We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ashlie Burgess. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ashlie below.

Ashlie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

As a creative, I am at my happiest when I am pursuing endeavors that spark a fire inside of me. I firmly believe that there is a gravitational pull to do what you’re meant to do here on this planet. Dancing & performing have been my greatest passions since I was small. Working a regular 9-5 job has never been satisfactory. I became incredibly depressed being behind a desk & knew that to live my life to the fullest I had to go ALL IN on creative projects. It’s challenging, but that is exactly what makes it so rewarding. I get to share my personality, gifts, & wildest ideas with my community. Scary? Yes. Do I ever fail? Miserably. It doesn’t stop me from creating, it only educates me & encourages me to keep going. Through dance, I have learned that I can literally tackle anything thrown my way. There are so many avenues it has led me to including social media management, home design, & producing. Now I have the outlet to show individuals that it is never too late to start dancing or return to dance. My main mission is to show people that dancing does not have to be taken so seriously. It’s truly a therapy that everyone should try.

Ashlie, 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?

Growing up in the small desert town of Joshua Tree, CA I never imagined I would ever own a business. I’ve owned 4 thus far & dance has always been the backbone of each one. When I was 17, I began teaching dance at my hometown studio which led me to start my own production company in Los Angeles as well as earning scholarships to the International Academy of Dance & Debbie Reynolds Scholarship Program. The lessons I’ve learned have guided me into other creative outlets such as social media content creation, videography, & home design. Pop-Up Dance Class is my newest business venture that started in November of 2023. I wanted to provide an environment for adults to come take class without feeling pressured into being the best dancer. Besides, the point of class is to learn – not feel like you are being criticized on your skill level. There’s absolutely no experience required to take my classes as all levels are welcome. It’s never too late to start dancing. The students are given variations for the movement & every piece of the choreography is broken down thoroughly. Class emphasis is all about fun, leaning into nostalgia, escaping reality, embracing your inner child & genuinely connecting with your body. The reason for the Pop-Up name derives from the fact that there is no set location. Dance classes are available in various studios in multiple cities. Currently those cities are Palm Springs, Indio, Palm Desert, Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, & Cathedral City with more to be announced. Neo-burlesque, jazz funk (as seen in pop music videos), hip hop basics, thrash theatre, line dancing, chairography, & pom dance (cheerleading), are amongst the dance class styles available. Classes are often themed or feature a specific, popular artist’s music. Some past themes/artists have been Coyote Ugly, Spice Girls, Money Manifestation, Led Zeppelin, Mean Girls, Britney Spears, Limp Bizkit, Billie Eilish, & Moulin Rouge. More styles, themes, & instructors will be added in as Pop-Up Dance Class expands. I also offer private lessons for groups & individuals whether that be for a special event or if you just prefer a 1-on-1 session rather than joining a public class. Bachelorette & birthday parties often book with Pop-Up Dance Class which creates such a memorable experience! I’m proud of the positive feedback I’ve received from my students about how the classes have boosted their self confidence & the wonderful community Pop-Up Dance Class has built. I’m excited to watch it grow.

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

I had to learn & am still learning to let go of perfection. It has been the main source of my hesitation & once I released that need to be perfect everything started falling into place. I would sometimes sit on one dance class idea for a month because I either thought no one would show up to the class or that people would not understand why I chose that concept. The thought process was that I needed to market it EXACTLY the right way in order to capture interest. Turns out those are the classes that have the biggest turn out of students! It was a huge eye opener for me. I’ll definitely be taking more risks because that seems to be what propels me into bigger & better opportunities.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

The absolute BEST thing you can do is share their work & praise their work. Word of mouth is one thousand percent the greatest way to help someone out. It’s free & it’s impactful. Praising their work is important because most people don’t realize how lonely & self-doubting it can be as a creative. A huge percentage of us are literally doing everything on our own & only have ourselves to critique our work. So if you love something that someone has created, I beg you to please tell them. We are all human & need validation from time to time to keep that spark going.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/popupdanceclass
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/popup_danceclass/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw%3D%3D
• Other: Email: [email protected]

Image Credits

Pop-Up Dance Class