Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Kaufmann.
Michael, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’m a theatre kid turned modern/jazz/ballroom dancer turned choreographer & DJ. Music & Movement have always been passions of mine. It wasn’t until I discovered same-sex country western dancing that I became obsessed with Country music, and eventually developed as a line dance instructor & DJ.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The biggest challenge for me is that the community I work in is real small, compared to its heyday. We have just a couple of spaces that attracts this culture, and few people to serve it. Trends come and go, and I have been working to keep it alive.
Please tell us about DJmichaelmoves.
Because music & movement is such an important part of my creations, I decided 5 years ago to brand myself as DJmichaelmoves. It combines who I am, what I love, and what I do. I’ve never been satisfied by just one aspect of creativity: I put myself in everything I do. So I built a comprehensive website, maintain the Facebook/Instagram/YouTube pages, edit and produce original work (line dances, performance choreography, music videos, mashups), and communicate with my audience in a weekly newsletter/blog. I am also the Artistic Director of The L.A. Wranglers, a country western dance company that performs, instructs, and organizes events for our community without discrimination based on gender or sexuality. I am most proud of this organization which, now in its 16th Season, will develop into a non-profit later this year. You can find me every Tuesday night DJing and teaching dance lessons at the historic bar Oil Can Harry’s in Studio City.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I invested time & money into college degrees that didn’t prepare me for working in the real world. I was passionate about the subjects, but found a lack of direction to navigate and build a career. I think I would have selected a more practical education path so that I would graduate with those valuable business skills necessary to succeed.
And I definitely would have earned a degree in Dance, rather than just take classes electively.
Contact Info:
- Website: DJmichaelmoves.com
- Email: MK@DJmichaelmoves.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/DJmichaelmoves
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DJmichaelmoves/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DJmichaelmoves
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/DJmichaelmoves-burbank
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/c/DJmichaelmoves
Image Credit:
(1) Arnold Edwards
(2) James Guld
(3, 4) Steven C. De LA Cruz
(5) Michael Kaufmann
