In this episode of Stage Dive, Jack closes out Season 4 with Mika Hell. They dive deep into navigating self judgement, the process of trusting yourself and your growth, and of course respecting fire as an art form. ABOUT MIKA HELL Fire Performer, Flow Artist, Content Creator, Dedicated Teacher and Lover of Mankind @mikahell42 ABOUT JACK DAWKINS  Jack Dawkins is a storyteller, a rapper, and a poet. He also cooks good food and runs really far. His use of the English language has been compared to Michael Phelps’ performance on Saturday Night Live: Wildly entertaining for none of the reasons you would expect. He is, at his core, and in his music, deeply human, and a lover of excessive comma use. Most importantly, he loves you.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jackdawkinsraps.com/linktree/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ABOUT STAGE DIVE  “The stories behind your favorite artists. Stage Dive sheds light on the beautiful and precarious process of creating and sharing art with the world.”  🤔 Thoughtful Questions  🥹 Vulnerable Answers  🤓 Much Nerding  Music: https://open.spotify.com/track/5TMLeqJiL2WMPoAcWKhGZz?si=4e6748ab641b46bc  SHOW NOTES 0:00 Intro 1:33 First Tattoo & Upasana 9:48 Starting From The Beginning 15:41 Self Judgement 21:46 Social Media 26:26 Trusting the Process of Growth 35:50 The Many Names of Flow Arts & Dragon Staff 43:47 Adding Fire & Intensity 50:00 Balancing Energy & Giving Advice --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stagedivepodcast/support

In this episode of Stage Dive, Jack speaks with Mel Wheeler, a mom of four who followed her interests and learned how to hula hoop. Through social media, she learned the skills and took to performing, including over 30 hoops at once, hooping with fire, and hooping on her bottom! ABOUT MEL WHEELER Lightning speed meets creative flow and freakishly impressive tricks, Mel Wheeler takes Hula Hooping to the extreme! Her style combines ninja-like movement with some of the most intricate and difficult tricks around. Her Hula Hoop videos have gone viral around the world, with features on People Are Awesome, Daily Mail, Australia’s Got Talent, RTM and Power of Positivity to name a few. Her Hula Hooping bottom has been turned into a Mexican Meme and she once lost half a butt cheek after being wiped out by a gigantic wave while hula hooping on a cliff face. A mother of 4 and an Arts Teacher by trade, she is passionate about sharing the magic of hula hooping and inspiring creative play with everyone she meets. https://www.instagram.com/melwheeler/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/MelwheelerHoopArtist/ https://www.tiktok.com/@melwheeler_hoops ABOUT JACK DAWKINS  Jack Dawkins is a storyteller, a rapper, and a poet. He also cooks good food and runs really far. His use of the English language has been compared to Michael Phelps’ performance on Saturday Night Live: Wildly entertaining for none of the reasons you would expect. He is, at his core, and in his music, deeply human, and a lover of excessive comma use. Most importantly, he loves you.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jackdawkinsraps.com/linktree/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ABOUT STAGE DIVE  “The stories behind your favorite artists. Stage Dive sheds light on the beautiful and precarious process of creating and sharing art with the world.”  🤔 Thoughtful Questions  🥹 Vulnerable Answers  🤓 Much Nerding  Music: https://open.spotify.com/track/5TMLeqJiL2WMPoAcWKhGZz?si=4e6748ab641b46bc  SHOW NOTES 0:00 Intro 1:28 Shark Obsession & Hula Hopping 7:49 Finding the Time to Practice and Perform 13:39 The Perfect Hula Hoop & Various Styles 24:49 Social Media 30:33 LED Hoops, Tech, and Music 35:51 Fire Hooping & Bottom Hooping --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stagedivepodcast/support

In this episode of Stage Dive, Jack speaks with Cindy Arena, a comic who started her craft in her late 50s. Together, they discuss her unique life experience growing up in the porn industry, how she got started, and their favorite comedians. ABOUT CINDY ARENA Coming from the perspective of a degenerate boomer (also her podcasts name) Cindy’s comedy draws on her childhood with a family in the adult entertainment business, and life as the mom of two dumb millennials. https://www.facebook.com/cindyarenacomedy http://www.instagram.com/cindyarenacomedy https://www.tiktok.com/@cindyarena?_t=8VAK7z2wN9n&_r=1 ABOUT JACK DAWKINS  Jack Dawkins is a storyteller, a rapper, and a poet. He also cooks good food and runs really far. His use of the English language has been compared to Michael Phelps’ performance on Saturday Night Live: Wildly entertaining for none of the reasons you would expect. He is, at his core, and in his music, deeply human, and a lover of excessive comma use. Most importantly, he loves you.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jackdawkinsraps.com/linktree/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ABOUT STAGE DIVE  “The stories behind your favorite artists. Stage Dive sheds light on the beautiful and precarious process of creating and sharing art with the world.”  🤔 Thoughtful Questions  🥹 Vulnerable Answers  🤓 Much Nerding  Music: https://open.spotify.com/track/5TMLeqJiL2WMPoAcWKhGZz?si=4e6748ab641b46bc  SHOW NOTES 0:00 Intro 1:19 Starting Comedy Later in Life & Impressive Comedians 5:39 Deciding To Be A Comedian 14:54 Growing Up in the Porn Industry & Telling A Story 23:28 Captivating on Stage & Venue Preferences 33:47 Areas of Growth 39:43 Favorite Comedians & Cindy’s People 51:20 The Best Advice Cindy Got & Dream Scenario --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stagedivepodcast/support

In this episode of Stage Dive, Jack speaks with Victor Adeniran, a dancer, aerialist, and all around artist. They dive into the subjectivity of art, spirituality, finding what you need, and Victor's poems on love. ABOUT VICTOR ADENIRAN Victor Adeniran was born in Denver, Colorado but moved to Nigeria with his parents soon after, where he would spend the next 17 years. While living for almost two decades in Nigeria, he fell in love with various forms of art — but the intersections of dance, emoting through movement, painting, sketching, and drawing held his attention the most. After moving back to the U.S., he served in the United States Marine Corps for over 13 years, where he visited a laundry list of countries that ultimately inspired, informed, and enhanced his creativity. Upon returning to Denver after his time in the military, Adeniran performed and continued to enhance his skills and knowledge with MOTH Poetic Circus, now MOTH live entertainment, where his aerial skills began, developed, and grew. Victor moved to San Diego, California, where he has toured with Werk the World (RuPaul’s drag race touring show) through Europe and North America. Violet Chachkis a little more me, Night of the Living Drag, etc. He is thrilled to bring you his performance, joy, and love for the arts through Alice in Wonderland by MOTH live entertainment. @victorinsandiego @artsby_victor ABOUT JACK DAWKINS  Jack Dawkins is a storyteller, a rapper, and a poet. He also cooks good food and runs really far. His use of the English language has been compared to Michael Phelps’ performance on Saturday Night Live: Wildly entertaining for none of the reasons you would expect. He is, at his core, and in his music, deeply human, and a lover of excessive comma use. Most importantly, he loves you.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jackdawkinsraps.com/linktree/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ABOUT STAGE DIVE  “The stories behind your favorite artists. Stage Dive sheds light on the beautiful and precarious process of creating and sharing art with the world.”  🤔 Thoughtful Questions  🥹 Vulnerable Answers  🤓 Much Nerding  Music: https://open.spotify.com/track/5TMLeqJiL2WMPoAcWKhGZz?si=4e6748ab641b46bc  SHOW NOTES 0:00 Intro 1:26 Competition and Sprinting 5:28 Masculine Marine and Feminine Dancer Energy 9:45 Emotional Intelligence & Individualism 14:53 Community of Dance & Subjectivity 24:49 Spirituality and Learning 33:10 Victor’s Own Show with Poetry & Love 42:14 Emotion and Finding What You Need 49:23 Thoughts On Teaching & Advice      --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stagedivepodcast/support

In this episode of Stage Dive, Jack speaks with Katy Williams, puppeteer extraordinaire. She opens the world of puppetry, the possibilities and the applications of puppetry in film and theater, and her work in the artform. ABOUT KATY WILLIAMS Katy Williams Design is a Colorado based company that specializes in building and teaching puppets, props, and makeup design. Katy’s mission is to spread the joy and accessibility of puppetry, and she has been extremely influential in implementing puppetry in theaters all over Colorado. Katy is also responsible for starting the Rocky Mountain Puppet Slam in March 2018, successfully producing three slams a year. She recently produced and acted as Festival Director for the third time for a new Children’s festival, Puppet Palooza. This Winter catch her puppets in “The Little Prince” at TheatreWorks. Katy decided to take the plunge, quit her job, and become a full time freelance puppeteer in 2022. She would like to acknowledge the enormous support from her friends and family as they help her navigate all her amazing and time-consuming projects! See more of Katy’s work at www.katywilliamsdesign.com Facebook: Katy Williams Design Instagram: Katy.Williams.Design ABOUT JACK DAWKINS  Jack Dawkins is a storyteller, a rapper, and a poet. He also cooks good food and runs really far. His use of the English language has been compared to Michael Phelps’ performance on Saturday Night Live: Wildly entertaining for none of the reasons you would expect. He is, at his core, and in his music, deeply human, and a lover of excessive comma use. Most importantly, he loves you.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jackdawkinsraps.com/linktree/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ABOUT STAGE DIVE  “The stories behind your favorite artists. Stage Dive sheds light on the beautiful and precarious process of creating and sharing art with the world.”  🤔 Thoughtful Questions  🥹 Vulnerable Answers  🤓 Much Nerding  Music: https://open.spotify.com/track/5TMLeqJiL2WMPoAcWKhGZz?si=4e6748ab641b46bc  SHOW NOTES 0:00 Intro 1:26 Puppy Talk & Colorado Native 7:27 The Mixologist of Puppetry & Applications for Puppets 19:37 A Passion for Theater & Finding Puppetry 32:06 Fabricating, Directing, and Puppetry Slams 39:52 Shadow Puppets & The Potential of Puppetry 48:43 Details of Fabrication & Business Growth --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stagedivepodcast/support

In this episode of Stage Dive, Jack speaks with Abby Ballin, a comedian based in South Florida. They discuss the pros and cons of therapy, the process of creating jokes and characters, as well as the line of embellishment when it comes to telling stories on stage. ABOUT ABBY BALLIN Just another unfunny female with the audacity to try and make people laugh. NYC born & raised this funny gal moved her trashy derrière to south Florida where she fit right in! https://www.instagram.com/aballincomedy/ https://www.aballincomedy.com/ https://m.facebook.com/abby.ballin ABOUT JACK DAWKINS  Jack Dawkins is a storyteller, a rapper, and a poet. He also cooks good food and runs really far. His use of the English language has been compared to Michael Phelps’ performance on Saturday Night Live: Wildly entertaining for none of the reasons you would expect. He is, at his core, and in his music, deeply human, and a lover of excessive comma use. Most importantly, he loves you.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://jackdawkinsraps.com/linktree/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ABOUT STAGE DIVE  “The stories behind your favorite artists. Stage Dive sheds light on the beautiful and precarious process of creating and sharing art with the world.”  🤔 Thoughtful Questions  🥹 Vulnerable Answers  🤓 Much Nerding  Music: https://open.spotify.com/track/5TMLeqJiL2WMPoAcWKhGZz?si=4e6748ab641b46bc  SHOW NOTES 0:00 Intro 1:23 COVID in South Florida 9:08 Awareness and Inquiry and Therapy 16:38 Comedy Today & Crafting Material 24:33 The Line of Embellishment & Phases of Growth 30:38 New Characters and Comedy 36:34 Set Length, Crowd Work, and Joke Structure 43:38 Work vs. Play & Women in Comedy 52:54 Building & Drugs --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stagedivepodcast/support

In this episode of Stage Dive, Jack speaks with Mitch DuBois about the magic of following your interests. They discuss how he signed a contract for Disney without having performed a Cyr wheel act on stage, the early days of TikTok fame and social media, and following your inner compass. ABOUT MITCHELL DUBOIS Mitch is an acrobat and performer from Michigan. Specializing in trampwall and trampoline, he played team sports throughout his childhood before transitioning full time to acrobatics at 19. He discovered trampwall in 2020 when he moved to California to live in a commune of acrobats now known as Junktramp during the covid pandemic. Using his film school education, he helped the group leverage social media as their primary source of income to survive the pandemic. Along the way, they helped Mitch learn about trampwall and the circus industry as a whole, which led to him starting his own performing journey. IG: @duballs ABOUT JACK DAWKINS  Jack Dawkins is a storyteller, a rapper, and a poet. He also cooks good food and runs really far. His use of the English language has been compared to Michael Phelps’ performance on Saturday Night Live: Wildly entertaining for none of the reasons you would expect. He is, at his core, and in his music, deeply human, and a lover of excessive comma use. Most importantly, he loves you.  ⁠⁠⁠https://jackdawkinsraps.com/linktree/⁠⁠⁠ ABOUT STAGE DIVE  “The stories behind your favorite artists. Stage Dive sheds light on the beautiful and precarious process of creating and sharing art with the world.”  🤔 Thoughtful Questions  🥹 Vulnerable Answers  🤓 Much Nerding  Music: https://open.spotify.com/track/5TMLeqJiL2WMPoAcWKhGZz?si=4e6748ab641b46bc  SHOW NOTES 0:00 Intro 1:28 Albany, Georgia & Working for Disney 3:29 Culture Shock & Systems 11:40 Trampoline and Communal Living 18:17 Relationship to Social Media 28:01 Creating to Producing  32:52 Traveling & Hitchhiking 41:10 Energy & Inner Compass 50:55 Advice for Gaining a Mentor & Acrobatics Industry --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stagedivepodcast/support

In this episode of Stage Dive, Jack speaks with Tara Frase, part of the entertainment industry in central Florida. Together, they cover Tara's Virgo energy, finding balance in life, why Florida should be known as an entertainment industry hub, and how she become an efficient actress! ABOUT TARA FRASE Tara has been active in different elements of the Entertainment Industry for over 10 years. Since graduating with her BFA in Theatre from FAU, she has performed with the Walt Disney Company, Universal Orlando Resort, and other renowned teams in the central Florida region. She is currently seeking representation for her film and television career! Tarafrase.com Instagram: @tarafrase ABOUT JACK DAWKINS  Jack Dawkins is a storyteller, a rapper, and a poet. He also cooks good food and runs really far. His use of the English language has been compared to Michael Phelps’ performance on Saturday Night Live: Wildly entertaining for none of the reasons you would expect. He is, at his core, and in his music, deeply human, and a lover of excessive comma use. Most importantly, he loves you.  ⁠https://jackdawkinsraps.com/linktree/⁠ ABOUT STAGE DIVE  “The stories behind your favorite artists. Stage Dive sheds light on the beautiful and precarious process of creating and sharing art with the world.”  🤔 Thoughtful Questions  🥹 Vulnerable Answers  🤓 Much Nerding  Music: https://open.spotify.com/track/5TMLeqJiL2WMPoAcWKhGZz?si=4e6748ab641b46bc  SHOW NOTES 0:00 Intro 1:17 Disney Halloween Show Cast & Virgo Energy 10:03 Balance, Money, & Film 21:21 Florida Entertainment Community & The First Spark of Performing 33:05 Scheduling and Consistency 40:54 Efficiency in Acting & Memorization Advice 52:14 Emotional Clearing & Short Film Project --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stagedivepodcast/support

In this episode of Stage Dive, Jack speaks with Jessica Cox, a public speaker and pilot that was born without arms. Jack explores the tough topics of adapting in a world where you are visibly different, challenging perceptions of what is possible, and traveling the world as a public speaker to share her experiences. ABOUT JESSICA COX Jessica was born without arms and uses her feet the way most people use their hands. Jessica grew up asking with frustration and anger, “Why me? Why do I have to be different?” She learned to see the blessings in her life and accept herself as a whole person. Now, Jessica flies airplanes, drives cars, is married, and otherwise lives a normal life. Jessica has the Guinness World Record for being the first person in aviation history licensed to fly an airplane with just feet. www.jessicacox.com https://www.ted.com/talks/jessica_cox_what_are_your_fake_arms www.disarmyourlimits.com www.facebook.com/jessicacox https://www.youtube.com/user/rightfootedwoman ABOUT JACK DAWKINS  Jack Dawkins is a storyteller, a rapper, and a poet. He also cooks good food and runs really far. His use of the English language has been compared to Michael Phelps’ performance on Saturday Night Live: Wildly entertaining for none of the reasons you would expect. He is, at his core, and in his music, deeply human, and a lover of excessive comma use. Most importantly, he loves you.  https://jackdawkinsraps.com/linktree/ ABOUT STAGE DIVE  “The stories behind your favorite artists. Stage Dive sheds light on the beautiful and precarious process of creating and sharing art with the world.”  🤔 Thoughtful Questions  🥹 Vulnerable Answers  🤓 Much Nerding  Music: https://open.spotify.com/track/5TMLeqJiL2WMPoAcWKhGZz?si=4e6748ab641b46bc  SHOW NOTES 0:00 Intro 1:16 The World’s First Armless Pilot 4:35 How To Do New & Feeling Different 15:23 Growing Up & First Performances 24:23 Finding Her Voice & Challenging Perception 37:52 Traveling the World as a Public Speaker 46:47 Vulnerability, Authenticity, and Change 53:09 Pre and Post Show Rituals --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stagedivepodcast/support

In this episode of Stage Dive, Jack speaks with Frederic Da Silva about how his seemingly nonstop hard work and dedication paid off when it comes to his magic. He speaks about enjoying tough audiences, creating a show that is hard to recreate, and what it was like to get a residency in Vegas with zero guests at first. ABOUT FREDERIC DA SILVA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCk0M_PjSfQ IG: @Paranormallasvegas ABOUT JACK DAWKINS  Jack Dawkins is a storyteller, a rapper, and a poet. He also cooks good food and runs really far. His use of the English language has been compared to Michael Phelps’ performance on Saturday Night Live: Wildly entertaining for none of the reasons you would expect. He is, at his core, and in his music, deeply human, and a lover of excessive comma use. Most importantly, he loves you.  www.jackdawkinsraps.com/linktree  ABOUT STAGE DIVE  “The stories behind your favorite artists. Stage Dive sheds light on the beautiful and precarious process of creating and sharing art with the world.”  🤔 Thoughtful Questions  🥹 Vulnerable Answers  🤓 Much Nerding  Music: https://open.spotify.com/track/5TMLeqJiL2WMPoAcWKhGZz?si=4e6748ab641b46bc  SHOW NOTES 0:00 Intro 1:32 Finding the Passion of Magic & His First Trick 7:58 Illusions versus Mentalism 17:26 Work Ethic & Daily Schedule 23:35 The Mindset & Happiness 35:56 The Highs and Lows 51:38 Having Fun & Tough Audiences --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/stagedivepodcast/support