Up next in 10
Join Sway in an exclusive interview with the incredible Tia Rivera, who went from being a college dropout to choreographing the Super Bowl halftime show and Beyoncé's Renaissance tour! Dive deep into Tia's journey on "Sway In The Morning," where she shares her personal battles with impostor syndrome, her rise in the dance industry, and the challenges she faced as a Latina from Brooklyn. This is a story of resilience, creativity, and undeniable talent.
🔥 Tia Rivera's inspiring path will leave you motivated, whether you're an aspiring dancer or a creative entrepreneur. Discover how she transformed her passion for dance into a thriving career, and learn about her innovative Breakthrough Boot Camp, designed to empower dancers and small business owners alike.
👑 Featuring behind-the-scenes insights from working with legends like Usher and Beyoncé, Tia's story is a testament to the power of believing in yourself and pushing through obstacles. Don't miss this compelling episode filled with valuable life lessons, and the raw, authentic journey of one of the most revered choreographers in the industry.
👉 Subscribe to Sway’s Universe for more exclusive interviews and inspiring stories. Watch now and be part of the conversation!
#SwayInTheMorning #TiaRivera #SuperBowlChoreographer #SwaysUniverse #Dance #Choreography #Inspiration #BreakthroughBootCamp #HipHop #Entertainment
Stay connected with Sway’s Universe for more groundbreaking content! 🌐
#PuertoRican #DanceIndustry #MichaelJackson #EntertainmentIndustry #DanceMentorship
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
00:22 - Tia Rivera on Mastering Creativity
02:02 - Tia Rivera on Transitioning from Dance to Choreography
04:17 - Tia Rivera on Her First Choreography Job
06:35 - Tia Rivera on Working with Fatima Robinson
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
voice of
0:01
power that voice right there resonated
0:03
on my
0:05
heart that impostor syndrome some of us
0:07
put on ourselves we inflected on our own
0:10
Consciousness but you made it there why
0:13
are you doubting yourself o I think I'm
0:15
going to have to hire her for my life
0:17
Tracy G who's here oh my gosh citizens
0:21
y'all listen up bro first of all I just
0:23
got to note the gift of creativity uhhuh
0:26
because it's something that we all
0:28
possess it's a Birthright but then there
0:30
are a select few who Master creativity
0:33
and then from that pool there are select
0:36
few that Master creativity and are able
0:38
to blend it with Commerce with soul with
0:42
longevity and our guest here to my left
0:45
she's one of them ones bro she is highly
0:47
revered in the world of
0:49
choreography she is someone who goes
0:52
beyond the stage with her gifts although
0:55
you have seen it because we are still
0:57
recovering from Usher Super Bowl
0:59
halftime show we are still recovering
1:01
from Beyonce's Global Renaissance tour
1:03
talk about it but there are still
1:08
powerful gifts that she possesses beyond
1:11
the stage she's someone who is also an
1:14
incredible business coach that can be a
1:17
benefit to creative entrepreneurs
1:19
whether you got rhythm or not she is
1:21
someone that I can easily co-sign
1:23
citizens you can hear how incredibly
1:25
hyped I am and so it is an honor that
1:28
she is making her radio debut right here
1:30
with us on Sway in the morning I'm
1:32
talking about Tia Rivera Tia Rivera
1:39
hey Tia it's an absolute pleasure to
1:42
make your Queens the honor is truly mine
1:45
thank you for having me [ __ ] you gave us
1:47
radio voice what the
1:49
hell voice been like this that's your
1:52
voice you got amazing voice thank you I
1:54
appreciate that wow start doing movie
1:57
trailers or some [ __ ] hey I'm just
2:00
asking questions to hear the voice Tia
2:03
where are you from I'm from Brooklyn New
2:04
York Brooklyn New York okay BK BK to the
2:07
foolest was It In Living Color was it
2:12
Fame what was it that brought you to
2:14
dance all of them okay um but I started
2:19
dancing pretty late to be honest like I
2:20
watched all those dance movies growing
2:22
up um I'm I'm in the You Got Served era
2:26
the You Got Served era that's a good ERA
2:28
to give my age away I'm 33 okay okay
2:30
okay but um I started I didn't start
2:33
dancing until my last year of high
2:34
school to be honest I didn't I didn't
2:36
think that this is something that could
2:37
be a profession I grew up in a
2:39
traditional Latina household where you
2:41
go to school you go to college What
2:43
ethnicity are you I'm Puerto Rican
2:45
Puerto Rican Puerto Rico okay okay okay
2:49
yeah but you know you go to school you
2:50
go to college you get a job and I
2:53
actually enrolled into college to study
2:55
psychology I thought I wanted to be a
2:57
psychologist and I was in a minor in
2:58
dance but yeah my last year of high
3:01
school is when I is when I gave this
3:02
thing a shot and the rest was history I
3:05
I want to hear about that shot but
3:06
before we get to that shot being from a
3:08
Puerto Rican family and wanting to enter
3:12
the the world of entertainment um how
3:14
did your family receive that initially
3:16
did they were they all in for it or did
3:18
they you know I'm super grateful for
3:20
both of my parents so I grew up with a
3:21
single mom but my dad is still to this
3:23
day very present in my life and when I
3:25
told them I wanted to dance they were
3:28
supportive they didn't they didn't
3:29
understand it no one in my family
3:30
pursued anything creative or any type of
3:33
business entrepreneurship everyone just
3:36
you know had a job and I didn't see
3:38
anybody in my space do this so even when
3:42
I did it I don't I don't think that they
3:43
believed as much cuz I didn't really
3:45
believe when I first started if I could
3:46
be honest but they were in full support
3:48
and I I started dancing I went to
3:51
college for one semester and then I
3:52
actually withdrew because I booked a
3:55
Michael Jackson tribut Tor this is right
3:56
after he passed and that was my first
3:58
like major job and I had this big
4:00
decision to make right because I'm like
4:02
okay I'm in college and this is what my
4:03
parents want me to do and this is an
4:05
opportunity of a lifetime and my parents
4:07
were in full support and I was like I
4:08
promise I'll go back and here we are I
4:12
never stepped back come on look at you
4:14
never went back I love that man Tia
4:16
Rivera is here uh when you did that
4:18
Michael Jackson tour that was your first
4:20
one right yeah did you pay attention to
4:23
the choreographer like how did you go
4:26
from dance to choreography yeah so
4:29
interesting enough so I started dancing
4:31
professionally straight out of high
4:32
school I've actually never never worked
4:34
a regular job I went straight to dance
4:36
but what does that mean dancing
4:37
professionally like is that is that
4:39
dancing uh on music videos sure well at
4:44
that level what I thought was
4:45
professional was not so professional
4:46
today okay but for me you know I was
4:49
doing like the 116 Festival the Pu
4:51
Festival I was doing these little club
4:53
shows but with upcoming artists and I
4:55
was getting paid okay so you know when
4:57
you're 18 years old 19 years old and
4:59
you're making a few hundred a show
5:01
you're like oh wait I think this can
5:03
actually be be a career people work a
5:06
whole week at a job to get paid when I'm
5:08
getting paid to do a show so um that was
5:12
my first exposure to the possibility
5:15
that this can be for me and again I just
5:19
I decided to bet on myself I I left
5:22
school I did that Michael Jackson
5:24
tribute tour and then 2011 is like the
5:26
year where everything kind of happened
5:27
for me I got signed to my agent shout
5:30
out to block talent agency I'm still
5:31
with the agency Talent Agy huge agency
5:34
I'm still with them till today um that
5:36
was the first year funny enough full
5:38
circle I know we'll talk about this
5:39
later but the first time I work with
5:40
Beyonce okay as a dancer I did her Run
5:42
the World music video and then in 2016
5:46
the World
5:50
Girls you did the move okay yeah yeah so
5:53
that was my first time working with her
5:55
as a dancer and then crazy again
5:57
obviously full circle 10 years later a
5:58
decade later get to work with her as a
6:00
choreographer it's been such a beautiful
6:01
Journey wow but in 2016 is when I
6:05
transitioned to choreography I always
6:07
knew I wanted to choreograph to be
6:08
honest like since 2011 since I started
6:10
dancing but I'm grateful for my mentors
6:12
because what they taught me was like
6:15
always be a student to the game and
6:16
don't rush the process so I really took
6:19
the time to experience everything I
6:21
needed to experience as a dancer so
6:23
while I was on set for the VMAs and the
6:25
Grammys and these music videos as a
6:26
dancer I was watching what is the
6:28
choreographer doing how they interacting
6:30
with the artist with the director and
6:32
just learning and then 2016 Fatima
6:34
Robinson everybody shout
6:36
out that you better get him
6:40
Applause the respect got to be high
6:43
always high an ovation right there get a
6:46
little history on her so people know it
6:48
is of course so I started working with
6:50
her in 2014 as a dancer she hired me as
6:52
a dancer and I was stuck to her hip
6:56
since 2014 and in 2016 she's the first
6:58
choreographer to take a chance on me I
7:00
remember I had reached out to the a few
7:02
choreographers that I had relationships
7:03
with let letting them know like look I'm
7:05
ready to transition if there's any space
7:07
available on your team I will grab
7:09
coffee I will play music and she she bet
7:12
on me you know she took a chance on me
7:14
my trial my trial job was Coachella
7:17
which is not really a trial job okay
7:18
yeah wow but that was my first um that
7:21
was my first job as a choreographer in
7:22
2016 and the rest has been history I've
7:25
been working with her ever since and
7:27
doing my own thing as well and we still
7:29
collaborate all the time and I'm just so
7:31
grateful for her mentorship to this day
7:33
wow man yeah I was just with her
7:34
yesterday tell Fatima I'm a big old fan
7:37
um Tia Rivera is here man she's worked
7:39
with everybody from Usher to Snoop Mary
7:42
J blly Beyonce the list goes on yeah
7:45
what are the aspects Tia of choreography
7:48
that the average person wouldn't think
7:49
about in terms of job responsibilities
7:52
cuz maybe in their mind the first visual
7:54
is just someone that's in a studio
7:56
mirrors just at every corner left and
7:58
right and you're just spending
8:02
creative mement but there's more
8:05
especially when it comes to a tour when
8:07
it comes to these major stages for sure
8:09
for sure so one I think let's just start
8:12
with the creative process everybody's
8:14
creative process is different so I'm not
8:17
the qu I think it's kind of because of
8:19
my upbringing too like growing up in New
8:20
York even how I started dancing my very
8:23
first dance company we didn't have
8:25
mirrors we rehearsed in a lunchroom at a
8:28
school oh damn you know I'm saying we
8:30
rehearse in the auditorium and we just
8:32
had to figure it out so I grew up you
8:34
know going to the house dance conference
8:36
in New York and like dancing at parties
8:39
so a lot of my choreography just stems
8:42
from me freestyling and moving so I
8:43
don't even get in the room with mirrors
8:46
and create by myself I just move and you
8:49
know I like to create with bodies around
8:50
me and I always create in the room so I
8:53
never really prepare in advance which
8:55
that's not a that's not a skill set
8:57
everybody wants to acquire I think
8:59
there's a lot of pressure when you get
9:00
into a room and there's a bunch of
9:01
dancers looking at you and then the
9:02
artists is also looking at you like what
9:04
are you going to do but I just know that
9:05
that's where I live in my gift the most
9:08
is just in collaboration in the room so
9:10
that's first things first but also I
9:13
feel like the responsibility of a
9:14
choreographer is so much more a a
9:16
choreographer that has had a career like
9:20
someone like Fatima Robinson right is so
9:22
much more than just the steps it's the
9:24
leadership right being able to the Super
9:27
Bowl that we did together being able to
9:28
lead 127 dancers and six different
9:32
artists so talk Victory line it was
9:35
actually it wasn't that one it was the
9:37
Mary Snoop
9:39
uh The Hip Hop 50 hipop yeah yeah yeah
9:42
oh my God you choreographed that
9:45
alongside Fatima and Adrien yeah us
9:47
three mhm wow yeah okay I was there yeah
9:51
okay yeah I was there
9:53
too let him know hit her with the ow te
9:56
on that Puerto Rico I already know what
9:58
you doing oh wow so okay keep going I
10:00
apologize I didn't mean no please you're
10:02
fine well I I I want to know like it's
10:04
not easy right being um a dancer I
10:07
remember being on tour with um Katie
10:10
Perry tell us about it okay you heard me
10:12
okay all right and we were over in
10:14
Ireland Tia and uh but I got a chance
10:18
because I I I joke about the dance world
10:20
but my partner and I really did come
10:22
from the Dance World my sister really
10:23
did and so I have an affinity and an
10:25
appreciation for dancers because a lot
10:28
of dancers that they're not going to
10:30
always have your name or a Danny P or a
10:33
Fatima you know most dancers are unsung
10:36
heroes you just see them on stage right
10:39
and it's not easy like what are some of
10:40
the perils some of the obstacles the
10:43
challenges that dancers have I mean
10:46
there's so many sway so many but I would
10:49
say one of the biggest things that and
10:51
me and her were talking about this
10:52
recently too it's just like we're in an
10:54
industry where you just want to hear yes
10:57
and you hear no so often that I feel
10:59
like sometimes your talent and whether
11:01
or not you're on a job becomes your
11:03
identity as a person and a lot of
11:05
performers don't know how to separate
11:06
who they are from what they do and I
11:09
think that that's the biggest obstacle
11:10
that dancers don't even realize that
11:12
they face until they're waste deep in
11:14
their insecurity and their lack of
11:16
validation and then you uncover like wow
11:19
where is this really coming from and
11:20
it's because we're told you're too short
11:23
you're too tall your hair's too curly
11:25
you're too Puerto Rican you're too black
11:26
you're too white all of these things and
11:28
all you Really Want To Do Is Dance for
11:30
your dream artist you know so that that
11:33
term starving artist is real but I think
11:35
that it's bigger than just finances I
11:36
feel like that also bleeds into
11:38
emotionally and mentally and that's why
11:41
I'm big on and you know Tracy knows this
11:43
that's why I started my breakthrough
11:44
boot camp which is a 30-day mentorship
11:47
program for dancers because I just felt
11:48
like there needed to be this bridge in
11:50
this gap between personal development
11:53
and helping dancers become better people
11:55
and understanding their worth and their
11:57
value because I think that when you
11:58
bring that version of your yourself into
11:59
a room you're just noticed more yeah too
12:02
increases your chances absolutely like
12:05
when you walk into an audition confident
12:07
about yourself if you're sure about you
12:09
I'm more likely to be sure about you but
12:11
it's like dancers are walking in so
12:12
unsure and you want me to be sure yeah
12:15
just like you want my yes but you you
12:17
don't even have your yes you don't have
12:18
your own yes you don't have your own yes
12:20
you know so it's a lot of things a lot
12:23
of things that dancers struggle with and
12:25
what about when it comes to payment
12:27
because I know child listen this mic on
12:29
the mic is on and it's
12:32
hot like what does thinking back with
12:35
your trajectory TOA the first big bag
12:38
that you got as a professional dancer
12:41
and then compared to the opportunities
12:44
that you have now what are the variety
12:47
of payments and do they come on time cuz
12:51
we've also heard some dancers I feel
12:53
like this was Katie Perry I believe
12:55
where dancers um were boycotting yeah in
12:59
a sense okay yeah you know it I feel
13:02
like in the industry it's very um job
13:06
like job after job like job for job is
13:09
like going to determine what the rate is
13:11
there is a dancers Alliance rate that
13:13
all artists should follow in music
13:15
videos and commercials but you have the
13:17
opportunity to hire non uh non-union
13:20
dancers and what comes along with
13:22
non-union dancers is a non-union rate
13:25
and you know I can speak now as a as a
13:27
veteran looking at the new dancer like
13:28
wow why would you take the flash mob for
13:30
$200 but I remember being that girl at
13:33
17 just wanted to get something on my
13:34
resume so it's just tough because it's
13:37
just like everyone is in a different
13:38
space in their life I don't know if this
13:41
one job is the way that you're going to
13:43
pay your rent on the first so who am I
13:44
to judge whether or not you're taking
13:46
the job and I feel like there's just a
13:47
lot of um uh there's a lack of unity
13:51
when it comes to dancers standing
13:53
together in Alliance and like standing
13:55
up for what it is that they deserve and
13:57
that just comes from
13:59
multiple levels of experience and like
14:01
there's so many dancers in the industry
14:02
and some just don't know any better and
14:05
I don't think that they should be
14:06
represented for for that yeah um and
14:09
then you know obviously there's the
14:10
veteran dancers that are like wow I'm
14:11
putting in all this work to you know
14:13
make a stand for what is right so it's
14:15
just it's it's tough you know it's tough
14:17
but it really does vary like tours pay
14:20
different than commercials than music
14:22
videos then movies so it depends Tia
14:26
Rivera is here give a round of applause
14:28
this is so damn I'm mad I wish we had
14:30
more time I want to keep talking though
14:32
a part two we do part two you just said
14:35
it you just booked yourselfa it um to
14:38
let's get to this to perform in front of
14:42
Beyonce who's been a adamant
14:45
professional for decades and you have to
14:47
audition in front of her and choreograph
14:51
and choreograph in front of her well
14:53
when I did when I did the Run the World
14:54
music video I was actually doing um
14:57
shout out to another one of my mentors
14:59
Lam she was doing a choreography
15:01
submission to choreograph for the video
15:03
okay and I was just doing her a favor me
15:04
and three other dancers so we were just
15:06
showcasing the choreography to her
15:08
creative director we walk into Alvin and
15:11
long and behold it's a inperson audition
15:13
and Beyonce is just sitting in the front
15:15
and now like 18-year-old me is like
15:17
dying on the inside right gosh and it's
15:19
just four dancers and her and they're
15:22
like okay well let's see it and I'm just
15:24
like girls who runs
15:27
this so we do it and then her creative
15:29
director at the time comes over and it's
15:31
like hey so she wants you guys to fly
15:32
out to LA to to be in the video yeah and
15:36
I was like oh let me check my schedule
15:37
yeah I'm
15:38
available right so that was the first
15:41
time and I had to audition now for
15:43
Renaissance um she hired Fatima Robinson
15:45
as a director of choreography and like I
15:47
said me Fatima and Adrien we're we're
15:49
just like this little perfect trifecta
15:51
that which has been working together for
15:52
a really long time so we did The Color
15:54
Purple together we did the Super Bowl so
15:57
obviously when she got the call for
15:58
Renaissance
15:59
um she brought us on board and there was
16:01
no audition process for that um and we
16:04
had already done uh we did her Oscar's
16:06
performance for be alive a few months uh
16:09
before that and then also her her first
16:12
live performance back which she
16:13
performed in Dubai about two years ago
16:15
now um so we had already worked with her
16:18
a few times so going in to work on the
16:20
tour was just a really smooth
16:23
transition that space but there's
16:25
something else that happens I used
16:27
countless I had an experience with count
16:29
fine who used to do The Parkers with
16:31
Monique and um I never acted but they
16:34
put me on set and I watched her rehearse
16:37
in front of me and hit her beats before
16:39
the camera even rolled and I stole all
16:41
that from her I saw how she you know
16:42
what I mean like how she snapped in the
16:44
character I was like [ __ ] I bit the
16:46
whole thing right and I use it to this
16:48
day even on this mic what we do here on
16:50
this show
16:52
um Beyonce you you're you're watching
16:56
her you have a chance to work with her
16:57
and even Usher
16:59
what are some of the things you notice
17:01
the superstars do that you haven't seen
17:04
is it the way she observes is the way
17:07
she picked up on choreography is the way
17:09
she managed her room same with Usher
17:13
what what is the work habits like well
17:15
one she's just she's incredible like as
17:17
a human but I her work ethic is just
17:21
unmatched and I was telling Tracy this
17:23
like I I think I have pretty good work
17:24
ethic and I'm in the room with her and
17:26
I'm like I work a little harder you know
17:28
but just like her attention to detail
17:30
when it comes to everything that's
17:31
involved in the tour is just beautiful
17:33
cuz I think that again this generation
17:36
of artists is just lacking that
17:38
attention to detail when it comes to
17:39
everything even outside of the music
17:41
from the costumes to what Kor Marley we
17:44
putting on the floor you know so she was
17:47
involved with all of that all of it all
17:49
of it wow and just so passionate about
17:51
every single aspect and so kind to
17:54
everybody from catering to creative
17:58
director mhm is it difficult if you know
18:02
while someone like Beyonce is learning
18:05
choreography and say if she's doing a
18:07
move
18:08
incorrectly what goes on in your body do
18:12
you feel comfortable making adjustments
18:14
you know on the flight do you feel
18:16
comfortable disagreeing with her or is
18:20
it more so let me just flow with where
18:22
she's at no no but I think that that's
18:27
also why someone like myself and Fatima
18:30
and certain people get hired because I
18:33
don't think it necess it necessarily
18:35
serves anyone to have a Yes Man on their
18:37
team and she's the person that's like no
18:40
tell me what I can do better and she
18:42
hires people around her that are going
18:43
to make her better and for me I just
18:45
remember that we're all human yes right
18:47
so it's just like if I'm if I'm teaching
18:48
you for example like one of the numbers
18:49
on the tour there was naughty girl and I
18:51
choreographed that if I'm teaching her
18:53
something unless say you know she's on
18:54
the left and it's on the right I'll
18:56
mention it and if she is more
18:58
comfortable doing that way of course
18:59
we'll adjust all the dancers to do it to
19:01
do it her way but she's not hiring us to
19:06
Pander to her yeah you know but to make
19:08
sure that she looks incredible yeah and
19:11
I I think that that's a big
19:12
responsibility so no I don't have any
19:13
problem being like hey girl it's on the
19:15
right not on the left you know the the
19:18
Renaissance tour I didn't get a chance
19:20
to experience and um now that I know you
19:22
I know I'll get tickets next time
19:25
around you see that but one of my
19:27
favorite things was to watch Blue Ivy
19:29
yeah right and watch her Evolution as a
19:33
dancer what what what was your take on
19:35
that as you got the chance to she she's
19:37
so lovely she and she I don't know if
19:40
you've watched any of the online Clips
19:42
but she grew so much from the first
19:44
performance to the last one like she
19:46
just continued to work on it she would
19:48
be in like the in the the female dancer
19:50
dressing room like going over the steps
19:52
before the show just like so excited and
19:55
also just this confidence that I feel
19:58
like just runs in her family you know
20:00
just like she just owns that stage and
20:02
it was just it was really beautiful to
20:04
watch her at that age grow and evolve as
20:07
the tour progressed and all the love
20:09
that everybody had for her too every
20:11
show every time she came out and she did
20:14
Black Parade like people would just
20:15
scream for her yeah and you know her mom
20:18
let her have that moment where it was
20:19
just like about blue yeah it was really
20:22
beautiful that was amazing as I as I
20:24
hear you speak I want to I want to go
20:26
back to your company um that you started
20:29
to to kind of do a orientation for
20:32
dancers because I think what you
20:34
teaching and what you talk about is
20:35
applicable to every aspect of life not
20:38
just in the dance studio right so can
20:40
you talk about some of the success
20:42
stories You' had from people you've been
20:44
able to coach in life okay you got a got
20:46
a whole damn book all right like an
20:50
encyclopedia the results are the results
20:52
the results of the results um I mean
20:54
yeah you know um so one like I started
20:56
it during the pandemic which is kind of
20:58
kind of crazy God gave me this vision
20:59
and was like you need to start this
21:01
dance mentorship program and I was like
21:02
God everybody's inside and you want me
21:04
to be outside so the very first season
21:06
like we wore masks we had to take tests
21:08
but so many breakthroughs one happen in
21:11
the program so I do 30-day uh uh 30-day
21:14
long programs and then I do weekend
21:15
intensives and in both like and and for
21:18
me my favorite part is yes dancers
21:20
uncover what their brand is and and they
21:22
learn how to elevate their brand how to
21:24
have career strategy how to actually
21:27
navigate this as a business because a
21:28
lot of entertainers don't navigate dance
21:31
as a business they navigate it as a
21:32
hobby and hobbies don't pay you and I
21:34
know that you want to turn your passion
21:35
into a profitable profession so that's
21:37
where I kind of come in so they learn
21:39
all these amazing things and they go on
21:41
to book their dream jobs I've had artti
21:43
I mean I've had dancers come out book
21:44
you know movies that they've wanted to
21:46
do okay tour with Beyonce wow book their
21:49
dream agency so I always have agencies
21:51
come in I I have relationships with all
21:53
the agencies cuz I'm always hiring
21:54
dancers so you know they're friends of
21:57
mine they'll come in just to watch and
21:58
I'll do a mock audition because also I
22:01
wish I had that coming up where you
22:03
leave auditions wondering like what what
22:05
what didn't work like what why didn't I
22:07
book the job so at these mock auditions
22:10
we're telling you or we're telling these
22:12
dancers what we would say behind the
22:14
table that we would never say to their
22:15
face so that they can actually leave and
22:17
apply what it is that is working for
22:20
them and then maybe work on what it is
22:21
that's not working for them but so many
22:24
dancers are now signed to their dream
22:26
agency so many dancers have been able to
22:27
turn this into real business have peace
22:30
and knowing that they have strategy feel
22:33
like people in general this goes across
22:35
the board people don't fail for a lack
22:36
of having goals we know what we want to
22:38
do yeah but people fail for lack of
22:40
execution so I teach them my personal
22:43
goal setting formula and they just you
22:45
know they they just Skyrocket wow their
22:48
results that's amazing because you don't
22:49
have to do that that's a lot of time and
22:51
energy in you know what though I I I
22:55
feel like it's a calling though okay
22:57
like it's not a I always say it's it
22:59
that portion of my life it's not a
23:00
career it's a calling and I know that
23:03
God continues to allow me to have these
23:05
experiences like me doing the BET Awards
23:08
and the Renaissance all of these things
23:10
because of my heart posture and I
23:12
genuinely have the heart to just
23:14
continue to pour out and give back and I
23:17
feel like the reason why I'm so abundant
23:18
is because I abundantly give you know
23:21
get her Round of Applause I'm learn I'm
23:23
a part I'm I'm in her I'm in her class
23:26
right now um
23:29
when you when you're a dancer or any
23:31
type of performer is true you have to
23:32
you have to contend with a lot of nose
23:34
and a lot of people make you doubt
23:36
yourself that's why mindset becomes so
23:38
important it's everything okay speak to
23:41
mindset and how do you develop it how do
23:43
you strengthen your mindset for sure one
23:46
I think that and I this is one of the
23:48
first things that I teach so I have a
23:49
coaching program for dancers and I also
23:51
have one for small business owners I
23:53
help them develop their business plan
23:55
scale their business to their first six
23:56
figures and the first place we start in
23:58
our sessions whether that be a group
24:01
session or one-on-one session is what's
24:03
going on up here because 10 out of 10
24:06
times it's the conversation that we're
24:07
telling ourselves yes do you know what I
24:08
mean on I'm not good enough I'm not
24:11
deserving and we're mentally
24:13
self-sabotaging and sometimes it's the
24:15
people that you don't even think the
24:16
impostor syndrome that we were talking
24:18
about you're like wow I I got to this
24:20
place and now you're in the room but you
24:21
feel like you don't deserve to be in the
24:22
room but you're in the room and you're
24:24
there because you deserve to be there so
24:26
I think it's just one
24:29
being honest and my first focus is
24:31
awareness like how do you actually feel
24:33
about yourself what do you actually
24:35
think about yourself because I think
24:36
that the minute you become aware now we
24:38
can address it but if you keep sweeping
24:40
it under the rug like no I'm good I'm
24:42
confident I'm no but you're not yeah you
24:44
know so it's like let's peel back the
24:46
layers of of the onion and let's just
24:47
get a little honest um and people cry
24:50
people it turns into a whole thing okay
24:52
it's a therapy session but it's so
24:54
needed because I think that we come into
24:56
this industry and we feel like we just
24:57
need to be tough and you know the
24:59
entertainment industry it helps you
25:00
build this tough skin but we feel like
25:02
we need to just have armor on all the
25:04
time and I feel like people work on
25:05
their career but they don't work on who
25:07
they are as a person but you bring who
25:09
you are into this room you bring who you
25:12
are into every room so it's like how are
25:15
we working on the person that you're
25:17
bringing into the opportunity as opposed
25:19
to just focusing on the opportunity yes
25:21
I love that what's the name of your
25:22
company yeah so um it's not necessarily
25:25
the name of a company it's um well my
25:27
dance program is called the Breakthrough
25:28
boot camp and then I have a one-on-one
25:30
coaching program if people want to join
25:32
it how can they do it btb camp.com say
25:35
that again btb camp.com btb Camp yeah BT
25:39
so the Breakthrough boot camp.com btb
25:42
camp.com citizens make sure you um check
25:45
that out and not just if you're a dancer
25:47
yeah and and I mean all of the
25:48
information is in the link in my bio on
25:50
my Instagram as well it's IMT Rivera so
25:53
they can find all the information that
25:54
they need there too I am Tia Rivera Tia
25:57
Rivera tell tell me that you've had many
26:00
but what was that one moment that you
26:03
had to look up and say at the camera of
26:05
life and say I cannot believe that I'm
26:08
here what was that job the Super Bowl
26:10
the Super Bowl right yeah was it right y
26:13
that [ __ ] was crazy I was there I saw
26:18
you so one it's it's so crazy the way
26:21
that God works because before I got the
26:23
call I was actually doing season two of
26:26
my breakthrough boot camp it was in
26:27
November and and I was like I'm I'm
26:30
choreographing the Super Bowl I don't
26:32
know how was going to happen but I'm
26:33
choreographing it and I W up in in the
26:35
camp doing a mock audition I had my
26:38
friend Adrien make this whole Mary Jay
26:39
live edit and I choreographed it like
26:42
this this is going to be on stage at
26:44
some point literally the following week
26:46
I got the call to do the Super Bowl wow
26:48
so not only did I get to choreograph the
26:51
Super Bowl but I got to perform my own
26:53
choreography at the Super Bowl wow which
26:55
was so cool like I just remember
26:57
standing up there and just just
26:58
like you know and I've performed in
27:00
front of big crowds but the Super Bowl
27:02
has been the biggest for sure and you
27:04
know as a as a as a dancer that's such a
27:07
dream job so to be able to do it with
27:09
one of the people that I love Fatima
27:11
Adrien and then hire so many of my
27:13
students too I hired so many students
27:15
and friends and it was just such a
27:18
loving experience and it was just such a
27:21
moment for the culture too hiop it's
27:24
just like if there was any Super Bowl
27:25
that I could be a part of that was the
27:27
one you did that to you give a big round
27:29
of applause I love that you did that
27:32
congratulations you are a walking
27:34
inspiration thank you I appreciate no
27:36
and and it's not even you're 33 so this
27:39
is just size the limit y yeah you ain't
27:41
even at halftime intended you see
27:44
how I'm right I'm not I'm not alone here
27:47
right everybody okay good um it's okay I
27:49
think you're funny thank you oh well
27:51
damn wow that's the first time I heard
27:53
that in that's like saying I don't think
27:55
you're funny now making sure that part
27:57
two that part
28:00
it's okay I think you're funny I see
28:02
your trying over
28:04
here that PTO Rican humor I know what it
28:07
is
28:08
um I wanted to ask you talk about my
28:10
Puerto Ric I love Puerto Ricans that's
28:12
all Puerto rqua uh I when you mentioned
28:16
this and this will be my last question
28:18
um when you talked about my choreography
28:20
was used at the superball and I think
28:23
about some of the dances that have been
28:24
created especially and I'm from Oakland
28:26
A lot of the Bay Area danc
28:29
been copied and emulated in video games
28:32
and some of those people never got paid
28:34
and I'm curious to leg the legalities
28:37
behind choreography can you patent moves
28:40
can you trademark routines like it's
28:43
tough not not really to be honest and I
28:46
feel like there are some I say no names
28:48
but there are some choreographers that
28:50
have tried and they've just gotten so
28:51
much backlash especially for you know
28:55
choreography that's iconic and it's just
28:57
like you know uh a artist hires you or a
29:00
production hires you to choreograph and
29:01
they and they pay you for your time and
29:03
your service and now they repurpose that
29:05
choreography I've had it happen to me
29:07
multiple times you know I choreograph a
29:09
tour and then now this artist is doing
29:12
Essence Festival and Coachella and all
29:13
this and you know whether they maybe
29:15
have a new creative or another
29:17
choreographer but they keep old
29:19
choreography and then they're just also
29:21
they're repurposing the choreography for
29:22
other shows that I'm not involved in so
29:24
there aren't like royalties when you
29:27
choreograph there to be no can't you
29:30
can't or the moves you can't trademark
29:33
let's start a movement sway dance
29:35
royalties cuz if you choreograph ones
29:37
and it's for tour and like Tia was
29:39
saying even if it's repurposed and say
29:41
you're doing it at an award show with
29:44
artist some artists have the Integrity
29:46
of like you know what we're going to
29:48
repurpose this choreography a year later
29:51
let's bring them in so that they can
29:52
teach the dancers the way that it's
29:53
supposed to be taught and you know
29:56
making sure that it looks like what it's
29:57
supposed to look like but sometimes they
29:59
just are like hey watch this video and
30:02
I've had students of mine on jobs that
30:04
I've hired for for for certain jobs go
30:07
on to doing multiple shows and they're
30:08
like hey so they're showing your video
30:10
to these new dancers and I feel very
30:12
uncomfortable because I know the coral
30:14
and they want me to help and like I just
30:15
want to reach out and you know and I
30:17
appreciate that Integrity but yeah it's
30:20
no it's pretty Savage out hereo Savage
30:23
damn that's like somebody singing your
30:25
lyrics without your permission no more
30:27
so is it comfortable when you reach a
30:29
certain point in your career that you
30:31
can ask for a higher rate oh baby okay
30:35
okay listen yesterday's price okay okay
30:39
good it's not today's yeah yeah I mean
30:42
you of course like you know and for
30:44
dancers it's pretty even playing field
30:46
but as choreographers there actually is
30:49
no standard when it comes to rates so
30:51
you know someone who's just starting in
30:53
the industry obviously there should be a
30:55
base of what they're going to get paid
30:56
but them versus rich in tone or Fatima
30:59
Robinson like that's going to look very
31:00
different respectfully as it should you
31:03
know cuz what you're paying for too is
31:04
someone's experience you know and like
31:07
what they come with not just their time
31:09
M I love this conversation Tia I'm glad
31:12
we got a chance to meet all right give
31:14
her a big round of applause and look for
31:16
her T Tia Rivera what you got coming up
31:19
oh I have three btb incentives coming up
31:21
this July I'm going to be in New York
31:23
City uh July 5th through the 7th Atlanta
31:27
July 9 9th through the 11th and then in
31:29
La the last weekend of July and they can
31:31
find that information on btb cam.com so
31:34
and what about this
31:35
weekend Oh the BET Awards Tune In Tune
31:38
in listen and and I have rehearsal right
31:41
after this it all becomes a blur y'all
31:42
my bad yes BET Awards we're working on
31:44
something really special for the Usher
31:46
tribute so I'm excited about that
31:48
congratulations Tia Rivera you are a
31:51
star and you are inspiration and if
31:53
people want to reach her you can reach
31:54
her directly at I am TI Vera my
31:58
Instagram or btb cam.com congratulations
32:01
from one fellow dancer to the next I see
32:04
you I see you okay all right
#Arts & Entertainment