Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
19. From Las Vegas to Artistic Director with Karen Mareck Grundy
72 Plays1 month ago
Karen Mareck Grundy is the Artistic/Executive Director of Mareck Center for Dance. She performed extensively, including 11 years in Las Vegas, and her innovative style blends classical ballet and modern dance with influences from Las Vegas productions.
In this episode, Karen pulls the curtain back, sharing stories from her days dancing in Las Vegas to her current role as Artistic Director. As Mareck Dance enters its 19th season, we learn what has led to the longevity of the company up until now as well as what Karen’s vision is for the future. This interview had me on the edge of my seat - truly a must-listen!
Key Moments:
- Early dance training [1:55]
- Karen’s professional dance career in Las Vegas [3:58]
- Moving to Missouri to teach dance [9:17]
- The beginning of Missouri Contemporary Ballet (now Mareck Dance) [14:56]
- What has led to the longevity of Mareck Dance [19:23]
- What Karen looks for in dancers when holding auditions [23:08]
- What she is most proud of as an Artistic Director [27:33]
- Karen’s long-term vision for Mareck Dance [29:24]
- Her biggest piece of advice for dancers pursuing a career [31:13]
Connect with Karen and Mareck Center for Dance:
MARECK DANCE WEBSITE: mareckcenterfordance.org
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/mareck_dance
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/mareckdance
Links and Resources:
Get your copy of The Ultimate Audition Guide
1-1 Career Mentoring: book your complimentary career call
Let’s connect!
My WEBSITE: thebrainyballerina.com
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/thebrainyballerina
Questions/comments? Email me at [email protected]
Recommended
Transcript
The Dance Company's Philosophy
00:00:00
Speaker
Obviously, I think my dancers' individualities are important in being such a small company. When we're dancing together, I want that dancing to be together. And you're going to have to let go of those things that you think you want to add here because this is not the place for it. But I definitely enjoy pulling from dancers what their individual strengths can be. And maybe they don't know that this could be a strength, but that's what i is one of my favorite things about running the company.
Meet Caitlin: From Ballerina to Mentor
00:00:29
Speaker
I'm Caitlin, a former professional ballerina turned dance educator and career mentor. And this is the Brainy Ballerina podcast. I am here for the aspiring professional ballerina who wants to learn what it really takes to build a smart and sustainable career in the dance industry. I'm peeling back the curtain of professional dance world with open and honest conversations about the realities of becoming a professional dancer. Come along to gain the knowledge and inspiration you need Succeed in a dance career on your turns.
Introducing Karen: A Diverse Dance Journey
00:01:04
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Brainy Valerina podcast. I'm your host, Caitlin Sloan, and I am joined today by Karen Merrick Grundy. Karen is the artistic and executive director of Merrick Center for Dance. She performed extensively, including 11 years in Las Vegas and her innovative style blends classical ballet and modern dance with influences from Las Vegas productions. I had the huge honor of dancing for Karen for seven years, and I am so thrilled to be connecting with her today.
00:01:30
Speaker
I want to start from the very beginning of your dance journey, and I would love to hear why you took your very first dance class. I was basically dancing out of the womb, so my mom had really no choice but to put me into dance class as soon as they would take me, which was at the age of three, where I got my first tutu.
Karen's Dance Beginnings
00:01:53
Speaker
So basically dance was all I ever wanted. And that's what I did. And what was your training like growing up? I started, you know, at kind of a little Dolly Dinkle kind of school and then kind of went out of dance for a little bit. And then my mom put me in classes with Ronnie Greenblatt who danced under Martha Graham.
00:02:17
Speaker
And so she was a Graham based, obviously a Graham based teacher. And so I started around 10 or 11. I started working with her in modern classes and a friend of mine was in beauty pageants and I wanted to be in beauty pageants and you had to have a decent talent. And my talent at that time, she choreographed this modern dance for me and I decided I needed to get more serious about dance. So at 12, I went and I had to audition for Inez Morning.
00:02:49
Speaker
She was the teacher to get into that's going to train you that's going to do all the best things. And she is still doing that today. So I had to audition for her and she said, well, we're going to have to book her for life, but she booked me. but So then I started really my formal actual classical training with her. And that's kind of where everything evolved as far as what my next steps would be in a career. I really wanted to be a ballet dancer.
Transition from Ballet to Modern Dance
00:03:18
Speaker
I wanted to be a classical ballet dancer. One day she said, you know, you don't really have the body type and you maybe your technique isn't quite there yet because you didn't start soon enough. You know, just that kind of old school mentality.
00:03:32
Speaker
And so she said, let's really gear you towards other types of dance. And that was probably my saving grace. So where did you go from there? Out of high school, there was a moment in high school that I was like, I don't want to dance anymore. I went through that year. And then I came back to her after I graduated and said, I don't know what I was thinking. I need to get back in. And so I started taking classes again. And then she was the choreographer for Legends in concert and in Las Vegas.
00:04:01
Speaker
She said, why don't you go audition? Maybe you'll get a job. Maybe you won't. I went and auditioned for Legends of Concert and I got hired at
Karen's Professional Break in Las Vegas
00:04:08
Speaker
18. I was dancing for Legends of Concert in Las Vegas. What was that like being so yawning, dancing in Las Vegas? I mean, she gave me prerequisite, like, just stay away from all of the legends, basically. It's like, do not get close to them.
00:04:27
Speaker
Just stay away from them because you're 18 and they are going to love you. And so I did not heed her advice, but I just got, maybe you have to cut that.
00:04:44
Speaker
So, I mean, it was fun. It was a whirlwind of an experience because I was, you know, the only one that was not 21. Everybody was going out after.
00:04:56
Speaker
after work and things like that. And I was but then also doing that. So at this point, are you still living at home? At this point, I am still living at home. Then I start making ah enough money and then I move out and I move in with a friend from high school and we get ah an apartment together.
00:05:17
Speaker
Tell me more about your professional career in Vegas.
Artistic Challenges in Vegas Shows
00:05:20
Speaker
So you start off pretty young, but then you dance there for 11 years. Right. What kept you coming back to that? I love performing. I love dancing. But one of the things that I really was missing was dancing in Vegas shows is still the art, but not the full art of dance. And I was really missing that aspect of it through my career. I don't know exactly when this first happened, but There were some like pickup dance companies. So for those of us that were in shows that wanted that concert dance aspect of their life, there were a couple little companies that started. And so we would go and rehearse at 1 a.m. in the morning until 4 a.m. for our concert performances. That would happen two or three times a year. So that was fun too.
00:06:15
Speaker
So that kind of allowed for my artistic outlet because that was really always what I wanted to do was concert dance. I just, it wasn't available in Vegas as a full-time job. So I got to do my full-time job as a professional dancer and my concert dance also at the same time. And I know you have a lot of crazy stories from this time. Do you have one or two that you would share with us?
00:06:43
Speaker
Wow, I don't know if I was expecting that and what I'm willing to share. I did Dance Topless in Vegas and in the shows that I performed in, those were the harder dance shows in town. So it was a dancer show where there were five to six females and one or two males and then some variety in there. So they were really hard dance shows.
00:07:12
Speaker
like that's and not Not that I'm scared of that or ashamed to buy that, but that's the fact of the matter. That's part of my career. But I was proud of those shows because they were really hard. And those are the shows that dancers from other shows would come to watch numerous times. One of my favorite stories that I'm not embarrassed by, our director, Ron Lewis, he passed away a couple of years ago. He was the choreographer and director for Liza Minnelli.
00:07:40
Speaker
when she would come into Vegas to perform, she would occasionally come and see our shows. And when we had our newest show that was at the Plaza Hotel, she came to that show and it was called Exposed.
A Memorable Encounter with Liza Minnelli
00:07:55
Speaker
Tiger Martina was the choreographer and it was a really, really kick-ass dance show. And she came to that show and she started sitting in a booth and then towards the end of the show, she sat In the aisle on the stairs, it just cheered us on. And then after the show, she invited our cast and guests to come to her show where she sat us all in the front table. My mom got to come to this show with me as my date. Liza invited us all on stage to do her bow with her and my mom got to come up. And then she invited us all to her suite to party with her.
00:08:34
Speaker
That was not only a wonderful time in my life, but it was the time of my mother's life for sure. And to get to see her partying with Liza Minnelli in her suite was one of the most fantastic things ever. I love that. And also to party with Liza Minnelli in her suite and take pictures with her. She would go and do costume changes during the evening and be like, all right, let's do some more photos. Wow.
00:09:04
Speaker
Yeah. At what point did you decide to make the shift from dancing professionally to your next stage?
Teaching Dance in Columbia, Missouri
00:09:10
Speaker
So I didn't really decide it. It was somewhat, I mean, I guess I did decide. So I was offered this job to teach here in Columbia, Missouri. I kept getting phone calls like, come on, you need to go do this. It'll be great money. It'll be this, it'll be that. And I was like, why am I going to leave Las Vegas and stop dancing?
00:09:32
Speaker
and go to Columbia, Missouri, where I've never been, and teach. like I didn't even wanna be a teacher. I did not care to teach ever, especially at that time, I was 29.
00:09:43
Speaker
Finally, I got this offer and it was like, things were a little slow in Vegas. There weren't really any shows that I really cared to be in when you're 29. You know, you got to kind of make those decisions and make sure they're worthwhile. So I was like, okay, I'm going to go there for one year and one year only and teach at Columbia Performing Arts Center. And then I'm here 24 years later. When you first got there, did you think I'm gonna be here or were you still kind of like, I think this is just a quick gig? In the beginning, I was like, Oh my God, this is insane. What am I doing here? I did not think I was going to stay. And then as I started teaching, so I got here in August, so it was kind of the beginning of, you know, rehearsals were happening and things like that. I also
00:10:35
Speaker
had never ever been a part of a competition dance studio. When I grew up, my mom always made sure that the studios I went to did not have recitals. It was not about that. It was about, you're going to learn how to dance. Yeah, I did pageants and things, but for that I was learning my own solos and all of that. So that was just a separate thing for me coming to the studio and it's competition dance. And I was like, what in the world, I'm not into this.
00:11:04
Speaker
But my friend, Jen Ballard or Lucy Ballard now, she and I were like, Oh no, we're not going to make this like competition dance. They're not going to be doing tricks. They're going to be learning to dance. They're going to learn the technique. They're going to learn the foundation and we're going to create beautiful pieces for the competition dance. And that's what we did. And we had this group of 30 dancers, 10 of which were like the cream of the crop. And we went out and we.
00:11:34
Speaker
did great at these. And so because of those kids, I fell in love with them. And then I fell in love with teaching
Founding Missouri Contemporary Ballet
00:11:42
Speaker
and I was like, Oh wow, I'm not ready to, to go yet. Cause they're getting it. And if if I leave them now, it's going to be terrible for them and kind of for me. So my boss brought me in, it was in February. She liked to do things ahead of time. And so she offered me a five year contract.
00:12:01
Speaker
And I was like, Oh my God, that's a really long time. Maybe it was a three year. Anyway, whatever it was, it was, it was a lot, still a long time. And so I said, okay, three more years. I can do it. Now, honestly, in the back of my head, I always was thinking she has the means that maybe a professional company can come across here because I had always had this dream to have my own.
00:12:31
Speaker
professional contemporary ballet company. So these things are in my head. I see that this is a possibility anyway. So I signed this three year contract and then I go to my friend's house that evening and my two friends that I had in this town told me that they were pregnant. And I literally almost started crying.
00:12:51
Speaker
because they were my two friends in this town. And I was like, now what am I gonna do? Because, you know, life changes. People change when they have babies. Life changes for people, for sure. One of my friends said, don't worry, nothing's gonna change on my part. That did not happen with my other one. But that night I also met my husband. So that was an interesting little complete turnaround in one day that happened.
00:13:20
Speaker
Yeah. When you met Mark, your husband, was there an immediate sense of this could be something? I was never going to get married. That was just not in my future as far as I was concerned. I always said, you know, well, if the one comes along, I'll know it. And then, you know, that'll be what that is, I guess. And then I met Mark Grundy and our first date actual date was on Valentine's day. I pretty much was like, Oh no, this is the one that I said was never going to come around. A few months down the road, I had some freak out moments and then I came to my composure and just went, okay, this is who it's going to be. And kind of just realizing that your life is now.
00:14:10
Speaker
taking a different path than you maybe thought it was going to. Yeah, a completely different path. I never was a big this is what's next. This is what's next. I kind of I always I'll say just let the universe take me to where it was supposed to and I trusted that and my friends today because we just celebrated our 20 year anniversary last week and my friends who are no longer married still to this day are like How is it you that you're married 20 years? I don't know. You knew what you're looking for. Because I met my Mark Grundy just like you did. Yeah, that's right.
00:14:55
Speaker
You are kind of settled now in Columbia, and you're hoping to start a dance company. So can you talk about how Missouri Contemporary Ballet first started? Pre-cursor to Missouri Contemporary Ballet, me and my friend Lucy, who convinced me to come here, we convinced our boss, Nancy Laurie, to start Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet.
00:15:17
Speaker
Then I became the artistic director for Cedar Lake Two, which was based here in Columbia. Some family drama happened in Nancy's world and she decided to close Cedar Lake Two. At the time, my rehearsal director and kind of co-person for Cedar Lake Two, Lisa Giger, after Nancy closed the company, she came to me, she had a nonprofit and good standing dance company that she could no longer run because she had three small children under the age of three. And so she came to me and said, Hey, I think that you should keep this going.
00:15:54
Speaker
And I will hand this to you. All you have to do is do a name change to keep this company going. Does the mere thought of a audition season make your palms start to sweat? Do you feel completely overwhelmed with getting everything together on top of your regular dancing schedule? I've been there and I totally get it. As dancers, we spend hundreds of hours honing our technique and artistry. But when it comes to figuring out how to put together a resume or what to expect in a professional audition,
00:16:24
Speaker
We're often left to figure it out ourselves. That's why I put together the Ultimate Audition Guide. This is your one-stop shop for everything you need to tackle professional company auditions with ease. No more spending hours Googling and trying to piece together a somewhat coherent audition package. With this guide, you'll be ready to conquer audition season like a true professional.
00:16:45
Speaker
We're talking resumes, head shots, dance photos, dance reels, plus info on how to find auditions, what to wear, what to expect, how to budget, mindset tips, you name it, it is in this guide. You are ready for this moment. Head to the show notes, grab your copy of the Altima Audition Guide and empower yourself with the knowledge to approach audition season like a true professional. After our last tour for Cedar Lake Two,
00:17:13
Speaker
Some of my dancers stayed on so that we could do a little mini performance at the Missouri Theater, which was in the process of going through the renovation. It was going to become Missouri Theater Center for the Arts. And then I was approached by David White to become the dance company of the Missouri Center of Theater for the Arts. And then he said, now you have to find a name. And I was like, what? And all of this, like, literally within a week.
00:17:41
Speaker
Also within that time, when we had this little mini performance, this was kind of to invite people to be donors, to be a part of our board. So it was just this whole brand new starting point that I had zero idea what this meant and how to do this. I just kind of went out there because the universe was telling me because everything literally was just like, okay, this is next. This is next. This is next. And it was really happening. I'll stay effortlessly.
00:18:10
Speaker
in an effortful way, because it was a lot of work to get it all together. But it was just almost easy because then people came in and we quickly, so quickly formed then Missouri contemporary ballet in 2006. And how are you funding that very first season? Did you have donors come on right away? We had some donors, we had a grant writer, so we had gotten some grants that came in pretty quickly somehow. I don't, I mean, it's such a blur because it literally happened so fast, but we did have some people that came in and because my thing was Columbia is this progressive arts community and they're only missing professional dance. And I somehow convinced people here that that was the case. We got some people to bring us in some money and
00:19:06
Speaker
We didn't have a studio space. Some of my dancers stayed on with me. So we were only six dancers in the beginning. We had to rehearse. We were kind of gypsy in different studios, some little studios here out in Mexico, Missouri, Jefferson city. So we were just kind of little gypsy dance company. And now you're going into your 19th season? 19th season.
Sustaining a Dance Company through Community Support
00:19:29
Speaker
What do you believe has led to the longevity of the company? it's It's hard for a smaller company, especially, to keep going for that lawn. What's your secret?
00:19:40
Speaker
Luck? I don't know. I mean, we did our very first year. We did Dancing with the Stars. We came together, some of us, and literally we put together Dancing with Missouri Stars in three months. That was something that allowed for us to move into the next season.
00:19:58
Speaker
I don't know. I just kept working really hard. We had some people that were really behind us to keep it going. I don't know how exactly to explain it, except that I just had some really wonderful people behind me and with me. I can't even say behind me, but just with me.
00:20:21
Speaker
just trekking along. I remember the first year would when we decided at the board meeting, which was at Uppercrust, which was right next to Murray's, we were like, let's just go to Murray's and see if we can find some celebrities to do Dancing with the Stars. And we went over there and recruited like four people. I want to talk more about that, about Missouri Stars, because it's such a genius fundraiser. And I've very rarely seen a fundraiser of this magnitude for a ballet company and so for anyone listening who is maybe not familiar with this, Dancing with Missouri Stars is similar to Dancing with the Stars formatted and it's the biggest fundraiser for Mayork Dance. Eight local celebrities, eight-ish depending on the year, are paired with now the professional dancers. Rehearse two dances.
00:21:09
Speaker
compete them and basically people vote with their money. And so that's how you're raising the money for the company. The genius behind it is that one, it's a huge fundraiser that is basically helping the season and the longevity of the company continue going, but also that it gets the community so involved and brings in all these people who previously maybe had no interest in ballet or going to see a show. They are getting into it. Their friends are getting into it. You're just bringing this whole community together for this purpose of uniting for your ballet company. And I just think that it's such a great model that I would love to see more people emulate. It's crazy. And it's funny this year, we had from a plumber to a retired school principal to a veterinarian, a painter.
00:21:55
Speaker
i mean just this huge eclectic group of people, they came together and this, we only ended up having seven, which is not really a thing, but the seven of them like really got involved in the organization and all of the things we do, maybe the professional company aspect of it wasn't initially their first thing. Maybe it was, for instance, danceability that really got them involved and wanted them to do it, but they all learned about us. And then they came and saw our performances.
00:22:26
Speaker
And they were like, oh my God, I have to be a part of this. And it made them push more. I mean, their fundraising this year as a whole group was spectacular. The plumber won. I mean, who thought the plumber would win, right? Every year I'm excited about it because you know it's new people, new exposure, but you're also I'm also nervous about it because you have no idea what the people are gonna bring.
00:22:55
Speaker
And what they bring determines on what happens next season. It's super exciting. And after this past year, we've had. so many people come to us and say they want to do it next year. And this that's been a first in a long time. So it's great that people are really wanting to get involved and be a part of it. Yeah, it's really cool. I am curious when you are looking for dancers for the company when you're holding auditions, what are the things that you are really looking for? What draws you to people for the company? Obviously, I'm going to look at their technique.
00:23:29
Speaker
both males and females but obviously more specifically females because they have to be really really strong on point. They have to look as though those pointe shoes are an extension of their feet and they're not working to move their feet in the pointe shoes if that sort of makes sense. I also really look for a diversity in movement and that ability to change from one thing to the next because our repertoire is so diverse in style and music and all of that. But I also look for, you know, someone that has a personality that can laugh at themselves, that's going to take corrections well. The stuff that I give in auditions is not a natural thing, which is why I keep it. Can you take corrections and and apply them and keep them for the next time I give you corrections? As you know, Caitlin, we are
00:24:25
Speaker
a pretty, what's the word, open group of people. I like to have communication with my dancers, both in the studio and out, and a collaboration. So when I'm setting a work, I oftentimes will say, here's what I'm thinking. If you have any thoughts on how we can portray this, go ahead and throw it out there and we'll see where that goes. So I definitely want dancers that aren't gonna be mute and unable to give in their own way in the studio. One thing that I've always admired about you is your ability to know what each of your individual dancers really needs from you in any given moment and work with everyone individually to be like, I know that Caitlin learns best this way. And so I need to
00:25:15
Speaker
work this way. And of course like we're professionals we're going to sometimes you just have to buckle down and do it but like in those times when there's more space for the creativity and for just playing around you're very open to working with each individual person and like for me you might give me some movement and then you would say okay I'm gonna turn the music on and you just do it with the music because that was a strength I had of being able to like find good musicality with it. And that was something you trusted me to do. And with other dancers, be something totally different that they're like, what can you do with this? And I always thought that was a really cool thing to see because you don't always find that in a company. Right? Yeah, I mean, I obviously I think my dancers' individualities are important in being such a small company. When we're dancing together, I want that
00:25:59
Speaker
dancing to be together and you're going to have to let go of those things that you think you want to add here because this is not the place for it. But I definitely enjoy pulling from dancers what their individual strengths can be. And maybe they don't know that this could be a strength, but that's what I, is one of my favorite things about running the company and working with my dancers.
00:26:21
Speaker
And finding their quirks. You know, I remember times when I would give someone a correction and you would say, okay, so I need to do that. And I'm like, nope, that's not a correction for you. That's a correction for this person. Finding those little things is something and that I really enjoy doing. It doesn't necessarily make my job easier, but it in a way it does because it's more efficient in ways, even though I have to speak with each person maybe a little bit differently.
00:26:48
Speaker
as dancers in your company are they there for longer, you start to build that self trust because you're in an environment where you're given that opportunity. I remember first coming into the company and being very, very scared, not necessarily of you or of the company, but just of like being perfect.
00:27:03
Speaker
having to do things a certain way and having to let go of that you had to push me a lot to do that and then you get to a point where you have the self-trust to be able to do that and it's just so freeing and I just feel like you always are able to see the end goal and like you can see in someone what they don't even see in themselves yet and know that like if you can push them to get to that place. That's what I try to do. I have to make sure that as as I get bogged down um With things that I don't lose that aspect of it because sometimes you know Stresses of of all the other stuff that I have to do it can get in the way But it's nice now that I have people in the studio that I can trust as a rehearsal director and stuff like that I can really allow for that a little bit more again yeah What are you most proud of I mean, I guess I'm I have to be most proud of this longevity of this company
00:27:56
Speaker
And the fact that we're still here and survived COVID, coming out of COVID wasn't the scariest part, to be honest, like the scariest part was the beginning of the season because things have been very off in donations and funding and all of that for the arts. We had some monies coming in to help us from the government after COVID for us and for other people. And then those monies weren't coming in.
00:28:25
Speaker
Things just got a lot off kilter. We kind of came into this beginning of the season and into the fall, I was like, oh my gosh, you know, this is gonna be really, really hard. if I was at a place where I was as nervous as I was when I first started the company. And I was really freaking out. But we got some stuff, we got some stuff together. And then, you know, it was really dependent on, you know, we were like, wow, if Dancing with the Stars is not a really good year, we could be in trouble, but it was a really good year and we're not in trouble and we're actually in a really good place. It's just that, I don't know, maybe bounce back ability that I somehow have and and the people behind or with me also have to keep me going and to keep the company going. Now my hope is that we have this new generation of people that are starting to attach to us that will
00:29:24
Speaker
Maintain that. Anyway, yeah, it's just, it's, it's been a ah little journey this, this year. Yeah. I know coming out of this period, I know a lot of companies have struggled and, and so I know right now it was a little bit of like, let's just get through this and kind of hunker down. But I'm curious moving forward as you're coming out of this period, what's the long-term vision? Like, what would you love to see happen for American dance? You know, the building we are in.
00:29:53
Speaker
My vision, my hopes and my dreams is that we take over this building and create more of a performing arts center with collaborators, for instance, from like the Missouri Symphony and create a space that is a performance space plus a bigger rehearsal space and studios so that this feels more of more community, even across the street where the Ameren building was, they're building a park.
00:30:23
Speaker
So we'll have this big park across the street. And as you know, as our former school director, you know, the space is not the most immaculate, um, studio space to walk into. And then the neighborhood doesn't feel super great, but we're really excited because there's this park's going to be across the street. The parking is going to be better. So my big dream is eventually that we get to kind of take over this whole building and make it all ours and community.
00:30:53
Speaker
so that people can come and utilize the space for performances and things like that in a little bit smaller venue. Yeah, and I think that's such a core piece of baric dance and what you built is the community aspect of it. And that's what I always really felt. Dancing there air was, I didn't just feel part of the company, I felt part of the whole community in a way that I hadn't.
00:31:15
Speaker
experience before and that's really special. And it's a small town, but like you said, it's so progressive in the art scene and just really a cool place to
Advice for Aspiring Dancers
00:31:27
Speaker
be a dancer. What you build is really special. Thank you. Yeah. Okay. Before we wrap up, I would love to hear if you had one piece of advice that you would give to dancers who are pursuing a professional career, what would you tell them? I would tell them to keep going to ballet.
00:31:45
Speaker
but also move in other ways, whether that be modern class, jazz class, contemporary, in all of those aspects, maintaining your sense of technique, but also being open to what your possibilities can actually be and knowing you never stop as an artist. I still am not stopping. I still have a lot to learn and want to keep learning. This generation is a little bit stuck,
00:32:14
Speaker
in what they think perfection is. There is no perfection. Dance should be able to do anything. Just really maintaining that open mind and allowing your body to do that too. Love that. Thank you so much, Karen, for all of this wisdom and for sharing some ah really cool stories that I didn't know. Having known you for many years, I learned some new things today too. So that was really cool. Can you tell anyone listening how they can get in touch with the company or find out more about you. So you can visit MerrickDance.org, also MerrickCenterForDance.org for the full organization. And that's where you can find me. You can always find me somewhere. Okay.
Closing and Call to Action
00:32:58
Speaker
Perfect. Perfect. Well, thank you so much, Karen. It was great to connect with you again. And I will see you in a few weeks. Yay. See you soon, Caitlin. Thank you.
00:33:09
Speaker
Thank you for tuning into the Brainy Ballerina podcast. If you found this episode insightful, entertaining, or maybe a bit of both, I would so appreciate you taking a moment to leave a rating and hit subscribe. By subscribing, you'll never miss an episode. And you'll join our community of dancers passionate about building a smart and sustainable career in the dance industry. Plus, your ratings help others discover the show too. I'll be back with a new episode next week. In the meantime, be sure to follow along on Instagram at TheBradyValerina for your daily dose of dance career guidance.