Dance holds our everyday stories and wildest questions—and when curated intentionally, an entire city moves differently. Barbara Müller-Wittmann shares how her 2017 "risky experiment" grew into LA's largest independent contemporary dance festival: 17 choreographers, 6 companies, 6 weeks of boundary-pushing work across two stages.

• Barbara's curation process: staying connected with artists, blending returning favorites with fresh voices for cohesive evenings.​
• Stories driving selections, from family puppets to social justice via Dancing Through Prison Walls—art as humanity, empathy, visions.​
• New expansions: dance films from Dare to Dance in Public, workshops, interactive experiences to feel dance "in all its forms."​
• Qualities that make her say yes: work that touches, surprises, melts the heart—beyond technical skill.​
• Simple artist visibility tips: email curators, invite to rehearsals, share short videos—she watches every one.​
• Audience magic: loyal subscribers who attend everything, declaring "I didn't know dance could be this in LA."

• Dance at The Odyssey 2026

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From birthday breaking classes to international battles, Canadian breaker and educator Ryan Everett (Bboy Frescy) shares how work ethic, community, and curiosity have shaped his journey in hip hop. He talks about not being “the most talented in the class,” learning to love the grind of practice, and why showing up for the community matters just as much as winning or losing.​

Ryan also explores the evolving landscape of breaking, from battle etiquette and subjective judging to the power of groove, foundation, and studying all the elements of hip hop culture.

• Show up for the culture.Even if you don’t feel “ready” to compete, being present—cyphering, spectating, supporting—builds experience and community.​

• Let work ethic lead. Not being the most naturally talented can become an asset when it motivates you to train with consistency and intention.​

• Stay after you lose.The event is bigger than your bracket; the cyphers, conversations, and shared energy are part of what you give back.​

• Don’t shrink your style. Trying to match what you think judges want can water down the individuality that makes your dancing memorable.​

• Honor every element. Learning about music, DJing, graffiti, and MCing offers context that can transform how you move and how you listen.​

In this session of The DancePreneuring Studio, we travel from a small Pacific island to the bright lights of New York City, tracing a 41-year dream that finally arrives in real time through breath, presence, and synchronicity. Rooted in personal reflections on childhood in Guam, a formative love of dance, and a recent trip to see Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends at New York City Center, this episode explores how intentional breathing and long-held vision can reshape the way we move through art, business, and everyday life.

In this session, you’ll learn:

• How a dream first sparked by movies likeBreakin',Flashdance, andFamegrew over four decades into a lived experience of walking New York City streets and sitting in the audience forTurn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends.

• Why breath functions as a quiet companion through seasons of doubt and distance, becoming a grounding practice for both performance and entrepreneurship.

• How Tiler Peck and her collaborators fuse ballet, tap, contemporary dance, and improvisation into a living example of presence, authenticity, and risk-taking onstage.

• What the commissioned pieceTime Spell—with its live vocals, emphasis on breathing, and invitation to “be yourself”—reveals about authenticity and the sacredness of live performance.

• How a seemingly separate business conference in New York echoed the same themes of breath, leadership, and showing up fully, highlighting surprising...