unPLUGGED by The Dance Plug Canada
unPLUGGED by The Dance Plug Canada
The Dance Plug Canada
Go in-depth as we hear the stories and opinions from some of Toronto’s Influential Dance Artists from the past and present. We hope that these stories provide you with some very valuable insight about the current state of the city’s dance industry and will help you to make informed decisions about your journey.
039 - The Best of Season 1 (Special Release)
Now each week, we would normally bring you a guest or guests who talk about their experiences working in the industry along with some personal opinions about hot topics in our community. Now, you may have seen that we are moving to remote recordings of our episodes to encourage social and physical distancing during this pandemic. While we batch our upcoming episodes, we want to take a listen back to our favourite moments of Season 1. 
Apr 18, 2020
37 min
038 - Life After Dance with Kojo 'Tuch' Mayne
Have you ever wondered what your life would be like after dance? Or, have you asked yourself, “When would be the right time to hang up your shoes?”  This week, we sat down with Toronto Legend, Kojo ‘Tuch’ Mayne. Through Toronto’s premiere entertainment company – Do Dat Entertainment – Tuch has transformed his passion for dance into a thriving career. Tuch has risen to the top of his craft as a sought after dancer/performer and choreographer known for his performance abilities & professionalism. Tuch joined Do Dat Entertainment in 1998, and since then has performed with top musicians and entertainers, such as Shawn Desman, Eve & Gwen Stefani, Jully Black, Missy Elliott, and Selena Gomez. He’s worked with Sean Paul, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, and Jay-Z in music videos and commercials. In addition, Tuch has appeared in numerous television/film and stage productions such as: the 2011 Much Music Awards, the Listener series, 2010 Olympic Torch Ceremony, E! News Weekend, the motion picture Honey featuring Jessica Alba, the Junos, and the BET Awards. A few highlights have been assisting Luther Brown on So You Think You Can Dance Canada, Lifetime’s 2014 biopic "Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B" & the 2015 Pan Am Opening Ceremony. Most recently, Tuch choreographed for Chinese superstar Kris Wu’s performance on the 2018 iHeartRadio MMVAS and the 2019 television series “TallBoyz” on CBC. With over 20 years of experience, Tuch is a fixture in the Toronto dance industry, having taught classes & workshops internationally, guiding and working with up-coming artists, and judging at the World Of Dance Competition 2011- 2012 & the 2017- 2018 Canada Hip Hop Dance Championship.  ------ The Dance Plug Canada - Toronto | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube Hosted by Roy Urbanozo ------ DONATE to our COVID-19 Toronto Dancers Relief Fund here!
Apr 3, 2020
1 hr 2 min
037 - Ear To The Streets with Amanda-May Wilson
Are you a visible minority who struggles with your voice in the entertainment industry? Are you a dancer who loves to create and wants to transition into choreographing? Or did you work on a Film or TV Show last year and looking for ways to build longevity within the commercial world?  This week, we sat down with Amanda-May Wilson. She is a professional dancer and aspiring choreographer, born and raised in Toronto, Canada. After being self-taught for many years, she began her formal dance training at 14 years old, studying hip hop, jazz, contemporary and musical theatre through several collectives, companies and troupes. Through achievements such as The Pulse On Tour's Elite Protege Scholarship and The Monsters of Hip Hop Show, she has trained and worked closely with global industry heavy-hitters such as Brian Friedman, Gil Duldulao, JaQuel Knight & Parris Goebel, to name a few. You can see Amanda-May onscreen in Full Out (Family Channel/Netflix), Heartbeats (Myriad Pictures/Das Films), Disney's Zombies (Disney) & The Next Step (Family Channel/Disney). She's worked with artists such as Deborah Cox, Janet Jackson, and Agnez Mo, as well as major brands, Nike and Roots. You can catch her choreographic works in Make It Pop (Nickelodeon), Firefly (TIFF), and Utopia Falls (Hulu), Amanda- May is looking forward to continued growth in her craft and what she prays will be a career of longevity in dance. Amanda-May Wilson | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube ------- Recorded at Dancelife X Centre Thanks Steph for allowing us to use the space to record! ------- The Dance Plug Canada - Toronto | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube  DONATE to our Relief Fund for Toronto Dancers!   
Mar 27, 2020
1 hr 3 min
036 - Faith & Affirmations with Kaela Faloon
Do you constantly take heels classes as a way to feel empowered through your sensuality, vulnerability? Are you the type of dancer who has doubts if this career is right for you? This is Season 2, Episode 3 - Number 036 called Faith & Affirmations with Kaela Faloon.  Now, it’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected artists around the world. But, if there’s one thing that we know about artists, it’s that we are very resourceful, resilient and above all, supportive. Just this last week, dancers have been participating in online dance classes from their favourite instructors, challenging eachother to in-home sessions and have been providing resources and support to one another.  At the Dance Plug, we started a relief fund dedicated to the freelance dance artists residing in Toronto who are dealing with tremendous financial losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now as most of you know, most dancers in our community are not eligible to apply for Employment Insurance as they are Independent Contractors. You can find the link to donate here. About Kaela Faloon: FROM SMALL TOWN MANOTICK, ONTARIO TO NOW BIG CITY LA, KAELA IS A TRUE EXAMPLE OF WHAT HARD WORK, DEDICATION, AND UNDENIABLE FAITH CAN ACHIEVE. KAELA'S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS STARTED AT THE AGE OF 11 WHERE SHE BEGAN TRAINING IN BALLET, JAZZ, CONTEMPORARY AND HIP HOP AT HER HOME STUDIO "GRETA LEEMING". FOLLOWING THIS SHE WAS ACCEPTED INTO RYERSON'S DANCE PROGRAM, WHERE SHE IMAGINED PURSUING DANCE AS A CONTEMPORARY COMPANY MEMBER, BUT TO HER SURPRISE HER DANCE CAREER TOOK A WHOLE NEW DIRECTION AND KAELA WAS INTRODUCED TO THE COMMERCIAL WORLD. FROM THERE KAELA BEGAN WORKING WITH WELL RENOWNED CHOREOGRAPHERS ON NUMEROUS PROJECTS AND PERFORMANCES. KAELA’ S CREDITS INCLUDE; IHEART RADIO MUSIC AWARDS, TIFF (TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL), WE DAY, CALGARY STAMPEDE, GREY CUP,  FASHION ART TORONTO, LUMINATO FESTIVAL, AND THE PAN AM GAMES MUSIC VIDEOS –  RIHANNA, DRAKE, SNOOP DOGG, NELLY FURTADO,  SHAWN MENDES, SHAWN DESMAN, AND JULLY BLACK TO NAME A FEW SHE HAS ALSO WORKED WITH ARTISTS ON NUMEROUS LIVE AND TOURING PERFORMANCES, SOME OF THESE ARTISTS INCLUDE MEGHAN TRAINOR, NICK JONAS, FIFTH HARMONY, MYA, ESTELLE, FLO RIDA, CARLY RAE JEPSEN, MIA MARTINA, MASSARI, HEDLEY, THE ROOTS AND MANY MORE. IN 2016, KAELA INCORPORATED HER HEELS COMPANY, SENSUAL HEELING, WHERE SHE TRAINS WOMEN AND MEN HOW TO EXUDE CONFIDENCE IN THEIR HEELS. HER COMPANY HAS HAD HUGE SUCCESS, WITH CONTINUOUS SOLD OUT WORKSHOPS AND SHOWS, AS WELL AS FEATURED PERFORMANCES AT TORONTO’S FASHION WEEK, CHOREOBALL, INDUSTRY NIGHT, MONTREAL'S ARTICIEN, HER CREATIVE, AND MANY MORE. KAELA RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT SHE WILL BE TAKING HER CAREER TO THE NEXT LEVEL, AND SAYING goodbye TO TORONTO, AND HELLO TO LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA. KAELA IS EXCITED ABOUT THIS NEW CHAPTER, AND LOOKS FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO INSPIRE ARTISTS TO UNAPOLOGETICALLY LIVE IN THEIR PURPOSE.   ____ Sponsored by Dancewear Centre Toronto | Website | Instagram Need Dancewear? Dance shoes? That unitard you've always wanted? Dancewear Centre has got you covered from head to toe. Shop in-store or online at www.dancewearcentre.com. "Dance Is Life. Live Your Passion" ____ The Dance Plug Canada www.thedanceplug.ca | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok Host - Roy Urbanozo | Instagram
Mar 20, 2020
1 hr 38 min
035 - Financial Literacy for Artists with Niss Shuman, CPA, ACCA
This week, we sat down with Artist and Financial Director, Nissrine Shuman. She is a professionally trained dancer who has both CPA and ACCA designations with over a decade worth of experience working in creative industries. She provides financial stewardship and helps create a bridge between artists and the finance world.  Have you asked yourself the following questions: Do you consider yourself to be a starving artist? Are you guilty of accepting low or no wages just to have a specific name or brand on your resumé? Or are you an instructor at a dance studio and wondered why you’re not entitled to certain government perks like holiday, overtime or vacation pay?  In her episode, we talk about the difference between being an Employee and an Independent Contractor, the importance of Financial Literacy and why you need it to survive in a capitalist society, and what is the most valuable commodity a dancer possesses.  _____ Episode Recorded at EverythingAnisha Studios - THANK YOU so much for your continued support of our platform! If you're looking for a very affordable space to have a photoshoot, record your self tapes, have a meeting, host a private lesson, check them out!  _____ Don't forget to Rate, Review and Subscribe! The Dance Plug Canada | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok Hosted By: Roy Urbanozo | Instagram _____ Looking for financial assistance? How to budget? Invoicing? Accounting? E-Mail Niss here
Mar 13, 2020
42 min
034 - The Assist with Flow XS
Kicking off Season 2 is the dynamic duo, Flow XS. Originating in Brampton, Ontario, their unique advantage lies in the fact that they are brothers who have trained together for over 10 years, dancing on studio, competitive and performance teams. Both as individuals and as Flow XS, they have also participated in various battles/freestyle events in Canada and the US and have taught hip-hop choreography workshops at various studios in Toronto, Canada. They are members of the world famous immaBEAST dance company founded by LA choreographers, Willdabeast Adams and Janelle Ginestra. Recently, you can find the brothers on the newly released Disney feature film, Zombies 2. In their episode, we talk about teaching at a young age and its benefits, the importance of training and having a strong support system.  Michael "Hydroflow" Scheitzbach - Instagram Kevin "Kid XS" Scheitzbach - Instagram ----- Today’s episode is brought to you by Dance Vocab. The world’s first and only app designed with the aspiring dancer in mind! Learn and practice hundreds of individual dance moves across multiple styles anywhere, anytime - the perfect way to practice outside of dance class! Download the app today! It’s free on iOS, Android and on dancevocab.com ----- The Dance Plug Canada www.thedanceplug.ca | COMING SOON Instagram | Twitter | TikTok | YouTube Hosted By Roy Urbanozo Instagram | Twitter   
Mar 6, 2020
1 hr 2 min
032 - Passport to London with Samara Tong
This week, we sat down with Toronto-native Samara Tong. In her episode, we talk about her journey as a dancer from Toronto to London, the VISA Process for the UK and the opportunities London has for dancers.
Nov 15, 2019
48 min
031 - Industry 101 with Amy Wright
This week, we sat down with the Choreographer, Casting Director and Producer of The Next Step, Amy Wright. In her episode, we give you a crash course on the basics you need to get started in the commercial industry of dance.
Nov 8, 2019
1 hr 15 min
030 - Integrity, Honesty & Loyalty with Thomas L. Colford
This week, we sat down with Thomas L. Colford. In his episode, we talk about having integrity working in the industry, when should your personal ethics take over when it comes to making tough decisions and his event called Interpose and the effects of the event 3 years later.
Nov 1, 2019
1 hr 12 min
029 - Healthy Mentorship with Caroline 'Lady C' Fraser
This week, we sat down with the All Styles Queen - Caroline ‘Lady C’ Fraser. In her episode, we talk about the link between healthy mentorship and the preservation/longevity of the dance culture, the difference between training and just “getting down” and her journey into music. Easy by Lady C & CoFlo - OUT NOW on www.catchtheghostrecords.com Instagram: @carolineladyc The Dance Plug - Toronto | @thedanceplugto This episode is brought to you by the Dance Vocab app. The world's first and only app designed with the aspiring dancer in mind. Learn and practice hundreds of individual dance moves across multiple styles, anywhere anytime. The perfect way to practice outside of dance class. Get the the app now, FREE on iOS,  Android and DanceVocab.com
Oct 25, 2019
41 min
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