In this episode, Scott sits down with Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist and Dora Award winner Raoul Wilke for a conversation filled with depth and inspiration. Raoul shares his journey from discovering dance to becoming a professor, unpacking the history of vernacular jazz, the creation of his crew Moon Runners, and the importance of staying a lifelong student. Known for his incredible wisdom, he offers powerful reflections on balancing confidence with humility, navigating burnout, and building meaningful community through dance. From music and fashion to visual art, this episode is packed with nuggets of wisdom for any artist looking to grow and evolve. This episode was recorded in Nov 2024.
00:00:00 - Welcome and intro
00:03:08 - How Raoul approaches foundations and choreography in his teaching
00:06:07 - Career as a professor at Toronto Metropolitan University
00:06:51 - History of vernacular jazz
00:11:52 - How he got started dancing
00:15:37 - The origin story of Moon Runners dance crew
00:17:53 - Creating long-lasting friendships through dance
00:21:06 - Learning new styles as someone new to the city
00:21:37 - The importance of forever staying a student
00:26:01 - Balancing confidence and humility
00:28:25 - Raoul’s first show: “Young, Gifted, and Jazz” and winning the Dora Award
00:33:56 - Dealing with burnout
00:38:02 - Representing Canada at Summer Dance
00:42:36 - How Jazz influenced his love of fashion
00:46:35 - Resources for those interested in learning more about jazz
00:49:26 - Musical inspirations
00:53:09 - Passion and natural talent for visual art
01:00:10 - The blending of art forms
01:01:39 - What to expect in one of Raoul’s classes
01:05:07 - Where to find Raoul
FOLLOW RAOUL
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raoulwilke/
LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StudioNorthPodcast?sub_confirmation=1
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7Dh7M22shDInWU7RJlJim5
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-studio-north-podcast/id1735231812
FOLLOW
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studionorthpodcast
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@studionorthpodcast
HOSTED BY
Carmen Forsyth
https://www.instagram.com/carmen4syth/ https://www.youtube.com/@Carmen4syth
Scott Forsyth
https://www.instagram.com/scott4syth/
https://www.youtube.com/@ScottForsyth
Contact: info@thestudionorth.com
ABOUT US
Join Scott & Carmen Forsyth every week as they dive deep into the dance community, go behind the scenes of Studio North, and sit down with some of North America’s most successful dancers, teachers, and choreographers.
STUDIO NORTH TV
Learn from Canada’s best dancers from your own home https://www.thestudionorth.tv/
STUDIO NORTH
Vancouver https://www.youtube.com/@StudioNorthVancouver https://www.instagram.com/thestudionorth/
Toronto
https://www.instagram.com/thestudionorthto/ https://www.youtube.com/@StudioNorthToronto
