I can't hide this anymore...

Summary

After 17 years of creating dance videos and amassing over 30 million followers, the YouTuber reveals a loss of joy in his work and announces a significant change. The narrative traces his journey from an awkward teen in Charlottesville to a celebrated LA choreographer, including overcoming initial failures, a shut-down YouTube channel, and industry backlash. Despite these, his online community's support helped him persevere. He now plans to shift his channel's focus to storytelling, featuring dancers' journeys, collaborations with influencers, and possibly a Netflix series, aiming to reconnect with his audience on a deeper level.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker started dancing at a school dance and felt inspired to learn more.
• 🎥 They began documenting their dance journey on YouTube in 2007, gaining followers and recognition.
• 💃 The initial success of a dance video in 2009 led to rapid growth in subscribers.
• 🚀 Moving to LA in 2010 was a significant step in their career, despite financial challenges.
• 🚨 The speaker faced a major setback when their YouTube channel was shut down due to copyright issues.
• 💪 They persevered through struggles in LA, including a lack of bookings and industry resistance.
• 🏆 Winning The Amazing Race and gaining more YouTube subscribers were significant achievements.
• 📉 The dance industry started to turn against the speaker as they gained more online success.
• 📉 Record labels prevented significant monetization of their YouTube content, despite its popularity.
• 🌐 The COVID-19 pandemic led to a shift in dance content creation, with a focus on online platforms like TikTok.
• 🔄 The speaker is redefining their YouTube channel to focus on storytelling and deeper connections with their audience.

Q & A

How long has the speaker been making dance videos?

The speaker has been making dance videos for 17 years.

What was the initial reason the speaker started dancing?

The speaker started dancing because they were inspired by artists on TV and music videos and wanted to learn how to dance.

What was the first significant impact the speaker had on others through dance?

The first significant impact was when the speaker learned a few break dance moves and performed them at a school dance, which led to everyone getting on the floor and having an amazing time.

How did the speaker's YouTube journey begin?

The speaker's YouTube journey began in Charlottesville, Virginia, where they started their first YouTube channel to document their dance journey.

What was the turning point that led to the speaker's channel growing?

The turning point was when the speaker posted a dance video to 'Replay' by Iyaz in 2009, which unexpectedly went viral with 600,000 views.

Why did the speaker decide to move to LA?

The speaker decided to move to LA because they felt they needed to get out and pursue their dreams further, as they had reached a point where they had a large following on YouTube.

What challenges did the speaker face after moving to LA?

After moving to LA, the speaker faced challenges such as not being able to book auditions, not getting past the first round, and having their YouTube channel shut down due to copyright issues.

How did the speaker overcome the challenges in LA?

The speaker decided to start a new YouTube channel from zero, teach more classes, post more videos, and work harder to overcome the challenges.

What was the significance of hitting 3 million subscribers again?

Hitting 3 million subscribers again was significant because it was the same number the speaker had on their first channel before it got shut down, symbolizing a comeback.

What was the speaker's reaction to the dance industry turning against them?

The speaker felt hurt and questioned their worth when the dance industry turned against them, but they were sustained by the support of their online community.

What is the speaker's plan for the future of their YouTube channel?

The speaker plans to take the channel in a new direction by focusing on storytelling, collaborating with influencers and celebrities, and possibly creating documentaries or a Netflix series.