Meet Michelle Loucadoux | Co-founder of Danscend

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

Hi Michelle, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I recognized that the dance community was struggling with mental health and wellness challenges with very few dance-specific resources to help. So, we worked with mental health professionals for the next two years to create Danscend.

What should our readers know about your business?
We worked extremely diligently with mental health professionals to create Danscend’s programs and resources based on peer-reviewed research while tailoring it to service the performing arts community. While it takes much more of our company’s resources, we are committed to creating customized mental wellness programs for performing arts organizations to fit their specific time constraints and the needs of their community. It isn’t easy. But it is necessary. And we believe it is important for shaping a healthier performing arts community going forward.

We want the world to know that performing artists struggle disproportionately with mental health challenges. They are asked to create emotionally connected performances while operating in extremely high-pressure environments. They need support, their educators need tools, and most importantly, they need a community that understands and addresses their challenges.

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?
If a friend were visiting, I would take them out for the following activities:

– Dinner at Meteora (I’m a huge restaurant lover and a believer that the restaurant experience is a type of theatre)

– A performance by The Realm Company – Los Angeles’ newest and most innovative dance company

– Post-show cocktails and music at The Dresden in Los Feliz

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Kristin Deiss, the co-founder of Danscend, is an absolute super human. Kristin is a mother of two, a chair of a dance department at a college, and she is running an exponentially growing company with grace, wisdom, and patience.

Website: danscend@gmail.com

Instagram: @danscendofficial

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/danscend-llc

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danscend/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@danscend77