mia Michaels and on tour of Disneys “The Lion King” playing Simba in theatres all across the US and Canada. In 2011 his talents led him to be a feature performer for the largest Commemoration of 9/11 outside of the U.S at the Trocadero in Paris, France performing for Government Officials and then a free concert in front of the Eiffel Tower with the Royal Orchestra. In 2010 he was selected to be 1 of 20 Presidential Scholars in the Arts by the White House and Presidential Scholar Commission. This honor culminated in a medal ceremony with President Barack Obama and a performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Blaine was selected to be the Feature Vocalist at the 2010 July 4th Celebration at the US National Archives; a feature vocalist with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra in Indiana for their Holiday Pops Concert; was a selected participant at the International Fringe Festival in Edinburgh Scotland; a 2010 Silver Winner in Musical Theatre by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts Program, and can be currently seen as a frequent performer of “Feinstein’s 54 Below in NYC, as well as with symphonies across the country with Spot-On Entertainment. Other theatrical credits include Benny in In the Heights at Theatre Under The Stars, Godspell and Spelling Bee at the West Virginia Public Theatre. @blainekr

On this week's episode we talk to Calvin Royal III, soloist with The American Ballet Theatre. He gives insight on his sleep routine, artistic collaborations, and how to mentally deal with an injury while dancing in a company. This is an episode you will not want to miss!