Athletes & Artists - The Interviews

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HELLO, READERS! This article was originally released to our email subscribers over a year ago... then re-released, then re-re-released. As a matter of fact, it is one of our most requested features to date! We are currently updating the article for our site, adding some information on what Shoshana has been up to since this interview took place. We will let you know on social when it has been published. Until then, keep reading & check out part of our interview below. Enjoy! 

A renaissance man is a person with many talents & areas of knowledge. Never met one? Well let me introduce you to Brandon Cournay. Brandon is a man of many talents. He is a dancer, choreographer, master teacher, cultural ambassador, Juilliard alumnus, & the Associate Artistic Director of Keigwin + Company. In 2017 he flexed his creative muscles in another area of knowledge – entrepreneurship. 

Brandon is forward thinking. The company he created, Dance Device Lab, is positioned to be an industry disruptor. The innovative business model provides experienced & professional guest teachers to studios nationwide. DDL also takes care of everything from booking the talent to arranging travel - for busy small business owners this is a huge time saver. While the company offers an array of options including classes, intensives, & adjudications, the most impressive thing it offers is a genuine focus on the students’ artistic development. Brandon's equal passion for the recreational to the pre-professional student sets DDL apart from the current industry landscape. "I want to inspire students to keep dance in their lives forever. All DDL events focus on skills that are transferable inside & outside of the studio. These skills will stick with dancers forever. Whether you are a professional dancer, audience member, or patron; you will have a deeper understanding of creation & process."

Athletes & Artists had the opportunity to speak with Brandon & we are so excited to share his story with you. We discussed his journey from Small-town, Michigan to Juilliard & learnt of how his professional dance experience has inspired him to help shape the next generation through his new company, Dance Device Lab. Read our full interview below to get the exclusive story! 

Want to know more? Check out these websites...

www.brandoncournay.com

www.dancedevicelab.com

When it comes to the award winning & culturally rich Broadway musical HAMILTON, Eliza Ohman has quite literally been in the room where it happens. Well multiple rooms. As universal swing, Eliza is prepared to perform as all female ensemble tracks in the Broadway, Chicago, & tour productions. Yes, that is about 15 different tracks she has trained for & memorized - talk about an athlete & artist. 

In case you aren't familiar, HAMILTON is a Broadway production about U.S. Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. If you are new to musical theatre, HAMILTON is a great introduction. The energy is incredible. The show reaches beyond the traditional Broadway audience by utilizing different musical styles in the score including rap, hip-hop, blues, jazz, & more. It all comes together to tell the story of America then, told by & for America now. 

Eliza Ohman is no stranger to the spotlight having worked consistently as a professional dancer for the past three years. With her 2016 Broadway debut as the Universal Swing in HAMILTON, she has demonstrated her mental, physical, & artistic strengths. A universal swing is one of the most demanding Broadway jobs out there, so take note, she is definitely someone to watch. 

Athletes & Artists had the opportunity to interview Eliza earlier this spring and we are so excited to share her story with our readers. How does she stay in shape mentally and physically? What exactly is a universal swing? What advice does she offer? What is it like to be a part of the cultural phenomenon that is HAMILTON? Read our full interview below to get the inside scoop! 

Want to know more? Check out these websites... 

www.hamiltonbroadway.com

www.elizaohman.com

HAMILTON is based on the biography written by Ron Chernow. Book, music, &  lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Direction by Thomas Kail. Choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler. Musical direction & orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire.

Q: Here at Athletes & Artists we believe that every artist is an athlete. You transitioned from strictly dance performance to a musical theatre career, adding the element of singing. What about your training has changed and what do you do to stay in top performance shape?   

A: I realized that singing a three-hour musical while dancing requires a lot more stamina than I had ever experienced before. So I think you get a lot of cardio just by virtue of being in a show. What I do on the side is I have a gym membership and because I grew up dancing I function really well in a class structure. I use my gym membership to take like Pilates and hot yoga classes because I find that those, hot yoga in particular, really push you but also helps expand your lung capacity because it is so focused on breath and you are in a heated room so that has made a big difference for me. I also will do light cardio on an elliptical or a bike for a little bit and then do a lot of core strengthening exercises on my own because when you are wearing a corset and dancing and singing for three hours you have to really make sure that everything is supported and coming from the right place. Also just eating well and knowing where to time your meals makes a big difference; 6 small meals over the course of a day, having lots of snacks that are easy to digest but can provide quick bits of energy. I especially have to have something during intermission or else I will starve.    

Q: What is your favorite snack to have during intermission?   

A: Hamilton is a funny show because we are constantly getting stuff sent to us. A really popular item that gets sent to the theatre are Schmackary's Cookies. But I really like apples and peanut butter so I usually cut up an apple before I leave the house and have a jar of peanut butter at my station at the theatre, that is a quick and easy snack.    

Q: I’m really excited to have you featured here on Athletes & Artists because you are the Universal Swing and I think a lot of people out there don’t even know what that is.    

E: Yeah, I definitely didn’t know what that was until I got the offer.   

Q: Can you tell our readers a little bit more about what a Universal Swing does and how much mental strength that position requires?   

A: OK. A Swing is someone who covers any number of ensemble tracks in a show. They are part of the offstage company that would step in at any point in time if a dancer is sick, or injured, or on vacation - anytime that they are not on stage. So in Hamilton there are five female ensemble parts and I cover all five of those girls. As a universal swing that means that in addition to the Broadway company I cover every incarnation of the show so that includes the Chicago production and what is now in rehearsals which will be the west coast production. So it kind of ends up feeling like 15 tracks instead of five because each city isn’t a carbon copy. There are some differences in vocal parts because as a swing in addition to swinging the dancing and all the staging, you are also having to sing whatever their vocal parts are. In the show the girls are constantly flopping around between soprano, second soprano, and alto, no one is ever just singing just one vocal part so you have to know all of their vocal tracks. For example in San Francisco, for the west coast production, two vocal parts are flipped. So you’ll be dancing the same track as someone in NY while singing a different track. As a swing I associate particular movements and particular staging with particular vocal parts so then it is kind of like a mental challenge almost. It’s like playing Sudoku where I am filling in the puzzle pieces.   

Q: What is the most athletic moment of the show for you (on any of the tracks)?    

A: I think it is a toss up between "The Battle of Yorktown" and "The Room Where it Happens." "The Battle of Yorktown" is such a fun moment in our show and it is physically challenging because it has a huge dance break. It is really athletic choreography and we’re wearing heavy coats because we are playing soldiers in that moment, that adds a lot of extra weight to your body that you are not used to when you are just learning and taking class on your own. In addition to that, we do this huge dance break and then we end the song in very difficult singing where the sopranos are belting - and they are belting really high - and they are belting really high repeatedly - and you’re holding out these huge notes. That’s a moment in the show where you really know whether or not you have been doing what you need to offstage to be able to swing into that moment and feel comfortable. Similarly, "The Room Where it Happens" is like a 6-minute number and it’s really danced all the way through. It’s a little bit of scene work and then a dance chorus and then a little scene and a big dance chorus and then it just keeps building and results in a huge chorus where even the principles are dancing - which happens very regularly in our show. Also in that number there is no moment where you are dancing and not singing full voice. Those two moments really, they’ll get ya, they’ll sneak up on you if you’re not ready.   

Athletes and artists need to maintain healthy lifestyles in order to perform at their best. With the skin being the largest organ of the body, skincare should not be overlooked on the road to success. For our first feature we get to know our favorite Board Certified Dermatology Professional in NYC, Tina Fermano, receive some helpful tips along the way, and discover how she is an artist herself!    

Since the beginning, Tina wanted to pursue medicine as a career. She was very young when she first became fascinated with science and medicine. While many little girls look up to their grandmothers, Tina’s grandmother made a lasting impact and inspired a lifelong passion and career in her granddaughter. Tina explained, “I like to think it came from Grandma Mariam. She was Armenian and grew up in Syria after her parents escaped the genocide in Turkey. She became somewhat of the town's nurse and seamstress. She administered vaccines, created natural remedies for children, among many other things. Above all, she was the kindest and most loving woman I have ever known.” 

Tina took that fascination and applied it in school. Excelling in science, she graduated from Rutgers with a degree in Biology. From there she pursued and completed PA school. She now practices medicine in NYC and offers helpful skincare advice online to her impressive Instagram following @TheSkin.NY. Tina described, “Once I decided on PA school, I was certain dermatology was for me. Now I cut out skin cancers and, when suturing, smile while thinking of my nana.” 

Read our interview below….

Q: When deciding between medical school and PA school, what factors helped you pick the best path for you?    

Tina: At the time, this felt like the decision of a lifetime. Having always been set on medical school, I was worried I would feel unsatisfied that I was "just a PA." I pushed for more answers. What is the difference? What can a doctor do that a PA can't do? So on and so forth. I shadowed both physicians and PAs and came to realize it was not about the title, but rather the level of care and compassion you can give your patients. In some instances, I found PAs to have more time to spend with patients and thus built closer relationships with their patients. To say this was an easy choice is an understatement. I was unsure until I went on interviews for both. I prayed for some guidance and sure enough, I got into PA school the day after my interview, which was rare. I sent in my acceptance, knowing it was the right choice for me. I took a leap of faith and there is never a day that I regret this choice or wonder how things would've been if I accepted med school as my path. Being a PA is perfect for me. I love what I do and have a perfect life balance, with no loans! I was able to pay for school quickly, which is a definitely plus. Also, being a PA is more flexible, allowing you to switch specialties as you're trained in all fields of medicine in school. Although I can't see myself doing anything but dermatology, I find it refreshing to know I could get a part time job in the ER tomorrow if I wanted to!

Q: Just like athletes and artists, practicing Medicine requires discipline and creativity. Is there a moment in your training or practice that you can relate this similarity to?

Tina: Good question and yes, cosmetic dermatology is a lot like art. You're taught the basics with training sessions, but it takes a good hand and better eye to visualize your end result prior to even starting. Each patient presents a blank canvas, one for you to do your (art)work. With practice and precision, you learn what works and what doesn't. More importantly, you learn to modify the rules to fit your specific patients' needs. Anyone can hold a syringe of filler but not everyone can make their patient walk out feeling more beautiful than when they came in. That, in itself, is an art.    

Q: I love that you get to be creative; most people don't realize that medicine can have that artistic outlet. How did you know dermatology was the field for you so early in your career?

Tina: I had acne in my early twenties. I thought I was the lucky one in high school, having gone 4 years with hardly a breakout. Then came my 20s. Hello hormonal acne! I was at the derm office pretty frequently, getting cysts injected, trying new creams, pills! Luckily, I didn't scar after my acne resolved. When I rotated through dermatology, I was floored by the number of alternative options to clear acne and acne scars. I was introduced to the world of lasers and injectables and that sealed the deal. I knew it was for me. With a healthy mix of medical dermatology (rashes, skin cancer screenings, etc.) and cosmetic dermatology (Botox, lasers, fillers, etc.), I have found the perfect career fit.  

Passion, medicine, drive – Tina is so perfect for A&A!