Daisy Intantas-Lagdamen
Show Notes
Daisy Infantas-Lagdamen is a bicoastal professional dancer who can be seen dancing in the films In The Heights and Hocus Pocus 2, as well as working for top choreographer and directors such as Luz Frias, Luam, Bo Park, Jon Rua, Neil Shwartz, Ian McKenzie, and Candace Brown.
In today’s episode, Daisy discusses what was required of her on her path from training to professional work, how past trauma still influences her current dance journey, and the importance of shifting from external to internal validation.
She also voices the deep connection between students and teachers, how it is vital to find and fight for what fuels you, and how to practice grace both with yourself and others.
Transcript
Hello and Welcome to the Story Project. I’m your host, Jessica Altchiler. Today’s guest is Daisy Infantas-Lagdamen, a bicoastal professional dancer who has an affinity for elevating and pushing other dancers. Born and raised in Hartford, CT, her Peruvian culture became a bridge to learning all styles of hip hop. You can find Daisy dancing in the hit movies "In the Heights" and "Hocus Pocus 2." She is also a member of the New York City performance company Shinsa, which showcases immersive art, storytelling and more.
Daisy’s movement is a reflection of the teachers and artists she’s trained under including Luz Frias, Luam, Bo Park, Jon Rua, Neil Shwartz, Ian McKenzie, Candace Brown, and many more. Daisy believes that creating safe spaces for others to grow and encouraging others through positive affirmations are necessary in order to reach our fullest potential.
In today’s episode, Daisy highlights the transformative moments of her professional career, voices the way that trauma has shaped her artistry, and describes the obstacles and triumphs on her path towards empowerment. Here is, Daisy Infantas-Lagdamen.
Jessica
Hello, Daisy!
Daisy
Hi! I'm great! How are you?
Jessica
How are you?
Jessica
I am great. I'm so happy to be chatting with you. We have always been like ships passing in the night. I only see you if we are overlapping on our teaching schedule or at some random show. And this is our first time that we've actually been able to sit down and have a conversation. So I guess I just needed to start a podcast to have a real conversation with you.
Daisy
Thank you.
Jessica
Guess that's it.
Daisy
but God's saying something.
Jessica
Yeah, definitely. So before we dive into everything, can you start us off by telling us what your human bio is? So what is your bio that exists off of your resume?
Daisy
Oh my gosh.
Jessica
It's a vague one.
Daisy
That's a big one. Okay, so my human bio is I am a Hispanic woman from Peru, born and raised here in Connecticut. And I grew up with a love of dance and a love of art in general. And I am very empathetic. Like I'm super sensitive sometimes other people's emotions and their pains and stuff like that. I'm very interested in psychology, so I did psychology and that actually helped me dive deeper into the arts world, which is great. And so into the arts world, I am just a passionate artist that just wants to keep creating and keep giving and help other people feel through my movement, through expression without me verbalizing anything. And aside from that, aside from dance, I am a dog lover. I'm a mama for a doggy named Leo. I am happily married and I own a nice, beautiful multi-family home. And I'm just living life, trying to travel and explore things and find who I am more through exploration, aside from just, you know, understanding my roots as a Peruvian woman.
Jessica
Mm hmm. That's beautiful. Yeah. So can you tell us more about what it was like growing up as an artist and what outlets you had and what training you had and all that fun stuff?
Daisy
So, my mom would, well she came here from Peru, she immigrated here with her husband and behold, I was born here in Connecticut. And interestingly enough, the family in Peru, they would send over videos all the time and I'm talking about bootleg videos. You know the DVDs that are like hella bootleg? They would send those over, and that was my form of watching like tv or things just to like keep my mind and my body entertained and one of them that they sent me was michael jackson and so i started obsessing over michael jackson not just that but like literally i would dance in my basement like there was a there's like an outlet out of all places you think that there's an outlet like on the floor like in the corners no there's one in the ceiling next to a light bulb so i had to reach up there with a chair to plug in a radio to play like some CDs or things that I just really wanted to dance into and just I would pretend all the time like any type of scene that the song would say or like speak in some sense. And Michael Jackson was one of them. And my mom had a TV now so then boom, DVDs, started watching more stuff. And then I just started getting into all these different styles of dance and not just like Michael Jackson. It was like the song that were popular at the time or at least in Peru. From there, that was just me throughout middle school. And then high school hit, and I actually got very lucky and got into the arts high school, which was so crazy to me because I thought that was not real, and it was. I was like, yeah, my dad is like. So I dabbled into photography. I dabbled into acting. I did acting for the four years there, but aside from that, I started dancing. And my first class ever. in that high school was an African class. And I was like, oh my gosh, I love this because we had to go across the floor. And it was very tied down to some of the Afro-Peruvian roots in terms of the dances that I've learned. So it was kind of easier for me to understand that type of language. And the person I was teaching was just like, hey, I have a studio, like, would you want to come and like visit? And I was like, yeah, like put me on. And so I went and that was my first experience being inside of a dance studio.
Daisy
But unfortunately my parents couldn't afford it. So I wasn't able to fully train in the expense of like, under the expense of my parents. But the beauty of that was that I made so many friends there that I would just hang out with them. And they weren't the like classically trained, like they were more so hip hop trained. So I was learning different styles like whacking and voguing and popping and waving and all these things and a little bit of crumping and things like that and I've learned that through them and it wasn't just because it was like a dance class because it barely was, it was more so just like a session and that's how I got into more the dance scene here in Connecticut where it was just freestyle and I would like go with them to this freestyle session, everyone was dancing different styles in every corner of the room and I'm like oh my gosh this is great. I like that, can you teach me that? Can you teach me that? I want to learn this, I want to learn that. And so I just started learning those different styles. Are my earrings hitting the headphones? Let me take them off. I'm going to take them off.
Jessica
I was gonna let you finish and then I was gonna tell you that. I was like, I don't want to stop. This is so good. It's like, da da.
Daisy
Thanks for listening. I was like, they're hitting. On beat. And I'm like, tap, tap. But, um...
Jessica
That's so much better.
Daisy
So yeah, basically that's kind of how I grew up. And then there was like a thing called breakdancing Shakespeare. And I was like, what's that? And it was combining theater with break dancing, obviously. And it was awesome because I was able to marry those two different worlds. So I learned so many different styles like that. And I didn't really go into a dance studio and learn ballet or anything. But that's pretty much how I grew up. I grew up more of a freestyle dancer than I did like a professional dancer. Um, and that was like throughout my high school. And then once I hit college, I just started dancing. Like I started choreographing a little bit. Um, and then did like competitions and stuff like that, which is fun. It was cute. It was a good time. And then that's, I think my last year, I think that's when I met Ray and Ray’s my husband, for those who don't know, right? Ray and Ray has been doing a lot of professional work. He's been training it. He has expanded his horizon by going to LA, going to New York, knowing all these teachers and all these choreographers and taking class. He has so many connections and he still does. When I met him, I was just taking his class. I was like, okay, cool, whatever. But then eventually, obviously, we started becoming more than just friends. He actually introduced me to a lot of the dancers that I know now. That's how I got into more of the professional route. And the fact that I kind of already know these foundational styles amplified that even more. And then he also put me on to being a teacher at Rockwell for the first time. Mind you, I did not really know how to teach in that sense, so I was trying to learn counts around that era. I would just say the sounds and I'd just be like, good luck.
Jessica
Hahahaha
Daisy
But through that I learned how to better break things down for other people and also it helped me learn more about the styles that I'm teaching and how to better teach it and how it feels in my body and how to better articulate it to other people so they understand where it's actually coming from or where to pull from. And from that and training in New York and going to other places like that because of Raymond like it completely elevated
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
Daisy
who I am as a dancer, as an artist. So that's pretty much my dance journey as like from the ground all the way up to now.
Jessica
Mm-hmm. Yeah, it's been quite a beautiful journey. You're such a stunning dancer. And I just saw all of your choreography at the Rockwell recital and I was like, oh my, it's so incredible. I can't wait for your choreography to be everywhere. And so when you were gone off on your big job and we were there the last few weeks of the school year and so...Raymond would come in and he was subbing for your class. And I would be like, holy sh*t, this is so good. And we're standing next to each other and I just keep talking and he keeps being like, yup, it's all Daisy. I'm like, I know, but I can keep saying it to you, right? I can keep freaking out about it to you, right? Cause you agree and all of that. Just so blown away. So can you talk about what your transition has been like into the professional world and what are some
Daisy
Hahahaha
Jessica
jobs and opportunities that have really been shaping you and you have like representation and all of that kind of stuff.
Daisy
Of course.
Daisy
So with the transition from a freestyle dancer to someone that dances professionally now, it's still kind of a tough journey, but it's something that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. So, When I went to these classes, I was like, I'm gonna have fun. This is something that's obviously out of my comfort zone. There's no point in me stressing about getting the choreography steps correct because this is my first time or like, the kind of like new to me of picking out choreography in that sense or expressing myself through choreography and not just doing the choreography alone. And that was a process too, because at first I was just learning the teacher and how to just dance like them.
Jessica
Mmm.
Daisy
And then after a while, they're like, no, you gotta put your own sauce in there. You gotta put your own thing in there. And I went, how the hell am I gonna do that? I'm like learning, I'm here to learn from you. Do you know what I mean? So once that started happening, I was like, okay, so maybe the steps that I'm taking, like maybe I can maneuver in a way where it's still staying true to the choreography. However, I can add my own texture. I can add my own level. I can add more feeling to a specific step, things like that. And...
Jessica
Mmm.
Daisy
I can be calmer in this step. I can be minimalistic in this step. So it's like that's how I found my own voice in a sense of just stylizing what felt good for me, but also staying true to the choreography. And I kept doing that. You know, I kept learning more choreography, learning more choreography. Honestly, it's just like body memory. Like just the more you take classes, the more you learn. Like the better is that you retain the choreography and execute the choreography as well. And then on top of that, that's how you make your connections. And that's how I made majority of my connections. It was through classes. It was through me being in the front and not caring about what other people thought. And you know how I am. My energy is very up and I'm always like really excited and I'm like loud at some points. Like I love being that. I love being me in that sense because it causes everyone else. Like it makes everyone else understand that.
Jessica
Hmm.
Daisy
this is not a life or death class. It's not a life or death situation. And it makes people feel a little bit more comfortable and I love that. And that also puts my mind at ease too because if I'm like really like serious and like, I don't know, you know, it just feels weird for me. It feels like I have no choice but to prove myself in a sense of like, I need, like I need this job. I need this, you know, versus like, I'm just here. I'm here to live. I'm here to like dance. I'm here to exchange energy.
Jessica
Yes. Mm-hmm.
Daisy
And exchange energy was the word for me for a while because since I grew up in a freestyle background, we also did battles and that was it. Battles I saw as an exchange of energy and exchange of words through movement. Um, so as I was taking classes and stuff like that, that was my mindset. Just like, you're just exchanging energy. Like you're learning on top of that. Like there's nothing wrong with that. And that's, that's ultimately how I got to where I am in terms of getting the jobs that I got and, um,
Yeah, just through connection and just being who you are, just being real, like be nice. One thing, be nice, be human, because a lot of the times the choreographers and the people, they're stressed the hell out. They're trying to figure things out. And the last thing they need is for someone to be like up their butt every five seconds. They're like treating them like they're the goddess or something like that every five seconds, you know? Cause it makes them feel like they have no choice but to be perfect or something that they're not. And that's how I landed the majority of my job is just by being human. Just be human, just be you. And for a while being me, I was like, what the hell does that mean? Like, what does me mean? Like, what do I bring to the table? What makes me different than all these 85 billion dancers in the world? And it was just the positivity that I have, the empathy that I have, like the energy that I give in the space and, you know, the encouraging, like just me just being openly expressive without feeling like I am stuck in a cage or if I'm stressed out like I obviously dance is very stressful it's very cutthroat but now what? You know what I mean? Like what can you do with that? Are you gonna sit and like tear yourself apart over it or are you gonna just put your best foot forward and do what you need to do you know? In terms of being yourself and be unapologetically yourself at that - that's even harder, especially in a world where like, they're looking for a specific look and like dancers feel like they need to be a specific way. And it's like, no, you don't just be yourself. She's like, you're fine. And the jobs that are for you will come to you. They won't miss you. And something that I also learned too, where it's like, I used to be very stressed out over jobs and would really like mentally
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
Daisy
beat myself up because I didn't get a job. And it wasn't even because I was bad or anything, it was because I just wasn't the look that they were going for. And it wasn't like anything personal either, it was just because they needed a specific type of look or style and things like that. And it took a really long time for me to like get over that. Sometimes it still gets to be today. For example, there was, you know how like Encanto had, they had like a live thing in LA? I went to LA and auditioned for that. And
Jessica
Mm.
Daisy
because I went to LA specific to audition for that, which is money out of my own pocket, and I have my reservation headshot, I'm staying at an Airbnb, which is also out of my pocket, in my head it started to become, sis, like you need this job, like you travel, there's no way you're not gonna, like you need to get this job. And I did the audition and everything and it was fine, like I'm, you know, I made it to the last round and it was great and I had fun, and I went home and I didn't hear anything from them,
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
Daisy
like what's going on? They're like yeah casting already went out and I was like tears everywhere and I was like wait a minute what's this it like if this job had never existed would I really be like this right now like am I just doing this because of the fact that like what's the reason for this is it because the job came into my life and I feel like I needed to get this job or is it just because I don't know like other sources, you know? And I started really thinking about it like, okay, this job came out of nowhere, like many other jobs, it's not a life or death situation. And you kind of made yourself believe that you really needed this job, rather than this is something that I've always wanted to do. Do you know what I mean? So, I say that to say like,
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
Daisy
again, like it's still a struggle mentally in terms of just professionally booking jobs and things like that. But at the same time, it's like, again, going back to knowing who you are and like, knowing that sometimes the audition process is going to be tough or like knowing that it's not about you right now. It's not before you. Because when I saw the show, like it looked amazing, but I was like, oh, I see why now. Like I see why that job wasn't for me. And that's the beauty of it because
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
Daisy
Now I'm able to have that process and be like, okay, well, I'm with my next journey, which led me to a lot of amazing new opportunities. So yeah, like there's just so much to unpack in regards to the professional dance world, but mentally navigating through it all is kind of tough, but just to have like good support systems is really good. But by having that, you also need to be brave enough to explore other sources, explore other classes, to find those people.
Jessica
Yeah.
Daisy
that actually give a shit about you. And that's something that I found too, to be very helpful because there's classes that I went to where it was just for show, it was just for the camera, which is, if that's something that you wanna do, which is great, like do your thing, but I personally seek out classes that I know will be transformative in a sense where, yes, I'm training, but also I'm with someone that actually cares about my growth, that actually values me being there to grow and also
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
Daisy
You know, just being a regular human being that's very empathetic, understanding, but also real enough to tell you like, I'm here to push you. This is what you need to do with love. You know what I mean? Instead of like, here, give me your $45 for a two hour class with a videotape and you're learning a combo and then bye! Like you did a great job. You know what I mean? It's just, it makes you want to melt.
Jessica
Yes.
Jessica
Mm-hmm. Yes.And the other thing about having that audition experience is that, like you're saying, so many of your jobs and opportunities have come from being human and knowing somebody. And auditions are very similar in that way that even if it's not your friend or something like that, oh, that casting director saw me in this and realized I wasn't right for it. But then three months later, I'm going to get a call from them and this other opportunity came up for me. So you just never know going into an audition is often not about the audition for the job you're actually auditioning for. It's about building experience and making connections and all of those other things. And it's also amazing to sit back and be able to say, oh yeah, I get why I didn't get that job. I get what I understood. I understand why I got far in the process.
Daisy
Mm-hmm.100%.
Jessica
And I also understand why it's not for me, or at least not for me at this point of time. So that also goes back to being human, being like, oh yeah, it's not just, oh, I'm bad, I didn't get it. There's so many other factors that have to do with it.
Daisy
Right. And on top of that, like there's gonna be so many more random opportunities that pop up. And that's something good to know too in your head where you like for some reason in that moment I was like, oh my gosh, like that's not an opportunity that's gonna happen ever again. But there's so many other opportunities that will better serve you. And it could be with the same like agent, not agent, but you know, the company could be with something else. So like I 100% agree with you there but also something that I want other people to know too, you know, that like it's okay to like be not okay in that moment, but you know, take your time with it. Be soft on yourself because the world's already hard enough. So it's just like to acknowledge that is something that we should do and then just find the right step, like step forward and be like, there's going to be other opportunities. Like there's going to be something that's for me out there. Just even like the affirmation is going to help like a ton.
Jessica
And I appreciate you noting that it's not about saying, oh, don't worry about it. Don't be upset about it. It's not about that. I appreciate you noting that because, yeah, it sucks if you had your hopes up for something and didn't get it, or you really loved that musical and you really wanted to work for it and you thought this was your time and it's not, or those things can be really upsetting and heartbreaking. It's just that...you need to develop a kind of sense of self-worth and understanding of your own trajectory and your own unique path, where that's not going to completely determine who you are and how you exist.
Daisy
Mmm, 100%.
Jessica
Yeah. What was it like for you on the path towards getting representation? And how's that been for you?
Daisy
It was actually pretty easy. It wasn't hard. It was just great.
Jessica
That's great.
Daisy
Well, here's the thing. I auditioned for other agencies before, like in person. And I didn't get it, obviously. But it was very different. It depends on what agent you want to be in. So you have to do some research into people that are under that agency if you want to work with them. And find your why. Why do you want to be with an agency? Obviously, to get more jobs, be represented and stuff like that. But my process with that was super simple. Like I just submitted it. I submitted an email to MSA and I was like, hey, I'm looking for representation. Here's my headshot and resume and dance reel. But it's also funny because at the time I was hired for Hocus Pocus. So that was more of an incentive for them to email me back. Which was nice.
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
Daisy
Hocus Pocus I booked on my own. I didn't need an agent, but it's very helpful. Like if you do book a job, it's super helpful to email like an agency right then and there. So that way they have some sort of incentive to be like, oh, you're already booking stuff. Like, of course I'll represent you. So that helped a lot. And I just sent them that email and stuff like that. And we did a phone call and then we did like a full, like live, kind of like an online interview. But it was very weird because I didn't hear from them for the next three months. And they're like, yeah, we'll let you know. And I was like, three months go by. And I'm like, you know what, I'm just going to reach out to another agent or something. But it comes to find out it was because they were moving locations. So they were not really speaking to anyone for those three months. Um, so I emailed them again and I was like, Hey, touching base, like if there's any, like from our last conversation. Um. I would love to do another interview just to catch up, see if anything changes or things like that. And I sent it and I went to New York. I was like, I'm going to take class. And I went to take class. And as I was driving, I got a whole bunch of emails from MSA and I was like, what's happening? And they're like, we would love to represent you. You signed all this paperwork. And I was like,
Jessica
I gotta pull over.
Daisy
What just happened? I called Ray and I was like, what? Like, did I just get, I'm in the agency now? That's so crazy. That was like that. It's so fast, which is so crazy to me. But there's so many loopholes. Like if you have, if you know a choreographer that's also a choreographer in that agency, like they can recommend you and then you'll boom, you'll get the, sort this depends. You can get the agency, like things like that. But a big, big caution that I would say, and I have a caution.
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
Daisy
I would like to invite and offer up a shift of perspective in regards to how you would view an agent. Because I used to think I needed to work my butt off for an agency. But reality is they work for you. They can give you all of the information, like all of the audition info and like put you on for other audition possibilities and things like that. However, it's up to you to book the job. And if you book the job, they still will collect your 10% of your check. So they work for you. Like you need to tell them what you want to do. You need to tell them what are some things that you would like them to look out for so they can better accommodate for you. They're very good at even helping you pick your headshot and resume. Like not headshot and resume, but headshots. Like things that would help better get people like, you know, to see you and be like, oh, I think she'd be great. And then, you know, go from there. But a big thing is they work for you, you don't work for them. So again, you can still book jobs without them because I did that. I booked two movies without an agent. So, you know, it's very possible to work without them, but it's also, you know, it's helpful to have them, but they work for you, you know?
Jessica
Mm-hmm. I try to remind my performer friends of the same thing when you go into an audition. Like, you're both really auditioning each other because they can't do this without you. They can't have a show or a movie or whatever it is without you. So it's not to say like, come in all arrogant and you need me. It's not what I'm saying at all. But just know that when is this exchange of energy. It's this mutual exchange. Like we want you, you want us. Let's see if we're connecting. Let's see if this is a right fit. And then it takes a lot of the performative pressure off. And I also want to just say that
Daisy
Exactly. Mm-hmm.
Jessica
you're saying it was easy to get your agent. And I wanna give you a little more credit than that because it was easy in the sense that you emailed and you had an interview and then you got it, right? But number one, you had all of your years of training and working your ass off leading up to that. You had all of the jobs that you booked on your own. You had the other agencies that you applied to that you didn't get and you kept going and said, oh wait, this is actually a great agency for me, I'm gonna keep persevering. You had the strength and the courage to reach out to them and then you had the strength and the courage to reach back out to them when you hadn't heard from them and not to not get defeated about it, but to say, hey, I think this would actually be a good fit, let me keep pushing forward. So it's easy in the very end when it all came together, but you worked your ass off, you had rejection, you kept fighting for it. So I think it wasn't easy, not to totally undermine what you're saying, but you worked your ass off to get to that point. And then finally the right team saw that work and saw what you were capable of and said, fuck yeah, I'm so lucky that I'm gonna have Daisy in our agency. Great, I'm so excited.
Daisy
Hehehehe
Jessica
So.
Daisy
100%. Thanks girl, come on perspective.
Jessica
Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's such a good reminder. You could have easily said, hey, I've applied for a few agencies, and I guess I'm just not right. And you could have said, hey, I'm not going to go to these auditions because you need an agent to go to these big auditions for big movies. There are all these excuses that we give ourselves, hint me, that we make for ourselves.
Daisy
Mmm.
Jessica
And so those are huge hurdles to get over and you did them. And can you tell us about those fun movies and if they were fun?
Daisy
They were! So my very first movie that I booked as a dancer was In the Heights and that is under the direction of Christopher Scott, Ebony Williams, Dana Wilson, Emilio. These people I've seen and I've saw them being in other movies and things like that so I was like, oh my gosh, I thought that should be it. But how I got to understand that there was an open audition was through one of my friends, Freddie. He...Um, he just sent like, I guess they posted on Instagram or something and then he just sent forward it to a lot of people and I was like, oh, okay, well, I guess I’ll go. Might as well. What am I going to lose? And I went and oh my gosh, it was so packed. It was like, it was like if you were to think of a bunch of fish in like a can or something, it's like that's how packed it was. And I went in and it was for a salsa audition and I was like, okay. And they're like, yeah, let's just see a freestyle done, you know, across the floor for like an A count. And I was like, okay. And I did it and then I didn't get anything. And then I was like, okay, sounds good. And then they were doing a workshop, a two hour workshop and I was like, Ray, I have to go. Like this, like I need to learn from them. Like the audition is sure, whatever, but I need to learn from them. Like Dana Wilson I freaking love her. Like Christopher Scott, ah! Like it's just, they're amazing. So I was like, why, what am I gonna lose? I'm gonna go and audition.Not audition, but like dance over there. And I did, and I was in the front, per usual. And I was like having time of my life because it was a lot, it was very interactive and I loved it, it was so much fun. And then I said my thank yous and then after Christopher Scott was like, yo, what are you, do you live in New York or something? I was like, no. He was like, I was like, I mean, I'm an hour away. Like, I'm making something work. Like, what are you thinking? He was like, okay, do you have an agent? I was like, no. And he was like, okay, we're gonna get you an agent. And I said, okay and he was like yeah just right here send this information down we would like to keep in touch with you and i was like but obviously i couldn't be like that so i was like of course like yeah here you go the minute i left that building i was like it was so crazy it was intense and the whole like it's just so crazy to me because it's my first time being an actual movie one two understanding like what my rights are as a dancer in terms of the rehearsal space and dancing on concrete and like workers comp, like all this stuff like changing clothes being paid for that being paid for dancing outside extra because you're doing on concrete for a number amount of hours. If you go past a set of hours and you get paid overtime stuff like that I just didn't know. I learned from that movie and I remember walking into the dance studio for the first rehearsal and I see like Jessica Castro and I see like Frankie and Mandy. People that have already toured and done, they're like OGs in my eyes. Like Frankie has done Rihanna, like he's done Beyonce. Like Mandy was Beyonce's right hand woman back in the day. And like, she's like, oh my gosh. Basically I'm in a room full of people that have been there, done that, know what to expect. Already like performance ready. Like they already did all of this. And I'm over here walking my Connecticut ass in the fucking room, not knowing what's going to happen. And I'm like, am I in the right room? First of all, am I in the right room? And then we just started getting to know each other and we did the pool scene and no no no, we did the opening and then we did a pool scene and then there's a park scene. So the pool scene was very interesting too because it was in like an open pool, but we had to rehearse in a private pool. And one thing about me, we had to go under water at some point, I don’t go underwater regularly. I had to do like this. So I had to figure out.
Jessica
Mm. She's covering her nose. She's holding her nose.
Daisy
I don't think, I sorry, I had to cover my nose because I'm just that type of person in the water. I still haven't even mastered that to this day. But it's just hilarious because I had to learn how to do some of these water stuff. And I'm like, I don't even know how to properly hold my breath underwater without plugging my nose. So I had to figure it out. Like there was a lot of those types of challenges where I'm like, I have to figure it out. Like I don't know what to figure it out. But with that stress came like laughter and like learning and acknowledging and like stuff like that because I was around people that were also very human. Like they were like, yeah, I got you. Like I'll help you. And they would crack jokes, especially when it's a time where you can tell that everyone's kind of stressed. And when we went to the actual setting for the pool scene the water was actually below the temperature that we're supposed to be swimming in which is like below 80 degrees So it was freezing and on top of that it was raining. So we had to do still do the pool scene while it was raining and We did that for like three days. So well the first day we kind of went on a strike because we're like, no, we're not being in this water, my lips turning purple like people were not, their bodies were super stiff in the water, like it was very hard. So the next day they warmed it up a little bit more and things like that. And we were able to shoot the scenes and I remember Ebony was like, hey, let's go over this section because it looks like you're marking it. And I'm like, what? I'm not marking it. And that shot my confidence down so much because I'm like, I'm not going to my fullest, I guess. And so I remember talking to my friends and he was like, I think it was Emilio and he was like, just pull her to the side and say what specific like moves would you like, that you would like, that she would like you to dance bigger in. And I said, okay. So I went up to her and like, she helped me and things like that. But it shot my confidence down because I was like, damn, I suck. I'm not performing in the coolest capability like everyone else is. But.
Jessica
Mm-hmm. Hmm.
Daisy
After that, I felt better in terms of just talking to her and asking for specificities. So I know that it's not just the entirety of the moves. So that kind of helped me a little bit better and just performing it more made me tap in more emotionally, which helps my performance elevate even more because now at this point I'm speaking from my heart and I notice that when I speak from my heart more, I just blackout in a sense of just going off. And that...
Jessica
Yeah.
Jessica
Hmm.
Daisy
part was the most transformative for me of just understanding like where I'm speaking from when I'm dancing and like how big I'm dancing in and what capabilities can I do like what things can I do and adjust and stuff like that and just being on it like just being aware being present especially in that moment of like hey they need to do this and do that and just being opened for changes because a lot of things happen in that sense so that was like the pool scene and the park scene was a lot easier like after that it just became a lot smoother which was nice because I was seeing similar faces and I was able to be a lot more comfortable and even learn more information again about like what my rights are as a dancer because I didn't know I was just signing papers away I was like give me money but they were like no you get paid extra like because you're past the amount of hours that they're supposed to be shooting and I was like
Jessica
Yeah.
Daisy
So I got paid good, I got paid good. And then that was my series in the Heights and then Hocus Pocus I did, I just submitted an audition video. And originally it was just supposed to be for like an extra and then they were like, hey, we're looking for dance, can you learn this? And I submitted it, I was like, okay. And I did it and then I got in and it was very interesting because now I'm dancing with dancers that are both professional and then just regular people that don't really dance like that.
Jessica
Good.
Daisy
And so it was very interesting to do that because now I'm with like just a big community of people and the steps are super simple, which I loved but then the shoot nights were super cold. So I had like a warm robe and I was, whenever we were gonna shoot, we had to take it off and then go. And mind you I'm wearing like this whole like salsa, like a salsa, like, what is it? It's like a tango type of dress and I have tights on underneath and it's like so cold outside. It was like almost winter time. And I had to dance outside for a number of hours and it was great. I was cold. I didn't get, like we weren't done shooting till like 6 a.m. But I wouldn't trade that for the world because I was like, I'm doing what I love. And on top of that, it's a Hocus Pocus 2 movie and I'm dancing right in front of the OGs of the OGs in Hocus Pocus, which was so crazy to me. I was like literally in the front. Mind you, I wasn't supposed to be in the front.
Jessica
Hmm.
Daisy
I was like literally in the middle and they were like, we need more short people. And I was like, ah! And I literally ran, I bolted to the front. And they're like, yeah, she's short. I was like, thanks. The one time I was like, yeah, I'm short and I'm proud. I'm short and I'm proud. Which was awesome. But yeah, that was my experience of the two movies. And especially when I'm having an agent, it was like very transformative because I had to learn how to like sign my own papers and like understand what I'm looking at. So yeah, those my.
Jessica
Yeah, exactly.
Daisy
long experiences of the two movies that I booked.
Jessica
Yeah. Is it so, do you feel a relief now that you have an agent who can look over that technical, legal stuff?
Daisy
Yes, because I'm not good at that. Math is not my thing. Math is not my friend. And reading some time contracts is like the worst because they're like 85 pages long. So to have an agent, it's nice because I just have to sign one piece of paper. And then like, okay. And she breaks it down for me, like, generalizes that whole entire contract for me. And just so I'm able to see what my rate is, what the hours are like, what dates are what dates are what, and then just a sign to confirm.
Jessica
Yeah.
Daisy
type of thing which is very nice. I like really appreciate that.
Jessica
Mm-hmm. When you were talking about the corrections that you got while you were doing In The Heights and how it deflated your confidence a little bit and you had to rebuild it. It made me think about how as artists, what your, and as dancers specifically, what you are offering as your service is your own body. And so if you think about it like a painter or an illustrator, and you're getting commissioned to do something, you can have the person who's commissioning you say, oh, you know what, I actually want it to be all blue and this is all pink. I don't know. This is a silly example, but it doesn't
Daisy
Hmm, no, but it makes sense. Yeah
Jessica
necessarily have anything to do with what that person made. It's just not what they're looking for in that moment. And it's not always like that. Sometimes some people are not trying enough, or sometimes somebody's movement quality is not what they're looking for, whatever it is. But when you have someone coming over to you, you have to remember that they're looking for something in particular, and it's just that you're not giving them that thing. And it's so hard to remember that when it's your body and yourself.
Daisy
Mm. Right, 100%. That's exactly what it was for me. Because I was like, well, I'm not good enough. She told me to paint purple, and I'm doing green. I was like, this is not it. And so I started freaking out because I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm not doing my job. I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing. And I just started going down the rabbit hole of anxiety and overthinking. And it took Emilio to be like, hey, you're fine. Just ask her what's specific
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
Daisy
moves like specifically that you would like. He just made it like that and I was like damn right it's not that deep and so like that was so transformative too because like that led me to just thinking about other things and even just like understanding critiques versus like thinking that they're like so negative like I grew up thinking about that like someone tries to correct me I'm like oh how dare you like in that sense of like wow am I not good enough rather than
Jessica
Yeah.
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
Daisy
oh, he's just helping me, she's just helping me like, find a better pathway, like a color that can be a lot more visible or something like that, you know? Just to shake things up or add more colors to add more vibrancy to the painting. And that, that took that moment for me, to just be like, oh, she cares, you know? She's not saying I'm horrible, she's just saying she wants more colors.
Jessica
Yes. Right. Yeah. She's not saying you're fired or go hide in the back or go stand behind that really tall person.
Daisy
Yeah, no literally. Yeah.
Jessica
It's so hard to remember that.
Daisy
Yes, it is. And to this day, I still remember, like I remind myself that I think a lot of times when we talk about healing and like self awareness and the things that we've learned, we kind of think that that's the end. But that's not the end. Like there's going to be so many moments in your journey where you're going to overthink or you're going to be down like you're really going to feel like you hit rock bottom and you're going to have like the worst of the worst. But it's just You just have to catch yourself and remind yourself of those things. Um, and it's hard. It's not easy. There's times where I literally break down because I'm frustrated or I'm not getting a move and I just realized that I'm being too hard on myself rather than giving myself grace and I had to remind myself that like, for example, like this week I went, um, and I, we went on a dance retreat, which is so new to me and I'm so grateful for.
Jessica
Hmm.
Daisy
and it was under Jon Rua and he's putting together this beautiful play that's also including a lot of movement in it and I had to learn so many different styles of dance. Girl, I had to learn tap, I had to learn lyrical, I had to learn jazz, salsa partnering, ballroom, under a week. We had 10 hour rehearsals a day and I had to learn all of that. Literally one day I had to learn these four things which was the tap, the jazz. If you hear a dog snoring, that's my Leo. He's snoring in the back. Okay, good. But yeah, I learned all these things.
Jessica
Oh, I don't hear him, but I wish I heard him.
Daisy
And at the end of the night, my brain's pooped, I'm pooped, my body hurts, and I still had to learn a salsa piece that was super difficult because it requires a lot of partner work and turning, which you know, I'm not technically trained. So turning, girl, spotting where? I don't know, I'm trying. So I was getting so frustrated and he can tell. And I was like, okay, they were like, all right, we're gonna stop it there. I'm just giving you the basis of tomorrow, we can just go over it. And I was like, okay, cool.
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
Daisy
Cool, great. And I went upstairs and I was gonna take a shower and I took a shower and I was bawling my eyes out. And the reason why I was bawling my eyes out was because of the fact that I was so upset that I had learned so many things that, I'm not upset at the fact that I had learned these things. I was upset because I could not do these things that might, it was, I don't know, something that might be easier for other people or like something that's so, way out of my comfort zone that I had to learn and get in one day. And to learn all of that just literally almost knocked my confidence down because I was like, oh my gosh, like I'm not good. I was like, I'm so trash. I can't pick not one thing up. Like what, what's happening? Not saying that I couldn't pick it up. It was more so the execution of how I'm executing these things. Like even with the jazz, like I had to relate, they were very specific on how, like use your legs, like plie before you do the chaine, and like all this stuff. And I was like, got it. And I wasn't doing it cause I was so focused on getting this step. And I was like, great. And so all of that just combined into that night. And I was just bawling my eyes out cause I was like, wow, I'm not, I'm not getting this. Like I'm not, my confidence isn't as high as it was
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
Daisy
because of the fact that these are some, this is just crazy for me. My body is crazy. It just feels crazy. My brain feels crazy. I feel like I'm not actually doing things the way I want to. And it was just tough. And I also had to remind myself then, like girl, this is one hard stuff that you learn under one day, 10 hours. Two, these are so many different styles that you haven't trained in. So of course it's gonna be foreign to you. Three,
Jessica
Yeah
Daisy
like you're kind of overthinking it like you should be proud of yourself and give yourself grace because of the fact that you learned so many different pieces in such a short amount of time and execute it in the best ability that you were able to give it to like you did your best like that should be enough and know that tomorrow you're obviously going to revisit it so it's going to be better in your body like you shouldn't be i mean yes feel what you're feeling because it's an overwhelming experience but at the same time like don't let that diminish who you are and like
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
Daisy
confidence in regards to how you execute things because there's a reason why you're here. There's a reason why Jon is specifically asking you to be there. And I needed to tell that to myself. And also I told Ray and Ray also reminded me of that, which is beautiful. And that night, like that was that moment for me, just like reflection and pulling myself back and giving myself that grace that one would think I would already have.
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
Daisy
Do you know what I mean? Like going back to the whole, you think that once you're healing or once you're telling yourself these things, like it'll be good for the rest of your life, when it's like this last, there's gonna be so many moments like this. And that was one of them for me this past week alone. So it's not like it happens every once a month, girl. It be happenin often.
Jessica
Hmm.
Jessica
Mm-hmm. What do you feel like are some of those things that you have had to heal from?
Daisy
Um, for me it was a lot of trauma in regards to not even dance. It was still my childhood. Like I noticed that I rush a lot in my movement and the reason why I rush a lot in my movement, not because of the dance specifically was because I'm so used to being rushed as a child. And for example, my mom would wake me up at like 7 AM or 6 AM and be like, it's 8 AM, you're late. And I'm like, ah! So I like running around and I'm so used to being rushed. I'm so used to like being on the go all the time because I was raised like that to always be on the go and always keep fighting, always keep doing something like you can't think, you have to just fucking do. And so now when I'm dancing, I realize that I rush a lot sometimes, especially when something that I don't know or like something that's very foreign to me, I rush. And I realized that that week where I was like, oh my gosh, like this is where it's coming from.
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
Daisy
And it's something that I'm also learning to understand. The fact that I understood it made me more capable of understanding how to move from then on. And then for example, last week I did a show with Bo Park and that was also very transformative because that whole show is a depiction of your home and how it can be scary, not just safe. And I had a the role of a parent. So I had to step into my own mother's shoes and understand where her frustrations were coming from. But also I was able to see myself as a child. So let me bring this down. So the scene is there's children, there's a child that's reflecting on her life and her past and trying to show her parents that even though in their eyes, her childhood was amazing. And there's specific moments that she can recall that have been amazing in their eyes, those same moments in the child's eyes weren't as amazing. And so that whole scene playing off was so crazy to me in the sense of like, this is exactly what I felt. Like my childhood was great in your eyes, but there's so many moments that I can remember that wasn't great. And the feeling of trying to get your parents' attention, but they're not giving it to you, it was the same thing in my life where I was not getting the validation that I should have been getting from my family or my parents growing up. Um, and it could be as simple as getting a B in a test. And instead of being like, Oh, that's great. That's cool. My mom would look at the paper and say, why didn't you get an A? And that to me, like, I will never forget it because it's like, wow, no matter what I'm doing, it's not good enough. Like no matter what I'm doing, it's not good enough for you. And I grew up with that lack of validation to the point where as a dancer, as a professional dancer, I'm still now getting over the fact that or still healing from not seeking validation from other professionals, other teachers. And I did that for a while. I did all of that. Because I wasn't getting that as a child. So now I feel like I need to continuously work my ass off, not just because I wanted to, it was because I wanted the validation from the people that I'm learning from. And with Bo, she kind of helped me tackle that. She was like, in a general sense to everyone, she was like, I don't want you to do this for me. She's like, because I...
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
Daisy
like i'm not going to give you that validation like obviously i'm very grateful for you guys and like whatever but i want you to do this for you and that knocked me down because I was like wow this whole time I'm over here like trying to get the validation, doing all of this stuff because I felt like I needed to get that validation from you and for her to say do this for you was like I was like okay. Bawled my eyes out, one. Two,
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
Daisy
dive deeper into my life and understand where all that's coming from and why. So that's what I mean about healing. The more I get into dance and dive deeper into dance, the more I find out about my past and about my trauma, which is so crazy to me. But it's so telling because the way I move is from the heart, it's from everything.
Jessica
Hmm.
Daisy
The more jobs and opportunities I take, I find that it's always a reflection of me, or it's always a reflection of my past and how I need to kind of acknowledge it in some sense because the trauma that I'm facing becomes the obstacle in my dance career at some point. So that's something that I meant by healing.
Jessica
Mm-hmm. Yeah, I feel the same way about constantly trying to seek validation from teachers and choreographers. And I think that's one of the main reasons I felt so utterly broken in college is that I felt like most of the time I did not have that. And I had the few teachers who did do that. But with all of the other teachers not doing that, it was hard to see. And I think that's why now I am super passionate about showing all of my students just how amazing I think they are. And it's not that all of them are going to go off and be professional dancers. And it doesn't matter. That's not what it's about. It's okay if you're there just to socialize. It's okay if you're there because it's a safe space. It's okay if you're there to do it for fun. It doesn't have to be about being a professional. But to be in a space where you feel seen and you can actively practice doing something for yourself and not for me. So I very often say, like, even if it's coming from a frustrated place with them where I feel like they're not giving everything they can, and I'm like, I don't need to see, I said this last week, I don't need to see this dance 10 times. Like I'm good to see it one amazing time, maybe two. I don't need to see it 10 times, but I need to keep pulling things out of you because I know what you're capable of and I know how you want it to be when you get to the stage next week. This was the week before the recital. So I have to keep reminding them, I'm not sitting here trying to clean the heck out of this piece because I want to. It's because
Daisy
Right.
Jessica
they have infinite potential within them. And it is my job as a teacher to help pull that out of them, whether they are going off to do it professionally or they're here for a social reason, whatever, anything in between. You have all of this potential and a dance studio can just be a microcosm of the bigger world where you're constantly seeking validation everywhere. And if you go off to be a professional,
Daisy
100%.
Jessica
okay, I'm validated when you give me a contract, or I'm validated when my boss gives me a good whatever a boss would give someone. I don't know. But you're constantly looking and reaching for this externally. And so the dance room, the dance studio or company, whatever it is, can be a space where people can begin to be
Daisy
Mm-hmm. Hahaha.
Jessica
empowered and validate themselves internally and push themselves internally. And I feel like that's something we can offer as teachers too. And also as peers and colleagues and people who are in the industry. I'm also trying to do that with the people around me. I'm also trying to encourage them as much as I can and whatever. I don't know.
Daisy
No, you're 100% right. And I think the beauty of having those friends and the encouragement is that you're gonna get that right back. And it's just nice to offer that shift of perspective too, especially to the students, because again, we're working with teenagers and like babies. So working with teenagers is so tough because they're super emotional. So like everything is.
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
Daisy
from external sources. So this year was kind of rough with the teenagers because I was also going through my own journey. And every year, like every year I'm always like, I'm here for you, I'm here for you, I'm here for you. And this year was more like, I need to kind of work on myself. So I'm here to be the teacher, but I can't really offer up my time in the sense of emotional sense, which was kind of rough because they really rely on me a lot for that.
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
Daisy
So it definitely took some talking in terms of just checking in with everyone and helping them out and also letting them know that I still love you guys. Granted, I love you guys. I'm pushing you guys for the sense. But that's why with companies, I always include a piece that's very emotional and I have them talk about, okay, what is it that you want to talk about? What is it that you want to express? And from there we mold what we want to mold, which is nice because they can connect to it easier that way, just like what they wanna talk about and how to express it. But it's very challenging too as a teacher because not only are you going through your own life and your own emotions and like your own journey, you also have to be there for them in their journey. So it's like you're like a source. And you also have to take care of yourself, aside from taking care of them. And sometimes it's hard to do both at the same time. But I like that you're able to create a space where it's honest, because a lot of dance teachers don't really do that. And I like the honesty, because I also do that too with my children. But I think this year I kind of took a step back from that, because I was just still trying to figure me out more than.
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
Daisy
them. But I love them. Teaching it hard. But I love them so much. Like they're, the group of kids that we have is just honestly like a blessing. Like I wouldn't trade any of them for anything in the world.
Jessica
I know. Yeah, they're very special. And we're so lucky to come together in a space, in a studio, in a safe, loving studio like Rockwell specifically. I mean, not every studio is like that. It is truly another home for people. It's a family that they've created. And we have watched so many of these students since they were very little.
Daisy
Mm-hmm.
Jessica
very, very little. And so we are completely invested and love them so much.
Daisy
Literally. This is their outlet. Like their outside life is like sometimes not, it's literally not the best. So when they come in there, they just feel so comfortable and they just want to talk.
Jessica
Yeah, and I also think that there has to be a balance between understanding that this is someone's safe and social and happy place and also understanding that so many people here, if not everybody, really want to work hard. And so it's about the balancing act as a teacher, where you have someone who is just coming to be social but you can still do that and be respectful of the teacher. I have plenty of those people who it's like, you know when to talk and then when I ask you to bring it in a little bit, you will. And so, yeah, I think it's about respect across the board, respect for your fellow students, respect for your teacher, respect for the space that you're in, respect for the person who is either.
Daisy
Yeah.Right.
Jessica
providing you a scholarship or paying for you or whatever it is, like there's some way that you are here. Yeah, I don't know. It's hard, like I love them so much and I just want them to be able to be in the best space and environment possible. And I want them to know that they are empowered and have the ability to also
Daisy
Mm-hmm. It's 100% though, yeah.
Jessica
have a say in what their environments are like.
Daisy
Of course, a hundred percent. A majority of their journey is growing. And I think not in this dance space is not just about them dancing in terms of the growth. It's also their emotional capabilities and their processes too. Like, again, going back to the more I dive deeper into dance, the more I learned about myself. I think the same can be said in that dance setting as well, where it's like we're all growing at the same time. So it's just finding that communication that works for all of us, which some days is gonna be harder than the others. But I think the students overall, they're growing too. So they're also understanding what their emotions are like and like how they're feeling and how they're expressing it. And the idea of us being the teachers and us being the teachers, also having that responsibility of, Yes, you're growing physically, but then let me teach you how to be emotionally, like how to grow emotionally as well. Like, and that's with the respect, like if I'm giving you the time of day and I'm respecting you, I'm expecting you to do the same in return. I think that communication is very important. But there's times where like, you know, we, a teacher also need to step back and let them figure it out for themselves as well. So just finding that duality of like, when do I step in and like, when do I not, when do I let them, let me say my piece with respect and then let's see if they come around to understanding it or, you know, feeling that out for themselves, waiting for them to come out their shells more and like be more respectful or just like understanding that. And that just comes with time.
Jessica
Mm-hmm. Mm. Yeah, it is hard.
Daisy
It's hard but it's just like you know we're learning about ourselves emotionally just as much as they are too so it's like um just learning that's it just learning and respecting each other it takes it's just a lot of journeys happening at once.
Jessica
Yeah, and it's also just a reminder of how important it is to take care of yourself. Because if you're taking care of yourself and you're nurturing yourself and you are focusing on your mental and physical health and you are getting the performance opportunities that light your spirit and all of those things, then you will show up as a better teacher time and time again. If you're drained in your personal life and you're overworked and you're this and that,
Daisy
Yes.
Jessica
you try to show up as a teacher, then they feel that they know. And it's not fair to them either. They know they're smart. Yeah.
Daisy
Yes, they do. Yeah.
That's what I'm saying! Like, yo, how are you, how can you feel me from a mile away? But then, like, what?
Jessica
Mm-hmm. As soon as you walk in, they know.
Daisy
Mm-hmm. But we can too though. As soon as the students walk in, there's only one student that's like not with it and you're like, okay. Are you okay? What's going on? You need a hug? What do you need? A minute? That's fine. Take your minute. That just happens. But I 100% agree with you with just taking care of ourselves too. Because sometimes like in the middle of the year too, I find myself drained. But just me going out to New York and like finding my version of outlets.
Jessica
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yep.
Daisy
Help me check back in and then when I come to teach, I have a fresh new idea or like I'm stronger to carry on what I was carrying before that might've been very, very heavy.
Jessica
Mm-hmm.
Jessica
And I also have always found historically that the times when I am drained teaching, it's because I am not doing something that's fueling me in my soul. And so my, the past three weeks of teaching at Rockwell have been so fun for me because I was just coming off the heels of an associate director job. So I felt really inspired. I had something more to give. It was like, I'm taking it, it's going into my system and then I can channel it back out to my students versus when I was not fueled and I was not taking care of myself and I didn't have a way to fuel my soul. I was just, I felt like I was breaking apart pieces of myself because I didn't have anything to channel through me. I was like, okay, here's this little piece of my heart. Here's this little piece of my ribs. I don't know, whatever.
Daisy
Yeah, literally.
Jessica
What are some things that you're excited about moving forward, whether they're contracts or just things that are going on in your life? Like, what can we be excited about and what can we imagine that will bring us a lot of joy and beauty?
Daisy
Hmm. Right now my journey is just going with the flow. So this month I'll be in LA traveling and training. So I'll be in LA. So if you are in LA, that'd be great. I would love to connect. And when I come back, I'm off to traveling again. I'm gonna go to the Philippines and Korea and Singapore. So I'm gonna be over there living my best life, eating all the food, which is nice, refueling. You know, it's great. But aside from that, in terms of like the dance world, I'm not too sure. I haven't really have anything lined up in terms of scheduling for new opportunities, but, um, I know I will be working with Jon Rua for some submissions and I'll be working with Bo for, um, a new project that she's putting together, I think in September. But that's pretty much it. And aside from that, it's just me, learning more about myself through exploring, making connections. And hopefully I'll, once the school year starts, like I'll start to also teach more outside of just the dance studios and create more just because I want to and, you know, go from there. That's pretty much how I've been doing it. So I'm just gonna keep on doing it. Hopefully there's more opportunities that pop up there. So yeah.
Jessica
I also want to say that to have one month training in LA and then the next chunk of time traveling to all these amazing places, I think that both are equally fueling as an artist and it's really important to remember that getting into a hip hop class is not necessarily the number one way to train to be an artist.
Daisy
Oh my gosh, 100%. I wholeheartedly agree. I know that I took a program under Luam and she was mentioning that. She was like, yes, train, do your stuff, but just know that finding who you are doesn't necessarily mean in the dance studio. It also means going out and exploring, hanging out with your friends, hanging out with family members, finding who you are outside of that, because once you start looking for those things and start looking at things that might fuel you, the external sources, aside from dance, you can pull that to bring into the dance world, um, to shed more light on who you are and what you stand on and, and find your why even more because you're exploring outside of just dance, and I think that's a hundred percent true. Um, so I'm very grateful that I'm able to travel this month. Um, and be in new areas that I've never been before. And I know that once I come back, I'm gonna be super fueled.
Jessica
That's amazing. You deserve it. Well, thank you so much for the chat. I am such a big fan of yours and I am so excited to keep watching your journey unfold. And I feel very lucky to be alongside you. And I am desperate to take a hip hop class with you. And we've talked about this for years, but I'm so afraid. And I feel like I need I feel like if we could get in a studio and we're just one-on-one and then I can give something to you dance related, then that would be best because I can't, first of all, your students are so good. I'm like, oh, no wonder I've never wanted to go pop into one of those classes. I'm like, this is professional. This could be anywhere. And so yeah, I need a private lesson because, woo, I'm not going in with those students. No chance. They're amazing.
Daisy
Thank you. They're amazing. I'm so grateful for them. This was, they're great. But heck yeah, girl, I got you. I think my movement is, I feel like you're just gonna get, because I'm very like, which is, it's so flowy. And so like, you know, obviously there's gonna be moments of power, but I think you're gonna smash it. It's gonna be great.
Jessica
Yeah. I haven't done a hip hop class since actually I haven't done a hip hop class I think ever, but we did some hip hop a little bit in company when I was in high school. And that was genuinely the last time I ever came anywhere. Yeah. I know.
Daisy
So crazy. It's fine, you got it. I mean, yeah.
Jessica
I loved it though. It just wasn't, we didn't have it in school. And I was so hyper focused on all the other stuff. And then yeah, but I would love to get back into it.
Daisy
Of course, I got you. It's like, just how as much as you like express yourself through your movement, it's just a similar way. And that's what I'm saying. It's gonna flow because it's, trust me, it's just gonna flow. It's gonna be great. You're gonna be great, I promise. You're always great. That's why I'm like, I'm just chilling. Like, I'm not even, I'm not even stressed. Like, you're sounding like, oh my gosh, I'm gonna learn. I'm like, yeah, you are. Like, it's gonna be easy. What are you talking about?
Jessica
I can't wait. It's been great. All right. Well, I love you. Thank you so much for chatting.
Daisy
Thank you. I appreciate you. Thanks for putting this together and just opening this up for the community. Like it's, I love it. Like it's something that other people will need. So thank you so much for opening this. Like, this is amazing.
Jessica
Thank you. Yeah. Thank you for saying that, I appreciate it. Took me long enough, but we're here. We're here, we're here. All right, talk to you soon.
Daisy
We're here! Woohoo!