DanceSpeak

In episode 221, host Galit Friedlander and guest Kim Holmes (widely respected director, choreographer, dance educator) explore the roots of house and hip-hop culture through lived experience, mentorship, and time spent inside New York City’s party and club scenes before these styles became widely visible. Kim shares her journey into dance, discovering house at a young age, and learning directly with pioneers like Marjory Smarth during a formative era that shaped how she moves, teaches, and thinks about longevity. Together, Galit and Kim reflect on what it meant to come up in spaces where culture was built in real time—long before social media or conventions—and how being “the it kids” back then came with both opportunity and responsibility. The conversation also moves into technique, recovery, listening to the body, trusting timing, and how mindset and intuition quietly guide long careers in dance. Originally recorded in 2019, this episode feels especially relevant today as dancers revisit foundations, lineage, and what it truly means to sustain a life in dance beyond trends. Follow Galit: Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/gogalit Website – https://www.gogalit.com/ Fit From Home – https://galit-s-school-0397.thinkific.com/courses/fit-from-home You can connect with Kim Holmes on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kimd.holmes. Listen to DanceSpeak on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.