Broad Ideas with Rachel Bilson & Olivia Allen - Baron Davis and Britt Stewart on Being Open to Something New

Episode Date: October 6, 2025

Rachel and Olivia chat with Baron Davis and Britt Stewart about their time on Dancing with the Stars, the importance of learning new skills and staying curious, and how their upbringing has shaped them. Watch this episode on YouTube!Like the show? Rate Broad Ideas 5-Stars on Apple Podcasts and SpotifyThis is a Headgum podcast. Follow Headgum on Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok. Advertise on Hollywood Handbook via Gumball.fm See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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and how these beloved characters close out their final season. Watch Hax streaming exclusively on HBO Max and listen to The Hax podcast, on HBO Max or wherever you get your podcasts. Sometimes talk about because people die. Welcome to Barad ideas. How do we feel about that? So welcomed.

That was my intent. You did it, girl. You stuck the nailing. No. We're not cutting that. The nailing. While you're talking about stick a landing. Yep.

And nail a stucking. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Okay, introduce them. No. I got to go. Very famous. Who were recently on D.W.

D.W. D.S. I promise we're not drunk. Why can't we talk? What is happening? Dancing with the stars. So cool. I mean, I secretly like my dreams are that I have competed. on that stage.

Nice. You could maybe do it. Let's talk to the people that have. Okay. Great. That's a cool birthday present. Everybody should learn how to DJ because everybody got playlists or you find their records.

Yeah. It just makes it like once you know, you kind of know. You know what you want to hear next. You always do. And it's about reading a crowd too, right? That is the most important thing. Yeah, I had, when I first started, I, like, used to do the Shore Bar. In Santa Monica.

Sure. Sure. Sure. That's how I got my start. And the DJ was like, all right, you ready, dude, for your 45 minutes set. And, like, 30 minutes into the set, like, people are like, we're out of here. No. We're going to.

Really? Oh, my God. No way. I was so dumb. He was like, dude, what are you playing? He was like, you're just playing some shit you want to hear. I was like, yeah, I know what? It's like, that's usually what I do.

Right. He was like, no, you got to read the room. You got to read the room. But I feel like that's hard to do when it comes to music. Yeah, it is. Like, how can you look and be like, you know? I know the vibe. That's how to be right?

Yeah. Like you can read a room with people. Like the shore bar you're playing pop pop hit. You're playing top 40s. You're playing top 40s and every. No, I was playing. No, they don't want to. I was playing like trap music at the time.

I was playing like trap music, all kind of shit. It was like, we're out of here. People want to hear what they know. Yeah, that's true. Don't they? What songs get you up and going and like singing in your car? I mean, I'm crazy. I was listening to like sound frequencies on the way over here.

Like meditation music and sound frequencies, that's what I listen to in the mornings. Just to kind of like center yourself for a day. Yeah, like center and ground. Wow. There's like science that like different frequencies like help with different things in your body. I like to do that in the mornings. But then I don't know, I like Afrobeats, which you were saying it's more like Afro, R&Bs, like pop, Afro pop.

That's super cool though. Yeah, that's what I'm into right now. Yeah. Oh, amazing. What about you? I listen to old school, like soul music. Like 60s, 70s, 80s. Like on Sunday, it's all riding around 70s, 60s, 80s.

I love it. That's a good feeling. It gives you a good feeling. That's like windows down in your car. What do you like that's new? Ooh. Did you know this was going to be a music? I mean, interrogation.

I mean, I feel like I kind of always have to know the new popular songs for dance. I actually, I really like Tate McCray, and I've been listening to Justin Bieber's new albums, like, all the time. That's all I listen to, to be honest. Same. K-pop Demon Hunters and Justin Bieber. Yeah. Have you heard of K-pop Demon Hunters? I have.

Yeah. Yeah. Everybody has. Yeah. Yeah. Their songs are catchy. Yeah. Okay, so you guys, obviously, where dance partners became friends and everything, what a journey, first of all. Have you ever danced before?

Never. Never. You do so many things, but dancing was not one of them. Dancing was not, no, I buggy, you know. I would boogie in the club, if anything, but like never dance, never tried to dance, never wanted to dance. and then this experience kind of like it became like super special because like I was locked in

for five weeks like on something that I knew I couldn't do, didn't want to do because I couldn't do it. And then all of a sudden it became like super fun and it was like uh-oh, like I can do it. I can do it. I can do it. I know what it means. And to be immersed in like this

world and to see like the camaraderie, the professionalism, just like the love that they have for, you know, their craft, their art, their sport. It was amazing. That's so cool. You got that opportunity, especially being that it wasn't something you had already had in your back pocket. I like that even more because you had to get uncomfortable to do it. Super uncomfortable. We like watching people uncomfortable. Super uncomfortable. It was, one,

dancing, then like, dancing, learning and routine, then having to do that on TV and knowing that everybody that you know

is watching. You think you'd be used to that, right? Everyone watching you do something like basketball. But you have more control.

Like, basketball, you got control. Right. You know, like this is, like basketball, is like that's she's the basketball player in this basketball world so it's like easy like it's easy for her like if she was coming to play all right you're on the team like all right

get out there like what do I do right it's just it's kind of like foreign territory as far as like the dynamic of like sports and like ballroom dancing it's amazing and then how is that for you as far as supporting, I would imagine, obviously, you're helpful with the dancing, but it seems like there's kind of an emotional evolution that goes with it. How do you? I mean, it's wild. I remember before our first show, I was telling Barron, I was trying to give him as many details as possible to just mentally and energetically prepare him for what he was about to experience, walking, even walking into the ballroom for camera block rehearsal. It's not like, unless you've done it, you don't even really know how to compare it or to find

a tool from something else in life. It's unique all on its own. And then I'll never forget one time you're like, you tried to warn me, but you were right. You just have to be there to really understand what it is. And I mean, every single year, I'm like, I don't know how my partners do this. Because it is, it is terrifying and it is extremely uncomfortable. But what I try to tell my partners is that it's actually really rewarding because then when you get done, you can say, I've done that. And I've accomplished it and I was really successful at it.

And I kind of geek out over it. I think it's like, I think the whole process is really cool. I mean, how many times in your life can you say I'm jumping into something and I'm going to feel uncomfortable, but it's going to have an impact on my life? But then it's fun because it's dance. Right. You get to dance too. That's so fun. But yeah.

And you're big. You love it. You're converted. It's true. Yeah, for sure. And then like the bond you guys experience, right? Because the like the emotional journey you're talking about. And then obviously you met your husband. Yeah. In the same way. What a cool experience that must have been. It's incredible. I mean, it's wild. When you find a partner that you have chemistry with, it is like you're forming this bond that is so intense. It's almost like it's not quite trauma bonding. But kind of. But kind of, because you're both going through this really scary experience. And I try, I was telling him, too, I'm like, I've been doing this for a while.

And it's still, it's, it, I'm still nervous before every show. I'm still, because I also want to be. I hope you stay nervous. Thank you. I know. I think nerves means that I still care and that I'm still passionate about it. For sure. And I'll get nervous when I'm not nervous.

And then I'll be like, okay, maybe it's time for me. me to move on. But yeah, my very first partner, Johnny Weir, he was a bridesmaid in my, and Daniel and I's wedding. And then obviously I met Daniel. And then Barron, I think, not I think,

I know our journey got cut short on the show. Because I know. I demand a recount. Yes, like I know when I see potential in somebody, and that was him. He's the epitome of what a star going on to the show is. No dance experience. There to be vulnerable and open.

And he had an incredible story to tell. So I'm so kind of bummed out that our audience is missing out on that. But how come two went home? Is that normal? They did the same thing last year as well. They did? Okay. Yeah, it's not always normal.

But in recent years, they've started to do the double eliminations earlier on. Okay. Versus later. But yeah, I knew when Baron walked in on our first meet that he was like, I'm just here to learn. I like to try new things. And I was like, yes, we're going to get along. I knew from the first day because that's how I live my life too. So, yeah, we're going to, I mean, we chat.

Yeah, he's like my older brother now. Yeah. I'm like, we have some plans. You know what I love about it, though, is just what you said just made me realize, like, I have two kids, she's got a daughter. I'm constantly asking them to put themselves in situations that are uncomfortable, whether it's trying baseball or, you know, my son has out a girl for the first. Like, whatever it is, it's new. Yeah, he's nine. He shouldn't be doing that.

But, you know, whenever we ask something of them, all we ask is you just try. Let's just see. And what you learn is the most important thing. But how often do we get that as adults, right? And you guys are in an atmosphere where you're getting to try things with that childlike wonder all over again. And it just really makes me wonder what we could do. I mean, like we need to be doing that as humans more and as a culture. I mean, that was, I know, but I tell people, I'm like,

Like, if I would have never learned sign language, I would not, Daniel would not be my husband. Like, it just wouldn't. Did you learn it before partnering up with him or during or after? During the process. So I found out I was partnered with Daniel probably our casting director, Dina, gave me a little bit of a heads up. I found out I was partnered with Barron on my way to the studio, like an hour, like on my way. I had no idea. And yeah, the celebrities never, they never know.

They give us a heads up just so we have like a little preparation, but not too much time to like, I didn't have time to do a full deep dive. No. But Dina gave me, I think, a few days just to like wrap my head around choreography, teaching style, just to, yeah, but it was not enough time to learn sign language. I think it was like three days. But I ordered a ASL alphabet poster off of Amazon. It was the alphabet and counting is different. too because you use one hand. My son's death.

Oh. Well, he has hearing loss. So he's part of the deaf community. Yes. Yes. I know when we found that out, Rachel's like, oh my God! Yeah.

Yeah. And also, I mean, you know, deaf encompasses the community encompasses so much. That's right. People don't understand when I say he's deaf. It's, it's a stepdad is as well. Yeah, it encompasses so much. Daniel is profoundly deaf, but he also sees someone

who has significant hearing loss. hearing loss and recognizes them as deaf as well. It's just, it's a nice word to like, unconsciously the community and culture. They're part of the deaf community and culture, 100%. Absolutely. But yeah, I was like, let me at least learn how to count 5, 6, 7, 8, which then I later learned on that, like, that wasn't incredibly helpful in my process. Right. But yeah, I just, all the time, I'm like, if I wouldn't have learned sign language, if I wouldn't have been open to learning about his community and his culture, I mean, and, you know, I'm still young, but I met him at 32, turning 33. So I was like learning a new language

in my 30s. And how would you do it? Because it's really hard. We had, we had this incredible experience where we had a death coach come that doesn't have any spoken language. And he would just come to the house. And we had to learn to communicate with him. So that's the best way. Yeah. But then when we moved away and we'd don't have that and now my son's six and he's advocating to speak yeah but we're getting him an ASL interpreter for class so we have to learn now and I'm like I don't know the best way to learn yeah I dive in dive in yeah to learn I so I was not incredibly normal because I did learn it very fast and I do think dance helped me because it's kind of it's a it's a it's a memory pattern like yeah

visual and it's you're using your body to express which was I mean yeah that's been my whole life of dance yeah yeah but I so Daniel had an interpreter on the show so I was able to connect English with sign immediately and for three months of it and it was complete like I just dove in immersion it was complete immersion I since the day I've made met Daniel, I've been signing every day. Wow. Because of that. So I try to tell people to give themselves great, like my mom is learning.

And I tell her to give herself grace because she, you know, she doesn't have someone at home to communicate in ASL every single day with. But she has a deaf coach as well. So give yourself grace. There's apps. I do believe that like having a coach is the best way because it's so physical and visual that if you just communicate, whether it's on FaceTime, whatever, or in person, I think that's probably the best way. But it's hard.

It's hard. For me, out of the family, it came the most natural. And what we would do is we'd pick songs, me and my husband, and he'd learn it on the guitar. And I would look up the ASL words, and we would just do it through that. And I don't know, I find the deaf community and the whole experience so life-changing and beautiful. there's so much beauty. Everyone should learn ASL. It was really cool.

The dance that we just did, he totally surprised me. We were finessing his ending pose because, you know, like, that's like the big picture. Like, the confetti is like, ah. So we were finessing it. And then this guy goes, is there something I can sign an ASL

that would be like kind of cool or what? Like, he's so inclusive and so thoughtful. and he knows that Daniel's always in the ballroom. You know, I taught him how to sign vote. Yeah. But he also knows that I, yeah. But he also knows that now after marrying Daniel, I have like the deaf community.

I'm proud of it. That's a huge show. And so he surprised me and I was like, this is cool, man. And that's what we signed. We signed cool. You ready? Isn't it this?

Okay, so yes. So this is cool. I thought it was that. So this is cool. but then you can also sign like cool or cool cool cool there's so many different words I know I know it's also very confusing like cool you can go cool cool right my stepdad is definitely he got the cochlear oh yeah yeah a long time ago yeah that it has been a while it's been a long time yeah so he doesn't fully sign because he's still just trying to you know

yeah go off of hearing and reading lips and stuff but one of the things I love the most is how you have to be given a name yeah That I thought was, did you know, did you get a name? So we signed, not yet. Oh, we can. But right now, we sign, we signed BD. But we, we didn't, we didn't, I didn't tell you, we were playing around with names. Like we were like BD for like basketball like.

Oh, I thought something else. Or, oh, oh, yeah. Oh, oh. This is not a show, ladies and gentlemen. Nobody's safe. Maybe that. Just my initials. Welcome to Brutie.

That's okay. I mean, not my new initials, but my initials are BS. Oh, but yeah. But my new initials are BD. Oh, yeah. Interesting. That's right. Oh, my gosh.

So you were playing around. So in the deaf culture, you have to be given your name sign by someone who's deaf. So you can't just make it up yourself. It's like kind of that sweet. I was given one in like elementary school. My best friend's cousin was deaf and she gave me mine. Amazing. I know.

It's very. What is it? Oh, yeah. Rachel. Rachel. Is it your hair? Yeah, my hair was always flipped, you know, at early 90s and I had the wave bang and everything. Yeah.

I love that. So I know I'm not going to ruin the surprise, but Daniel's working on a sign name for you. There you go. Special. You're special. Yeah. Yeah. Mine is Britt.

Sorry. It goes from here. Britt. Like this, Brit. So Daniel gave it to me during our season together and I mean, I instantly started bawling.

It is very sweet. Right. It's, he says because no matter what I do, my heart shines. So the word for, I know. I know.

I know. I know. I can't. It's a sign for like shine or sparkle and so he comes from the heart and that's pretty. It's so sweet.

I heat. I'm sorry. He's the best. Yes. He's incredible. It's incredible. It makes me emotional. He's incredible energy.

I know. These two, they don't even, I mean, they don't communicate yet. So I just interpret. But they're already talking about, like, video game. And you're doing the. I'm like, yeah, when we go hang out? I was out of like, blah. Like, bro talk and sign.

I'm like, that is fun. But doesn't that teach you something, too? is like how often we rely on words or ways of communication when what you just went through, even with dance. Like that's a new form of communication, I'm sure, for you than playing basketball or, right? Yeah, it's just, it's like a freedom of expression, right? There's so many different ways to express yourself or learn different ways to express yourself. I think for me, the opportunity to learn. and the like experience this world and the community

and through like a superstar professional's eyes and like being taught that way is like you can only be humble going into the situation because there's nothing like you can only learn and so every little thing that you learn is a small little victory and that's the way I think you know you approach Dan you approach, sign, like learning, you know, about Daniel, their relationship. I was like, I want to do something too, right? Because you want to feel included.

You want people to feel included. You want to be connected. And so whether it's dance, whether it's sign, whether it's music, whether it's song, like I think the art is what, you know, our human connections should be and how we should be aligned. And so like anytime we approach something new with a humble perspective and, you know, this willingness to learn, like, it fulfills you. It becomes, like, therapeutic. And, like, that was my experience.

And, like, that's pretty much how I approach a lot of things. Like, just start at the ground level. And you have a lot of things. Like you, you've done so much. and created so much and basketball, like everything. And what a journey for you. Like, I mean, when I was reading, I was like, and he's, and what? And this and that?

And it's just so cool. And even what you were saying, like, you were just open and willing. And so that's how, like, you approach life. It's such a cool thing. And I just have to tell you, like, I was so impressed, just reading it all. And your coffee shop. I got match. I got locates.

I got locas. There's not a London fog. Wait, what is it? I'm drinking a London fog right now. It's called a West Side. It's called a West Side Fog. There's another place called a foothill fog. It's on Foothill Boulevard.

Yeah, but the best is when I'm like, well, what kind of coffee and you start saying all the coffees? And then it turns out it's not just a coffee shop. Yeah, it's coffee, music, community, right? Yeah. You know, a lot of times you walk into Starbucks and you hear music and it makes people, you You know, some people go to their work. Our thought was if we celebrate the arts, the artists, the creators, like coffee is almost like the feel for conversation and community. So there's, you know, vinyl record samples.

There's listening sessions with artists. There's spoken word. There's sometime painting classes. And so, you know, it was can we start to reignite. community, authenticity, and like uplift, like, the next generation of, like, cool artists, especially here in L.A. being from L.A. because I think a lot of times, like, people don't have a destination or a place where they can pop up and feel a part of a community. So, you know, this coffee shop is that we've been building, like, doing this dancing with the start.

Oh, my God. Like, now I'm on the team. So it's just like teaching me a lot. lot about, you know, how to bring people together. Yeah. And then how to celebrate people for their crafts. Right. And tell us, again, the name of your coffee shop. Oh, Mill Radio Cafe. Okay.

I love it. I know. You know what's wild, too, is that obviously a lot of people know this, but one of the biggest markers for longevity, it's not exercise, it's not diet. It's not, it's community. Yeah. And I think in Los Angeles, being that it's so spread out and so many people spend so much time in their vehicles, and it has been, I feel, like, harder to create real community in Los Angeles in the way other places have it. And I think it's vital.

I think that we're as a society suffering as a lack of community. Big time. Yeah, every day we're like, okay, where can we move and build a commune or a compound and like all? Just be together. Yeah. You want to find like-minded. I mean, I would say now people want like-minded people around them. Or people who are doing, have the same focus, the same mentality, but comes from a total different space.

It's not that, you know, like we are birth in diversity because of our curiosity. That's my favorite word right now. Curiosity. It really is. I feel like it is the most important aspect in all areas, whether it's friendship, relationships, help, learning. It's like curiosity is kind of the key to it all. Yeah.

What's your birthday? April 13th. Oh. Really close to tax day. Yes. You're errant. Don't remind me. What's your birthday?

I'm September. 21st. Oh my gosh, happy birthday. Oh, really? Yeah. Oh, you just did my birthday. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Do you feel Cuspy? I feel like Virgo through and through. I mean, I'm also a cancer moon. I like really feel my cancer. Yeah. So yeah. Sorry, I diverge. No, no, no. Yeah. I always, I'm curious. Like when people. See, curiosity. Yeah. I always want to know what's going on. I always look for that in other parents. Like if there's something going on with the kids. And they're not. curious to know what's going on or what their kids accountable or responsible for. I'm like, you've got to be curious. Like, if there's issues coming up, drama, whatever, like, I'm always curious. I'm like, well, what did she say or what did she do in this instance? And some parents like, my kid wouldn't do that. And you're like, but you have to be curious. You have to. Right? Especially with kids, because they are. Right. I mean, the most. They want to know everything.

They ask the questions that you can't answer. You're just like pulling stuff out of your ass left and right, trying to know, like, so I'm like you know. My daughter, which was three years old, sat across from me at the table and said, Mom, where did the first human come from? Like, if there weren't parents or grandparents around to born them, where did they come from? And I was like, fuck.

Yeah. Well, that conversation. She was like three. Wow. Anyway, it's like stuff like that where you're just like. Yeah. Did you go through a whole moment where you had to like, I mean, maybe you already knew your, like, feeling and beliefs about that.

No. Oh, no. I had to revisit. I had to read. I had to learn, relearn. You know, it's all, again, it's their curiosity. And then it, like, motivates you. You got to figure it out. I know, because you don't really think about, or if I did, it was, you know, when I was little. Yeah. How do I feel about that? Yeah. I always just, I'm always just like, there's lots of ideas on that. Because just because I think something, I don't want my kids. I thought you're about to get into like the first people on earth. I know. I was like, oh, we're going there. No, I just mean like whenever the curiosity comes, that's like, I'm always like there's tons of different people's ideas. Here's some, but you get to decide what you think.

Because I don't know. Here's my idea, right? But I mean, you're so diplomatic, especially now, right, in this day and age with everything. going on. It's really hard to be diplomatic, but you always are. It's not hard for me for some reason. I think that it's, to me, it's harder to get on a side. You know what I mean? Like, it's easier for me to be like, I want to know. You're curious. Because I'm curious. You're an adult too, though. Yeah. Right. And so I think with kids, they meet structure. They really do. They meet structure. They meet structure, they meet boundaries, and they don't need to know everything. True. Because as they get

older, they will start to know everything. Too much. The more you know when you're little, it's harder to sort out what's important, who you want to be, what do you want to be like, what do you want to study, what's of interest. If you have all these different options. Yeah. And everybody has, and all of these things kind of weigh, right, on like a kid's decision, then I think it kind of disconnects them from being a child. Right. Well, that brings up...

And that's the hard part. Yeah, it brings up, like, parents who are just, like, utterly honest with their children and they're telling them everything that's going on, and I'm seeing anxiety in the kids and everything else. And, look, everyone's different. And, you know, it's your own decision and choice, like what you do or what you communicate.

But it's kind of crazy to me when I'm like, wait, you showed up in class, you're nine, and they showed you the assassination that just happened or like talking about it. That's wild. Stuff like that's kind of like, wow. That's nuts. I mean, I think so. But, you know, everyone's different. And I try to be neutral in that regard. But like.

Yeah, there's things where I just simply say, it's not for children. And they'll push back on me. Like when you're hiding your seize candy. It's not for children. You know what I mean? It's just not for children. Children are they should bring it or let the kids bring it up in class. If they want to know.

I saw this on the news. We talked about this at home. Then school is a place where you can have form and sort things out. I think school is taking, you know, over as the parental educator. Right. When it's up to parents. And it really is up to the parent. Yeah.

Right. Because whether it's. as being naive or ignorant, all of that plays apart holistically into like our growth. Sure. For sure. Right. I remember going to crossroads. Like I had one white guy on my basketball team.

We only played against white people. And when I went to that school, it was all white people. Now, I didn't know that there were different versions of white people. Yeah. Yeah, there are. I don't know that. Who knew? Right?

Not you. Not me. But, you know, you start learning that there's different, you know, like Asians are different. Like, oh, y'all not. You're not all the same. Yeah. Like, you know, and I grew up in South Central where, like, you were defined by your stereotype. Or that's what I, like, whatever I saw on TV, whatever joke.

That must be a trip South Central to Crossroads. I can't even imagine. Dude, I couldn't even go to Crossroads, and I didn't grow up in South Central. I was in Studio City, and I was like, I can't. Don't put me at Crossroads. The white people are different there. Crossroads were like, no. It was a journey, right?

It was like Crossroads was Disneyland for me because I grew up in a neighborhood where, like, there's, you want to see a crackhead? You don't have to, like, walk too far. They'll come passing by him. Like five and five minutes or, you know, you live next door to the crack house, right? Gangs are happening. So, like, all of the things that's so foreign to these people over here are so present. And everything that's so foreign to me, you know, is so present to these people. So it was like a crazy dynamic of, you know, going in and out.

That much, I can't imagine. And as, like, a young teenager, too. Yeah. You know? By the time I got to a teenager, I kind of, I knew that I wasn't this. Like, I wasn't going to be a stereotype. And I think Crossroads allowed me to always redefine however you thought you were going to stereotype me or pigeonhole. Right.

And that's cool. I've never heard it pointed out that way. So it's like we want to culture our children in different ways. And whatever that means is we want to have them experience other, whatever the other is. And oftentimes you hear it about seeing people with less or whatever it is. But in your experience, it was seeing people with something different than you experienced that actually ended up culturing you. Right. Wild.

And you connect it. Yeah. You know, I live with my grandparents. I had my parents growing up. But there were some rich kids at the school who parents were gone all the time. And they were at the house with their nanny. So like, what's the commonality?

Loneliness? Parents not around. Like, have to sit with your own thoughts. Like, who's going to, like, do you really have friends to hang out? Do people know this? So you start to realize that, like, there's nothing really separating this outside of, like, they have a way bigger house, but they got 17 rooms, and we got two with four or five people.

But I bet you they like coming over here, right, because they've never been that close. You know what I mean? Yeah, family. And I like going over there because I get them all room. I want. You know, so it works out. You know, it works out. Right.

You just learn, you know, the dynamic that we're all in the same kind of boat trying to make it somewhere. Right. Curiosity is what leads. And, like, it's the foundation for learning. But as a parent, you want to groom your kid to be. you know, like you and then also, but you have a perspective on the world, right? Yeah.

Because this is like, I mean, I see myself and my kids, and I'm like, damn. Like I said the same thing. Like, ah, damn, like, how am I going to fix this? Or like, I got to fix it in myself, but like when I can fix it myself, I can fix it my kids. Right.

How many kids do you have? Two boys. And how old are they? They're 10 and 9. Oh, they're so close in eight. Yeah, 15 months apart. Wow. And both boys.

She has two boys. My daughter's 10. Oh, yeah. She's got 9 and 6. Yeah, Elliot, it'll be 10 on Sunday. It'll be 10 on Sunday, and mine will be 11 next month. Oh, wow. He's interesting this morning.

He's like, I need baggy jeans. I said, do you need them? I said, that's weird. I just got you some. So he puts on his baggy jeans. and his baggy shirt and he's got long hair down at you know, wherever

and he puts on this necklace and he's looking at himself doing his hair and I'm just like, who are you? You know? I created a monster. Yeah, literally. Yeah, for sure. I was like...

Those are the boys that I grew up with. Someone was trying to park and he's doing his hair in the mirror. I was just like, dude, come on. Focus on school. It's not about. the way you look. My son does this.

No. Before he goes out the house. Stop. Oh my God. I don't know his kids very well. I met them at the first show, but they are so, like, way too cool for school. Yeah. They're too cool.

Of course they are. They're your kids. I'm like, here's brother. They're like, hey. Oh my God. I love it. He was up, we called the Skybox where we interview with Julian. Yeah.

And he was up there like, hey, come on, let's dance. His kids were like, yeah, okay. They're way. He's like, yeah, yeah. Yeah, okay. You dance. I'm going to be here and shit cool. Oh, my God.

It starts early. Did you get to interact with him a lot? Not too much. We just met during that first show. But he, I mean, you were always on FaceTime during rehearsals and everything. So I got to say. to them, but yeah, they're a little shy and also really cool. They're cool.

Yeah. And where did you grow up? I grew up in Denver. Well, technically Aurora, Colorado. And then I went to school in Denver. I went to performing arts middle school through high school. My upbringing was, I don't want to say, like, the complete opposite of Barron's, but it was. It was.

I mean, it's so interesting. like, you know, we had so many conversations and rehearsals and, you know, even just talking about within the black culture, how within ourselves, we don't know how different we are as a community and how we can also find, like, commonality and all of those things. But I grew up with, I'm an only child, with my two parents, and I was the, for the most part, in my dance studio. and school, I was really the only, like, black girl, at least in elementary school and at my dance studio. And then when I went to art school, that changed a little bit, but I still grew up in Denver, which is not like, yeah, it's Denver. It's not an incredibly diverse place. It's changed, it's changed a bit, but a long time ago, that wasn't, you know, that wasn't the case. So I've kind of always, if we're talking about race,

I've kind of always been that like that token black girl, even as I moved into L.A. and in my dance career, I was kind of always the only one in that way. Which is still it is still

the case on Dancing with the Stars. But I do have to say I'm really breaking barriers. I am breaking barriers and I'm really excited. One of my mint teas she got hired on to be on troop this year, which I'm like super excited. I'm just like be mean for her and want to like give her the world and everything. But yeah, that's a that's a little bit about me. Dance has been my

I started when I was three. Did you? Yeah. I started, you know, I like basically learned how to walk and then I started dancing. And it's been, it's always, you know, when we were talking about that expression, it's always been that for me. I thought I was going to become like a doctor and all these different things. Right. But, yeah, it was dance. That's what I love about the show, too, though, because it really just spotlights, like, how amazing and dance as a professional career. And it's given it this, you know, stage, like, figuratively and literally.

Yes. Which is just amazing. I love dance. Like, I just think it's one of the most amazing things there is. Thank you. Oh, yeah. I respect it so much and love it. Yeah.

And I just think that's one of the things I love so much. about the show. Where would you put someone first? So my son, the one that's death, kid can move. He can move. Literally. He like anywhere he goes baseball, he dances the bases. Like we're always like, where did this kid come from? None of us, you know? And so wherever we go, people are like, put him in dance. Yeah. And we're like, but where do we start? Like what, what dance would you start? I mean, like, like, like, Like the very like old school mindset is I started as a toddler with ballet and tap. I was going to say.

Yeah, ballet and tap. But there's also so many, now dance has changed. Dance is like so big and broad. And yes, it's thanks to TV shows like Dancing with the Stars because it's now like it's cool. It's relevant. You can do that. But I would just play around and see what he likes. Like even how you just kind of described him, I'm like maybe hip hop.

There's some amazing. Sure hip hop. He works like no other. That's amazing. No, the kids. Like anywhere you go, he will just bust it out. I would put up in hip hop. There's a lot of, there's a lot of good youth dance programs here in L.A.

Mm-hmm. There's actually, we can talk about this after. But there's a new one. Yeah, yeah, I also have a non-spocket. Oh, yeah, I have a nonprofit. Yeah, I have a nonprofit. It's all about dance. It's about, like, um,

taking kids and we like to say that we like to create like a big circle of support around them and their dance journey and we basically just want to walk with them through we start at eight so we want to walk with them when they you know before eight you're kind of like oh you're just having you're just having fun but i feel like at eight i was like oh i'm invested in this um we just want to walk with them through their dance journey whether they want to become professional dancers or not because I'm a huge believer that dance is incredible for anyone. It doesn't matter if you're, it just doesn't matter. It creates that expression, that place to, it's like, it releases endorphins.

It's a joy. It's amazing. It's also physical activity. So yeah, so we do that. We provide financial, inspirational, and educational support, and we just, it's still kind of new, but it's called Share the Movement. Share the Movement. movement that's sweet I like that

thank you what if you suck at dancing though like what if I can't follow a step like when they yeah you're good

you can follow what is the word choreography choreography I'm like I don't know where you're going with this that way that's a tough work guys it's a tough one

I was like yeah you know there's I love movement meditation oh that's fun yes there's

some like really powerful like ways to just move your body that doesn't have to be choreographed or even like quote unquote dance but it's still moving it's still moving your body in a way that's expressive um so yeah so there's some different ones i mean if we really i do like chi gong like i made him do chi gong during warm up one day and we were like the producers behind the behind and they're like what do they're like just follow me that's what we're doing that's what we're doing That's us What on? That's so cool

Well, what a That's just such an amazing journey And relationship you guys have And it's so cool And I just am in awe of it I think it's so amazing One thing I wanted to tell you Which is just a funny little tidbit

You might appreciate Growing up my dad was insistent That we were only Clippers fans That's true Never Lakers Growing up as a kid in L.A. And being die-hard Clippers Like early 90s

Yeah, that's tough. It's like 90s, sterling time. That was tough. I just wanted you, I thought you'd appreciate what I had to feel like. Yeah, that's right. That's low. I appreciate it. It's a journey.

I had to share that with you. It's been a journey. Uh-huh. I remember when I was young, I used to sneak in the Clipper games at the sports arena. Yeah. And it was so many empty seats that you can take a ticket stub and you can trick the guards and get all the way down to the bottom. because it was so empty. It's so empty.

You would have Lakers fans buy the Clippers tickets because they were cheaper and then everyone would be cheering for the Lakers at a Clippers game. Yeah, it would be more Lakers and Clippers. Yeah, that was growing up. Yeah, well, I mean, the Clippers are nice now.

I know. All-Star weekend is going to be at they got the own stadium, so. Amazing. I love it. I love basketball, so I think that is. Yeah, we can talk. We can talk, yeah.

Another time. We have to wrap up on basketball too. Oh, we got it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You guys are both incredibly inspiring. Yeah, thank you guys for being here. I want to come to your coffee shops. Yeah, come on.

Seriously. Yeah, thank you. Thank you. This was wonderful. Yeah. I know, I could ask a million questions. I know, we could go and go. Thank you.

That was a head gum podcast.