Transcript

Kate Henry [00:00:00]:

Welcome to Honing in a podcast for creative thinkers where we’ll hone our skills, explore our passions and nurture our dream projects into being. Hey everybody. Welcome back to Honing In. Today I’m interviewing Amelia Richison Valiente and she’s a performer, writer, teacher, business owner and the creator of punk feminist aerobics practice Pony Sweat, which I’m sure some of you have heard of. She has cultivated a loyal following through her fiercely noncompetitive dance aerobics format which celebrates anti perfectionism, self-expression and the liberation of all bodies. Alongside her Pony Sweat work, Amelia writes about music and somatic practices and is published in Dopamine Press’s 2025 Witch Anthology. And she currently performs with her dance troupe hags. From 2017 to 2021, Amelia performed with the band Object as Subject.

 

Kate Henry [00:01:07]:

She has choreographed music videos for Alice Bagg, Hayley Williams, Wallows and Scrunchies and has performed her work at Weirdo Nights, sorority and many, many punk shows. She holds a BFA from Emerson College in Boston and is an AFAA certified aerobics instructor. Originally from Wisconsin and Vermont, she moved to LA in 2006 to pursue her dream of becoming Weetsy Bat. She lives in the San Gabriel Valley with her wife and pup. That’s such a fun bio to read and to hear. And all of my, the folks in my circle love Pony Sweat. So, I was so excited to interview you and chat with you today. So, thanks for making the time.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:01:52]:

Oh my gosh, thank you so much for having me touched to hear that your pals do Pony Sweat. You know, I tell people, I’m like thank you for finding has reach and it’s also, it’s pretty niche. Like dance aerobics is pretty niche and actually with a like kind of punk bend, also pretty niche. So, thanks for finding me.

 

Kate Henry [00:02:14]:

Of course. I think I just have really cool friends who have really good taste and shared ethics and values with me, you know. So, could you tell the listeners a bit about what Pony Sweat is?

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:02:27]:

Yeah. Pony Sweat is a fiercely noncompetitive dance aerobics practice. It’s a celebration. As you mentioned in my bio, it’s a celebration of anti-perfectionism, expensive self-expression, deliberation of all bodies. The you know, the motto is fuck the moves. But it is also a lead follow format where we get to kind of like each of us gets to kind of confront where we like to follow a pattern of movement. We get to honor the part of ourselves that like loves to maybe learn a dance routine. And we also get to strengthen our connection to our own agency and autonomy and make choices from a place of curiosity and desire and decide when we want to fuck the moves.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:03:15]:

And so, the whole container is based on that practice. It’s queer centered. It just turned 11 years old this month and it’s based in Los Angeles. But as you know, because you’re not in Los Angeles, there’s. Yeah, there’s ponies. There’s ponies everywhere.

 

Kate Henry [00:03:31]:

I love it. And I, I so appreciate that it’s still accessible online. Like, like we’re still in a world with COVID but also, like you, this is available for folks who are live in la, but I think it’s wonderful that we can still do it from wherever we’re at. I definitely want to, we’re going to dive much more into Pony Sweat, but I want to take a step back because this is a podcast about creative projects and I’m curious. Like, I know that, you know, just showing up and facilitating Pony Sweat, like, I might participate and be like, this is great. You know, like, look at this. I, I show up, I take this class, it’s so satisfying. And then I leave.

 

Kate Henry [00:04:11]:

But for you, there’s so much behind the scenes prep that goes into it. So, do you think, well, or have you in the past thought of Pony Sweat as a project or like, is a project a helpful framework for you, either for Pony Sweat or for maybe for some of the other creative work or writing or facilitating stuff that you’ve done?

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:04:32]:

Oh, yeah, absolutely. Like, I love the framework of a project. I love the word project. It is like a really unloaded word. So, few of those. Like, like, yeah, like, it’s the, it’s. It’s a word that, yeah, for me, has a lot of excitement to it and freedom behind it. So, I guess I’ll say in terms of pony.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:04:57]:

So, yeah, I’ve always thought of it. I’ve always thought of it as a project, and I would not have been able to start it or sustain it if I hadn’t always thought of it as a project. I wanted to teach aerobics forever and I had so much imposter syndrome, I basically thought I had to go to medical school in order to become an aerobic aerobics instructor or like be a professional athlete. And, you know, I had a, you know, a story about myself from experiences growing up that I was like, incredibly unathletic and not a good dancer and not like a person that, that maybe people would trust to like facilitate a dance aerobics class. Like, I had all these, all these stories that Kind of held me back. And so, you know, and that’s really where fuck the most comes from is this idea of like, this is a project and so you. I didn’t become certified to teach aerobics until two years of teaching Pony Sweat. Like, it started as just like me and my friends in a dance studio with the routines that I made up at home.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:06:05]:

And, you know, I’m very, I’m very much self-taught. Like, I’ve been, you know, I’ve taken beginner ballet throughout my life for different periods of times. But like, other than that, I’m not, like, I’m not, I’m not a trained dancer. Like I said, I’m not very athletic. I have a very short history with exercise. So again, just to say, like, the idea of fuck the moves really inspired me. This idea of like, Pony Sweat is a project and a creative project. One about.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:06:33]:

Yeah, it’s a creative project. Like, I think of dance aerobics as extremely creative. I think about dance aerobics as creative expression more than I do like a fitness modality, to be honest. So, I mean, you know, it does, it does do both. It does do both. But. But for me it’s, it’s its creative expression. So.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:06:50]:

Yeah. And I think that, you know, even 11 years in and now Pony Sweat is my business, and I’ve done work to legitimize it as a business. But still keeping in mind that kind of experimental energy of it being a project. Yeah. Allows me to just like, keep going. Just keep going. Like, as long as I’m interested in this project, like, I can keep going. Like, so.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:07:13]:

Yeah, that’s, I guess what I think of with that question.

 

Kate Henry [00:07:16]:

This is lovely to hear. And I’m so. It’s so refreshing also to hear that the framework of a project feels expansive or like, like you said, like an experiment. I think that sometimes we’re like, ew projects. I have to do it. Right. So boring. Right? But like, I don’t know, maybe it’s like those Capricorn vibes.

 

Kate Henry [00:07:34]:

You’re like, I’m in my. Give me that project. I’ve got this. That’s excellent.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:07:38]:

That’s probably true. That’s probably true. And you know, I have, you know, my, as I mentioned to you before we started this podcast, like, I, you know, I have a sun in Capricorn and Mars is in Capricorn and just about everything else is in Aquarius. But I do think my Mars in Capricorn. Yeah. Did help me with this project. I get really overwhelmed when there aren’t like, boundaries, you know, and a project, to me, yeah, like, there. There are boundaries inherent in a project.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:08:08]:

Even if it is experimental, it’s still. It has boundaries.

 

Kate Henry [00:08:13]:

Yeah, I feel the same way as a fellow Mars Capricorn. I am like, give me my template. I’ll just fill in the template. Give me my. I know what to do. I know the plan for that. Thank you for telling me about thinking about projects in Pony Sweat. Could you tell me a little bit more about the other work that you do, the writing work you do, the somatic practice work that you do? Do you feel like you approach that with similar.

 

Kate Henry [00:08:40]:

I don’t know, not like. Like productivity or, like, different approaches? Or, like, do you approach your writing or other creative stuff outside of Pony Sweat with a similar mindset? Or like. Or if it’s something that is, like, maybe just between you and an editor, like, is it a different experience if it’s not something that’s, you know, shared publicly live?

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:09:00]:

Yeah, like, Pony Sweat is very much the sun of my creative solar system. So my writing, my dance troupe, the work that I did with my old band, Object to Subject, which is still a band, it’s Paris Hurley’s band, and it’s had many iterations, and Paris Hurley is still making incredible music and performing as Object to Subject, but, you know, yeah, like, Pony Sweat is kind of. Is kind of the core for all of that work. And it not only continues to be a source of, like, incredible inspiration, but it also strengthens. It strengthens me. It strengthens all of the other things that I’m making, whether it’s writing or creating other dances. And I think that’s because, like, the work of Pony Sweat, like, as it was in the very beginning. And while it is.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:09:56]:

It is many other things now other than this, but stems from, like, this, the creative practice of making mixtapes and then the creative practice of, like, making expressive movement to those songs. And, like, to me, I think of mixtapes as, like, love letters or, you know, a letter to a friend. All kinds of love. I mean. I mean, romantic love, platonic love, all the reasons why we make a mixtape. And just, like, writing, like, yeah, those things are just other, like, channels of expression, I guess.

 

Kate Henry [00:10:26]:

What a beautiful place to find yourself. Like, thinking about these different channels of expression. Like, that in itself is the outcome of a project. Like, I think a project sometimes as, like, this is a blueprint or this is a recipe or, like, these different, like, creative ways of thinking about stuff.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:10:42]:

Hearing you say that, maybe it’s important to Mention that, like, Pony Sweat as it’s. As the core or as the like, son of this creative solar system. Like, I didn’t consider myself a writer until Pony Sweat. Like, that wasn’t a way that I expressed myself. Like, it was, you know, I’ve always. I’ve always been an avid journal writer and an avid letter writer, but, like, you know, I started writing about music and about somatic practice because of Pony Sweat. And so, I do feel like, yeah, like, Pony Sweat initiated me into that role. The project begot other projects, which I think is something that happens with projects, actually.

 

Kate Henry [00:11:22]:

I mean, I’ve got this podcast now, right? Like, I ran a newsletter for I don’t. I don’t know how many years, and I was like, you know what? It’s time for a podcast. You know, so I. I feel you on that.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:11:31]:

One of my jobs, like one of my B jobs was I assisted an architect for. For several years, and she was just like this badass. I used to nanny for her and then when her kids went to school, she. She was so great. Barrett, I really appreciate it. When her kids went to school and she didn’t need a nanny anymore, she was like, well, do you want to be my assistant? So anyway, I was like, really under qualified, but she hired me, and I really appreciate that. But what I learned from that gig, speaking of projects, is like, you know, people are like, oh, I’m gonna. I’m gonna switch out my kitchen faucet.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:12:01]:

And then they’re like, oh, well, if you do the faucet, you gotta do the sink and then you gotta do the cabinets and you gotta do the floors and then, you know, so a project begets another project.

 

Kate Henry [00:12:12]:

Oh, yeah, yeah. I think about this like, like in productivity lens, like thinking about, like all the behind-the-scenes tasks we don’t think about need to go into something when, like, from the outside we’re like, oh, you’re just like doing. You’re just replacing your faucet or like, oh, you’re just writing a newsletter or you’re just, you know, teaching a class or something and you’re like, no, no, no. It’s actually like one hour, but it takes like 30 hours to prep for.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:12:40]:

So that is really real. Thank you for having a podcast about that.

 

Kate Henry [00:12:45]:

I could talk about projects forever because I’m just like, personally, like, so fascinated with them. But I do want to shift and think about, go back to Pony Sweat, like, and reflecting on something that I love so much about it. And I know other folks love this about it. Is Just like, how clear your core values are and, like, the community’s values in being, like, fiercely noncompetitive and like, fuck the moves. Which I’m gonna ask you a little bit about later, but I’d love to hear more about. How do you feel like the container of Pony Sweat embodies these shared values with your community? Could you tell us a little bit more about how you develop those? Like, with whom you developed them? Like, like why that’s so important to you?

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:13:29]:

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, from the beginning, I think because I started teaching Pony Sweat to friends and specifically my friend Noah and Lizzy, like, they, they were really, really close in supporting me. Like, Noah was the person that rented the dance studio and called me out of the blue and was like, hey, I rented a slot for you. It’s in three months, so get your routine together. This is happening. And then he and I, we worked at the same. We worked at the same cafe and, you know, we were like, making sandwiches and salads and doing the lunch shift and came up with the name. So, you know, I had a lot of, you know, feedback from my friends.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:14:15]:

And because I share values with my friends, I had this really extraordinary opportunity to feel what it felt like to do aerobics in, like, a pretty, like, safe, controlled environment. Like, it was with the people that I loved and, you know, and cared about. Yeah. And that shared values with me and, like, knew where I was coming from with my teaching. Right. That, like, weren’t coming to like, participate in something about, about weight loss or about abandoning your body or about, you know, like, they knew what we were, what we were coming to do and that it was. And that it was about expression and it was about, yeah, like, holding space for. For that and also being kind of like, anti-nihilistic, you know, Like, I come from, you know, I come from, you know, I’ve been in different punk circles, right? And I’ve been in different circles where, like, nihilism is cool.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:15:16]:

And so, like, you know, just that, that just that being the beginning of it of, like, oh, we’re actually here to, like, try and be with our bodies and stay with our bodies. Like, we’re here to just, like, practice that and hold space for each other to do that. And we’re here because, like, we want to dance because we love dance. So. Because I had that as the beginning. Like, Like, I remember saying to Noah and Lizzie, how do I as this grows? Because eventually, like, strangers started to come, which I was happy about because I was also like, I. I want to keep doing this. And I can’t rely on just like the same five friends to always come.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:15:52]:

So, I was excited, like, I was excited that it was growing. But I remember saying like, how do I keep this? How do I keep this idea? And being fiercely noncompetitive, like that was something very early on in the ideation. That was like a phrase that came to me pretty immediately just because I’m. I have always considered myself fiercely noncompetitive. And so, you know, Noah, I remember Noah said, like, well, you just have to say it every time. Like you have to say, you have to describe the values of the class every single time. And so, I did, you know, for years I verbalized, you know, with intros and then there was like a middle part of class where I would just talk. And as you can tell, I’m like pretty verbose.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:16:43]:

It takes me many words to talk about, takes me many words to, to get to the point of an idea. And, and that worked for a long, like, well, I think it worked. But you know, the thing is, is that like people don’t always hear it. And when you’re in a space that looks like a million other spaces, right? When you’re in a dance studio or you’re at a gym and you’re in a space with mirrors, and this was before Pony Spot was online, right? So, this was just in person and there’s a person at the front who’s demonstrating movement and with the idea that you are, you know that it’s a lead follow class. Which it is, which it is. It is a lead follow class, right? You might not, a person might not really hear the instructor say at the beginning of the class the moves. This is a fiercely noncompetitive dance aerobic space. We’re here to practice anti perfectionism.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:17:35]:

We’re here to like practice expansive self-expression through the practice of fiercely noncompetitive dance aerobics. Like a person on any given day might not be able to hear that or understand what the, for that person means because like, well, we’re dancing in rows and you’re at the front and most people are doing what you’re doing. So, I’m supposed to be doing that, right? So, you know, and then there were other things that we were encountering and like, I guess the other thing I want to say is like, from the very beginning I was like, I want this to be like, I want to dance to the cure in a space where I can be like very visibly queer. Like that’s like, I, like those were like things that I. Things that I wanted. Like, those were like Things that I wanted was. Was it to be like kind of a, you know, a queer centered space? And I, you know, the Cure’s my favorite band. And so, we did.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:18:22]:

We. Yeah, like, you know, and so, you know, as Pony Sweat continued to grow, we would still verbalize. I had a couple other teachers, CJ and Jaquita. Come on. And we would still, like, verbalize the intentions, the philosophies of class at the beginning, in the middle. But Pony Sweat was growing, was growing. And, you know, we. And we did notice that sometimes, like, sometimes we would feel like folks weren’t really holding the intentions of the space.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:18:51]:

So, yeah, it became apparent that we needed it to be a lot more explicit. And so, at a retreat in 2019, with the help of our friend Laurel, who came on. Laurel Butler came on to help us as a team with me and who’s now my co business owner, Michelle Rivera, who came on to do operations in 2018. In 2019, we all got together at a retreat. Michella, me, CJ, Jaquita, and Laurel kind of led us in some exercises to, like, just write down all the core values of it. And then in 2020, Michelle and I came up with that document, the core values document, which is on the website. So, all to say that, like, that also was a project, like, coming up with the core values was, like, a very long project. And it took.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:19:47]:

Pony Sweat started in 2014, and we didn’t have the core values document, like, on the website until 2020. I had a newsletter where I would talk about these ideas and these philosophies. Right. But yeah, it wasn’t like, it wasn’t planted anywhere. And so that was important.

 

Kate Henry [00:20:05]:

I’ve been in, like, two different online spaces before where folks have referenced the Pony Sweat core values as a good model for how to be explicit about your core values. Yeah, like, two different. Completely different events. So, like, folks are noticing, and, like, it is an excellent model. I’ll make sure I link to it. It just also, like, reading the core values of Pony Sweat makes me feel like, oh, I’m in a good place. This is a place that aligns with. With me and my values.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:20:32]:

Like, it’s there to protect this space and it’s also to attract who we want to come to this space. And not, you know, not everybody who comes to Pony Spot reads the core values. You know, like, like I mentioned it at the intro of every class, but I can’t. You know, one thing I have learned is like, oh, like, I can’t. I can only do so much to control this space. But the core values document definitely helps with that, right? Because it’s like, well, I can’t make everybody read this, but, like, I made it available. I made it super available. And, you know, and the fact remains that, like, I don’t want to do aerobics with, like, people who believe that gender is binary.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:21:10]:

Like, I don’t want to do aerobics with those people. Straight up. Like, just straight up. Like, like, aerobics is like pony sweat and dance aerobics is like, it’s a, it’s a vulnerable, creative expression of mine. And like, I, yeah, I don’t want to do it with squares. I don’t want to do it with people who are to sexualize my body. I don’t want to do it. Like that does like all of that stuff just makes me want to like, fucking stay home.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:21:37]:

Like, I’ll just stay home. So, you know, again, I can’t totally control who comes to class or even how they will interact with these core values or these ideas. I can’t guarantee that they’re going to, like, listen to my intro. I can’t guarantee. But I do feel more protected and more empowered that it’s explicitly stated somewhere.

 

Kate Henry [00:21:58]:

Yay. I love it. Jess, I’m such a fan of Pony Sweat, but I’m so thrilled about the music. You have just such excellent taste in music. The Pony Sweat songs, like, remind me of being like, at a queer bar in college and dancing with all my friends, you know, like, it’s like, that’s the vibe I get and it’s excellent. And I’m curious, how do you tell us a little bit about, like, how you develop the playlists and the choreography? Like, is it something that you’re thinking about, like the tempos or the mood or like the theme? This is one of those things where I’m like, oh, there’s a ton of behind-the-scenes labor that’s going into just this one class. So, I’d love to hear a bit about how you prepare for that.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:22:39]:

Yeah, I mean, I’ve always been a huge music fan. Like, my dad’s a musician, so I grew up just like really surrounded by music all the time. You know, I grew up playing the piano and playing violin and I don’t play instruments anymore. But yeah, I still really, like, connect. I’ve always, like, my body has always really connected with music. So, I feel, yeah, I feel lucky that, that as far as long as I can remember, I’ve had a curiosity about artists and excitement about hearing new music and like extreme fangirl proclivities. So, like when I was little, you know, I was a huge Madonna fan, like for, you know, I was born in 1983. And yeah, like some of my earliest memories are just like being totally fucking obsessed with Madonna as like a three-year-old, as like a toddler.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:23:37]:

And yeah, and. And the reason why maybe you, you know, why the music of Pony Sweat reminds you of like being in college and dancing at queer parts is because. It’s because a lot of the music that I want to dance to is to like honor our past, you know, like a lot of the music that is closest to my heart is the music that really impacted me when I was younger. And you know, I used to like, I used to have this like on Instagram, I used to have this like hashtag way back in the day when people were so hash tagging that said, your inner child wants you to dance. And I stopped using it because not actually, that’s not totally true for everybody. Some, some inner children actually hate dancing and that’s fine. So, I stopped using that. But my inner child really wants to dance, and my inner teenager really wants, needs to dance.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:24:28]:

And so, a lot of the songs are kind of inspired by that time. And I’ve always. And I. And also, just even as I’ve grown up, I’ve always really been such a huge fan of 80s music. So, a lot of the music comes from 80s post punk and not. And you know, some pop, some Madonna, of course, but like a lot of, a lot of post punk. And then, you know, as a teenager, you know, when I was 13, I heard the Cure for the first time and that was really life altering and life changing and. Yeah.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:24:57]:

And so through kind of like my teenage love of the Cure, I got into, you know, Susie and the Banchees, of course, and Bauhaus and you know, just like all of that whole world and New Order and that, yeah, that kind of world of post punk and goth and you know, and that’s just always like stayed with me. I’ve gone through different phases. I worked at. When I lived in Boston, I worked at Newberry Comics for a long time, which is a record store. Boston. That was really helpful. Like, if you work at a record store, like, you’re just immersed, you hear music all the time. You’re just like, it’s really easy to find out about other artists.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:25:33]:

Right. Because you’re like in conversation with people all the time and you’re. And you’re music sharing. You’re music sharing all the Time. And I would say that that’s still my favorite way of finding out about music is through friends and through music sharing. Like, being at a friend’s house and then putting on a record and me being like, what is that? Which is kind of why I started this class exercising and listening to record. Because I don’t read a ton of, like, I don’t read a ton about, like, music releases and stuff. And I don’t work at a record store anymore anyway, so my favorite way to find out about music is still, like, from other people.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:26:07]:

Sometimes people will send me mixes that they’ve made, which I really appreciate. Yeah, I love getting mixtapes and mix CDs and playlists. And as far as the Pony Sweat mixtapes go. Yeah, like, they take a long time. They take me a really long time in some ways. You know, I’ve gotten a little bit faster at court choreography over the years. Thank God. Thank God.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:26:30]:

Like, I’ve got a little bit faster creating choreography just because I’ve practiced so much. But. But honestly, making the mixtape takes hours. And it’s like any creative practice where, like, you kind of go into, like, a liminal space. I’ll speak for myself. Where, like, I kind of go into this, like, liminal space and, like, time moves differently in that space. And I’m really immersing myself in storytelling through songs, right? And I think of it kind of as, like, building a soundtrack for, you know, this, like, current moment that I’m living in. And I’m picking up on collective energies, and I’m like, what do we need to dance about right now? What do I need to dance about right now? You know, the mixtapes are really personal.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:27:15]:

And, you know, as a general rule, like, to answer your question specifically, like, am I thinking about tempo? Am I thinking about. I’m not really. Like, I think about time signatures. Like, it’s way easier to make up a dance aerobics routine to, like, something in a four, four time signature. So that’s like, you know, 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 and 2 and 3 and 4, right? Like that. That’s. That’s. That is easier for the type of modality.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:27:38]:

Right? But really, I’m thinking about mood more than anything else. And, like, if a song makes me, like, feel in my body the excitement to dance, then I put it on a list of songs I want to pull you to. And if a song makes me cry, it probably is gonna go on opponent’s foot, you know, to a certain extent. Like, not. Probably not. Sufi and Stevens like, you know what I mean? Like, I’m not gonna. Like, that’s a different. That’s a different.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:28:02]:

That’s like a crying in private. Yeah, that is. That is. There’s a category. There’s, like, the crying in private. Right. We might not pony to that, but, like, there’s a lot of songs that are, like, really good to cry in public, too. And those songs.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:28:14]:

Yeah, I definitely want to bring into Pony. So, yeah, I’m looking for, like, both an emotional and a physical reaction. Like a strong emotional and physical reaction. And. And I hope that. Yeah, that others feel it too. But I know, like, I know right away when a song is right for Pony or not. It’s.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:28:31]:

It’s kind of. It’s. It’s kind of strange, and sometimes I’ll like the song, and I’m like, no, it won’t work. It won’t work for Pony. And I, I, I can’t really tell say why. It feels mysterious.

 

Kate Henry [00:28:43]:

This is so fun. And I don’t make a ton of playlists, but my spouse, Chris, who, you know, from back in the day in Boston, they make a lot of playlists, and we do a lot of dancing to those playlists. Like, in the kitchen, we have this, like, gay playlist, for lack of a better word, like, gay pop. And, like, we’ll cook and, like, listen and dance together and sing together, and it’s, like, such a fun thing. That’s, like, one of Chris’s favorite things to make. To make playlists. So. Another thing that I really love about Pony Sweat is thinking about the, like, I don’t know, like, when I think about working out for me or exercise, which I also was not into exercise or movement practice until, like, my early 30s.

 

Kate Henry [00:29:27]:

And then I was like, wow, this makes my brain feel really good to move my body. Like, it’s like, I don’t exercise for my body. It’s really, like, just a men. Like, I love it, it’s fun, but it is, like, such a mental health thing for me. And so, something that I like about doing Pony Sweat is sometimes, like, even if it’s like, I’m like, oh, I can’t keep up with the moves, I just kind of, like, bounce around. Like, I just kind of, like, jump around. And it that I really love embodying that, that fuck the moves approach to this, and we mentioned fuck the Moves a few times, I find that so inspiring. As someone who can get.

 

Kate Henry [00:30:04]:

I like to do a good job at everything and do it right. But, like, with Pony Sweat, it’s something Where I’m like, no, I can just bounce around. Like that’s totally cool and fun and I can dance even if it’s not the moves. So, like, tell me more about. Fuck the moves. I’m sure that it’s something that other folks have been like, this is so inspiring and like, not something I’m used to doing when I’m moving my body. So, like, just tell me a little bit more about that.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:30:25]:

I mean, I’m just like a person that gets paralyzed by fear. And it has kept me from dancing for, you know, it kept me from dancing for years and it kept me from going to classes that I really, really liked because I couldn’t do what my teacher was demonstrating or what the people around me were doing. It was just like constantly getting in my own way around. I mean, perfectionism really. Right. And that’s also where being fiercely noncompetitive came from, was. I was just like, oh man. Like I need such a specific container too.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:31:00]:

And this is like, this is my Capricorn hella, hella coming out. Like I need such a specific. And this is also why I say that Pony’s was the little niche specific container. In order to like rewild, for example. I, I need to be told, I need to be told like, this is not about achieving anything. Like this is and you don’t. And so, I just, I guess I, I guess I really figured like, oh, if I need that kind of specificity than I’m sure I bet other people do too. And there did seem to be like an intersection of like queer people or femmes or fat people, or you know, marginalized bodies.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:31:50]:

Right. That like also kind of needed a kind of specific container. Not, not across the board obviously, but that like also needed those messages. I did notice there was kind of an intersection of that. So yeah, so if I needed it, other, other people did too. So yeah, that’s, that’s very much where that comes from is like, fuck the moves. Like this isn’t supposed to look any like anything. Like we’re not here for you to move like me, to look like me.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:32:16]:

We’re here to honestly like just like try and experience joy. And when I, you know, I spent so many years not connected to my body, like so many years trying to escape my body and the experience of having a body and there was like no joy. There’s like no possibility for joy there. Like I can only experience joy through my body. And I’m not saying that’s true for everybody else, but like for me it is like, it turns Out. And this was actually, this was actually some. A pony. Very early on, Sparrow once said to me, she said it was like the first year she said, well, your body loves doing aerobics.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:32:53]:

And I was like, it does. Yes, it does. And it’s like, oh my God. Oh my gosh. It just like took me that long to like. Yeah. To be like, yeah, this is what my body loves to do and so I gotta do it and it and it makes and it and it. You know, to your point, like it helps me process emotion, it helps me feel capable and it vastly changes my mental landscape.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:33:17]:

My mental and emotional landscape. Fuck the moves and fiercely noncompetitive right there can sometimes be interchangeable. But fuck the moves is very much like, like I don’t have to be doing my best in order to be participating in this. I don’t have to be doing my best even right. Like I can just come to pony and like off and, and that’s fine. Like that’s still like in the core values of the container. It’s still doing pony sweat. And then, you know, and the fiercely noncompetitive bit is also very much like, oh, I don’t have to be the best at this to do this.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:33:49]:

And that helped me start it, you know, because I again like I, I wasn’t an aerobics instructor, I wasn’t an athlete. I didn’t consider myself a dancer. I was none of these things. I wasn’t a teacher. So, fuck the moves just allowed me to do it anyway and to like follow what really felt heart led, you know. Fuck the moves is like, it’s a cry, it’s like a call from the heart, you know, it helps us be courageous or it helps me be courageous, you know.

 

Kate Henry [00:34:22]:

That’s lovely. It makes me think too like for like people like me who like I really. This is maybe all the libra in my chart. But I, I really love when people are like the, the lead and follow thing. I’m like, that’s perfect for me. I’m like really happy to be like having someone like showing me what to do and like guiding me through the process. I really like that. But then there’s also this like I especially like, you know, doing this online.

 

Kate Henry [00:34:45]:

Like I’m like, oh, I can like adjust it as I need, right. So there’s like the scaffolding and the structure is there but it’s not like, I don’t know, like I don’t like in the past, like I don’t do this now because my body does not love it. But I used to be really into riding a spin bike and going to spin classes and it really was, like, competitive. It really was like, numbers and like, just like tracking and like personal records. And like, that’s not a good thing for someone like me who is like an. Is like an addict, you know, I’m like, it’s not good to look at numbers, right? So, like, something where someone is providing a scaffold and guidance, but I still have the freedom to play is such an excellent combination.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:35:29]:

I’m so glad to hear that. I’m sorry. Sorry to interrupt. I’m just excited. I’m excited that. Yeah, I’m excited to hear you say that. And it’s true, like, competitive environments are really exciting for a lot of people. But for me, like, I enter that kind of space and I am just like, I quit.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:35:44]:

Like, I. I just. I can’t even. I can’t. I’m just like, no, I quit. I. Like, I’m just like, this is clearly more important to other people and not to me. And like, I can’t function.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:35:56]:

So anyway, but one more thing I guess I want to say about Fuck the Moves is that also this idea of like, you know, there are so many prescribed paths to do a thing, and like, a lot of that is just like, indoctrination and like, lies and it’s a reminder that, like, we. We carve our own paths and Fuck the Moves helps me in other areas of my life, you know, Like, I’m gonna stick with what’s heart, what’s art, led, and follow that. Fuck the moves. Yeah. And I do agree with you. Like, it is really comforting to be. To be in a space that is lead, follow. I love, I love my Jazzercise class, but, you know, I’ve taken Fuck the Moves to Jazzercise, you know, and like, even though that’s not a part of Jazzercise’s core values, like, I know what it’s like in my body now to Fuck the moves, and I can do it.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:36:51]:

And before Pony Sweat, I couldn’t do it. Like, I couldn’t summon that permission and freedom within myself.

 

Kate Henry [00:36:57]:

What comes to my mind too is thinking about, like, listening to your body. Like, I am someone who is hyper flexible to a point where, like, when I. I practice Iyengar Yoga and sometimes like to achieve a certain pose, I actually am, like, doing harm to my body. Like, I should actually not go as far as some of the other students in class will go, or, like, I should actually, like, stop instead of doing a certain thing or whatever. Just like, my flexibility means that my muscles sometimes do things that aren’t good and cause harm. Right? So, it’s like, it just makes me think, too, about, like, how, like, my experience is not going to look the same as another person’s experience in a class where we all trying to do the same thing. So, I’m sure that folks at Pony Sweat are also, like, I’m listening to my bod and doing what I need to do.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:37:42]:

It’s awesome when we all grapevine in the same direction together, and it’s also awesome when we don’t. It’s like, it doesn’t. It really. Like, it really doesn’t. Doesn’t matter. And it is powerful. Like, it is powerful to see. To see examples of people listening to their bodies and moving from.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:38:06]:

From an embodied place. Like, that is inspiring to me and to people in class. I know that.

 

Kate Henry [00:38:12]:

I mean, this also makes me think, too, about, like, there are, like, few things in my life that I really care about doing, like, a really, really good job at. Like, I’m pretty fine at being, like, middle of the road, like, not mediocre. That sounds like it has a negative connotation. But I’m fine at just, like. Like, doing an okay job at, like, almost everything. Like, you know, like, I don’t get that dopamine from being, like, I did a perfect job I have in the past. But, like, I don’t know, maybe, like, a lot of therapy and a lot of, like, shifting, like, getting in touch with my values or something has made it such that I’m like, I really don’t need to, like, what does it mean to do a good job at, like, this or the other thing, you.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:38:48]:

Know, I don’t have to be the best at this to do this. It’s fun. It’s true. We don’t.

 

Kate Henry [00:38:54]:

Like, I’m not a surgeon. I want my surgeon to be the best at it. But, like, otherwise, I’m fine.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:38:59]:

Yeah, exactly.

 

Kate Henry [00:39:00]:

I want to close up by asking you something I ask everyone I interview, which is, what’s something that you’re honing in on right now?

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:39:09]:

I’m honing in on, like, loosening my grip. Like, Pony Sweat has been a really personal project to me for the last 11 years, and it means so much to me. And. But it’s become, like, really clear in the last year because of some health stuff I’ve gone through and just kind of, like, the rhythm of my life and the world at this time, that it’s like, oh, yeah, like, I don’t need to be the only person, like, facilitating this, and I shouldn’t be. Yeah. And I’ve just kind of gone back and forth on that. And so I’m honing in on loosening my grip and letting it, like, blossom through the channels of other people and their bodies and their voices and. Yeah, I’m doing that, you know, with the help of the team, which is Michella, Michelle and I are both of us kind of honing in on that vision for Pony Sweat of having more teachers in other places.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:40:12]:

And Isabel, who’s on the team, folks who interact with Ponysweat and social media are interacting with Isabel. And then, you know, we currently have two other teachers, Chiquita and Malia, and teaching here in la. So, yeah, I’m honing in on that. On, like, how do I, like, loosen my grip and trust that? Like, I nurtured this thing with enough specificity. Yeah. Like, I nurtured it enough to. Yeah. To, like, kind of let it become something.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:40:51]:

Something else, you know, I like that because.

 

Kate Henry [00:40:55]:

Well, I like that for you because I want you to have that extra spaciousness. And also, what a beautiful way to approach running a business. You know, like, to not, like, have this, you know, to be like. I don’t know, what’s the right word? Like, it’s not, like, diffusing it, you know what I mean? But it’s like, I like that in loosening the grip, you’re also, like, including folks in running this and, you know, decision making and, like, taking the onus off of you and giving agency to other folks in the team as well. Like, that’s just. What a lovely way to run a business.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:41:33]:

Yeah. And it’s, you know, and it’s very much informed by the core values of the. Of the practice of class. You know, it’s like. It’s kind of. It’s kind of an expansion of, like, the core values of the. Of the dance practice into the, you know, the whole. The whole shebang, you know, which, I mean, obviously we practice the core values as a team, but, you know, Pony sets my baby.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:41:55]:

And it’s like, you know, so it’s been. You know, I’ve. I’ve struggled to loosen my grip on it, but that’s what I’m honing in on right now. And it really does feel like honing in. It feels like there was a lot of work to get to this point, and now it’s happening. It’s really like. Yeah, it’s in that. I really love the phrase honing in because it’s like.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:42:18]:

Yeah, I’m finally there. Like, I’m finally there. And honing in on it feels good.

 

Kate Henry [00:42:24]:

Yay. Good. Good work. You worked hard to get there. That’s excellent. I mean, I will share some links in the show notes to where folks can find you, but I’d love to hear just in your own words, like, where can folks find you? What do you suggest folks check out if they’re new to Pony Sweat or new to your work.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:42:41]:

Yeah. As Dr. Kate mentioned, we have a video subscription that includes livestream classes or you don’t even have to be a subscriber to come to our live stream classes. You can just. Just sign up through our website, ponysweight.com and our subscription includes classes, live stream classes, and then also a whole library of videos that I make with Michelle. We’re really into making, like, artful aerobics videos that don’t really look like other videos. So, yeah, there’s like a. There’s a container.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:43:11]:

There’s a video container of all Bjork, PJ Harvey, Tori Amos songs. So, like. But there’s all kinds of. And then there’s like, I do strength training through there. So go to the website. We have a presence because of Isabel’s work. We have a presence on Instagram and on TikTok under Pony Sweat. We have a newsletter that’s included with the subscription, but also you can just sign up for the newsletter that we put out through Substack and that goes out weekly.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:43:37]:

And me and Isabel and Michella share the writing of that. We also share relevant, you know, things that maybe we’re inspired by or that are happening in our communities. We have an activism leg called Ponies Against Fascists, and we do meetups and fundraisers, and usually we advertise. Advertise. We let people know. We communicate about. Yeah, we advertise. We advertise Ponies Against Fascism aggressively, aggressively, through our Substack newsletter.

 

Kate Henry [00:44:10]:

Good.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:44:13]:

Yeah, we should actually. We should actually. I misspoke. But we should advertise aggressively. And if you’re in Los Angeles, please come to class. We have multiple classes per week at a studio called the Pickle Factory, which is in Frogtown, which is a part of Northeast Los Angeles. And, yeah, please come to class and say, hi. I love to meet ponies.

 

Kate Henry [00:44:36]:

Yay. I am gleeful. I’m so thrilled it’s been such a treat to chat with you. My face hurts from smiling. Please keep doing everything that you’re doing and build in spaces for rest and loosening your grip as well. But I really appreciate you chatting with me today. Amelia. Thanks so much.

 

Emilia Richeson-Valiente [00:44:54]:

Thank you so much for having me. Dr. Kate thanks so much. I hope my Aquarian answers got your questions answered.

 

Kate Henry [00:45:07]:

Thanks so much for joining me. You can learn more about honing in and my work as a productivity coach on my website, KateHenry.com Take Good Care.