Dance to this Podcast

ALYX STEELE - locking in, standing out and dancing with Rihanna!

• 22 Media • Season 2 • Episode 17

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0:00 | 1:01:32

Over from LA - the incredible Alyx Steele is sharing how staying authentic and having the drive helped her dance with Rihanna!!

Alyx insta: https://www.instagram.com/alyxsteele/

Smash Global insta: https://www.instagram.com/smashglobaltraining/

https://www.smashadvancedglobaltraining.com/smash-home

8 min abs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWjTnBmCHTY

Thankyou for listening!

Find all the songs mentioned in our spotify playlists!

https://open.spotify.com/user/31t7e7ibcbntq6ziwbonzbra7ape?si=L0XQuZlnTYq8_ybkvlliaQ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dancetothispodcast/?hl=en

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dancetothispod

SPEAKER_01

Hi everyone, welcome back to Dance to This Podcast with me, Zoe Francesca, and me, Jessica Faye, the podcast where you can find great songs to dance to.

SPEAKER_00

This week we have got a really, really, really exciting guest, everyone, Alex Steele, all the way from LA. I keep saying that. She's over, she's in Liverpool from Liverpool, but I'm just saying, all the way from LA, Alex Steele. Guys, Alex has worked with all the artists. All the possibilities, all the great Jesse J, oh my gosh, Brianna, like MTV, Britt Awards, all those types of things as well. Like just so many people. And let me tell you, the wisdom in this episode, Chef's Kiss, it's amazing. Is that what people do these days? I've told you that made it. Absolutely. They're just stuck in Chef's Kiss. It's amazing. So get ready to be inspired. And we did a workshop as well. Really fun, really fun to learn from. Someone who just has so much knowledge and like of the industry as well as skills and dancing skills. But let's start with foundation files. Something that me and you can't live without. I'll go this week. Mine is not strictly. Look at your face, you don't know what I'm having to say. Not strictly to do with dance. It's like fitness. So it is dance.

SPEAKER_01

I'm not going to say what I thought you were going to whip out of your pocket then, just in case you do use it in a few minutes. Okay, save that, save that.

SPEAKER_00

Um you've seen me do it in the morning. Not the stretching, not the stretching.

SPEAKER_01

I don't know what I keep doing like lots of like office like looks to the camera now.

SPEAKER_00

I'm like no eight-minute abs.

SPEAKER_01

Eight-minute abs. It's terrifying. Right, guys. If you wake up in the middle of the night and you've got Zoe at the end of your bed doing sit-ups, it's terrifying. It's like you're not sleep paralysis. Paralysis.

SPEAKER_00

Sleep paralysis is Zoe doing sit-ups at the end of my bed. Eight-minute abs is it will change your life. And so now it will change your life. It's it's about however years old. It's like the 70s.

SPEAKER_01

We're talking about keeping things current.

SPEAKER_00

You should make a new one at the end. The rest of the episode is very up to date and current. This is from the 70s, right? They've got like um a full like gym workout. That's what Zoe puts on in the morning.

unknown

I've got my own.

SPEAKER_00

Oh no, it's so good. It's literally eight minutes, it's like 45 seconds of each, and then the last was 30 seconds. Although, I mean, I could do it now. It's funny because I've done it that many times. The views on it are like something million, like so many views. It's just all you, it's just me every day. And um, it's like, come on, guys, remember those. They won't be there for long. Like it's so cheesy, but it's so cool. I tell you what, I do want though. I want someone to do a new version with a different music underneath it. That's what I just said. Like, you should do it though. Yeah, I'll do a different music, but um, it's just iconic and best a little bit more, uh people give you 20 crazy books today, probably 1976. Um, but no, it's really good, and it's just a quick, easy thing, just put it on and just gives you a little some little abs, hopefully. But it's just it's just good, it's just nice. Put it on in the morning, and I think it's iconic in the abs.

SPEAKER_01

It's not it's not for everyone, just an FYI. Whenever we are on gigs, um, usually Zoe's at the end of the bed doing the sit-ups, and me and Lauren are sat like just checking our photos. Having a cup of tea laid in bed, like doing a little bit.

SPEAKER_00

Try it, try it before you buy it. Um, no, you don't have to buy it, it's free. It's on YouTube before you knock it. That's what I meant to say. Try it before you knock it. It's on YouTube. I'll link it below. Go and watch it and have a go and stick to it. Do it for a week and then see what you think. Come back to me. But I do it for a week. I tell you what, I still remember where the first person told me to do that. She was called Rihanna. Spooky coincidence. Spooky coincidence. That's Rihanna's coming up a lot in this episode. Um, she was called Rihanna, and it was just outside the six form cafe at school, and she I was saying, How do you get your abs like that? And she told me eight-minute apps, and that was 2012, and ever since then, not every day, I've not done it every day since 2012, but it's one something that's just stuck with me the whole time. So that is definitely going to go in my foundation files. I just love that video, just love that guy. I want to know what it's called, I don't know what it's called. I'll have to find out. But yeah, I'll link it below. Go and have a guy. I was trying to think of like a 70s name. Go on, Jess. Who do you think? What do you think it's gonna be called? I can't even think of one. Patrick. It looks like a Patrick. I don't know what it looks like, so I can tell you you should go and try it as well. Um, anyway, that's the foundation files for this week, and let's crack on with the episode with the amazing Alex Steele.

SPEAKER_01

Enjoy Welcome Alex to the podcast. Thank you, guys.

SPEAKER_00

I'm so happy to be here. Yay, thanks for coming on. We have just done our first live workshop, and Alex is hosting it for this.

SPEAKER_02

I didn't know the very first one. Yeah. Oh, well done. Congratulations. Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00

Great hangout. It's just uh getting getting more, doing more things with the podcast as well, not just listening, like building the brand, building the brand, building the community, yeah. Having a bigger impact as well. Yeah, yeah, definitely. And you are the perfect person because it was so great. So great and uplifting and fun on International Women's Day as well. Um, right, first section. Actually, before we do that, tell the listeners what you do in the industry now, what your job is now.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, so I'm actually I've been in, I'd moved to LA a year and three months ago, something like that. Um, and I went to LA as a choreographer, but since I've been there, I think as soon as I landed, doors just opened as like as more like a creative director, and so I've kind of really been nurturing that because it's at the moment I stepped into that world, I was like, ah, this I love this. These are my next steps, you know. And we I I've been doing that thing where I'm like, I've always wanted to be a creative director, but you know, at some point, oh, when I'm ready, at some point, and I was kind of putting it into the future, so it's it's like it's meant to be, you know. So I'm kind of like creative director, still choreographing, but very much like my focus now is heading down that creative director lane, which is exciting.

SPEAKER_00

And I love that the vision and see it all come together.

SPEAKER_02

There's so many more things I'm interested in, that's what it is. Like, I love so many more lanes, not just dance, you know. Like I it like you know, when you go and even when I was a kid, I'd go and see a show. I'd go I remember my first um concert was pink, and it of course the dance is incredible, but it's the lights and it's the costume and it the the vision, the full vision, the energy of it all coming together was always what like made me feel the most excited, you know. So it's my time now to kind of expand and my skill set as well learn more, actually learn more and grow in in my knowledge, you know.

SPEAKER_00

Oh amazing, amazing. I'm so excited for this. So let's go all the way back. Take it from the top is the first section. Yeah. Your song was Billy Jean by Michael Jackson. Yeah. I mean, I don't think we need to play it, everyone should know this, but oh it's a classic, classic, it is one. Is this something you danced to when you were tiny? When did you start dancing?

SPEAKER_02

Um I'm the biggest Michael Jackson fan, I always was, and I think so many of it, especially my generation, we all started because of Michael Jackson, it was our first thing. Um and so this song, especially all of the Michael Jackson stuff, but this song especially just reminds me of being a kid. It reminds me of putting, you know, like we used to have the video and we'd watch it and rewind it and practice the moves, like watch it again. It was very much that, and it was like, I want to dance, this is what I want to do. It took me years to realise actually that that it could be a career, but the earliest memories is is this it's Michael Jackson on a video, you know, at home rewinding it and trying to learn the moves and stuff.

SPEAKER_00

So it had to be Billie Jean. That is amazing. What a good song! What a good song. Did you always dance from when you were younger? Was it quite a traditional thing, or was it something later on? Did you formally train political background?

SPEAKER_02

So, no, I didn't dance at all. Um, I went to my first class, I think I was about 15. Really, like all old um before that it was all Michael Jackson. Isn't that funny? So it was just I it was just something I did like at home, and then there was sometimes like um you know when you're a kid and you go to like um a holiday park with your family or something. There was a couple of times where I'd be like, Oh, I'll get up and enter the dance competition type thing, and but I would always do Michael Jackson, that's all there was. That's all you know until 15. That's all I was like the one trick bone, you know. And then I played football. I was I wanted to be a professional footballer, that's what I did as a kid, right up into a teenager. And then a friend of mine in school was like, Oh, I'm gonna go to like this new dance class on a Saturday or whatever, like, come with me. And I remember thinking, dance, like it's not really what I'm I was such a tomboy. I played football, I played loads of other sports, and I was like, dance just feels a bit girly. It just didn't feel even though I loved to dance at home, yeah, and I did, I went with her anyway, and I was like, ah, this is cool, like it was cooler than because it was like street dance, it felt it it felt, you know, we danced to like pop music and stuff. I was like, ah, I didn't realise it could be this. I thought it had to be ballet, ballet, yes, I didn't know anyone that danced, you know. Um so yeah, that was like my introduction, and then I just fell in love with it. Like um, I think from like 15, 16, I was just in a bit of a dance school on a Saturday, only street dance. And then at 16 I started the BTEC, which I actually dropped off. My my journey's mad, my journey would say this. I love it. This is the same. I started the BTEC, and you know what's funny? When I was in Liverpool a couple of days ago, I went and taught a workshop at Lippa. Um, and now the head of dance at Lipper is my teacher from that BTEC. Oh my gosh! And we were talking about it, and I think I only did about five months and I just did I wasn't focused, I wasn't, I wasn't disciplined, I was I didn't know why I needed to do all of the other styles like stand at a ballet bar and learn all that stuff. I wasn't ready yet to be all in with it, you know. And so I dropped off then. I must have been about 17, did a TV show for dancers. It was so random called Bump and Grind. It must have been must have been 2003, something like that. I was only about 17, and I got really far in this TV show, got right down to kind of like the last couple of dancers, went to London with that, and it was the first time that I met professionals, you know. I met casting directors, choreographers, real people working in the industry, and it was it opened my eyes to like, oh, this is a real thing. Yes, these people work with pop stars, they work on television, you know. And I was like, ah, okay, I'm I'm like, I'm locked in now. And straight away I moved to London. I was 17. Straight away. Yeah. Oh my gosh. There was um my well, she went on to be my agent, Aisha McKenzie. She um owns AMCK and an agency at the time, it was before AMCK, that's how old I am. She said to me, she was one of the judges of the show, and she said to me, like, I just think you're really talented, I think you should do it. And I was like, Oh my god, if she thinks I should do it, I should do it. I'm gonna just go for it, you know. And I did. I moved to London because she said, and she really helped me. She was like a mentor for a while. She helped me. This is what you need to do, you know. This is I'll send you to auditions, this is what to wear. This I kind of had a bit of guidance for my first couple of years, which is I'm so grateful for it. I I still am still in contact with her now. We still speak to her now. And now you're doing that sort of thing.

SPEAKER_00

Exactly, yeah. That's what it's all about passing it on, isn't it? Um, I'm intrigued. How did you get that bump and grind TV show? Was it something you applied for? Did someone say that? They auditioned, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

So it was like X Factor, they they travelled all the cities and audit had big audition. You know where you're like you're lining up outside all day and all of that. It was one of them. So they didn't come to Liverpool, but we went to Manchester. Same friend, Emma, that dragged me to dance class when I was like 15. Actually, I owe everything to Emma because I wouldn't have started dancing without Emma. She was the person who did the BTEC, and I was like, oh, if she's doing it, I'll do it. Even though I didn't continue. And then she was the one that said, let's audition for this TV show. Thank you, Emma. Thank you, Emma. Also still a friend of mine as well.

SPEAKER_00

Is she still dancing?

SPEAKER_02

No, no, she didn't continue. She did for a while and then she went off and she went to Binance.

SPEAKER_00

Oh my gosh, different pathways. It's funny, isn't it? Did you oh yeah, so then you were just in London and then that was that was it? You were doing it, you were dancing.

SPEAKER_02

I was like, I mean, it wasn't like plain sailing from there, but yeah, it kind of looked crazy. But you know, I was in London, I was doing it. That that kind of got me there. Yeah. And then the rest is, you know.

unknown

Amazing.

SPEAKER_00

Next, the turning point. So this is where you switched to I'm gonna do this as a career. So at that time when you were in London dancing, were you thinking you were you were like straight ahead, this is I'm gonna be a dancer? Was it I'm gonna be a dancer, or did you have choreography in your head? Yeah. Did you have any thoughts in your mind?

SPEAKER_02

So I had to think back and remember, isn't it? I think at that point, once I got to London and I'd made that commitment to right, I'm here now and this is what I'm here to do. I think it was a little bit like this is what I'm doing. Not there was nothing else. It wasn't like, oh, I'll give it a year and see, or there was none of that. It was like like this is what I've decided to do and and love it. Even though it's a bit mad and I it's full of ups and downs, and I don't really know how it doesn't make sense. I don't really know there's no stepping stones to, you know, be successful. I was just a little bit like, do you know what? Let me just close all them other doors. There's no back door, there's no escape from this. This is what I'm doing. I I guess I just locked into it. It wasn't there was plenty of time where I was only kind of half doing it. Like, especially in London, I had to get a bar job and a shop job, and I'm working doing it, and I'm flying. I started obviously going out, partying, doing other things. So there was times where I was really all in auditioning, working stuff, and then there was times because I was just a kid. There was times where I was like partying way too much, not going to the audition, not taking class, taking a couple of months off to just work in the bar, and then I'd be like, What am I doing? Let me lock back in again.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

So it wasn't fully plain sailing, it was let me just figure out this thing. Yeah, and it wasn't till I was about when I was 23, I went to New York for a year, and that was a big turning point for me.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah. Amazing. I do think that's like self-employed. It's the same. If you're not putting your foot on the gas, you're just gonna drop off, and you have to be so self-motivated, yeah, to even day to day, get up and be like, right, I need to do that, make the list, take that off.

SPEAKER_02

And like, learning how to drive something, that's the big that's what we it takes a while to understand that, doesn't it? To learn how to do it. Like not just sitting around waiting for the phone to ring, like you need to get up and be doing something every day. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Make your own. It's challenging, yeah, yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_00

Especially when you're young. Oh, yeah, definitely, 100%. Um, how now let's talk about the turning point into creative and what you're doing now more relevant now. So that's just kind of something that's happened.

SPEAKER_02

I always wanted to be a coral fair. Like I said, when I was, let's say, I think I was about 16 or 17 when I went to see Pink. She was my first big pop concert. Uh I must have been about 17. So exciting. Um I seen that, I've seen that first, it was her first ever tour of her first album. And I think I seen the same show, like three in three different cities, I just loved it. So yeah. Um, and it was all of it that excited me. It wasn't just how the dances, it was everything. And so I think from the very beginning, I always wanted to teach as well. I always I was always making up my own moves as a kid. That's where it started, isn't it? And and I wanted to teach other people my moves. I knew from the beginning, like I want to be not like in charge, but I want to be the the vision a little bit. Like I want everyone to kind of um put my ideas down and make it into something. And so I always knew, even when I was a dancer, I had my eye on the creatives because I knew at some point I would shift. And and I feel like straight away, even when I was a dancer on great jobs, I was always a bit like, you know, when you're looking at the choreographer or you're looking at the table over there where the creatives are sitting, I was like envious. I was always like, I want to be over there. Felt like you belonged to the city. Yeah, how do I get over there? You know? And so it was very natural transition. And I felt as I started getting to my late 20s, a job would come in and I wouldn't feel excited anymore as a dancer. And I knew, and I said to myself, when I get to that, I need to shift because I don't want to, I don't want to be not grateful, I don't want to take a job, and because there's a hundred million other girls that would kill for the job, you know. And so I just used to think to myself, when I get that feeling, it's time to move. And so when it came, I was like, ah, okay, now it's but it's different, like that transition, it's so challenging because you're almost starting again. Like you've built something as a dancer, and now you're like, right, I want to be a choreographer. No one knows you as a choreographer, no one knows your work, no one knows what you can do. You haven't been a choreographer. Like, I've done some small things when I was a dancer, but stepping in now and trying to be like, all right, I'm a choreographer now, guys. You know, people are like, no, you're a dancer. So yeah, you almost have to like rebuild. Like, I I assisted a lot of people and I just said to people, can I assist? Can I shadow? Can I learn? I had to say, I had to put myself out there and say, I know I you've hired me as a dancer, but I I'm ready to take the move and transition, and I want to be a choreographer. Like, can you help me? Can I get in the room? And a lot of people I just got in the room and watched, you know, they said, Of course we can, like, do whatever, like call me sitting, or and some people said no, and some people didn't reply and whatever. Yeah, but I just started like really putting myself out there, and after a while, I feel like you know, a couple of people just give me a chance of assisting a lot, yeah. Um, and then after a while, someone of course was like, I've got a job for you, your first choreography job, you know, and then you're like, oh, and then you the ball's rolling then, and you start learning how to trust yourself. We spoke about that today, didn't we, in the workshop? Trusting yourself because now you're in charge, yeah, and it's you and the client, and you know, you haven't got the safety of like I think being a dancer, like your choreographer's there to look after you, and you're fine, you're all right, and you've got other dancers. You when you're the choreographer, you are the leader, so it becomes the skill set was more about building my leadership, you know, vision, even communication, how I communicate with the client, how I communicate with my dancers. Now I've got dancers that I feel like I have to look after them, yeah. You know, and protect them and make sure everything's right, my end for them. That was a challenge, too. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh excited. I feel like once I became my own chorography, that's when I was like super fulfilled. You know, to to to be able to just step back that you've created something, it's gone on the stage, and you step back and you trust put trust in them is terrifying to deliver it, yeah. And then you watch it and you're like, Oh, I've done that, we did that, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

It's it it was really the most exciting part for me. Oh, that is so nice. I think there's something to say about putting yourself out there, like you said. And I one of my favourite sayings, you don't ask, you don't get, like you're saying, can I can I assist you? Can I? Oh, you've got to. Yeah, yeah. I've had some people say, Oh, I want to be a dance teacher. And I'm like, go to your old dance school, go and just get in the place. Get stuck in. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You have to.

SPEAKER_02

I'm still doing that now in LA. Like, I I've moved to LA and there's a I I did know some people, but there's a hell of a lot of people I don't know. And so I have to just be like, Hi, I'm here. This is what I do. Like, hire me. You know, I have to get in and just be like all over again, be like almost like asking. Can I get in the room? Can I assist? Can I shadow? Can I learn? Can I, you know, can I whatever, whatever like you've got for me? Can I get involved?

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Oh, it's so nice that we've still got that hunger for it. You've been in the industry, what did you say in the workshop? 22 years old. 22 years, yeah. Wild and amazing.

SPEAKER_02

I think more now, because I've just turned 40, 23 years. Yeah. I went to London at 17. Oh, like that. And I just turned 40 this week. Yeah. Oh, I've got to say, that's so good. As we go through it, I I get we get more and more confident, you know, and it's the confidence. Other things, other things go like my body's a little sore. You know, we lose some things, but the confidence that we gain, that's for me, that's the best part. Yeah. It's fine that my knees are a bit sore at the end of the day. You know, I'm not bothered about any of that because that I don't need my body in that way anymore. My body doesn't need to be elite anymore. My body can relax a little bit, but the confidence level, my brain, that needs to keep growing.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, I do feel like you might you're the same, but like as you get older, you like sit into yourself more, you know, I know, I know where my like as dancing I'm talking now, like I know where I can push that, and I know you're just you're just different in the mature and in the spaces. Yeah, it's like a nice feeling. Let's go to the song before I forget, because I always forget the songs.

SPEAKER_01

She wants to move. She wants to move. I don't think I like to.

SPEAKER_00

You do.

SPEAKER_02

Doom dum doom dum. Do you know what the story of that song is actually when I did the TV show we got a bunch of so they did the all of the tour? A bunch of us, I can't remember how many people got invited, like made it to like um wonder what it would be you know, like when we all come to London, so I don't know how many people were left, but X amount of people were invited to London, and that was like the big sort of live shows, I guess. Yeah. They brought us to the big studio in Pineapple back in the day, Covent Garden. And there was there was quite a lot of us, and they said we'd only just arrived, we had our suitcases, everything, and they did that thing that TV producers do, and they were like, half of you are going home today, and it was like dun dun dun and we had to on the spot right now, audition. Half of you are getting caught, half of you are going home right now, and that was the song. And I was like, I am not going home, I am not going to be able to do that.

SPEAKER_01

I've only just got here, there's no way you're sending me home now. I can't believe this was on like two years after you even did like your first class. You were like, ready? I know, yeah. Do you know what people say this all the time? And I'm like, put that together, you know. I was like, natural, natural talent, that's what it is. Do you know what?

SPEAKER_02

Do you know what I think that is? And I spoke about this with my BTEC teacher a couple of days ago because we was we she invited me to teach the um the BTEC students at Lippe, the sixth form, and so we connected the doctor, and I was I had no technique. So when I auditioned that beat, I had no ballet and no, I would never even done a single moment of technique. So I was terrible in the audition. And she said I came up to her at the end when the panel and I said to her, Can I show you my solo? Because I knew I was terrible at everything else, but I had this solo that I'd practice, and it was like, I remember it was to um an NSync song. And she was like, they were like, Yeah, okay, cool. No one else ever asked her, but I was like, you know, and she said, You were so hungry, she said you were so desperate to show us this solo, and she said, You showed this a solo in front of everyone, and I I'd forgotten, but when she told me, I was like, Oh yeah, they'd do that. I was so hungry and passionate, and like I I was just like wanted it so much, and so I knew your strengths as well. Yeah, I knew my strength, I think that's it, and I wasn't afraid to ask, I wasn't afraid to go up and say, Can I do this and show you? So I think those skills pushed me really far because sometimes people are would have been way better dancers than me, they've been dancing since they were four, all the technique, everything, but they just don't have that drive, that scene. I'm just gonna go there and just gonna do it. Yeah, even like I said, on you know, when the when they that song coming back to the turning point, when they were like you know, 50% if you're going home, going home. I was like, absolutely not, I'm not going home, no way. And so, and we did it, and I didn't go home. Yeah, they sent half the people home and we stayed, so I'd never forget that song because it was it's it's like embedded in my mind, you know. Every time you hear it, you're like, Yeah, I've got a dance, we've got a fight for it.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, that's amazing. Let's go on to it. I like to move it, move it. This is your favourite dance style. Yeah. I have to say, I do love all your songs, they're very poppy. Yeah, very poppy. I'm such yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, this is great when you know the song as well. Like, I love as soon as you played the song today, I was like, Oh yes, I'm gonna go.

SPEAKER_00

This is a good one. Yes, and you mean in class?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Yes, in the workshop, it's we're trying to guess because it you said this is on stop, and we were like, Is it stop? What other one did I have in my head? There was another one. Um anyway, but then it's Rihanna, it was Rihanna. Oh, no, it wasn't. Beyonce. That's what's coming up next.

SPEAKER_02

Carly Snap.

SPEAKER_00

Carly Beyonce. I would say Beyonce labeled Beyond. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Telephone. What a great song. But anyway, back to the movie song. Britney Spears, boys.

SPEAKER_03

For whatever reason.

SPEAKER_00

I mean, you've got to love a bit of Britney.

unknown

I'm gonna save it.

SPEAKER_00

So your favourite style is my favourite like dance style.

SPEAKER_02

Dance style, or like wherever you call it, jazz funk. In America, they call it jazz funk commercial. I say commercial, jazz. Yeah, we say commercial, don't we? I've kind of locked into like jazz funk now because that's what they say in America most of them. Yeah. But this song is just like for me, it's and again, it's from it's my era as a dancer, you know. Yeah. I don't know exactly what year that was out, but it just reminds me of just loving pop, pop music, dance, like just pop stars. That's that's all was always what I wanted to do, you know. It's such a good song, such a good song, it's amazing. And it's the best for me, that's the best era of Britney. Overprotected, yes, boys, you know, that's the best era of Britney for sure. That was me, Jess.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, she should do an era's tour. That would be amazing. That was me, Jess, just at FYI, doing the routine from overprotected. We danced with a Britney tribute, not the real Britney. Britney Tribute, and it's like, but just is Jess is the one who remembers all the choreography and has to help me through. But that one, Overprotected, was locked in my brain because it was so good. Ding din. Yeah, it's so good, it's such a good thing. I love that one. I love it, such a good song. Um, has that always been your style throughout? So you kept that that's you were like locked into commercial jazz funk. That's you were doing that, you were pushing for those jobs.

SPEAKER_02

I locked in so young, yeah. But from from being that kid, I started I started in what you called it street dance at the time, but that was it for me. And I did actually go back to college, I did study all the styles, I did do the ballet and the jazz and everything else, and I learned so much from other styles, but I always brought it back to okay. I've learned all of this and I continue to learn from other styles, but it's it's to make what I do better. I was never ever gonna go in any other direction, you know. Plus, I've got all these tattoos and it should fit like I just leaned into that, like I was never gonna do cruise ships or musical theatre, like I didn't fit there. I just I I knew what my niche was, and so I just locked in really young. I think that's why I don't think I fast tracked, but I think that's why because I always just locked into one thing, I wasn't spending my time trying to do everything and trying to I'll try that and I'll try that. I I was just so knew what I wanted to do, yeah. Yeah, so I just was spend I guess 100% of my time there. I guess that kind of fast tracks it a little bit, you know, rather than I think sometimes we we're told, aren't we, young, to be versatile, to keep your options open, to do as much as possible. And it does make sense, of course, it does. But then I think sometimes you get a lot of like um jack of all trades, master of none. I don't know which one is better. I think just for me personally, it was better that I niched in to one thing, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

With the look and your hair, you've got to be able to do it. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02

I think it just worked for me.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Have you felt that that's made you stand out in certain jobs and certain auditions and things like that?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, definitely. I think you when you look like me, you you capture attention quick. So I I knew when I went into the audition room I looked so different to all the other girls, so I knew I'd have the attention straight away. I just had to then back it up with everything else, you know. So I it's almost it's easier because you stand out, two people are like, oh, but then is it can you keep the and then of course is it right for the job? Do I look right? Do I fit the brief? All of that as well. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Oh can we talk about you dancing with Rihanna or X Factor? Yeah, because it's so amazing. That's my next iconic. Oh yes, it is. Oh, well, let's save that then. Let's save that for that. Yeah, we'll save that for that one. Um, with the style, the jazz funk, you've done lots of commercial work. Um we put a little video out of what you've done. The names are just incredible. David Getter, Charlie XCX, it's just there's so many. Um, what do we need to know about working in that industry? If someone's coming up and they're like, I want to be in the commercial industry, what do we need to know? Because I feel like you hear a lot, oh, it's hard, there's lots of people, but you're actually in it. And it's like, what is truth? And give us.

SPEAKER_02

Speaking like specifically for dancers who are like trying to get into it. Yeah, I feel like um I said this to a dancer before at the end of the workshop, you've got to lock in. And and like I said when I went to London when I was young, I I knew kind of I knew I had to put myself in the middle of it. I I just knew like as soon as I met Aisha and she was like, You should move to London, and and I knew that's what they did. I was like, it makes sense to me that I go and be amongst them because they're doing it and I want to do it. So let me put myself in in it all. I think that's the main thing, and it's hard when you're from up north or outside of London because you've got different challenges. I I I don't think London's the be all and end all anymore. I really don't. I think you can do it differently now, but I think you have to be smart on where are the opportunities, who are the people we want to work with, how can I get around them, how can I be seen by them, how can I build a relationship with them? Because you you need if someone's gonna hire, you need to be in the forefront of their minds. Yeah, so it's like, well, how can I do that? You know, yeah, of course the training is so important and we've got to be so on it commercially. We've got to be, I think, even more on it than other avenues because it's a fast. Even like artists come and go so fast, like the pay the the speed of like what's big right now, like current like trends, current trends, like where do I need to be, who do I need to be seen by, what's happening right now, what's coming up right towards, who's who's casting for it, like who's performing, like we've gotta stay on top of it all the time. It's not like use. I mean, West End is ever changing too, but we kinda know. Let's say, I don't know, what's like Mamma Mia? It's been around for a long time, every year, it's still gonna be the same, it's classic. Yeah, so we kind of know there's no rush, you know. I'll audition for the same show next year, it's a slower paced, just not like that in commercial, yeah. We are like bum-buh bum-buh bum bum 100 miles an hour.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

So putting yourself right, I say stay close to the fire. And you should know if you're close or far. You know, if I was if I h held back in Liverpool and I was only going to London every now and again, and I don't really, when I do go to London, I don't really know anyone or they don't know me, you're far from the fire. Yeah. If I just move there and I go, there was times where I was like, right, who do I want to work with? Jesse J. Who's the choreographer? It was Kim Taylor at the time, right? Let me get to Kim Taylor's class twice a week, every week. Of course, when she thinks, oh, I need a girl for a job, she's gonna think of me because I'm there every week.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Versus if I was in London, at Liverpool, she's not gonna think of me. So we think we've got to be smart. Also, like understanding the industry, who's hiring, what kind of dancer are they hiring, what what are these current styles and trends, who like, how are you presenting yourself? How do you want to dress? Is it the tattoos like me and the shaved head? Is it different? Where do you fit? What's your niche? Because you might look like me, but you're trying to, I don't know, do something where they're not hiring people that look like us, so you've got to be smart with I fit here, I don't fit there, you know, or whatever it is. We've all got our own version of that. Yeah, you can stay in authentic to that, and you and what you want to because we'll come out more and that exactly, and figuring out where we fit, and and who likes us, what choreographers like, you know. I have to figure that out. You sometimes I remember auditioning for certain choreographers, and they would never ever hire me. After a while, I have to be like, I'm just not right for that choreographer, and then there'd be other choreographers, they would love me and say, ah, that's my space, let me nurture that more. That makes sense. So I think we've just got to be so switched on to the business and the industry side of things, yes, and the branding side of things, you know, and not just not just the actual dance part of it. We get lost in that young dancers are they only see dance, dance, dance, and they're not thinking about the full picture. I think that's where they get left behind a little bit. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_00

Let's go on to okay. We've got a new section this series, which is put on your dancing shoes where we get inside your shoes. So it's quick fire questions. Wonderful. There's only about six, but it's the first things that come to your head. It's a this or that situation. Right, we'll take it one at a time. Can you see that? It's quite small. Right. Um, in front of the camera or behind the camera? Behind. Live TV or pre-recorded film. Live TV. Late night rehearsal or sixam call time. 6am call time. LA style or London style? London, ah! Full glam or minimal makeup? Minimal.

SPEAKER_01

Auditioning or being scouted?

SPEAKER_02

Oh, being scouted.

SPEAKER_01

Ooh!

SPEAKER_00

That was very quick. Yeah. That was good. That was a great idea. Amazing. Amazing. So behind the camera, yep, I feel like that's the switch that we've been talking about where you've gone into that now. Amazing. What did you say, live TV or pre-recorded? Um, live TV, live TV.

SPEAKER_02

I love live TV. We talk about this all the time because my wife Carrie, she's a makeup artist, hair of makeup. She loves, and this is our personality thing. She loves like really long jobs. So let's say working on a film, continuity, long days, every day, shooting the same scene 50 times. She loves all that. For me, that is so boring. I'm like, oh, in out. Yeah, and I I love the build-up to something. I just love it. It's coming back to that, you know, that pink content. You know, when you when I remember being 16 being at that pink content, and you know, when you're waiting for it to start, and the adrenaline. Even when you're in the audience, you know, like everyone's getting ready now, and they're warming up, and the band are warming up, like that feeling. Yeah, I you feel it on both sides. There's just something so exciting about life. I absolutely love it. The naps, like the you know, like everyone's getting ready, anything can go wrong. Like, even that is so the pressure is wonderful. I feel like that's where you get your really your highs, that adrenaline rush comes with that, and I love that. Yeah, definitely, 100%. 6am call time. I'm a morning person, yeah. I was up at five this morning to come to drive here.

SPEAKER_03

Scotland, can't be it, and I love it.

SPEAKER_02

I'm like, you know, the sun was rising and it's gorgeous, and I'm not a late-night person at all. I'm in bed by like 10 every night.

SPEAKER_00

Love that, love that.

SPEAKER_02

Um, LA star a lot lunch and you went. I know I didn't know what to say actually, but I even think about it. Could the LA style? It's just a lot, it's a lot in LA. It's just so much, you know, it's quite overwhelming. There's so many styles, so many classes. And um, I don't know, I just I love England, I love London, you know. I love I love how who we are, how we train. I love, I love the styles, I love you know the where I've come from, the the teachers that taught me, and the classes that I've grown up with as well, you know. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, London. That's what you have to do. England, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00

Full glamour, minimal. I did sneak this in because I knew Carrie was makeup wise. You know what?

SPEAKER_02

Even Carrie is a makeup artist, she's a minimal kind of makeup artist as well. It's it's full when it has to be. Yeah. But if if you asked her a preference, it's minimal. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, just especially if you do look.

SPEAKER_00

And then auditioning or being scouted, I just thought that was a wild card question.

SPEAKER_02

Yes. Auditions are just a lot, aren't they? So a lot, you know. And I like I like that that things are in your hands. I like that feeling. So being scouted is very much like you're in control of that. You you get yourself in front of the right people, in front of the right, you know, at the right time. I feel like it you're in control a bit, whereas auditions are a bit like, ah, it's all a bit mad, and you know, you have to be your best like in that moment, otherwise you're not being seen. It's suspicious too much.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, so many people, it's like just so many people.

SPEAKER_02

Give me a space and look at me. Like, I wish it was like a one-by-one. In an audition, it's hard to really show your best.

SPEAKER_00

Okay, let's go on to Rihanna. Don't be moody, shake your booty. Yeah, that's my favourite section. Um, we found love, Rihanna. Now, this is I presume so this section is about a bit of a highlight reel and a bit of a blooper reel. Yeah, let's pause on Rihanna, let's go blooper reel first. Is there anything that you've struggled with, particularly in the industry, um, throughout your career?

SPEAKER_02

I think the biggest struggle for me at the beginning was how I looked. That was the biggest thing because I liked how I looked always. I always wanted to be tattooed. I I had short hair, I was really confident in myself. But then when I started auditioning for work and started transitioning into, oh, this is gonna be a career, it was always, oh, you're so cool, like we love you, you're so amazing, but you're not right for this, or oh like you're so cool, but we haven't we can't fit you with the other girls. It was like, oh wow, but it was always that at first, and I was like, Oh, I don't want to change myself, I really don't, yeah, because I'm happy with myself, but so what was happening is when I was stepping into dance auditions or class, whatever, I would start hiding, I would cover my time, and I became a bit like how can I be me and still do this? And for quite a lot of years it was it was very negative for me, and I did there was people in the industry then that won't name any names, but there was people that every time I'd step in to the room to audition, they'd be like, Oh, you know, oh another tattoo, like you know, you're not versatile anymore. And and I was like, Oh, shut up.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah, what's the point? Let me just figure it out.

SPEAKER_02

I'm also a young person, you know, I'm 17, 18, 19, like it's it's not right, I don't think, to be to put that pressure. Let me just figure it out in my way, and just it's I felt like it was their job to like lift me up and help me navigate rather than just put me down. Um, so that was the challenging for a while until I went to New York when I was 23. And the Americans were like, we love you, you're so cool. Like the Americans just like raised me up, and they didn't understand why I was hiding. Why you've got this amazing tattoo, why are you hiding that? Like, why are you making yourself smaller in these spaces? And I was like, they're so right, and it just it locked in. I was there for one year, and it just I locked into like no, this is me, this is who I am. I'm working so hard. I like I I am like I deserve to be here. I'm I'm worthy of like having this career. And so when I came home, I when I was about I was about 24, I went back to London, and I was like, you couldn't tell me anything. I was like so confident. That's amazing. And I just I surrendered to like if this is right, it'll be right. Well it will be exactly, and that's when that's when I got that job off the bank of just releasing it exactly, surrendering to and what happened around that time was all the jobs that weren't right for me just kind of went away. Yeah, I didn't see them anymore, I wasn't auditioning for I was just like and I remember that that Rihanna job. I remember getting the email off my agent, and it said, Oh, we are looking for like the brief, and they just described me, and I was like, things like that started happening. It was like edgy, cool, punk, tattooed. I was like, Oh, so this is my job, you know? And that's what started happening all the time, and so I was stepping into the room with the confidence, this is my job. Yeah, I know it is. This is what I've been working towards. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just a different confidence that you step in with, then you know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Oh would you say the Rihanna was a highlight of pick presume because you picked the song that's why we're talking about it?

SPEAKER_02

It was um, it was very much, it was a couple of things. I got to work with my favourite ever choreographer. Amazing. She was, you know, since I was a kid, I'd it um been watched Tina Landon. So I've been she did Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, all the early stuff when I was a kid that I really loved was Tina Landon. And so to work with her was everything. I was I was so like starstruck when she came in. Awesome. But also it's a when you when you do a really high profile job, it's Saturn, or it was actually Sunday night, Sunday night X Factor with an artist like uh Rihanna, it's everyone's watching that. It's the the highlight of our country, yeah. Everyone from my neighbours, you know, childhood friends, dance friends, everyone. So it's it's such a high profile job that you it gives you a different type of I've this, I'm finally here. Yeah, I've made it, you know, made it. Yeah, I've um all of these years of hard work is for this. I can finally feel like ah, this is it, you know, this is what I've always wanted to do, and I'm here now. Even though it's only one job, yeah, it still gives you that validation that you've all constantly been chasing, you know.

SPEAKER_00

Oh my gosh, yeah. And when you're saying about your look and stuff like that, it's literally perfect.

SPEAKER_02

The theme of that specific performance you just and that's it, is to feel like I have fully been myself and I'm on this job fully as myself. It's such an aligned moment. Amazing.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Did you meet her before?

SPEAKER_02

No, we didn't. We only met her in rehearsals. We met her. Um I remember she was supposed to come to rehearsals one day and didn't show up. And and so we had to have an extra day rehearsal because I remember if if my memory serves me right, we were rehearsing in Pineapple and she didn't want to come to Pineapple because it was right in Covent Garden, it was too busy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Which I Completely understand why did we put it in Concordin?

SPEAKER_00

Isn't she cheap?

SPEAKER_02

You can't even really sneak around back or anything. Yeah, it's very so we had to do an extra day rehearsal, and they put us out in a stick somewhere, you know, like I don't even know where we were, miles away, yeah. Some warehouse somewhere, and then and then she came that day. So yeah, we met her in rehearsals, and then again, like in the tech rehearsal, and then the performance.

SPEAKER_00

Oh my gosh. Is that is the was that one of your first I you did the TV show, but was that one of your first like TV jobs and you were straight in there, or did you kind of worked up to that?

SPEAKER_02

And this was like a I think if you can I think I had done a couple of like small things, still television, but just a little feature or a little something. I did the MOBO awards before that with Jesse J. That was I think that was my first big television but award show, and I loved Jesse J at the time as well. Yeah, and she was really that night, I think she won three Mobos. Oh my gosh, she was peaked as well, pinnacle of her career, yeah. Like it was all about her, yeah. So to be there with her, even though you know we're not like, but we're there as part of the team. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You almost you feel what she's feeling as well. Um so that that came first, and then I think the Rihanna one came shortly after that. I was on a roll because I'd been to New York, and because I've you know being myself, I've got content, live very much more like aligned with who I wanted to be. That's when it all started flowing. Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_00

And then it's like what you said in the workshop at the end of the upward spiral, you're saying, yes, 16, you're getting in the room, she's seeing the people, and it just keeps going. Yeah, keeps going up and up and up. Are there any artists who you would like to work with now as a creative director side that's one that's your who would you really like to work with?

SPEAKER_02

There's not one that I'm like, oh, there's not like a definite answer. Yeah, I am more excited by new artists because all the sort of legends, they've got their teams and it's very much been done, and who they are creatively is already out there in the world. Yes, yeah, you know, because of course I would love to work with Janet and all of them, but we know Janet, we know the team, they're amazed, they do the best job, it's incredible. I'd rather work with someone. Do you know who I love now? Um, Rosalia. Ooh, yeah. Is that how I say name? I'm sure Rosalia, Rosalia. I think she just performed at the Brit Awards. She's so exciting. And I'm like, ooh, it makes me feel like your teeth interrupt and like work with where could that go? You know, and that feels that feels I actually just reminded myself that I want to get tickets to see a LA show because I want to see what they create, you know. Yes, I think she's definitely someone that I would that comes to mind.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, no, that is exciting though, and having that, yeah, you're you're like with them on the journey and working with them. I feel like it's more of a few. And you build together, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Rather than stepping in with someone at the very top, and you've been around. That's a lot of, yeah, yeah, it's a lot, and also so much has already been done.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

It's not as I don't think it's as as fresh and exciting. Yeah, as what you could what you could bring, yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

I feel like as well, a lot of artists that have been around for a long time are not as not as like inspired and motivated if they're tired. Yeah. They've been around for so long, they're like, oh, a little sort of whereas a young new artist is like, let's go, what can we do? Like how you've got the fire. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So that the energy in the team's different.

SPEAKER_00

And I feel like nowadays people are pushing things much more creatively. Yes. And like, I'm just Jade is coming to my head, she's one of my favourites. I love Jade, she's someone I'd love to work with at all. Oh my gosh, that would be incredible. But all the creative of it, it's like they're pushing it and they're doing these different things. Hers is a bit more than that. Can we do? Yeah. Yeah, they're playing with a bit more. It's cool, isn't it? It's exciting, yeah. Definitely. I'm just gonna quickly play We Fan Love because that was a little bit of feedback was actually Oh, it'd be good if we heard it. We all know this song, but such a good song.

SPEAKER_02

Even just that little hook when it comes on, you're like, Oh, I love the song. Oh, it's so good.

SPEAKER_00

Everyone you're talking about. I'm like, well, we danced with the tribute of that version, but that song is like when that song comes on, we're like, let's go, and it's non-stop, and it's just I can imagine doing it.

SPEAKER_02

It was what because she all of that was shot in London, so she went from being very American, it was all like um come here, Rude Boy, but it was all very like not English, and then that song was the shift with Calvin. She shot it in with Calvin, and she shot it in England, and it was very like British, yeah. And so even that shift makes sense that that's when we stepped in, that's when I stepped in, when it made sense. Yeah, you couldn't have put me on a rude boy, you know, that's not my you know I I like that when she went very British is when it was right for me to step in. I kind of like that as well.

SPEAKER_00

Can you imagine? Sorry, I just when that song always reminds me of when we did that Woody Sevens gig, which was like girl guides. Like, can you imagine the buzz we got from that? Imagine that, but X Factor stage, like your mind was just gonna blown like the buzz from doing that. Oh, it was amazing.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, because it had been just released as well, won't it? Like, yes, it was like against the peak of it.

SPEAKER_02

And then I remember at the time a lot of people messaging me saying it was the best X Factor performance they've ever seen. You know, a lot of people were like, it was genuinely such not only was it a great artist and a great team and everything, but it was such a good performance that we got to be a part of. Sometimes you get to be a part of something and it's fine. Yeah, it was like that was great, that was fun, but it really was like amazing. The styling, like everything all together was really, really cool.

SPEAKER_00

The last section, yeah, this is where we put you on the spot a bit. Masterclass minute. Get out my little timer, and you got 60 seconds to give us as much inspiration as you can in 60 seconds for the new generation, people who are wanting to get in the industry. Okay, a minute timer, ready, yeah, go.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, so first thing you need to decide that this career that you've chosen for yourself, lock in, like you deserve it, you're worthy of it. Stop looking left to right, stop thinking about quitting. Because I think a lot of people do that. Stop putting a time on yourself because it's not that type of industry where it's like, oh, give it a year and then I'll see. Give it as long as it's gonna take, physically, you know, get stuck in there, get yourself close to the fire, get yourself to London or LA or New York or whatever it is, your version of that. Um, ask, ask for what you want, tell people that you want to work with them. I love your work. Will you hire me? Like, ask for it. Learn as much as possible, learn as many like styles, like physically learn as much as possible, mentally learn as much as possible. Who can you, you know, what podcasts are you listening to? Um, what books are you reading? Like, can you find a mentor that can help you? Someone who's been there where you want to go, like get obsessed with learning. I think that's what's really, really important. Um, what else? Ah, that's literally perfect timing.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, like no, that literally was perfect timing. Amazing. Just off the back of that saying that mentor on the thing, talk to us quickly about Smash Global and what you're doing now. It's amazing.

SPEAKER_02

I am the biggest advocate of mentorship and investing in things because it's changed my life that year in New York. I I needed it. I needed a mentor, I needed to get myself out there, I needed to invest in myself, you know, invest in myself with money, with time, with energy. I needed to say this, I'm doing this for myself to change my life, you know. Um so Smash Global is uh we we actually launched two years ago in London. We did a six-month programme that was kind of like a tester, to be honest. I wanted to take the dancers to LA as part of the programme and to see it and to run it and to see how what the feedback would be, and it was amazing. It's industry focused training, so it's we wanted to bring together education and industry and kind of not have the two separate because right now it's it is very separate. Um, so we've just launched a one-year, it's a HNC, it's a it's a foundation in commercial dance, and so we do you commercial is very much like the umbrella. You do learn, you you do all the styles, so it's not like you only do commercial, you will build in technique, commercial, hip-hop, all the styles, but we're also gonna teach dances, audition prep, industry, mindfulness, how to find your self-work, um portfolios, show reels, like everything you need to be a professional dancer, is what we are gonna teach on this one year HNC. So it is the foundation, it's for 16 and above. Um, we're actually based in Dumfries, Scotland, and as part of their programme, we take them to LA. And it's also for Scottish students, it's fully funded. Even the LA trip is fully funded, it's amazing. For all UK students, um, they can get student finance, which it still covers the LA trip as well. And the vision there is very global. So we've we've got Scotland, um, we take them to LA. We're gonna launch after that. We've got Liverpool that's kind of brewing for now. We haven't got anything that I can say right now because it's not fully there, perhaps, but we're very nearly there with Liverpool, and it'll be the same. So in Liverpool, we'll take them to LA. Yes, yes, or it could be it pops up that we it's New York, but it's always gonna have that global placement. You know, it's always gonna be and then you know we might flip it and launch in LA and we bring those students to London. Nice, and so the idea is that we're not kind of just in one place, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a global vision because I I want when I left Liverpool, my world expanded, and so I want that for other people. Like in Dumfries, Scotland, this is a small town, you know. These dancers they may never have been to London, they may certainly may never have been to America. So to take them and show them what's out there, to introduce them to incredible, you know. Like I said, when I did that TV show, I met professionals and it I was just like, oh my god, wow, you guys work like in this industry. That changed my life. Yeah, I want to bring industry to them, yeah. All the way in Dumfries, you know. I want to bring London choreographers or New York choreographers or whatever, and let them see that the world is bigger than just what we know, whatever with whatever it is that we're from, our own version. So it it's exciting. I'm really, really excited about it, and to really properly have an impact, yeah, you know, and build something that um is forever and will it's almost a legacy now because when we work um freelance all the time, it's so bitter. It's just like that and that and that and that, and of course, when you look at it as a collective, it's like oh, I've done so much, but actually, it was still nothing, there's nothing physical to show for all these years. Yeah, whereas I think with Smash Global, we're gonna build something that will outlive me. That's the legacy that that's really what I wanted to build. And I have a business partner as well, the Heather Kirkpatrick, and she's amazing. So she's education, I'm industry, so the two together, and she's brilliant, she's such a brilliant woman. So bringing the two things together is just it's wonderful, and I've learned so much about education because I don't know education, I don't know dance education at all. I I dropped off my B tech, you know. So I've learned so much about what that is, all the bloody the tick boxes and the red tape, and working with it inside an institution as well, because we have we have you know, we have to have a partnership with universities and colleges, and it's a whole different ball game. And funding and finance and all of that. So I've actually learned so much in these past two years, which is cool as well.

SPEAKER_00

Really cool. I think what was good what you put in your little uh sheet that sent you was keeping it current, like that's so good having what's now, and I know you say it's so fast-paced.

SPEAKER_02

Like I said in the beginning, especially commercially, it's ever changing, and since COVID, everything changed. We we're not auditioning like we were when I was young, everything's self-tapes or whatever. So we've got to keep up with current trends and and like what's what's expected of dancers now is different to five years ago, and some of the old curriculum, I don't I don't know when it was updated, but it's it's from like the dinosaur ages, honestly. I might guess and it's so old, yeah, yeah, yeah. Useless, completely useless.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, and and the kids aren't interested in it. No, I thought I taught um A-levels and the dance. Some of the pieces that we're watching, I was like, I don't want to watch them. I'm falling asleep. And these kids are if they learnt about something that was current right now that they're watching anyway, they'd be so engaged. So engaged and they'd love it, and I think that needs to be fed into these mainstream places.

SPEAKER_02

Exactly, and engagement that's that's literally the the way. So we'd they this is this is a UK statistic. Um 90% of dancers quit within three years of graduation. That's a huge statistic, isn't it? When I heard that, I was like, oh my god, but it also makes sense because they're not engaged with it, it's boring, or it's they've not got the support, you know, or whatever. There's so many different things, but I think if you take it even your because we're looking at having like youth associate programs, we're looking at building a 14 to 16, so we so they come to us before the HNC as well. Um, because you've got to get them engaged from a young age, even and I actually think that's why I have such a longevity. I was engaged because of Michael Jackson, not because of like this boring curriculum, like it was Michael Jackson, it was much more exciting than anything else. So, how can we get the kids engaged in dance, loving it? It makes sense to them. It it's something that they're interested in, and we keep them engaged all the way through education, and then you know, we support them after graduation as well. That's amazing, and those statistics should change, yes, and they will with people like you.

SPEAKER_00

They will, they will.

SPEAKER_02

We need this Scotland, England, Wales Island. We need it all to everyone. Smash Global needs. I want to shake it all up, you know. I do think everything and people will hopefully follow. Yeah. We hopefully people will make changes to what they're doing, and we it'll be a bit of a revolution, you know.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, movement. Yeah, movement. Oh, that's amazing. Well, let's do a full circle and we're gonna end on Janet Jackson.

SPEAKER_02

We start here with Michael and we're ending with Janet. This is the song, this is my happy song.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, we don't need sorry, Janet.

SPEAKER_02

Your baby. Oh, it's not timeless. Yeah, it's timeless, and you know I told you my favourite choreographer is Tina Langdon. She choreographed that, but she's also in that as well. So it's it it it brings me from all the way being a child, and it's still, I love it now. It's still my happy song.

SPEAKER_00

How amazing is that that you watched that, you've now worked with her. I think I manifested it. You've literally yes, you manifested for one of the years. I did for sure. It's amazing. You've had a full full circle and it's still going.

SPEAKER_02

And you know, recently I did a I did a video on my Instagram talking about um just a couple of things like this, and I mentioned Tina Landing and I tagged her in it and she commented still now. I was like, I'm gonna go. Exciting because she's in LA. Yeah. Yeah, I know. So it's the connections exactly. Yeah, maybe we're gonna be like friends or whatever.

SPEAKER_00

Manifest that, manifest that. Oh, amazing.

SPEAKER_02

Where can we find you on socials? All my social medias are just Alex Steele, A-L-Y-X, Steele with an E on the end. Instagram's my mainly my thing. Um, also Smash Global is Smash Global Training on Instagram as well. Or you can find us on if you just Googled Smash Global Training, you'll find our website. Um, you know, people are interested in the HNC, it's all there. We start this September, so with applications are open now. Oh, amazing. Get on it again. Let's get on it again. Get on again.

SPEAKER_00

Thank you so much. You're so welcome. Thanks for having me. Thank you for being so emotional and yes, sharing your wisdom. Thank you so much for listening, guys. Yeah, that was such a fun one. I just I wish I was on that Rihanna stage doing that performance. Like I said, the buzz we get. We yeah, we get to do our version of it. Lauren's version. Lauren G's version. Lauren G's version of it. But I just think the buzz, and just to have that amazing career now stepping into the creative, that's something I could I love visions and like outfits, set design, puppets, proms joking. I meant scarecrows, not puppets. This has taken a turn. Um just love okay. No, the whole vision of like a performance like that is so fun to be on that side of it. Yes, to put that together. That is such an interesting thing to get into. Maybe in the future I'll have to I'll have to go see Alex Steele. Let me watch you. Let me come down. Just ask me. Just ask me. You don't ask you don't get it. There we go. Thank you so much for listening to everyone. Don't forget to check out our movie episode that is already out as well, and we've got some more exciting guests coming up in the series. Thanks for watching. Bye.