Ep. 227: From Rio to LA: Brazilian Dancer Dani Ke'lly on Samba, Survival & Reinvention

Zach sits down with the electric Dani Kelly — Brazilian dancer, entrepreneur, podcast host, and force of nature who traded Rio de Janeiro for Los Angeles over 25 years ago and never looked back. Dani's story starts at age five, watching Bolshoi ballerinas on Brazilian TV and dragging her mom to audition after audition. She trained at one of Brazil's most prestigious ballet schools, mastered everything from jazz to Afro to hip hop — and then at 16, saw her first samba show, and everything changed. From there, Dani built Oya Brasil Samba Show, touring the world and bringing Brazilian carnival culture to stages in Las Vegas, Hong Kong, and beyond — all before social media existed. She shares what it was like to hustle in a pre-Instagram world and why she eventually stepped away from performing to protect her joy. Today, Dani runs Creation Studios in LA — a space for podcasters, content creators, and events — and hosts her own podcast, Be Live with Dani Ke'lly, where she spotlights immigrant stories, artists, and the people who inspire her. Her advice for aspiring podcasters? Two words: be real. In this episode: Growing up in Rio and training at Brazil's top ballet school Falling in love with samba at 16 and founding Oya Brasil Samba Show Touring the world before social media — and how she made it work Why she stepped away from professional dancing (and why it was the right call) Creation Studios: building a home for podcasters and creators in LA Be Live with Dani Ke'lly and the big guests she's keeping secret for now Her no-BS advice for anyone starting a podcast Connect with Dani Ke'lly: Be Live with Dani Kelly —https://www.instagram.com/belivewithdanikellyy/  Podcast song by SIXFOOT 5: https://www.sixfoot5prod.com Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/sixfoot-5/1551774977 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rHMzoU0G0fLhaBsrQiOOY?si=laSZ5hiKTYubJJyhrzf2JQ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.