A new episode of Nickelodeon’s ‘Game Changers’ was released on October 29 under director Lauren Finerman, titled ‘Born to Dance.’ The special spotlights trailblazing performers Misty Copeland, Quinton Peron, and Victor Montalvo—three athletes who have each pushed the boundaries of what dance can represent.

In our conversation, Lauren shares the vision behind the episode, the power of telling stories that defy expectations, and what it means to capture dancers who are redefining their sport by staying true to themselves.

How did you get involved with ‘Game Changers.’ Given your background, was there someone who had you in mind to direct an episode like this [dance']?

Lauren: I've done a lot of work with the production company [Nickelodeon]. In twenty twenty four, I worked with them on a series for the Olympic Channel when breakdancing became an Olympic sport. So we had kind of just been off the heels of doing this really cool breakdancing series for the Olympic Channel. When I got a call from Nickelodeon, that they were open to pitches for this new show, ‘Game Changers’ and XTR immediately thought of this really cool work we had just done. And they said, how would you feel about pitching Nickelodeon a dance episode? So that's kind of how the whole thing came about.

Let’s go back to your time at the New York City Ballet, because I know it was a very specific role that helped your path to becoming a filmmaker.

Lauren: I didn't go to proper film school, so I always say my time at New York City Ballet was my film school. I got a job as an in-house filmmaker under Ellen Bar, who was also a filmmaker. I got to make dance films all day, every day for about two years. It was under Ellen's mentorship that I asked her for the first time to direct. We'd kind of been producing and story producing and doing all these different things, creative work. But, you know, I finally kind of built up the courage to ask to direct my first project with them. And once I kind of got a taste for directing, I knew that's what I was meant to do. [FULL ANSWER IN AUDIO]

How did you tackle short-form filmmaking at the ballet without being repetitive?

Lauren: That's a great question. When I started at New York City Ballet, there wasn't social media yet. And so everything we were doing was kind of groundbreaking. It was kind of the first time that a company was doing short form storytelling. It was a little bit easier back then. It's a lot harder now because there's so much content and you have to find ways to break through. I think it's just about, you know, getting creative in figuring out what you want to make next. [FULL ANSWER IN AUDIO]

You of course made a short dance film recently with Cynthia Erivo and Misty Copeland, and you were at the ‘Wicked: For Good’ premiere as well. To be back at the Lincoln Center must have been such an amazing experience — going back all those years later.

Lauren: It was really incredible. I got my start at Lincoln Center making dance films, and then it was really special to be at the premiere of the ‘Wicked’ franchise—it’s such a big machine—and to get to be there as this tiny little part of it for a dance film I made. I was very aware of that full circle moment. I felt really honored to be there. And I definitely felt Ellen Bar's mentorship and all of these people who really helped shepherd me into the dance film world, I really felt them all there with me.

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For ‘Game Changers,’ you worked with three subjects; Misty Copeland, Quinton Peron, and Victor Montalvo. You’ve worked with Misty several times now—how did you approach them to be part of this project?

Lauren: Misty and I had a little bit crossed crossed paths in the dance film world. Her and her producing partner, Layla Fayyaz, had started getting into the film industry, and so we had kind of seen that each other were doing projects, but it wasn't until ‘Flower’ [short film] that they had reached out to me. I had interviewed for the job of directing their first film [‘Flower’]. Misty and I worked together really closely for about two years on that movie, and so you just end up becoming really close. And Misty is such a big part of the projects she makes. She really wanted to be not just on screen, the star of the film—she wanted to really be in the trenches making the work. She was in every single edit session. We were in creative development meetings together—we were really in it together. And I think if you've ever made a movie, you know, that kind of bonding, you kind of stay bonded for life. So it was a no brainer to reach out to Misty for Game Changers. I had also shot with Victor for that breakdancing series I told you about, and so he was front of mind. And he's so great on camera and he's so athletic and acrobatic, and I knew he'd be great to show with Misty because they're so different. I met Quentin at a dance workshop that I had been at just a few months earlier, scouting for a different project. And when I heard of this project, I immediately thought of Quentin, and he was one of the first male NFL dancers ever. So I thought, amazing.

What is it about dance that makes you so passionate about telling stories in this artform?

Lauren: I grew up as a dancer in my twenties, moved into circus, which is, you know, a very physical form of storytelling that my dance background led me to. I think for me, my self-expression before I was a filmmaker was always through movement and body storytelling. And when I came into filmmaking, whether it was dance filmmaking or narrative filmmaking, I realized this really core thematic element in storytelling. And I felt really grateful that I had this background in dance to help me as a director be able to tell these stories. And I don't think that I ever set out to be someone who specialized in dance. But I think as filmmakers, as a director, you end up finding the stories you resonate with. And so just time and time and time again, I found myself working with new dancers on dance projects, and I have to think it's because of my background.

Who are your major influences in the dance world?

Lauren: I grew up not very good at ballet. It's interesting to me that so much of my work takes place in ballet because I was too short, too athletic. I was all of those things that didn't quite make you a perfect ballerina. And I actually think the experience of not quite fitting in in ballet is what led me to want to work with people like Misty Copeland, who is like the epitome of wasn't right for the ballet world and did it anyways. So I actually think that I always felt a little bit like a dance misfit. And that experience, I think, maybe more informed me than any specific one person, because I didn't really see myself reflected in a lot of the other dancers, um, especially dancers who were famous or had come before. And I actually think that that's what had led me to get into circus arts instead of dance was because there was more of a space for me there than there was in the dance world.

To you, what does being a Game Changer mean, and what are you hoping for audiences to take away from your episode?

Lauren: I really hope that people see this episode and understand that dance doesn't have to look like one thing. Um, you know, to reiterate, I didn't know that there was a path for dance for myself because I was a bit more of a misfit in the dance world. And I wish that I had a misty Copeland or a Victor or a Quentin to see. Um, and to know that dance doesn't have to look like one specific thing. And I hope that, um, people see this episode and understand that dance is meant for every type of body and every type of person, and that it's not such a closed world. And I hope that it opens the door to self-expression, because that at the end of the day, that's what dance is about. Um, and what is being a game changer mean to me? That's funny. I asked that question to every single person, and I didn't think the answer for myself. Um, I think that being a game changer means not being afraid, um, to do the thing you love and to do it with your whole self. Um, and I think all three of the people that, um, we highlighted in the episode do an incredible job of that. And I'm hopeful that audiences will see that and feel that, um, and it'll unlock something in themselves as well.

Lauren Finerman’s ‘Game Changers’ episode ‘Born To Dance’ is now available to stream on Nickelodeon VOD

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