About this episode
In this episode, Robin sits down with arts entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker Chasta Hamilton, founder and CEO of Stage Door Dance Productions, and founder of the nonprofit Girls Geared for Greatness.
Chasta shares how the performing arts became a stabilizing force after she lost both parents as a child, and how that experience shaped her mission to build dancers who are not only technically strong, but confident, resilient, and prepared to lead.
Robin and Chasta dig into big industry questions, including:
Why Chasta wrote Trash the Trophies and what competition culture can get wrong
How studio owners and parents can rethink “success” in dance
Building leadership programs for teens and creating stronger studio communities
What parents should know about private equity and growing consolidation in the dance world
This is a conversation about values, courage, and the kind of training that prepares young performers for the stage and for life.
About Chasta:
Orphaned as a child, Chasta found comfort in the creativity, play, and catharsis of the performing arts. This led to a life as an arts entrepreneur where she believes that everyone has the power to reach their fullest potential and disrupt the status quo in an empowering and inspiring way. She does this through her entrepreneurial endeavors, writing, corporate consulting and motivational speaking. This niche in change management developed through various personal and professional challenges that forced her to find optimism in her quest for success, happiness, and impact.
A true Renaissance woman, thought leader, and disruptor, Chasta is the Founder and CEO of Stage Door Dance Productions and Founder and President of the non-profit Girls Geared For Greatness. She’s also a best-selling author (Trash The Trophies and Handle the Horrible as well as the children’s book The Trophy Trap) and speaker (TEDx: You Weren’t Built to Break). Chasta lives in Raleigh with her husband, John, their son, Bash, and their Scottish Terrier, Elvis. For more information, visitwww.chastahamilton.com.
I deeply believe in helping others reach their fullest potential- in dance, and in life, on stage and off
