Words That Move Me with Dana Wilson

The Dana Wilson LLC
  • 4.9 (140)
  • PERFORMING ARTS
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The dance podcast where movers and shakers like you get the information and inspiration you need to navigate your creative career with clarity and confidence. Master mover, Dana Wilson, taps into 20 years of industry experience, and talks to some of the best in the entertainment biz, who have been there and done that so that you don’t have to… do it alone.

  1. 1D AGO

    261. The Confidence Episode

    This is my episode on Confidence and what’s keeping you from feeling it! In this solo episode, Dana (movement director, artist developer, and your unofficial confidence coach) breaks down the one thing her students, pop stars, and actors keep asking for, and why they've been thinking about it all wrong. Spoiler: confidence isn't a skill you build. It's a feeling you're willing to have. We explore: Task-based confidence vs. self-confidence. Why the version of confidence most of us are chasing is actually the smallest slice of the pie, and what the rest of the grocery store looks like when you finally walk in. The milk metaphor that started it all. From shaking toddler hands to one-handed, foot-on-the-door pouring, and why crying over spilled milk is actually the origin story of every performer who's ever said, "I just need more confidence." Willingness as the real currency. How walking into a room of 500 phenomenal dancers with zero world tour credits on your resume can still look like you've done it before, and the single mindset shift that makes that possible. This episode is the one her student asked for, the one she thought she'd already made, and the one that might permanently change the way you think about what it means to be unflappable. So, are you willing to feel your least favorite feeling? Watch the full episode here. Show Notes: For more DANA For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY  To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE  Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

    22 min

  2. FEB 25

    260. Paul Turner: Reality (TV) is My Life

    This is Paul Turner on Feedback, Family, and Finding Your People in Unfamiliar Territory In this episode, Performer, Reality Star, “Production Fairy” and Producer, Paul Turner, shares his perspective on compassion, improvisation, and building creative community in spaces that demand instant connection. From competing on Survivor Europe with two weeks' notice and a rainbow tank top to launching Where's My Phone Productions, Paul reveals what it means to give feedback that builds people up instead of breaking them down. We explore: Criticism with compassion over criticism with a period. How stern feedback creates a full stop that erases all the good someone just did, and what it means to remember performers are on hour nine of day 65 before you open your mouth. The journey from being on reality TV to making it! The found family that comes from it and how Paul developed an improvisational nature. From purple-haired Alaskan dancers to production company founders. The origin story of Where's My Phone Productions (yes, it's named after a very drunk Vegas photo), why partnering with choreographer Brittany Riddle to tell stories about people who don't fit the Alaska stereotype matters, and what happens when they capture those lightning-in-a-bottle moments of forced intimacy and creative survival. This conversation reveals what happens when you lead with empathy instead of authority, when you say yes to opportunities that scare you (even if you don't speak the language), and when you realize the most interesting stories come from the people who never quite fit the expected mold. Watch the full episode here. Show Notes: Connect with Paul on IG For more DANA For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY  To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE  Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

    52 min

  3. 12/22/2025

    259. Celebrating FIVE years of WTMM!

    Celebrate FIVE years of Words That Move Me with Producer & Host, Dana Wilson, joined by Executive Assistant & Editor Riley Higgins!    This episode is a wild ride including: Friends drinking adult hot cocoa A trip down memory lane of the last five years of the podcast!  How we handled grit vs grace this year Our essential travel items PLUS a story that will have your heart beating out of your chest!    Thank you listener/viewer for FIVE WHOLE YEARS! We couldn’t do it without you. Here’s to five more!   Watch the full episode here.  Show Notes: For more DANA For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY  To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE  Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

    1 hr

  4. 12/17/2025

    258. When Are You The Most Yourself? Our 2025 Question of the Year!

    Words That Move Me with Dana Wilson

    45 min

  5. 12/10/2025

    257. Sienna Lyons: Strength,Sensuality, Specialization

    This is Sienna Lyons on Sensuality, Specialization, and the Strength to Sustain   In this episode, Choreographer, Educator, and Dancer Sienna Lyons shares her perspective on power, versatility, and longevity in an industry that often demands everything at once. From backup dancing for JLo and Taylor Swift to choreographing for Gwen Stefani and The Masked Singer, Sienna reveals what it means to command attention without giving everything away. We explore:   The art of the tease over the reveal. Why she gravitates toward the "don't look at me, but look at me" approach to sensuality, how different opacities of sexy—from the subtle smirk to what she calls "the yeast infection"—shape character choices, and what it means to keep certain elements as a privilege rather than a given. The generalist advantage in a specialist world. How training in everything from tap to commercial hip hop since age three became her secret weapon, why being fluent in both technical and commercial languages opens doors across choreographic camps, and the radical notion that "of course" having multiple skill sets works in your favor. Prehab over rehab at 36. The lightbulb moment when she realized PT isn't just for when you're hurting, why consistency matters more than intensity as the body ages, and what happens when you're still in great shape but gravity and years of abnormal physicality start sending reminders.   This conversation reveals what happens when you refuse to perform easiness as a character trait, when you embrace being many things instead of one singular thing, and when you learn that maintaining your instrument is just as important as mastering your craft. Watch the full episode here. Show Notes: Connect with Sienna on IG Listen to Tony’s episode  Listen to Dominique’s episode  Listed to Jillian’s episode  Listen to Slay’s episode  Listen to Mimi’s episode For more DANA For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY  To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE   Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

    54 min

  6. 12/03/2025

    256. Tracy Phillips: Humility, Hollywood, and The Roosevelt Hotel

    Words That Move Me with Dana Wilson

    59 min

  7. 11/26/2025

    255. Notes on Leadership for Leaders with Dr. Arnel Calvario Ripkens

    This is Dr. Arnel Calvario Ripkens on conscious leadership, cultural stewardship, and the dance program that says “yes” when others say “no”. In this episode, dancer, leader, and Doctor of Occupational Therapy Arnel Calvario Ripkens shares three decades of wisdom on building community, honoring roots, and creating space for everybody. We explore: The antidote to lonely leadership. Why "you're not alone" is the first thing every leader needs to hear, the power of reciprocal mentorship relationships, and how mission statements become your compass when organizations grow and evolve. Conscious cultural participation. What it means to be a guest in black-created art forms, how Culture Shock LA showed up for the communities whose culture shaped their choreography, and why knowledge of where dance comes from strengthens the power of what we do. Awesome Shock and neurodivergent dancers. The parents who shared that studios turned their kids away, the grant-funded after-school program that became a full dance troupe, and how 27 dancers ages 6 to 28 proved that diversity includes neurodiversity. Plus, more insights on being the best leader you can be! This conversation reveals what happens when you lead with a mission first, when you honor the heritage of the art forms you practice, and when you create programs that affirm every dancer—especially those who've been told they learn differently. Watch the full episode here. Show Notes: Connect with Arnel  Listen to our first episode with Arnel Arnel’s Leadership Tools for the Dance Leader  Learn more about Culture Shock LA For more DANA For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY  To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE  Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

    51 min

  8. 11/19/2025

    254. Will Johnston: Originality, Influence and the Proofread Process

    This is Will Johnston on new projects, originality, and the moment in a lunge that changed everything. In this episode, choreographer and director Will Johnston discusses his creative process, artistic influence, and the evolution of his work, from competitive dance beginnings to directing music videos for major artists. We explore: The choreography of numbness through cathartic movement. How his film "Pepper" explores over-consumption and paralysis, when the body holds chaos and vibration even when it can't move, and what happens to our vessels when the stimulation stops. Originality, influence, and the proofread process. Whether truly original thoughts exist, how dancers physicalize and remanifest what they see, and the idea of adding a "proofreading" step to creative work The lunge that sparked everything. That pivotal seventh-grade moment when recreation became serious, when "I should work hard" became a defining thought, and how weight-bearing holds can catalyze life-changing realizations. Plus, insights on evolving from dancer to director, working with DPs, and bringing technical precision to artistic vision. This conversation reveals what emerges when we examine our influences honestly, when we create space between inspiration and imitation, and when a single moment of clarity in class becomes the foundation for a global career. Watch the full episode here. Show Notes: Connect with Will on IG Watch “Pepper” For more DANA For coaching with me, join the WTMM COMMUNITY  To donate to WTMM through our Fiscal Sponsor, THE DANCE RESOURCE CENTER To shop for GOODIES & SERVIES Watch and Subscribe on YOUTUBE  Stay connected with us on IG and TikTok

    53 min
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4.9
out of 5
140 Ratings

About

The dance podcast where movers and shakers like you get the information and inspiration you need to navigate your creative career with clarity and confidence. Master mover, Dana Wilson, taps into 20 years of industry experience, and talks to some of the best in the entertainment biz, who have been there and done that so that you don’t have to… do it alone.

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