Backstage with Annett Bone of The DancePreneuring Studio Podcast

Whenever I find a new dance podcast, I literally do a little happy dance. And I especially love the podcast The DancePreneuring Studio by today’s guest Annett Bone because it combines awesome, real-life advice for dance professionals, along with juuuuuust the right amount of woo, which we all know I’m a fan of. ;) I was lucky enough to be a guest on Annett’s podcast awhile back (you can tune into that episode here), and today I’m super thrilled to share her interview with you! Let’s get to it!

KC: What's your earliest memory of dance?

AB: My earliest memory is doing Tahitian and Hula at the age of 8 when I lived in Texas.

KC: What's your background with dance? Was it love at first plie?

AB: I started with Tahitian and Hula at 8, and took my first ballet and jazz classes at age 14 on Guam. And it was most definitely love at first plie! I was so excited taking my first classes.  I left Guam after high school at age 18 and went to study dance at the University of California in Irvine and got my B.A. in Dance, with an emphasis in Teaching.

KC: Who are your dance heroes, and why?

AB: My dance heroes are not necessarily those you would know or see in the limelight. It is the dancer, choreographer,  or educator that is passionate, intentional , with an amazing work ethic.  It is the person that goes beyond the movement, and allows himself or herself to be immersive in whatever process they’re involved in with dance. It is the person that doesn’t give up.  It is the person that looks beyond notoriety and the superficial stuff, whatever that means to them.

KC: You came back to dance after a long break; can you tell us about that journey and your experiences coming back to the dance community?

AB: I quit dance after getting my B.A. in college because my self-image was distorted and bottom line, I let fear get the best of me.  After 20+ years of not dancing, experiencing depression, self-doubt, and massive weight gain to name a few things, I returned to dance because I missed it so much. I didn’t want to have any more regrets of not at least having dance in m life to some degree.  This choice has resulted in many unexpected serendipities, one being that I am stronger and can do more physically in my 40’s than I did in my 20’s,  The mindset shifts and constant learning has been priceless.

KC: You have an awesome podcast called The Dancepreneuring Studio. Can you tell us what inspired you to start the podcast?

AB: Thank you for the kind affirmation on the podcast, I really appreciate that! Since returning to dance, my thought process is geared toward what I can do to constantly push myself outside of my comfort zone. I was inspired by the fact that podcasting would be outside my comfort zone because I didn’t have any experience with it, I hated the sound of my voice, and I thought, “Hmmmm, let me see if I can put dance on a platform that isn’t visual.” I also wanted to do my part in highlighting dance and the amazing people involved in dance, through podcasting.

KC: What's one piece of advice you'd give your younger dancer self?

AB: One piece of advice I would give my younger dancer self is that one audition, job,  or project doesn’t dictate your value as a dancer and more importantly your value as a creative, human being.

KC: Are there any cliches or preconceptions about dance you try to correct in your work with your podcast?

AB: I love these questions Katrena! Cliches and preconceptions that I try to bring more awareness to are that impact is not always about vanity metrics in social media, don’t judge dance or movement ability by body type, and one of my favorite sayings, “State of mind, not date of birth,’ meaning age only being a number because I’ve seen people in dance and other things killing it in their 50’s, 60’s and beyond.

KC: What about the dance community is currently exciting you the most?

AB: In the dance community currently, I am excited about the availability of different approaches to dance and movement as a whole. And I love that it is being made accessible to as many people as possible, regardless of physical ability, body type, background, etc.

And now… just for funsies…

KC: Burritos or tacos? 

AB: Both depending on ingredients. LOL

KC: Legwarmers or ballet skirts? 

AB: Legwarmers

KC: Disco balls or rainbows? 

AB: Disco balls

KC: Center Stage or Flashdance? 

AB: Flashdance

KC: One word to describe yourself? 

AB: Passionate

Thank you SO much Annett, for sharing your wisdom with us! I know you all will probably want to get some more of Annett in your life, so make sure you check out her website here, dig in to all her amazing podcast episodes wherever you get your podcasts by searching The DancePreneuring Studio and you can find her on Instagram and Twitter as well.

Stay tuned next week for yet another amazing Backstage Blog interview, and make sure you share this interview with someone you think would love it. Have a great week!