Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Randi Liberman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Randi, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
When asked to talk about the topic of meaningful projects, there are a whole bunch of words, thoughts and images that fly through my brain. 1st off, something meaningful is very subjective therefore different for each individual. What’s meaningful for me is possibly something very different for you. With that being said, my definition of a meaningful project, is when something, someone or an experience holds significance and importance to me & my journey. This can show up in many different forms, and for many different reasons, which is why I feel like I have so much to say on this topic.
As a pro dancer and creative artist living in LA, I have been on the chase of my wildest dreams for quite some time now-and although I’ve accomplished many marvelous things in those years, I am also always striving for more. Not only am I searching for my next highest goals, but I’m also adjusting and shifting what those goals are and why. What was meaningful to me 5 years ago has shifted to what is significant for me today.
Working in the Hollywood industry, surrounded by the biggest stars & celebrities, makes working for the top artists in the biz a possibility, a goal for many and ultimately a reality. But what happens when you actually achieve such crazy sounding goals, only to be let down by your favorite artist not being quite as sweet as you’d hoped, not wanting to pay you what you’re worth, or simply not showing any type of appreciation for the hours of sweat, blood & tears you’ve put into your craft and making their show so amazing? This is not always the case of course, but just one example of how things may not always turn out the way we expect. On the other hand, you will be pleasantly surprised with certain jobs that you may not have expected to be some of the most enjoyable ones!
As a pro dancer, my journey has included dancing on numerous stages with all different types of artists, and the one thing I’ve learned is that the experience has much to do with the artist you are working with and nothing to do with them at the same time. I feel that we often put so much weight on working for a specific artist (or choreographer) who we imagine to be great and is at the top of the industry, without taking into account what that job truly entails. I say that the job has much to do with the artist because in most cases they ultimately set the tone for how their camp will act and treat their employees. I also say that they have nothing to do with the job & your experience because as a dancer, the time actually spent with said artist while on tour for example is so small compared to the time you will spend in rehearsals, working with your dance peers, and even on your spare time exploring different cities & even countries! Some of my fondest memories I have on tour are the ones spent with the life long friends I’ve made on the job, exchanges with fans & with the audience, and lessons I’ve learned from experiencing the things you can never truly expect or prepare for.
The things we accomplish will have meaning for us as long as we are open to what that might be and to it being different (and even better) than we may have imagined!
With that being said, I’ll share a few moments that have definitely been meaningful ones for me.
in 2016 after months of grinding and hustling, I’d finally booked my 1st official dance job since moving out to LA from Montreal, Canada. As an 0-1 visa holder, I am only allowed to work in my field (dance) and so making money and staying afloat when first moving across the country, and being brand new to the LA industry, can be tough to say the least. After months of spending my money on classes & well-survival, I was extatic to finally see a familiar name on an audition call. The choreographer was actually someone I knew, who I had met as a dancer at other auditions those past few months. This was my chance to to finally have a slight in-as it always helps if you know someone sitting on the other side of the table who can vouch for you.
Now I would just have to kill this audition. There were over 100 girls in the room, we learned 2 different styles of choreography; one in heels and one in sneakers, and we ran it in front of the team & the camera many times. Cuts were made and I’d made it down to the final group. I don’t know if I’d ever been so convinced something was meant for me in my entire life-as if the stars had finally aligned, and all my hard work would now pay off. After about a week or so of no sleep while waiting for the call, I found out I booked the job! I later found out that although I did great at the audition, the casting directors were going to choose someone else because they had wanted a different look to match the other dancer-but the choreographer convinced them I was the one for the job because well-she just had a really good feeling about me from our previous encounters. Since we had originally met as dance peers, I could never have known that she would have such a deciding factor on me booking my first job in LA, but the fact that she liked me as a human and had a good feeling about me is what helped me book that 1st job. This is definitely a very meaningful part of my journey. Not to mention, that first job in LA ended up being a recurring tour taking me to places like Dubai, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. The artist Dawin was not necessarily a household name in North America, but was huge in Asia and other countries and so I had the best time traveling across the globe with the small team of 6-who are all still close friends to this day.
Another meaningful moment was when I booked my next tour which was with Bebe Rexha, opening for the Jonas Brothers across North America. I had the chance to perform in my own city at the Bell Centre, with 20 of my closest friends and family in the audience. This was going to be the first time my parents would see me Perform since moving to LA, and on such a big scale. Having them see all of my biggest dreams coming true was such a meaningful moment for me, as they had never really been able to picture where all of my big goals would take me. They had the opportunity to come backstage and meet the entire team including the artist pre-show, and then got to watch me perform on the arena stage in front of thousands. This is definitely a memory I will cherish forever.
One other meaningful project I’ll share is a recent one that is very dear to my heart, which was choreographing for singer songwriter Emmy Meli. Emmy came to take my class at Millenium one day and I had no idea she was the artist who sings I Am Woman, a song that went viral online and that I love! I thought it was pretty awesome that she came to take class, and I really wasn’t expecting to receive the email I found in my inbox almost a full year later from her manager, asking me to begin working with her on movement & choreography. After working together for a full year and prepping her for the things that were going to be coming her way, she booked her first opening tour, where she performed my movement on stage. Only a few months later we were gearing up for her 1st official music video. Although I spent much of last year dancing on tour across the globe, we somehow made it work and would get in sessions whenever we were both in town, even having FaceTime sessions from across the world when necessary! Finally getting to book the dancers, rehearse for and shoot the music video and then watch my vision come to life on screen, was such a surreal feeling. This experience also helped reignite my passion for leadership and creation and I am excited to continue to push my boundaries in this realm!
I’ll add a little moral of the story that I feel sums up this discussion on meaningful projects; you really never know where meaningful projects and what I would therefore call successful projects will come from & when. But if you continue to be authentic to yourself, to be kind to those around you, and to work your a** off at the same time (while believing in & trusting what you have to offer)…the right projects will definitely find you.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I have been dancing for as far back as I can remember. Growing up in Montreal, Canada, I was a kid who loved being active, playing on many sports teams and always dancing around the house. I began taking dance classes when it was introduced at my school’s after school program, and I easily remember it becoming the favorite part of my day. Even before I took any formal classes, I was constantly running around the living room or backyard, making up my own songs, dance moves, and performing it all for my dads camcorder. I even remember my sleepover parties, would always include a full show with an opening & closing number as well as many choreographed dances. I loved teaching my moves to my friends and my little sister, and it wasn’t long after beginning to take dance class at school, that my teacher asked me to assist her with kids at other elementary schools. She would tell me, “Just pretend you go to *blank* high school & that you’re already 13” even though I was only 10 teaching the 11 & 12 year olds. Teaching and creating has been a part of my journey pretty much as long as I’ve been dancing and it only makes sense that these skills have all become a big part of my life today.
Fast forward a few years, where I quickly realized how important dance was becoming in my life and despite my family’s thoughts on schooling and following a more stable career path, I decided to leave university where I’d been studying business & psychology to pursue my dreams of making a living out of my true passion. I came to realize that the dreams I was desiring were not necessarily offered where I was, and if I truly wanted to go after my goals, I’d need to make the move to LA and figure out the rest from there. It was definitely a scary leap of faith as there were not too many people around me having done this successfully but I knew if I never tried, I’d never know- and that just didn’t sit well with me.
After saving up money through my teaching, working with an immigration lawyer on my 01 work visa, and taking a few trips back & forth to the US for training, I made the move to LA in 2015 and well the rest is history as they say. The journey was not full of Hollywood glitz and glam-well at least not right away, as there were many periods of doubting my talents, having no money in the bank and wondering if I had made the right choice leaving my family & friends back in Canada. But ultimately I am so grateful for having taken the risk of moving to another country to pursue my dreams, because I never could have even imagined the places it would take me. Not only has this dance career allowed me to live through my passion performing on some of the most grandiose stages in the world, but it has allowed me to literally see the world as well. In just the past year alone, I have toured through all of Europe(twice!), across the Uk, throughout Latin America, with trips to Africa, and North America-and oh ya few more trips to Europe! As hard as the artist life can be at times, it is also so rewarding and I wouldn’t change my path for anything.
It has been a wild ride, but I am grateful to have had the opportunity to tour with artists such as The Weeknd, Ava Max & Bebe Rexha, to be in music videos for Rosalia, Meghan Trainor and Anitta as well as other live & televised performances with artists like Snoop Dogg, Rita Ora, and the Cirque du Soleil. With all of the experience and knowledge I’ve gained over the years dancing and touring across the world, I have recently been itching to share all of this with others and push my teaching and creative side. For the last 2 years I have been teaching at Millenium Dance Complex in LA, and I have also begun working with artists as a movement coach and choreographer.
Helping others better understand their bodies through dance, gain confidence through a class or 1 on 1 session and just have fun letting loose are some of the things I love most about teaching & creating. I think that what sets me apart as a teacher and as a creative is that I have had experience as a dancer in many different realms and when yo’ve experienced something first hand it is even more helpful to someone wanting to do what you’ve already done. I also believe that over the years in this industry I have become really good and interacting with others, and am great at listening and understanding what another person/artist might need. I believe I am also good at communicating, making people feel comfortable and therefore instilling confidence in others which helps me when working with dancers and artists alike. Veering into this new and very competitive world of creation in LA is scary and not always easy, but I can only choose to believe in my craft & continue to work hard to inevitably achieve my next biggest goals.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Living through your passion definitely brings many rewards. Not only do you get to do what you love on a daily basis but you are also(hopefully) being paid to do so. In many instances you are taking your own creative vision and bringing it to life in front of an audience, and oh what a feeling that can bring! Whether it be performing live in front of thousands, or watching my own choreography come to life in a music video, seeing the joy that my craft can bring to others is truly a highlight for me. Since I have been teaching and creating basically as long as I’ve been dancing, giving back and helping others has always been a major motivating factor. Some of my most rewarding moments have been seeing how genuinely happy fans are watching me perform live next to their favorite artist, or seeing a dancer truly grow, improve, and just let go & have fun in one of my dance classes. And most recently, in having the opportunity to work with artists on movement coaching and choreography, I’ve found it so rewarding to see how I can make an artist feel more comfortable in their own bodies and on stage. Plus seeing your choreography come together with an artist and dancers you’ve hired is pretty awesome too.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
Something that I feel is very difficult for non-creatives to understand about the journey as a creative, is the idea of living in the unknown. And don’t get me wrong-it’s a tough one to wrap your brain around-even more so for someone living in it, but it’s one of those things you have no choice but to accept if choosing the artists path.
What I mean by living in the unknown, is that we often do not know where our next project & paycheck is coming from, or at least not many months or even weeks in advance. We are often planting seeds and then choosing to believe they will come to fruition and bring us work in the near future-and sometimes it does and other times it does not, but we just keep on planting and believing and working on our craft until the next thing comes along.
This is a difficult concept for many to understand, let alone to chose to live by, as this often means there are periods of financial struggle and uncertainty, and well plain ol’ feeling down in the dumps because you just want to be working and thriving. I won’t say this feeling ever truly goes away, but it definitely gets easier to deal with as you become more equipped to handle the many ups and downs you will go through as an artist living in the unknown. Once you’ve learned that every difficult moment is followed by an equally amazing moment, you become more familiar with this so called unknown, and trust that it has worked out before and therefore will work out again. That trust in yourself, your craft and your journey will help you navigate the craziness that is living in the unknown as an artist.
One other thing I’ll add, is that as you become more established in your craft and career, certain aspects of the unknown become a little more certain. For example, you might be asked time and time again to come back and work with the same artist or same team of people once having built a relationship with them. You might also begin to have different types of contacts and skills built where you can begin to receive multiple streams of income. For example I might choreograph a music video in LA, then perform with an artist at a festival in South Africa, only to fly to Canada for 2 weeks of intensive teaching and then back to LA to teach my class at Millenium Dance Complex. This was me just one month ago, and when I look at this month full of work I feel grateful knowing how hard I worked to build each of those skills/jobs and kept trusting and believing in my craft even in the hardest of times.
Ultimately, living in the unknown looks a lot like risk taking in any realm. Many people avoid taking risks their whole life because of how uncomfortable it can feel, but as they say; the higher the risk the higher the reward. I believe that taking risks can lead to some of the most amazing things in life, and therefore I think that creative or not-everyone can take something positive away from the artists way of living in the unknown. If we all took a little more risks in life, we might find ourselves living much closer to our true dreams and goals and therefore a lot happier. :)
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @randiliberman