EPISODE · Dec 23, 2025 · 34 MIN
McKenna’s Dutch journey on and off the stage
from Expat Podcast the Netherlands · host Your Move To The Netherlands
In this episode, Michel Daenen speaks with McKenna Mahacek. Her Dutch story beautifully combines creativity, courage, and finding your place in a new country.Some of you may remember a very special moment during the Michel Daenen's book launch of Expatfactor. While the audience watched a dancer move on screen, many didn’t realize they were witnessing a live performance. McKenna was dancing in a green screen setup, being filmed in real time — and only later did the audience discover that the dancer they had been watching on screen was performing live, in the main hall. In this podcast, McKenna shares what that unique experience was like for her, and how she experienced being part of such an unexpected and magical moment.Beyond that, McKenna talks about her journey from the USA to the Netherlands four years ago, how she transformed her passion for dance from a hobby into a profession, and how dancing has helped her build connections with people from all over the world — especially in Amsterdam. Through dance, community, and creativity, she has truly found her place in a new country More info on McKenna you find on https://www.mckennamahacek.com McKenna's insta is https://www.instagram.com/fledglingdancersamsterdam/ This is a 2 minute video of the book launch of Expatfactor, in which you see a short clip of McKenna dancing, together with guitar player Jan Snellen: https://youtu.be/M_w-QN2_uMQ === Information on Your Move to the Netherlands you can find on https://yourmovetothenetherlands.nl More background about the podcast host Michel Daenen you find here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michel-daenen/
What this episode covers
In this episode, Michel Daenen speaks with McKenna Mahacek. Her Dutch story beautifully combines creativity, courage, and finding your place in a new country.Some of you may remember a very special moment during the Michel Daenen's book launch of Expatfactor. While the audience watched a dancer move on screen, many didn’t realize they were witnessing a live performance. McKenna was dancing in a green screen setup, being filmed in real time — and only later did the audience discover that the dancer they had been watching on screen was performing live, in the main hall. In this podcast, McKenna shares what that unique experience was like for her, and how she experienced being part of such an unexpected and magical moment.Beyond that, McKenna talks about her journey from the USA to the Netherlands four years ago, how she transformed her passion for dance from a hobby into a profession, and how dancing has helped her build connections with people from all over the world — especially in Amsterdam. Through dance, community, and creativity, she has truly found her place in a new country More info on McKenna you find on https://www.mckennamahacek.com McKenna's insta is https://www.instagram.com/fledglingdancersamsterdam/ This is a 2 minute video of the book launch of Expatfactor, in which you see a short clip of McKenna dancing, together with guitar player Jan Snellen: https://youtu.be/M_w-QN2_uMQ === Information on Your Move to the Netherlands you can find on https://yourmovetothenetherlands.nl More background about the podcast host Michel Daenen you find here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michel-daenen/
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McKenna’s Dutch journey on and off the stage
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