Episode
Ep. 227: From Rio to LA: Brazilian Dancer Dani Ke'lly on Samba, Survival & Reinvention
- Published
- May 28, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2046
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://www.everythingandanythingpodcast.com/
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Summary
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 Kelly, where she spotlights immigrant stories, artists, and the people who inspire her. Her advice for aspiring podcasters? Two words: be real.