We had the good fortune of connecting with Cole Trafzer and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cole, why did you pursue a creative career?
I believe anyone who is compelled to produce art into the world is a healer. I am very much big picture person, but not who is guided by a poetic tone, but things that have to make sense to me in my mind. So it all seems like such a spiritual concept from afar, but when you examine it with the scrutiny of intellect but with the open mindedness of the fact that the scientific method is only executed by eradicating what was known as fact every time a new discovery is made and therefor becomes proof.

I believe that all art is an expression, in some form or another, of love of a person, thing, and so on, that is being appreciated in some fashion, or it is the direct opposite, that which is expressing disdain, or a lack of love of a person, thing, and so on. I want to be very clear that I am not at all condoning, nor am I condemning any artistic point of view in absolutely any form of art ever made. I am only reflecting on the fact that I feel every artistic expression of any kind is in some way an expression that is meant to demonstrate a point of view, that in essence is created to incite change. It is put into the world to create a conversation without requiring the permission of a vocal interaction. Something you may have never intended on thinking about, and certainly never planned on changing your opinion on, through art, is a fair game, and often, you unknowingly participate in a change of heart. Art exists to incite change at its core. When the art is an expression of love, it offers inspiration, unity, and grants the will to carry on one more day to those who maybe couldn’t. It offers the will to live. When art expresses the loss, absence, or something darker all around, of love, it doesn’t do the obvious opposite and cause division, but it actually can offer a unity to those who thought they were alone in the pain they were in, it can rally the broken and give them the strength to press on when there was no logical source of strength to be found, but here they are. Art is always there to incite change, it causes energetic disruptions, and if the consumer is already of the mind that the art is portraying, it adds energy to the cause, and if opposite, it can sway and alter the perception of the consumer.

Typically, when we attempt to recall and experience we have, the interesting thing is that we actually have no idea how to actually remember something. We are in fact, recalling the way we FELT, about the experience. We recall how our own mind, our human idenitity, and our opinions, interacted with the sensory data collected through our senses. So were in actuality recalling our memory recalling the memory, so literally we remember when we remembered. But in order to ever truly recall your literal experience with something, you have to tap into the physical side of you, and how your senses experienced. What you saw, not allowing yourself to even dare to venture into what you thought about what you`saw. What you heard, how it sounded, how it all smelled, but never mingling in with how you you felt about that sensory experience.

Whatever for of media the art is taking residence in, when someone encounters it,it causes a change within them. They witness, or experience it, and that person is hopefully forever changed. You hear that song that changed you, allowed you to feel something you may have electively decided you didn’t want to engage in, or perhaps it opened a wave of emotion that you didn’t even know you had the capabilities of experiencing, and takes you to a level of human depth you couldn’t have comprehended. Thats one of the beautiful and simultaneously most violating things about art. You have a conversation without ever pening your mouth, and often, certainly without offering any type of permission to, and all consent is removed, but that is often the absolute only way that someone can partake in it, if they do not know where they are about to be transported. When you ave your experience, at a certain point that experience will be over. The song goes off, the mov is over, and the concert comes to an end. You walk away from that incredible sculpture, or the museum that was supposed to be, in your mind, some eye food ripped you wide open, but now you have to walk away. But you are forever changed. You will never be the same, and you will see your world differently. Radically differently at times. But you do resume the life you were in, and that is exactly how artistic expression can penetrate into non-artistic walks of life, becaus the people who were changed by it go back to the life they were in, with the new mission o fthe artist within them. In this case, this is when art is most victorious.

However, that is not at all the experiecnce that everyone has. Sometimes, someone isn’t changed in terms of a viewpoint and can resume the life they were living. At times, someone is recognized and can finally identify with something that so often wasnt even human. They feel seen, acknowledged, and al the sudden, you KNOW that without a doubt that your purpose on this world is to effect change that way the artist that inspired you to do so has. That is not art changing the masses in my opinion. That is when an artist is born. A path that could’ve, for me, had absolutley no direction, and a human being facing nothing but emptiness can witness something lke the opening scene of the nutcracker, and instead of simply joy, which this world absolutely needs more of, it gives them PURPOSE. Drive, purpose, calling, mission, all those very intense words, because its very intense feelings to match. When I witnessed dancing for the first time, the dancing was beautiful yes. But I was inspired in a way that almost made me angry. That I was wasting my time watching when I knew I needed to get my ass into a studio to practice. The was always a very intense determination within me from that moment. After years of experience and expanded my career to more than just dancing, I am firm in my belief that anyone who is copelled to become an artist of anykind, had they had a life that didn’t give them an encounter with the art theytake to, it WOULD take them to another. Artistsare artists, they are people who are born to create, and incite, that change. For me, the dancing was the vessel, but I realize, years later, that it was teaching that was calling to me. I still love to compete and perform, but if I ever had to pick between teaching and performing, for me, it would certainly be teaching.

Teaching dance, and later, yoga, and holistic wellness is what the rfirst encounter with dance was leading me to. The connection betweeen two people, the spiritual conversation, and the barriers that it removes, and the love that I have seen people experienc,e when there was none before. I hav seen couples on the verge of divorce be able to in a safe space look at each other the eyes with something other than an accusation for the first time in years, because when the only vulnerabilty in that moment they had to knowingly take was to agree to a dance lesson, art has the sneaky ability to change perceptions again without your consent, because here it is in a dance lesson. They agreed to dance, that was it, but here they are, making eye contact, dancing to the song they got married to years ago. I have seen pepole that began limited to the point of barel capable of walking postvery traumatic cancer treatment slowly, through years of hard work, become champion dance students, and how could that not be called healing? Whenever life hasstarted moving too fast, and I don’t feel sure of my way, I still jneed to get in the dance studio. And dancing with a pro is great, but what I really need is to teach someone, and to give them the joy that dancing gives me to this day. Thats what its all about for me. Art, healing, and love.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I began a training program for a franchised ballroom dance studio when I was 17 years old, and I had taken lessons in it for years as a child and teenager with my older brother, Shane, since season one of dancing with the stars came out and he dragged me to a local studio. We both fell in love with it, but I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I wasn’t at all a talented dancer, honestly. I was terrible, and I am an auditory learner, so I actually learn quite slowly, but I will remember something forever once I have learned it. People would love to imagine that being auditory would be helpful in dancing but its not. Being kinesthetic and visual are the fastest, but I can say I UNDERSTAND the mechanics of dancing better than many now, because I had to fully comprehend anything I did before I could do it. I honestly during my time as a student didn’t really think I would be offered a career there. It never really came up, which I assumed was because I was nowhere near good enough. Though I am not a part of a franchise anymore, the single best moment of my entire life, the happiness, and radical shift of my direction was when I was offered a position to become an instructor contingent upon my agreeing to move to Houston, TX, where I did the majority of my professional training. My life has never been the same since that moment, and my grandmother and I packed our jeep and were on the road, literally singing on the road again together. I paid my dues in the professional world but did climb ranks quickly when I met another professional dancer that I coupled with, and we were extremely goal oriented. After the first year, I was winning some regional competitions, and won my first national title when I was 19 years old, and I placed first place representing Houston TX in the Fred Astaire Dance Studios World Championships in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 2010.

I moved to Memphis, TN, and became a certified Dance Director where I realized I had a passion for staff, and people in general, development, which has turned into a brand development love now. I love taking people out of the metronome of day to do monotony and shaking it up, and reminding them how incredible they are, but also how to tap into the attributes they think are liabilities. Easy example: PERFORMERS. STOP TRYING TO MAKE YOURSELF AN EXTROVERT IF YOU RE NOT. Realize your natural introversion is in fact what allows you to be the most seductive, hypnotic, performers around. Marilyn Monroe, anyone? Its one thing to get that room to scream, but it’s a whole other thing to get them to shut up. There I managed both the dancing and the business side, but I actually found my love of yoga there. There was a yoga studio that opened up next door to the dance studio I managed, and I fell in love with it completely. It spoke to a much quieter, nurturing side of me that dancing, with al its intensity hadn’t.

Yoga came with new awareness, and that meant a lot of pain as well. Pain I couldn’t shy away from anymore, and there were a lot of things in the world I tolerated that I realized very quickly through understanding what violence was and wasn’t that I could never be a part of anymore. I realized how violent inaction can be and for a while I had to completely evacuate the dance world. I didn’t understand how to change the toxic behaviors that I did see while being a part of a world that is based off of love and healing people who need to experience the joy that dancing can offer us. I didn’t know yet how to be the change I saw the world needed, and I felt like a child who didn’t know why I didn’t want to go somewhere, but it scared me. So, I ran to the haven of yoga and thank the universe that I did.

I ended up discovering a new understanding for the body, for genuine connection between two people, and through the doors that yoga opened, the pain I felt by what I saw the dance worlds missing parts (in some places, not all) were now exactly what I couldn’t wait to tackle, with love!

I ended up opening a studio in Georgia that was able to offer all creative ventures that needed the safety of a home to do so, which is how I ended up with the teaching skillset that I have now. It closed during covid after a few beautiful years of success, and I came to California to offer my knowledge here, and to continue my own learning.

After I added some more certifications, I now pride myself on a very well-rounded practice that is revolving eternally around one word: Safety.

Safety of the body. I know my crafts of dance, massage therapy, yoga, and holistic wellness enough to where you can come to a session with the knowledge you are going to leave it stronger than when you walked into that room.

Safety of the mind. Knowing that there is someone in your life, me, who only wants all your dreams to come true. My clients know that I am in their life and I have their back, and most importantly, I love them. I treasure them. I would do anything for them. And I would protect them.

Safety of the spirit. When you know your mind and your body and safe, your spirit comes out. You are present because you no longer have to be the person you think you are supposed to be in a specific situation and instead you are able to be exactly who you are, and people truly do not realize how often we are walking around in a state. of defensiveness until the moment comes, we are able to be safe in who we are, and where we are. In a learning capacity this is when people are able to learn at the absolute maximum of their capabilities.

I am honored to say that my qualifications are that I hold 9 professional championship regional titles, 3 national, and 1 world, with 5 world recognized diplomas a 500 hr yoga teaching certification, and I am licensed in massage therapy.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
In West Hollywood, something extremely profound struck me. And it applies to a lot of Los Angeles, I realize.

This city has a quality about it that is a haven. People come here to seek refuge from elsewhere. They elect to come her. They perservered and had to walk away from so much in any circumstances, and I admire the human spirit that is in Los Angeles. There is a fighters spirit here. It brings tears to my eyes when I think about that moment when I looked around the steets of the beautiful West Hollywood and I realized the battles, the fights, and the pain it took for them to be here It makes me proud to be a human being, and it makes the nod of respect I give everyone mean so much when I give it here in this city. The people here are not afraid of anything and it shows. There is a courage here that I have not seen anywhere else.

I have to admit I am not that well versed in many areas here, and I am such a creature of habit. But I love the accessibility of this entire county. I love that I can go to the beach so easily in Long Beach. It really is so breathaking to jog there, and then by the end of the day I can be in the desert is baffling to me.

I love Koreatown, where I love. I love that I can walk in anywhere and for pennies I can walk ut with food that could be on any cooking show on television. Its beautiful, its rich with culture, and its always, so so deicious.

I actually invite anyone to tell ME where to go next here. I love this city and admit I am dough eyed here. I want to take in every second I can here, and I know that this is my home for the rest of my life.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I use the word respect extremely carefully. Its a word that gets thrown around in disagreements when I can’t disarm my adversery to recognize a well played move in a debate. However, when I say that word, what it means, is that I feel that you have qualities that I hope that my children will have, for the world needs more of the qualities I am referring to.

The love of my life, Darius, is one of the few people in this world who can say I respect him more. I find it hard to be impressed. I find it even more difficult to find myself inspired. But Darius is a man who encapsulates the idea of looking to your past, drawing the strength from the best parts of it, but looking to the sunlight of tomorrow with an open mind, and an open heart, to live for the changes and promises of a beter tomorrow. It was baffling to me to see a human being with such a level of altruism that the wrong thing didn’t even cross his mind. I can also see the pain it causes him when struck by something so hurtful by someone else that he never even thought possible, because it wouldn’t have ever seemed like an option. There are times where I have seen the temptation of becoming bitter has made itself apparant, but instead of allowing the knowledge of what poeple COULD do wrong, he uses it as a way to make himself less vulnerable in the futur, but still loving the world just as much, if not more. The world could be a better place if people saw it the way he does. He does the right thing because it is the right thing to do. Nothing more. No punishment or rewards to think about. His word is the most tethering and enforcing force in his life, and that makes him an extremely honest, kind, and clearly intented man. He has a backbone. Yet with that clear moral compass, I can honestly say I have never in my life met anyone who is also so artistically creative, and therefor, so very encouraging of me. Ballroom dance isn’t this creative world it seems. Its a place of rules, of technique you have no say in. But I have never in my my 32 years met anyone who believes in me so much that I have the courage to step into new realms. Its never come across as a pressure or expectation. It comes across as a genuine enthusiasm for the possibilites I have in front of me, and the intellect and sharpness comes out in the fact that every single bet on my own skill has proved him right.

On top of all of it, the man has the voice of an angel, and can play any instrument he picks up. I find him an inspirational man, a man of talent, and a man of morals.

There was a day I was wondering if I could ever be worth the love he gives me. And i realized, I had only one choice, which was to simply be worthy every damned day of our lives together. Thats the difference between pressure and inspiration.

I love you so much my heart breaks thinking about it,, and then mends stronger every single time, Darius. Thank you so much for being you, and the world is a better place because you are in it.

Website: https://orbinfinitumpro.wixsite.com/coletrafzer

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coleartsandwellness/

Facebook: facebook.com/orbartsandwellness

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