Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joshua Manculich. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Joshua, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

What a great question! It begs the question; what is a creative career? I see potential for re-framing the question, as a lot of our backstories dip and dive into creativity, even when art might not be the focal point.

My work as a therapist and an artistic director has led me to believe that ALL humans are innately creative and inquistive. Sadly, sitting eight hours a day beneath the pressure of modern expectations dampens that innate drive to create. I was lucky to have a childhood in which I played in the dirt, without excessive access to electronics, and I had the ability to spend time to foster my imagination. So to answer the question, I wish I would have started seeing myself as a creative person earlier in my life!

As a dancer, I saw the opportunity to copy as a way to learn. THEN, I realized that I enjoyed creating movement more than practicing movement created by other people. Eventually, I learned that there is this beautiful ebb and flow between learning what others put into the world and generating our own hot mess of ideas.

As a therapist, I specialize in play, and I could go on about the power of play as seen through the lens of a kid being bullied, a teen who didn’t have a chance to play, or even an adult who lost their sense of self within their relationship. Play is the ultimate trace of creativity.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

In terms of dance, I got into the industry by being obsessed with CENTERSTAGE, the movie. After seeing the movie, I could be seen running to this lovely human who ran our high school talent show. I went up to her and asked if I could start lessons. I was 14! And horrible at dancing. My love of music and creativity is what gave me a sense of hope in dance.

I am most known for my choreographic life. After attending Point Park University and gaining a strong technical experience, Chicago was my lab! I lived there from the age of 22-27. And yes, the dance scene was athletic, vibrant, and diverse; but life is what really honed and toned my creative voice. I loved mixing lived experience with the MOVEMENT. Gestures, pop, classical, natural—you name it, I was moving and exploring. My Artistic Director at the time, stressed that we all choreographer, teach, and perform as professional artists. I am extremely grateful for her devotion to that mission. For WhirlWind Dance, the company I founded, we have kept this trifecta alive. All of the artists are asked to make, move, and faciliate dance experiences while with The WhirlWind.

Eventually I went on to receive an incredible three-year fellowship to get my MFA in Dance at The Ohio State University. Under mentors like Dr. Candace Feck, and with school of life mentors such as Julie Nakagawa and Kevin Thomas, I received a Princess Grace Award in Choreography. At age 30, I accepted a tenure-track position in Houston, TX ,and I went on a wild ride. In Houston, I honed in on my organizational skills and ability to gather wonderful artists together in the same place at the same time.

Shortly after the pandemic, my partner and I moved back to the Midwest. I decided to FINALLY become a therapist—a lifelong goal of mine—I wanted to be with people in a different way. Long story short, I felt that artists tend to exist in the same spaces as therapists. We go to deep and lonely spaces to learn about ourselves, and I felt deeply called to joining people on their paths as they find their senses of play, confidence, and resiliency. Now going into 2025, I have two masters degrees, a dance company, and I was just accepted into a PHD program! That is why I call it The WhirlWind!

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

The top three resources I wish I knew that come from within oneself:

1) Listen with your ears, but also with your heart and all your other senses. Your body is your biggest resource. Go to Yoga!
2) Trust that you will know what to do when you get there. And if you don’t. ASK! Research. Not knowing is a part of life.
3) Talk to someone who has lived a story that interests you. You would be surprised how many people will share their story with you.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Many people believe artists have to starve—I love proving them wrong. If you are wholehearted in your sense of self and creativity, your creativity will generate you income. This might look different than booking gigs. This might mean you become the person who is quickly promoted at your day job. This might mean you are an incredible mother, brother, sister, friend, etc. Artists make the world SPIN! We frame, locate, sense, understand, point out, embody!

Contact Info:

• Website: whirlwinddance.com
• Instagram: whirlwinddance
• Linkedin: Josh Manculich