We were lucky to catch up with Amanda Purchase recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Amanda thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

I wish I had started sooner! For the longest time, fear and self-doubt kept me from jumping off the ledge and putting myself out there. Everything changed when I joined the YMCA. I found a community that lifted me up, and I went from participant to instructor. That gave me the confidence to host my own events and start sharing my work online. I’m not at my finish line yet, but I’m learning, growing, and having the time of my life doing it.

Amanda, 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?

I have always had a passion for dance. I was a competitive dancer in my youth but I sort of gave up on pursuing dance as a serious career. I feel like in my 20s, it felt like a pipe dream that I could ever do anything serious with it, so I just went to work in a completely unrelated field. I have always had a passion and drive to help people and so it felt right for a time. But even during my career, I would go out dancing and I would always be the one in my group of friends to get everyone off the wall and in the center of the action. Once I found the Y and started teaching, I realized that I have skills in hyping people up and sparking joy. I re-established my love of dance through zumba and line dancing and realized its so good for my mental and physical health. I now offer line dance and other dance based events in the Western MA area and would love to run online classes too. I have a YouTube and TikTok (both @Amanda the Dancing Panda) where I post videos of choreography and tutorials. I feel that I am set apart because I am someone who exudes joy through movement and others find it contagious.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I want to inspire people to move their bodies in a way that feels good! I also want to show people that dance is fun and joyful and there is no wrong way to cut the rug! I feel that dance is movement that all people can enjoy regardless of their body shape or size or abilities.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

My whole world changed when I lost my Dad. Life was so good and then I felt the rug got pulled out from under me. I was supposed to run my first 10k that weekend. It was a new years resolution of mine, as I had started running 5ks the year before. I got sent into the darkest depression and state of despair I had ever known. It felt like I was living in the bottom of a dark, cold. wet, hollow pit with no way out. As people from my community at the Y started reaching out to me and saying they missed me and expressing condolences, I started thinking about going back to class. It took me a couple months but after that first class back, I realized how good it felt to move again. Dance and that community pulled me out of my literal bed and my figurative pit. I turned my attention to putting everything I had into dance and this passion of mine, of which, my Dad was proud of. All my cowboy hats were my Dad’s. The one I wear most often was one I gave to him when I was 14 and it was his favorite. I also have a picture of me reaching for one on his head when I was about 5 or 6 that I have now. I wear them with pride and in honor of him. I always feel like hes with me when I’m dancing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.copperknob.co.uk/stepsheets/204044/the-wrong-party
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17Xd4zJYCJ/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@amandathedancingpanda?si=px1wGEtVCTI_kVD2
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@amandathedancingpanda?_r=1&_t=ZP-91VSRPd2dlX

Image Credits

Sarah Cortina (only for black and white photo)