Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ryan Maw. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ryan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
I first knew I wanted to pursue Choreography on Film specifically from a Country dancing musical movie I assisted and danced on titled “Something Here” back in 2021. This was my second time working with Choreographer Paul Becker, who has choreographed Wreck It Ralph, Julie and The Phantoms, Disney’s Descendants, and many more. Witnessing his creative process of creating for camera absolutely blew my mind. I grew up a competition dancer, where you only have one front/audience while performing on stage. For TV and film, your audience can now be at any angle, any distance, and any tracking movement possible. It makes the creative process even more fulfilling and invigorating than I’ve ever felt before. Plus the element of storytelling through movement is the heart of it all. I think that is what I realized for the first time on that project- dance is much more than just steps and technique. It’s about creating from a place of true genuine emotion, thus allowing the audience to experience their own emotional journey through dance.
Ryan, 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?
My name is Ryan Maw, I was born in Carson City, NV. My mom was my dance teacher and her mom was her dance teacher as well. I started dancing at the age of 4 after watching the movie Happy Feet because I wanted to tap my feet like Mumble aka Savion Glover. I moved away from home at 13 and lived with host families in San Diego to pursue my dance training and be closer to auditions in LA. I graduated at 16 and moved to Utah to work as one of the dancers on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (Season 1). Since then, I’ve worked on projects such as Julie and The Phantoms, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Bring It On: Cheer or Die, Disney’s Prom Pact, Paramount’s Honor Society, Grease: Rise of The Pink Ladies, Descendant’s Remix Dance Party, and many more. Recently I was associate choreographer for Alex Cooper’s Unwell Tour for Call Her Daddy podcast. Other than my work as a dancer, choreographer, and creative in TV and Film, I also travel internationally teaching and choreographing for the next generation of dancers, teaching the importance of storytelling yet also training versatility and technique across all genres to be able to pull off such a skill like storytelling to read correctly. The thing that sets me apart from other dancers and choreographers in this industry is my versatility and my process of letting storytelling drive the narrative, not leading with “what’s the coolest step I can do”. If the “cool” step makes sense story-wise, then absolutely yes it has reason to be there. It needs intention before anything.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My biggest dream and goal is to bring tap dance back to the big screen. Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly are huge inspirations for me in my life. Their impact has left such a legacy even many decades after their work.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I really gained traction on my social media page by recreating Old Hollywood musical tap clips with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. I truly believe that today’s audiences desire to see more dance and art of that caliber of talent and storytelling in today’s media. Finding something that is niche, not widely done, and truly meaningful to you is my advice to someone building their social media presence.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryan.maw/
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ryan.maw
Image Credits
Vince Trupsin – photographer