We were lucky to catch up with Brendan Gardiola recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brendan, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I feel like I’ve always been a creative, even as a child. I was always the one that all the aunties and uncles had dancing or singing to entertain the party. I’m sure there are plenty of old VHS tapes of my performances. It wasn’t until high school that I rekindled my innate love for dance. I joined my high school all male dance team and a few other junior dance teams outside of school. Shoutout to Pride Rice, Natural Vibes, and ILL Habits for helping cultivate the dancer I am today. I knew I loved to dance. Being around so many like-minded individuals all just in one room trying to obtain a certain goal was everything. It was always about the journey and never really about the destination. When I was old enough to join an adult competitive dance team, that’s kind of when things started to shift for me. Not only did I love to learn and perform but I started to create and lead. I do give flowers to my old team, 220, for taking a chance on me and allowing me to share and have my visions come to life. I started teaching more. I started putting my choreography on the team. I had my flaws and I honestly had so much to learn as a leader and a creative but that’s definitely when I knew I could pursue a career in this art form. I knew I just wanted to create and share what I had to offer to the world. Moving to LA, I started getting into more commercial work and last year, 2023, was when I fell in love with acting. I mean, as dancers we are actors as well but more so with our face and body being the vessel. But with acting, that just added a whole other layer that I’ve learned to appreciate. And again, I’m still learning but honestly that’s the fun in being a novice in something. You just get to learn and learn and grow! I definitely feel like I’m meant to be in the entertainment industry.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My first actual encounter with dancing took place around my freshman year of high school when my best friend, Rheza Mae, made me take a dance class with her! Again, it was just such a fun time. I was HORRIBLE. But I still had fun. Growing up watching America’s Best Dance Crew, I knew that’s where I wanted to be. I’ve taught in many studios in Southern California and I definitely know I can provide a space for dancers to cultivate and grow their own craft. My style of dance is very unique involving much athleticism, musicality, and an effortless way of moving while dancing big and groovy. I remember always having trouble really being able to describe what I have to offer but the more I grow myself, the more I learn about what attributes I have that makes me unique and special. As many artists and creatives have probably gone through, I’ve definitely been through many trials and tribulations. The dance community is definitely super cutthroat especially with the popularity and traction it as gained throughout the years. I’ve done many classes and performances that I’ve been very proud of and I know there are still more to come. Right now, my focus is having the people I work with regain the love of dance that we initially gravitated towards. I’ve been working with a bunch of friends on freestyle and just tapping into their best potential. I feel like that’s where I excel. I absolutely love being able to help guide people to be the best possible versions of themselves. But in order for me to help you, you have to want to help yourself! And just have fun!! Life is way too short to be overthinking everything! That’s definitely what I teach my students. That’s the beauty of dance, everyone can do it. No matter your level.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I think the most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative is being able to make people FEEL something. Art is subjective, right? So there’s never really a wrong answer to what you put out. I feel like you can really feel when someone puts their heart and soul into something and it’s honestly the best feeling when people go up to you and recognize what you were trying to convey. My goal is to always entertain and inspire. If it’s me being goofy or portraying a sad part of my life, I always hope to have someone understand what I’m feeling and tap into something that they can resonate with. And just seeing the final product of something that you worked hard to create is always fulfilling, no matter how big or small the project is.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

In my opinion, I think everyone can do a better job in lifting people up. Being in LA, the creative scene can be quite saturated since everyone is coming from different parts of the world to be in whatever industry they want to pursue. It will be hard, it does get lonely, and it is a beast that will make you second guess if everything you’ve scarified to be here was worth it. But I feel like we, as a community, can do better and support one another regardless of if they’re a part of your inner circle or not. If you like something that someone put out, share it! Comment! Let them know! Sometimes that’s all someone needs to keep going. There are plenty of jobs out there that will be meant for you. Also put each other on! If there’s a job that you know suits someone else that you know, suggest them. We all want to win. I’m sure you’ll want someone to do the same for you.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendangardiola/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@brendangardiola?si=OrISdXaHeYex28Hr
• Other: TikToks!
  Dreamb0iz: https://www.tiktok.com/@dreamb0iz?_t=8qP4L6LD4Zi&_r=1
  Personal: https://www.tiktok.com/@brendangardiola?_t=8rOQ5OrAg51&_r=1

Image Credits

Google Ad – 2024
Professional photos done by Heaven Godoy – Instagram @alexahgodoy