In short
Ashley Everett discusses how dance builds discipline, leadership, emotional resilience, fitness, and mental strength, plus how dance communicates stories and emotions. The episode also includes Shawn’s immune-support segment emphasizing exercise, real-food nutrition, and propolis supplementation.
Guest backgrounds
Ashley Everett is Beyonce’s former lead dancer and dance captain (nearly two decades). She performed on major stages including the Grammys, World Music Awards, and three Super Bowl halftime shows, and worked with artists like Usher, Jennifer Lopez, Shania Twain, and Tina Turner. She has acted on Glee, Hit the Floor, Good Trouble, and The Sex Lives of College Girls, and is launching her show NDA: Next Destination Ahead.
Key claims
Dance teaches discipline and focus; leadership requires not taking things personally and managing emotions; “show must go on” after mistakes; ice baths can help recovery and mental calm; dance is a therapeutic communication tool; discipline/determination and staying a “good person” drive success.
Notable examples
Ballet as her foundation; being a peer mediator in middle school; Radio City Rockettes precision and eight-show weeks; her Super Bowl 2013 performance and “Single Ladies” video; a toxic work environment from miscommunication; ice baths during rehearsals.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOThe Significance of Dance
0:45 to 2:57
Discussion on the value of dance in human expression and its benefits.
“This is a way for us to process and release stress and energy.”
Health Preparedness and Nutrition
2:57 to 7:45
Exploration of immune health, nutrition, and the upcoming cold season.
“and I cannot wait to share this with you today.”
Health Preparedness and Nutrition
7:58 to 8:17
Exploration of immune health, nutrition, and the upcoming cold season.
“Use the code modelhealth all together as one word.”
Introducing Ashley Everett
8:35 to 10:10
Background on Ashley Everett's career and her contributions to dance.
“And now let's get to our special guest and topic of the day.”
Lessons from Dance: Discipline and Leadership
10:22 to 14:00
Ashley discusses how dance has shaped her discipline, leadership, and emotional resilience.
“Dance has taught me discipline and discipline, I think will get you anywhere you want in life, you know, in a solid one sentencer, you know, that's going to be a clip.”
Exploring Leadership Through Dance
14:00 to 15:10
Learn how dance shapes leadership skills and personal growth.
“And it's developing certain tools and capacities to be able to get a job done.”
Empathy and Leadership Challenges
15:10 to 18:00
Discover the complexities of leadership and empathy in a creative environment.
“I feel like I was just very inspired by her and I loved what I saw.”
Defining Your Superpower
18:00 to 22:20
Understand the importance of discipline and determination as a superpower.
“And I'm saying all this to say that in the position of leadership, you're dealing with different people who have different aspirations, different personalities.”
Challenges in Dance and Performance
22:20 to 27:00
Examine the physical and emotional challenges faced in the dance industry.
“Because that thing that you have, it's not, it is unique, of course, but it's not that it's not accessible for all of us too.”
The Art of Precision in Dance
27:00 to 28:00
Explore the rigorous training and precision required in dance performances.
“You know, but yeah, just fitness stuff or whatever.”
Show all 29 chapters
The Discipline of Dance
28:00 to 29:15
Explore the foundational discipline required in dance and performance.
“You know, so you having, having this base built is really, really cool because you could do all kinds of stuff.”
Ice Baths and Recovery Strategies
29:15 to 31:01
Learn about the benefits and considerations of ice baths for recovery.
“If you want to like know what a dancer life is like, that is very relatable.”
Mental Health Benefits of Dance
31:01 to 33:12
Understand how dance and physical discomfort can aid mental health.
“I mean, first of all, there's a couple of things I was rattling them off.”
Dance as a Form of Expression
33:12 to 35:40
Discover how dance serves as a powerful medium for communication and therapy.
“How have you seen dance be able to communicate different things?”
Self-Care in Dance Careers
35:40 to 37:48
Uncover the importance of self-care and fitness in a dancer’s life.
“So how did you like take care of yourself through this?”
Current Fitness Practices and Adaptability
37:48 to 39:55
Learn about current fitness routines and the importance of adaptability in training.
“Oh my gosh, today I take the best care of myself I ever have, which is so crazy.”
Multitasking and Dance Skills
39:55 to 40:16
Dancers possess unique skills that aid in multitasking and learning.
“Your ability to replay, to mimic, it's just at a different level physically, physicality.”
Iconic Performances and Memories
40:16 to 42:00
Reflect on memorable performances and the impact they have on a dancer's career.
“People were like, are you going on tour or back in?”
Iconic Performance Moments
42:00 to 43:10
Ashley shares her favorite performance memories, including iconic moments from Beyoncé's shows.
“I just had a great time in that performance.”
Handling Mistakes on Stage
43:10 to 44:25
Discussion on how to cope with performance mistakes and the importance of resilience.
Creating Next Destination Ahead
44:25 to 45:28
Ashley talks about her initiative, NDA, designed to give creative voices a platform.
“But as of now, especially now, AI, I mean, there are some robots out here dancing.”
The Importance of Asking Questions
45:28 to 46:55
Ashley reflects on the value of asking important questions in life and the insights gained.
“And so NDA stands for Next Destination Ahead because I'm just doing a play on it.”
Ashley’s Dance Journey
46:55 to 50:06
Ashley recounts her journey into dance, including early influences and pivotal moments.
“And so that was so beautiful to see, you know?”
From Alvin Ailey to Beyoncé
50:06 to 53:26
Ashley discusses her experiences at Alvin Ailey and how she transitioned to dancing for Beyoncé.
“They bought me an apartment essentially.”
Rising to Prominence
53:26 to 55:10
Ashley shares insights on perseverance and what it takes to become successful in dance.
“And her choreographer was in the hallway and me and my friends were like walking and passing by or something, too.”
The Journey of Overcoming Challenges
56:00 to 57:09
Learn how successful individuals push through adversity and the importance of perseverance.
“Like truly, I think any successful person is always going to hit with a no and always going to get a door slammed in their face.”
Sharing Socials and New Projects
57:10 to 57:31
Discover Ashley's personal socials and her new project, Next Destination Ahead.
“So again, can you share the socials, share the YouTube?”
The Importance of Hard Work and Kindness
57:31 to 58:58
Understand how hard work and being a good person contribute to success and positivity.
“What is the model that you're here to set for other people with how you live your life personally?”
Appreciation and Future Endeavors
58:58 to 59:59
Listen to the heartfelt appreciation between the host and Ashley, and their excitement for future projects.
“We definitely need more of the good people back out there because it can be a toxic world, like I was saying earlier too.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Ashley Everett:You are now listening to The Model Health Show with Shawn Stevenson. For more, visit themodelhealthshow.com. Welcome to The Model Health Show. When you use the word icon, you've got to use that word very, very selectively. When it comes to the domain of dance, there are very few icons. But today's guest definitely fits the mold perfectly. Today's special guest set a new standard for what dancing can truly mean, the impact that it can make. And one of her most iconic roles was that of Beyonce's lead dancer and dance captain. Our special guest today is Ashley Everett, and she set a new bar for the potential of what dance can be, what it can communicate, and the impact that it can make.
0:56Ashley Everett:And today you're going to discover some of the behind the scenes, not only behind the scenes in performance, but behind the scenes in her thinking, in the thinking of somebody who is an iconic dancer and somebody who's truly influenced the dance culture. and dancing is something that is uber valuable for human beings in general this is something that has been a part of our history since we've had a history as soon as a person realized they had a booty to shake they were shaking at all right and so this is a way for us to communicate this is a way for us to share a story this is a way for us to express this is a way for us to emote.
1:40Ashley Everett:This is a way for us to process and release stress and energy. The list goes on and on and on. We've got multiple studies affirming the value, the positive changes in our biochemistry that come from this expression of moving our bodies with the label that we put on it as dance. And there's so many different diverse ways of dance and what that can look like. And so I wanted to provide this powerful insight and this very, very special guest for that purpose as well. Hopefully you get more interested, if not inspired, to move your body more frequently in this expression of dance because it's truly valuable.
2:27Ashley Everett:and we have access to this all the time. Even as you might be sitting and listening to this episode, you could be bobbing your head. You could be moving your body. Or if you feel inspired, you can even get up and do a full-on percolator. You can do a full-on to see roll, to see roll, macarena, whatever you're into. If you should be inspired. But truly, this is a very, very special episode and filled with incredible insight. and I cannot wait to share this with you today. Now, as of this recording, I know that it's summer and I know that we're outside right now, but winter is coming. The so-called cold and flu season is coming.
3:14Ashley Everett:We want to be prepared this year. Be prepared for the White Walkers. Be prepared for those things that are going to be attempting to influence our immune system in a negative way and take us out of the game. Recent science has revealed that you do not have to get sick as much as the average person does. For instance, a meta-analysis published in exercise and sports science reviews determined that regular exercise significantly improves human immune system response to infections and reduces susceptibility to viruses. And within this and building our own shield, our nutrition matters so much. Our nutrition is literally determining what our immune cells are made of.
4:04Ashley Everett:It's providing the raw materials to make our immune cells, our lymphatic system, our brain tissue, our heart tissue, our liver tissue. Every cell in our bodies are made from the food that we eat. So that's level foundation level number one. On top of that, the activity of our immune cells are deeply determined by our nutrition. We want to avoid the things that create utter chaos within our cells, that create utter chaos within our immune system. And you know what those foods are. it's the ultra process categories it's the cheetos it's the pop tarts it's the fun yans it's not gonna be fun when you're sick all right those things create again really abnormal chemistry to where we are forced to mount an excessive immune response and inflammatory cascade just by interacting with these types of things now can our system handle a little bit here and there for sure.
5:11Ashley Everett:Easy, easy. That's light work for an immune system that is not overstressed. But the average person today, our immune systems are deeply overstressed and deranged and are often not mounting an appropriate immune response. Our symptoms when we get sick, that experience is our immune system responding to a virus, bacteria, fungi. It's not those things that are doing it to us. It's our immune system that's creating the excess mucus and the coughing and the sneezing and the headaches. With the fever, our immune system's trying to cook it out. So it's about having an appropriate response, not an over-reaching response are not under acting as well.
6:00Ashley Everett:We want an appropriate response from our immune system. And so again, our nutrition matters so much. We want to prioritize eating real food. And right now, again, be prepared because winter is coming. I want to share this recent 2024 study from the Journal of Health, Population, and Nutrition. The title of the study is Propolis Supplementation can reduce serum levels of interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and tumor necrosis factor alpha. What does all that mean? Propolis. Propolis has been utilized for thousands of years, is now clinically proven to reduce this inflammatory cascade and reduce our susceptibility to illnesses, to infections.
6:55Ashley Everett:And so this is helping us to mount an appropriate immune response. This is something that I've been utilizing for years. Myself, my family utilizes Propolis. And in particular, we utilize the Propolis Immune Support Throat Spray from Beekeepers Naturals. This is your daily dose of immunity for proactive immune support during these back-to-school slash cold and flu seasons. It delivers antioxidants like flavonoids and polyphenols that fight free radicals and combat oxidative stress while helping to defend against these pathogens on the spot. And when the pathogens start to increase during the cold and flu season, propolis immune spray is going to have your back as your daily routine that provides defense for the whole family.
7:45Ashley Everett:And right now you're going to get 20 % off of their superstar propolis immune throat spray when you go to beekeepersnaturals.com forward slash model. That's B-E-E-K-E-E-P-E-R-S naturals.com forward slash model for 20 % off. Use the code modelhealth all together as one word. Take advantage. Be ready. have this in your medicine cabinet, have this in your superfood cabinet. My son, who's in the studio with me right now, this is something that he uses on a regular basis as well. He knows that it's right there in our cabinet, right in the kitchen. We go grab that bad boy. And this is that proactive immune system defense that we use on a regular basis.
8:32Ashley Everett:So again, beekeepersnaturals.com for 20 % off. And now let's get to our special guest and topic of the day. Ashley Everett is a trailblazing force in entertainment, renowned for her remarkable contributions to dance and performance. For nearly two decades, she's played a pivotal role as Beyonce's lead dancer and dance captain, infusing creativity into countless iconic projects, including music videos, commercials, live performances, and global tours. Her artistry has graced prestigious stages such as the Grammys, the World Music Awards, and three unforgettable Super Bowl halftime shows. Ashley's talents have also led her to perform with artists like Usher, Jennifer Lopez, Shania Twain, and Tina Turner.
9:18Ashley Everett:Beyond her celebrated dance career, Ashley has made a mark as an actress. She's appeared on popular shows such as Glee, Hit the Floor, Good Trouble, and The Sex Lives of College Girls. And after nearly two decades at the forefront of Beyonce's creative empire, Ashley is now channeling her passion, discipline, and artistry into a new chapter as a creator. She's pursuing a range of ventures that expand her reach beyond the stage in ways that fuse her love for storytelling, style, wellness, and empowerment into work that inspires and empowers others. starting with her new hit show, NBA, Next Destination Ahead with Ashley.
10:04Ashley Everett:Let's dive in this conversation with the one and only Ashley Everett. Ashley, this is about to be epic. I'm excited. Thank you for having me. Absolutely. Of course. Of course. I want to ask you about the value that dance has brought to your life. How has dance helped you to grow as a person? Oh my gosh. I always say this. Dance has taught me discipline and discipline, I think will get you anywhere you want in life, you know, in a solid one sentencer, you know, that's going to be a clip. But no, no, but yeah, I really I feel like dance gave me that discipline to now do what I'm doing now and the discipline to focus and learn new skills like basketball, like we were talking about off camera earlier.
10:56you know um yeah it gave me it gave me that along so many other things too um how to pay attention how to work hard how to show up on time how to you know take directions and follow instructions and perform and be a character and stuff like that you know it's taught me so many things but the discipline is the number one thing that I'm like, yes. And specifically, probably the ballet. Yeah. Because I'm like, I have like, I started with ballet. Ballet is like my foundation of everything. And I did it all throughout my career. And I kind of stopped when I went professional with Beyonce, you know?
11:43So yeah, ballet is always, I'm always going to be a ballerina in my little heart.
11:49Ashley Everett:I love this. I love that you led off with discipline and like even the root of discipline is disciple. And the meaning, if you dig into it means to be committed to something specifically within yourself. So it's like being a disciple of you and like, what is your path? We got a dictionary right here. So, you know, just to lead off with that, because a lot of people have negative associations with discipline. Yeah. Yeah, I guess so. I think of discipline as such a positive thing. Like it's brought a lot of positive to my life, you know? I mean, I guess it can have a negative, you know, association too, but for me.
12:32Ashley Everett:It's the perspective. It is the perspective. So within that and the growth, because the things that you shared, it's been such a rich experience with dance and has brought so many gifts and I'm sure challenges as well. Yeah. What has dance taught you about your emotional capacity, mental capacity? Like, has that helped to grow you in those departments? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, especially when I became a dance captain and I had to be a leader in this role, in this world, this dance world, I had to really learn how to take myself out of stuff and not take things... The industry really taught me how not to take things personal, but leadership and being a dance captain definitely taught me how to kind of take my feelings and personal things out of it.
13:29And honestly, this probably isn't super healthy, but it taught me how to like be numb a lot too, you know, and probably the industry as well. Like everything I've just been through, I can like be numb to some things and be like, okay, we can ignore the chaos and just like push through or whatever, you know? And yeah, I know how to like throw the blinders on and focus.
13:54Ashley Everett:I love it. And I love that you're, again, the term and just saying, for example, numb to certain things. Like some of these things. I know it can be negative. Right. Again, it's levels to this stuff. And it's developing certain tools and capacities to be able to get a job done. Yeah. You know what I mean? It's just, again, it's the framing. Yeah. Yes. Because it is just to get things done and push through and, you know, the greater outcome or whatever. So in talking about, and this was one of the things I want to ask you about, that leadership role, right? That leadership capacity, because this isn't necessarily something you might think about when you get into dance, right?
14:38Ashley Everett:And it's a very, it can be very individual. It can be kind of a group dynamic as well. And, you know, I've been to several Nutcrackers now that, you know, my son is in, you know, going to middle school and high school and all that stuff. And but then to emerge as somebody who's in a leadership role, I'm very curious, like if there's some specific things that dance has taught you about leadership and then we'll talk about creativity. Mm-hmm. Specifically about leadership. Well, you know, working so closely in a leadership role with a superstar, a megastar, Beyonce, she was our ultimate leader and boss, you know, and she led really beautifully, in my opinion.
15:28I feel like I was just very inspired by her and I loved what I saw. I always say this, be a sponge in the room. Like I've said earlier too, I'm like, I want to be a sponge and learn from you. I did that with her. I was like, wow, this is leadership. This is talent. This is discipline. This is, you know, a superstar and an icon and a legend. So she was a great leader in that role. And I learned a lot in that space. Um, and then that role in dance captain space taught me leadership outside of it, you know, and I feel like I carry it in everything I do. And I feel like because of that role and title that people associate with me too, they already look to me for like answers, you know, like even still other dancers are like, Ashley, I saw you like are doing your podcast now or whatever it's about, you know, and like are looking for advice, knowledge, direction.
16:32It's just carried me through my career leadership. And I feel like that's a part of my purpose, probably.
16:41Ashley Everett:My purpose, probably. Right before you got here, my daughter texted me. She was like, dad, please, can you answer the phone? I really need to vent. Okay. All right. And she just is taking this managerial role at her job. How old is she? She is 30. Okay. All right. And I know you're looking at me like, how? Are you a vampire? Period. But she was sharing that, you know, in this position, when she was, you know, just working with everybody as, you know, kind of an equal team member, everything was kind of cool. But now, and she's being empathetic. She's like, I don't want to, you know, big sis people or like act like I'm better.
17:22Ashley Everett:That kind of thing. I'm thinking about this very empathetically and how I'm relating to people and their different personality types. But she's dealing with people. And so that's why she wanted to vent. Like she's just like, dad, this person. And she's just going on and on and getting it out. And so she shared. And also I was able to give her a perspective, a solution, which sometimes, you know, again, with, you know, women, my, you know, my daughter, sometimes she just wants to vent. Yeah. Yeah. It's like, do you want a solution or do you want an ear? And so I was able to also give her a point in the direction of a solution as well.
18:00Ashley Everett:And I'm saying all this to say that in the position of leadership, you're dealing with different people who have different aspirations, different personalities. So what have you learned about that? Especially something so creative, something so expressive, something so emotional. How are you able to manage being the captain with so many different personalities? Oh, my gosh. I think part of my job is dealing with or working with. I said dealing. But both working with so many different types of people, you know. And in order to be successful in this industry and have longevity, I feel like I talk about this a lot also, you have to kind of be able to work with a lot of different types of people and know how to get along with people, be easy to work with, be nice, just be enjoyable to be around.
18:58Um, so I think my leadership role and my career in general has taught me that very early on. I also sometimes tell this story to some friends and stuff, but I was a peer mediator in middle school, which is so random. I don't know how I got like nominated. It was manifesting because clearly it, you know, played a role into my adulthood too. but yeah I was a peer mediator in middle school and I remember like sitting there between two kids who were fighting or whatever and being like so how did that make you feel and how did that make you feel and I'm like how did I get here and why what teacher nominated me for this but then cut to years later I have to do that in work settings you know so it was all preparation obviously, and alignment.
19:53So I've just, I've learned so much about leadership and, and how to deal with people, how to be empathetic, but also still get the job done and not take things personal and not be personal to people too, you know, like, yeah.
20:12Ashley Everett:That's the thing. Life was qualifying you, you know, as it does for certain situations, because I was going to ask you like, what is it about you that made you so successful in that role? And then you go back to, you know, that moment, right? It's so crazy. I don't know if I've ever even mentioned this before in all the years we've been doing this, but in high school, I was nominated to be a teenage health consultant, right? And so we would go to the different classrooms and talk about different health issues. I didn't have no business doing that. Like who, why would you nominate? I don't know what it was about me then, but it's again, like it's these little, you know, the, the little sprinkles, you know, the little trail of like what, what is possible.
20:57Ashley Everett:And so this leads me to another question. If we could dig a little deeper, what do you feel is your superpower? My superpower. Ooh. Hmm. That's a really good question. I think that it has something to do with my discipline and determination because I've always been determined and disciplined and I think those two things are a good pairing so if there's a word that could come that could a baby word that could be the two of those determination maybe that would be my I was going to say double D's, but maybe we'll blend them together. These truly are. The thing about it and you stating this is your superpower, it's rare.
21:54Ashley Everett:It's rare to have those two things. Do you ask most people this? I'm asking you. I mean, I do in different ways. Okay. But of course you can ask me anything. Okay. But for you, I'm trying to get to what is it about you that you see that makes you so exceptional? Because it is obvious to all of us, you know, and it's just pointing to like putting the spotlight on it. Because that thing that you have, it's not, it is unique, of course, but it's not that it's not accessible for all of us too. We could all tap into it. And so, but being like for you to really put a spotlight on discipline when, again, we're at the all time high of not being disciplined right now.
22:41Ashley Everett:You know what I mean? There's so many things, so much, you know, distraction and foam. What if you can really cultivate your discipline? Oh my gosh. Get clear on the thing that you want and just really, you know. Yeah. Come on. Yeah. You better preach. You better preach. Okay, what do you think your superpower is before you go into the next question? Because I just want to know and reverse the question. Oh, for sure. I think that my superpower is my ability to make complex things simple. That is a superpower. To make it attractive and easy to understand. Because life really is. We overcomplicate things as well.
23:26Ashley Everett:A lot of people do that to sound smart. you know so but just to like make things approachable all these life things that we all want to know so i think i just make it uh accessible easy to understand i think that's my superpower yeah i'm a metabolizer yes that's a superpower indeed we need that i'm one of the people who needs it i want to ask you about you know obviously you've done so many different types Like I was spending time, I think you were like in the desert somewhere. And then like, of course you're on stage. And then like you're - Like on my social medias or something. Yeah, just all this different stuff that you've done.
24:04Yeah, I'm all over the place.
24:05Ashley Everett:And I know this might be a hard question, but what do you think was the most challenging experience with dance that you've ever had? Like a specific show or a specific experience? There have been loads of challenges. Um, but one that comes to mind, there was just a lot of miscommunication on the job and it, um, it just was like a toxic work environment. and so that for me was very like eye-opening and challenging you know because a lot of people and it was also like there were new people in the room new like dancers and older OG dancers and stuff who like know right from wrong and like know what a toxic work environment is and what isn't and so the new ones are like oh is this normal you know and now that I'm like older and like I'm not the new one anymore and like i've been a leader for so long and stuff i just i it's very hard for me to like sit back and accept like the toxicity in some work environments you know so that's like emotionally and mentally challenging and like on top of physically challenging you know um but if we want to talk like physically challenging or like for sure yeah what about you know physically challenging gosh i remember oh well you know i've always said this too i was a rockette do you know what the rockets are of course okay like the radio city music hall yes uh-huh the ladies who kick like the little kick line i was a rocket in 2008 the same year that single ladies came out because i was on tour with the rockets doing christmas shows and single ladies came out at the same time um and that job is very very challenging and hard and mainly because it's kind of like it's similar to broadway so you're doing like up to eight shows a week or whatever and sometimes four shows in a day which is crazy so like weekends are piled up like saturday sunday four shows because that's when families are like coming to the show so starting at like 10 a.m up until like 8 p.m or whatever and then we were doing ice baths and all that in rehearsals because we were just rehearsing so so much and and it's just very um precise precision dance which is not what you're taught in the entertainment industry you're taught to have your own flavor and stand out and all that you know so that's another challenge on top of it which is like physically hard on the body so that was a very challenging um job too but and i feel like not a lot of people know that because it looks very easy um which i think dance is supposed to look like that i never thought about that you know yeah i mean everything i've done is challenging but you know things other things are harder than others yeah yeah physically low key that's another some people got extra superpowers you know i'm saying that's another superpower is making it look easy.
27:24Making things look easy for sure.
27:26Ashley Everett:You know, but yeah, just fitness stuff or whatever. Yeah. I've learned, you know, something, another aspect. Something you said earlier too, with, you know, having this set of physical skills and physical literacy and transferring that over into other physical things. Like, you know, you're picking up basketball, you know, like there's, there's, you know, there's the saying neurons that fire together, wire together. there are these patterns that we develop for movement that if you have a base of movement and kind of athleticism and creativity, it's much, much easier to pick up synergistic movements.
28:02Ashley Everett:You know, so you having, having this base built is really, really cool because you could do all kinds of stuff. You know, if you invest again, the discipline, the discipline, if you just say discipline you can do anything you want for real and work hard and be a nice person and all that that part yeah come on yeah but the radio city music hall like of course like that's something i saw on tv whatever but on my 10 year anniversary i took my wife there for it was dave chapelle chris rock they were yeah not the not the dancing oh okay okay but it was a show radio city yes got And I was like, when I went there, that's what I thought about.
28:41Ashley Everett:I was like, this is so iconic for, you know, the dancers and the leg kicking. Yeah, the leg kicking dancers, the Rockettes. But I never thought about how, like, it's the repetition, you know, just like so precise. Like you said, it's like you blend in. It's so hard. You know, you're one, literally just one unit, one continuous unit. I can't imagine how challenging that might be. It's tough. It's very tough. And it's a lot of rehearsals and a lot of training and a lot of auditioning. Even the audition process was like a whole boot camp kind of thing. You know, have you ever seen the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders documentary?
29:19Netflix. Yeah.
29:20Ashley Everett:I've seen it on Netflix. I haven't watched it. Oh my God. If you want to like know what a dancer life is like, that is very relatable. I think for any type of dancer, you know, I've never been on an NFL team technically, but I'm like, oh, I'm triggered, you know? So yeah, that'll tell you a lot. And also you mentioned you were doing the ice baths. You know, that's popping now. I know, I know. I'm like, I was doing that back in 2008. But I think they've definitely been around way longer than that too. Of course. My son, I think we were talking about it. Was it today, B, about the ice baths or was that yesterday?
Read the full transcript
29:58Yesterday that we were working out.
29:59Ashley Everett:Yeah, we were working out and we were talking about, because he was like, is this good to do after you train? And what we know now, especially if you're training, if you were performing, right? So if you have an event and you need to, you need to recover really quickly for performance, great. But for adaptation, like if you're training, say, you know, we were doing some weightlifting, that can blunt the adaptation because it's kind of like, essentially kind of blunting the process. Of the growth. and stuff that you're trying to work on. But if you need to, like you got a basketball game and you just played and you got a game the next day.
30:39Ashley Everett:Yeah, and your knee hurts or something. Ice bath can be incredibly helpful with helping to reduce these inflammatory biomarkers. But also a lot of people are doing it for the mental health piece today as well. Wait, but what does it do? Because it like shocks your brain and forces you to like, what, breathe and stuff? As far as the mental health piece? Yeah, yeah. Because it's painful. I mean, first of all, there's a couple of things I was rattling them off. One of them is because you're doing something that is painful, you know, like you're, you're putting your body into the stressor, right? So your body, what does it do when it senses like something discomfort, discomforting, it releases endorphins.
31:23It releases chemistry to help you to feel better.
31:27Ashley Everett:This is why people, a lot of people feel so like refreshed and good after doing something like that. Interesting. You know, so that's part of it. And also, yes, it's being able to get into this kind of high pressure situation and to calm yourself. Right. And it helps you to bring that out into the world to where a stressor might be happening, but you are staying cool. Yeah. You know, so just a couple of these kind of mental health related benefits. I get that. I get that. But when I said it, don't look like you're getting into a cold plunge. You know, the gym that I was telling you about that I started going to this week has a cold plunge and I've been looking at it.
32:05But there's also a sauna and I'm like, sauna please.
32:08Ashley Everett:Sauna it is for me. And it's a red light sauna. So I'm like kind of same, same. Give me all. Give me all. One more thing with this is, again, in our world of convenience and everything is super comfy and creature comforts and all the things. it's another great implement or exposure to get us uncomfortable you know to to adapt to something you know because we got the perfect climate control thing all the time and so but our ancestors evolved in different temperatures and your body has to adapt what happens when you don't use those pathways for your brain your nervous system circulatory system that stuff kind of starts to atrophy.
32:48Ashley Everett:You know what I mean? So, and I, I know people who find it difficult to adapt, like if it's hot, like they're flipping out or if it's cold, they're flipping out. Like just give yourself some exposure. So you're more adaptable. Yeah, exactly. Some time, a little patience. I mentioned this term earlier, you know, I said physical literacy. Would you say that dance is a language. Yeah, for sure. How have you seen dance be able to communicate different things? Like, obviously, I guess you can express different emotions, but like you being in this field for so long, how have you used dance in ways that we might not see as far as like expression and communication?
33:37How have I used it? I mean, it's therapeutic. I think a lot of people, a lot of dancers use dance as therapy because it's usually a passion that it comes from, you know. And so it's an outlet, a creative outlet. Well, also, I mean, it's a great form now of communication through like social media, you know, like engaging with people who are like you. other dancers who might want to look up and do the things that you're doing like me for example you know like I have used it for well I've I've gained a platform through dance and communicating with it on social media I think music can lead your movement and then your movement or you don't even have to have music you can do movement without it like if you did something right now go ahead and do something let's see yeah see i would say you're in a good mood you have fun right like yeah you're not like okay right like that you hit something different this is what
34:48Ashley Everett:people see when they're around you like you hit whatever you just did it's just like a different you know it's like different we're on a different journey or i'm like you know it's different communicate something different right yeah crumping right you know yeah wow so this actually relates to how humans have been doing this forever, you know, expressing, sharing story, sharing emotion, teaching. Relating. Yeah. Teaching. Relations. So powerful. Expressions. Yeah. So can I ask you, you know, we mentioned the cold plunging aside, it's obviously a very kind of athletic and skilled and intense experience dancing, especially like on a tour situation.
35:41Ashley Everett:So how did you like take care of yourself through this? Oh my gosh. I mean, if I'm honest, I really didn't take the best care of my body and self in my early twenties and stuff like that, you know, cause you're just young and you're like, you bounce back and you don't even really feel anything. You're like, I'm good. I don't need a massage today. I'd rather go to the mall or whatever. So I wasn't really taking the best care of myself like that unless there was something bothering me. And then I would focus on it and take care of it immediately. I thankfully have not had too many injuries throughout my career.
36:16I've injured my left ankle, the same ankle twice, um, and recovered pretty quickly on that, you know? So, but you know, what I would do was I got into fitness. I would say like kind of later dance was always kind of my form of fitness as a young girl and adult i kind of would take like pilates classes here and there some you know hot yoga jump at the gym and train with a trainer for a couple sessions but nothing that i was committed to until i really kind of stopped touring and stuff like that so those were sprinkled in throughout just dancing dance was always like my form of like fitness you know um but your body takes a toll and so eventually i want to say in i think it was like 2013 or 14 maybe when um they brought in a physical therapist on tour finally and so then i was like introduced more consistently to like caring for my body and and getting adjusted and working out knots and deep massages and really like actual physical therapy.
37:32And so then I would carry that with me into my life outside of tour and all that. So yeah, I kind of, I guess, started taking better care of myself in like about 10 years ago.
37:46Ashley Everett:So what about today? What are you doing? Oh my gosh, today I take the best care of myself I ever have, which is so crazy. but not because I have more time to invest in myself now, you know? But I think I was telling you a little bit off camera, my boyfriend's a personal trainer, and he's gotten me just into the fitness world in a different way than I was before. You know, I'm just very invested in, like, strength training. I like learning new skills like basketball. I like, what is it called? I don't even know the terms. people are like are you a trainer i'm like absolutely not i just like to work out um but anything with just my own body weight you know because i used to be like if i was hanging off the edge of a cliff would i be able to save myself or would i just be hanging there and be like oh because then my hands are gonna give up because i i could never do a pull-up until probably five years ago you know tom cruise yeah i'm saying he's gonna survive Yeah, exactly.
38:52We want to survive off the edge of the cliff. Okay. So get in the gym.
38:58Ashley Everett:I love it. I love it. So you're doing more body weight? I'm doing body weight. I'm doing weightlifting. I will still pop in like some Pilates or hot yoga classes because I love the heat and the stretching. And then I'll still dance here and there, but dance is definitely like not my main like fitness thing anymore. Yeah. And what else do I do? I honestly like to try anything. So if anybody wants to try something, I'm like, yes, tennis, pickleball, like volleyball. Yep. Like I, I'm really in, I feel like dancers are athletes, but don't get the credit for it. For sure. And we can learn things like easy because we learn from like watching, you know, like I can watch stuff and be like, okay, I think I got it.
39:48You
39:48Ashley Everett:That's what I was trying to say earlier. You just said it so well. We also have these mirror neurons. And so your mirror neurons are on PEDs. Your ability to replay, to mimic, it's just at a different level physically, physicality. That helps me with multitasking too. I'm really good at multitasking, which is interesting to me, but I think that probably has to do with what you're saying. incredible incredible so you know but also there are certain brains and certain people women can multitask better than men just off tops okay give us our credit so i mean it is what it is yeah but yeah we'll take that i'm curious as well you know like you said you you're not dancing as often i just seen you dancing with brandy like was this like a couple weeks ago it It was, it was an appearance.
40:47It was just one. People were like, are you going on tour or back in? And I'm like, absolutely not. No, no, no. Let's not get our, let's not get too excited guys. Like, no, it was just, it was just an appearance.
40:59Ashley Everett:But what's the question? With something like an appearance, like because of your physical literacy, you still probably pick stuff up really quickly in the assignment, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yes. But you know, what am I trying to say? Dance and learning choreography and dancing, like actively dancing is like a muscle muscle memory, you know, it needs to be trained and practiced. So, you know, if I do take too long of a break, I will feel a little like, Ooh, not as sharp, you know, but then I get back real quick. But, uh, yeah, that is something, you know, if you don't keep sharpening your tool, it will not be sharp anymore, right?
41:42Ashley Everett:For sure. What is your favorite performance of all time? Wow, great question. I really love this 2013 Super Bowl with Beyonce. I just had a great time in that performance. I found like every camera, I was like, finding them all. And it was just really fun. I think it was the first time I ever performed in a stadium at that time. And one of her biggest performances at the time. And so same for like all of us and the team and the camp and all that. So it was really just impactful and big, but also, and I know this isn't technically a performance, but yes, it is too. A performance is Single Ladies.
42:36I'm very proud of that video to be a part of it. But it's a video. Music video.
42:42Ashley Everett:It's iconic, though. Yeah, thank you. Yes, it is. Yeah. Yeah. So was that the... That was the one where she almost... Where she did the jump back? That was the 2016 one. I love that one, too. That one was iconic, too. And I was, like, eating it. Eating it. But, like, I was in it, you know, in that one, too. But she did. she did do a little jump back i want to ask you specifically about okay so that is one of your most iconic moments one of your favorite moments what about when things don't go according to plan like this is something that i would love for people in general but also aspiring dancers or people who dance what about when you mess up like how do you handle situations i mean mess ups are gonna happen like beyonce did this technically in the one that i said it was one of my favorites i messed up too and you can see it in the edit which is crazy but you can't really tell unless you're looking for it you know and i know because it was me but i didn't broadcast it to the world so now everybody's gonna go look for it um but yeah if you mess up i mean the show must go on it's not about that we're all human you know even though ai exists we are human you know us the you know beyonce she's human too like so that's gonna happen it's about how you recover it's about how you get through it's about how you keep going you know yeah i know that sounds cliche but it really is come on i mean the show must go on the show will go on so get on with it was such a great segue because you mentioned ai you know ai is here like it's here to take us all off of what we're doing.
44:27Ashley Everett:But as of now, especially now, AI, I mean, there are some robots out here dancing. All right. I know. But these are these human capacities that make us uniquely human for the foreseeable future. And this is something that we have the ability to tap into, to double and triple down on is like being more human than we've ever been. And part of this and this, I don't think it's an accident in your timing when we need this. You are being more human than you've ever been and opening your life up, opening your story up, sharing your voice. NDA. Yeah. Okay. You're giving a, it's a double entendre. It sure is.
45:11Ashley Everett:But you started NDA. Talk about that. Yeah, I started NDA to give myself a voice, but also give other creatives a voice and dancers somewhere to hear something, you know, from somebody that they aspire to do or, you know, want to learn from or whatever. And so NDA stands for Next Destination Ahead because I'm just doing a play on it. I've worked my entire life on NDA projects, you know, but I want to talk about where we're going next, you know, what's next for us and how do we use everything that we have learned for our next destination ahead, you know? Yeah. So where can people find Next Destination?
45:57It's on social platforms, but you will see the episodes airing on YouTube and it's my personal YouTube. this is Ashley Everett. And then on socials, it's Next Destination Ahead, just spelled out. And then my personal social is Ashley C.M. Everett. Amazing.
46:17Ashley Everett:And there's already like a diversity of topics and even the energies. You got the solo. I got the solos. Which was super just, it was number one, of course, it was entertaining to watch, but also it was just very revealing. Like a lot of the questions that, you know, the average person might have about your story and your background. And also your interview with your parents as well, which is just like so special. And so intimate too. Yeah. And because, you know, like you share with me already, like being able to ask these questions is so valuable because a lot of times we don't ask the questions until it's too late, you know?
47:03And so that was so beautiful to see, you know?
47:07Ashley Everett:And it really inspired me too, to ask more of the questions for the people that are in my life right now. And also gave me a little bit of regret too, of not asking the questions. And so I really appreciate you doing that. You're welcome. You know, I think that's another thing that goes into my superpower, inspiring people and being an inspiration. Yeah. In many ways, I think. That part, yeah. And so now we get to, you know, can like kind of the NDA. Yeah. It's like getting torn up in a way. Yeah. We can see behind the scenes. We can get these stories. We can hear these experiences. Yeah. And, you know, again, like truly, if we're talking dance, like icon alert for real, for real, you know?
47:52Ashley Everett:So in closing, I want to ask you about the beginning. I want to ask you about the superhero origin story of what inspired you to start dancing in the first place. Oh my gosh. Well, you know, my mom put me in dance when I was just two. So I wasn't, I was just a little girl who needed to get her movement somewhere, you know, and my mom was like, let's put her in dance. my mom always loved dancers and she came kind of from the arts she sang a little bit and like she can move to people don't know this but she was like on the same dance team as me when it first started in our hometown and we like went to competition she was on it for the first year and when I was like eight and then I quit and then I kept going and we like grew it was because it's very small hometown stuff very small town stuff but the reason why I started dance is because of She put me in it when she had her first baby girl, first and only baby girl.
48:54And I just felt like right in line. You know, it was like, it made sense for me. I loved it. I never complained about going. I was never like, yeah, you know, I just was ready every day. And I worked hard and I stayed focused. And then, yeah, as I got older, I would see dance. I would see videos and I would see professional ballerinas and things that I would be like, okay, so I, I can be a pro. This can be like a real career thing, you know, but I didn't know how to get there. So especially like industry stuff, I knew more like concert world, like ballet and competition, which is ends after high school, basically, you know?
49:40So, um, yeah, I didn't know how to like be a music video dancer or work with an artist, but I learned that very quickly. And moving to New York opened up a lot for me too.
49:54Ashley Everett:When was that? When I was 16. So how does that work? Like, were you in high school still? I was in high school. Yep. And my mom moved with me. My parents work in real estate. So they got a place. They bought me an apartment essentially. and we were like bi-coastal and my dad and mom came out there and set it up and then my dad went back home to work and the rest of the family and me and my mom stayed in new york while i finished high school and i started dancing with beyonce when i was in my senior year so it paid off that is incredible like that just the investment with your parents is like they definitely invested yes that's why i wanted them to tell their story Well, when I think about New York and also you going there for, was it ballet was the focus?
50:48Yeah, I went to go train at Alvin Ailey. So it was modern dance. Right. But we do ballet and different types of modern.
50:57Ashley Everett:I'm getting like fame vibes. Yeah. Yeah, kind of. But Alvin Ailey, it's like barefoot. You know, you're like the very grounded dancing. and it's known for being an African-American company. They have their little sprinkles of others, but it's a black company. So Alvin Ailey is a black man who started it. And by the way, when I say fame, for people that don't, it was a TV show, Debbie Allen. Yeah. You know, when I was a little kid. She's an icon and queen herself. Yeah, shout out. But, you know, so again, you're there for that, which is, I mean, probably the - Oh, like the story of fame. Yeah, the top aspiration might be like leading the dance company.
51:44Right.
51:45Ashley Everett:Potentially. But then how do you end up - I know. Well, I thought when I went to Alvin Ailey, like I thought I was going to be in high school and then they would be like, yes, we want her in the company. And so then I thought I'd be in the company and be like a star company member. And that's like when I was training there, that's like what my goal was. because I saw the company members and I was like, I could be her. I could be the next her. Yes, exactly. I could see myself there, you know? And it's crazy how it all plays out because I auditioned for Juilliard, which is a very prestigious performing arts school, you know, in college.
52:24And I got accepted there. And that was like always a dream school of mine. And I technically did not get accepted to the college that was in association to Alvin Ailey that I was already dancing at in high school.
52:37Ashley Everett:Ain't that a... Yeah, because that college was more like academic driven. It was like very like prestigious and that. And I was like, I don't care about these academics. I want to dance, you know? So like I was counting on my talent, okay? And I got into the most prestigious dance and art school. but I didn't get into the college that was in association with Alvin Ailey. So that was very interesting to me because I was like, all right, got to pivot my thought process. Cause I'm probably not going to be an Alvin Ailey company member unless they asked me before I get out of high school and go to Juilliard or whatever.
53:14But then I got Beyonce and I was like, oh wow, we're really switching gears here. You know, how did they find you? I auditioned, I auditioned, But I ran in, well, I met her choreographer in the hallways of Alvin Ailey, the school that I was training at, because Beyonce was there to rehearse for a performance that she had at Radio City Music Hall. All this is like all tying in. And her choreographer was in the hallway and me and my friends were like walking and passing by or something, too. And he just like stopped me and was like, you're very pretty. Do you do other styles besides ballet? because I was in a leotard and tights and my little like bun and ballet bag and I was like oh yeah I do everything which was true because I come from a studio that I was doing competitions and all that at um and he invited me into the rehearsal and introduced me to her and took my information and then never called me in a nutshell that's the story never called me but then I want to say like Like a couple months later was an audition for her and my other friends were going.
54:22And I, my mom encouraged me to go because she's like, why else are we in New York girl? Go. And so I went and I stayed in line, waited in line for three hours because it was an open call and all that and cut with some friends and still waited for three hours. But the choreographer was still there. And he recognized me from that day in the hallway at Alvin Ailey. So Alvin Ailey did play its role in my success, obviously.
54:51Ashley Everett:That's powerful. Yeah. But I, yeah, he recognized me from that day and then asked me to fly out and do music videos and flew to LA and yeah. The rest is history. The rest is history. Sprinkles. The sprinkles. It really is all the sprinkles. Last question. Mm-hmm. You've already shared so many different insights about the mind of a dancer and, you know, again, the leadership role. But there's something really remarkable about you for, again, these breadcrumbs, the trail leading you to these moments. Yes, being in certain positions. Yes, life qualifying you. But what was it about you that helped you to rise to a place of prominence, to a position of influence, to this position where so many people see you as this icon with dance.
55:52Ashley Everett:What is it about you that made that happen? You know, I think I've just never given up. Like truly, I think any successful person is always going to hit with a no and always going to get a door slammed in their face. and always going to feel bad about something, you know? But successful people are successful because they push through the hard times even. I'm about to cry talking about it, but it's true. You push through, you know? Oh, why am I so emotional about this? Thank you. Thank you for pushing through because we wouldn't have this light. We wouldn't have this inspiration. You know, you've changed the world.
56:37Ashley Everett:Thank you. Like it's powerful. Wow. Wow. Yeah. I, I think I'll continue to always push through even when life is challenging, which it always is. Right. Yeah. That part. Well, thank you. Thank you so much. Oh my God. Sorry. I'm sorry. I know it wasn't supposed to be like that. No, thank you for sharing your, your experience. And also we're all here to support the new project NDA. Yes. And we are going to keep pushing through. Okay. Yes. So again, can you share the socials, share the YouTube? My personal socials are Ashley C.M. Everett. And then my YouTube is ThisIsAshleyEverett. And that's where you can find NDA, Next Destination Ahead.
57:25And also the socials are Next Destination Ahead for that. If you want to follow along. Wow. I got that pretty good.
57:33Ashley Everett:Last, last question. Okay. What is the model that you're here to set for other people with how you live your life personally?
57:46Whatever you want in life, be willing to work very hard for it. Stay determined and stay disciplined. And I promise you, you'll get it. But always continue to lead with love and be a good person too, because I really believe in karma. I think karma is a real thing. And good people get rewarded and disciplined hard workers are successful. Come on.
58:20Ashley Everett:If I could say, I think that the good person factor is a huge part of your superhero formula. And I don't want people to miss that. Because again, like, it's not an accident. You are who you are. It's that part. You know, being a good person. And truly, especially in this world today where there's so many agendas, there's so many this, so much of that. So many. Being a good person is like, it is so magnetic. It is such a light. And you're radiating with that. And so. Thank you. I appreciate you. Yeah. Yeah, we need more of that. We definitely need more of the good people back out there because it can be a toxic world, like I was saying earlier too.
59:05and I definitely want to lead with love, positivity and authenticity. Yeah.
59:14Ashley Everett:We're detoxing in this bit. We're detoxing. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I appreciate you so much. Thank you for letting me, thank you for being a therapist. You're such a great interviewer. I was like, oh my gosh, even your tone. I'm like, I'm about to cry just because he sounds like Sunday night slow jams. Like, you know, it's crazy. It's a quiet storm, baby. Here we go. Yeah, a quiet storm. Me and my man were talking about that. He said, I grew up with quiet storm. I was like, I grew up with Sunday Night Slow Jams, but he's from North Carolina. So it's out there. Your way. That's what's up. That's what's up.
59:46Well, I appreciate you.
59:47Ashley Everett:I cannot wait to see what you do next to support the next episodes coming out. Thank you. Make sure everybody subscribe to NDA ASAP. Yeah. And we got much more to come. The one and only Ashley Everett, everybody. Thank you. Thank you so much for tuning into this episode today. I hope that you got a lot of value out of this and you went on a really cool journey. And listen, definitely check out Ashley's new show, Next Destination Ahead. All right. You can subscribe on YouTube and also she's doing some amazing things on social media as well. So make sure to follow her because it's just going to get cooler and cooler and more exclusive and awesome.
1:00:28Ashley Everett:And just, she's full of insights and super talented. So definitely check out NDA. And listen, we've got some epic master classes and world. Wait, hold up. This is one you need to share. Share on social media. Share your voice. Take a screenshot of this episode and tag Ashley. Let her see the love. Show her the love from the Model Health Show community. It will absolutely mean the world to her. She's at Ashley C.M. Everett on IG and I'm at Sean Model on IG. So tag both of us and it really does mean a lot. And we've got some epic masterclasses and world leading experts coming your way very, very soon.
1:01:12Ashley Everett:So make sure to stay tuned. Take care. Have an amazing day and I'll talk with you soon.
From the publisher
Dancing as a form of exercise, ritual, and connection has been a part of human behavior since the very beginning. Dancing is found in virtually all cultures because it is an integral part of human expression. On today’s show, you’re going to learn about the value dance can bring to your life.
Our guest on this episode of The Model Health Show is Ashley Everett. Ashley has worked as Beyoncé’s lead dancer and dance captain for over 17 years. She’s also worked on countless iconic projects and danced with many talented artists. Her new podcast, NDA: Next Destination Ahead with Ashley aims to share the important lessons she’s learned throughout her career as a professional dancer.
In this interview, Ashley is sharing her history in dance, including how she found success in her career. She’s sharing her personal health and fitness routine, and how it has improved throughout the years. If you’re ready to learn more about the power of discipline and how to work toward your goals, this episode is for you!
In this episode you’ll discover:
How dance helped Ashley grow as a person and build discipline. (10:25)
The connection between dance and leadership. (13:00)
What Ashley learned from working closely with Beyoncé. (15:10)
The importance of learning how to work with different personality types. (18:25)
What Ashley’s superpower is. (21:14)
The physical challenges of being a professional dancer. (29:04)
Why dance can be used as a form of communication. (33:40)
How Ashley’s approach to health and fitness evolved over time. (35:48)
The critical lessons you can learn from making mistakes. (43:26)
How Ashley got started as a dancer. (48:08)
Items mentioned in this episode include:
Beekeepersnaturals.com/model - Reinvent your medicine cabinet with clean, effective products powered by the beehive & backed by science with 20% off!
NDA: Next Destination Ahead with Ashley - Listen to Ashley’s new podcast!
Connect with Ashley Everett Instagram / YouTube
Be sure you are subscribed to this podcast to automatically receive your episodes:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Soundcloud
Pandora
YouTube
This episode of The Model Health Show is brought to you by Beekeeper’s Naturals.
Upgrade your medicine cabinet with powerful, science-backed remedies from the hive. Clean ingredients. Real results. Get 20% off and feel the difference at beekeepersnaturals.com/model.