International Adulting with Honza Pelichovský
Show Notes
Honza is a professional dancer who traveled across the country as the Dance Captain on the Dirty Dancing National Tour and the Fiddler on the Roof National Tour. He’s performed with numerous dance companies in New York City and is now living in Charlotte, NC with his partner and puppy, where he is navigating the next stage of his career.
In today’s episode, Honza shares the struggles in balancing personal and professional goals, how he chases his dreams while leaving room for those dreams to evolve, and his relationship with the natural craving for positive reinforcement as an artist.
Honza and Jess discuss how success is defined by the individual, how navigating auditions requires finding a balance between authenticity and standing out, the challenges that comes with living in the United States as an artist (including visa limitations and financial constraints), and the hope that conversations and storytelling have the power to create change.
(Part 2 of 2)
Follow along on Honza’s journey: @honzapelichovsky
Transcript available on our website!
TW: Brief mention of sexual assault.
Transcript
Jessica Altchiler
Hello, and welcome to the story project. I'm your host, Jessica Altchiler. And today's guest is once again Honza Pelichovsky. This is the second part. So, I recommend going back to last week's episode if you haven't listened yet. Honza is a professional dancer who traveled across the country as the dance captain on the Dirty Dancing national tour and the Fiddler on the Roof national tour. He's performed with numerous dance companies in New York City, and it's now living in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his partner and puppy where he is navigating the next stage of his career. In today's episode, we discuss balancing personal and professional goals, chasing dreams while leaving room for those dreams to evolve. The natural craving for positive reinforcement as an artist, and the hope that Conversations and storytelling have the power to create change. Please enjoy the second part of my interview with Honza pellet kowski is your human bio.
Honza Pelichovsky
human bio, I love this guy. Okay, I love this question. It's unfair, because I've listened to the podcast. So I've been It's funny, when I know. The podcast is hitting me is when I stopped listening, and start answering for myself or start thinking about my life. So whenever I do that have to go back and actually listen to the person who interviewed him because I'm like, What would I say to that? So I'm not going to say that it's rehearsed. But I thought of it. And I touched on it earlier, I think my human bio is I'm someone who grew up at a time where I felt like I I could, I feel like I've been running away my entire life. And that is definitely a part of what it means to be a gay person in the 90s and early 2000s. So I've been someone who's always been running a little bit away from where I was from a little bit of the environments that I was a part of. It manifested in me running away across the world to go to college that I mean, I literally came out to myself in my head three months before I started Marymount. So thank God. But yeah, I'm just someone who, who found within this idea of running away, I think, or trying to be excellent at something in order to hide this one thing that was always super confusing about me and didn't belong. And I found solace in dancing. It's just it's an integral part of me, it's a thing that I can really dissociate even though sometimes we're fighting with dance, sometimes, I'm more doing it, sometimes I'm doing it less. But it's this, it's this thing that is just it lives in me that I'm never more me or more happier or more fully realized than when I move, and especially when I moved to music. So I've always been someone who does that. And then I found this thing that the realistic part of not realistic, the idealistic part of me, when I was 1718 1920, thought I could I could melt it into a career and a lifestyle. And I, I pushed and I kept running with it. And I kept running towards a degree towards a career towards a time in which that could be said that I'm successful at it. And now I'm finding myself because of COVID. Mostly being forced to sort of slow down, the Running away is a little less, and I'm just discovering what it's like to be an adult and I'm not liking it, I'm resenting it. I don't know how to be an adulterous yet. Zora, the part where Hamza Christ, no, I'm kidding. I'm not gonna cry. But it's a huge thing. I've always, as I said, I'm a late bloomer, and a lot of things. And I realized a lot of things later in life. And I can operate in specific environments, but ever since being led out into the world, as an adult without the structure of school, or college, or program or anything, I've been sort of swimming. And again, when you land a job and you go on tour, it's a structure and I thrive in it because I understand what it's like what it what it is to do well in it, what it is to do poorly, what it is to be here at a specific time. So whenever I don't have a structure like that, I feel a float I feel invisible, I feel unsuccessful. I feel like a failure. I feel like someone who hasn't figured out what it is to be an adult and to to make it I know again, the older you get, the more you realize that a lot of people are, quote unquote, faking it or everyone is figuring it out on the go. That's the whole thing about our generation. Like there's no template to be an adult but I just there's just something that I feel human by a wise that's where I'm at right now. Like I don't know what, what where to move, where to go, what to bite into, I feel I don't really know how to be satisfied. I don't know how to balance the personal life with the artistic life with the dream As they keep changing with the world that you're in with the pulling of the heartstrings back towards home, where my entire family is where I miss people, the longer I'm away versus like, How long am I going to stay here? i The country is complicated. So it's a long winded way of saying that my human bio was was one way of chasing something that now I don't really know where to chase it. How's that for a therapy session? Let's go. I just I just didn't want to, I didn't want to go into the like, this is me. And this is what I did in my life. I just don't find it interesting. You know, like, this is the jobs that I've had, because I feel like a lot of times when people say that, it's fair, but it only touches the glimmery shimmery things. But I've just been lately I've been like, let's get the BS, like, tell me how that work is. Tell me if you're miserable in that job Exactly. On Broadway or like, what does this credit actually mean? Did you have a good time doing it? How long was the time between these two cool looking things was at two years of misery and like being a server in New York and hating your life? You know, like, it's just, it's all connected.
Jessica Altchiler
It's interesting to hear you say the and to have watched this evolution, like I've seen this in real time, because of how frequently we've talked over the past, like five years, really. And it makes me think of the Honza in college, who was the representative of narrow your vision, focus, do the work, don't question it. Don't deliberate, we're here. We're working hard to sleep. What? Yeah, I don't rest, I don't sleep, we don't pause. And I'll use this. I'll use this very quickly to tell my classic Konza story, which is that senior year, we were in modern together and modern class. So like 8:30am Every single day in college, which doesn't like saying that out loud, doesn't mean anything to me. But I will note that for like, people who are in normal, regular college having an 830 class every day is unheard of. So we were in modern, again, we were in this final semester. That was really, really, really hard for me of college. And our modern teacher said, Okay, if you want we can do like stretching yoga Pilates type class instead of modern in the morning, but everyone in the class
everyone in the class has to agree to it. And so I like obviously shoot my hand up immediately. I want to do like, let's
Honza Pelichovsky
all go to sleep.
Jessica Altchiler
Yeah, let's just lay My body hurts so badly, like moving was painful, physically, emotionally, everything. And everyone else in the class small class like raises their hands. Hans is like, No, we're dancing. We
Honza Pelichovsky
are fucking dancing. And I hated you that day.
Jessica Altchiler
Much. I was so mad. I was so mad because I was just so hurt. But anyway, that's like, that's Honza like, we wake up, we go to class, we do our job. We train hard. And I completely respect it. I only I didn't really I didn't really hate you, you know that we've talked
Honza Pelichovsky
about? Of course not. No, no, but I can I can give you interest before you continue. I can give you my version of it. Now that it's been some time ago. I couldn't articulate this during the time. But as I said, I'm a person who has been running away from things. I feel like my entire college career. And I'm not kidding. Probably the last two or two and a half years, I was running on four hours of sleep every night. Like by the time I got home to Brooklyn and like, calm down and everything went to sleep. And then I woke up super early because I love my mornings forever. And I always took an 830 class like even senior year, like some people senior year will like ballet class. And that's it. I was like modern, modern again, let me retake this other modern because I was obsessed. And let me take ballet and I think it's this. I had this inner motor within me that like if I stop, something's gonna come crashing like something's gonna hit me. I'm gonna mentally stop or like if I don't keep pushing, someone's gonna realize that I actually don't have this training that I'm actually not that good enough that if I can hide behind my over the top work ethic that I'm actually not that talented. I I remember the horses getting me choked up. We did the senior superlatives. Right and, and even our head of the department like there was just this one thing that was put on my forehead from the get go. And it was the guy with the great work ethic like I got that little like super lip at the end. And that's all nice. But I think I just like really craved someone to look at me and not be like you have the best work ethic. I'm like tearing up, but I just wanted someone to say you're amazing. Like I just wanted someone to say you're a great answer. Just like other people who had much worse work ethic were praised for what they could do i i had to push from the wow, like you're working so hard like, of course you're going to make it. I just wanted someone to be like, regardless of how many classes you're gonna take, like, you blow me away and I just I just I'd never I'm not that. Well, I felt like if I stopped pushing, people would just realize that I'm really just mediocre because that's that's what I think I am like deep down
Jessica Altchiler
What did you want back then?
Honza Pelichovsky
What did I want back then? I wanted to graduate with as much dance experience as possible, and then to hit the ground running and be a part of a dance company where the choreographer would be someone I admire and love. Like at the time it was Bill T or it was Doug Marrone, or Brian Brooks. And I wanted to become a muse for someone I wanted someone to be like, this is the person that I go to rehearse with. This is the person that I try stuff with. And this is the person that I'm going to have it every piece because I vibe with how they move, and they inspire me to explore my choreographic stuff. I want it to be a vessel for someone was a choreographic genius. I never wanted to be a choreographer. I never wanted to be the person who creates, I wanted to be the person who can be relied on and be inspiring to the person with the mind to choreograph. And that never happened.
Jessica Altchiler
What in, in college or in the professional world? What do you think came closest to that?
Honza Pelichovsky
It was junior year, and I remember. So. So clearly, it translated into after we did a piece by Azure Barton. And she's an amazing choreographer, she's Canadian, she's obsessed with male dancers. So a lot of her company pieces are very ensemble heavy. But most of the time the men get featured, very much so and we have Tobin DelCor, a, who I love to this day, as the person setting, setting the piece. We did it our junior year for company. So I was a part of Yeah, we never talked about that. Again, another way to pit students against each other and make it competitive that our school had a thing you had to audition for and get into, which was the school company. And they ended up having the most, usually like the most interesting or cool piece. At the end of the year, they had extra time to rehearse it. And this piece was hard. I came in a day later, because I was flying back from the Czech Republic from Christmas when we started working on it during our junior junior year, a January session. And it was the first time when even though the piece was heavy on gymnastics, and tricks and stuff that I don't have, there was just this huge part of the beginning, which was a group section harkens back to what I said about me loving being the person front and center in a group setting where I can try to be the best out of everyone. And then it had this last closing solo that was really long, that for some reason, Tobin just like picked me for it, like from the get go, he just like pick need to do things. And I was in, like, 80% of the piece. If it was a quartet, if it was a duet, if it was a group, if it was a solo, like I was in almost every section, and there were some dancers who were barely featured, let alone there were two casts, and I was in every cast, I just did the part. So just just the first time, I just felt like someone like looked at me. And even though obviously I couldn't do all of it. There was like, there was aerials, and there was back handsprings that someone else did. But I just felt like oh, like I for the first time feel like within this environment of people, someone singling me out for what I can do, not from my just like work ethic, or just because he's obnoxious and always at the front of the group, or just because he's a guy, even though that had to do with it, too. So that was the time I felt the most seen for what I could do. And then again, it still had to like ugly note, I came back for senior year. And our head of the department mentioned something at the beginning of senior year, like this piece is like three, four years in the past. And she mentioned something to me and for everyone, we were starting auditions about like, you know, the time where you did this and it wasn't there for the longest time. And then something like that the end like like pegged it down when it was obvious. I think I felt the pressure from the faculty and other people that maybe some people felt like I shouldn't have had that part. So So I was very grateful to Tobin for like not caring about the input because I feel like again, I wasn't a senior so it would have made sense if that feature part was someone was leaving, it would have made sense if if the senior was dancing it and then it carried over into my first big, big job when I got dirty dancing. It was mostly Yes, because I had ballroom experience, just like that was the ticket. But also the assistant choreographer was Tobin, who was who knew me from this environment. And not only did I know about the audition through him, but then he was involved and we already had had history and we knew how to work together and I love him. He's amazing. But it was just, it's a great lesson in the dance world really working based off of who you know, more than necessarily what you can do a lot of times. And yeah, that was the one time that I still know it's awful when people are like, well, back in high school, this is when I was cheerleading, I felt like the best. It's not like peaked in this, but it's the My heart feels the most satisfied with what I was doing. And where it was at at that time, because I felt like I was the most challenge. I felt like I worked the hardest. But at the same time, there was another face that we mentioned, it was the Taylor piece, in which day one we walk into rehearsal. And she looks and she's like, you're the understudy based on nothing based on just the vibe, just the fact that I'm this like, not tall, not short, not not muscular, not like super lanky guy that looks like 80% of the pool. And we're just going to pull you to the sidelines. So that like, so as much as I was feeling my ego here, I just also felt like, Oh, don't get used to this, because the reality for some other things is going to be this. One
Jessica Altchiler
thing to notice that, when you're in school, you can really see how the faculty had an influence on who got cast and things. And that is also something so important to remember, both in school but and when you get to the professional world to that there are so many factors that go into something. And you don't always know why, or why someone was picked for something or not picked for something and how this person was cast. And this person was not cast and things like that. So the fact that you went in there, and you were able to make this connection that then led you into the professional world is brilliant and beautiful. And not always the case. And know, the and I think that there's something, you know, there's a reason that sometimes in life, we hold on to something that seems kind of silly, because it was so long ago, right? Because you were saying like, Oh, you know, people who hold on to something from high school or whatever.
Honza Pelichovsky
Yeah, we make fun of them. Yeah, absolutely. But
Jessica Altchiler
the reality is that it doesn't matter if your big dream came true. Last year, or the last time a dream came true was 10 years ago, or 20 years ago, the time is irrelevant. You want that to happen all of the time, but it's not always going to happen all the time. And so I think what happens a lot of the time is when it's far away, you become so disconnected from it that you forget, it's possible in the first place. So we feel disconnected from our emotions and from desiring because we don't think it's gonna happen again. So let's close off. Let's be realistic about this. Yeah, let's let's forget about this dream that seems crazy. But your your dream of feeling seen for who you are, and for your movement and celebrated for who you are as a dancer, not just because of your work ethic. It exists. It exists in the in the universe, because it happened in school in that one time. And it's so hard to hold on to the hope that it will happen again.
Honza Pelichovsky
If that's the dream that you retain, I'm not sure what my dream is now. And I think that's the whole point of like trying to figure out what it's like to be an adult. But then this so yes, I'm sure that desire is still there. But that was more like how I felt during college. And I just wanted to respond to the story about me being such a pusher, of like, if we take a stretch class, we're going to lose the momentum. And then I'm going to realize that all of our bodies are broken, and that we're all awful. And then like that, we just want to quit and like not continue training. So yeah, no, I just wanted to respond to your story about me.
Jessica Altchiler
So what residual feelings do you have about that kind of work ethic?
Honza Pelichovsky
I think it's my biggest asset. And what is the most heartbreaking about being in the real world where you if you're in New York, which is not where I currently live, but I did go back last year for the first seven months, seven months of 2023 It's the one thing that you can show in an audition. It's the one thing that unfortunately, people won't know until they work with you. And then they realize that your specific way when they work with you and they want to keep working with you. So like my I think my work ethic helped me through Dirty Dancing and then literally booking Fiddler out of nowhere during the last minute replacement call so I it took me an hour to audition for a thing that I then ended up being a year on and then back after COVID. So it's it truly is something that you can monetize on later on. But in the room where you have 20 minutes, it's just about what you look like a million factors that you didn't know there. behind the table with the other people around, you look like are we actually even hiring right now? Or is this just just a call their bookkeeping. And I know we can talk about this forever. But work ethic is something I cherish in me, I think it's still one of my biggest assets. And I hate that. People don't know what we don't know people's work ethics until we hire them. And that's, that's, that's where it's hard. Because sometimes we end up and I've worked with people who can end up hired for a specific thing, because they present a specific way or show so much promise. And then as a, you know, you started working with them, and it's not being delivered. And that's just the thing that an audition can show.
Jessica Altchiler
Speaking of auditions, this is going way back, but it made me remember I wanted to remind me, I wanted to talk about this. When you were talking about how, with the ballroom competitions, you had to learn how to stand out. Yeah. And it just immediately made me think of regular auditions where professional editions are for college or for anything, where you do have to figure that out? And what's the line? Like? How do you keep that authentic? How do you make it a part of your performance and who you are without being like feeling like you're showing off? Or should being showy or performative or something? How can you have that confidence and elicit some kind of feeling that triggers a response within the person watching you? So they're captivated by you, because as we know, in auditions, you know, we get called out in groups like this is, let's say, for a musical theater audition, you learn the dance, you go to the side, and they call you out in groups, maybe four people come out. And guess what, if you're in the back corner, and everyone decides to be everyone's captivated by this person in the front right corner, and you're in the back left corner, you might just get get cut, just because that they just happened to be watching this other person. And you might have been great for it, too. So how, how do you reckon with that, how can you make it feel authentic and not be resentful of that reality?
Honza Pelichovsky
Interesting question, I do have a response to specifically being in the room. Just a caveat that I want to say it's so hard to not be resentful of the auditioning culture in general. Nowadays, it's illustrating because I feel like post COVID So many auditions are just not happening anymore in person. So when they are people put so much, there's a lot of pressure to like, perform well, but I remember the three months, when I was done with one of my jobs that led into COVID, who I was just in New York, just auditioning, and it could have been four or five auditions, open calls a week, and nothing would ever come up those, it is so hard not to become better. Because you really feel a lot of times, we're all a little delusional in our head, right? Like, we think that we look a specific way to perform a specific way whether that might be more close to reality or not. But you feel maybe sometimes that you're killing it, and you're killing it every single time. And you just don't understand why it's not happening. So it's really hard not to be bitter, because that's when I became the most bitter right before COVID. Because I was like, What's the point of coming here? Because I'm doing well, but doesn't seem to be leading anywhere. But keeping it authentic. I think that was such an interesting journey. For me specifically, because of going into college. From the ballroom setting. As I said, You are so used to trying to steal the attention. And there's a lot of stuff in your face. And ballroom dancers can be so marked within our environment now for like overly, I wouldn't say faking it. But there's just this permission and this expectation of like, well, this is a sexy dance, I'm going to show it in my face and how hard I'm working. So it's a part of it, the facial expressions that, that if you're a concert dancer, you're sort of like what's going on. So I had to learn. And that was my sort of curve during those four years in college to wipe the face off. And with that, with that, all the attention, attention, all the tension in my face in my head, and my neck and my whole body, and just allow myself to learn how to move, how to let the body move, let it's the biggest revelation. And I still love the head of our department for because she changed my dancing forever through ballet. They're learning where to let go of tension and where to put it. It's the biggest lesson that I've taken away from college. And it's the thing that you'll learn how to wipe the face off and just show through the body that then you show up to musical theater audition. And it's like, but wait, I worked so hard to just do it correctly in my body and the face will be depending on what you tell me you want it but then you see all these other people who don't have your technique, don't really know what they're doing with their bodies as well. But they're just like doing the character in their face. And we all think that's maybe more it's hard not to then frown upon it as a dancer who's like the concert and so you can see the concert train people versus the musical theater people because they put the character first and then the steps are underneath it and watch It's like, No, I'm, I'm killing it because I did the choreo. correctly, my face isn't going to be something we're going to talk about later. But that's the thing. It's like, is it something I should be working on more when I go to a room and put that here? Because then I find myself sometimes being like, like, my face goes into this, like neutral, like, Oh, I got this, because I know the combo. But if you're looking at me behind the table, are you impressed by what I'm doing? Or are you feeling like? Well, he's not really feeling it, because there's not much in the face. Because I've been training myself for years now to wipe this away, and just do the body thing. So that's, that's an interesting contradiction that I'm still not sure where I land on it. I'm still not sure where it's effective versus not. But I had to consciously tell myself, don't judge it when you see it in other people, and maybe add some into your own when you're going across the floor, even though now you've chained yourself to feel silly if you do that. Because you don't want to be that one person who is doing the musical theater face while doing complete bullshit on the bottom. But yeah,
Jessica Altchiler
that was a huge learning curve for me too, in auditions, because I could be like, Oh, I'm nailing this choreography. But why am I not? Clearly there's no spark with me. Like, clearly, there's no interest in what I'm putting forward for these people. And that was a huge lesson I learned from watching people around me and being like, yeah, you do sometimes have to not care as much about I mean, first of all, there are tons of people who are fucking kick ass technical dancers and kill it with their acting. So it's not that these don't exist. It's just I think, when you come from a concert, dance background, and then you go into these auditions, and you're like, wait, but I thought it was all about technique was not, it's not all about technique. That is, and that's it, that was a huge issue that like you walk into the reality of what this world is, and you're like, wait, I wasn't prepared, because I didn't think for one moment about what my face was doing for four years. So that's something that was definitely a learning curve. And I think as an artist, and as a teacher, it excites me, because there really is a place for all different types of strengths that people have, in theory, you know, are there opportunities? And is there money and all that stuff? That's a different story. But there are places for all these different strengths that people have to be celebrated and seen. Again, will it necessarily result in your job? I, I hope that there are more opportunities for more kinds of people, but it's not necessarily the case. But I also really want to get back to something else, which is you kept saying, You were running away, kept saying you're running away? What is the difference between? And how do you know within yourself, running away from something and running towards something?
Honza Pelichovsky
I feel like running away is something that at least in my experience, is unconscious. Because it's not that I was ever a victim of anything I was, you know, like, I don't have trauma, that was a result of a specific action. So I don't have that, like, I need to leave my life behind. Because I'm running away from this thing that happened to me, it was also conscious, I think you can identify and I've been able to identify it in retrospect, like, Oh, why did I want to not live in Prague? Why didn't I want to, like, have a relationship ever? And like thought of myself as someone who doesn't ever want to date like, Why did I think that? I just want to be anywhere but here. And you only I don't you're not thinking that in the moment, you're actually thinking you're running towards something, you're like, Well, I'm running towards the creek, I'm running towards good education. I'm running towards like New York, which is the mecca of everything and doesn't mean that those two things can be together. But I think you think of yourself as always running towards something. And the Running away is just something you realize, at least for me. I think
Jessica Altchiler
we're about
Honza Pelichovsky
I don't I don't really know, I think at this point, I'm at this like weird plateau where I'm trying to navigate what it's like to as an adult, have all these things that you care about, be that my relationship, my doggy, the place where I am to be able to be in this relationship and stay together versus what would be my dream, where would that be? What would that look like? What are the sacrifices that you're willing to undergo in order to keep pursuing and where are the things that you would have to let go off to go so it's this navigation of compromises And it's something that was it was so much easier being younger when I was in college and right after because you're sort of you have those blinders on, or at least I did. And it was just like, well, I'm running towards this goal. And in order for me to get to this goal, I need to go and do this summer intensive, and I need to go finish this and this degree, I need to do this. And, as I'm learning as boring as this is, but again, something that people never talk about when it comes to interviews. And when it comes to the glamour of it, money. Money is such a thing that I've realized, it's ever present, it touches everything, it gives you freedom to go where you want to go or not, it gives you the ability to keep going after the things that you want in terms of education, or not. Because you either can't afford things and can afford classes or can afford workshops and stuff or can't afford flying here and there to audition for something with you don't live in the area, or prevents you from it or because you chasing after making at least enough money to survive where you are, prevents you from doing those things. I remember even living in New York last year, I thought just because surely doesn't have that much of a scene in terms of where you can take class, how you can keep yourself in tip top shape when it comes to performing. I ended up taking very few classes because the ones I wanted to take always ended up during your time when I was doing my side job. And then you sort of just like, Well, why am I here? If I say that I'm here to be exposed to the things I want to do, but I can take the 10 o'clock class that gives me because my ship ends at 9:30am I'm going to make it but I have to do the morning shift at this freaking yoga studio at the front desk at age 31. That can be done by a 17 year old just because I need you know the money. So money is a huge thing that is a part of the equation. So it's it's compromises of personal and thinking you're worth a specific thing and not wanting to take jobs that don't meet that, and, and money.
Jessica Altchiler
I love that we're talking about what we always talk about on the phone, which is the whole life of an artist. And I will never forget years ago, we were talking about this it was one of our first conversations about it was just so funny that I even have to specify what kind of conversation it is that we're talking about our whole lives because I feel like a normal person with a normal job. Like when you're talking about your life, you're talking about all of the elements of your life. But with an artist when we talk about our lives, it's like what's your next job? Right? It's
Honza Pelichovsky
just career based. It's just career with
Jessica Altchiler
your life that I have to even specify, but I too. And I remember talking to you about how I visualize a holistic approach on viewing your life with color. And we're like, okay, so great, even if performing is my favorite color. Like do I really want to live in a house or an environment that is 100% Pink? Because Pink is my favorite at least right now. It's great. So do I really want that or like Joe want pink that also has like a blue accent wall and maybe like a white couch. I'm I do not want this in a house. That is not how I that's not my colors. That's not my vibe actually. But anyway, you get my point. So I remember
Honza Pelichovsky
I love that you went into the gendered it's only pink or blue. Those are the
Jessica Altchiler
I honestly just love pink and blue like pink and red and blue and purple. Those are kind of my right
Honza Pelichovsky
not necessarily together. But ya know, I've come a long way about pink. I think it was one of the things that I was like, I would never wear pink. That's such a weird color. And I'm like, give it to me. Any shade.
Jessica Altchiler
So if performance pink, and then like, wait, but I'm missing this color in my life, and I'm missing this color in my life. And yeah, money is huge. How? What's my lifestyle? What how often do I get to see my partner? Or do I get to date? Or like, do I see my friends and my family and my dog? Can I have a dog? Or can I not because I'm working and I can't walk the dog and I really wanted to dog? I really want a dog actually, that's I think that's projecting? Like what can I do to just get a dog? Yeah, so that is something Yeah. And that is also obviously what I'm interested in talking about here.
Honza Pelichovsky
It's the it's the sobering realization when you get out of that mindset, at least for me of like, oh, I can have it all or like, this is the only way I can see my life going. That suddenly you will never be able to have it all. And I don't mean in that like cliche way of like, you can have a family and you can be a successful person and whatever you choose, like absolutely, that's possible, but I mean, have it all and when I talk to my parents now because they're you know, they're such champions and they want me to like Chase what I've dedicated most of my life to, and they're like, well, you should you want to like you should go to New York and like, you shouldn't you should. Why don't you just go back Like audition, or, or something, and I'm like, it's, it's hard at this point, because no decision that I make is gonna be me having it all, it's, there's always going to be a trade off. And that's just the reality of the world, I'm never going to be fully just able to pursue my career without my relationship ticking ahead, I'm never going to be able to be fully present for my relationship without some of my pursuits taking hit, I'm never going to be able to be fully present for my family and see my nephews and nieces grow and be there on the daily with thou me giving up on America. And vice versa. Like there's no scenario in which I can say I'm, quote, unquote, happy. without there being something that you're going to be missing something that you're going to be wishing there was different. And that's just, I think that's just the reality that we need to live with. And that's, that's, that's what's worth having a conversation about. Because then some people don't like where you are the worst part of you like saying, like, Oh, you're giving up on this, or like, Oh, I wish you had stuck with this or like, look at this person. They're touring the world with a major pop star, they're making it happen. But then you're like, okay, but if I were doing that, what would I be lacking? Or where would I be having to cut something out? Or what would that mean? It's, it's an ebb and flow at this point. And I hope this is probably my hope for the new year. And like, the years coming forward, that maybe there's a way in which those things come up and down, that you take a little bit away from here, increase a little bit on this side. But maybe that's not permanent, maybe that's for this next job or this next season. And maybe maybe that's in flows a little bit. But that's, that's where it's, again, a question of money. If one had all the money without worrying about it, those decisions would be easier, and I don't want to hide behind it. But I just want to say that it's a real factor.
Jessica Altchiler
It's a real factor. And also, the fact that we were even able to go to college like meant that in theory, we were able to dance or do something growing up, which meant there. I mean, there, everything is money, everything is privilege. And we wouldn't even get there if you don't have the training and how are you going to go to school for it? I mean, it's already it's already starts off sucked and unfair. Absolutely. And then to circle back, I'll say that something I have been trying to reframe for myself is not what am I leaving behind? But what am I going towards or not? What am I letting go of? But what am I gaining? So a simple example of this is like, I've had tons of health issues, and I've had to change my diet a bunch. And one thing that's really hard for me is I had to like I have a lot of things I cannot eat. And it's really really, really hard. And something
Honza Pelichovsky
one thing you wish you could just gorge on without any any repercussions. Bread. Yeah, like pizza or just bread in general. No, just
Jessica Altchiler
like a really good piece of bread with like, olive oil. A bread ball. Oh, my God. Yeah. Like, yeah, like, oh my gosh, yeah, like, honestly. So I've had to be gluten free for a really long time. And just bread. Like, there, there is no substitute. There's just not something that my something that my partner Jake has helped me. He was like, Listen, don't think about all these things you can't eat. Let's focus on all the things that you can eat, and how that's going to make you feel, and what you're what you're not going to have to feel by eating the things that make you sick. And it like out of commission for the day. So it's, it's really it was so easy. I'm so resentful. Like, I wish I could just eat whatever I want. Like, I go to restaurants. And it's so complicated, because not just the gluten. It's like all these other things. And I have to talk to them. And I actually went to dinner in Boston a couple of months ago. And we went to this restaurant and I told them all my allergies and they were like, there's literally nothing on the menu you can eat.
Honza Pelichovsky
You can have lettuce. Thank you. Yeah, I
Jessica Altchiler
was like, Well, this is unfortunate. Anyway, so I don't even know where this all came from. But
Honza Pelichovsky
you want it to say you want it to say about not looking at it as leaving something behind but as gaining something. Yes, I agree with you. I think that's a healthy mindset. It just to me, it doesn't always it's not always as easy. And I'm not saying that food isn't easy, but that's a relationship between you. And then an inanimate object versus you know, like when there's people involved it's sucks it's those decisions are hard. Yeah, but yeah, absolutely. You can you can look at stuff as gaining it and I think those people are winning the mindset game? They can put it that way. I admire that. Are
Jessica Altchiler
you still thinking? Are you thinking actively at all about not being in America? Is that on the radar?
Honza Pelichovsky
It's an interesting, it's an interesting conversation. Of course, we're recording this at a time where I think Trump won like a election in New Hampshire primary oh my god, like, so. It's funny, because when this was first happening, we were just out of college arts still remember the November post college when the election happened, which was awful. So I would say, our first four years were hell when we when we graduated. So that was interesting. And we're at a cusp of something that might be that again. And Joking aside of like, if he wins again, I'm going to what? No, no, it's not even that. It's just that this country, as wonderful as it is, and so many things in the way that it's represented. And the way that it allows so many things in so many expressions has so many issues. I'm going to set I'm going to simplify it. As someone who comes from a country of 10 million people, that's tiny, but still is a country that has its own issues and its policy and there's there's things you need to figure out. It's it's just impossible to have this big of a country, I think and run it successfully without people constantly trying to sabotage progress and going back and forth, which is exactly what's happening, I think, and they're just things that don't work for you unless you have money. Again, because it's a nation built on capitalism, so much, that money truly is a thing that's going to determine not only the quality of your life now, but the quality of your life, when you're 60. And everything in between, right and like that creates its own set of pressures. So now that I find myself less in the, at the start of my life, let's just start but like, let's dance, and let's get all these experiences that and suddenly, I'm in a relationship, we have an apartment, we have a doggy. And I always hear on a time limit just because what Austin was saying there's a visa, that if if you're in my position only lasts up to three years. So there's always this ticking clock towards the second, you always have to think again, you have to think Oh, am I going to reapply again am I going to spend all this money on the lawyer to put together my case to then hope it gets approved and then hope that I can stay here for three more years not to say that you're technically tied to only working within a specific environment of what you're saying you are, which is its own issue. But we're not going to get into that because I don't want an immigration meeting back in May, which they won't. But but it's it's like an added pressure as it's like this lifestyle that we're choosing with this thing we're chasing isn't hard enough. It's like a it gives it for me it gives it like a time bomb. That puts extra pressure on it. And again, time and money because the application is money mostly than anything else. Now that I'm thinking of not being here, I've had dreams of being in London, we went a year and a half ago with with my partner. For a while it was amazing. I think we both really resonated with it. It's just that it's the balance of trade offs. Again, just because he's he's a citizen. And I'm not he wherever we go, where it's easier for one of us, it's going to be harder for the other person or for both of us. Like right now London will be even hard for me because of Brexit, I can just go and work there, which is what it used to be I can for most of the European Union anywhere else, I can go and just I can go to Germany and just work and not worry about a visa. He, however, would have to figure something out. So suddenly, it's this game of like, Who Who is this? Who's going to have it easier? Who's going to have it harder? Are we willing to do that? Or we're in our 30s? Now he's you know, he's Him and I are not we're not 30 anymore? So it's just it's this thing of like, well, what do I want my life to look like in 20 years? I want to be more comfortable? Do I want to start a journey towards the comfort now? Or do I want to still live wild and free and out of my two suitcases? happy go lucky or do I want to settle down? So that's, that's that's a part of the conversation. I feel like in my bones. This is maybe the last I think now because I just got the visa renewed in the summer, which is a whole process. I think in my bones. I feel like this is the last this specific visa that I want. I'm not saying that. I don't want to try a green card or maybe marriage going forward. But I just feel like this is something that I'm running out of patience to be here on. And I don't know what the future holds. I would I would love to explore other places, but again, not 20 and not not just a single person making single decisions for myself. So it's all a little more complicated. adulting adulting, which is a thing that I struggled with.
Jessica Altchiler
Well also, if you got married, then he would be able to it would be easy for him over there now.
Honza Pelichovsky
No, it wouldn't because for some reason for some reason. The reason is being homophobia is strangely enough as as advanced as a lot of European countries are and they've had a lot of them have had same sex marriage legalized like in the early 2000s or most of them have by now, Czech Republic for some reason as progressive as we are. We haven't legalized it yet. We only have same sex partnerships. which gives you some stuff, some some, I think you can inquire about medical things and whatnot. But adopting is pretty much impossible. Marriage isn't really legalized. So it's not a thing. So if I were to get married here, I think I would gain I wouldn't go for dual citizenship eventually. But I don't think it would give him any benefits over there because back home, I don't think I would probably I would, I guess we wouldn't be considered married. But I don't think it would give him any any benefits in terms of being a citizen? Wow, I would have to I would have to look into that. But I feel like if you get married somewhere else, and you come back, it would still be legal. I don't think you would cross the border. And there'd be like, those rings don't mean anything. But it I think it would be complicated. Wow, you think that you would freaking thing whenever I go? Yeah, no, we went on a vacation with my family, my sisters and my mom for my mom's 60 at this past summer, which is lovely. We went to Amsterdam, which is my first time was awesome. And more than the travel, it's just like your carving time to talk, and just have those conversations that usually don't if there's kids running around, or if there's other stuff to be worried about. And it's, it was interesting to talk to them about like when you're not a part of the community, you understand maybe that that's an issue. And that can be with anything, trans people, we like talking about a lot of things. If you're not personally bothered, you're not pushing, and I get that. But I was trying to explain to them like, what if I ended up coming back with them? And I'm not, you know, I'm not I'm not married? And then something happens to you. There was like, like, Isn't that for you to be a sibling of someone who is here, a full on human being but doesn't have the same rights? Like, wouldn't that bother you? Like, don't you think it's like, about time? Because they were one of my sisters was trying to have this mindset of like, well, but like, Why have prides and why people are going crazy and like be perverse and like half naked and run around like, don't they have like, are they fully accepted? Like what's going on? Like, do they need this? And I was like, well, first of all, no, you can't get married. Second of all, let's not even get into this idea of like sexuality and how we're making it a taboo and like how sometimes overly projecting it and performing it just means that we're allowing people to exist. Not that I'm saying that, like everyone needs to be outside naked and like having sex on the street, but there's something that's worth pushing. So people are just seeing things. It's just representation, and just just visually, an unknowing that it's out there, you know, that I just was a lot of uncomfortable conversations a little bit. And I was just trying to like push in a way that's like, well, you think you're being progressive in your mind? But, but maybe people like you are the reason we don't have you know, we don't we're not pushing enough to have marriage equality? Because I would think that's something that's long overdue. But if most people like you were considered a liberal, and like young and post revolution, don't think we need to push for anything, then why would anything change? Right?
Jessica Altchiler
Yeah, I mean, anywhere you go, you're going to have political issues. And I obviously am in complete opposition to a lot of what is happening in the US right now. And in general, but it's also fucking exhausting. The fact that anyone has to try to explain to somebody, especially a family member, or someone they're close with,
Honza Pelichovsky
yeah, I didn't consider it at the time exhausting. I just, I just consider it fascinating. Because I was like, Oh, you really, you're a lovely person who totally believes I'm on par with everyone else with my rights, it just that you, you haven't taken the thought far enough. It just means that you're not surrounded. And granted, my sister, my sister grew up competitively playing softball, which is 80% populated by lesbian women. And she has lesbian friends out of the wazoo. So it was a little crazy to me that I'm like, well, you're surrounded by people like us. So there's no question you don't think we don't deserve so and so. But the fact that you think that even being surrounded by people like us, you can just think that things are flying, is that's that's what's sad to me a little bit or baffling. But I didn't, I didn't consider it like a bad thing. I was like, oh, so these are the conversations you're not having. So let's have it now. We have time for it. Let's have it now. And let's just you just listen to what I think and how I live and see if that that sparks any just different way of looking at it. We were talking pronouns and everything. And there were like saying how like, it's a it's a it's a nightmare for for teachers to like, allow kids to call themselves anything. And I'm like, I get it. Like sometimes change is hard, but doesn't mean that the system was good to begin with. So why not? Why not make it make ourselves a little uncomfortable to begin with and just build something that's a little more inclusive for the kids that are growing up now? That'd be nice.
Jessica Altchiler
Yes, no. And it all starts with a conversation. It starts with these conversations because especially when it's somebody like that, who is open minded and willing to have conversations and it's just more like, ignorant to the bigger picture or what needs to still be fought for and things like that. It starts with the conversation. and have have the difficult conversations with people that you're not really necessarily wanting to have. But that when you push through to the other side, it will enlighten someone. And then there will be one more person on this planet who is actively fighting for what needs to be fought for. Yeah,
Honza Pelichovsky
or just the ripple effect of like being like, Oh, I didn't think about it like that. So but then when she has a conversation with a friend, maybe she can say, Well, my brother who's so and so told me this, how about that, or you just you just. And that's the whole idea of storytelling, right? Like, that's why this podcast is wonderful. There's just something about, we just respond to specific stories. If it's just legislation and thing we see from above, or just political, it's really easy to just be like, No, or like, why, you know, too hard, too complicated. But when you when you put a face behind it, it's it's a cliche, it's true. It's much more meaningful.
Jessica Altchiler
It's the it's the point, and I've always said and thought that what we're talking about in the dance context is just a microcosm of the bigger world. And I want people to be able to practice using their voices in this environment, in an environment where we can have these back and forth conversations where anyone I'm bringing on to the podcast, I trust in some way to have a fruitful conversation. And I want them slash you to be able to tell their story express themselves. And when you're doing that you are, there is a ripple effect. There is even if we're not talking about politics, and progress and everything directly, you're bringing in empathy towards people and what they have to say and stories. And we can practice making changes within our own little bubbles within the dance program. So without within the performing arts industries, and then we're actively learning how to make bigger changes that will impact more people and that aren't just isolated to these little bubbles that we live in. So there's also that component to because in our tagline we have that it's also about creating changes within the industry and the world. And I mean that like what can we do here with conversations? How can we practice making changes and like kind of create this Dumbledore as army of what we lived through. And also, I also believe that, like, I'm still holding on to so much pain and trauma and like, I'm still processing through so much of that. And it's really hard to see past that when you're still living in it when it's still holding on to you and weighing you down in some way. So I also am hoping that as people share, and these conversations are being had, and you know, everyone who comes on here says something like, oh, wow, that felt like a relief or that felt like therapy or that felt, you know, there's something that people feel about sharing their stories and talking about their experiences. And I think once we keep doing that we're like clearing something out with it in ourselves that can then allow us to be these channels, both for the art that we're making, but also for the world that we want to see.
Honza Pelichovsky
Yes, I I've always just to be super transparent, I've always find that hard to take it from the talking about to the actual doing, like how can I as a person who's always just like begging for a job, take what I've learned and take what I value in the working environment and actually push for it. When I'm never in charge of being the person or I'm never in charge of getting the job myself. You always just ask like hoping for someone to give it to you. And then you get into an environment in which you're always so grateful to have it that you're sometimes afraid to create ripples, or you just go like, it's fine, it's fine, it's fine. It's fine. It's fine. It's fine. I have it was just religious last like through this and let's just like say here or there or like be indignant on behalf of this person or something. Just so you because you're afraid to lose it. So I've always had a hard time with these conversations. To see the bridge between the Yes, we all know this is a problem. And then the well what do we actually do about it because we all can sit down and talk about non equity touring, right, and how awful it is, and the things that we've learned and the things that are unfair. The things that are the way you're being taken advantage of the things that are just awful in terms of your working environment. But at the same time, if you try to change things, you're always running the risk of like, oh, you being the problematic person. So next time we're running something, we're not going to hire you. Or you can actually get full on fire or you as me as I learned from the first store, you get better because you know that the things that you bring up are not going to change. So then you just you do this, you lift your hands up and surrender and you're like, well now I know and if I want to be in that environment, I know that nothing's going to change. I'm just going to go back Can I know that that's what's going to be an up pushing for anything, which was me at the beginning of Fiddler because I was just recovering from from dirty and I was looking at all the dancers, it was first to where it was. And I was just like, I hear you, you talk about shoes, I hear you talking about this, you're talking about rehearsals, you're talking about the floor. And I knew that I was not going to get involved. Because my entire year prior, I was trying to fight those things, or I was experiencing those things. And I knew most of those battles were useless to fight. But maybe that's just me saying, because that's not true. Maybe they were worth fighting for. And they were worth exploring. But I got into that better sense of like, that's not going to change. This is a non equity tour, they don't have the money, they don't care, blah, blah, blah. So yeah, it's, it's, I'm sure you have a million things to say to that. I'm just saying it's hard to sometimes feel like you could actually change anything outside of just talking about it within yourselves. I
Jessica Altchiler
completely understand everything you're saying. And just a quick note for people listening. So what we're talking about with non union touring, is basically the short version is you have less money, less rights less of a voice when you're religious. Yeah. And so what we're saying is like, you know, do you have you were dancing in these incredibly challenging situations? Do you have shoes that are actually supporting you and that are going to be comfortable enough dance shoes? And everyday I did actual dance shoes? And do you have a stage that is sprung meaning like, it will be easy? Not exactly. So that's what we're talking about with that, what I think we have the power to do is with these stories, we can come together and be like, hey, I'll say no to this job. If you say no to this job, because I know how fucked up it is to work for this person, or like, Oh, we're all going to not work for this person or like, you know, I think that there's something that there's a power in numbers, because the people who are working in power, who shouldn't be working in power, can only be working in power, because people keep saying yes to them. So if you want to have a show, and you are a royal douchebag, or you are an abuser or you are someone who shouldn't be working, but you have dancers and performers who understandably want a job. Now, I want to be very clear about that. I'm not just saying it's easy to turn down a job, and that you should just turn down a job. But that's how it only makes change, and then boom is done. That is an impossible thing to ask people to do. I'm just saying in theory. That's that's the reality. And I don't know how to really make the changes. But I do think that the more we talk about the issues we see, the more pressure we can put on people to make the changes. Now a lot of the time, it's going to come from us from the performers, and from the assistants and from the associates. Because we are coming into this environment that is already established by people in leadership positions. And so how we behave, and how we question things, even on a very small scale has the potential to make a to have a ripple effect, like something that I say, as an associate to my director, can really enlighten or can really like offer something up that wasn't there before because of my experience, and because of who I am and my unique perspective, and every single person has the ability to do that. When they walk into a room, it is very challenging to do so. But I think what you can take responsibility for is how you show up in a room are you giving in to the toxic environment that was established for you? Or are you actively trying to change it? And are you setting that example for those around you? And then that trickle I believe that can that can trickle up to a certain extent. I think it takes a long time. I think it takes a lot of people to come together and do that. But if you see someone who is not acting in a way, whether it's a peer or a leader in a position, if you see them acting in a way that is negative or mean or emotionally abusive or something like that. What you do in that situation, you have some kind of power even if you're going to like an HR person, like taking some small step or even like talking to your friend and saying hey, like that, that wasn't right, what that person said, right, like, what happened, and again, this microcosm of school and our own experience cuz that's what happened in college when we were all just like, listening to what these people were saying to us and like, calling certain people fat, and saying certain people had to lose weight. And then we eventually could come together and say, Hey, that wasn't right. Right. Like, that's, that's also where this came from, because we were just talking and be like, Hey, that was really fucked up. What happened? Right? Wait, that person shouldn't have said that thing to me. Right? Oh, okay. But when you're holding it in, what, what good is that doing, you're just sitting there like, wow, that, that sucked. I think that sucked. Maybe that was normal. Maybe that was like what was supposed to happen, maybe that's what was supposed to make me a good dancer, a good performer, right, but like, actively questioning it within yourself, then maybe talking to one person about it. And if you have the ability, and there's an opportunity for you, and you feel safe enough to do so to go forward and talk to somebody about it, that can be pretty significant and make some significant ripples like waves, I, when I this is like, obviously an extreme version of this. But like after my sexual assault, when I a year and a half later decided to come forward. And then eventually, like we had to do this whole investigation, and it was like, really hard and everything. But I was talking to Catherine about it, she was the first person like in that world that I talked to about it, because I was like, hey, if anyone is gonna tell me what to do is Katherine. And she said that, in all of her years of people coming forward, about things like this, this was the first person she ever saw fired. So the horrible thing about that is all the people who came forward and nothing happened. But the good thing about it is that now this person is not working there anymore. And this person is not working in a lot of other places anymore. Unfortunately, they were still working in other places. That's a whole other story. But it does take work. I don't know I, I just I want to believe that it's possible to make matters. And I want to believe that what I feel intuitively, which is that sharing together and having these conversations can make an impact. I want to believe that that's true. So I'm gonna just keep trying. Absolutely.
Honza Pelichovsky
My just quick response to what you just talked about is, I think, when when it comes to sexual assault, and things of that nature, I think it's absolutely one super brave, of course, and super important to come out with it. However long it takes you to process it. And what I would just hope for in those environments is because we're so hush, hush, let's not talk about things that go wrong. I think it's actually sad, because it's not that we want to put a person who did something on glasses it like let's stone this person, but there should be a way of talking about things that go wrong. So people can have a specific idea of what the expectation is, and what what the thing that is not going to be tolerated is going to be I think it will be so helpful if the environment in which this happened, said, This is what happened. This is what we're not tolerating this is the consequence. And it just shows to anyone working there that this is the expectation. This is what happened when someone stepped out of the line in a way that we don't find openly, we don't find acceptable as opposed to just hush, hush, hush, everyone having just some sort of like, well, we don't talk about this, everything this happened, then it's not actually preventing it in the future, there needs to be some sort of transparency, again, not to stone the person who did it because those repercussions are happening. But but just to set an example of like, this is what we expect. And this is what we don't tolerate. That's my one, one response to that. And then back to back to the environment of of non equity touring or touring in general, what do you describe is a union, it's people coming together and being able to say we as a collective, want to push this or are not comfortable with this, or will not do this, or are going to push for this. And that's why I and again, I'm not a person in the business who's trying to make money off of productions. I just know that when a show comes to town and performs you as a ticket payer don't know if it's a non equity or an equity tour, you see a show, and a lot of times these shows are of the same caliber. I remember all of us had these conversations on fiddler. It was the first year when it went on tour after the Broadway run that I remember seeing actually we before it close with my parents who were who were in in New York for Christmas. So that was like a full circle moment. We were just also flabbergasted by how people who are paying for this ticket would pay for this are going to pay the same price when let's say wicked comes in and that's an equity tour. They're going to think it's hopefully just as good as well put on which that first year was really I think we had a wonderful show. Even after like the production value was great. The talent was great. So we were just flabbergasted at the only place where it shows us different is the money that producers are making versus the money we're getting. So we're doing the same amount of work, there's the same amount of expectation for work ethic, you're getting the same product, we just get a third or a quarter of what a person on an equity tour would. And we don't have this power of this is where we're okay with the suit, whatever you want. This is what we need. And again, it goes into what you said about being able to say no to a job. We always we've talked about this a million times, it's just not fair that the onus is on us as the performer who's trying to get a job to be the person who has to say yes to something because we want to be employed. So if there's a non equity contract that you're going to say no to and then end up not working in a performance setting. There's so many other Joes and Janes and people who are just really wanting to take a job. So they'll take care, I just I just hate that, then it's on this person who's always going to say yes to job because they just want to perform. And it doesn't matter that it's a it's a shitty schedule with shitty pay, and shitty treatment. And
Jessica Altchiler
also, the better that a performer is treated and paid, the better, the better their quality will be of the performance on the show as a whole. But the thing is, the quality doesn't really matter when you think about capitalism, because is the show up and running, and will people come buy tickets. So, you know, it doesn't really matter how people are treated or if it's, you know, a B performance or an A plus performance when you're still gonna go and enjoy it. So I think that it circles back to how it feels to be an artist in a capitalist world. Because we know that we want to give our all and we want to be given the resources and the support to give our all and we know the impact that giving our all can make on other people, both who we're working with and and the audience members that we're able to impact. We know how shows can be life changing. And we're also going to any performer is going to give their all it's just a matter of can they do that every night for eight shows a week when you're not getting paid enough to go take care of yourself.
Honza Pelichovsky
Yeah, we always we always talked about it with Derek it's you always give 100% But 100% out of what the day is your capacity 16. So your 100% will only be 60. And that's maybe not as great as if you are taking care of better. And your 100 is always in the 90s or your max for the day is always in the 90s
Jessica Altchiler
Yeah, yeah, pro union baby.
Honza Pelichovsky
I am I wish I wish everything was just you know, just think it would, it would it would make a better world. My
Jessica Altchiler
dream is that all performers get to perform. And all dancers get to dance, and everyone gets paid well and treated well. And then meanie pies are out of leadership positions and the nice people rise up and create loving, lovely environments, both for the performers and the audiences that they get to reach.
Honza Pelichovsky
I love this Sunday after school especially this is a great, you know, and I'm gonna tight and I don't want to end it on like a note of like, it's all about the money anyway. But going back to the cultural differences of money that again it but it is it's it's interesting, we always have Germany, and I've never worked in Germany. So I can like say how this is true. But we always use that cliche of like, well, every smaller, bigger town in Germany has an opera house and a ballet company, which means that there's so many more opportunities for people to perform. Because the stage has decided that this chunk of money that we have, we're going to pour into the arts. So every freaking town that isn't a village can have these two troops or companies and we're just going to have art as like a thing we value as a government and we're going to funnel money into it. I don't need to get into where most of money comes from the US government and what people think because I don't want to insult people who Yeah, I don't want to insult people with with served and stuff because I don't of course, there's ripple effects of everything. I'm not saying that if the US pulled all the troops out that the world wouldn't go into complete chaos, because I don't know the inner workings. But there is something to be said about that the majority of the money goes into this sector. And every single person who's trying to make art here needs to grovel and needs to be coming up to people and browse to people who have money because it's all most of it is if it stands, its nonprofit. So we're always just coming up to people and begging them for money because you have it and we want to make something but we don't have it and the government isn't helping us. So like all the scholarships, all the things that people are constantly trying to do and I left with Wanda Wanda is the lady that I know in Brooklyn, she sits on one of the boards of people who give out money for dance companies in New York who want to create original work mostly tied to original compositions and live music performances. But that's constantly just asking people to be coming up to you and begging for money. Because we as a country are not deeming this important enough to just invest in it.
Jessica Altchiler
Yeah, we can't even keep an art class in school. Yeah. I think we got to wrap up.
Honza Pelichovsky
We got a wrap up. Three hour, Mark.
Jessica Altchiler
I'm getting hungry. Good, good. Good.
Honza Pelichovsky
Good. Are you good? Well, let me let me just say at the end, just to like, tie back to the beginning, I am extremely proud of you for doing this. I think it's, it's an impressive feat. Again, it's something that's going to live out there for such a long time, I think it's just going to be a pocket of what you end up doing, and creating in your life. So I'm excited to see where that goes, I'm happy to have been a tiny part of it. And I just want to encourage you to keep going because I see a future in which you have a person who edits this, you can just focus on the actual material. But this is this is where it starts.
Jessica Altchiler
Thank you. Thank you for your love and support. Always. And I love how we didn't even get into like the classic stuff I would have thought we talked about, like, when we were on the phone that day, and you were in San Diego. And when I told you about auditioning for fiddler, and you had already been you were on the tour actively and like your crazy story about joining and all that stuff. So that's just a little teaser for next time
Honza Pelichovsky
to season seven.
Jessica Altchiler
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Well, thank you so much for this. Thank you for your honesty and your openness and being who you are, you know, I you know how I feel about you. And for everyone else, I love this guy. We all can tell this. And I'm so grateful to be on this journey with you. I think we're in really similar parts of our life where we're like, on one hand, let me just keep grinding trying for these. Take
Honza Pelichovsky
no prisoners. Yeah, yeah, been going for
Jessica Altchiler
going for a number like, oh, but home and like, you know, finding that balance in your life and not just being one thing, but figuring out? How can I bring everything that matters to me and my life? Together? How can I bring How can I create a life for myself, that is fulfilling in all of the ways I want it to be fulfilling, and not just grinding and keeping a narrow focus that doesn't touch all of the areas of in our lives that mean something to us. So that is something that I think we're going to keep navigating together. And I'm sure a lot of people listening, are currently navigating or have navigated or will be navigating. So let's just keep an open conversation, and keep exploring what it means to create your life with intention. No,
Honza Pelichovsky
no, I agree. I think there's something so beautiful about just talking to your friends and admitting that you don't really know where you're headed right now. It's it's something so prevalent within the people I talked to, and we're just getting comfortable with admitting it. And just not trying to fix it for each other or tell each other what to do. But just say that, yeah, I understand and something will come or something will tell you where to go.
Jessica Altchiler
Well, I love you. I love you to three hours later.
Honza Pelichovsky
Three hours later, this is insane. So late. Thank you. Thank
Jessica Altchiler
you. Thank you so much. I love you. Bye. Thank you so much for listening to the story project. It is a dream come true to get to share these stories with you. And I'm so grateful for every single guests and audience member if you're enjoying the podcast, it would be such a great help if you could do a couple things. First is to follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple podcasts wherever you listen. The next would be to rate five stars and also give us a review. And finally, share any episodes that you like with the people that you love. This is a podcast for the community. And the hope is that it can reach as many people as possible from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for being here. Until next time