Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Yonkovich & Taylor Bradley.
Hi Alex & Taylor, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Taylor: Alex and I met in college when we were both Freshmen studying Dance at the University of Arizona. We were partnered up a handful of times our first year of school and we instantly hit it off both a dance partner and friends. We continued to dance together throughout the remainder of our college career and both laughed at lengths about our mutual love for cats & Spongebob Squarepants (seriously an underrated show).
Following our college graduation, we both landed jobs dancing in Las Vegas, Alex at The Beatles Love by Cirque du Soleil, and myself dancing in Steve Wynn’s Showstoppers & Le Reve at Wynn. Both of us jumped at any opportunity to teach, choreograph, and create in the Vegas dance community, which often lead to us performing together yet again. Plus, we hung out off stage, as well, over many brunches and the occasional hike through Red Rock Canyon (except that one time we got lost and took a 4-hour “detour” with fumes of gas left in the tank. Good times).
I am still in Las Vegas while Alex now calls Southern California home. But of course, a little bit of distance couldn’t keep us apart. During the pandemic, I had this idea for a passion project to help educate younger dancers and foster a conversation of working professionals in the entertainment industry. When I asked Alex if she wanted to help me see this idea to fruition, I could barely finish the sentence before she said yes. And alas – our podcast was born! A few months after a creation, we were contacted by Inside Dance magazine with a proposition to join forces to reach a broader audience. Alex and I both jumped at the idea and I’ve been working in tandem with Inside Dance since November of 2020, including a cover story feature on their July 2021 issue.
Inside Dance with Taylor and Alex just recently celebrated our 40th episode! We are overjoyed with this milestone, and honestly, surprised how quickly we got here! We have both learned so much in regards to production and advertising but most importantly, we feel that we have made an impact on helping dancers transition into their professional careers. This is just the beginning and we are both thrilled to see what the future has in store for our podcast journey.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Alex: To be honest, the road has been very smooth despite learning curves. Taylor and I always laugh that we never really did a “first draft” of an episode before releasing it, we just recording ourselves and said, “ok that works great!” I think a big lesson is just get it out there no matter what! You can always improve from there, so not releasing something in doubts that it is not “perfect” is never the answer when you are beginning something new.
Now that we have merged with Inside Dance Magazine, I would say the opportunity has been amazing getting to know guests we otherwise may not meet so quickly. We have had the chance to speak with many leaders in the dance industry and we look forward to meeting more!
I would say Taylor and I definitely get more nervous when hopping on an interview with a guest we have not previously met but those interviews always turn out being our favorite because we are always dumbfounded and inspired by their stories.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Alex: I am a professional dancer and choreographer having previously performed for Cirque du Soleil for about five years, as well as other projects with Paris Jackson &The Struts, Life is Beautiful, Dancing with the Stars: Showstoppers, and Burger King. I continue to teach the younger generation of dancers in class and dance conventions while working as a freelance dancer/choreographer. Every week aside from teaching, I am still training and taking class and that has been my favorite part of LA! I am addicted to constantly learning and I do feel like that hunger sets us apart from others. I am classically trained in most styles of dance but Jazz has got to be my absolute favorite. I think it is Taylor’s as well!
Taylor: I am a professional dancer and choreographer, having performed in several shows on the Las Vegas Strip, including Le Reve – The Dream, Steve Wynn’s Showstoppers, The Mayfair Supper Club, and currently performing in The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil. I love teaching group fitness, getting outdoors, traveling, and spending time with his friends, family, and my pets. With our podcast, I hope to encourage my colleagues of all ages and experiences to support each other through this unprecedented time for the entertainment industry. “Aspire to inspire before you expire.”
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Alex: living in LA has been better than I ever expected. I grew up in Fullerton, CA for 20 years so I am extremely familiar with Southern California, however I always knew LA was different. What I love most is the community of dancers and artists. I was expecting to be ignored and unwelcomed and my experience has been quite the opposite. Everyone is striving towards the same goal and I can’t tell you how much easier and more enjoyable auditioning and hustling is when you can make friends simultaneously. Dance is very competitive, however, the community is unlike anything else because we all experience blood, sweat and tears quite literally. This shared experience bonds us and I love that I always have someone to connect within the dance industry.
I also love that it is so close to Vegas where Taylor is based and where I used to live because I think it is important to keep those connections that I built. You never know what will come back to you.
Sometimes I don’t love how HUGE LA is – there are so many areas I don’t think I will be able to experience them all!
Pricing:
- Free!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @insidedancepodcast
- Facebook: @alexyonk
- Twitter: @tbradchoreo
Image Credits:
All photos: Titou Photography Podcast Artwork: mademebark (they can be found on Fiverr)!
