We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dana Solimando a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dana, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

“Somehow, the wind just blows you in the right direction,” has been said many times, but I truly believe that when you put your intentions out there, the universe has a way of steering you where you need to be, albeit not always in the direction that you predict. For me, the decision to choose my career path was placed in front of me two times. Dancing was always the thing I was best at. I had been dancing since I was 8 years old, and by luck, I landed with the right teacher. Senior year of high school, I would go to NYC once a week during the summers to take dance class with my friends, and my dance teacher at the time, Marya Kennett, would ONLY let us go to one dance teacher in the city – that teacher was Phil Black. There were no dance competitions at that time, so I had not really been in the mindset of comparing my skill set with others…we just danced because we loved it. When I first started taking classes in NYC with professional dancers, it didn’t dawn on me that I was good enough to compete in that arena. The thought hadn’t really crossed my mind as a legitimate option. I continued to take classes there simply because I loved it.
Not really sure what I wanted to do after graduating high school, I decided to go to junior college in upstate New York. I enrolled myself in one dance class that first semester, but found myself being quite bored. While reflecting on what I was good at and what I loved to do, I realized I couldn’t really picture myself doing anything else other than dancing. That following semester, I decided to go back into the the city to take class once a week at Phil’s. That is when I remember the thought crossing my mind for the first time… I was actually as good or better than most of the other dancers in the room. My skills caught the attention of some of the teachers and other dancers there, and by the following spring, I was asked if I was interested in applying for a dance scholarship. They gave out three that summer…It was myself, acclaimed award-winning ballroom dancer, Diana McDonald, and Jennifer Lopez. This was the first catalyst that moved me to pursue dance professionally.
The next time happened 12 years later. At this point, I had some good credits as a dancer and was called to assist David Wilder as he was the associate choreographer for Anthony Van Laast’s Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Well, at the kickoff party the night before the first day of rehearsal, I was informed that David had to leave the show for personal reasons and could I take over for him and choreograph the show! Aside from the initial sleepless nights, that show was a success and in turn pushed me into the natural evolution to choreograph.

Dana, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

how you got into your industry / business / discipline / craft etc,

Dana Solimando- Choreographer, Dancer, explorer… mother. I grew up outside New York City and by the grace of some amazing mentors found myself not only as a principal dancer on Broadway but a Director Choreographer and eventually a teacher and mentor myself.

what type of products/services/creative works you provide,

I am a Choreographer. With a career that started over 30 years ago, I tell stories through movement and dance for live theater and digital content. My background is classical ballet but has grown to include musical theatre with influences of classical jazz and ballroom.

What you think sets you apart from others.

My bravery and willingness to fail in pursuit of discovering something new, combined with my dedication to taking all of my experiences and putting my ego aside to serve the story, sets me apart. With a willingness to try new approaches I make a conscious effort to avoid departmentalizing.

What are you most proud of

Each experience is unique and shapes us all professionally-I’m proud of all of them.
If I had to choose one thing, I’d say I’m most proud of the longevity I have had in the business. Transitioning from performing to choreographing and directing while raising a family in such a competitive industry was not easy, and I feel proud that I had the strength to persevere through the challenging times.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Years ago, while choreographing a production of Damn Yankees, I tore my calf muscle on the first day of rehearsal. We were working on “Shoeless Joe,” and I remember for a millisecond thinking, “Did one of the guys just smack me in the calf with a baseball bat?” (they really didn’t seem the type). That is what it felt like, but of course, that was not the case. Fortunately, my associate choreographer and I had already worked out many of the details beforehand, but there was still a significant amount of work to be done. Until that point, I had heavily relied on my body to convey my vision, but now I was forced to rely solely on verbal communication, which proved to be incredibly challenging. Often, there are no words to accurately convey the nuances of movement. Unlike using “stock” steps, my choreography is primarily composed of movements that I visualize, influenced by my experiences and inspirations. Having to articulate my ideas verbally exercised a different part of my brain. We were under a tight timeline, intensifying the pressure to choreograph the numbers as swiftly as possible, which added to the stress. Every day felt like climbing a mountain, but knowing that people were counting on me kept me moving forward. I was fortunate to have an exceptional cast and associate to collaborate with, which alleviated some of the pressure. Nonetheless, it was a challenge that I do not wish to experience again.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

My very first time choreographing and directing for a cruise ship, I went into this with the mindset that I would apply my knowledge of theatre to create shows that were superior to what they had done in the past. With three Broadway shows under my belt, multiple Ovation awards, and experience in prestigious theaters across the country, I felt confident that I would win everyone over. This wasn’t the case. However, what I came to realize is that it’s important to pay close attention to the way each individual company operates and the work and personnel cultures you are being introduced to. You have to adapt. It is not a one-size-fits-all formula, and the rules of theater don’t necessarily apply to all forms of live entertainment. I had to learn (or un-learn) that the hard way, but luckily, in the end, it was a success.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.danasolimando.com
• Instagram: danasolimando
• Facebook: Dana Solimando