We recently connected with Rachel Nace and have shared our conversation below.

Rachel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

The only way to learn is to do! I was put in dance when I was 3 years old. When I was 7 I received a letter inviting me to audition for a youth ballet in Pennsylvania. At the time, I was the youngest accepted (though it paved the way for a new program that was implemented about 4 years later). When I was 10 I was asked to assist teaching the younger dancers and at 16 was named the Artistic assistant and Ballet mistress for the Youth Ballet. I also worked in the office at the dance studio and worked at an office as an office clerk for a forklift trucking company. And I helped my mom and dad who both owned their own companies (one a caterer and the other a mechanic). Dancing 6 days a week and traveling to many summer programs and workshops as well as working in these many different jobs gave me a a lot of insight of how to run a business and to develop my art. At 18 I was given a professional apprenticeship at PA Academy of Ballet and had the extreme pleasure of working with Margarita de Saa and John White. Two amazing teachers and past professional dancers with the National Ballet of Cuba. After dancing professionally, and studying Pilates to enhance my performance, I was in 2 car accidents that left me in a lot of pain and in bed barely able to complete normal, everyday tasks. Through much PT, MT and working with Pilates masters I was able to start to function again. I went to massage school to learn more about helping the body past injury and pain. 5 years later I took to ballroom dancing and quickly became a professional ballroom dancer for 10 years. I was privileged enough to study with some of the top ballroom teachers in the world.

There is no quick way to really learn art or develop a methodology. What I thought I knew even five years ago I have worked through and grown and developed. Apprenticeship truly is the best way to learn. This takes patience, perseverance and hard work which are also just good skills for life. Having computers for everything has made this a hard concept for people to understand or desire. Just because you can mimic something you see on the internet, doesn’t mean you understand where it is coming from, the initiation of the movement or the intent of the presentation – the artistry. Those only come through much study and practice.

Obstacles! Well there are so many. Time and money being the top two. But it also made me more resilient and creative to figure out how to work through those obstacles – not barriers.

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

I started my studio, Inspiration to Movement in 2001 in PA. I wanted to create a place that combined all the things I did to get my body moving again and help others in that process. The east coast is more open to preventative medicine and I had a waiting list to work with me and the teachers that studied under me at my studio. In 2011 I opened ITM here in Columbus, OH. I added ballroom dancing to my services which already included Pilates, adult and children’s dance and Medical Massage Therapy. Being able to help people through their process has been and continues to be amazing. After moving to Columbus and seeing the “dance scene” and hearing from dancers from around Columbus I felt impassioned to create a professional company that wasn’t just ballet or modern but combined different styles AND would be inclusive in all ways – age, gender, appearance, ethnicity… all of those things only enhance the creation and presentation of art. One of my big soap box issues is shaming dancers for their physical appearance. Some of the strongest dancers I knew never danced professionally because they were “too fat” or “too muscular” or “too short” or “too tall” …. I wanted a place where open minded artists could explore and train with no more mind games… so in 2015 Oyo Dance Company was created. I seek out choreographers that work this way as well. The old school body shaming and fear need to end. No one can truly be free to explore in this place. If we can’t explore and ask questions we cannot grow or emote in a way that speaks deeply to our audience. This is our goal. We want our audiences to leave hopefully with some new knowledge or at least a new thought of how to see something differently. We have so much interaction with computers, we want to help keep personal connection important in our society.

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

Show up! We live in a society that will show up for sports but rarely shows up for the arts. I saw a picture of the opening game this season. If even 1/4 of those patrons showed up for our shows it would help so much. These dancers work so hard 6 days a week. To perform in empty theaters is just so depressing and doesn’t allow for them to be compensated the way they deserve. Everyone benefits from the arts. It starts conversations. It can take you away. It can let you feel heard or seen. As a population we need to decide to make this important.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Outwardly you see articles about anyone can do anything, but the undertone is very different. It is that you will never be good enough, thin enough.. anything enough. These are hard words to work past. Words have such power. This is why at my studio I work with my teachers about how they make corrections and what they comment on. When I was growing up you were shamed for “eating awhile pizza” or “I can see the turkey dinner you are” and this simply has to stop. We encourage them to work hard, learn to keep working even when it’s hard but not that “they are bad” or “don’t want to learn” if they aren’t able to correct something right away. I want my struggles to allow this next generation of professional dancers, teachers and students to learn in a healthy way!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.oyodancecompany.org www.inspirationtomovement.com
• Instagram: @Inspiration2move @oyodancecompany
• Facebook: Inspiration to Movement, Inc Oyo Dance Company

Image Credits
Tom Wehrung, Jess Cavender, Alexis Mitchell