53 - Christina Ricucci: 8x National Champion, Disney Star, YAGP

Episode Summary: Christina Ricucci, a dynamic artist who blends singing, songwriting, acting, dancing, and choreography. Christina shares her journey from starting dance at age two to competing and training rigorously, achieving national titles, and landing performances featured in Disney projects. She reflects on how Lyme disease, diagnosed in her teenage years, drastically shifted her career, leading her to explore music and acting. This illness ultimately led to the release of her first self-written single, Ophelia, marking a creative milestone. Now teaching dance, choreographing, and producing music, Christina offers valuable advice for aspiring artists, highlighting the importance of adaptability, passion, and creative exploration. This episode is filled with insights for anyone navigating creative careers and personal transformation. Show Notes: (00:00) - Introduction to the podcast and guest, Christina Ricucci (02:00) - Christina's early start in dance and first performances (05:00) - Transition from dance to music and songwriting (08:30) - How Lyme disease impacted Christina’s career and forced a pivot (12:00) - Embracing other creative outlets: music, acting, and songwriting (15:30) - The current role of dance in Christina’s life: teaching and choreography (18:00) - Advice for young dancers exploring multiple creative avenues (22:00) - Q&A with Business of Dance mentees (40:00) - Christina recommends summer programs and intensives for dancers (44:00) - Reflecting on competitive dance and ballet training (49:00) - Christina shares memories from Showstoppers and other dance competitions (51:00) - Final thoughts from Christina on following your passion and embracing creativity (53:00) - Closing remarks and sign-off Biography: Christina Ricucci is an alternative singer-songwriter, actress, and dancer/choreographer based in Los Angeles, CA. She draws inspiration from life experiences, pain, love, happiness, poetry, and, of course, art, in her creative endeavors. As a dancer and choreographer, Christina has trained extensively in ballet, contemporary, jazz, lyrical, tap, hip hop, and musical theater. She has furthered her training at intensives with prestigious institutions such as The Juilliard School, Nederlands Dans Theater, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Hubbard Street Dance, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Martha Graham, Limon, and Batsheva/Gaga. Christina has choreographed award-winning pieces and has taught dance workshops and choreography across the country. Christina is an 8-time National Champion soloist and has toured the U.S. and Canada as a demonstrator with both the JUMP and NUVO Dance Conventions. She was awarded the prestigious National Title of “Best Dancer” from the Dance Awards, the Hope Award from YAGP, and was a Gold Medalist at the World Ballet Competition. She has also appeared on the covers of Dance Spirit magazine as their Cover Model Winner and Inside Dance magazine. Christina’s dance career led to her first acting job at age 12, when she was cast as a ballerina in a Disney project. After enduring several years of Lyme Disease treatment, she expanded her creative pursuits to include acting and music. She has won “Best Actress” awards at multiple film festivals. In 2019, Christina was the featured vocalist on Nowhere Near, an international award-winning soundtrack. Her music weaves dark pop with contemporary production, and her upcoming project includes the release of her first single, Ophelia, inspired by John Everett Millais’ painting based on Shakespeare’s Ophelia. The debut EP is expected to be released in late 2024. Connect on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/christinaricucci https://www.facebook.com/christina.ricucci