Dance Your Life - The importance of leadership in dance with Arnel Calvario

The importance of leadership in dance with Arnel Calvario

08/27/20 • 50 min

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

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:

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.

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

Previous Episode

How a dance crew in Mexico is training during the pandemic with Tequila Movement

In this episode Joanna Vargas interviews members from Tequila Movement Dance Crew to learn how they’re dancing through the quarantine in Mexicali, Mexico. This episode gives you insight into life in a different country and a view of how dance is truly a gift in their community.

In this episode you will learn about:

How quarantine guidelines are in Mexico.
How members of Tequila Movement have continued their training during quarantine.
What the last performance meant to Tequila Movement.
How dance in Mexico is based more on lifting and encouraging one another, rather than competing against one another.
The influence Latin culture has on the dance community.

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Members in this episode communicate the joy of being in Tequila Movement and even more the pride of being a Latin dancer. They touch on how dance in Mexico is not viewed as a career choice, but Tequila Movement alongside many other Latin dance companies have overcome all odds. In this episode you’ll learn that dancers are experiencing the same hardships, but the one thing moving them forward is the love for dance.

Question Highlights:

How is quarantine in Mexico?
How is it rehearsing online?
Where did the inspiration from the last set performed at Maxt Out ‘19 “Some Nights” come from?
What is the difference between dance in Mexico and dance in the United States?
What do you see dance becoming in Mexico?
What is the parental view on dance in Mexico?

About Tequila Movement:

Tequila Movement is a Mexican based urban dance competition team founded by Pete & Chris Zavala in December 2009, currently directed by José Vera & Chris Zavala. As a team we believe in the power we have as artists to inspire, be inspired, and change societies.

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Tequila Movement Varsity | FRONTROW | Jr Team Division | World of Dance Arizona 2019

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Next Episode

How younger dancers are changing the future of dance with Cubcakes

In this episode Joanna Vargas interviews the young members from Cubcakes and talks about their perspective and what they learned from the pandemic. Listen in as every dancer has a great tip and point of view for life and dance.

In this episode you will learn about:

The different tips and perspectives that young dancers learned through the pandemic.
How Cubcakes was created and what was the motivation and purpose behind the idea.
The experiences of the dancer being in school from home as they made dance a priority.
The creative ways to keep training in the dance from home by building dance equipment.
What are some of the values that make a great dancer.

The Cubcake dancers have some much input when it comes to making dance a priority. These dancers are very articulate and full of tips and information. They all have a great perspective on life. Their conversation gives you hope and inspiration!

Question Highlights:

What have you learned during this pandemic?
How are you keeping yourself motivated to keep training at home?
What makes a good leader/ director?
What are the differences you see between the dance generations?
What would you like to see more of in the dance community during this pandemic?

About Cubcakes:

The Cubcakes Crew are made up by some of the youngest and most endearing dancers. Going on their 5th year together, they have competed and appeared on television like World of Dance. They have learned through these experiences and more that age has no limits. They’re group is dedicated to creating what they want to see within themselves and the world around them using dance. Their fearlessness doing what they love is what makes Cubcakes so powerful inside and out.

Follow Cubcakes:

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