Conversations with Megan Smith

Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Smith

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Megan and I am a dancer, artist, academic, yoga practitioner and teacher. The first seeds of my vision for Astral Rose Dance & Movement started during my academic studies at MSU Denver, where I built an individualized degree called Somatic & Cultural studies to study human diversity. The degree is a combination of anthropology, sociology, psychology, gender/women’s studies, and dance. I took a semester abroad in Accra, Ghana where I studied dance, sociology, and psychology. My time there was world opening and I got to learn from some of the top dancers and scholars at the University of Ghana Legon. I developed a socially critical lens of U.S. and global systems that inspired me to pursue my masters of arts in International Education at NYU Steinhardt. During my time at NYU, I returned to Accra and hosted a cultural exchange workshop in collaboration with dancers and musicians at the University Ghana. The experience was mind expanding and I saw first the power that dance and music have to create joyful atmospheres for human connection. It inspired me even more to continue building Astral Rose Dance & Movement into a company that specializes in artistic performances, facilitating healing spaces centered around wellness, and education.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Artistic and entrepreneurial paths are not easy and require deep trust in your craft to pursue. I had to dig deep and believe in my vision from the early stages when I really had no idea how I could bring it all to fruition. I just knew I had this dream in my heart and a drive to bring it to life! The early days were the hardest because I was blindly making connections, taking dance classes, studying, and it felt like I just had a bunch of different puzzle pieces with no links. I experienced rejections from auditioning at studios or go-go gigs, straying from my path in spaces that I didn’t align with, and periods with no creative fire. All of these seemingly negative experiences lead me to becoming more aligned within myself, and ultimately I figured out that I was waiting for others to tell me I was good enough, but really I already had everything I needed to foster my vision my way. That is when I invested in my website, astralrosedance.com, started renting studio spaces to host my own classes, started my go-go troupe, The Astral Rose Joys, and booked my own gigs. Instead of conforming to spaces and ideas that weren’t aligned out of fear that my dreams were not going to be accepted, I leaned into my faith in Spirit and trusted that the visions placed in my heart were possible. The path has truly unfolded since and I am in a space of attracting the right opportunities versus forcing.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Astral Rose Dance, Art, & Movement is a culmination of my artistic influences, academic studies, and life experiences. My ultimate vision is to inspire others to feel, heal, and open into their creative essence through somatic practices.
My current offerings include yoga and movement privates, and group classes. Weekly power vinyasa and restorative yoga classes at Canopy Yoga, YogaSix Northfield and Denver Yoga Social. I draw visual art pieces and there are prints of my artwork available on Etsy, https://artbyastralrose.etsy.com, and I co-created a website, astralrosedance.com, with a blog, my monthly offerings, and art work.
Another passion pursuit I am building is my go-go troupe, the Astral Rose Joys. I gathered some talented dancers and we have worked hard over the past couple months to create some magical pieces. We are currently performing with local Denver band, The Pamlico Sound, with our latest show on December 14th at the Mercury Cafe, and upcoming NYE at the Aztalan Theatre. I hope to expand our repertoire and work with other artists in Denver and beyond.
I am most proud of my accomplishments and strength to overcome the obstacles I have been through to turn my pain into Astral Rose Dance & Movement. My vision started many years ago and I never lost sight or belief in bringing it all to fruition.
I think what sets my work apart from others is my commitment to authenticity and my Souls work. Creativity is my devoted path and I pursue it fully with love.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
This is an important question with the AI revolution that we are currently in the midst of, which is drastically changing the way art, dance, and music are created. Entire AI generated songs, music videos, writing and visual art can be produced in seconds and pumped out to the public with no real intention. It takes mass production to a whole new level and my concern for AI’s impact on creative industries is the erasure of human intelligence. I believe in human centered art as we have a world of inner technology that can be accessed through meditation, yoga, breath, and Spiritual attunement with ourselves. We don’t need to consume or use something outside of ourselves to create, we can work from the inside out. I think in the next 5-10 years, and even now, the industry is going to see an influx of generic and popularity seeking AI generations that lose the Soul that makes dance and music so rich. Technology is a force to be reckoned with though, and the task will be to learn how to integrate both human intelligence and artificial intelligence to build meaningful works of art. For now, I’ll keep it as old school as I can and use my human mind, body, and Spirit to create my art.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.astralrosedance.com/
• Instagram: _astral_rose_