134 - Kelly Sweeney: Disney’s Descendants: The Rise of Red, Zombies, SYTYCD, DWTS, Laker Girls, JLO.

About this episode

Kelly Sweeney shares her journey in the dance industry, discussing her experiences and insights on building a successful career.

Interview Date: August 4th, 2025 Episode Summary: In this episode of The Business of Dance Podcast , Kelly Sweeney shares her journey from starting dance at age 10 to becoming one of the busiest teachers, choreographers, and creatives in Los Angeles. Originally from Mexico and raised in LA, Kelly talks about growing up bilingual, moving quickly through the competition world, and making an early shift into commercial dance and hip-hop training. She reflects on getting signed young, building her teaching career from the ground up by renting her own studio space, and using social media intentionally to create visibility for both her choreography and her students. Her story is a strong example of how consistency, self-belief, and a clear understanding of your strengths can build a sustainable career in dance. Kelly also opens up about pivotal career moments, including choreographing for Shakira, creating the viral Descendants “Red” dance, working with Disney again for Zombies 4 , and stepping into the convention circuit with Press Play. She speaks candidly about the sacrifices that come with an unpredictable dance career, the importance of finding balance, and why comparison can be…

People in this episode

Host: MENINA FORTUNATO

Guest: Kelly Sweeney

Topics covered

• dance career
• choreography
• commercial dance
• social media in dance
• self-belief
• performance quality

Keywords

• dance
• choreography
• commercial dance
• hip-hop
• social media
• performance
• confidence
• teaching

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Disney, Press Play

Books & works: Descendants, Zombies 4

Places: Los Angeles, Mexico

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