The importance of leadership in dance with Arnel Calvario

Arnel Calvario shares his knowledge of leadership in the dance community in this episode. Learn why the dance community needs more leaders and educators. Arnel explains the importance of excellent leadership and what it takes to become a good mentor.

In this episode you will learn about:

• What led Arnel to create Kaba Modern.
• How going to school, majoring and getting a doctorate at USC inspired him to create more in the dance community.
• The leadership summits in which dance leaders around the world have been a part of.
• What it takes to master your leadership skills to help your dancers grow.
• The differences in the dance community from the early 2000’s vs now.

Show Notes:

Arnel Carvario has been a part of the dance community and industry for a long time. He created Kaba Modern, which is still well known in the dance world. Arnel has been managing well known dance crews and created a business out of it. Other than managing dance crews, his main focus has become to empower dance leaders to recreate by having leadership workshops online. Arnel’s lane of education is teaching roots before branches.

Question Highlights:

• You’re a doctor of occupational therapy, tell us more about it? What motivated you to focus on that?
• What’s your favorite part about being a leadership coach?
• What do you do to help you get through tough times in life? How did you overcome them?
• What do you hope for the dance world involving social justice regarding the current events? Any changes? What changes?
• What are some podcasts or books that you recommend?

About Arnel:

Believing in using his talents & resources to promote community outreach,

“respect for all people,” artistic expression, and education, Dr. Arnel Calvario has

dedicated himself to the CA dance scene since his college days. In 1992, he founded

UC Irvine’s own Kaba Modern.

In 1998, he joined Culture Shock® Los Angeles. In 2002, Arnel also founded KM Legacy as part of celebrating Kaba Modern’s 10 year anniversary. He managed Kaba Modern, Fanny Pak, the Beat Freaks, & Kinjaz and provided consultation services to Quest Crew and Poreotics during their runs on MTV’s hit show America’s Best Dance Crew. Arnel also helped manage Kinjaz during their 2017 run on NBC’s World of Dance. He currently serves as an advisor for Kaba Modern, as the Board President of Culture Shock International Foundation, and as an active member of the Kinjaz. Arnel has also been featured as a guest writer for the L.A. Times as a critic for America’s Best Dance Crew Season 5, served as co-coordinator for the annual Hip Hop International World Battles for the past 10 years, is the US elite judge for the annual Hip Hop International World Championships, and is a contributing author for the book, EMPIRE of FUNK which was released January 2014.

Arnel launched his “Dance Therapy Program for Children with Special Needs” in April 2014 in collaboration with Culture Shock LA & the DEA. This is a grant-funded, after-school program that serves 1 st , 2 nd , & 3 rd graders enrolled in special day class programs in the Long Beach Unified school district. His hope is to continue to combine occupational therapy techniques with dance art to serve more children with special needs in collaboration with Culture Shock LA and one day extend this program into a summer dance therapy camp. Arnel is also one of the leaders working to expand outreach program development for Kinjaz through their clothing line Kin Aesthetik and also their newly opened space, Kinjaz Komplex. Within the past year, he has been a guest lecturer at UC Irvine, USC, Grossmont College, Cal State Fullerton, and UCLA. He also continues to teach his ROOTS B4 BRANCHES dance workshop and LEADERSHIP TOOLS for the DANCE LEADER workshops, judge dance competitions, and participate in program development internationally today. He does all this while continuing to work full-time as a Doctor of Occupational Therapy for Long Beach Unified School District Related Services.

Book Recommendations:

• Can't Stop Won't Stop by JEFF CHANG
• Becoming by MICHELLE OBAMA
• America is in the Heart - CARLOS BULOSAN
• The Dangerous Art of Blending In - ANGELO SURMELIS
• In Her Purpose - 40 Principles of Asian Women Redefining Success in their Own Terms - ROSE BUADO & JENNIFER REDONDO-MARQUEZ
• Book of Awakenings by MARK NEPO

Follow Arnel:

• Instagram ( link to: www.instagram.com/arnelcalvario )
• https://youtu.be/43QCBwZRftk
• https://youtu.be/sjgJBlN3pHI?list=PL767E0D35A1D92BA0
• https://youtu.be/vm3eGZqihsE?list=PL3E02926EC33D6F42