Empress Crafts Her Own Kite and Her Own Crown

Explicit content warning

11/29/20 • 50 min

Today (May 3, 2021,) we re-release an episode from November 2020 with singer/songwriter Empress in honor of her newest series of songs; the Vixen series, which recognizes and honors strong females. recently the Music Video for the song "Snow Globe" has been winning awards all over the globe and we are on the look out for her newest EP, called We Own This Crown.
Our guest in this episode with Empress, we have a very enjoyable and enlightening discussion about ballet and Broadway. You see, prior to becoming Empress, she was Shannon Rugani and had an 11-year career dancing for the San Francisco Ballet before transitioning to acting on Broadway, which lead to her current music career. In this episode we hear details regarding the life of a ballet dancer, including diets, focus, ballet moms, shoes, the ballet dancer's drive to be quiet and to have the right shaped butt. Empress also shared about her unique transition in 2015 from ballet to Broadway as she joined the original cast of Tony Award winning An American In Paris, and we learn just how big a culture shock that was for her. After An American in Paris closed in 2017, she focused on an early love, music, songwriting, performing and the idea that drives her claiming the name Empress.
“I want to empower people to be their own empress or emperor – ruler of their personal world. That’s why I call myself EMPRESS – because I’m empowering myself to rule my own life.”
EMPRESS
Note: there are some adult words in this episode
the Empress Website = https://empress-music.com/
https://www.facebook.com/EMPRESS.music/
https://www.instagram.com/empress.music/
Empress Music on YouTube
Empress on Spotify

Previous Episode

Domè Moon Flies Her Creative Kite with the Universe

Today’s guest is Domè Moon - "a visionary painter bringing awareness to the spirit realms to help us remember that we are connected to one another, our environment and the Divine." She is based in Colorado where she creates what is referred to as Visionary Art and it's available all over the interwebs. Use the links below to check it out as it is quite visionary and impressive. Also impressive is her journey from Lithuania, to Chicago to the rocky mountains, where she has employed all the powers of the natural world and the universe to grab that string and fly that kite.
Domè Moon's website
Domès Moon's Etsy Shop
Domè Moon's Pinterest
Domè Moon - Twitter
Domè Moon's Instagram

Next Episode

Maddie, Morghan and Maggie - Finding and Flying Their Kites

This is a first for Kites and Strings - A panel discussion. In this episode we talk with Maddie Schmidt, Morgahn Crawford and Maggie Teachout; three twenty somethings who are from Chicago, Dallas and Seattle, respectively. Each have identified and initiated steps down their own creative paths. Finding their way and ensuring that their creative selves are represented is such an individualized process in and of itself but these young artists are approaching it thoughtfully and gracefully even though the pandemic and the quarantine has had such a significant impact. They share how they've adapted and evolved in practice and in thought both before and during the quarantine, and they share how they have felt supported throughout the process by their family, friends and their communities.
Note: there is a small amount of adult language in this episode
Some links for today's episode
Maggie Teachout on Spotify
Maggie Teachout - Video - Lemonade - Green Monkey Records
Maggie Teachout - Video for Odysseus
Maddie Schmidt - Soundcloud
Maddie Schmidt leading Butterfield Creek
Maddie Schmidt Providing Some Support in the For What It's Worth Video
Anne Colton Video - referenced by Steve and Maddie
Morgahn Crawford - YouTube Channel