In The Spotlight: Raising Leaders in the Performing Arts

Ep 54: Leading with Grace: Building Heart-Centered Dance Businesses with Robyn Tedesco

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Robyn Tedesco, founder of Move With Grace Dance Studio and a respected leader in the dance education industry for over two decades. As a CEO, author, speaker, and mentor, Robyn shares her wisdom on building sustainable, profitable dance businesses without sacrificing family or integrity.

In this episode, Robin & Robyn, explore the evolution of dance education, the role of competition in artistic development, and the critical importance of core values in studio culture. Robyn opens up about her multi-faceted business ventures including Inspire Dance Challenge (Canada's premier dance competition), Amplify Dance Lab convention, and her innovative adjudication certification program developed in partnership with university researchers.

They dive deep into topics that matter most to studio owners and dance parents: creating collaborative communities instead of competitive environments, coaching children through performance pressure, understanding the balance between technical excellence and artistry, and raising well-rounded humans through the performing arts.

Robyn also shares personal stories about raising three children in the dance industry, including her son's journey as a hip-hop artist and her daughters' continued work in the family business. This conversation is packed with practical wisdom, heartfelt insights, and actionable strategies for anyone invested in dance education.

Key Topics:

• Building abundance mentality in competitive markets

• The power of core values in studio culture

• Parental coaching before and after performances

• Competition culture: the good, the bad, and the potential

• Teaching resilience and emotional regulation through dance

• Creating multi-generational family businesses

• The importance of manners and personal accountability

• Avoiding perfectionism while maintaining high standards

Perfect for: Dance studio owners, teachers, competition organizers, performing arts educators, and parents of young dancers.

Connect with Robyn:

• Studio: Move With Grace Dance Studio on IG @‌mwgdance

  Competition: Inspire Dance Challenge

  Convention: Amplify Dance Lab

Robyn Tedesco is the Founder of Move With Grace Dance Studio and a respected leader in the dance education industry for more than two decades. A CEO, author, speaker, and mentor, she believes leadership is an act of grace and entrepreneurship is an act of service.

As a studio owner, competition judge, and community leader, Robyn is known for building people as intentionally as she builds programs. She champions high standards without losing heart and mentors other studio owners to grow sustainable businesses without sacrificing family or integrity.

A mother of three and lifelong creative, Robyn blends business strategy with humanity. Whether guiding her team, speaking to entrepreneurs, or creating opportunities for dancers, her mission remains the same: raise others to shine.

"I speak about leadership and the inner work required to become the kind of leader your classroom, team, or business truly needs. After more than two decades as a studio owner and raising three children while building a company, I’ve learned that growth requires identity shifts, emotional maturity, and the courage to evolve ahead of your people. I also share openly about motherhood and entrepreneurship from the long view, including what it means to lead through seasons rather than chasing the myth of balance. And I’m passionate about building heart-centered businesses that are both meaningful and financially strong."

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Ep 53: Inside EMC: Spring Concert Survival Guide

Join us this week for our Inside EMC segment where we chat all things Spring Concert and where to find the information you need, ticket sales and how they will work this year, plus everything that goes on for our Spring Concert.

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Ep 52 - Beyond the Steps: Intentional Movement and the Art of Contemporary Dance with Lauren Carnesi Daniels

In this episode, host Robin Snyder-Wincek sits down with Lauren Carnese-Daniels, a contemporary choreographer, dance educator, and program director whose work centers on artistic agency, rigor, and intentional movement.

Lauren shares her journey from competition dancer to artistic director of Kinetic Canvas, a unique contemporary dance production series that transforms visual art into narrative movement.

For nearly a decade, she has created immersive performances inspired by artists ranging from Van Gogh to Frida Kahlo to Banksy, offering free community dance theater experiences that blend concert dance with theatrical storytelling.

What You'll Learn:

➡ The evolution of contemporary dance - How contemporary differs from lyrical, modern, and commercial dance, and why it matters

➡ Building artistic responsibility - Lauren's approach to teaching dancers not just what to do, but why they're doing it

➡ Creating narrative dance productions - The process behind Kinetic Canvas and how visual art inspires movement

➡ College prep for dance students - Insights from Lauren's work mentoring pre-professional dancers through the college audition process

➡ Balancing artistry across contexts - Working with dancers from recreational to pre-professional levels, and across competition, concert, and commercial settings

➡ Teaching contemporary dance - Why contemporary isn't codified, what makes it legitimate, and how teachers can deepen their practice

Lauren also discusses her transition into motherhood while maintaining multiple creative projects, her passion for developing teaching resources for contemporary dance educators, and her commitment to fostering intentional, grounded artists who understand the mechanics and meaning behind their movement.

Whether you're a dance educator, choreographer, parent, or performing artist, this conversation offers valuable insights into what it means to move with purpose and raise the next generation of thoughtful, articulate dancers.

Connect with Lauren:

• Instagram: @‌LCD.dance

• Website: laurencarneseydaniels.com

Kinetic Canvas 2026: Banksy - July 31 & August 1 Auditions opening soon | Free community dance theater production | Hartford Community College, Maryland

Lauren Carnesi Daniels is a contemporary choreographer, educator, writer, and program director whose work centers on artistic agency, rigor, and intentional training. She serves as Contemporary Director of the Pre-Professional Program at the Dance Academy of Loudoun and as Lead Choreographer at E-Street Dance Academy. She is also the Artistic Director of Harford Dance Theatre’s Kinetic Canvas Series, where she has directed and produced eleven full-length contemporary dance productions since 2014.

Lauren works with dancers from early contemporary training through pre-professional preparation, emphasizing decision-making, clarity, and artistic ownership. Her teaching focuses on developing dancers who understand not just how to execute movement, but how to think inside it.

She is the author of The Work: A Contemporary Dance Teaching Guide, a professional development resource designed to bring structure and depth to contemporary training. She is currently developing a series of college dance resources to support students, families, and educators navigating the college landscape with clarity and intention.

Her choreography has been presented nationally and internationally, and she has been named Outstanding Choreographer by Youth America Grand Prix (2×) and Universal Ballet Competition, where she was also recognized as Outstanding Contemporary Coach. Her students have earned acceptances and scholarships to programs including Juilliard, USC Kaufman, NYU Tisch, and other leading university dance programs.

Lauren holds a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from Shenandoah Conservatory and an MS in Arts Administration from Drexel University.

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Ep 51 - Inside EMC: Company Auditions & Accelerated Programs

Join us this week for our Inside EMC segment where we chat all things Company Auditions, what to expect, why we do them, and how important they are to our dancers progress. Plus we chat about the Accelerated Programs available at EMC.

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Ep 50 - Trash the Trophies: What Dance Competition Gets Wrong and What to Do Instead with Chasta Hamilton

In this episode, Robin sits down with arts entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker Chasta Hamilton, founder and CEO of Stage Door Dance Productions, and founder of the nonprofit Girls Geared for Greatness.

Chasta shares how the performing arts became a stabilizing force after she lost both parents as a child, and how that experience shaped her mission to build dancers who are not only technically strong, but confident, resilient, and prepared to lead.

Robin and Chasta dig into big industry questions, including:

• Why Chasta wrote Trash the Trophies and what competition culture can get wrong

• How studio owners and parents can rethink “success” in dance

• Building leadership programs for teens and creating stronger studio communities

• What parents should know about private equity and growing consolidation in the dance world

This is a conversation about values, courage, and the kind of training that prepares young performers for the stage and for life.

About Chasta:

Orphaned as a child, Chasta found comfort in the creativity, play, and catharsis of the performing arts. This led to a life as an arts entrepreneur where she believes that everyone has the power to reach their fullest potential and disrupt the status quo in an empowering and inspiring way. She does this through her entrepreneurial endeavors, writing, corporate consulting and motivational speaking. This niche in change management developed through various personal and professional challenges that forced her to find optimism in her quest for success, happiness, and impact.

A true Renaissance woman, thought leader, and disruptor, Chasta is the Founder and CEO of Stage Door Dance Productions and Founder and President of the non-profit Girls Geared For Greatness. She’s also a best-selling author (Trash The Trophies and Handle the Horrible as well as the children’s book The Trophy Trap) and speaker (TEDx: You Weren’t Built to Break). Chasta lives in Raleigh with her husband, John, their son, Bash, and their Scottish Terrier, Elvis. For more information, visitwww.chastahamilton.com.

I deeply believe in helping others reach their fullest potential- in dance, and in life, on stage and off stage. I also know that movement has the power to push humanity forward in impactful and meaningful ways. I also love ideas, innovations, and activating conversations that provoke curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking.

I'm the Founder/ Owner/ CEO of Stage Door Dance Productions in Raleigh, NC, a speaker (TEDx, Fortune 500 Companies), author (Trash the Trophies, Handle the Horrible, The Trophy Trap), and thought leader. I'm also the Founder/ President of the nonprofit Girls Geared For Greatness, which is currently shifting to a think tank model. I live in Raleigh, NC with my husband, John, my 4-year old son, Bash, and our dog, Elvis.

When I'm not dancing, I'm traveling, having conversations, watching a show, or creating new projects.

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Ep 49 - Inside EMC: Your Guide to Summer at EMC: Part 2

Join us this week for our Inside EMC segment where we dive into part two of this two part Summer Guide:

• Mini Dance Intensive and how our Rising Leaders help facilitate the week, implementing what they’ve learned under supervision
• Imagine That! Camps
• Dance Intensive and how they week breaks up with technique and rehearsals
• Nutcracker Camp and the preparation throughout the whole week for main lead audition roles
• Dream Team Training Retreat; what it is and what it involves
• Hot Shots Training Camp and how we elevate young performers
• Cirque Programming
• Private Lessons
• Our Annual Pool Party Preview

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Ep 48 - From Rock Star Dreams: Supporting a Young Musician’s Journey in Nashville

What happens when a 10-year-old drummer gets invited on stage at a bustling Broadway bar in Nashville?

In this heartfelt episode, Robin sits down with Urzula Lazcano to talk about her son Lucca’s unforgettable moment playing drums at JBJ’s, and how that single experience sparked a family’s leap of faith toward Music City.

The conversation weaves together life in Nashville, Lucca’s musical journey from banging on drums as a baby to performing with professional bands, and the realities parents face when supporting young artists in adult spaces.

Robin and Urzula explore confidence-building through the performing arts, the importance of safe supervision, and how music uniquely fosters collaboration and leadership in young people.

This episode is a must-listen for parents navigating big dreams, unconventional paths, and the delicate balance between protecting their children and letting them shine. It’s a reminder that sometimes, saying “yes” to opportunity (before everything feels perfectly planned) can change everything

About Urzula:

As a Nashville mom, Urzula is best known in the area as Lucca’s mom her young drummer whose standout performances light up Broadway stages.

From her early dreams of a career in advertising, becoming a wife, and raising a family, Urzula is truly living her dream.

Her background in advertising and public relations has helped build connections in the music community, paving the way for Lucca to share his gift and grow as a leader on and off stage.

She intentionally nurtures independence, grit, joy, discipline, and perseverance in her kid transforming potential into purpose without pressure because she sees perseverance as the ultimate superpower.

When not celebrating Lucca’s big moments, Urzula loves unwinding at home with baking and cooking, embracing the delicious chaos of family life.

Follow Lucca @‌drumsthatkill on IG

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Ep 47 - Inside EMC: Your Guide to Summer at EMC: Part 1

Join us this week for our Inside EMC segment where we dive into part one of this two part Summer Guide:

• Dance Technique Evening Classes
• Kreative Kidz and Tumblers Journey Into The Enchanted Forrest
• Dance Foundations Classes
• AcroGymnastics Classes
• Music Lessons and what’s available
• The Musical Experience and the Broadway Classics
• Rising Leaders Training Program

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Ep 46 - How Studios Can Become the Future of Talent Development with Josephine Lancuba

What if dance and performing arts studios could become a direct bridge to professional opportunities without losing sight of confidence, character, and care for young artists?

In this episode of In the Spotlight: Raising Leaders in the Performing Arts, Robin sits down with award-winning talent agent, studio owner, and founder of Studio Talent Collective, Josephine Lancuba, for a powerful conversation about talent management, access, and advocacy in the entertainment industry.

Josephine shares her journey from performer to studio owner to representing over 500 young talents worldwide, and why she believes studio owners are uniquely positioned to support students beyond the classroom. Together, they explore the growing movement of in-house talent agencies and how studios can ethically and effectively prepare students for professional opportunities through self-taping skills, audition techniques, resume building, and regular headshot updates.

They also dive into:

• Why parents often struggle to navigate auditions and industry platforms on their own

• How agents protect young performers from unfair contracts, scams, and predatory practices

• The importance of teaching students how to speak to camera and show up confidently on screen

• How audition experiences, booked or not, build resilience, confidence, and real-world skills

• Ways studios can create new revenue streams while increasing student retention and engagement

At its core, this episode is about access with integrity. Josephine reminds us that talent management isn’t just about landing jobs, it’s about helping young performers grow into confident, informed, and empowered humans.

Whether you’re a studio owner, educator, or parent supporting an aspiring artist, this conversation offers practical insight, inspiration, and a fresh perspective on what leadership in the performing arts can look like.

About Josephine:

Josephine Lancuba is an award-winning talent agent, podcast host, and the Founder of Studio Talent Collective.

With a background as a performer for over 2 decades, Josephine spent years on stages and screens before moving behind the scenes.

That lived experience shapes her work today as she supports talent and studios to better understand how the industry actually works, not just how it looks from the outside.

Josephine now works with performing arts studio owners to build in-house talent agencies and create pathways for their students into professional work within the entertainment industry.

She is the creator of Talent Manager Bootcamp, a world-first program designed to help people step into talent management with confidence, structure, and care.

She also hosts the popular show, Studio Talent Collective ~ the podcast, from her home in Sydney, Australia.

Josephine believes in the social, emotional and physical benefits of the performing arts. She is an advocate for creating inclusive, accessible and positive opportunities for talent and industry alike.

Performing Arts Business Coach and Talent Agent

Director of Studio Talent Collective

Ph: 0410 621 791

hello@josephinelancuba.com

SOCIALS: @‌studiotalentcollective and @‌josephinelancuba

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Ep 45 - Inside EMC: Understanding the Rungs of the Ladder

This week, the conversation between Robin and Santina, touches on all things understanding the Rungs of the Ladder within EMC. 

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