The session captures a deeply personal and healing dance rehearsal experience centered on emotional authenticity, family connection, and personal growth. The dancers and instructors emphasize stillness, vulnerability, and genuine presence over technical perfection, with Al serving as a central creative and emotional force. The group reflects on their evolving confidence and the importance of creating meaningful, shared moments that transcend performance. Humor, personal anecdotes, and playful interactions—like the invented nickname "Biva" or the "Valetta" persona—add warmth and humanity to the process. Rehearsals are framed not just as choreographic exercises but as emotional journeys, where trust, patience, and mutual support build a strong, resilient team. The dancers express deep emotional investment, with many noting that the experience is life-changing and deeply moving. Despite physical discomforts like sore ribs or injured ankles, the focus remains on resilience, joy, and the shared magic of being present. The group celebrates not only the dance but the process itself—highlighting how movement, connection, and emotional honesty create lasting bonds and a profound sense of belonging. Ultimately, the session reinforces that dance is not just about form, but about feeling, sharing, and being seen.
Honestly, you're more calm than I am. Isabelle, Isabelle. You're still quite unsure if I made good choices. Your ankle will get better, but we are not gonna get another chance to do this. Penelope, what's your favorite song? You asked me this yesterday too. I've never loved any. How long is it staying? She's grounded. Don't you know what I mean? I'm staying. Family abs. What would you think? If so, we've reached. And then instead of a roll, I'd come in and just pull you here. And we end here instead of rolling. So we could take more time on this. Do you like that better? Or do you want to do the roll? You don't know. No, I don't. You know. Okay. You're gonna pick up her leg still or no? No. Okay. So we're gonna reach. Can you pick up your leg? First thing, straight. Point, point, point, point. It doesn't mean move away. Just straighten this leg. Pretend there's energy pointing through you till all the way there. There you go. And then allergy point is going to naturally want to come on. Think straight. Then we can take our time a little bit more. Make this really pretty. And then big hug. And then we're not in pain after our roll. Yeah. Cool. Why are your feet bigger than mine? What's your surgery up? I'm like six and a half. Yeah, that's crazy. I'm a seven. Since. Seven. Hey, reach on one. That's. Nicole. You like that better? Yeah. Do you feel okay with that? Down. And then the next thing you do is one. And it should feel very dreamy. Drunk. Bring the drug. Yeah. So just big hug energy without like, boom. Okay, ready? Let's try big hug energy controlled. Perfect. So you're going to look for Val's hand to grab him. And then he's going to lead us on the. Big down first. That's a beautiful shape. I'm going to need you to like hold me with your arms a little more. Like hold yourself. Yes. That's so much better. So when you walking around, you're observing excellence, lady. There's no small roles. So this is a really important moment, even though you're not dancing like us. This is your presence here is very important. Nice. Yeah, so we could see this. So yeah, I'll look at you here. Look at you. Run. That's the next dance. Thomas, what do you think? It's amazing. That's all good. Look at you. I feel like you should get into break dancing. And it's also break dancing. It's tragic. Wow. Did he watch the show last year? It's kind of given like Steven Vaat 2 plus. He did our show last year and the first episode this year. How has a rehearsal been with the fam? It's fun having them here. Everyone's getting a little distracted since it's a little hard to focus, but it's been good. Love you. Love you guys. See you later. Love you down. Let us profess the most. I love you so much. Sure we have. Same one probably lies me. Sometimes we don't know what to do with them. So we've got to really stretch that. She's doing the marshmallows. Just make it feel comfortable. That feels comfortable to you. And you can tilt your head. Like this. That'll make it easier so you don't feel like you're. Yeah. That's a great teacher. Beautiful. Like, put you down. We look up here and then this moment. I don't even care like, well, I do care. But about like the timing as much as I think we should really take our time like looking on our hand. You know, I think it's so cute our hands like almost the same size now once I get these nails off. You've gotten so big. My little baby. So I think we should look like, wow. Look at us. Look at us. We're going to have a small ballerina. Yes. You can get it. You killed it. She did so much. She did the wing the head. She did the lean with it. Rock with it. No. Do you want to show them a lift that we've been working on? Oh, great. See you. Okay. Wait until I show that. I think that it is. We're pairing the battle routine. Sure. Use those long toes to pull yourself up. I don't want to just die. Boom. Yes. Got a lift. You guys. Is it really going in? Except I'm in. On this side of it. Yes. Beautiful. Beautiful. We'll put such a dancing. Beautiful. That was from your age. When you were born. My birthday. My head changed. Did you not change your life? Yes. Is it all? Are you excited? Yes. What do you guys think of the dance so far? Perfect. Amazing. I'm ready to cry. Thank you. I'm ready to cry. I think it's a little shower. That was a cool effect though. I should incorporate that into a dance. The girls are 20 and we're ready to take home the stage. How are you feeling? I'm okay. I don't know how you do it all this. Wait. Ready to want to show her hair? It's winning. It's winning. What do you do? I'm actually. Yo, what up? Hey. How are you? Are you excited? I'm good. Are you excited to peel it out there? I've seen a little rehearsal stuff. You look great. I'm going to cry. It's such a funny. It's just about love. You're going to kill it. You're such a superstar. You're nervous? Yeah. Really? There's nothing to be nervous about. Even if you just stand there, you're going to be perfect. Yeah. That was like, don't just stand there. Let's move. Did you practice last night? You did? Are you lying? No. You make me giggle. You're just such a funny face. What's happening? We are going last tonight. It's kind of scary because then you have to sit through the whole show just waiting. It's like an extra two hours of nerves. Nerves. We made it by creative things. What? So, I was doing the voice note thing with like. My friend liked the voice recording thing. Like on Snapchat. I was saying "Daddy Diva" but I accidentally said "Biva" and that's when you were born. Biva? Biva. Daddy Diva. Yeah, Biva. Hey, Biva. You heard it here first. Biva. It makes you laugh at Alex so much. She just kind of does stuff that is really questionable to me when I. You're studying? Yeah. I think we're scaring that. What does that mean? It doesn't mean anything. It's supposed to be face. What does 6-7 mean? I don't know. 6-7. Huh? What? Biva. What? Did you guys speak in some languages? Amobiva? What does that mean? What are you so bad at, Diva? Hey. Are we sorry? It's 6-7. She just made it up. I just need two more weeks. It's man-born time. Love it. Love it. Love it. No, I love it. Do you remember? I did. I did, you did. That's why I'm saying. You gotta do it again. Because that was the moment. You're holding out. Yeah, that's just because I forgot to smile. Why did you name me Valetta? What did Valetta come from? I don't know. I was just talking one time and I was like, wait, Valetta. What is a Valetta? A Valetta is my alter ego. When Val is being hardcore, scary, teacher. No, Valetta is just more strict straight to the point. When I'm hungry, I'm a fool. Valetta doesn't smile. How often is she a Valetta? Me like something.
Sometimes camera blocking days and the first day of rehearsal is where we learned a new dance. Because he's serious. Which I appreciate for what he's been learning. Alright, let's go. Right now. Come on back. What do you think of the dance? It's good. So I think we're doing a really good job. It's a special moment to like get it captured. And it's like, this dance means a lot because we're like the family and stuff. And I think that's really special. Beautiful. Which is nice. Nice. What was the good hug as well? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm missing your eyes here. So I know you got a really hard thing going on here. It's hard to see us already. Okay. So I know it's hard, but like, we can end it up here. Oh, England is so good later. How does that make you feel? I'm gonna cry again. I've been crying all week. It's beautiful. You guys look so beautiful. How did that feel being on the stage again today? That. That. Better than yesterday? Yeah. I thought that they put a lot better for me. And how did we look? You're supposed to say amazing. It's a good, amazing, appreciate that even center. But that would be what lorax. Is that because I'm orange? Yeah. Just call me the lorax. I don't think I'm orange. You're not your tan. I'm pretty sure the lorax has similar hairs to you too. Me. Yeah. You're the one. Maybe that's what we should do for Halloween. Hey. I thought it was beautiful. Oh, thank you. It was so good. I'm glad it's so fun. I'm sure you're gonna like it. I know. And Emo. Hi, Ezra. Hi. Hello. You guys are slaying the game. Do you guys ever see Ezra on TikTok? Sometimes. Sometimes. Okay. I'll take it. Just set right here. What is that? Is it her? I knew it. What? How did you know that? What? They only have this color green. Do you guys recognize it? Yeah, I love it. I was like 12 and I went to a daddy dog or dance. And I wore a body pond dress, actually, up my ass. And I took my mom's YSL platform heels that were like 10 inches. And I looked like a stripper. But, no wonder the other parents wouldn't let their kids hang out with me. That influence. An elope? An elope. This is my gift to you. You know, she's like a competitive horse rider and she's the best in the state. So she'll pull up like this. The drama feels like awkward, but it reads better on camera. The other thing is I want you to know that even though we're dancing, you're in the lens. Like we see you. And most likely because you're a new addition to this. Like, the audience has seen us dance before. There are a lot more curious about like, what is this girl doing? So they'll be following you. When I'm out, smile it out. You know, so never feel like you're not performing or you're not on camera. I want you to be genuine, of course. Definitely know that you're on camera all the time. Even I like when you do the little run back and you kind of stop and look at us before you sit down. Yeah, all of those things. That's so special. So special. Do I need to make that moment more better? More better. Always. I know. But what about what I'm doing is this. Not feeling fake enough. It just, I don't understand what timing that is. That's what that is. It doesn't look clear to me like. I don't feel clear either. Do you know the clear timing? One, eight, two, three. Are we going like slow faster? Are we going slow, slow? We're going slow, fast. Oh, I like to do the thing. I know. I know. Okay, I'll fix my timing. We'll practice that. Yeah. I promise. Good job. It looks much better than it feels. And then when we actually do the show, can you really just crank my leg up there? Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're perfect. You're perfect. I'm even more perfect than she is. You are. Not I am. Everyone's perfect. Equal. Except for you. Equal. Yeah. I'm a little lesser than. But I'm trying to get up to your guys level. I'm going to fix my back and fix my things in the dance. And then I'll be dress rehearsal. I'll be fixing all those problems. Fix, fix, fix, fix, fix. It's a real. Yeah. Let's just, again, perform it. Yeah. Even more. Yeah. I will. Cool. Thanks. What are certain factors that you take into consideration that are different from like the we previous? Well, I mean, I'm trying to balance movement that evokes emotion for her and not just for the viewer. Okay. So, yes. Where is the lady on the second floor? Yeah. I'm going. Are you talking about her? No. Yeah, so I mean, this is quite a bit of a responsibility to convey the energy, the emotion, or the story. Also, stillness. You know, there's a lot of power and stillness in letting her emotions have a moment to be there. Because when you over choreograph and this movement, movement, movement, you never really have a second to actually feel. But I think we got there. How was it working with Alex's little sister? Did she have any dance experience? No. I don't believe it was a balanced dance experience. I think, like, every toddler at some point, they were taking something out. Oh, thanks. That pinkie right there. It was good. It took great direction. I'm excited. At the end of the day, my biggest thing is to gift Al and her family a moment of day. We'll remember and enjoy. I feel like this entire week has been more of just being in the moment and letting her heal and share and enjoy herself with her sisters than, like, previous weeks where I was, like, out more. You know, I was definitely much softer this week. What size? I don't like it. Because the first couple of days of starting a new dance, I'm still quite unsure if I made good choices. You know, I'm not sure if this is the right movement for her or this is the right way of telling that story. So because of my own uncertainty, I am less patient, so I'm just projecting my insecurity on whether it's Al, whoever I'm more driven. So I try to control that, but that's why my energy is a little bit more serious. As soon as I have more confidence in our choices, then I just enjoy the process. That is a big goal of mine, is to be a good teacher. You learn a lot through teaching, you know, and not every student that you're going to encounter or every partner is the same. You know, what worked for a partner of mine a few seasons back might not work for Al and vice versa, you know. And so I come in with kind of like a clean slate, otherwise I'm going to instinctively fall back into the same patterns you've seen me do. Which work, which are great, but that's not what this process is about. It's about creating a new path. So that's why she is my muse in a lot of ways. Obviously, I get a lot of help elsewhere as well from friends, my wife in particular, who's a genius, creatively and choreographically. But Al's tone and voice and her ideas are what is leading the way. I love that. So that's most winging, yeah. She doesn't sing. What is she doing? How's it going in there, Isabel? It's good. I'm using the bathroom. Oh, come. And not thanks just for the shows and you guys are really helping this calm space. Right? This is like bringing you back to like core memories. The trap. Bee bees. The trap. Bee bees. You love it. Okay. You can't leave. I have to go somewhere. In here. It would be better if it's not. I wanted to make a TikTok. Why is he a snack sack so much better than yours? I don't know. Take this. You guys are making this really difficult. I'm going to fool you. I'm going to hate all of you. You don't. You don't. I'm trying to make something cute and sweet. Good luck out there. How are you feeling? How are you feeling? Good. My back is really hurting. I'm fine. Really what happened? I don't know. I think my ribs got a lot of line. like show yourself. - Very, very, very, very beautiful life. - You can show. - You can show. - One of those nights anyway. (beep) - The last minute's about to. - It's about rolled her ankle. - Right, and dress her herself. - That was so good. (laughing) - But that would be all right. - It would be all right. - It would help you again. - And then can you wiggle your toes? What do you feel there? - It hurts like a little bit. - A little bit weird and squeezing, or in that bottom spot. - Get her some crunches. (laughing) - I'm so funny. - I'm so funny. - That's hysterical. - Well. - Well, the good thing is you get to miss another week of school problem. - There you go. (cheering) - I'll write you a doctor's note, and you can get out and. - Perfect. - I want a screen rain. (laughing) - Yeah. - No matter what you get to do it one time. - That's it, one time. We can even rip the bandages off of you. - Well, your ankle will get better, but we are not gonna get another chance to do it. - I know. (laughing) - My ribs also work for you. - I'll bounce turning into Valetta. (laughing) - This is the board. - Valetta. - I wrote this out and you kept going. - Yeah, she didn't even like fully fall or anything you kept powering through. - Yeah, I wrote this out. - I wrote this out. - Yeah. - It's strong. - I don't like sleep. - I love sleep. - Hi. - You look so pretty. - Hi. - What's your hair during? - What about it? - You look so good. - Oh, it's a feeling, can you move it? - Oh, I know something's different. When did you go to the hair salon? - It's fine. - We do not. - Oh my gosh. - Can we make our take talk now that we're all here? - Yeah. - We've never had lunch here. - I did it a few months ago. - Lay it. - I did. - Wait, your hair looks really thin. - No, no. - It is really thin. - Why? - 'Cause you did blonde. - Thanks for showing me the compliments, guys. - You guys are really twinning. - Oh. - Wait, that we shouldn't get ticked up. - How are you? - How are you doing? - I feel like good to see you. (laughing) - I'm glad to have you with the campaign. - We're sorry. - We're so happy to have you with us. - Come on, I'm gonna go inside, I'll see inside. - You may have to carry us though. - Let's have a look. - I'm fine. - I got you. - Oh, no. - Give me five in there. - I don't like five in there. - Cool. - Yeah, here they are. - What are we doing? - It's literally just this thing. - It's a millennial audio. - Okay. - Yes it is. - That is it. - Time to go, right? - Yeah. - We're turning into a guy. - Okay. - Let's go. - We'll be out. (beeping) - Okay, let's go get some snacks. - All right. - Anything, chips? - We're about to go on. Please vote for us. - Vote for us. - Vote. - Vote. - How are you feeling? - I'm starting to go silent. I'm feeling really good though. But I am feeling like I'm gonna cry for sure. I've been crying out everyone else's dances. I don't know what's gotten into me tonight. Like, I keep crying. - Like, my second dancing was the water dance. - Yeah. - I feel like Isabelle shows no emotion. She's just like-- - Yeah, she's like, oh, I'm not nervous. She's like, hello, I am. I'm getting, I'm not nervous. I'm not nervous. - Really? - I can't believe it. I'm not nervous. I'm so exhausted in a liar. - No, because no matter what we do, this is going to be so special in something that we share forever. And we only have to do one minute of our lives. It's going to be the best minute ever. Yeah, it's so special. So we are going to just go all out. (upbeat music) How big of a difference is it with no shoes on? - It's harder because it's like much more painful, I feel painful to look at, painful to do. Does the last move? Like, I really have to commit that I'm skinning the skin off my feet. For it. I'm just going to commit. - All in nothing. - And last night, I got a spray tan, but I forgot to spray tan my feet, so. - So it'll pale. - Just look a little. Looks like I'm from the Dominican Up top and from Iceland, down low. - We got this. - We got this. - This is what we got. - Is this what we got? - Yes. - We got this. - Unbelievable. What a nice, just hanging out for a minute, guys. This will be about two minutes of promo. - It literally snotted during my turns and that all I was thinking about halfway through the dance 'cause I started crying and then I turned in it, what do I, on my face, and I could feel it. I was like, fuck, there's boogers on my face. - I'm just going to go behind it. - I feel like I'm a guy. - Alan, I'm proud of you. - I'll be talking to you. - I'd be love you. - I love you. (laughing) - I'm proud of you. - Oh my god. - Oh my god. - You guys never know. - I just said that they did the job right on the floor. (laughing) - I'm on for a beat. - I'm on to the world in changing our lives. - I'm the fat guy. - I'm on the ranch right now. - Oh my god. - All of us. - All of us. - All of us. - All of us. - All of us. - I'm the chaos. - We can't have a chat. - What'd you think of the dance? - I loved it. - Amazing. - Amazing. - Alex. - Yeah. - You're the amazing. - Thank you, Thomas. - I love you. - That was you too. - You guys killed it. - Thank you. - This is where the boogers came and I said, what, what, what, you did so good, even better than I could have ever, ever, ever, ever imagined. - I love you. - I love you. And boog, we love you. - Hey. - It's nice. (laughing) - I think it's done. - Bye.
Podcast Summary
Key Points:
The group emphasizes emotional presence and authenticity in movement, prioritizing stillness and personal connection over rigid choreography.
Teachers and dancers alike reflect on their evolving confidence, acknowledging uncertainty in early stages but growing into a more patient, empathetic teaching style.
The dance process is deeply personal, with Al serving as a creative muse and emotional anchor, shaping the choreographic direction and emotional tone.
There’s a strong focus on healing, family bonding, and creating shared moments that will be remembered long after the performance.
Participants express vulnerability, excitement, and emotional highs—especially during rehearsals and performances—highlighting the therapeutic value of dance.
A key teaching principle is to avoid over-choreographing, allowing space for genuine emotion and individual expression to emerge naturally.
The team balances fun, humor, and creative experimentation, including playful moments like nicknames ("Biva," "Valetta") and lighthearted challenges.
The rehearsal environment fosters connection, with dancers feeling seen, supported, and valued as both performers and individuals.
Summary:
The session captures a deeply personal and healing dance rehearsal experience centered on emotional authenticity, family connection, and personal growth. The dancers and instructors emphasize stillness, vulnerability, and genuine presence over technical perfection, with Al serving as a central creative and emotional force. The group reflects on their evolving confidence and the importance of creating meaningful, shared moments that transcend performance.
Humor, personal anecdotes, and playful interactions—like the invented nickname "Biva" or the "Valetta" persona—add warmth and humanity to the process. Rehearsals are framed not just as choreographic exercises but as emotional journeys, where trust, patience, and mutual support build a strong, resilient team. The dancers express deep emotional investment, with many noting that the experience is life-changing and deeply moving.
Despite physical discomforts like sore ribs or injured ankles, the focus remains on resilience, joy, and the shared magic of being present. The group celebrates not only the dance but the process itself—highlighting how movement, connection, and emotional honesty create lasting bonds and a profound sense of belonging. Ultimately, the session reinforces that dance is not just about form, but about feeling, sharing, and being seen.
FAQs
The 'big hug' energy represents a gentle, connective moment in the dance, emphasizing emotional presence and comfort between partners. It allows for a slower, more mindful transition without sudden movement, fostering a sense of unity and care.
The teacher expresses uncertainty about whether specific movements or choices are right for the dancer, reflecting a natural process of learning and adaptation. This uncertainty helps them stay present and responsive to the dancer's emotional needs.
The dancer's emotions—such as fear, excitement, or vulnerability—shape the authenticity and impact of the performance. The team emphasizes staying connected to these feelings to create a genuine and meaningful experience.
Stillness is used to allow emotions to settle and be felt deeply, giving the dancer space to heal and connect. It contrasts with constant movement and helps create a more powerful, emotional moment.
They practice timing to ensure movements feel natural and synchronized, especially during transitions. This helps create a fluid, dreamy flow that feels intentional rather than forced.
The teacher adapts their approach by listening to the dancer's tone, voice, and emotional cues, ensuring the choreography aligns with her individuality rather than relying on past patterns or habits.
Chat with AI
Loading...
Pro features
Go deeper with this episode
Unlock creator-grade tools that turn any transcript into show notes and subtitle files.