Episode #120: Mickela Mallozzi on Dancing with Strangers, Winning 4 Emmys and Experiencing the World One Dance at a Time

Episode Summary

Mickela Mallozi tells her story of growing up in an Italian immigrant home in NYC, getting into music and dance as a kid, pursuing it professionally, and then having a vision in the middle of the night for her now 4-time Emmy award winning travel show “Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi”. She explains her passion for dancing with strangers, and how that magically opens doors when traveling and allows her to meaningfully connect with people when she doesn’t speak their language. She then talks about how she spent her life savings to produce the pilot episode, and shares her subsequent mistakes pitching the show. She explains how she honed her craft of storytelling and continued networking until eventually she struck a deal with PBS to air the show and subsequently won her first Emmy. She then takes us behind the scenes of Season 1, and explains how she got to dance in a professional Tango show on the main stage in Buenos Aires after only a week of learning tango. She then explains how Season 2 showcases the diversity of dance across the various immigrant communities in New York City, and why Bhrangra music had such an important role in her life. Next she talks about Season 3, in which she traveled to countries where she has DNA heritage and shares her experience in Uzbekistan and Morocco. Mickela then announces her brand new two-part special focusing on the Guadaloupe Islands. She also invites people on her “Bare Feet Tours” where you can travel with Mickela and experience the world through dance. Finally, she talks about her 4th Emmy acceptance speech and how continual rejection has inspired her persistence. FULL SHOW NOTES AVAILABLE AT www.TheMaverickShow.com

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What You'll Learn

How to conceptualize, host and produce a 4x Emmy award winning TV Show
How dancing with strangers is a magical key to open doors and create connections
Behind the scenes stories from “Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi” on 4 continents

Links From the Episode

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WATCH MICKELA’S 4-TIME EMMY-AWARD WINNING SHOW “BARE FEET WITH MICKELA MALLOZZI”

https://www.travelbarefeet.com

#1 BOOK THAT MICKELA RECOMMENDS

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

#1 PERSON MICKELA WITH WHOM MICKELY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE DINNER

Michelle Obama

TOP 3 FAVORITE TRAVEL DESTINATIONS

TOP 3 BUCKET LIST DESTINATIONS

LOCATION WHERE THE INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE

OTHER PLACES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

CONTACT AND FOLLOW MICKELA

Time Stamped Show Notes

**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.

[4:48] Growing up in New York and Developing Her Passion for Dance and Culture

Italian Immigrant family upbringing
Dancing as a kid
Taking Music and Dance classes
Re-discovering her Italian roots through dance
Discovering her super power—the magic of connecting with people through dance
Having the vision for her show

[15:30] Producing the Pilot Episode of “Bare Feet” on a Shoestring

Spending her life savings to produce the first episode
Housing the film crew at her grandmother’s house in Italy
Teaching dance classes in Italy to pay for the shoot
Her #1 mistake in pitching the episode
Overcoming the first major setbacks
Honing the craft of telling stories through dance
Networking for years to find the right connections

[27:31] Getting “Bare Feet” to air on PBS and Winning an Emmy

Starting with YouTube videos
Sneaking into a Conference
Meeting the right contact
Airing the show on PBS
Winning her first Emmy without funding for the show
Designing her first 3 seasons

[35:49] Behind the Scenes of the “Buenos Aires” Episode

Learning Tango in BsAs
Dancing on Stage in a Professional Tango Production after 1 Week

[47:33] Behind the Scenes of the Bhangra Episode in NYC

Mickela’s experience getting back into Dance through Bhangra music
Shooting season 2 to showcase cultural diversity in NYC

[54:10] Behind the Scenes of Season 3 on Mickela’s DNA Tour of the World

[56:55] Behind the Scenes of the Uzbekistan Episode

[59:22] Why Morocco was the Most Emotional Episode for Mickela

[1:07:44] Releasing Season 4 as a Two-Part Special on the Guadeloupe Islands

Carnival in the Guadeloupe Islands
How to watch the new episodes

[1:11:41] Travel with Mickela on “Bare Feet Tours”

Travel with Mickela to Experience the World Through Dance
Why Mickela loves Ireland

[1:16:00] Mickela’s 4 th Emmy Acceptance Speech

Finally feeling like she deserved to win
How rejection inspired her persistence
Her mental and emotional perseverance over 11 years

[1:23:43] The Lightning Round

#1 Book recommendation
#1 Travel hack
#1 Person to have dinner
Advice to her 18-year old self
Top 3 favorite travel destinations
Top 3 bucket list destinations

[1:28:48] Contact and Follow Mickela and Watch “Bare Feet”

About the Guest

Mickela Mallozzi

Mickela Mallozzi is the four-time Emmy® Award-winning Host and Executive Producer of Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi, a travel series highlighting the diversity of dance which airs on PBS stations nationwide and on Amazon Prime Video globally. A professional dancer and trained musician, Mickela decided to start a journey around the world, taking her camera with her to follow dance in the lives of everyday people wherever she went. From re-discovering her family’s heritage in Southern Italy to dancing tango on the main stage in Buenos Aires, the series covers Mickela’s adventures as she experiences the world, one dance at a time. She has performed on numerous television shows including Sesame Street and The Doctor Oz Show. And she has been featured in The New York Times, O Magazine, The Travel Channel, Forbes, National Geographic, and Condé Nast Traveler.