The Dive Podcast
Welcome to The Dive Podcast
Hey, I’m Taylor Scanlan—a Musical Theatre performer with over 10 years of experience, and the creator of The Aligned Performer, a community-led business dedicated to helping emerging artists like you step into the industry with confidence and clarity.
This podcast is your go-to resource for navigating the performing arts world.
Whether you’re preparing for auditions, managing self-doubt, or figuring out how to sustain a long-term career, The Dive Podcast is here to guide you.
Here’s what you can expect:
🎭 Live Q&A Episodes: Every other week, I’ll answer your questions directly, sharing insights and strategies to help you move forward.
🎤 Industry Expert Interviews: On alternate weeks, I sit down with seasoned professionals who share their journeys, actionable advice, and what they’ve learned about thriving in this industry.
If you’re ready to build confidence, master your mindset, and create a sustainable, fulfilling career in the arts, you’re in the right place.
Let’s dive in together! 🎭✨
The Dive Podcast
42: Finding Your Unique Worth In The Performing Arts with Samantha Dodemaide
In this episode, Taylor dives into creating routines, embracing imperfections, and finding your unique worth in the performing arts industry with Samantha!
🎙️ LIVE insights from Samantha on building routines, pushing past comfort zones, and discovering self-validation!
In this episode, here’s what you can expect:
- The Power of Focused Practice – Why less can be more and how targeted, intentional training beats over-practicing every time.
- Pushing Through Fear & Discomfort – Samantha shares how stepping out of your comfort zone unlocks growth, resilience, and unexpected passions.
- Embracing Imperfection – Why perfectionism holds you back and how committing to your uniqueness brings out your best performance.
- Community as a Catalyst – How building a strong support system with peers can motivate and accelerate your progress.
- Self-Worth in the Arts – Practical tips from Samantha and Taylor on self-validation and recognizing your value in an industry full of talented individuals.
🌟 BONUS: Samantha shares her favorite "so-bad-it's-fun" Latin class and how it taught her to love the process of imperfection!
🚀 Join the Performer's Mindset Hub for FREE:
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Click here to join now!
💻 Check out Momentum 2.0 Program:
Watch FREE From Graduate to Pro Masterclass & learn the 3 Steps To Becoming a Sustainable Musical Theatre Professional.
Hello and welcome to the Dive Podcast. I'm your host, taylor Scanlan, and I'm so excited for you to get into this episode with Sam Dodds Samantha Doddermade, who has just been offered to go over to New York to play Nini in Moulin Rouge. At the time of filming this, which was a few weeks ago, she actually didn't know this message. I believe she didn't know that this was happening, and so this is a really, really special episode. We talk directly to you, students out there that have just graduated or graduating, looking to get into the industry of musical theatre. That's what I'm all about.
Speaker 1:I'm a musical theatre performer myself, but I'm also an online coach and mentor for students looking to get into the industry and to learn how to sustainably live the life of a performer for many, many years to come, so learning the mindset, the tools and the routines to set you up for success. So get ready for this episode. We dive into many things, from audition nerves to Sam's story where she's at, and overall, it's just a really, really information filled but fun filled episode. So enjoy the episode and thank you, thank you. Thank you for all the support and if you're new here, welcome, welcome in. Welcome back to the podcast, sam. I like your new studio.
Speaker 2:I know it's pretty cool, right A little very official.
Speaker 1:I know it's a little bit official. If anyone's listening in and they want to hear a little bit more about your story and your training, we actually already did an episode together, which is, I want to say, because it's November now. I actually started recording the podcast in end of November, december, like the previous year.
Speaker 2:It's almost nearly going on a year since. Congratulations. Happy first birthday Today. Yeah, we did have a chat. We couldn't stop chatting, actually.
Speaker 1:It was great Good luck to us today. That little studio, self-made studio that I did with my phone and everything.
Speaker 2:I loved it. Yeah, it's crazy, but this is very nice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, very nice. Well, thank you for you know, spending time with us and for just being here. It's just going to be awesome.
Speaker 2:Thanks for having me again.
Speaker 1:So what's been going on? Before we get into some questions, I've got a bunch of different questions that have been designed from the community. They really want to know about these things to navigate. But before we get into that like what's live, what's been going?
Speaker 2:on Really interesting. I've had a bit of a different year to my previous years. This year I haven't been in a touring show, in a commercial show, which has been both a lovely break. I bought an apartment in Melbourne at the end of last year. We're about In Northcote Okay nice.
Speaker 2:I really love the area Go north side, so it's been nice to spend time with family and friends and it's something that when we're travelling and touring and on a job you don't get a lot of time to do, so that's been really a nice change. I'm a little bit itchy to kind of.
Speaker 2:You're like ready now, yeah, and believe it or not, I actually miss travelling, which is something that's really bizarre, but I've been overseas a few times. I went to Hawaii, I went to Europe, I went to New York and London this year. Oh, my goodness and that's the other bonus of not being in a job per se, like in a contract is that you get time to do those human things, those normal things, and that was awesome, and I saw some amazing shows in New York and London Did you have a fave.
Speaker 2:Yes, I think at the top of my list, definitely for New York, was the Outsiders, which I'm a little bit biased because I have a friend, justin.
Speaker 1:Levine, who wrote the show and the music.
Speaker 2:And so a little bit biased there, but his work is incredible and the show itself is incredible and I hadn't seen. I didn't know anything about the Outsiders. A lot of people studied it in school but I didn't know anything. I really loved the Notebook and in London, I loved Guys and Dolls. It was phenomenal, and someone that I trained with Alex Given starred in that, so he was amazing in it. And I really loved Operation Mincemeat, which took out all the Olivier's apparently last year, and it was so good. It was amazing. Yeah, so heaps of great things that I saw, but they were my top choices.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, so nice. I actually did see. I went to London once, but I haven't been to New York, I haven't done. I know, ever, ever.
Speaker 2:I know, oh, my goodness, you need to go. Your heart will sing. It's an amazing place to visit for inspiration and there's so many Australians there as well, so you kind of land and you don't feel alone, and there's such a big community as well, because theatre and the arts is so renowned and so Really accepted there, accepted.
Speaker 1:It's just part of the culture.
Speaker 2:culture yes, and it's, and I think that's what makes it exciting for us is that it's such a big part of their culture, especially new york city broadway, you know. It's really amazing, so that I had some great traveling time and since then I've been teaching a lot, which I love, and also I'm working in a cabaret venue as one of their singers. So that's been really fun and that's with Taryn.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, I did Cats with Taryn, yes, and I see you together.
Speaker 2:It's like two worlds together. We have a very strong love affair.
Speaker 1:Yes, I love watching the social media.
Speaker 2:You both together, we're so different, but we're so similar as well. She is such a sweetheart and such a great talent.
Speaker 1:Such a sweetheart as well.
Speaker 2:She is such a sweetheart and such a great talent, so I love working with her and the cast and it's really nice to do something different and be in Melbourne and be able to perform, which is such a rarity.
Speaker 1:That's amazing and I love that. You were just like speaking about the off periods, which we actually don't really talk about much. We always just like whatever you see is just that we're working and then we don't actually explore about how we can actually navigate when we're not in work, and actually it kind of goes in hand with when you're coming out of full time or you're coming out of training and auditioning and waiting for that first job. It's a kind of similar experience. How have you, over the years, navigated that, and is there something that you now do that helps you kind of go through it? I mean, you said traveling, exploring the world, doing other things.
Speaker 2:I think the off time is really tricky and I think it took me many years to figure out In fact you know what I'm still figuring out how to deal with it emotionally, how to deal with it physically, financially, all of those things. I think that when I was a little bit younger I would work and then I would save my money and then I would spend it all on my off time and start at zero again. And there became a kind of a time in my life when I realised that I was getting to my later twenties and that I didn't have physically much to show for what I had, lots of aches and pains, but not material wise to show for what I'd done, which isn't all importance but for me, and where I was going and where I was heading. So something like buying an apartment was really important to me. So I chose to really try to work a lot in part-time jobs, in between contracts, which can really vary from time to be three months to three years, you know who knows how long.
Speaker 2:And it's hard because you don't. You know people often say so what's next, what's coming? And you don't have control whether you're going to be right for something. It fluctuates so much in that area, but I always tell my students when they are looking to find work between contracts or while waiting for their contract or whatever they're doing is to find something with a high value. So you know, you give a high value of what you have to offer and you get a high value back. So things like teaching is great because you get to do something that you are really good at and then you get to make good money for that as well. So then what you don't have to do is work a multitude of hours for not high value, and then it's taking up your time to get into class and to train and to do all those other things, which I think is our other full-time job when we're not in a contract you know getting to class.
Speaker 1:I love teaching, and I think a good thing about teaching and I know it's not for everyone is it's also a place to continually develop what you're actually learning as well.
Speaker 2:And what you speak to your students about as well. Like often I'll speak to my students and think, well, I could really do with some of that as well. You know, and I learn from them 100%. You know, by watching them I'm like, oh, that's amazing and I get inspiration from them. But yeah, it's about balancing what you're putting out and what you're also receiving back in, and I think that's a really important and to keep your focus really clear. You know, if your focus is to be ready for the next audition, are you, in that time, doing the steps? And it's not that we have to work 24-7 because you really need downtime. You know, at the beginning of this year I really took a few months to just be a normal person, to travel, to do all those things. It's a hard time to navigate and to not get a little bit lost in that time you know, it's not something you get trained to cope with or to go through as well.
Speaker 1:Not at all.
Speaker 2:And so I still struggle at times with figuring out what I'm doing and is there going to be another job? You know every person, and I think something important for tertiary age students or people entering the industry is that I'm sure every person thinks that their job, that they have, is their last job. You know, like I always say to people I'm like I might never work again. You know, like I'm sure that's not going to be true, I know but in the moment, in the moment you're like, well, this could be it, you know.
Speaker 2:So I think that everyone thinks that, no matter what age or level. I think, don't you think? I think so yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, you just don't know. I mean it's two edged sword, because you can feel that. But also when you're coming into the industry you feel that when you've got it, you've made it, and then all of a sudden everything's just going to be easily booked and breezy for the. You know, you never actually think I mean me going. When I was starting I just thought you just think in the now You're not really ever thinking about in a few years You're just like well, I've made it, it's here Now it's just going to be my career forever and then you'll have I've had like seven months off or 12 months off, all these different things and you always at the end you're just back not necessarily to things.
Speaker 2:Oh, oh, my god, is this my? Is this an interpretive dance moment for the two of us?
Speaker 1:okay, I'm ready to sing I mean you can't read no, so that's funny. I may even keep that in. I don't know if I can copyright, but I put these like manifestation things at a certain at alarms. So at two, two, two, it will go off and be like you you're in the exact right or whatever it was. So there you go, I love it, and then I just get to dance. Interrupts the day. Oh my gosh, yes, where were you?
Speaker 2:Well, you were talking about that, yeah, and what I think you're actually saying is I think you've been very good at living in the moment and accepting where you're at and not thinking too much about the future. See, I actually feel a little bit differently at this point in my life where I'm more often like what am I going to be doing in five years? How am I going to sustain this? But I think that changes with experience, age and just time, and I think you probably go through different levels of that where you're a little bit more free-flying and living in the now and a bit more panicked about you know.
Speaker 1:And I think it's more the more time you work saying in quotations like on yourself, or the more you can trust your own self or trust I don't know just kind of building a lifestyle that you can enjoy and the being around good people and just kind of like trusting your training and enjoying it. It actually releases a lot of the pressure to you know, figure it out. Whatever that means and I feel like that's helped me a lot of the time is knowing that. No, actually I have trained for this and if I performed before, it means that I can definitely perform again and you know I'm always a big believer in you know what's meant for you won't pass you and this is exactly what you mean at that moment.
Speaker 2:And I know a lot of performers say that it's so true though, what's meant for you won't pass you. I completely agree with this, and it can be really hard to accept that sometimes, because we can have this idea that we're so right for something, but then, like, have you ever gone to an audition? And you realize that there's 200 people that are also so right for something? And I'm sure that the people on the panel wish that they could give every person a job, but the reality is is that they can't. It's a really hard thing.
Speaker 2:I still, at this level, at this age, this experience or whatever, still question when I walk out of an audition if it's because my skills weren't good enough or what you know. And I know the answer to that. I know the answer that you know what's for you won't go past you and you can't be right for everything, and it's very much a puzzle piece fitting a show together. But as performers I don't know if anyone else out there feels like this but I still walk out questioning my worth and my you know, could I have done better? Did I not sing great? Was it this, was it that? And then I tell my students it's not about that. That it's about the piece of the puzzle.
Speaker 2:But you know, I think keeping that human and keeping that real and vulnerable going I don't know if that ever changes, I hope it will. And I think I get stronger as time goes on and I think the quality of time that I or the quantity of time I should say that I spend thinking that reduces and I have amazing people around me that pull me out of that and say don don't be silly, it's got nothing to do with that. But it is hard because we're constantly searching for not just validation but like certainty and a reason for something. You know, if we can have a reason for it being that, then yes, it was that you sung that note really badly, but it's never that. You know, I've gone into I might have said this in the last podcast I've gone into auditions and done the worst audition I've done and received the job.
Speaker 1:Oh no, and then?
Speaker 2:gone into auditions and thought I really did a great job.
Speaker 1:So then, what are we doing? Why do?
Speaker 2:we panic about that, you know. Why don't we just let it be go on our journey, do our work and then?
Speaker 1:And I think the more opportunities, the more auditions you go to, you start to realize that more. I think when we're starting out we don't see it and we take it really personal because of course you've just spent so many years developing all of this only to maybe just sing once and then get cut. So it can definitely feel personal. But I think the more times you go you can. Actually I'm a massive advocate for really reflecting and not reflecting in a self-criticism way, but actually really understanding about what that process was for you. You know really trying to be present so that you can pick up things, you know the vibe of the room, or there's just so many little things that happen so quickly that you're unaware of when you're starting. And even now I'll go in and be like wait what?
Speaker 2:I've really been trying to. It's interesting because I think reflection is very important and I think it's such a juxtaposition because I love to reflect and I love to try to be honest with myself but at the same time I'm trying to practice the law of a little bit of detachment to do with things, because I think we can become very attached to the outcome.
Speaker 1:Especially when you really love the show or you're like this is it? You've got to start to just detach. I love that.
Speaker 2:And I'm exploring with that and I still don't know the way to do that. If anyone who auditions me switch off here, a part of that is maybe not over-preparing, and that's something that I've never really done in my life. I'm definitely a practice makes perfect person. I love preparation and everything we're taught is to prepare the best you can. However, with that, preparation becomes my emotional attachment to it, my love for it.
Speaker 1:Because you're spending so much time with the material, your connection to it.
Speaker 2:Yes, workshopping within my life. How much can I learn and present an audition, a glimpse of what this could be, and then step away from it without it being? Here's my finished product. Here's everything you're going to get and that could potentially lose me jobs at times, but it actually protects my heart a little bit more, you know. So, not overspending too much time to perfect that, and I don't know if that's the right journey for me.
Speaker 1:Well, it also gives you room to take on direction as well. I know sometimes I've gone in super prepared or I've done it to the T that I couldn't change what I just rehearsed, because when you're in the moment and you're in fight or flight, your body's in muscle memory, it's going. I've just rehearsed this, this is what is safe, this is what is known. So, even trying I mean now having more experience I can develop it because I can be a bit more present. But when you're starting out and you've got that, it's really hard to go away because it's even more uncertain than the moment that you're in there, which is filled with uncertainty.
Speaker 2:Which then again there's the juxtaposition, because you want to go here's my skills, this is how good I can be, or this is what I can offer, but then you want to be free and moldable. In that moment I don't know the answer to it quite yet, but I do know that attaching too much to things for me doesn't have a great outcome, because it creates a lot more turmoil within my heart and my mind when I don't get something, which is more often than not the percentage that it happens. You know, and from the outside it probably looks like everyone gets everything and it just looks smooth sailing.
Speaker 2:But, there's a lot of no's in the industry.
Speaker 1:I had another guest on just before and we were talking about that. I'm like, I feel like I know social media is, you know we say it's a highlight reel, but I think, you know, maybe there can be room at some stages talking about things that haven't worked, because that's, you know, 90% of the time, or you know a shorter percent of the time, that that happens and it's definitely a real thing.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. It happens more often than not. You know and you can guarantee, just like when you get your headshots taken. You know if anyone that's had a headshot. You get 500 shots and you pick three and you know what I'm still not happy with those three.
Speaker 1:Give me the folder. Photographers are amazing. How much is the folder?
Speaker 2:But you know, like finding three out of 500, that you think I think that's okay. So it's the same with your highlight reel on social media. It's the same thing with you know, gosh, anytime I and this is a new world for me but, like I'm saying, to appreciate the imperfection of things you know, because we're not perfect I know that every time I step on the stage, I'm never going to, I'm actually never going to give a perfect performance.
Speaker 1:And that's okay.
Speaker 2:Yes, Because I'm human. Yes, Although I would like some perfection.
Speaker 1:But yeah, yeah, no, absolutely. Well, why don't we get into a few little questions from the community? Let's go on auditions, because we're just talking a little bit about that and you know the big thing that people are going in with is you get audition nerves, and so a question here is how can I manage audition nerves and show up as your best self in an audition?
Speaker 2:Audition nerves. It's really. They're a bizarre thing because I feel like they hit you really unexpectedly, like I have woken up some mornings, especially when I was younger. I used to get nervous from the second I woke up. Oh it's the big day of the audition. Now I kind of go about my day, rock up to the audition. I'll be pretty chill, and then all of a sudden you stand on that X and like I remember an audition I did last year Actually you know what it was for Sunset Boulevard. Here we go, full disclosure. Now I knew I wasn't right for the show, but I really wanted to do an audition and I really wanted to work on something I hadn't auditioned for a really long time. So I was pretty chilled. I was like I'm not going to book this show.
Speaker 1:We're going to Singapore in February. There's some openings.
Speaker 2:I walked in, I said hi, stood on the X, I'm all chill and the music starts and my knee starts shaking and I'm like everyone's looking at me and I'm about to start singing and in my head I'm not thinking about the song, I'm thinking why, is my knee shaking.
Speaker 2:I'm not even nervous and I had this real like conflict in my head, being like what's going on? And my body went into this response where I was like, okay, I guess I am nervous and I sung the song and it was all fine, but all I was thinking about was my shaking knee. You shake your leg and it's so bizarre because I really didn't expect that to be nerve-wracking. And then I've gone into other auditions and haven't felt a glimpse of nerve. So it's unpredictable and this has happened on stage to me before. No nerves before a show. All of a sudden, bam wham. Thank you, ma'am, you're welcome.
Speaker 1:I've had an opposite experience to you as well that I now with auditions. I'll be nervous prior, but as soon as I enter the door of like the complex I just go like super chill.
Speaker 2:I think I prefer that version At least.
Speaker 1:But I don't know what it is. I mean, yeah, just trying to like. Maybe it's just like I might I don't know, but it's funny how it works for so many different people and, depending on the show and how much I want it to, that's a whole different thing More of detachment. I know, because you're like oh, you know.
Speaker 2:I think what I've learnt is and going back, I said this just before I've gone in and done my worst auditions and gotten the job, so really I wonder how much it matters. You know, I think we get nervous because we want to do well, we don't want to disappoint ourselves, mostly myself. It's not even to do with the panel, it's to do with, like you've worked so hard on this, like an opening night. I get nervous because I think, oh, we've done all this work, you want it to be a good show that you know you can do. So if you take away that pressure and I often think, say an opening night, I'll use this as an example. What's the worst that can happen? I forget the lyrics. It's happened before in shows.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 2:I remember once it wasn't in a show, but I was teching for Evita I understudied the role of Ava Perron and I was so excited to do this tech. You know dream role. And I get to Buenos Aires and we're singing the song and all of a sudden there's like this fast moment that she sings and all of a sudden I was just like, ah. I remember my friend Chris Scalzo was singing the wings and he was yelling out the lyrics to me and you know, like I thought you know, if that happened in the show, the tech went on. The tech went on. If you fall, if you forgot your words, if you forgot the song, someone would it actually makes it even more enjoyable yes, right as well.
Speaker 1:Right, if that happens in a show I'm like this is fantastic if they weren't captivated they are now. They're like let's go, and I kind of lean into that being like you know what if something went drastically wrong?
Speaker 2:what a great story for everyone to take away. So I kind of go into opening nights like that and I'm trying so hard to be like what's the worst that can happen? Not anything that hasn't happened to you before and it happens very rarely. And then an audition is like the panel. I'm sure I've sat on the other side as a reader and seen you can tell when someone's nervous and you don't judge their performance on that. You know I say take a breath, start something again, tell them you're nervous.
Speaker 1:They probably know it is a nerve-wracking Of course it is, and I think public speaking is the most like feared, like common fear in the world. And when, then, you've been asked to sing and dance or act in front of a panel that you're literally being asked to present to see if you have what it takes to be in the show, Like that just puts it on a whole other level.
Speaker 2:It does. And, like when I've spoken to a lot of creatives, they often say, oh, I don't know how you guys audition. Yeah, I'm like, thank you, it's so hard. So they have empathy for that and they can see past that and they all want you to do well.
Speaker 1:They can see past it and they all want you to do well, like everyone in the room there wants you to do well and they're there to actually support you more than we think I think a lot of the time.
Speaker 1:But yeah, it goes back to what you were saying, that ultimately, yes, we're wanting to do well for others, but really what we're looking for is to do for us to feel like we did the best we could, and sometimes nerves does take it out of us, but I think each time it's just that learning experience and the more I always say you know people that are nervous about auditions it's just a new skill, like when you started dancing for the first time or you started seeing or acting that first class. You have no idea what's going on. Yeah, I can tell you many times where I was just felt so out of place and, yes, that we can take the skills that we learned in the training and do it in audition. The whole audition experience is another new skill. So I think, just doing it more and more and I mean even saying that I've worked with so many people that have been in the industry for 20 something years that still get nervous and still I don't.
Speaker 2:I don't know if that ever changes.
Speaker 1:Yes, I don't think it changes.
Speaker 2:You know, when I was younger, the way I kind of combated that was I asked friends, colleagues, people around me to sit down and watch my audition before I went in. You know, and that really helps. You know, especially someone you respect or that you know, and to see if you can get those nerves up and to sit, like even your family members and my family are lovely critics of mine, yeah, especially my grandparents. My grandmothers are the best ones. So I get them to sit down and listen to me and they'll give me the truth. So they actually make me the most nervous because they don't hold anything back. You know, I think one of my nans said to me sometimes it's like it's very loud and why do you do that thing with your voice, that shaky thing, and I was like vibrato, it's very loud and why do you do that thing with your voice that shaky thing and I was like vibrato, vibrato, jeez.
Speaker 2:Thanks, nan. But you know, I think that was really helpful and I still do that if I need it, you know, and lean on your friends that are in the industry as well. So I do mind if I do this for you, because we don't have the opportunity to do it very often. So if we can create that, that's really helpful.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, there's been some times where I've self-sabotaged myself picking a new song and then to sing for the audition and I didn't even practice it with a pianist. I'm like, yeah, I'll be fine, I'll just practice it with my old YouTube backing track at home, not share it with anyone. I'll be fine, go in. And I think one section was in my head voice and something Fine go in and I think one section was in like my head voice and something.
Speaker 1:Oh well, when you're in there and you have to fully present it and you're not used to doing it with a.
Speaker 2:Did you learn from that one?
Speaker 1:Well, let's just say I didn't get that show. I was like, oh, that was not a good choice, but I mean, in that it's, you know, able to laugh after and be like, okay, that's not what worked.
Speaker 2:These work, that these make the best story. I know that's why you need those moments that don't go so well, because I don't know they make us human.
Speaker 1:what was that for? I think it was for like frozen or something and, um, I think the music director at the time I was I was doing charlie and chocolate factory, so I think she was doing it as well at the time and so she's like I'm like booked you and probably bob Bobby's just said really good things about me coming in and I've just gone. It's still pretty good. So, yeah, it's funny how each experience shapes you and you can learn from it each time. Yeah, all right. So coming into about building and sustaining this wild career that we call musical theatre, what would you say the first steps that students or new graduates can take when entering the industry?
Speaker 2:You know, I think musical theatre is really interesting because it's very clear, it's a very clear skill set. Right, you've got singing, dancing, acting, right Like, and if you mush them all together, it's performance. And you know, I think that it just creates a very clear guideline and we can really focus on three areas. Clearly, you know, it's not this ambiguous thing I feel like, um, say, like acting this ambiguous element of who are you, what is it? And musical theater has an element of who are you, what is it? And musical theatre has an element of that, but it's just defined more clearly. It's like you work on your voice, you work on your dance skills, you work on your acting and your script interpretation, and then you mush it all together and there you go, your performance skills.
Speaker 2:But I think that stepping out of tertiary education and stepping out of full-time training or into the industry, I think it's just about being economical with your time and setting clear goals for your week. You know, and let's look at it like this I talk to my students about this all the time If you were going to go to the gym, right, you could just go to the gym every day and just fluff around the gym and just like, lift a couple of weights, walk on the treadmill, and that's great, you're moving your body, that's wonderful. But if you wanted to see results from that, you would probably work toward a program at the gym, right. So you get specific about that, so you can see growth. And I think our careers are very and our skill sets are very similar Work specifically, go.
Speaker 2:Okay, you know what? I'm not great at picking up choreography. So I'm going to go to a hip hop class or, like you know, whatever, something that's more intricate, so I can really a commercialized class, so I can focus on those little details. Or, you know, I want to improve my range singing and create a stronger head voice or whatever it might be. So you can just be specific about that, as opposed to I don't know where to start. You know I want to work on my repertoire so you can put away some time in the day to sit down and listen to music and figure out what suits you. I think that's the being specific and economical about your. Time is probably and you've probably come out of a training where you're there nine to five or nine to four or five days a week and they're giving you everything to do.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And so you've got to start doing that for yourself. And it definitely does change, because obviously we don't spend nine to four every day training when you're out.
Speaker 1:Absolutely not, please don't, goodness gracious, I don't want to go back to that.
Speaker 2:I look at it full time and say you're amazing, how did I do that? I'm not sure, but I think just really prioritizing specific things and making sure that when you do it commit wholly to that moment. You know, if you're going to go into an hour and a half dance class, commit to that one hour and a half, the best that you can 110% Then you can have the rest of your day. It's not about fitting in as much as you possibly can, it's about doing it really efficiently.
Speaker 1:I think with that you're able to actually excel faster, because you're really dialing in where you want to give your time, as opposed to when you are training. You're kind of getting this big umbrella of everything to make you improve, but when you have time to yourself you can actually go right. No, I really want to dial into this this week or, you know, be really specific on that and you actually get control over that Absolutely.
Speaker 2:Look at it like learning a song. Right, you can learn a song and just try to put everything in at once the performance, the notes, the thing and then it might be a bit approximate or it might be not quite detailed enough. So if you really broke that up and was like, okay, this week I'm just going to focus on what the notes I'm meant to be singing, next week I'm going to actually think about what I'm singing or whichever order you might want to do it. So, and that might not work for everyone, but just being more specific about things might actually get you to the result that you want a little bit quicker or a bit more detailed or a little bit more efficiently.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and we spoke about building a routine on our Facebook group that we have. So if anyone wants to go and check that out, it's actually I'll put it in the show notes below. Anyone can join for free. We actually did a five-day mindset challenge on there where we had five different industry guests on there talk about specific things and you came on and spoke about how to basically how to build a routine and what that looks like. So, if anyone wants to, I think it was like 45 minutes or nearly an hour. We went into all of it.
Speaker 2:We know how to talk.
Speaker 1:We know how to talk, we love it and a lot of people got a lot of value from that. So if anyone wants to go check that out and join that group, I'm actually starting monthly workshops on there, based in mindset on there.
Speaker 2:So if anyone wants to come and check that out go check that out.
Speaker 1:I'd love to that's it Well, as we kind of come to the end of this podcast, I mean I feel like we could just talk forever about different things.
Speaker 1:When people are coming out of full time and they've come from this massive structured life, and when you're building that kind of routine for yourself, I feel like there's going to be a wave of people not knowing what is enough. Like how much time spending on something is enough. Like what can that structure kind of look like in my week to feel that I'm, you know, using my time efficiently? But also, do you know what I'm kind of?
Speaker 2:trying to say I do, and I think we just kind of we kind of covered that and I think that sometimes, because you've come out of this full time training, we think that that's what we have to continue on with. But I don't think it's necessary. I think, as I said, like we spoke about, I think more specific training, more focused training, is more beneficial, but that's for me personally and it might be so different. You know, as I said, I came from a practice makes perfect background that I had to learn all of my skills. I had to, you know, sit at that piano until I sung the right note. I have to practice that turn 50 times till I can actually nail it once.
Speaker 2:But what I have discovered over the years is that we can waste a lot of time in that, you know, procrastination, and so if we really just focus it down and especially there's so many distractions in life now, you know so if we really focus that training, we don't have to do six hours a day. You can do one hour a day and just make it very focused and just, I think making sure that you're not sitting in your comfort zone all the time, and I think especially when you come out of training is the time to really expand that Take risks.
Speaker 2:Take risks, go to classes that you wouldn't usually go to, and who knows what you might learn.
Speaker 1:It might be the thing you start to fall in love with, and you go down that rabbit hole.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Like you know, my favourite thing is I go to a Latin fusion class with Neville on a Wednesday at Circle Studios and I am so bad at it, like I am, so my hips do not lie. No, I see there, you turn it out. No, fake it till you make it baby.
Speaker 1:And that's what I love about Nevs is that he's all about that. Yeah.
Speaker 2:But you know, like I have the best fun. I actually said to him a few weeks ago I was like I'm the worst at your class and I love it so much because I love I watch his hips go and his legs and just ballroom is not my thing. I really wish it was because I love it so much. But I just kind of get in there and like you know what I'd have to be the best Latin fusion dancer in this room. But who knows what skills I might take out of this once. One perseverance and pushing through the discomfort. But two is that you know I might not get that cha-cha step exactly right, but there might be a time in my life in the future that has that.
Speaker 1:And you go oh, I'm like, oh, no, I know how to do this. You'll call Neville.
Speaker 2:Hey, neville, I did it, but I think, yeah, not sticking into your comfort zone and making sure that you're pushing yourself in the areas that feel a little bit scary still, because maybe you come from, you know, being a big fish in a small pond and then it's reversed so you need. It's going to be a new step, it's going to be scary, it's going to make friends. Go to you know, take your friends.
Speaker 1:Like, I guess, if you've just finished and there's a, I'm sure there's a whole bunch of people that are doing that are in the same boat as you. You know, maybe make a pact, we're going to this class, let's keep it going, let's do that, and I know that in full time you always have those two three friends, that would absolutely be on board as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then you can encourage each other and that always helps. Like we've got that community. Now People will be like are you going to class? And then someone might say they're going to class. I'm like okay.
Speaker 1:Even if great time to be in the same area as each other. What's been awesome having you on. Is there any final advice that you would give students that are emerging into the industry?
Speaker 2:We talked about that. I've been teaching a lot and I think it's don't waste any time to expose yourself in the way that I'm saying. You know, often I say just go for it, just go for it, just go for it, and it leads back to, I guess, perfectionism, and I talk to my students a lot about this. I'm seeing a lot of perfectionism in and gosh, goodness gracious, I'm speaking, you know, do as I say, not as I do, but I see everyone trying to get the steps perfect and the technique perfect and singer perfect, and what if we just ruffled that up a little bit and was just like but who are you? And I think that the most important part is to go, what do you have to offer? And I think, yeah, just committing to things a little bit more.
Speaker 2:I think I'm seeing that a little bit when I'm teaching. It's like just go from it straight, straight away, you know, and and easier said than done, because you're trying to find yourself, you're trying to find where you fit. And I do this to myself all the time Just commit, just commit straight away and see what happens. So I think that's what I'm seeing the most, because there are so many talented people coming out of institutions and tertiary studies and they've all got the skills already. In fact, you know what. They're all better than me.
Speaker 1:They really are.
Speaker 2:I look at my students and I'm like, well, I can't do that, no, no, oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:All this new wave of talent that comes through is incredible.
Speaker 2:Talent is amazing and I guess when?
Speaker 1:you're in that you don't know any different. You just think that. I think it's that thing of. I mean, when we see the West End as Australians or Broadway, we just put it on such a high pedestal so we trained so hard. And then I remember going to the UK and seeing the West End show and it wasn't that it was terrible. I was just like, oh, like it wasn't like you realised that you could do that. Yes, yeah.
Speaker 2:So you actually what you're saying is that you put it on a pedestal but actually you're on that too and that we don't. We can never reflect back and see our own worth, and I think that's something that we're all always trying to work on. And how do you see your own worth, how do you validate yourself in that way? And that's something that I don't think you have the answer to. I don't think there's a magic potion and go. This is the answer to that. It's about living through it and having those moments where you go and see a show and go. Oh, I think I could do that, you know.
Speaker 2:That's it yeah. So I think it's super important to validate ourselves in those ways.
Speaker 1:I love that I've literally just made an audition confidence toolkit that is, a step-by-step guide to self-validated confidence.
Speaker 2:Fantastic. Can you send that to me? I'll send it, yes.
Speaker 1:I will. Well, I'll absolutely definitely send it and I'll put it in the show notes for anyone that wants to check it out. But thank you so much for being on again and, who knows, maybe there will be a part three.
Speaker 2:Everyone's like get her off. You're amazing.
Speaker 1:Thank you for having me. Thank you, thank you.