JESS NH - mental blocks, new styles and keeping the flow state!

Cool Jess joins us for a trip down memory lane and some interesting conversations about choreography and maintaining the flow state.

Jess NH insta: https://www.instagram.com/jess_nh_x/

JNH Choreography insta: https://www.instagram.com/jnhchoreography/

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

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

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

SPEAKER_02 0:12

And it said, Me, the giant banana, Ernie Shaggy from school. Guys, we haven't come dressed up today. This is just our outfits trying to be like cool Jess. No, I wasn't trying to be like her. That's that is that is doing her a disservice, which cool Jess would never wear something as cool as this.

SPEAKER_03 0:31

I do wish she'd have caught on camera the reaction when you walked in that a second ago, because it was quite funny. I just wanted to be comfy. I always wear the podcast colours. I think it was more the fact that Jess is sat wearing black and then it's just me and you that look like a fruit of salad.

SPEAKER_02 0:46

It's just funny. Perfect, it's great. You'll see what it means. The coolest person on earth. So today we have cool Jess on the podcast. So I'm gonna stop calling her that and just call her Jess. But Jess is amazing. Choreography dancer. Choreography, choreographer, dancer. You'll get to find all about her in this episode. But first, the foundation files. This week, it's your turn. Jess, what are you putting in the foundation files today?

SPEAKER_03 1:13

I mean, realistically, this doesn't really even need to be like a dance-related thing. But as a couple of professional dancers that spend a lot of time in the car, um my thing this week is my hair curl. Yay! Yeah, the heatless curl, heatless curls, yeah. So my hair just doesn't take to heated curls anyway, but then especially as soon as I do a gig and start getting hot and sweaty, like it just yeah, like it's just straight. It's just straight by the end of it.

SPEAKER_02 1:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:40

It doesn't work for you. Yeah, it doesn't work for me. So yeah, usually I'll just stick these in my hair for like a full car journey, and yeah, it's one of these little ones where you like snake it round and it almost looks like you've got like little plaits in um that you put over your head. But I feel like the curves hold a lot better than like a heated one. I feel like everyone's hair's a bit different, but yeah, for mine it just doesn't stick. Do you know what gets me?

SPEAKER_02 2:00

The fact you can do that with dry hair. Like that is bizarre for me. If I did that with my dry hair, it would just fall out as soon as I took it off. But yours takes really well to them.

SPEAKER_03 2:09

I don't feel like they stay in as long as if I've done it on dry hair.

SPEAKER_02 2:12

No, that's true.

SPEAKER_03 2:12

But I also I keep them like I put them in the night before and then I keep them in until the time of the gig. So sometimes they will be in from like 11 pm when I go to sleep until like 7 pm. 7 pm when we do the gig. Like, do you know what I mean? Like I will keep it in all day because it just it's better.

SPEAKER_02 2:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:27

And sometimes I feel like it looks better the day after as well.

SPEAKER_02 2:29

But yes, where it's like settled a bit more.

SPEAKER_03 2:34

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 2:34

Lauren um Lauren makes me laugh when she's like, you two, if I do them as well. And she's like walking around the town where I'm gonna go. Oh no, we're walking around you at a service station.

SPEAKER_01 2:42

We're behind with these massive things on our heads.

SPEAKER_02 2:45

But it's just an auntie, isn't it? And it saves a lot of time if you don't to sit there and curl it. If you don't, oh I don't have time, chuck that in your hair.

SPEAKER_03 2:54

Sometimes we don't even have plugs like it.

SPEAKER_02 2:55

Then we can never know if we're in a field or a shed. For that's for a festival gig or yeah, a shed. And then you don't have a what might have been a field dancing, yeah, festivals, and then you don't have a plug, then it's you're already ready to go and you just take it out. My hair is a bit too fluffy. I have to then like tame it down out of that. I haven't cracked how to use that yet. But you have well, because you'll just. Socks. Socks have worked really well. You've nailed socks. I've nailed the socks. No, it is great, it is good. Just heatless curls as well, it's better for your hair, isn't it? And yeah, just yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:31

What a handy trip, a handy thing to put in the foundation files. Not just for dancers. Not just dancers, anyone.

SPEAKER_02 3:39

She is promoting it. But yeah, good one, good one. In the foundation files. So this is things that we're building, we're giving you all our little little essentials. Yeah, little essentials that we use. Well, you use that, like I said, every week. Um, literally every week. Oh, yeah, because Lauren decided we need curly hair on the gigs, which is way harder than doing straight hair. Thanks, Lauren. But it actually does look better and it sits better on your head like when you're dancing. So I get it, I get it. It moves better as well. But um, yeah, so you literally use that weekly. So these are just things that we use all the time. Really? That will hopefully help in your dancing journey. Anyway, let's hop into what I can only describe as probably the funniest episode we've done so far. Um, where cool dress is being cool and we look like the fruit salad. Enjoy.

SPEAKER_03 4:26

We do look like a fruit salad. We look ridiculous.

SPEAKER_05 4:34

Welcome to Cool Jess!

SPEAKER_01 4:36

Hello, hello, hello guys, guys. This is Jess, and this is Cool Jess.

SPEAKER_03 4:41

You you are cool, Jess. You you are cool, you just got as cool as cool Jess. Thanks. Just need a bit of context now.

SPEAKER_02 4:50

Basically, we all work at the studio. She is so cool. Look at your outfit.

SPEAKER_05 4:56

You do I look like a banana like a kiwi and cool dress.

SPEAKER_03 5:02

You're a banana in a pajama, I look like shaggy off Scooby-Doo. Yeah, but they're body does, so they're semi-cool.

SPEAKER_02 5:07

I'm joking. I'm joking. We're just not as cool as cool dress. Um, every day when I wake up, I've got to think dress like cool dress.

SPEAKER_03 5:13

That's what you mean.

SPEAKER_02 5:14

Dress like cool dress.

SPEAKER_03 5:16

Do my alb workout after she's drinking.

SPEAKER_02 5:22

What cool dress go outside wearing a banana outfit? No, she would not take it off. You never know I might, you know. You never think I might. You could be inspired by me.

SPEAKER_00 5:30

Do you know what? I'm gonna go buy a yellow track seat now.

SPEAKER_05 5:34

Oh, thank you so much for coming on the podcast.

SPEAKER_00 5:36

No, it's okay, it's my pleasure.

SPEAKER_02 5:38

Yay!

SPEAKER_00 5:38

Let everyone know what you do in the industry now, what you're what you do with dance. Why do you dance? Um I'm a dancer, teacher, choreographer. Um, I've got my own company, J H Choreography, which is my little baby 11. Um at the moment, I'm training mainly in London. Um, so a lot of back and forth, back and forth. Uh so yeah, that's a bit of me.

SPEAKER_02 6:00

Yeah, that's a little bit of me. So perfect! Well, let's go take it from the top, all the way back to where it started. Have you danced since you were tiny? Where did you start?

SPEAKER_00 6:13

I started dancing the typical way, like literally in my bedroom, watching all the movies. Like, I would literally watch Honey, You Got Served, Stop, Siglass Dance, all of them, like in my bedroom or in the living room, and I'd be like, Do you know the dance? I'm like, Dad, can you do this? Yeah, can you do that? My dad then having a dance bottle in the in the living room, and then um it really like I started more so later, I guess, because I started in high school, yeah, and then it went into college and stuff. Um, so high school is when I started like year nine and doing all the con um what do you call them competitions in school? I was like, look, I can dance. My sister made me um this jacket, and on the back it had like jest like shit embroidered on there. I was like, that's amazing. That is so good. Do you have a picture of that? We need that. I probably do. I think I still have the jacket. Oh, I still have the jacket. I still have the jacket, yeah. I have to find it by now. I didn't throw it away. I was like, no, keeping that. I probably do have a picture somewhere. Yeah, but yeah, from high school and then into college and then uni university. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:22

So this song, like a boy, because I'm in, I have to say, the songs you picked, one, we don't know some of them, which is great. That's what we want here. But we're not cool enough, thank you. But we want to find new songs that's the whole idea of the podcast, so that's perfect. But two, there's a couple which I thought, oh, okay. So I'm excited to get into that. But this one, like a boy, Sierra, tune. But I mean truth to know what style you started with. So was it a bit more hip-hop kind of style?

SPEAKER_00 7:52

Yeah, watching the films and stuff. Uh yes, it was definitely hip-hop street, definitely. As in, I wanted to be Sierra. I was like, how would that move where she goes? Oh yeah, I was like, Yeah, I could do all of that. I was like, yeah, I am her. And then from there, I was like, Sierra, please don't be a dance where great. Um yeah, it was definitely street, street dance, hip-hop. Um, they were like my main areas to go to first, yeah. And then explored everything else later.

SPEAKER_02 8:19

Yeah, amazing. Did you do a dance to this song, or is this just one you remember from that time?

SPEAKER_00 8:24

Uh I don't think it no. I know I did a dance to Rihanna if loving what is what you want with my best friend. Oh, okay. Yeah, so it's it's an old tune. Me and my best friend made a whole choreography. Probably remember if we listened to the song. Um, but I don't think we did one to this one. It was just copying the choreo.

SPEAKER_02 8:42

Oh, yeah, you just liked watching it copy then. It's a tune. Oh in the morning, sorry, I can just imagine little Jess just like bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, bashing out some choreos basically like spirit literally hours.

SPEAKER_00 9:00

My opposed are like, all right, calm down now.

SPEAKER_01 9:02

That is so good.

SPEAKER_02 9:03

Do you know what's actually just crazy, which I just thought of? Like, that is such all our generation, dance movies, music videos. Now it's gonna just be TikTok. It that's what the kids are gonna be like getting inspiration from. Tiki tokies. I know, that's literally gonna be their just fast little tikkie-tockies. Sorry, sorry, sorry, we need to pause. Why is that cool when you say it? And when I said it, I seem like I'm teaching like a two-year-old.

SPEAKER_01 9:31

They dressed as banana green tikkie tokies.

SPEAKER_05 9:34

And it was really cool. And I got it and it wasn't cool.

SPEAKER_03 9:40

We're gonna have to insert that picture somewhere as well. Sorry, we're off on a tangent from the TSL show when we got a sandwich together all the way. And then the mate one, all of a sudden you just went.

SPEAKER_05 9:48

And then we got the next one went like that. We just stuck a tongue out.

SPEAKER_02 9:53

Cool Jess stuck a tongue out, and instantly, without even thinking about it, we did the same. We just stuck another tongue out the two, and then we're like, we've done that, we're just gonna be you, we're just gonna be you. This whole episode is just gonna be us trying to be cool, Jess. Right, I'll retract my Tiki Tonky comment.

SPEAKER_05 10:12

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_02 10:16

That is what their kids are gonna be coming up. They're just gonna be watching the TikToks and doing that choreo. Like, I hope they still watch. You best believe all my kids are gonna be watching Step Up on a weekly basis. Oh, yes, they've still got them all on DVD. But um there actually is a new dance movie coming out, but I think it's with Dean Lee, the choreographer, and I think it's more of like a it looks like a documentary style thing rather than a classic dance film.

SPEAKER_03 10:43

You need it to be the worst, trashiest story you've ever like heard in your entire life, but just with Insane Choreo. That's like that's a classic dance film, cringy story.

SPEAKER_00 10:51

You know how it's gonna go. Yeah, yes, from as soon as it starts, you know how it's gonna go, but you have to watch it all because every every set is just top tier. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:00

100% always the same story, like a contemporary ballet dancer meets a hip-hop dancer, yeah. They fall in love, they do a new show at the end. Yeah, that is so cool.

SPEAKER_02 11:09

Oh, you can't beat them though, they're the best. That's the turning point. This is the song which I was like, oh, because in my head I just always see you at the studio, you're the coolest guy, you're hip-hop, blah blah blah. This I didn't realise how contemporary you maybe are. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I'm a contemporary babe. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:32

I just didn't, I never see that. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:34

Oh my gosh. So tell us about that as well, and doing like bringing in the different styles. So you started with all the hip-hop stuff.

SPEAKER_00 11:41

Yeah, that happened mainly at Beckett Uni. When you went to the same uni, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:53

That's what's a couple of years below me.

SPEAKER_00 11:55

Mind blown, cool, yeah, yeah. Um, and it was mainly contemporary bass, so it wasn't like other styles, it's contemporary bass, and I fell in love with contemporary there. But I also loved where I came from, like my origin, uh my origin, um, and trying to blend them to. But oh, I'm a contemporary babe. Yeah, yeah, I love contemporary. That's it.

SPEAKER_02 12:14

That is so so so good. Did you find that that helped your hip hop, or you just kind of had keep it separate, or do you blend them?

SPEAKER_00 12:23

No, I blend for my dissertation. Yeah, it was my dissertation, yeah, it was my dissertation. I did a blend of them of the two styles, trying to figure it out. But I think like with this song in particular, like it was one of those it's a gospel worship song. So I'm just like the only thing that I could particularly do is you just give it to God because sometimes I'm just so stressed. I'm like, oh yeah, so I'm just like, alright. I did, in my old church, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 12:51

Oh my gosh, tell us more. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 12:54

Yeah, so it was um oh it's like a worship piece, um, trusting in God, um, trusting that God will carry me through my career or the career I've decided to choose along with like health as well, um, and surrendering, knowing that all things can only come from him. So yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:12

And so you did it in a church, yeah. Yeah, we did it in a church.

SPEAKER_00 13:15

Contemporary contemporary, I think it was mixed, but it started contemporary. Um I had me and then two other dancers, and then it was part it was part like audio and then part like live band. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:30

Oh, that sounds incredible. What a cool project. Do you have a video of that?

SPEAKER_00 13:35

I'm not doing it. I probably do. You need to I'll I'll have to have a look on my hard drive. Like a 20 minute piece, right?

SPEAKER_02 13:42

Oh my gosh, content.

SPEAKER_03 13:44

That's definitely a long video. It's a lot of stories. Oh, wow, that's a lot of storage, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:48

Oh my gosh, that sounds just amazing. Well, yeah, when I heard this song, I was like, I'm well enough, it's just beautiful, it's so nice. You did not create me to worry, but do you see why I was like, what? Because I was I was expecting a lot of people. And then I was like, oh my gosh. That's when I was looking at you a bit more and I was like, oh my gosh, no, she is full on contemporary. Yeah, what a beautiful song. Amazing. Um, when did you first think I'm gonna make dance my job? Was it at that moment? Um is it just something that's happened?

SPEAKER_00 14:23

I think when did this happen?

SPEAKER_05 14:26

When did it happen?

SPEAKER_00 14:29

I wanna say I think it was probably when I went, because before I started Becky, I was in London. I went to London Uni, and then unfortunately I had to come home. And then I was like, Do I go back to uni? Do I know what am I doing? And I think it was at that point where I was like, Do you know what I'm gonna give it a go again? I think it was probably that point where I was like, alright, this is what I'm doing. Yeah, this is dance, this is gonna be it. Um, I'm going for it.

SPEAKER_02 14:51

I love actually doing it. So now with your more choreography so also you did a master's in choreography. Yeah, that's amazing. What was that like compared to your other course? Was it because when you hear masters, I just think, whoa, that's just like massive. Was it what you expected? Was it similar to your uni course, or was it just like a different step? Or because it was the more choreography side, it was different.

SPEAKER_00 15:18

Mixed feelings. Okay, did you do that at Beckett? No, I did it at uh Salford uni Manchester.

SPEAKER_02 15:24

Over in Manchester, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:25

I mixed feelings, it was a good course. Um I feel like they probably could have done more practical okay, yeah. Um I feel like they could have done more practical um elements and um classes in that sense, but it was it was good, but then lockdown happened. Oh I literally, as my dissertation was starting, so how I wanted to do my dissertation, I didn't get to do it like that. And I had to like send videos of like choreography, alright, do this, do that, and try at home and then try collate everything and put it together. I was just like, this is not worth it.

SPEAKER_02 15:59

What a time, yeah. Yeah, that must have been so crazy. Oh my gosh. So, did you go into that thinking you want to build on your choreography more? Like, I need this to be a choreographer, like what what made you want to do that?

SPEAKER_00 16:11

Yeah, I wanted to do that because I wanted to, as much as I love dance, I enjoy creating movement, I enjoy telling a story through my movement, and I know I'm good at that, but I don't know how to take me dancing freestyling into choreography. So I thought maybe if I do this, it'll help me break it down. How do I get um something I want to explore further? How do I get from like a flow state into set choreography but without losing the authenticity of the flow state?

SPEAKER_02 16:38

Yeah, so yeah, that's about something I'm gonna be exploring later on in life, but um yeah, that's such an interesting concept because we've talked so many times, and I'm intrigued to know about yours, of what your how you choreograph. So I sit, close my eyes. Well, and if I'm driving, I don't close my eyes. I do it a lot while I'm driving dresses.

SPEAKER_05 16:58

I just sit there and think what was called dressing.

SPEAKER_02 17:01

No, and close my eyes do go get teachers saying that close my eyes and think hit listen to music and just think that. Yeah, you do it in the yeah, with the song and in the studio. But I feel like quite a lot of contemporaries you just explore and like you're saying, freestyle again, flow state, all that stuff. Yeah, do you do that first and then get choreography from that?

SPEAKER_00 17:25

Uh yes. Sometimes I feel like I create choreography in various different ways. It will either be a freestyle, depending on the style of dance I'm doing. Also, you'll be a freestyle, and then I'm like, okay, I kind of like that. Let me see if I can remember it first of all. Yeah. Because wow, doing a freestyle, then try to remember what you're doing. Yeah, that's crazy. Big mistake. Big mistake. Um, or it's a case of listening to a track, and sometimes when I listen to a certain track, I can already see the movement. So I'll do it like that. Or um you're very lyrical, aren't you? Yeah, I am very lyrical. Sometimes I've even choreographed to a certain track and then I'm like, okay, I don't like it, and I'll switch the track and I'll just try it to another one.

SPEAKER_02 18:04

Oh, no way. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:05

That's crazy. Yeah, yeah, I've done that a few times.

SPEAKER_02 18:07

Oh my gosh. I like to move it, move it. Yeah, which is your favourite dance style.

SPEAKER_03 18:18

I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 18:18

No, it's contemporary. Oh, not gonna lie to you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Contemporary contemporary see it's borderline. Contemporary and house are probably my top two. Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:32

Nation dialogue and hip hop side to the house. Wow. What does contemporary give you that other styles don't? Why have you put that one first?

SPEAKER_00 18:39

Um I don't have to I don't have to think so much in regards to like moving my body in the sense. So like house or street dance or hip-hop, I'm thinking about my fundamentals, freestyle or not. I'm always thinking about that. With contemporary, I feel like I actually move. But also like with contemporary, I feel like I can actually have the freedom in my body, and it's a different it's a different way of moving. It is a different, yeah, it's a different way, and because of like my health issues that I have with my actual body, I find at contemporary I can move a lot easier without having pain than the style. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:21

Lends more to your body, and you can kind of do make it your own more, I think. I think it's much more expressive, it's much more it's much more free. Yeah. It's kind of yeah, you do that. I I prefer to have move than be like, but um, yeah, I suppose. What do you think about Contemporary? I did like it.

SPEAKER_04 19:44

I don't really like choreographing it. Yeah. I never liked enjoyed choreographing contemporary, but I liked being given contemporary movement. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:54

I also think a lot of it's floor work and my knees just aren't made out flat. Lovely bit of floor work. You've got to yeah, you've gotta make the floor your friend. I always say that. If you're not making the floor your friend, you're gonna hate this because you're like, but when you do be on the floor, you can't go anywhere else, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 20:11

This is very true, you can't fall over.

SPEAKER_00 20:13

You can't fall over on the floor.

SPEAKER_05 20:17

Fall up, you can't go anywhere else.

SPEAKER_02 20:20

Oh no, that is good, that is fun. Was um was the course that you were on very, very much contemporary? Do you think that's where you've got that love from? Do you think without the course you wouldn't have found that?

SPEAKER_00 20:33

I don't know, you know. Um because I knew of contemporary, but I only knew it was like very flairy.

SPEAKER_03 20:39

Had you not done it before going to Becket then?

SPEAKER_00 20:41

No, no.

SPEAKER_03 20:41

Really? That's what I mean. That's that's like inspired that in you. Now it's your favourite. That's so fun. Yeah, because we did like a bit of it in like GCE dance and stuff like that. Obviously, that was very like contemporary based. But yeah, you never did any of that.

SPEAKER_00 20:53

In college, but not so much. That was like very like all the different styles kind of thing, but it wasn't like that.

SPEAKER_02 21:01

And I feel like it's more lyrical contemporary at that stage. It's not a contemporary riches from the uni. That just shows though, like go try things, like try it, and or even the course, then and now it's your favourite, and you would have never done that.

SPEAKER_00 21:14

I don't actually think they're doing the course anymore, though. I don't know. I don't think they're running in there.

SPEAKER_01 21:19

That doesn't actually exist in it.

SPEAKER_02 21:22

The numbers are like going down every time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Wow. Um, what style is your favourite to choreograph then? Slightly different question.

SPEAKER_00 21:36

You can have a tie to choreograph, probably street dance. Yeah, yeah. I like um I love that street choreograph. I like I like messing with musicality and switching between beats and and lyrics and finding pauses and like playing through your pause. Nice because I can't say, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:57

And that keeps it interesting. Like I love choreography. That are like that and are so to the music rather than one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, one. And just the next one. That is so fun having that. Oh, tell us about um J H choreography. What's that more of that?

SPEAKER_00 22:12

Uh so JH choreography is my little baby. So um I just basically love creating choreography. Um, so it's a case of me creating it and putting it on somebody else and just showcasing work. Um eventually, hopefully, um like touring at one stage, like theatres and stuff. Yeah, yeah. Just being able to like again, because I have to like explore it further, but about flow state, and I'll be the main like consensus of how I create movement, if it's contemporary, if it's street, if it's house, however I do it. I wanted to in the studio with my dancers start from this area and try still hold on to the authenticity, even though we have to keep drilling it, and how we can draw back from it so that the story that we show or tell the audience they can still feel within themselves, if that makes sense.

SPEAKER_02 23:03

Yeah, nice. That is really good. I tell you that because my brain does not think like that. I'm like, this is the song, these are the moves, ta-da! That's me, but this like having the story, and that's that's a very contemporary thought process, you know, of having the story through it and having that, but then to bring in the other styles and to take it from that flow state, like keys. I don't think I've ever actually heard the state the phrase flow state.

SPEAKER_01 23:29

State of flow. Yes, just I don't know what it is. I just haven't specific flow state, state of flow. Yeah, that.

SPEAKER_02 23:36

No, but that's really fun and that's really nice. Not you giving them your choreo and you're like, do this, like the collaborative working with them and making that.

SPEAKER_00 23:43

Yeah, I think I think it's I think like as dancers, yes, it's great, like we can have our own work and we can hold it for our own, but I feel like collaboration between one of us is how we all grow. Like if somebody shows me something and I'm like, Well, how do I do that? Well, what the heck? Like, but if we build a uh like with each other, it can complete like something different. So yeah, yeah, I like collaboration. Chess is taking over.

SPEAKER_02 24:06

That is so fun. Okay, let's do your song from this section. Yeah, because again, is this one that we one that I've heard of? Um, well, it's about by about 10 different people, it's called infra five. Collab collaborative. Collaborative shocked, I was shocked. Sorry, you made a face me then. No, I was just gonna do a big club to this. No, I was shocked because I thought it would have been a hip hop one and it wasn't. It's really nice.

SPEAKER_00 24:44

Tell me about this song. Uh this song, if I ever have a block, is my go-to song. If I ever want to start just moving is my go-to song. Um, even if I'm like gonna be choreographing like a street piece, uh, if I don't know what to do. If I just want to move my body, I'm going to listen to this song. This song will get me out of like a headspace where I don't want to be.

SPEAKER_02 25:07

That is so good, and that's such a like a tip. Yeah find a song if you like, oh, just on that mental block of choreography, find the song that you can just move to. Literally.

SPEAKER_00 25:16

I don't have to think about anything, all I have to do is put it on, close my eyes, and I'm I'm good. Oh, yeah, that's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 25:21

Oh my gosh. Sorry, I'm laughing because I'm just imagining me trying to move around the room to that song.

SPEAKER_01 25:29

Oh my gosh, bonus content coming soon. Yeah. No I imagine. If you've got blindfolds on it, you know what that trend.

SPEAKER_02 25:36

Oh yeah, so if we done it to something, yeah, let's do that. We'll do it to this side. I mean, that is such like a beautiful song, and I can hit I can like see what someone who has that mindset would do with that. So I can just imagine you like in the room moving that. That's so interesting, though, that you said that that is to break through the mental block, even if you're doing a hip-hop choreo, like just move in your body. Yeah, and that this is why I love this podcast, it's all about the songs and the music, like they go so hand in hand, and like, even that, that's not you choreographing to that music, that's that music bringing the dance out of you.

SPEAKER_00 26:10

Yeah, definitely. I think we get stuck in the sense of like, okay, I've got a choreograph. I've done it for your classes a couple times with like, all right, Jesse's asked me to choreograph something. I'm like trying to go through all my lists of songs, I don't know what song I'm gonna do. I'll find a song and then I'm trying to like pick choreography to go to it, and I'm just like, oh my gosh, having a whole breakdown. And I'm like, what the hell am I doing? And then I'll just be like, I need a I need a break. I need a minute, I need a break. So I'll just move and I'm like, okay, I feel like I'm in a better space now. I don't want to hyper focus on does that look good? Does that make sense? And then once I've been able to like just rid myself of all my stresses, I feel like I'm can choreograph and all if I'll do it from the freestyle into a choreography, like I just find it easier. Yeah. Because as soon as I start stressing, there's no point. I'm I'm literally wrapping it all up.

SPEAKER_02 26:57

I'm like, right, okay, well, we've got two moves, and that's the end of that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's it. Yeah, and once you start two moves done. Once you start getting in that choreography, then hopefully like most of the time it just starts flowing to that meaning you'll have to get it. Then that move, that move, that move. That's what you want to happen. I love it when you just go to choreograph and it just happens, and you're like, boom. It's best that is so good. Yes. But more times than not, it's yeah, I can't even think of one move. Literally. And I'm like, I can think of the same move that I do all the time. I know what yours is.

SPEAKER_01 27:26

Whoop. Oh, I love that one.

SPEAKER_02 27:28

Yeah. Um just that um but you know, you just keep going back to those same moves, and I'm like, there's a million moves in this world. Why can I not think of two? Like, you just can't think of them. So that's a good tip, actually. Yeah, yeah. I might try that. She'd try my song, would probably be like Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom by Bengle Boys, but quite the same one. Whatever works, whatever works, and you jump in.

SPEAKER_05 27:53

Whatever works for you, whatever works for you.

SPEAKER_02 27:55

There we go. It's fine. Do you have any styles that you want to try that you haven't tried yet? Which maybe you might love, like contemporary. Tap dance. Oh, ooh, this is your gal.

SPEAKER_03 28:06

No. I can tell you where to go for a tap dance. I don't know. I mean, you've been doing bother tap recently. Teach it. Well, okay.

SPEAKER_02 28:14

Jess can you get some new tap shoes? I've got some new tapes. She's just gone to get some new tap shoes.

SPEAKER_03 28:18

Oh yeah, tell them tell the vlog quickly. Vlog, tell the podcast quickly about your new tap shoes. She didn't see the day. She's just like, tell me about your new tap shoes. I was like, um, they're tap shoes. Great. I went at the shop and then trying to. There was something interesting where they weren't split at all. They're just like, oh yeah, they're just like a shoe. Full short. Full short. Full short. Full short. So small. So it's just time to take full sole shoe. So they're like, they're just like one like big bit of wood so that you your foot isn't as like is that better for it or is it better for like a split one? I think you've kind of got to break them in a little bit like a point shoe. Okay, okay. Like a little bit, because they're a bit hard to do like things where you need your foot to bend. But but yeah, try tap.

SPEAKER_00 29:06

Try some tart. If you want, get some shoe. No. I will try, I will stand in the like my bedroom in my room and be like, I can do it. Put myself in a class. Oh, do it!

SPEAKER_02 29:20

Standing right in the corner, do it. Yeah, do the beginnings. And like, I've even though I feel like, right, I know it's like you don't know the technique of it, but I feel like you you would be, just because you've got the dancer in you and blah blah blah, you could just go, teach me that tap routine, you just bam blah bam, bash it out. I'd like to do it. We'll see what would happen in the spot. I mean, especially if you want to do it, I think you could do it. I think you should do it. Okay, okay. The coolest tap dancer ever. Oh my god. No, nope, nope. Yeah, oh yeah, with a little hat. I see the vision.

SPEAKER_01 29:53

Yeah, I can see it.

SPEAKER_03 29:55

If you've got to make everything uncool, like with a little hat. Trust me, I see the vision.

SPEAKER_02 30:01

I don't know what I'm picturing.

SPEAKER_00 30:02

She's like no hat, that's no hat.

SPEAKER_02 30:04

No hat. But yeah, she definitely do tap. Yes. Love that. The next section. I love this. It's not on there. It's a surprise section. It is a speed round. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:24

So it's a this or that. It's called put on. Guess what it's called? Put on your dancing shoes. I thought you'd say heart.

SPEAKER_02 30:32

Put on your heart. I was like, I just put on your shoes. Put on your dancing shoes. So it's where we get in your shoes and get to know you a bit more through these quick questions. Right. Are you ready? Okay. Sure.

SPEAKER_03 30:49

Quick.

SPEAKER_02 30:50

Um yeah, okay. Go.

SPEAKER_03 30:52

The beat or the lyrics.

SPEAKER_02 30:58

Beep, beep, beep. Grooves or precise. Oh. Uh grooves.

SPEAKER_03 31:08

Freestyle or choreo?

SPEAKER_02 31:09

Freestyle. Choreo. Floor work or top rock? Floor work.

SPEAKER_03 31:18

Undergrad or masters?

SPEAKER_02 31:20

Masters. Commercial or hip hop? Commercial.

SPEAKER_05 31:24

What expensive that one hip hop? Well, this is fun. Let's unpack.

SPEAKER_02 31:29

I love that quick fire round. No, I'm joking. It was good. The beat or the lyrics. What did you land on in the end?

SPEAKER_00 31:35

I forgot now. The beat. The beat. But I feel like it's so like a like a wave of fin. Because you photograph most. Well, you said you do jump in and out. Beats and lyrics, yeah. Yeah, yeah. But I think with beats, there's so much you can explore. Yeah, I do love it.

SPEAKER_02 31:52

I do love it. Definitely, I agree. Grooves or precise, you went grooves in the end.

SPEAKER_00 31:56

But again, you're like I know I did, but at the same time, I love precision. Precision precision. Yes. But at the same time, why not just have fun?

SPEAKER_02 32:05

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, 100%. Freestyle or chorio.

SPEAKER_00 32:10

That was a mixture. I can't remember what you said. I started with like a freestyle that ended on choreo. Free chorio.

SPEAKER_01 32:19

You need to do something with that because that's what your business is going to be all about. Freel.

SPEAKER_02 32:28

Floor work or top rock. You went floor work. Yeah. Yeah. Just get me on the floor. Get me on the floor. Undergrad on masters. Master Masters. Yeah, we've talked about that a bit. And then commercial or hip hop, I'm shocked. Yeah. Commercial?

SPEAKER_00 32:43

I think that's mostly because I'm stepping more into my commercial bag and I'm kind of liking it. Oh, nice. I never saw myself as like a sassy girl. I'm definitely a tomboy. So when I was stepping into commercial, oh my gosh, I felt like what is this with my hips? I'm actually what?

SPEAKER_05 33:05

Yes!

SPEAKER_00 33:08

So yeah, I think I think that's probably why I was leaning more commercial than hip-hop. Yeah, yeah. Right now, and how I love that you're enjoying that. I'm living it, yeah. Oh, yeah. Did you enjoy the watch? Oh, I loved it. I loved it. As it showed the phone to my partner, I was just like grinning from ear to ear.

SPEAKER_02 33:23

Oh yeah. Yeah, we just had a message with Alex Steele, whose episode is already out. Go check it out. Don't be moody, shake your booty. My favourite section. Let's go with the song straight away. It's Michael Jackson again. He's always popping up. You rock my world. Skip it. Oh, what a tune. What a tune. Actually, before we talk about the song, this is we're gonna do a bit of a highlight reel and a bit of a blooper reel. So let's go bloopers first. Bloopers. Are there anything that you is there anything you've struggled with or things that stick which you're like, ooh, that's kind of could go under the blooper reel territory of your dancing life. Oh struggled with um I don't know. Or something that's gone wrong, or joking.

SPEAKER_06 34:26

No!

SPEAKER_00 34:27

I think I've struggled with um putting myself out there. Okay, yeah. It's only within like the last year I've actually been like, alright, Jesse, actually can do this.

SPEAKER_01 34:36

Yes, you can.

SPEAKER_00 34:38

I think uh that's a struggle that confidence, especially commercial, it's all about confidence. I'm sorry, oh my gosh. Um so that's something I um yeah being in the rooms is scary, but I've learnt to be uncomfortable. Comfortable, well not comfortable, I've learned to be uncomfortable.

SPEAKER_02 34:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:55

And be uncomfortable. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. That's it. That's the one that's the saying.

SPEAKER_02 35:00

Because you went to London, didn't you? Recently again. I feel like you took to like live down there. Yeah. And then were you in a lot of those commercial spaces? Were you doing more of those?

SPEAKER_00 35:09

Yeah, so I was training um with Runway. I did two terms with them, uh, back to back. Um, and I was like, oh my gosh, I was like, this is next level. It's literally a little fish, big ocean. And I'm just like, this is amazing, great, loved it. But I was like, oh my gosh. Yeah, make sure it's a little bit, yeah. And um one of the the tutors there, she was like, You're a great dancer, but you dance like this, like a strait jacket, and you have to learn how to let go. And ever since she said told me that, I've been like trying to figure out how to let go so then I can actually do. But that's all about confidence, being in those rooms, being uncomfortable. Yeah, so doing it more, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 35:53

You've put yourself out there. Oh, amazing. Okay, let's go on to a highlight then. What do you feel like has been the peak of your career, your dance life so far? So far. So far, is there anything that sticks out that's like, oh, that was amazing, or I'd love to do more of that? Something good. Yeah, I would hope.

SPEAKER_00 36:14

There'll be lots of things.

SPEAKER_02 36:16

There'll be lots of things.

SPEAKER_00 36:18

I think at the moment um doing like going to like spaces like night on the floor events or the Clarity Dean did a event at South Bank. Um I've been enjoying being in those spaces. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, as much as I love performing and like um like if it was doing a performance with yourself or whatever, like I enjoy doing that, but at the same time, like I enjoy like being able to like be in a battling scene. Well, I'm not a battler, but I mean in a battling scene and just like exploring that area. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_02 36:56

Would you do you get up and battle as well? Have you? No. Would you? I did prelims. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 37:02

Once that means it means like the entry. We're like prelims are that's like the first stage. And then if you get selected by the judge, then you get to go bad.

SPEAKER_02 37:18

Is that crazy? Create like a different level of confidence and a different level of getting out your head.

SPEAKER_00 37:23

Yeah, because if you don't get to pick the track, you don't know who you're against, you'll know the judges, you don't know like how many people are in there. Sometimes you do, and then when you get in the space, you just have to like be on it. So is it one to one-on-one? When you get further down, I don't get to the stages. Okay, well, that's just that's just crazy. Not yet. Yeah, not yet, not yet. Yeah, but yeah, that's wild. One on one, two and two, three and three. And then sometimes, like when it was at South Bank, they would like, okay, numbers two, eight, sixteen, you're a group, and now you have to like work together against this guy. It's sick, yeah. Gosh, that's cool though. Battery is sick, but it's not my forte, but I enjoy it.

SPEAKER_02 38:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's fun that you're doing that, and like you've picked that as a highlight, so you must be enjoying it. Do you feel like you're in one of the movies that you used to watch when you were little? Or have you not?

SPEAKER_00 38:11

I think I think when you're actually doing that, I know when I get into like maybe like the one-on-ones or in the groups, maybe then you'll be like I mean you get saved right now. I'm actually yes, I am.

SPEAKER_01 38:21

I know that's so cool because that's literally what you're like inspired by. And it's like you're actually doing it. Oh, that is amazing.

SPEAKER_02 38:28

With this song, You Rock My World by Michael Jackson, is there anything that sticks out in your head that you've danced to to that, or is it just a song? Yeah?

SPEAKER_00 38:35

Yeah, I how many years ago now? A good few years ago, I literally did a freestyle in the Trinity Centre. I feel like I've archived it on my Instagram now because it was on there. Was this a uni thing?

SPEAKER_03 38:47

I thought you could say archived in your head.

SPEAKER_00 38:49

No, I don't think it was that uni.

SPEAKER_03 38:51

Oh, because yeah, I had that uni.

SPEAKER_02 38:52

Oh, yeah, sorry, sorry. Yeah, except Jesse's was Rot My Word by Michael Jackson. Yours was walking around pretending you're hula-hooping with zero sound. I don't think it could be.

SPEAKER_00 39:01

Was that for the assessment where was it the outside?

SPEAKER_03 39:03

It was just like an extra little thing, I think, that we could do like during Ramsey. But who's it?

SPEAKER_00 39:09

Just walking around with the hula hoop.

SPEAKER_03 39:10

I just wondered if it was so much to you.

SPEAKER_00 39:12

No, no, no.

SPEAKER_02 39:12

No hula hoop.

SPEAKER_03 39:13

No hula pretending like you were hula hooping.

SPEAKER_05 39:17

No hula hooping. Give me a quite good.

SPEAKER_02 39:27

Oh my gosh, sorry. So back to the actual dance. What was yours?

SPEAKER_00 39:31

Yeah, no, it was just a freestyle of the Trinity Centre. Freestyle. Yeah. So did you just do this random flash mob by yourself? Bro, I was sat, we was sat with my sister, her friend. I think it was like another one of my friends, and the song came on over like as in like the food court area. The food came on, I was like, get the cameras up. Love. But to be fair, my giants, especially this song, if it's playing, I'm going to be dancing. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 39:59

Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is what this section's about. Don't really shake your boot. You've got to get up. You've got this song's where you put on and you're like, I can't, it's can't not move. No, yeah, but I feel like that's where it's like in us, you know, as dancers, and we're like, oh, you I cannot sit still and be like to this song. I can't. It's what the sound step up for a born from a boom box. It's in us. That is the best saying it's not the best saying for a boom box. It's like when it's on, just gotta move. I have to move. Yeah, 100%. 100%. Um, do you think there's anything that you've learned in your career that will help you to get more of those highlight moments? I feel like it's quite a lot of yours is about like joy and like enjoying it.

SPEAKER_00 40:41

It is, but I think I think it's um always be a student. Always be a student, and you can never not learn enough. In this industry, it's changing forever. You always have to be on your A game, you always have to make sure you know where your fundamentals come from in any type of style. So always be a student, yeah. And be open to taking on constructive criticism. Ooh, nice, nice, good one.

SPEAKER_02 41:13

Love that. We've got about 60 seconds now. You're going to give us your master class. You're gonna give us your masterclass minute. So this is okay. Don't mean you have to get up.

SPEAKER_01 41:29

This is advice. No, it's 60 seconds.

SPEAKER_02 41:34

Yeah, um, 60 seconds of like real talk. So just things you've learned or things that are going to inspire the next generation. If someone's watching this or listening and they're like, I want to be like cool dress. Oh, it's me. I want to be a cool dress. Yeah, we're gonna take some notes while you're talking actually. But if someone wants to do it or make it their real life or go to London or anything that you've like learnt, yeah, what would you say to someone who's looking at you from a younger perspective? Ready, sell it, go.

SPEAKER_00 42:05

I would say do it. Whatever is holding you back, find a way to break through. Um you can only make it by yourself. As in, yes, you'll have your peers, yes, you'll have your family, but at the end of the day, it's you against you. Don't worry about the next person, don't worry about the person ahead of you or the person behind you, focus on you. And once you start doing that, you'll start seeing your own confidence grow. You'll put yourself in those spaces where you want to be, most importantly, where you are needed to be. Definitely. Um never ever look down on somebody, never ever look bad at somebody because at the end of the day, if you want to get into this industry, that person most likely is gonna be working with you. Always be polite, be res respectful, and um enjoy it. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 42:53

Yes! Amazing, ten seconds left. Okay.

SPEAKER_05 43:05

Stay save. Because you still looked cool. I hate how cool you are. I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_02 43:17

That was amazing. Yes, I think there was a lot of yeah, really, really, really good things there that you said. Just being being nice and being like you said that person next to you could be someone you're working with. Eventually they could be the choreographer that doesn't then book you the job because you've been mean to them. Do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 43:33

It's just being I've had conversations with other people, um, or like advice from other people, or even being in audition rooms myself, and you can you can tell. Unfortunately, in this industry, you can tell like where the clicks are and stuff like that. And yes, as much as you want to be in those clicks, you have to be remain true to you and also like respectful because nobody wants to work with a bad apple. Yes, exactly. At the same time, like show 'em who you are, like bro. Like, do what you gotta do, but yeah, be respectful doing it.

SPEAKER_02 44:02

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And at the end of the day, we're just all dancing, like it, like what's Alex was saying in the workshop. Like, it's it's not that deep. We're just dancing for fun. Like, it's just it's just fun, and like we do it because we love it. So I said, just like don't lose that, just enjoy it. Like you said, enjoy it. Stay safe. This song and stay safe. Stay safe. This song, Big Sean, Freshman 10. There's an E on it. Let's see if I can get the bit which misses the E. Caroline.

SPEAKER_05 44:32

I heard them named J. Cole, and they say they're the latest place. So they got a Photoshop of me. I hope right. Oh, there's one there.

unknown 44:41

That way.

SPEAKER_05 44:43

Anyway, the hip hop world.

SPEAKER_02 44:46

Yeah. Oh, is this a song that's inspired you, or you think I will hope inspire the next generation?

SPEAKER_00 44:52

Inspire the next generation. He was um working on his album, I think it was releasing his album. Like people around him were finishing school and stuff, but around this time he was like locked in. Yeah. That's wild. Yeah. Oh my god. And then it was like for that one. I love that song. And it's a freestyle.

SPEAKER_02 45:07

I'm just like, but um, yeah, I think like sorry, the fact he said freestyle, he's just freestyled that. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:16

I just thought that was love. Yeah, it's very special to him.

SPEAKER_02 45:20

Freestyle, what that is skills.

SPEAKER_00 45:22

Yeah, I mean, hey, I wish I could have them. I'm not a rapper. I can see yes. As far as we get.

SPEAKER_01 45:29

You can have a different hat this time, a cap backwards, and you can be rapping away.

SPEAKER_03 45:35

Did you dance to your own rap?

SPEAKER_05 45:36

No. No. Right, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_03 45:38

Um As soon as you said, like, oh, you can be a rapper, so wear your hat backward. I was like, No.

SPEAKER_00 45:43

Yeah, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I won't stick rapping is not for me. I promise you that.

SPEAKER_02 45:49

I promise you that. I know that's really cool though, though. Yeah. But I feel like that's I know this is slight tangent here, but it's all about the music. That's like similar to freestyle dance, so you just have to get yourself out of that headspace and just you just gotta do it. You just gotta blah blah blah blah tour, I can imagine. I don't know how easy that is. But it's the same with dance, you know what I'm saying? Blah blah blah. Instead of rapping. Yeah. But um, oh, amazing! Is there anything that you want to finish off with, want to tell everyone or say? Uh no, I've just really enjoyed being on the podcast. Thank you very much. Amazing! Have you got any more tips of how to be cool?

SPEAKER_00 46:24

I'll leave that to cool Jess at some point.

SPEAKER_01 46:26

You are cool, Jess.

SPEAKER_02 46:28

Yeah, I'm sorry. Don't find your hat backwards.

SPEAKER_05 46:31

Don't wear that.

SPEAKER_02 46:32

I feel like I need to put this to bed. I'm very sorry that I don't call you cool, Jess. Because you are cool. You are cool. Yeah. Jess like Shaggy.

SPEAKER_00 46:42

Oh no, thank you so much for coming. Thank you. What where can we find you? What are your socials? Uh my socials are Jess underscore NH underscore X, or you've got J N H choreography as one hole. Amazing! Yay! Thank you so much. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 47:00

Thank you so much for listening, everyone. Oh, we just had the funniest time doing that episode. She's great. What a laugh. What a fun laugh. And we all just want to be like cool dress. It's true. We'll have to sort out the outfits first, but we just want to be like a we then went tried. We do we do try. We went outside and did a TikTok. Um, I literally wrote down a cool dance to do together, and it was like. We'll let you decide whether you think it was cool or not. Yeah. Well, a third of it was cool, that being cool dress. You can go find it over on TikTok. Um, and thank you so much for listening. Hope you enjoyed the episode. Let us know who you want to see on the podcast. We are imminently about to move the caravan and take it up and down the country. So let us know who you want to go and find who you want us to go and find.

SPEAKER_01 47:48

If you want to find coming you, coming to it. City new.

SPEAKER_03 47:52

Um a motorway.

SPEAKER_01 47:55

That's gonna be so fun. No, I can't even cope because with the the like logo on the side, we'd be like, hi, it's uh I can't wait.

SPEAKER_02 48:04

I'm really excited. Yeah, I know that I will need to do that. But also, the vlogs will be coming of that of us moving up and down the country, so that's gonna be a fun one, I'm sure. Thank you so much for listening, everyone, and we'll see you next time. See you soon. Bye.