93: Being a Utility Player — Ali Geraets

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Ali Geraets of</span> <a href= "https://www.justforkix.com/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Just for Kix</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. You may remember Just for Kix from</span> <a href= "https://567eight.libsyn.com/episode-48-resilience-the-trademark-of-success-cindy-clough"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Episode 48</span></a> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">of the podcast, where Aleksandra interviewed the company’s founder and executive director, Cindy Clough. Just for Kix is a youth dance organization that offers dance classes, summer camps, and special events to tens of thousands of youths around the country. Ali Geraets — Cindy Clough’s daughter — has been a part of the organization for many years and has designed costumes, led virtual dance classes, and has carried out a myriad of other jobs for the company.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For Ali, the joy of dance is its versatility and variety — being able to wear a wide variety of “hats” and go where the need is. To be a utility player — a Swiss Army Knife. As Ali and many others know, there’s much more to dance than performing on a stage. On the podcast, Ali speaks to a wide variety of topics related to dance but, most importantly, how dance has afforded her many different opportunities that have allowed her to use her talents in many different ways.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Moving Quotes:</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Your career doesn't have to be over if you don't dance professionally... There are so many different paths you can take."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I think that's what's so awesome about my job — I'm incorporating what I love to do. I love dancing and definitely wanted to do the professional route... However, I also love teaching and all of the other things I get to do while maintaining a 'normal life.'"</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Work hard for what you want, a