Paul Gordon
part punk...part pirate...
and lots of art thrown into the mix.
masterful self-expression is practically everything
Creativity is about unique truths.
Don't compromise and don't settle.
Second Hand Dance Company
SHDC began as a labor of love in the spring of 1987 and became a full time touring career for 16 years.
Our first gig was free and we began because we had a deadline to bring some form of a show to the Ithaca Festival.
With some good material, I got us our first paid gig at the Castle Creek Ukrainian Festival - $75 plus all the beer and kielbasi we could eat after our show. We were on a concrete slab with tables around us. People walked right through our dances to et to the food & beer table.
We got an offer for a mixed bag show in Manhattan at PS122 (thanks Mark Russell) and I got us an agent from one of those and our career began.
We travelled more and more, won awards, went to Broadway with our stuff, appeared on tv shows and stages all over the world and our company's career paid for our livings.
I served us in many roles: co-creator, co-director, business manager and PR point man... as well as holding the master calendar, locating lost luggage, working hand-in-hand with Aaron our lighting designer and technical omnipresence.
It was a tremendous education with first-hand life lessons and lots of special experiences in as many ways one could imagine from such opportunities.
With that, I help other artists as a teacher/mentor and continue to forge my own creative ways myself.
Solo Work
After SHDC I began pursuing new directions. The desire to express what I'd not been able to examine, having devoted 80 hour weeks for a ver long time to the brilliant though time-consuming collaborative journey that was my former group.
It was with the new urge to see what I could do on my own that became a giant focus.
This actually led me to my masters degree in Interdisciplinary Art from a magnificent institution of higher learning, Goddard College (now defunct, though its memory looms large).
some helpful posts of mine
Here's a few instant perspective shifts for ya... use 'em or don't, it's up to you:
Concept 1: On why "good enough" sucks...
Sometime folks say that: "My shit's good enough"... and I cringe because I've heard it before, and seen the fallout from that attitude/approach.I admit it's only been since 1987 that I've taught people to become masterful at resenting their concepts. It started for stage and now is often virtual stuff - webinars, interviews, livestreams, etcetera... - but the principle remains the same: settling for "good enough" always loses to those who shoot for greatness.There's not a single person I pay attention to most who has decided to settle. Ad I cannot recall any friend, peer or client suggesting I pay attention to a vid, podcast or gig or some kind where they ask me to patiently try to get around the boring crap to find the golden nugz of wisdom there.The takeaway I wish you to ponder is this: When you shoot for great, you'll always end up better than you even knew possible... and that will be felt by everyone paying attention to you. The exact opposite goes if you choose to settle for "acceptable" delivery.We get what we aim for, whether excellent of mediocre. Choose wisely. Practice well.Do the good work. - Paul, CPH 2025
Concept 2: On Confidence-building...
Spoiler alert: confidence doesn't come first, it comes "along with" the properly practiced exercises. In fact good teaching yields confident, effective students, while poor teaching results in the opposite. The journey has its ups and downs - all journeys do - so the good teachers know when to step in and guide and when to merely encourage and when to shut up and let the process unfold. It's the job of the student to trust the teacher's intuition while doing the most work possible within his/her schedule. Confidence grows during the journey because a well-informed student gets better at knowing what to look for. One can learn the long way on one's own, but it likely to miss certain signposts out of innocence, ignorance or ego. Getting started is the one sure beginner move than gives a new process the best chances of yielding the desired results. Begin with uncertainty and an unsteadiness and you'll bear witness to your own blooming confidence sooner than you imagined.Choose wisely. Practice well.Do the good work. - Paul, CPH 2025
(more to come, so check back)
Clients Say:
Stephanie's Journey: A Glimpse of What’s Possible
Meet Stephanie, whose life changed dramatically within just eight days of joining "The Art of Face Dancing."
Like you, she sought to make a real impact and found her path to attracting high-ticket clients
through authenticity and self-expression.
Her success is a beacon of what's possible for you.
3 High Ticket Clients in 8 Days!
(7 in 30 days and 11 in total for that launch!)
Stephanie didn't realize that my principles would ultimately lead 11 high ticket clients to her for this launch of her first high ticket program!
“I had some trouble closing clients for my HT program…
and got amazing results instantly: after 8 days in the program
I closed 3 HT clients just by improving my video content
with strategies that Paul gave me… without even launching my program yet!
If you need all kinds of genius tactics and techniques
I encourage you to work with him
… and he’s a fun guy, which was a very important element deciding to work with him.”
Meet Aaron
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