Episode 105: Teaching My First Love — Alysia Johnson

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Alysia Johnson — a dancer at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, a co-founder of</span> <a href= "https://www.blackdancechangemakers.com/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Black Dance Change Makers</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, an entrepreneur, a thought-leader, and so much more.</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">A Dallas native, Alysia has been dancing at a competitive level since the age of twelve and ultimately enrolled at The Juilliard School, where she earned a BFA in Dance. While getting her degree, Alysia developed an affinity for community engagement and secured two grants to help create dance education for students and parents in the Dallas area. As mentioned, she is co-founder of Black Dance Change Makers, which seeks to empower Black artists.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alysia’s early exposure to providing dance education to others has given her a genuine love and appreciation for teaching and teachers. At the early age of 19, she was tasked with recruiting quality educators to work at the dance schools that she founded in Dallas and, from then on, has maintained a healthy respect for the art of teaching the art. On the podcast, Johnson speaks to the respect she holds for those who bear the great responsibility of handing down arts from generation to generation.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Moving Quotes:</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I had lots of amazing mentors and teachers growing up. And through that, I started to understand the power and responsibility of teachers. And I thought, 'This is what I want. I want to help people and share my knowledge.'"</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"It's important to me to have dance teachers who aren't just in it to make a living but who also enjoy it and understand the responsibility they have. Because dance is powerful."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"When starting a business, matter who is on your