Her Story
About Betsy
I grew up as a ballerina with the Kansas City Ballet and performed in musicals all around Kansas City. I received a degree in dance from The Juilliard School, and after graduating, pursued theater, landing on Broadway 6 times. My Broadway debut was in Wicked, and then I quickly moved into the musical Memphis before we won the Tony Award for Best Musical. I then began originating musicals: Leap of Faith, Scandalous, and Matilda, before booking the smash hit Hamilton which I helped bring from the workshop to The Public Theater off-Broadway to Broadway. Theater is my wheelhouse, but I have worked all over the entertainment industry including film, television and voiceovers. As an educator I have taught all over the country and extensively at USC's Kaufman School of Dance and the School of Dramatic Arts. From originating new dance works at Kansas City Ballet and Juilliard, originating Broadway shows, and creating course work in dance technique, dance media, and theater practice for universities, I am incredibly well versed in development from ideation to full production. Recently,I directed and choreographed a production of Grease in Napa, CA and directed and performed in a production of the Vagina Monologues in Washington, D.C. As a writer, I co-wrote and co-produced my debut pop album, Physical Attention, and wrote my one woman cabaret, Under the Influence, as well as keynote speeches for several educational institutions. I've been in the arts and entertainment industry for 40 years, and in education for the last 13 years.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Betsy
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to resilience, self-assurance, and follow through. A lot of that comes from how much work I've done within development. When one enters into a project right at the beginning, there's no guarantee of how it's going to turn out. Even when it's a flop, you still learn so much from the developmental process. When I begin my own processes, I'm not afraid, and I'm not fearful when there is uncertainty. Ultimately we will figure it out, because we have to. That ability to navigate unknowns without fear has allowed me to take some wonderfully calculated risks. I'm not afraid to move my entire life from place to place because I trust my ability to network and find community. Sometimes well-placed chaos can be helpful in changing energy. When I'm really in a rut and don't seem to be working for me, I know it's time to blow the whole thing up and see where the chips fall, see what pieces remain, and put those pieces together in a new picture. I'm not afraid of that.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Don't try to guess at what other people want. Be yourself and offer up the uniqueness you bring to the table.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Be bold. Don't be afraid to ask questions, ask for help, and tell people what you want. And get a financial advisor as soon as you can. Becoming financially stable is the biggest stepping stone to career freedom.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is how quickly the entertainment industry changes. While that's not new, per se, the shifts in technology over the last couple of decades have made it harder and harder to earn a living while maintaining any semblance of work/life balance. I feel it's more necessary than ever to be a multi-hyphenate professional in order to capitalize on today's opportunities.
I see the biggest opportunity of the moment to be the freedom to shape your professional career however and wherever you want to be. With the uptick in remote and hybrid work post-pandemic, professionals can live where they want without necessarily having to commute to work.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I value independence, reliability, and follow-through the most in my work life, and I value peace and freedom the most in my personal life.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.