Touching Concrete

Brooke Lyle 0:05
Hi guys, welcome back to touching concrete. My name is Brooke

Layla Mullen 0:08
and my name is Layla,

Brooke Lyle 0:09
and today we have such a special episode because we have our first guest.

Lauren W 0:13
Hi guys. My name is Lauren. I'm a freshman here at NCSU, and my current major is environmental science, but I'm currently trying to switch to business. Yes. And we brought Lauren in today because she's a part of studio 804 which is a student led dance company on campus. So Lauren, can you kind of just talk about how you found out about studio 804 how long you've been in it kind of what goes on in studio 804 Yeah. So I've been a part of studio 804 for almost a semester now, and I found out about it through social media and some friends, and it's been so much fun. I loved meeting tons of new people. And yeah, the audition process you go in, you have to submit a Google form about yourself, your dance experience, what kind of dance you do. And then you go in, and they teach you a combination, and then you perform it for them, and that's it. Wow. So are you performing all that in front of the student? Yes, to run it, yeah. So they basically look at you and see if your dancing style and technique would fit within the range of what they do within their company. Wow. So what dancing style and technique do you prefer? I really love, like a contemporary ballet, ballet, modern. Very like flowy, technical type of dance, nice and so how long have you been dancing for? Ooh, I've been dancing since I was five years old. Wow, that's a long time. Yeah,

yeah, it's been a blast. I've tried all different types of dance, hip hop, jazz, ballet, tap point, and it's, it's been an interesting ride. And where did you train at? Before College? Before college, I trained at Holly spring school to dance. It's about 30 minutes away, and it was one of the best experiences that I've ever had. Yeah, guys. Fun fact, I also used to dance there when I was a wee little kid. And also, fun fact, me and Lauren went to the same high school, but never met until this year. Yeah, crazy. Yeah. Me and Lauren also connect through dance, because I grew up competitively dancing. Shout out justice, elite Dance Company. Shout out to Jody.

Brooke Lyle 2:36
And I started dancing when I was three. So I get the whole it being the best thing, because that's where I made all my friends, through high school and stuff. Wow. What kind of dance style do you like? Layla, so I've contemporary has gotten really popular in recent years, so my studio was also very contemporary focused, very technique focused, but I low key, love some hip hop. Okay, oh, also go to the well, rec and take hip hop. Y'all, we do hip hop classes. So much fun. It's so fun. It's a good way to get moving. If you don't like going to the gym by yourself, or you need, like a structured class, it's a great option. Yeah, so fun.

So, Lauren, you have been dancing for quite some time, since you were five. Yeah. Um, so how have you been able to, like, take care of yourself with all this, like, intense dancing throughout your whole life?

Lauren W 3:33
Um, it's really not that hard. You just have to make sure you get enough sleep, you drink tons of water, make sure you're eating things that are fuel, so, like protein and just making sure you're keeping up with what you're eating, that way you make it through the week. But Lauren, can I say that you are genuinely the most productive person I've ever met? Oh my gosh. It's like insane. Like you are always on top of everything, like you have a routine. I'm very jealous of you. Yeah? She, the other day told me that she's always one, like, the homework she's doing right now is always for the next week, which I just think is crazy. The homework I'm doing is always due that day. Yeah, do today or do today. Have you guys seen that? I have seen that.

Brooke Lyle 4:19
D, u e today, or if it's d u e today, l, D O, yeah, it's

Yeah. Lauren does not subscribe. I show,

Lauren W 4:31
I give, like, very overwhelmed if I have a ton of things that are due, like, right now. So kind of structuring out my week and planning ahead always helps me to be on top of my stuff, making sure my work gets done on time. I have time to go to the gym, go to dance, hang out with my friends and just be a college student. And so I highly recommend a planner, a Google Calendar, a list like it is 100% i.

Perfect in every way. I love planning ahead. Yeah. How much time does studio 804? Take of your week? Um, it's two hours every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Wow, that's kind of a lot, yeah, but it's so much fun. We do rehearsals and we have a showcase at the end of the semester. So, so you spend, like the whole semester working on one dance, and then at the end you showcase it. Are you doing like, a bunch of little dances? Um, it's like, at the end of the semester, they have a showcase of a ton of dances. So usually you'll get cast in like four ish pieces, and throughout the semester you go to rehearsals for each of the four pieces. And so then at the end, you showcase however many pieces you were in, but they're all about like, two and a half minutes, three ish minutes, and is the music that it's due is it like popular songs, or is it like instrumental like, what's the vibe for the music? It kind of depends, because studio 804 is more of a ballet company, but they also do jazz, hip hop and like other styles as well, but I would say it's a lot more like

popular but also instrumentals and funky songs you've never heard before and like, I don't know, they just all have this vibe to them, and it's really cool together. This is kind of a weird question, but do you have to get separate costumes for each of the dances? Yes, but they also have a costume closet, so you don't have to buy a ton of new things. Like, I don't think I have to buy anything for our showcase this semester. Oh, that's good, yeah. So the costumes, it's like, everybody has to wear the exact same thing, or just like, wear white pants and a blue shirt or something like that. It depends on the choreographer. So for some of the ballet pieces, they have costumes that they use, and then, like, for a one of the pieces I'm in, um, it's like, she wants different colored pants with a black top. Oh, that's cool. So it kind of depends on the vibe and what the what the choreographer wants for ballet. Sorry, we're like, really getting into all these questions, because I'm very interested. Do you guys do point, or is it you're on flat? It depends on the dance. So not everyone has to do point at the company. So some of the dances are on flat, and then some of the dances are on point. So even if you've never done point before. You can still be a part of the company and just do flat. Do you do point?

I used to, okay, but I haven't done it in a while. So I always get ballerinas on my FYP on TikTok that they like break in their point shoes. Like, to the extreme, is that something that you've had to do or you just like wear them out of the box? Um, I've never had to do that. That's more like professional, like principal dancers, because they, like, need them exactly how they want them, okay, like, at that point in time, but it kind of wears them out faster. So if you break them in, they won't last as long. So I personally don't break mine in because it's also expensive, yeah? These people that I see on my for you page, they're, like, had to buy new shoes, like every week, or like every other week or something. But also with the professional ballerinas, a lot of the times their dance company gives them the shoes, like, they have specific shoes made for them, yeah? But if you see ballerinas like slamming their shoe on concrete or something, it's like to make it quieter, or like, bending it because of the shape of their foot, things like that, to make it quieter. Like, when you're running on stage, you're doing elite. So you don't slam on the ground, so you don't hear the clunk, clunk, clunk of the feet, because it kind of interrupts the music, right? Wow, that's super cool. So Lauren, we have established that you've been dancing for a long time, and with dance comes a lot of emotional, physical, mental challenges. So if you're comfortable, would you like to dive into that? Of course, I think dance teaches you so many different things about life, like how to persevere, how to have goals, how to be determined and time manage. And I think that that's such an important thing for people who are growing up, is because it kind of teaches you all these life lessons that will prepare you for being an adult. So things like audition processes you go in, you try your hardest, and sometimes you get told no, sometimes you get told yes, but that's all part of the process, and it teaches you how to keep trying and trying harder, and just like building up this confidence about yourself to be able to go back and try again. And I think that's so important for young adults, because that's a really important thing that you need to learn in life is you're not always gonna get told, yes, you're not always gonna get the job you want. And I think that is such an important mindset to have, is to just always come back and try harder than you did before 100% I will say, dance gave me some tough skin, because a lot of the times you'll walk into an audition and they can cut you in the four.

Speaker 1 10:00
First five seconds, because you don't have the color hair they want, really, yeah, and you'll have, like, they're called, like, cattle calls, where it's just, like, hundreds of dancers in the same room, and they can go down the line, I don't want you. I don't want you. Like, you can come, I don't want you. So these dance is brutal. Like, yeah, I've had a few teachers that were tough, but I will say it taught me how to have tough skin. It taught me how to stand a little taller, speak a little clearer, and take space, which is weird, but in dance, you know, you're in a room with 200 other people, you have to make space for yourself to dance. Yeah, when you're at a job in the future, you need to take space. You need to establish your ground. So I relate to you on that well, yeah, so let me just ask a question. When you're saying there's like 200 girls trying out for something, what are they trying out for? Like, a specific dance or a company or, whoa, I was a convention kid. So you'd have auditions for scholarships, whether that's scholarships for college or scholarships for money off of the next convention. And then you have to pay money to go to a convention to perform your dance. Yes. I mean, you have if you go to a competition. Let me establish the difference between a competition and convention, please, because I don't know. Competition is when you're just performing dances. You're getting judged on your dances, okay, convention is when you're performing your dances like you're at a competition, but then say Saturday and Sunday, you're also taking classes through the whole day, learning from other choreographers. Okay, that makes sense. And through the convention, you can get scholarships, yeah? Scholarships to do what? Scholarships for like the next convention or school, like you said, Yes, yeah. Okay. That makes programs, yeah, okay, yeah. And also, when you're auditioning for something, it's also not always about your technique. Sometimes it's how tall you are, like you said, the color of your hair. It's very like what niche they want on that specific thing of choreography.

Lauren W 12:13
So it's not really always about are you a good dancer? Are you not and my, one of my dance teachers, always said you have to separate the milk from the cream, which kind of just means that, like, you have to put yourself out there and stand out, like you don't want to be the same cookie cutter, like, put emotion into it, be who you are. And that is what's gonna, like, project you forward, and that's what's gonna let you be seen. And this is kind of a personal opinion. So Brooke, you can add on in I know, like me and Lauren are, you know, grow up dancing, but I feel like you could add in on this. The dance industry is very traditional,

Speaker 1 12:50
the classic, you know, tall, skinny ballerina

Unknown Speaker 12:55
That was not me, that was

Speaker 1 12:58
not me. That's kind of a difficult thing to overcome too, because there are certain industries and niches for dancers who aren't built like a ballerina,

Lauren W 13:10
but that was kind of tough for me. I know, yeah, it does come with its challenges. I will say I did not escape scratch free on the having confidence issues in the way I look for what other people wanted. And I feel like that's another thing that dance taught me, is to just love yourself. You might not look like everybody else, you might not be the perfect ballerina body type, but that doesn't mean you're not as good as everybody else. It just means you either need to work a little bit harder or it just means you just need to love who you are. And I feel like that was such a tough lesson for me to learn, and it wasn't really something I learned until I graduated, that you just need to be who you are, love yourself. And my sister does dance, and I feel like that's something I'm trying to teach her as well, is you're not gonna look like all those other principal ballerina dancers, and that's okay, yeah, definitely. And I also see, like, Y'all point, because, as you were saying before, like they can just cut you out because of your hair color, like you guys were saying, so I can see how that would, like, impact you a lot, 100% Yeah, because I, my sport of choice was volleyball, and it definitely has that, like, a similar vibe of if you don't fit, like, into a certain position, like,

Speaker 2 14:27
if you're playing front row, like middle, you're normally really tall, and if you're playing back row, like libero, you're like, short and stout. And I don't really fit into either of those categories. So it was like, What am I gonna play? But it's definitely not the same level as dance. So that's very true, though. I've never even thought that way, but that is true about the volleyball position. Yeah, I think all sports, in their own way, have that they need the specific body type, like for gymnastics, it's mainly shorter people. I tried gymnastics. I was a very tall gal. It.

Lauren W 15:00
Did not work out for me.

Yeah, and I feel like it's a tough lesson to learn, but it does make you a better person in the end.

Brooke Lyle 15:08
Yeah, that's true. Sports are important for everybody. I think all kids should do them. I agree. And also, because it builds community, you make friends and everything. So have you been able to, like, build a community with your dance studio here at NC State.

Lauren W 15:22
Yeah, I've met tons of new people and going to dance at NC State, it just kind of it was a way for me to find another community of people that are like me and love dancing, and it's just been an amazing experience so far. Nice. That's good. Community is important. We preach it all the time. Yeah. Love Community, yeah.

So do you think like this dance company, you're gonna stay with them for all four years, or is it thing where you, like, can, like, float around to different teams? No, I 100% think I'll stay at Studio 804, for the entirety of my four years, because it's just such a fun way to be able to express yourself in a way where you don't think everybody's judging you because your toes aren't pointed the right way, or your knees were bent for this one thing, and it's, I don't know, that's what I love about it, and that's something that

just makes me want to go back every week, is I feel welcome, I feel loved for the way that I dance. And that is something that's really, really important to me? Yeah, is that kind of what drew you to studio 804? Because I know there's a good handful of other dance organizations. Yes, I followed their social media for a while, and it was just very much the vibe, I guess you could say, of the studio that I wanted, I liked the way they interacted. I went to a couple of their showcases, and it was just, it was exactly what I was looking for in a dance community.

So within this dance studio, are there opportunities for you to, like, choreograph and stuff, because I know you've told me before, you go home to your home studio and, like, teach classes and stuff and choreograph dances. So is there like, opportunities for that, of course, yeah, all of the choreography for our showcases at the end of the semester are student choreographed. So they're like, all of my choreographers for the dances I'm in are students within our company. Okay, that's cool, yeah, so if I wanted next semester, I could choreograph, I could apply to choreograph or something. What do you have to do to apply?

Unknown Speaker 17:24
Um,

Lauren W 17:26
in order to apply to choreograph, I, from what I've been told, it's like a Google form. You have to put in your dance idea, the genre of dance, the song, how many people you want. And it just is to get a general understanding of what your dance is going to be about. So it's not anything like too overly complicated, but it is definitely something you have to sit down and do. Yeah, is it like really competitive, like everybody wants to choreograph, or is it more like chill? Not that I know of I think if you want to choreograph, I think it's something that they're most of the time able to make happen. And if you can't choreograph that semester, you can always try and apply to choreograph the next semester. Next semester too. Okay, that's really cool. So you, do you like to choreograph in the same style of dance that you dance like contemporary, flowy? Or do you like to choreograph something else? Um, for me, I

the way I start to choreograph is if I hear like a song on the radio, or I'm taking a dance class, and it's like a warm up song, and I just hear it, and it like makes me want to choreograph and move. And I feel like that's really important in the choreography process, is to find something that like you're passionate about. So for a dance that I'm choreographing next year, I have been listening to the song for a while, and it when you choreograph a dance, I find that it always has like

a flavor of the choreographer. So like, each choreographer dances a little bit differently,

which I feel like is really important in dance. It like makes it interesting, it gives it a flavor. And that's something that I find really important when I choreograph is to make it like how I like to dance, because students are going to be able to understand what you're teaching better if you're really passionate about it, for sure, and it's also going to show through your choreography if you love what you're choreographing and if you love that style of dance. So for me, I love to choreograph like flowy or sharp dances. And it's like, very dynamic, because that's just how I like to dance, yeah. But other people like to dance more staccato, or it's just, it depends on the choreographer. What is staccato?

Sorry. Staccato is kind of like, oh, it's kind of hard to describe, but it's very likesharp and like, it's like, if you the best way I can describe it is if you're walking down the stairs and it's like, you hit the stair, and it kind of has like, like, a rebound, okay? And it's like, I don't know. It's just very like sharp and is.Really flowy. It's like, a quick, sharp, yeah, pattern of and it has that, like,

like, I don't know, you just kind of like, it's like, yeah, I hit it, bam, yeah. And it's really cool to watch. Like, I saw this dance on world of dance that was very staccato, and it, if you do it right, it looks really amazing. Yeah. Are you a dancer who learns by lyrics or by counts? Ooh, that's a good question. I feel like it depends on the song. So some songs are really, really hard to count, like I did this choreography to this Beyonce song, and it was all words I could not count that song to save my life.

But usually I'm a words girl, because I count most of the song. But every once in a while, I'll be focusing more on the choreography and less on the counts, and I'll be going based off of what other people are doing. And so listening to the words is a really easy way to do that, because you're less worried about what count are you on? And if you're counting in the right count, so an eight count, a six count, like it just makes it for me, it makes it a lot easier to count based on the words.

Brooke Lyle 21:09
That makes sense. I think, like, when I was doing dance, when I was kid, I always wanted to, like, do a move that the lyrics were saying, like, if they were saying like we're partying, I wanted to, like, dance like I was partying. But my choreographers, my choreographers always wanted to, like, have it on the beat, and I was it made me frustrated, because I wanted to, like, do what the song was saying, yeah, like, if the song was saying the person is walking, I wanted to walk, or if they're drinking, I wanted to, like, do a hand motion that I was drinking, like, stuff like that. And my choreographers never wanted that. So I always thought that all dance like you couldn't do the lyrics, but really hear that, yeah, I just always thought that it definitely depends on the choreographer. Some choreographers like counts, counts make it really easy to make sure everybody's on the same beat. They hit the same pose, they hit the same like arm movement. It makes it a lot easier to like, clean, but for me, I love a good lyric. I would agree with that. I'm a lyric girl too. Yeah. So do you guys? Do you guys know who Molly Long is? Yeah? Do you Lauren? No, she's a choreographer in the dance world, and she has this, like, she's like, going super vile right now on Tiktok, yeah,

and she has this one dance to the song pop music, and it's just, like, really satisfying. And maybe Layla, do you know if that's lyric, or if that's on account,

Speaker 1 22:36
knowing what I know about Molly, long I feel like it would be counts really, and we can just kind of detour for a second. Molly, long has been around for a long time, and she's had a lot of viral videos. Like, if you guys remember my boyfriend's back, it was a trio, and they had to remember that orange, yellow and blue, two two piece sets. Yes, a lot of her dances are kind of controversial, because a lot of people think that they aren't age appropriate for the kids performing in the dance. So on my FYP, a lot of people have been critiquing the pop music dance because it's younger ish girls, they're probably like,

Speaker 1 23:22
I thought they were like high schoolers, I was gonna say that too, just because they're in leotards. And,

Lauren W 23:29
you know, some people find that promiscuous. But is it all dancing leotards? No, not. I mean, it depends on the it depends on the dance. Yeah, really. So what else would you wear, if not a leotard? I mean, it could be like, pants and a top, yeah? Like, ballet, though you wear leotard. Oh, ballet, it's like, leotard and tutu. But even for some of my ballet dances, it hasn't always been a Leo, same like, I've had this one really funky dance that I really liked to I think it was this Beach Boys song, and we had these, like, this jumper on, and we had these swim caps, and we were like, synchronized swimmers. Oh, that's cool. And then I've had this really flowy dress one time, and we did to this, like, Star Wars song, and we were, like, the dunes and the Star Wars song. So it kind of just depends on what the choreographer's vision is and what you wear. So I did this dance one time, and we had these, like, really baggy, like parachute pants, and they were, like, bright orange. That's cool. Circling back to the Molly long, Molly long leotards, controversial. Um,

Brooke Lyle 24:31
I don't really have an opinion on it, but I see both point of views of it. Um, but yes, Molly long is going viral on Tiktok right now. She is very creative. Yeah, I like the pop music dance. I think it's so satisfying to watch because of just how they're all moving, like together and like the like, they're all in like a V shape, and like, if one of them going up, the next two are going down. And I just like that. Like, look.

Yeah, but yeah. So I think that she is a great choreographer, but I don't know about her controversies. Controversies. I

Speaker 1 25:10
don't know about her controversies, not really in that world, but I've just seen the pop music dance. One last thing about that, it's kind of crazy to think that those dancers are so good at the age they are right now, like, I can't imagine what they'll be like in five years. They're probably gonna be like professionals like the Rockettes, yeah, that's the professional dancers in New York, right? Yeah? So they also have, like, the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, and, like, they have all these other companies too, but the rockets are really cool, yeah? So Brooke kind of brought up a popular choreographer. Is there any choreographers that inspire you or have inspired you?

Lauren W 25:50
Not really choreographers, but I personally, really love Misty Copeland. I did one of these, like master classes, like online master classes by her during COVID. And she's just such an inspiration to me, because she started later in the game. Think she was like 13, and she is now like a principal ballerina. And that's just so inspirational to me, because usually when you start dance, in order to get to the level she is, you have to start when you're, like three years old. And she really, she had that goal, she had that determination, and it kind of just reinforced all the things people were telling me about dance, and she is, like, my biggest inspiration. Is she still dancing? Or did she retire? No, she's still dancing. Wow,

that's crazy. So do you picture yourself like dancing like for the rest of your life? Um, not professionally or in any way like that. But I might take a class here and there, like at a studio, like I take it at the Wellness and rec center the hip hop class.

Yeah, yeah, I saw on tick tock. Of course, these, like 30 year olds were taking a intro to gymnastics class, and they were just, like, doing like, the most basic gymnastics things. And I thought it was really cute, because they were just, like, interested in it and they wanted to try it so and you can start at any age, yeah, of course, yeah, you're always learning it might be a little bit harder to bend certain ways and dance when you're older, but I think any age. I see people on Tiktok all the time, like starting ballet and point like when they're 20\30, years old, like they've obviously had the technique and had the classes. And I think it's really inspirational for me, because you don't have to be doing something for 10 years to be good at it, right? Do you have any advice for students that are thinking of joining a dance organization, but maybe a little worried that they're not experienced enough, or they don't have all the skills that they need, I think always just do what your heart tells you to do, try out if the worst they can do is say no. And I think that's an amazing thing about it, is you can always try again. It's not a once and done kind of thing. So go try it. And if you don't get in, take a dance class that semester, or something like, improve, do a technique like there are tons of free classes offered at NC State, and it's such an amazing resource. So if you don't get in, try next year, take a ballet class, take a jazz class, take a modern class, because they do offer non like semester classes that you can just go and pop in a class at the Wellness and rec center, right? And those are the ones that we like to do, yeah. Oh yeah, yeah. Super fun. If you join, you could see us, whoa.

Speaker 2 28:36
Love cardio dance. Love that hip hop class we always go to, yes, there are hip so many hop on ones, high heels and hip hop. I think that's what it's called. I think I always get it confused something with hip hop and high heels, not telling you guys should do it, but just informing you. Highly recommend you should do it, and if you want to. The reason it's called does because you can wear your high heels if you want to. Of

Lauren W 29:03
course, the instructor does wear high heel dance shoes, and it's like a no judgment zone, because judgment free, judgment free. Because a lot of the instructors, if not all, are NC State students, yeah, I think most, to all of them are NC State students, yeah, and you're taking the class with other NC State students. So it's just a really good community. Yeah, your community, not everyone there has been taking dance forever. Like, I've met people in there who have never taken a dance class before, and it's very refreshing, because it like, allows you to meet new people and learn new things. Like, I took this body pump class last semester, and it was so much fun, and it taught me so many things, like, I would leave that class like a limp noodle, but I would come back stronger the next Wednesday, yeah. Like, you just persevere, man, yeah. And

Brooke Lyle 29:56
touching on how not everybody in those classes have done dance.

I haven't done dance since I was maybe eight or nine years old, and I go and I love it, and I'm not good, but it's still fun, and that's what matters, and it's a good workout. Yeah, it's a great workout, yeah. So you move in, it's good for your mental well being. And that's true of like, all the classes at Carmichael, because, like, not even the dance ones like me and Layla went to a cycling class. I've never cycled a day in my life. Oh my gosh. I thought I was gonna have to leave. It was intense. It was a lot 30 minute hit for our first cycling class ever, by the way. Yeah, but it's just something good to try. Now we know maybe it's not our cup of tea, but we would have never known if we didn't try. Yeah. So I'm a huge

Lauren W 30:42
advocate or lover of the classes, the gym classes, the group workout classes at Carmichael. Yes, love them. It allows you to take a break from studying. I take right now. I take a rock climbing PE as one of my GPS and it is one of my favorite classes. I'm taking this semester. Last semester, I took cycling,

and they just, it's such an amazing just class to be able to take, to get off my phone, like, do something that isn't so school based, like, you still have work and you still have grades that you're doing, but it does allow you to, like, be forced to take a break from your computer, your phone, sleeping, whatever it may be. And next semester, I really want to take target archery. Wow. Okay, I almost took archery this semester, but I took racquetball instead. And I agree with your point of like having them be classes. I really like them because you can just relax for a little bit. Yeah, especially, I'm taking my racquetball class pass fail, so I'm like, not worried about my grade for it, so I can just, like, have fun and make mistakes without worrying about my technique and stuff like that. Yeah. So yeah, does studio 804? Practice in Carmichael? Yes, depending on the day, we will practice in different studios in Carmichael. So I'm pretty sure one of the ones we practice in is 1209 one of the ones we sometimes use, I think it's 1309

or 1304 anyway, but it depends on what the availability is, because there are so many different clubs and student organizations at NC issue that require space in Carmichael. There are certain limits to the amount of time and space you get to use in Carmichael, but it's really nice to be able to practice in there and you don't have to, like, go find somewhere, like a field or something to practice in. Yeah. So back to you being in this dance company. You practice three times a week for two hours each, right? Yes, how much of obviously, that's six hours. But like, if you had to miss a class, is that the end of the world? Is it mandatory? Or, like, how much of a commitment is it, um, I mean, I would say it's a big commitment. But if you have a project or an exam, or you have an appointment or a meeting during the hour that you have class. It's not the end of the world. They'll send you the recording of what they did. You learn it. You show up the next week and you just pop right in. It's very lenient, yeah, but you shouldn't take advantage of their leniency, right, right? So that's so they record all the classes, or they only record if they know that somebody's absent.

All choreographers record what they added on to their dance, and it goes into the shared folder. That way you can review before your next class. If you weren't there, you can learn it. It's just a helpful resource to be able to make sure that when you're there, that next week, you're not having to spend tons of time relearning the old choreography, right? And you can move on to the new choreography. Is it recorded on Panopto, like normal classes, or is it on something else? Um, no, they just, like, record it with their cell phone. Okay, that makes sense, yeah, because I Well, what I was getting at there is I wondered if in those, like dance classrooms in Carmichael, if there's the cameras like, or in normal classrooms, like throughout campus, there are napdo, but there is, yeah, there are sometimes you can, like, have the camera and they have these TV so you can see yourself dancing on the TVs. Yeah, I've never seen that. Yeah, it's in,

I don't know the studio name, but it's downstairs in old Carmichael, and it's, like, one of the older studios, and they had this TV, and you can, like, watch yourself dancing on it if the teacher turns on the camera, that's actually really cool. So what's the benefit of like, looking into the TV rather just looking in the mirror? Um, that's a great question. I'm honestly not really sure the answer to that question. Um, I actually find the TV kind of distracting, yeah, because then I'm more busy looking at how I look in the video. Yeah, I'm less busy on the choreography, which is also another reason why, in my opinion, sometimes the mirrors aren't always great, never, because then I'm too busy looking at myself in the mirror, making sure I look decent. Yeah, I don't like my hair is out of place, and then also, sometimes I feel like I.

Having the mirror makes you focus a lot more on yourself and less on the choreography. So at my studio,

before our showcases, they would put black paper over the mirror to make sure you knew your dance, you knew the timing, you knew your spacing, and it was just kind of like a reassurance to make sure you knew what you were doing. And I feel like that's really important, and sometimes I feel like the mirror can take that away. I agree. I will say, staring at myself in a mirror and a leotard for a good 15 years does something crazy to my psyche. But we would also, we would just like, face the back. Oh, so we didn't do the mirror, yeah, but I agree, I would be very invested in the TV and the mirror rather than the instructor. Yeah, that mirror just really gets to you. Sometimes you're like, Ooh, I don't like the way I look today. And sometimes that's not really a great mindset to have about yourself. But then again, it also teaches you you you need to be confident in yourself. Love yourself. You're amazing. You're at least here. You're not at home, being a couch potato like you. You put in the effort here like that. Does stand for something? Yeah, I get what you guys are saying about the mirror. I'm not a lifelong dancer, but I go to yoga sometimes at Carmichael, and if I'm in the front of the room, like the last class I went to, I was in the front of the room. Kept on adjusting my shorts, adjusting my shirt, fixing my hair every two seconds. Like, Yeah, can I catch a break? But no me and yoga, I go to the back of the room, so it's not a problem, but I was in the front. So, like, what you're saying, even though I'm not a lifelong dancer, yeah? So, yeah, um, are, is there anything else you want to add about your studio, about your experience with dance, about community, about NC State, I think dance in general, not just both of the companies that I've participated in, just kind of teaches you how to be a good person, how to meet new people, how to go into situations that make you feel uncomfortable, go outside of your comfort zone, stepping out of that box of saying, Okay, this is what I know, and this is what I like to do. Now I have to go audition for a dance company I've never auditioned for before with Nobody that I know. And it kind of just allows you to learn new things. And it also dance is such a broad like, it's almost its own worlds of people. There are so many people to meet, there are so many amazing choreographers, and it's just its own little community. And I just, I feel like that was such an important thing that I was a part of when I was little, because it gave me something that, like I it was like a home away from home. It was like I could go to the dance studio and if I was angry, if I was stressed, if I was upset, like that was the place I could go, where I knew I had friends I could just, like, work through my frustrations. And it allows you to express yourself in a way I feel like not a lot of other sports do, yeah, and I it was just a very, very amazing outlet for me to express my feelings, my concerns and just who I am as a person in a way that people aren't going to judge me for. Yeah, so I think dance is really important. I mean, obviously not everybody's going to be this, like star ballerina, but I also feel like that's something that you can acknowledge and learn from, is you're not always gonna be amazing at what you try. I was not naturally gifted at dance in any way. I had to work hard for what I have, and I feel like that's also something that I learned from that, yeah, I could not agree more, like for me and for you, I'm speaking for the both of us, dance really wasn't about the awards or the trophies or the accolades you can get, it really builds you up as a person.

Layla Mullen 38:47
And like you have said, it makes you a good person. Yeah, and even in my daily life, I can kind of just walk around campus wherever, and I feel like I just spot people who I know are dancers, just by the way they move and the way they hold themselves. So dance really does expand further into your life, even if you stopped doing it when you graduated or when you were younger. Yeah, it allows you to carry yourself in a certain way. Now, I will say getting scholarships and stuff is pretty great, and it makes you feel like what you're working hard for, like you've actually accomplished something, yeah, but it is also not what dance is about. Dance is about learning new things, how to learn things really fast and maintain the memory like it works a different part of your brain than studying for a chem test, studying for a vocab quiz, learning I don't know other things, like I did volleyball and horseback riding, and I feel like dance, it's a different part of your brain than it uses than some of those other sports. And I don't know, I'm kind of grateful for it. My mom took an adult hip hop class one year, and she came back and she told me she had a greater respect for the craft. She was like, I don't that.

Lauren W 40:00
First, that's not for me. And second, uh, I don't know how you remember all that choreography, because sometimes you're learning, like, a minute and a half of choreography in 15 minutes, and it just, I don't know. I think it's really cool and really important to be able to do that. Like, obviously you're not gonna need that for if you go take, like,

Brooke Lyle 40:19
a accounting job at some law at some firm, but I don't know, I really enjoyed with you, and like the lessons that you've been talking about, create that with you for life.

Layla Mullen 40:27
So that's quite literally what I wrote my college essay on. I also wrote mine on dance. I ended it with, although I will not continue dance, I'm grateful for the lessons it taught me and the friends that it brought me. That's sweet. I also wrote mine on dance mine was more about how the challenges that I faced and how I overcame them. So like at my old studio, we had a dance company, and you had to audition for said Dance Company, like most dance companies, and it took me a couple times to get in. But as I said earlier, it teaches you this aspect of is that really what you want to do? Is that a goal you want to have? And then how can you reach that goal? And that was kind of what my college essay was about, is how it changed me as a person, be humble. Oh, it also humbles you. Wow, yeah, wow. So Lauren, we normally like to close out our episodes with the thorn and Rose.

Brooke Lyle 41:21
So would you like to do that? Yeah,

Lauren W 41:25
Hmm, I'll start with my thorn. Okay, my thorn, for the past like week and a half was I fell down some concrete stairs. And what's the story there? Oh, so.

So outside of the

the white tunnel under the train tracks, there's these concrete stairs, and it was during Shaka THON week, and I was running late to one of my classes, and I was, you know, rushing to get there, and I tripped and I fell down the stairs, and I feel like it taught me something. I did not think so in the moment, but it kind of teaches you how to pick yourself back up, even when you humiliate yourself. Well, I think my ego, and I think it was bruised a lot more than me physically. Yeah, did I cut up my knees and was I bleeding on my way to class? Yes, I was. Did I pull something in my knee? Yes, I did, but is it a good story? Oh, yeah, I can tell you that those tour guides saw me. They looked at me and they looked mildly concerned as they were walking by. I feel like it was a very good entrance into NC State. If you haven't fallen yet at NC State, you're doing something wrong. Yeah,

Layla Mullen 42:36
I also have never fallen down those stairs. I've done it. It was raining last year. She slipped carpet, ego was bruised a little bit. Yeah, yeah. How about your rose? Ooh, my rose.

Lauren W 42:50
I thankfully don't have a ton of assignments left, so I can kind of focus on studying for my last class exams, then my finals. And guys, we only have three and a half weeks left of school, and then it's summer. And that is, that is my rose is being out of school. You sang three and a half more weeks until summer. Made me think of that scene in High School Musical when they're like, counting down the clock, and then it's summer, and then they present a song, yeah, Summer. Summer. Yeah. That's what made me think of

Brooke Lyle 43:21
Brooke, do you want to do your thorn in rose next Absolutely. So my thorn is that I had a thermodynamics exam this past week, and it went horribly. I've been doing pretty well in all my exams. So far this semester, I haven't failed any like I've been doing pretty well,

and this exam really humbled me like I didn't. I didn't know it. I didn't know the material that well, and it was really hard. So I'm hoping that when my grade comes back, it's not as bad as I think. So, yeah, but that's my thorn, my rose. Is that I that was my last exam for that was my last midterm for the semester. So now I only have to focus on my finals and my like assignments and stuff.

Speaker 1 44:09
But yeah, Layla, my thorn, I kind of have a few, but they all tie it together. Okay, I had an exam this morning. I think it went well, but on my way back, I was on my phone like I am, and tripped and almost ate it, and I am falling. I had to put my phone down and turn the music off, yeah, um, also, I'm feeling a little bit overwhelmed with all the stuff that I have to do, because I have, like, three more exams. I have one next week. I had one today, and then I have finals, so I'm a little overwhelmed, but it will all be okay, yeah. And then my rose

Layla Mullen 44:52
tonight, we're taking a self defense class, so I'm excited about that. And then me, including Lauren and

Brooke and a few of our other friends are gonna watch Wicked no one more

Brooke Lyle 45:09
me and Layla have been to harmonize with that song. I love that song. I think it was so like, well done, and it gives me chills, literally every single time. I cannot wait for part two. Part one was literally phenomenal. The costume design, the set design, the music, the actors, the actors, is everything perfect. Part two, my life, yeah, it will, for good, will change my life. Yeah, same. I'm really excited to watch it, guys, this is gonna that's, oh yeah. You've never seen it before. I saw the Broadway show. Okay, that counts. That does count. Yeah, but this is like, it's two and a half hours, and it's only act one, so there's so much more that you don't even know. I saw the second half of the movie. I missed the first half. I can't wait till Part Two comes out and then I can just watch it all the way through same right? I want theaters to do like a continuous screening. We have fun. Are they doing that? Is that a thing? I bet they will. I hope they do. I bet they will. Yeah. Well, with that, if no one else has to add anything, I think that's it for this episode. Yeah. Thank you guys so much for listening, and we'll catch you on the flip. Bye. It was so much fun. Talking.

Music in this episode is from loop masters, hip hop and R and B breaks.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai