What a season?!! It is so crazy to be at the end of 2020 and reflecting back on all of the incredible guests featured on Beyond The Curtain this year and the amazing stories they have shared. It has been such a privilege to connect with such inspirational guests and share these moments with the most beautiful listeners! Thank you! I hope you have all enjoyed the ride. I look forward to sharing more stories with you in 2021. Love, Sam x + BTC Website+ Keep up to date on our insta @beyondthecurtainaus+ Join our Facebook Community+ Find us on Youtube Beyond The Curtain acknowledges the traditional custodians of the Australian land we live and create this podcast on. We pay our respect to our Indigenous sisters, brothers and their Elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge the injustice and impacts of colonisation still present today.

Beyond the Curtain

S2 Curtain Call

Oh my goodness, here we are at the last interview for Season 2!! Today I sit down with the winner of the inaugural AOC Initiative, Martha Berhane. Martha is a proud Canadian-born Eritrean singer, dancer and actor who is passionate about the performing arts and immersing herself in various styles of art. She is an extremely talented and a very mature, humble young woman who was an absolute joy to sit down and chat with. Martha’s love for theatre came from playing many roles across different musicals in school, and her dancing from growing up watching many dance movies. She was trained in a diverse range of dance styles under the Elite Performing Arts Program at the Melbourne Academy of Performing Arts (MAPA) in 2019, and is currently attending the Victorian College of the Arts where she is studying acting. Martha made her TV debut on the ABC ME Series ‘Mustangs FC’ in 2017 and has been featured as a dancer in music videos for a range of great artists in 2020. In this chat we go beyond the curtain and get to know a bit about the beautiful human being that she is. Enjoy! + Follow Martha+ AOC Initiative+ Keep up to date on our insta @beyondthecurtainaus+ Join our Facebook Community+ Find us on Youtube Beyond The Curtain acknowledges the traditional custodians of the Australian land we live and create this podcast on. We pay our respect to our Indigenous sisters, brothers and their Elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge the injustice and impacts of colonisation still present today.

Martha Berhane // AOC Initiative Winner

Today’s episode with Creator and Activist, Samuel Gaskin really is a special one. This interview epitomises everything that BTC is about, truly highlighting the human being behind the creative and exploring all elements of life with a positive outlook. Sam is such a beautiful soul and a ray of light and it fills me with so much JOY to showcase him in all his glory through this episode today. Hailing from African, New Zealand and European roots, Sam has always been one to stand out in a crowd. Embarking on a career as a commercial dancer at the age of 19 saw him feature in numerous video clips and awards shows such as the ARIAS, Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards and TV Week Logies. His television and film credits include Orange, Neighbours, Angry Boys, Fit for Fashion & most recently “All together now the 100” for Channel 7 as judge. He has also appeared in various commercials and worked with the likes of Guy Sebastian, Jessica Mauboy, Ricki-Lee Coulter, Vanessa Amorosi and Marcia Hines. Sam hosts Christine Anu’s kids’ project, Chrissy’s Island Family annually, and has performed in major musical theatre productions including “The Jungle Book” and “Hairspray.” Sam is also a talented musician! His early work “GANK” spent 4 weeks at no.1 on the Triple J Unearthed Electro Charts and in 2016 Sam signed with Razor Recordings and released two debut singles “Good Enough” & “Love”. He is passionate about uplifting and inspiring the next generation of performers and facilitates Master classes & workshops for Ausdance & Chunky Move. He also helped roll out the “Diversity in Theatre” program for the VCA & Melbourne University through Stage a Change. Sam is proud to sit on the National Performers committee for MEAA as the Victorian Vice President and also works as a speaker for beyondblue sharing his journey with mental health and well being. In this chat we discuss the evolution of Sam’s career and how life led him to his most recent work on the masterpiece, “RECKONING”. There is a LOT to take from this interview and Sam is a joy to listen to. Enjoy! + Sam Gaskin's website+ Follow Sam+ Reckoning Sounds+ Beat Entertainment+ Keep up to date on our insta @beyondthecurtainaus+ Join our Facebook Community+ Find us on Youtube Beyond The Curtain acknowledges the traditional custodians of the Australian land we live and create this podcast on. We pay our respect to our Indigenous sisters, brothers and their Elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge the injustice and impacts of colonisation still present today.

Samuel Gaskin // Reckoning and Life's Magic

I am SO excited to be back today after a quick mid-season break with an AMAZING episode, featuring the very talented and humble, Phill Haddad! New Zealand born-Melbourne based choreographer, Phill Haddad is a highly sought after choreographer who has been choreographing, performing and teaching on and off stage and screen for approximately two decades! He has worked nationally and internationally and has a wide variety of credits to his name in the musical theatre, commercial and hip hop dance worlds. He has worked with many artists including Destiny’s Child, Boys II Men, Ja Rule, Ashanti and Ru Paul, and he has performed in multiple musical theatre productions including Grease The Arena Spectacular, Shout, Annie Get Your Gun, High Society and Oh What A Night. His talents are highly respected and he has been invited to judge all the major Australian Hip Hop Competitions such as UDO, Australian Hip Hop Championships and Australian Step Off Hip Hop Competitions. He has also been a senior judge for the world wide UDO International World Finals competition in Glasglow for the last 3 years! Phill is currently working as the Dance Director for the Performing Arts Department at Saltwater P9 College. In this chat we talk all about his successful career, the importance and influence of performing arts teachers and Phill also shares about his experience with injury. He always has much wisdom and advice to share and this chat was no exception! Enjoy! + Follow Phill+ Follow Reverlust Design (Sam's new design business for branding)+ Reverlust Design website+ Keep up to date on our insta @beyondthecurtainaus+ Join our Facebook Community+ Find us on Youtube Beyond The Curtain acknowledges the traditional custodians of the Australian land we live and create this podcast on. We pay our respect to our Indigenous sisters, brothers and their Elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge the injustice and impacts of colonisation still present today.

Phill Haddad // Hip Hop, Musical Theatre and a Teacher's Influence

I am SO excited to bring you this special episode with the one and only, Jason Gilkison.Jason is a world-renowned ballroom dancer, director, choreographer and artistic director. Jason and his dance partner, Peta Roby, were the undefeated Australian Champions from 1981-1997. They went on to work on the ballroom and latin dance spectacular, Burn The Floor, where Jason accepted the role of choreographer and artistic director. Burn The Floor went on to successful seasons on Broadway and the West End and is still an absolute juggernaut today. Jason was a popular judge and choreographer on the hugely successful TV series So You Think You Can Dance, both in Australia and the USA, and has created over 100 routines for the franchise. Currently, Jason holds the coveted position of creative director for BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in the UK where he has been for the last 8 years. Along with the team, Jason has helped to transform the show into the huge success it is today. This role has seen him choreograph for artists including Celine Dion, Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams, Andrea Bocelli, Shania Twain, Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett. This year he was awarded with a BAFTA for his creative vision and artistic direction on the show! In our chat we discuss his childhood, longstanding partnership with Peta, competing against Todd McKenney, and the stories behind his experiences on Burn The Floor, So You Think You Can Dance and Strictly Come Dancing. Jason also shares how he gets the most out of his dancers, how he says inspired and what his creative process entails. Jason is such a joy to speak with and a wonderful story teller full of inspiring insight and advice! His humility and kind heart shines through the entire chat. I hope you enjoy listening. + Jason Gilkison's website+ Follow Jason+ Keep up to date on our insta @beyondthecurtainaus+ Join our Facebook Community+ Find us on Youtube Beyond The Curtain acknowledges the traditional custodians of the Australian land we live and create this podcast on. We pay our respect to our Indigenous sisters, brothers and their Elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge the injustice and impacts of colonisation still present today.

Jason Gilkison // Backstories of Burn The Floor, SYTYCD and Strictly Come Dancing

Today I welcome the very talented, Daniel Clarke to BTC! Dan is Creative Producer at the Arts Centre Melbourne and has a wealth of experience to share in direction and production.Some of his roles have included Executive Producer of Programming at Queensland Performing Arts Centre, CEO and Creative Producer at Theatre Works in Melbourne, Creative Producer of Leicester Haymarket Theatre in the UK and Artistic Director and CEO of Feast Festival: Adelaide’s Queer Arts and Cultural Festival. His work has received many Green Room nominations and this year he won the 2020 Green Room Award for Contribution to Cabaret. In this chat we discuss the latest project he is working on for the Arts Centre Melbourne, Take Over! 2020. It is a wonderful program providing opportunity for artists in this tough economic climate, whilst continuing to entertain audiences and provide them insight into the creative process. Dan shares all about his childhood, a formative gap year in Costa Rica and his savvy decision to move from drama student to direction and production. We discuss his career highlights and the business knowledge that he has learnt on the job over the years.He also shares what he looks for in a performer, what it’s like being on the panel for the Helpmann Awards and his experience of winning his first Green Room Award in 2020. There is lots to learn from Dan! Hope you enjoy the chat :) + Take Over! 2020+ Follow Arts Centre Melbourne+ Follow Dan+ Keep up to date on our insta @beyondthecurtainaus+ Join our Facebook Community+ Find us on Youtube Beyond The Curtain acknowledges the traditional custodians of the Australian land we live and create this podcast on. We pay our respect to our Indigenous sisters, brothers and their Elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge the injustice and impacts of colonisation still present today.

Daniel Clarke // Direction, Production and Arts Centre Melbourne's Take Over! 2020

I am so happy to bring you this episode today with a truly beautiful soul, Fiona Luca. Fiona is a lifelong creative, business facilitator, qualified Dance educator, Yoga and Pilates instructor and mother of two gorgeous girls. She has an absolute zest for life and deep desire to make an impact wherever she goes. In our chat we explore her really interesting and varied career pathways and delve into the topic of body image. Fiona generously shares her own experience with anorexia and how she has found herself today helping others going through similar struggles. Fiona also shares her experiences choreographing for hotel resorts in Europe, becoming a Yogi and starting a dance school that grew to 300 students over 11 years before she sold it, as well as the identity exploration she faced at the end of this chapter in her life. Fiona shares all about her new business ‘Move With Fiona Luca’ and podcast ‘Talking Youth’ and provides some beautiful business advice as well. Fiona is full of that good soul wisdom! She has a beautiful energy and lots to share. I hope you enjoy the chat. + Follow Fiona+ Move with Fiona Luca Website+ Keep up to date on our insta @beyondthecurtainaus+ Join our Facebook Community+ Find us on Youtube Beyond The Curtain acknowledges the traditional custodians of the Australian land we live and create this podcast on. We pay our respect to our Indigenous sisters, brothers and their Elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge the injustice and impacts of colonisation still present today.

Fiona Luca // Connecting with Your Body and Self

Here it is. A very special one-off episode to celebrate The AOC Initiative and document a pivotal moment in Australian theatre. In today’s episode, I share a round table discussion with AOC Founder, Tarik Frimpong and AOC Panellist and Equity Diversity Committee member, Dean Drieberg. Tarik is a very talented performer who has starred in West End productions such as ‘Aladdin, The Musical’ and Disney feature films such as ‘Mary Poppins Returns.’ He was also a guest on Season 1 of BTC where you can hear all about his life and career. Dean is an acclaimed theatre director and producer of many shows including ‘Sunday in the Park with George’ and works with many organisations to strive for racial justice within the Arts. In our chat we deeply discuss the lack of representation on stage and behind the scenes in the Arts industry, BIPOC casting, the unfolding of the 2020 Rob Guest Endowment and how The AOC Initiative came to be. You will hear all about AOC and what the future of Australian theatre looks like. It is a raw and vulnerable, honest discussion from all three of us. Enjoy, and thank you for listening. Much love, Sam. *The submission deadline for The AOC Initiative has been extended to 6pm Wednesday September 30th. + AOC Initiative GoFundMe+ Follow AOC Initiative+ AOC Initiative Website+ Keep up to date on our insta @beyondthecurtainaus+ Join our Facebook Community+ Find us on Youtube Acronyms used in this episode:AOC – Artists of ColourBTC – Beyond The CurtainBIPOC – Black Indigenous and People Of ColourMEAA – Media and Entertainment Arts AllianceEDC – Equity Diversity Committee Links to support racial diversity within the Performing Arts industry:AOC GoFundMeThe People of CabaretStage A ChangeBe YouBIPOC In Theatre GuidelinesEquity Diversity Committee Beyond The Curtain acknowledges the traditional custodians of the Australian land we live and create this podcast on. We pay our respect to our Indigenous sisters, brothers and their Elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge the injustice and impacts of colonisation still present today.

AOC X BTC with Tarik, Dean and Sam

Today I am speaking with the brilliant James Maxfield! Jimmy is a very talented creative with a diverse career that spans across TV, musical theatre and commercial dance. He has succeeded as a performer, dance captain, choreographer and creative producer and has a lot of knowledge and experience to share! Most recently Jimmy worked as Creative Producer for The Voice Australia and Creative Director for Dancing On Ice UK. He has choreographed for The Masked Singer Australia and has been Dance Captain for several TV and musical theatre productions including X-Factor, The Rocky Horror Show, My Fair Lady and Wicked. Jimmy has performed in a long list from musical theatre productions from The Boy From Oz, Wicked, Sweet Charity and Grease, Miss Saigon and A Chorus Line. As a commercial dancer he has toured with Kesha and Samantha Jade, and has performed live with many artists including Taylor Swift, Rita Ora, Kylie Minogue, Kelly Clarkson, Ricky Martin and Wynter Gordon.In today's chat we discuss his childhood in Sydney, how as a dancer you are a business, his transition from music theatre and commercial dancing to creative production, his experience working on The Voice Australia and confronting what your identity is aside from your career. Jimmy is a bundle of energy with a genuine passion for the performing arts industry. He shares many experiences and lots of advice, there's a lot to take from this one! Enjoy! + Follow Jimmy+ Keep up to date on our insta @beyondthecurtainaus+ Join our Facebook Community+ Find us on Youtube Beyond The Curtain acknowledges the traditional custodians of the Australian land we live and create this podcast on. We pay our respect to our Indigenous sisters, brothers and their Elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge the injustice and impacts of colonisation still present today.

James Maxfield // Performer and Creator of Stage and Screen

I am so excited to bring you today’s episode with the incredibly talented, Sarah Alice Burns!Sarah is a professional dancer, model and artist development coach born and raised in Perth, Western Australia. After several years of working overseas as a dancer, Sarah decided to take a leap of faith and move to the 'City of Angels'. After several setbacks and countless ‘no’s, she soon became accustomed to understanding that the LA dance industry was not for the faint hearted. Sarah's fierce determination for success and extreme passion for her craft drove her to exceed all expectations and she went on to dance for an amazing list of artists including Brandy, Jay-Z, DJ Khaled, Meek Mill, Drake, Jennifer Lopez, Pitbull, Janelle Monáe, Kelly Rowland, Usher, Ne-Yo, Hailee Steinfeld and QUEEN BEY! Her hard work, talent and determination was rewarded with continuous work dancing for Beyoncé, for four years. Sarah joined Beyoncé on world tours, award shows, feature films, music videos, the infamous Super Bowl and the worldwide Ivy Park campaign. In our chat, Sarah and I talk all things Beyoncé, life in LA, her career as a commercial dancer, rehearsing for the Super Bowl (think 14 hour days, 7 days a week, 3 months!), audition prep, self-care and Sarah’s program ‘Industry LA’. Sarah has such a beautiful energy! She has a strong sense of self and is super driven and yet super sweet at the same time! It seriously felt like a fun chat with a girlfriend and I just wanted to go have a wine and dance the night away with her! I hope you enjoy listening to everything Sarah has to share. + Follow Sarah+ Follow Industry LA+ Sarah's website+ Keep up to date on our insta @beyondthecurtainaus+ Join our Facebook Community+ Find us on Youtube Beyond The Curtain acknowledges the traditional custodians of the Australian land we live and create this podcast on. We pay our respect to our Indigenous sisters, brothers and their Elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge the injustice and impacts of colonisation still present today.

Sarah Alice Burns // Beyonce's Bombshell Back Up Dancer

On today’s episode I chat with one of the brightest stars in Australian comedy! The very talented and hilarious comedian, Steph Tisdell. Steph is a proud Indigenous woman who is taking the comedy world by storm. Ever since she won the 2014 Deadly Funny National Grand Final, Steph has been a hit with audiences and critics alike and is now a regular on Australian mainstream TV shows such as The Project and Hughesy We Have A Problem. She was a part of the Aboriginal Comedy All Stars line-up, who sold out during their festival run at Edinburgh Fringe, before heading to London’s Soho Theatre. Steph’s 2019 spot on the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala went viral and she was invited to host the gala in 2020. In our chat we discuss Steph’s childhood in Brisbane with her mixed-race family, her pivot from studying Law/Journalism to a career in comedy and its power to address social justice issues, the importance of BIPOC representation in the arts and the pressures Steph has faced with the unrealistic expectation and responsibility to represent the entire Aboriginal community. We also discuss mental health challenges and Steph’s career highlights including the Edinburgh Comedy Gala and filming her first feature film “Love You Like That.” Sharing this chat with Steph was like talking to an old friend. I loved her as soon as I started chatting with her and was struck by her warmth and authenticity throughout our conversation. She has this amazing hearty laugh that comes from the depths of her soul and fills the whole room with a golden happy glow, and every time she laughs it just makes me want to laugh! She is honest, brave, intelligent and a whole lot of fun. There is so much to take from this episode and I hope you enjoy the listen! + Follow Steph+ Steph's website+ Keep up to date on our insta @beyondthecurtainaus+ Join our Facebook Community+ Find us on Youtube Beyond The Curtain acknowledges the traditional custodians of the Australian land we live and create this podcast on. We pay our respect to our Indigenous sisters, brothers and their Elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge the injustice and impacts of colonisation still present today.

Steph Tisdell // Brightest Star In Australian Comedy

In today’s episode I have a beautiful chat with Cristina D’Agostino. Cristina is a very talented musical theatre performer who has graced the stage in many shows including Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, A Chorus Line, The Addams Family, Matilda, Strictly Ballroom, and Jersey Boys – which she starred in only four months after giving birth to her first child! Cristina has most recently worked as Resident Choreographer on ‘Shrek The Musical’ and is currently studying a masters of counselling whilst baking her second child in Melbourne’s lockdown. In this chat we discuss her childhood in Mt Gambier, her journey in musical theatre and the many performance experiences she has had, as well as her work as Resident Choreographer on ‘Shrek The Musical’. We also talk all things motherhood! Cristina shares her experience entering motherhood, maintaining a career in the performing arts and her blog ‘The Show Can Go On.’ Cristina, and her husband Jordan, have somehow managed to strike the balance between a traditional life journey of getting married, buying a house and starting a family, whilst both maintaining successful careers in the performing arts. Cristina shares the triumphs and challenges of how they make this work! It’s a special episode showcasing a different perspective on the performing arts, with lots of inspiring nuggets of gold for anyone who has ever considered starting a family or maintaining a long distance relationship whilst working as a performer. Enjoy! + Follow Cristina+ Follow The Show Can Go On+ Keep up to date on our insta @beyondthecurtainaus+ Join our Facebook Community+ Find us on Youtube Beyond The Curtain acknowledges the traditional custodians of the Australian land we live and create this podcast on. We pay our respect to our Indigenous sisters, brothers and their Elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge the injustice and impacts of colonisation still present today.

Cristina D'Agostino // The Show Can Go On

Today on the podcast I bring you the supremely talented, intellectual and somewhat mysterious, Michael Ralph. I say mysterious as I have always thought Mikey is such a private person. It was such a joy to share this special chat with him where he generously shared details about his upbringing and personal experiences. In this chat we discuss his childhood and upbringing in New Zealand, the climb to success as a Choreographer and Director in Australia, self producing his own work, the highlights and challenges of his career so far, plus loads of advice for budding performers and choreographers! This episode is a really special insight into how Mikey thinks and experiences the world. There is SO much inspiration to take from it. Hope you enjoy the chat :) + Follow Michael+ Check out Michael Ralph's choreography+ Keep up to date on our insta @beyondthecurtainaus+ Join our Facebook Community+ Find us on Youtube Beyond The Curtain acknowledges the traditional custodians of the Australian land we live and create this podcast on. We pay our respect to our Indigenous sisters, brothers and their Elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge the injustice and impacts of colonisation still present today.

Michael Ralph // From Playing Theatre to Creating Onstage Magic

Hello! Welcome to the second episode of Season 2! Today I have a very special episode prepared with the gorgeous Morgan Choice. Morgan is a professional commercial dancer who was born and raised in Sydney, Australia and has spent the last 8 years working in LA. In Australia, Morgan was the co-owner of the successful contemporary dance company ‘Tannos and Choice’ and she performed as the understudy of the lead, Carmen, in national tour of the hit musical Fame. Morgan landed her first job in the states dancing for Britney Spears on her ‘Piece of Me’ residency at just 22 years old. Since then she has performed with many artists including J Balvin, Christina Aguilera, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Nick Jonas, Janelle Monae, Wynter Gordon, Jessie J, Kendrick Lamar and many more! In this chat, Morgan shares so much! She delves into her experience landing her first gig in the states, the difference between the LA and Aussie dance scene, how she stays fit and healthy between auditions and gigs and her daily routine on tour. She tells me about some dance highlights performing at Coachella and at Madison Square Garden, as well as some very confronting personal truths. This episode is full of love and hope and I hope you receive a piece of that as you listen.Morgan is a beautiful example of being sure of who you are and living your truth openly in the world. I want to thank her again for sharing so generously in this chat. + Follow Morgan+ Keep up to date on our insta @beyondthecurtainaus+ Join our Facebook Community+ Find us on Youtube Beyond The Curtain acknowledges the traditional custodians of the Australian land we live and create this podcast on. We pay our respect to our Indigenous sisters, brothers and their Elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge the injustice and impacts of colonisation still present today.

Morgan Choice // LA Dancing, Hope and Humanity

Welcome to Season 2 of Beyond The Curtain! We are kicking off the season with an incredibly inspiring episode with the wonderful Kelley Abbey. Kelley is an award-winning Australian dancer, singer, actress, choreographer and creative director. Her resume is truly too long for me to even begin to do justice here! Just SOME highlights include leading lady in productions Sweet Charity and Fame – The Musical (which she both starred in and choreographed!), choreographer, performer and creative motion capture consultant on Golden Globe, BAFTA and Oscar winning feature film Happy Feet, and most recently Creative Director on the rebooted Warner Brothers version of Dancing With The Stars. In this episode we discuss an array of topics including being a commercial dancer in the 80s, her lead role experience on Sweet Charity, working on Happy Feet and DWTS, social media, self-care and many words of wisdom! I was struck by Kelley’s authenticity and generous spirit from the moment I first contacted her and throughout our recording process. It was a true joy to share this experience with her. I hope you enjoy the first episode of Season 2 with this truly beautiful soul. + Follow Kelley+ Kelley's website+ Keep up to date on our insta @beyondthecurtainaus+ Join our Facebook Community+ Find us on Youtube Beyond The Curtain acknowledges the traditional custodians of the Australian land we live and create this podcast on. We pay our respect to our Indigenous sisters, brothers and their Elders, past, present and emerging, and acknowledge the injustice and impacts of colonisation still present today.

Kelley Abbey // Life on Stage, Screen and Behind The Scenes

Beyond the Curtain breaks down barriers and explores the human stories of successful performing arts individuals. It delves deep into their life journeys, shares tips for success and fosters human connection.

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Beyond the Curtain

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