Stephen Tannos: What REALLY Makes Dancers Stand Out

Hello friends, I'm Amanda Bar, and I'm Rebecca Lubrennen, and welcome to Dance Principles United, the podcast. Together we are passionate about helping studios owners with the business of running their studio. Join us as we talk everything from marketing, systems, studio, culture, motherhood, life and everything in between. This is the Dance Principles United podcast. Welcome to the Dance Principles United Podcast. It is back here and I have a very incredible human sitting opposite me. Super excited for this talk, the amazing Stephen Tannos. I don't feel like you really need an intro because I feel like everyone on earth knows all my credits. Please, all of them. Guys, we were literally at a cafe then and the guy working at the cafe was like aren't you that dance guy like you are very famous. Nah it's all lies. I paid him before I went in there. But you and I met a very long time ago when he weren't so famous. Oh I was a complete zero nobody. And I used to do your classes at Sydney Dance Company. God. Back in the day. What what year was that? I? 2000 and are we talking 2000? That's like 23, 24 years ago at least. 2010, 11, 12 before that. 2000 something. Yeah, something crazy like that. Unbelievable. I'd seen you dance company. It was before I had baby and she's turning 16 tomorrow. Okay. And it was quite a bit before that actually. That's crazy. That's nuts. So anyway, I was doing your classes, we hung out a bit, I think. Well, yeah, we did. And then I said to you, come teach at my studio. Well, I remember, I remember, please tell me, please tell the story. Please story. There was a choreography showcase tonight at Sydney Dance Company. I don't know if you remember this. No, I don't. I was vaguely now that you're saying it. Yeah, there was a random like, we just had all our beginner students together and then like family and friends would come and like, well, I was in the main studio and we'd put on like a little showcase of our choreographies with all that regular students. And I did this piece to, like, sense a gold creator, me, I'm a creator, this real quirky like. And at the time, I was like extra quirky because it was like, I was really trying to latch on to an identity. And then you came up to me, you belied for me at the end of the showcase as I was leaving. And I, you know, we'd obviously had a bit of interaction, but not probably a lot by that point. And you were like, who are you? Where do you teach? What are you doing? How do I get you on my studio? You need to teach me now. awesome sign here let's do it and I was like my head was like spinning I was like wait what because I wasn't really teaching I was teaching a new dance company that's it well I remember you saying to me no I don't teach it's two years I'm not gonna do it I just had never done it so I didn't even know what it that looked like right and you're like cool well you start next week here we go might not have been that soon but you like basically cattle prodded me into it I think your biggest fear was that I was going to make you be in a box, and I remember having to talk you around, I don't care what you do, I don't care what your piece looks like. And I didn't believe that at that time actually, because how can you believe someone who says that when they're a studio owner? Absolutely. And I think we had to make that decision and go on that journey together, because there was a lot of pieces that didn't place at all. Oh my god. Well, if this is any inkling as to like how much of free reign you gave me. My very first piece I've ever done for a dance studio was that bicycle race piece. Yeah. So basically I got the kids dressed up in like Victorian era bicycle Nicarbocka hide socks. Yep. This kind of heart. Yes. Suspenders. Yeah. To Queens bicycle race. Yes. So basically like a bunch of like regal bicycle riders. Yes. And there's a section where they were like we made a human bicycle and they're racing each other and then it goes into push it by salt and pepper. Do you remember that? Yes. Let's push it. We added all the bike. Oh my God. And so I was like, or she's gonna say anything, and I'm gonna like really give her anything, and see if she's game basically. And right away, like, I remember you watching it for the first time. Right. And I was shitting my pants, obviously, because I'd never done it before. And I'm done. I really know how to put a piece together, really. Like, you know, and I just, your encouragement was like, oh my God. Oh, you are pretty freaking amazing. Yeah, I think it would have been hard for me. There's no track record, you know, so like. And you were just like, go harder, go harder. More crazy art. Go for that idea. You paid for me to get, um, remember Ian, the music producer. Yep. Paid for me to go to see him in Surrey Hills. Music producer, I've never done that before. Right. And so right away, I knew you were going to give me the free range to do whatever I want. And that's all I needed. And I needed someone to give me that opportunity to go. This is you. He is you as possible and he's an avenue to do that. But I loved it too because we really did start, you know, creating ideas together. 100%. Well, go to the point where we would like, you know, everything was brainstormed together. Yeah. And I would come to you with these wild, like, we're going to ride a little like, remember those horses? Yes. Did you look back on, like, what was I doing? But anyway, whatever. Um, remember the skirt that took ginormous skirt that was, I think that was 40 hours to make that skirt. I had nothing to do with making it. I just stood back saying, yeah, you all got lifted in the middle of this like formation and she's like doing all this like, you know, casting a spell like the wicked witcher of the West, like defying gravity. Yes. Basically, we were the broomstick in her hand without the broomstick. Literally. And then she's wearing this big bunched kind of object and then it gets pulled out and it's a skirt that covers the entire stage. And we were on big stage, like we were on the Opera House stage and it covered everything and then this people underneath with fishing lines. Yeah, because it had to be pulled apart in four parts for it to come apart and like it was a thing but you facilitated all that for me and you gave me an avenue to be myself and I think that's all we need as young creatives is we need that person just to give us a chance and to kind of mentor us through and to show us that like you have something special because how else are we gonna know that? So for that I'm very grateful. Oh, very grateful. I'm grateful for you because I feel like that was such a good thing for those kids to learn and I talk about this when I'm on stage all the time but the instrument dance and some of you might have seen this dance where you know Pete Evans was dressed as a literally dressed as a double bass. A big double bass yeah and that piece I remember this moment very vividly that piece did not win at all and we put our heart and soul into these things and I remember saying to Jade Barnes I don't understand why this isn't winning it is genius like and she goes back no one's talking about whatever's winning at the moment. Everyone is going to talk about this instrument piece forevermore and it's what everyone's talking about. And that was a really important moment for me because I was like, it's actually not about the trophies, it's about what's long lasting. People still talk to me about that. I'd still get it to this day a few weeks ago. Yeah, less than that, I think, actually. Crazy. It never placed. Not once. I think we've got a third one, but we're at some like, I think maybe highly committed. I actually don't think it placed at all because it was polarizing us. It was and that was hard for those kids to get through too because I think the year before was heartbeat so they just want everything. On the finals of City of Sydney which at the time was like the Magnum Opus of like the Stedford's up against Brent Street and all that like you know studios and he's a studio from Penroth. Yeah. And we were like a hot favorite in there as well. Oh yeah, we're going in the finals every single year, I think except the Instagram. Yeah, that didn't get a look in, but that's my favorite one. Oh, and that's and I think there's a very strong lesson in that and it's absolutely. It's a lesson that's very hard to get through to students heads these days, especially now because everything is so quick. I want to know now, now, now, now, now, now, now. But if you can take anything from that story, it's that the delayed gratification of having something stand the test of time, usually only ever comes from moments that are white polarizing in the initial moment of itself. You look back on that and you have fond memories of it because it stood out, because it was different, because it took a chance. Yes. And that lasts so much longer than I did this thing that was caught at the time and it did well because it ticked all the boxes and made everyone happy like no one else remembers what was in those competitions. You can't tell me, you can't tell me you want to remember. No, not at all, not at all. And it's you being yourself that has really driven that from the get-go, I think. Oh yeah, yeah. And again, it comes from the encouragement you gave me to initially, you know, explore that. But I think all of my biggest lessons in life have come from this idea of that. And I said that in a podcast I just did before when I just talked about babies podcast. Yeah, yeah, babies podcast. And I left with the advice of like, and the most I didn't saying in his cliche way, but the most cliche way of saying it is be yourself, because everyone else is taken. Yes. You know, it's a cliche thing to say, but it's so true, like all of my best and true defining moments have come from the times when I was so much myself that was so unapologetically in my own lane, that nothing else mattered and all I was in, all I had in front of me was my idea and a little bit of a seed of like where it's going to go and just the ability to like play and and and he is bold as possible which is so hard because I look at the teens now you know and babies turning 16 and the heat is a bit of an anomaly though I think I know about still like it's still hard to go against the grain it's so hard and it's stressful it especially now and especially your business you know owner you know this better than anyone especially with a studio you want to keep your kids happy your parents happy you want to go to a steadfast you want to place. All of that's important. Obviously, you know, that better than anyone. But I think that can teach out students that are pretty bad-listened sometimes. Absolutely. And something I always say to the kids is, who's Paris Cove being? Paris Cove. Who's Stephen Tannos being? Stephen Tannos. They're not trying to be like someone. That's the difference between a rock star and someone who's just following other people. And someone who's going to have a bit of success, but it's going to be leading, you know? And that's what I always say too, similar, very similar to what you just said. All of the people, and I say this to students all the time, I'll actually go around the room and I'll say, who are some people that inspire you that you love? And they'll say the same names all the time. The names you just said, yeah. Periscard will throw Molly long in there will throw Robbie Blue is another very iconic choreographer at the moment. Bob Fussi will get all these maybe not that one as much. But the only true connecting line between all of those people is the fact that they are so, they were so 100% themselves that the minute you even just see a silhouette of their movement, you could see a Paris-Cavanaugh silhouette with no facial expression, no costume, just in black, I don't know her shade, let's just call it that for now. And in two seconds if you're a dancer that has any info about dancing, you go, that's Paris-Cavanaugh. Or if you see someone stand there like, sorry, stand there like this. Yeah. Well, bossy. Absolutely. You know, like it's just and those moments only can be that way because those people are so much themselves, you know. But in an economy where we want things to be now and TikTok, Instagram, social media where it's like, and I know it's I fall into this trap too. I'm sure you do as well. 100%. The best way to get a much easier way to get guaranteed likes and clicks and engagement is to do things that you know work already. And that's the same posting on social media, having a social media strategy. Again, you know this better than I do. These are the viral songs that you put with your thing because it works. These are the viral templates and platform things that you use for this. This is the viral tool that you know, is my viral cheeska, everything's viral, viral, like it's all being done before, like so to have uniqueness in this economy is very challenging. But the delayed gratification is and the rewards, the long term rewards for that are so much higher then these quick little dopamine hits you get. It's interesting watching your journey with that though, because I've obviously, because we're friends, I follow you all the time from the get-go, and you've tried so many different ways to get that viral thing happening, and you probably didn't even think that this latest choreography thing potentially wouldn't have gone viral or could have, and just put it out there, and now you have gone viral with that. What, what, what, what, what, what, we tried so many, you know, like I've seen you try so many different skits and acts and things totally like you've gone down so many things but holes be there I feel like that's me with business I don't know if you remember back in the day I opened so many businesses that it was a joke amongst the staff at Paul's and they'd be like what's she doing today literally what this is back opening and it's finding that one thing that actually works but it's how much work went into it beforehand it's 10,000 hour thing People talk about all the time. It's crazy that you've certainly found. Well, and even like, I'm sure we'll circle back around to the constructive comments kind of stuff maybe, maybe not. But if we're talking about like viral for choreography as well, like, my most viral by a country mile is Konga. Yeah. 50 million views across all more. If you accumulate all the different times we've posted it and like unbelievable half a billion, no, that's not half a billion. how good's my math? 50 million. And that was like a song someone suggested to me like and like the day before I was like, I'll give this a try. It's kind of fun. Thought nothing of it. Right. And then a friend was in the studio, Lauren Elton, she like helped me play with a couple ideas at the beginning of it and then that was like the first couple of eights and then and then I just didn't think about it and then about a week later I was like, I'll just tack the end of this on for my full-time class today because I don't have nothing to teach, put it up that night. Next day, it's got a hundred thousand. Wow. It's got half a million a week later. It's got two million. And then we're like, and like I traveled around Europe last year. And I had of people like chanting, calm, go when I walk in the room. Stuff it. Yeah. Literally, I went to Poland to teach and I wasn't going to teach that routine because it wasn't really suitable for them. Yeah. Um, and I walk in this 200 kids and they're chatting, calm, go like it's, you know what I mean? Like, and I could not have predicted that. Did you teach Congo? Over there? Yeah. I couldn't be like anyway. Yeah, sorry to disappoint you. Well, people plays it too. So of course. Of course. But there's something to be said for that. Like, virality. Sure, there's a formula for some things. And like there's things that need to be adhered to with social media posting, you know, having a hook on your video, all this kind of stuff. That's important. But there's something to be said for, I think true virality can only come from things that are authentic and real and things that are just when when the inspiration is not to be viral. It can't be your inspiration. It doesn't work. Yeah. I love that. The amount of times I've had clients come up to me, we want to create a viral TikTok dance. Can you make it? And my answer is always no. Yeah. That's not going to happen. If you've asked me for that, it's not going to happen. Yeah. I I promise you, but it will maybe happen. God forbid, I mean, God willing. Yes. When I'm like, my God's down, and I'm just like, I'm making this because it feels organic right now. And I'm like, creating truly in the moment. I love that. You know, it's so true. And kids need to, kids, dancers, young dancers, they need to know that. Absolutely. And it's our job as studio owners, I think to teach that more. But it's so hard to get more and more sad with the noise. So hard. Because they, they, they think they know the answers too. Oh, absolutely. Teenagers always have thoughts. Oh, that's true. I definitely do. It's a very special teacher that can get three to teens. And I talk about this all the time, but you've got to make it about them. You can't make it about yourself. 100%. They don't care if I'm in going, I did this, that doesn't work when a teacher walks in and goes. When they have the energy of like, do you know what I've done before? Yeah. They don't give a shit. No, they don't give a shit. And they will let you know. Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. up in a brutal. Absolutely. I even get the feelings, you know, because I consider myself to be quite popular amongst that age demographic. Very much so. But I even get that feeling sometimes when I walk into a studio, I'm like, they don't want me to. I don't want to be here. Yeah. And maybe that I do things in my head, which are just not great. But yeah. And if I'm feeling that, I can only imagine what a ballet teacher is feeling like coming in or a tap teacher. These more hard cell kind of genres, you know, but I always tell them and every teacher will tell them there's two and there's what I just said to BB as well. They need to be paying attention to those classes far more than they need to be in mind. I'm here to give you a bit of soul food and to like give you something that's fun and like that I show I can teach myself and like give you great lessons and inspire you and there's something the other but you're gonna get the real answers you need from all these other classes that aren't cool and I'm not dying because I'm a little bit sick and I can't do it. My friends don't like like what are we doing? Yeah, what are we doing? Yeah, that's where you've got to like really absolute. But it's not sexy. It's not that's right They they learn until it's too late sometimes is what they don't learn until it's too late Yes, so the more people there are telling them that the better and the more people from my position and from your position as well We're not even here to talk about We kind of just throw up in that tension We went for a little bit too long on this podcast, so we are going to break it into make sure that you come back next week. We hope you enjoy this episode of the Dance Principles United Podcast. If you'd love to learn more from us, we have a special offer just for our podcast listeners. Go to the link in the show notes right now to get two weeks free in Dance Principles United tribe. Who would love to see you there?