All About The Joy
All About The Joy is a weekly hang-out with friends in the neighborhood! We share insight, advice, funny-isms and we choose to always try and find the positive, the silver lining, the "light" in all of it. AATJ comes from the simple concept that at the end of the day we all want to have more JOY than not. So, this is a cool place to unwind, have a laugh and share some time with friends!
All About The Joy
Life Built on Art, Mentorship, and Love: My Conversation with William Jurberg
What happens when you sit down with the person who helped shape who you became — the friend who turned into family long before either of you had the language for it? That’s the heart of this conversation with my “brother from another mother,” William. Before he was a legendary performer, a beloved teacher, a devoted dad, or a cofounder of a design studio, he was the kid who, like me, found refuge and direction on a color guard floor.
We start where our story begins: early competitions, long rehearsals, and the moment Sean O’Brien introduced real dance language — tendus, port de bras, breath — into a world that didn’t know it needed it. William breaks down how technique became a lifeline, how mentorship turned raw energy into artistry, and how the activity saved us in ways we’re still unpacking.
From there, we talk honestly about the paradox of the activity we loved: a creative home for working‑class kids that rarely connected to professional pipelines. The talent was always there; the question was whether the system ever made room for those kids to cross into careers in dance, theater, or design.
Teaching becomes the center of our conversation. William shares why guiding students past fear into confidence felt more electric than performing, and how that calling carried him into public education in Miami. We get into the realities — pay, burnout, inequity — and then follow his pivot into interior design, and Billy Blanco Designs - where composition, rhythm, and narrative translate seamlessly from stagecraft to space.
In our lightning round, he chooses Baryshnikov over Nureyev, Tokyo over Dubai, and admits that exercise is the vice that keeps him grounded. Fatherhood reframes everything: ambition becomes presence, and the goal becomes raising confident humans without turning them into content.
We also talk about aging without denial — not as a punchline, but as a clear‑eyed look at time, purpose, and what still matters. The antidote, as we both agree, is curiosity. Keep learning and the world stays wide.
If you care about creativity, mentorship, reinvention, or simply want to understand a little more about the people who shaped me, this conversation will meet you where you are and maybe open a door or two.
Thank you for stopping by. Please visit our website: All About The Joy and add, like and share. You can also support us by shopping at our STORE - We'd appreciate that greatly. Also, if you want to find us anywhere on social media, please check out the link in bio page.
Music By Geovane Bruno, Moments, 3481
Editing by Team A-J
Host, Carmen Lezeth
DISCLAIMER: As always, please do your own research and understand that the opinions in this podcast and livestream are meant for entertainment purposes only. States and other areas may have different rules and regulations governing certain aspects discussed in this podcast. Nothing in our podcast or livestream is meant to be medical or legal advice. Please use common sense, and when in doubt, ask a professional for advice, assistance, help and guidance.
Hi everyone, welcome to All About the Joy. I'm Carmen Lisa, your host, and in the house is my brother from another mother, which you've all heard me talk about. Billy. Wait, why did you write William? Are we going by William too?
Billy Jurberg:My name is William. I know it's Billy. It's Billy. Everyone calls me Billy. I like to be known as William when it's a more formal setting. And I'm finding this a little formal already because you're interviewing me, so or you're going to ask me a fuck a few questions of you know, of my thoughts on different things. Anyways.
Carmen Lezeth:I I know, but I but it okay. I thank you. I'm gonna take that as a compliment. I'm just gonna kind of I know, thank you. So, okay, first I want to tell people how we know each other because not everyone knows, but I I was trying to think about this. I remember you when I was like 12 years old. I remember first watching you perform. That's I remember being that young and um seeing you perform and being like, oh my god, he's so amazing. Um, but do you remember when we first met? I don't know if I remember when we first met.
Billy Jurberg:I don't remember. I know, I don't know if I know exactly when we first met. I want to say you were in SAC, if I remember.
Carmen Lezeth:Oh, that was much later then. That was much later.
Billy Jurberg:Oh, really? So that did I meet you when you were in West Roxbury?
Carmen Lezeth:I yeah, so no, no. So I okay, so this is where I remember. First of all, I watched you, right? You were a big time performer.
Billy Jurberg:Everybody knew who you were, you were the star of because there were many, let's be clear, there weren't many guys.
Carmen Lezeth:There were not many men at all in the activity at all, or or black folk at all. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. But I remember um after my mom passed away, um, I was made captain of the drill team in West Oxbury, and then um Jerry Glover brought me to individuals to the competition, individuals, and I was like 12, maybe 13 years old, and there was like a hundred people competing. And and and didn't you win that one? Oh, you said Wanda won that one, but I think you won that one.
Billy Jurberg:I no, I don't think I I never won. Let's start with I never won. Maybe you won in my heart, okay? Maybe in your heart, and I'm sure it came in probably good second, because even when I was supposed, because remember, I had when I first went up, I I when I first went into individuals, Jay Puccini was in individuals. And and let's not forget who Jay Puccini was, right? Because he was kind of like the real deal. He was great at what he did, he was a guy, and he and he was straight on top of it, but which matters, which was like, oh my, oh my god, like a straight flag rifle twirler, like that's kind of hard to believe, but there were a few. Um, so anyway, so I he was sort of in it, and then the year he he didn't go in or he was too old, he aged out, or whatever, and it was supposed to be kind of my year. I lost to Wanda. No, Wanda was the flag, so it wasn't flag, it was a rifle. And I lost to some girl, and it wasn't his girlfriend, but I want to say he taught her, like whatever. Anyways, I shouldn't have lost, but I did.
Carmen Lezeth:Okay, well, anyway, you uh all I remember is that you won. That's all I remember. So because I was enamored by how brilliant of a performer you were, like, and I think you were too, by the way. Well, here's the thing: I we there was like a hundred people who competed. I was like 13 years old, it was my first time, and I remember I came in 12th, which was like ridiculously amazing for me, you know what I mean? And I was so excited. Of course, I thought I was gonna win. And when I look back on it, I'm like, I was so delusional, but I did really great for you know, whatever. But I think that was the first time I remember being like at least close to you in that like I was competing with you. Now, we never worked together in that we were in the same kind of performing thing. You taught me, you ended up teaching me.
Billy Jurberg:Um, that of course, and that was that was right.
Carmen Lezeth:Did you did you all get that? Of course, we would never work.
Billy Jurberg:Well, of course, no, I meant it more like of course, that's where our connection became the strongest, right?
Carmen Lezeth:Right.
Billy Jurberg:That's where we really formed a connection, right? Like that's when I really got to know who you were, more about you.
Carmen Lezeth:Um, you know, and you were the reason why I went to Lancers. I mean, you were that was the reason why I wanted to do drum core, was because you were gonna teach me.
Billy Jurberg:So and I and I loved it. Uh well, I loved it so much because remember, that that year in Lancers specifically um was my first year with Sean. I worked with Sean O'Brien. Yeah, it was amazing. And what was great about Sean was that he had this whole dance background, right? And he was from the activity as well because he did do drum and bugle core, but he was the person that kind of brought in the dance to to this activity in a way that no one had really done. Yeah, that we had on our in our world, no one had really done what he was willing to do. And what I also, because I was teaching with him, uh, and because I was the activities sort of like kingpin, right? Like I was the the young new person in the activity, right? That they were like, oh, this is the guy that needs to, you know, who's gonna take us to the next level. I gave him the grace to do whatever he wanted. He was amazing, and he was the one that brought in all those amazing warm-ups, and he was the one that taught me like how to do tondues and how to do portebra and how to do you know, real dance. And I was so enamored with that, but he was the one. I I give it to that man who's no longer with us. He was the one that was able to take me into a totally different direction with the activity. So I wasn't just like twirling my flag, but I was like, oh, look at this expressive stuff that I can do with this flag that made it more exciting and more beautiful. And what was so amazing about you specifically was that you were able to interpret it in a way that most people did not get.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, but that would be in trouble. That would always get because I I had us not with us.
Billy Jurberg:No, no, no, absolutely not. Look at Miss Carmen with those wings flying through. Look at how she did it.
Carmen Lezeth:I know, but Sean and you also really helped me technically, because as much as I was a great dancer, and I was because I had that background as a young kid just in the neighborhood and all the other things I was doing, which it's so weird because when I think about ColorGuard and Jumcor, people that's everybody, that's all anybody did. Like we that that was your passion, you know what I mean? But I think what was great was that I really was horrible at the technical aspects of dancing, and Sean and you kind of hone that in. So I was great at being like, voila, you know what I mean? But it like I remember one time Sean was like, so we need to tone that down, you know, we need to bring that in. No, no, and every time I see the birdcage, I don't know if you know that movie with Nathan Lane. And and you know when Robin Williams goes up on the stage and he's like, I want you to have Madonna, Madonna, Martha Graham, Martha Graham. Do you remember that part? And then he's like, but I want you to keep it all inside. I think of Sean teaching me, like that's what I think of. Like, I do. I love that thing. So yeah, but yeah, he was great.
Billy Jurberg:He really, he really too.
Carmen Lezeth:You give him way more credit. You were amazing and great, and you brought a lot to the activity. Is that what we're calling it now? The activity?
Billy Jurberg:I've always called it the activity.
Carmen Lezeth:It's selling a mafia thing.
Billy Jurberg:You know what I realized the other day? I was trying to put into timing um how long I was in it and how long I went out of it. And I realized that I my first year into it was 1980. It was my first. So I really started probably probably around 1979. But 1980 was my first year I competed. And um the last year I competed was 2001. Um, 2001 was my last WGI I did with the high school that I taught. Right. Um, and that was I had already met um, who was my you know, my my just delete that part, but go ahead. Yeah, yeah. But so I had just met him, so that's when I got out. And so I just realized that I've now surpassed the time that I was in it. So I was in it for roughly 21 years or something, and now I've been out of it for over 25 years, right? Like, so my time my life has completely changed. And I was just thinking that because I had seen something on Instagram, you know, there's a lot of of the uh activity on Instagram, you know, and it's quite it's it's you know so much. It's and it's so big, it's it's so many thousands of kids that are participating in it. Yeah, but I you know what?
Carmen Lezeth:Look, it I'm I'm always gonna be a little bit negative on it because I feel like I mean, I hope it's changed. I hope it's changed. I hope that now it's an avenue for real performers to move forward into another aspect of performing. Not once, not once while I was in this activity, did anyone even consider the possibility that there might be something afterwards? You know what I mean? And and I think that did a disservice to a lot of the real talent that and the really passionate people. Um, for me, it was a survival mechanism. There's no doubt about it. But I was also really good at it, you know. And I just imagine if I had had some type of support system in a different way, maybe I would have moved out to California quicker, or you know what I mean? Like, or something. But I mean, I'm not blaming, I'm just hoping that the activity has changed and it's actually that I mean, even just jump chord, the amount of talent music-wise, like I think of all of those amazing people, musicians. And I think to myself, I I hope most of them had opportunities to keep, you know what I mean? Does that make sense?
Billy Jurberg:But to move forward. Yeah, it's it's it uh absolutely. I mean, I watched um some of DCI this year. I I got the the uh sport of the arts uh page or whatever, uh, and I I I I I did my you know paid to to to be able to watch some of it, and I had the kids watch some of the top groups, right? You know, the blue devils who are still around, you know what I mean, and um some others. The talent is absolutely undeniable, the passion is undeniable, and and that to me is you're absolutely right. I also for as much as how you said, like, you know, being kind of negative on it or whatever, I also um want to say that I feel like it's it's also what got me out of the mosh pit of nothingness. Yep, I understand brought me into a place where it opened up my world a little bit. And even though it was this small world of flag trolling or whatever, I felt like I saw more of the world.
Carmen Lezeth:Well, we did, we traveled a lot, yeah.
Billy Jurberg:Yeah, but just more, it it just opened me up to different people, different experiences, different things, and and and also it took that fire that's in your belly, like I'm gonna be good at this, and I and I'm gonna I'm I'm gonna conquer this, and I'm gonna, you know, and and for for the people that it serves, which by the way, it serves really the blue collar, if you will. If I don't know if there's still a blue collar in our country anymore, but there isn't. Right? The lower, let's just say the lower socioeconomic at least when we were growing up.
Carmen Lezeth:I mean, that's the same.
Billy Jurberg:And I think it's still I think it's still part of that. Yeah, because let's face it, the band kids are not necessarily the orchestra, you know, talented people who are playing, you know, piano and violin, and you know what I mean, and they're going to ballet classes necessarily, right? And and gymnastics and stuff like this. This is the people that don't have that opportunity and just kind of want to be, and of course, there's also, you know, it also because it's band and stuff like that, and uh in in high schools, it grabs a lot of I think children from a lot of different backgrounds, but the basic of it is is more, you know, the the the the the lower socio economic that's what I feel. Um, for sure. There's no doubt that was that was our thing, right?
Carmen Lezeth:That was how we grew up. That's yeah, and it wasn't. I always say this, it was a saving grace. I mean, there is no doubt that kept me out of gangs, it kept me out of living on the streets all the time. Uh well, and you know how I feel about the drug death.
Billy Jurberg:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Carmen Lezeth:Because there were drugs where I grew up, and then I would go to rehearsal and I would and there would be drugs everywhere. But I you know I have my issue with that.
Billy Jurberg:But yeah, I try not to judge, but it's no, but that's that was also specific, by the way, I think in many ways to your group. Yeah, blessed.
Carmen Lezeth:So we don't have to talk about that, but I just think for me, it was also just kind of a realization that the world wasn't as like I always thought my neighborhood was bad and the world was good. And then I realized because that the world had some of that too.
Billy Jurberg:That the world had it was all inner city, girl. You were it was all inner city, you went from one inner city to the other.
Carmen Lezeth:I know, but I I lived in Boston and in in in JP. And so there was this kind of you know, it was all Latino, black, Irish, all poor folk, but like whatever. You went to Cambridge, right? No, no, and then I'd go to West Oxford. It was all white, everybody was all white, it was very church going, you know, whatever. But blessed sex was what, Cambridge, no? Yeah, that was Cambridge, that was later on. Um, and then that was like the shock of my life. Anyways, we'll talk about the good stuff, but okay, so back to you, because this isn't really supposed to be all about the what did you call it? The practice? The activity?
Billy Jurberg:I swear to god, I've known you forever and I've never heard you call it. We've always called it the activity, we all call it the activity.
Carmen Lezeth:It sounds so fucking hilarious. Okay, that's how we met. And here was my question that I was thinking about last night. I was like, did you like okay? I just want to say for people, you were when I say you're an extraordinary performer, I'm not exaggerating. I don't say that about anybody, anybody. You were an incredible performer, and you know that. You know that, as well as I know that I'm right about this, but you were also an extraordinary teacher, and I was wondering which one you loved more.
Billy Jurberg:Oh, that's that's interesting.
Carmen Lezeth:I no teaching really, yeah, because you were an incredible teacher.
Billy Jurberg:Yeah, no, and and and when when it when I went on, there was there were some experiences that I had in teaching with certain groups through the years that were for sure magical. Yeah, and and it was magical in part because it was a combination of the talent, the commitment, the product, what you were actually teaching. So the whole thing came together to be something really magical. And by the way, that teaching was what provoked me to become a teacher, right? Because I I went to I went to university very late in life, because I started university when I was basically 29, I guess. I was 29 years old when I went to university.
Carmen Lezeth:So never late.
Billy Jurberg:You were right on to never too late. That teaching brought me into actual education, right? So I ended up going to uh university and getting a degree in elementary education, and I taught for six years in the public, in the public school system, which here in Miami, which by the way, I went from teaching in um Liberty City, which is pretty much the ghetto, to because that's they always put you, they always put you in at you know where you're most needed, might be the where you're most where you're most needed and where you're have no uh least effective because you have no experience and you're just you know they're ready for you to eat you. Right. Um, and I went from there to teaching in one of the better school districts, actually, in the in the in the city as well. So um, so I had both experiences, and both experiences were very, very uh positive. And I really enjoyed the whole teaching experience, and I thought it was really amazing. And the only reason I left teaching was um, well, the only reason there was a couple reasons, you know. One of them was financial, right?
Carmen Lezeth:Because yeah, we don't pay our teachers enough.
Billy Jurberg:We just not enough, anything, yeah, yeah.
Carmen Lezeth:Anything. I mean, that's why Andrea left too. And and I think about the two people I would want teaching my children would be you and Andrea, you know, like just brilliant human beings, but it it's it's always people who are like I can make more money somewhere else, and what's all the drama like with this life, you know?
Billy Jurberg:Yeah, and so then that's what provoked me. It was that, and then uh I I I also had the impression that I would probably at some point have children of my own, and which I do, but but but because of that, I said, Well, you know, teaching and child, it's a lot, and and I all I really wanted to pursue my passion of interior design, right?
Carmen Lezeth:So you are incredible with Billy Blanco designs. I mean, it's just yeah.
Billy Jurberg:Thank thank you.
Carmen Lezeth:That's I just went to your website again yesterday, and I was like, the tree house. I mean, the way in which you guys designed, I mean, that's part of my question, too, is well, sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off, but you know, no, no, no, that's fine.
Billy Jurberg:I was just saying how you know one thing led to the other, but I went back to School for a degree in interior design, which is where you know I met my you know my current partner and my business partner David, who is, you know, we love David.
Carmen Lezeth:Hi David.
Billy Jurberg:Who's super, you know, super brilliant at um at it. And um so anyway, so yeah, so say that again.
Carmen Lezeth:And so are you anyway? The compliment is so hard.
Billy Jurberg:So now I so now uh to your point, to your question, I I think teaching was more um rewarding for me.
Carmen Lezeth:Can I tell you why I think you were a great teacher?
Billy Jurberg:Why?
Carmen Lezeth:Because most people who teach seem to be angry about the fact that they're not actually doing the thing that they're teaching.
Billy Jurberg:Oh, that's interesting.
Carmen Lezeth:You know what I mean? Like you were like, No, I have a gift, let me share it, kind of thing. Whereas a lot of people who I was coached by, taught by, whatever, there was a resentment, and that's even in acting. Like, just you can see people who are like, I couldn't make it as an actor, so now I'm a teacher. And it's like you stay away from those people, you know what I mean? But interesting. I think that was always a great gift. You really marveled at watching people not only excel, but do what they were taught correctly, and then that's interesting, yeah, for sure. Yeah, and then when they fucked it up, like I did a lot. Um, you didn't get angry, you were great at being like, let me help you tweak this to do it right. So you also met me where I was at. I assume you did that with everyone. You know, you were not condescending, you were not cruel. Um, and you understood that I was who I was and somebody else was who they were, and you had to teach me differently than you taught them. And that's what I always admired about you. I know. Are you blushing? I am a little bit in my in my white. You didn't know that? You didn't know that.
Billy Jurberg:No, I don't, I it's it's interesting that you would say it that way because um it's not how necessarily how I looked at it. I looked, I looked at it like um, you know, I was there in part to um to make the kids better, right? Like it was like for them to improve. And a big and and uh a big part was obviously the creative aspect of it, making something that was creative and doing something creative and do and and doing something beautiful, but then bringing the kids to the potential of that was always amazing, and then getting them to have confidence, yes, like people that you would say were like when they walked into their first rehearsal were like like this, you know what I mean?
Carmen Lezeth:Like I just want to be clear, I never had that problem.
Billy Jurberg:I'm sorry, you're right. I would agree, I would agree with that. I never had that problem. But there's plenty of people.
Carmen Lezeth:No, of course, you're right, you're right, you're right, right?
Billy Jurberg:And then and then I mean, they might not come out and be some, you know, whatever, but I but I certainly saw people come out of their shells and become so much more than they ever thought that they were, right? And and and that's something that a lot of those people took with them for life, right?
Carmen Lezeth:And into the world. It's beautiful, right? That you did that for people.
Billy Jurberg:Yeah, yeah.
Carmen Lezeth:Why are we friends? Why are we friends cool? I mean, I I I know why I love you, but I I was thinking You want me you want to know why I love you?
Billy Jurberg:Well, I know why you love me. Well, okay, yeah, let's show that no, I think I think we I think we share a history and we share ideology. We do lack of we have a lot of very similar um beliefs in in our system of life, and uh if you want to say our moral sort of, and I don't like to say moral so much because it makes you sound like, but you know, how we feel about um humanity, how we feel about society, how we feel so I think those things are really connect us, um, so that we have like that strong sort of bond. Um, I think we're both also in our own ways self-made.
Carmen Lezeth:Yes. Oh, that's a good one. Yeah.
Billy Jurberg:I didn't think right. We we both have sort of self-made ourselves. We we brought ourselves from you know, from sort of nothingness into right, into putting us through school and and always exploring. And and our histories, our our our our our backstories, um I think have helped to connect us. And I I don't know about you, but for me, I'm the type of person that I need I like or I want or I desire. I need some of my past brought into my future for me to know that there's sort of that continuity. And if it if right, and so if there's any way of saying it, like you said it, it's like brother from another mother. You have some sort of a family tie connection, and and that's how I feel, you know, and so it's so for me, it's more it's like you're part of my chosen family. Oh, I love it so anyway.
Carmen Lezeth:I think I I think for me too, it's more about, I mean, all of that, of course. But you know, I don't stay in touch with a lot of people from back in the day. I agree with you, and that's part of what our connection is, is that history. And I okay, so I'm gonna say something to embarrass you even more, I think. Anyways, I don't know, I know. I love people who teach me something and make me a better person, and you've always been that. Now, there's no doubt when I was a young kid, I was just, you know, you and Susan Kerwin. Do you remember Susan Kerwin? I don't know if you remember. Yeah, I don't know if you knew her, but you two were these amazing performers that I aspired to be like. You know what I mean? And I think that continues to this day. Like, yes, I know we are, you know, we're on equal footing, we laugh, we talk regularly, we whatever, right? We visit with each other, whatever. But I think what I still love about you is that you still teach me something. Like you did it the other day when we were talking about politics. And I was like, I didn't think about it that way. You know what I mean? And I think that's what kind of for me is also a really important connection to people. We've also never had a fight. And I fight with everybody. Have we had a fight? I don't think we've ever had a fight.
Billy Jurberg:I don't I'm I well for me, no, I don't think we have, but uh for me, I'm not really um I don't I don't I don't I don't like to be combative only with my partner, David. Okay, and even I'm a little bit and my and my kids a little bit, I'm a little combative with them.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, no, no, but I'm just saying when I think about all my friendships, the ones that are close to me, whatever, and I think about and I'm like, I don't think I've ever had like I've never been mad at you, I've never been angry, I've never, I don't know what that's about. That's really interesting. We'll have to work on the other part.
Billy Jurberg:Maybe we need to let's get in a fight. You want to have a fight?
Carmen Lezeth:No, no, but you you know what it is? Because I think that well, I mean, look at all relationships are very different, but I think there's also I I have such a different type of respect for you. And it does that you will always be someone. I know you're gonna hate this, but you're always someone I look up to. And I know you probably don't realize that, but I I do. So I would never fight with you. All my other motherfucking friends, I fight with you because we equal.
Billy Jurberg:That's so funny. That is that is kind of frightening.
Carmen Lezeth:I don't know why we've never fight, uh, never fought, but um, you know, okay. I have a little fast round, a little fast round.
Billy Jurberg:Okay, fast round questions.
Carmen Lezeth:Um, and you can either expand on it or not. Okay.
Billy Jurberg:Okay.
Carmen Lezeth:All right, you doing good so far with these questions? I'm doing great. Okay. Did I embarrass you?
Billy Jurberg:No, not at all.
Carmen Lezeth:Okay. All right. Um, Berishnikov or Nuryev. Mikhail Berishnikov or Rudolf Nuryev. I know that's a hard one.
Billy Jurberg:So I'm gonna say, okay, I'm gonna say Berishnikov, and I'm gonna say a couple things. I've seen both of them. Me too. On stage, yeah, live, live, um, but only Nuriev playing the king in The King and I.
Carmen Lezeth:Oh, okay.
Billy Jurberg:On stage in Boston at one point, you know, because he's I don't know.
Carmen Lezeth:That's where I saw him in Boston too. Oh, you did? When did he saw him in Don Quixote? I saw him in Don Quixote. I was really young. Wow, I was real young because did he pass away in the 90s? Yeah, no, he did, but I saw him like I was really young. We had gotten three tickets or something, yeah. And I was like this. Yeah, it was yeah.
Billy Jurberg:So I never really got to see him dance, so that's why I'm I'm leaning more towards Barishnikov, who I did who I did see dance a lot. He's more of our contemporary, yes, or my contemporary, anyway. So that's why I'm gonna say him, right? I mean, I even liked him in sex and the contemporary, he's older than you, okay.
Carmen Lezeth:Not that much. All right, well, anyways, we don't need to we'll delete that too. I don't know if he's I think he's older than you, but but he's yeah, no, I'm sure he is, but not by a lot. Okay, but he I know, but you look so good, okay. But here's the thing: I mean, Mikhail Barishnikov is kind of, I don't want to say protege to uh Rudolf Noryev, but he, you know, I loved him.
Billy Jurberg:He yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, of course.
Carmen Lezeth:So I mean it was kind of a trick question, but there is no real answer. Uh yeah, but you would pick Berishnikov just because he's more our time.
Billy Jurberg:Yeah, more of a contemporary. That's what I would say. I've seen more of him. I've seen him, I've seen him live.
Carmen Lezeth:Did you see him in the nutcracker?
Billy Jurberg:What did you see? No, I saw him here in in Miami when he did um his, he it was towards the end of his dancing, um, if you will. Um, and he did uh he was it was a very small intimate theater, and he did a live performance of his more contemporary sort of dance.
Carmen Lezeth:Right.
Billy Jurberg:It was a more contemporary piece, it wasn't classical at all. Um, and so um, but I I and you know, like I said, I even liked him in Sex in the City. I I just I did, I did. He was great. Um, I just think he, you know, I think he he really um has had has done a lot for dance and for men particularly.
Carmen Lezeth:Men, yeah, particularly too. Just kind of uh that the the he's just I remember when he did the movie with Gregory Hines, I forget the name of it. Remember they uh it was the two of them and they were like spies, and one was defecting. Okay, you don't know what I'm talking about. No, I don't him and Gregory Hines, they do this whole tap dancing scene together, and I was like, God, is there anything this man can't do? I'll try to do the clip to that. I forget the movie, but it's so good. I think you know it, you just don't remember it.
Billy Jurberg:I think that that could be that could be possible.
Carmen Lezeth:Because if you know I'm just in the city, you must have seen them in that movie. Okay, what's your one vice that you can share on a public forum?
Billy Jurberg:My one vice? Yeah, champagne.
Carmen Lezeth:I would not have guessed that. Okay, do we normally do voove or are we talking, are we going up?
Billy Jurberg:No, well, I I do something, and you know, I do something more on the voove.
Carmen Lezeth:Domperyon. No girl, girl, like no girl.
Billy Jurberg:All right, all right, I would say I um but if you're saying like if you're saying uh like a vice like that, like that's something that I enjoy. I don't know.
Carmen Lezeth:I love champagne, I just didn't know that.
Billy Jurberg:Yeah, I don't know if that's if that if I would call that a vice or what my enjoy what my other vice would be.
Carmen Lezeth:I thought you would say yoga. That's what I thought you would say.
Billy Jurberg:Like well, it's interesting because I I could say exercise, you know, because I you know I like to go to in by exercise, I like I like to go to the gym, I like to do yoga, I like to do um, you know, like a spinning class. I'll even I even like to get on the treadmill and just walk. And so um I do uh like exercise, and it's probably honestly my real vice because exercise in general, in general, because I do it as often as I can, and there's times when I I can't do it because you know the kids or schedule or whatever. So whenever I can, I do. Um, and at the same time, it's one of those things that it's a little bit of like, okay, I gotta drag into it, and then once I'm there, I'm like, I'm I'm good to go, right? Like I I put my all into it.
Carmen Lezeth:It's kind of normal for everyone, right?
Billy Jurberg:I mean, you gotta just get yourself out there, but yeah, gotta kind of, you know, like half the battle is getting there. Um, but I do, and uh it is something that's more, but I guess when when when you say vice, um, you know, and I I I maybe even when you're thinking too deeply on this, right? Yeah, I think so. Yeah, because I because I would say even I would even say cooking, you know, because I love to cook. Oh, that's true. You are quite the cook. This is true. You know, so I love to cook, so I don't know if that's a vice, you know, or I so I don't know how I don't know how one d d defines diet a vice. Like, how do you define that?
Carmen Lezeth:It was just a question, but now but see, we've learned so much about you because you were able to go. That's the whole point.
Billy Jurberg:Oh, okay, all right. But I want to know how you define vice.
Carmen Lezeth:I think a vice for me would be like I I a vice for me would be something I can't not do. Like if I don't do it, it pains me. So like my vice would be I might in a so then it's not champagne, so then it's not champagne.
Billy Jurberg:No, if it's like I don't have you know what I mean, like it's it's champagne is something that I enjoy to do. It's like it's something, but I would say if it's something that I can't that I have, it would be exercise. Exercise, for sure. That I that I it would pain, it does pain me. If I can't, if I can't do it for like a week or two, I it's like I'm right, I'm a little, I'm a little jonesing, like I need to do something. You know what I mean?
Carmen Lezeth:Well, that's what I meant. Like I I I think for me, that's what advice means, but I again these are just to provoke people to get to know you and understand why I love you so much. Okay, Tokyo or Dubai, because I know you've been to both, right?
Billy Jurberg:Tokyo.
Carmen Lezeth:Really?
Billy Jurberg:Yeah, interesting. Is it by by Dubai is Dubai is like this um fantasy city in a way, futuristic, futuristic, um, and Tokyo is real. Oh Tokyo is like, yeah, Tokyo is real. Tokyo has real people, Tokyo has um a culture that is so deep and so impermeated in every aspect of it that you just can feel it.
Carmen Lezeth:And there are things so that a real brother, a real family member would take me with him and the family to these places.
Billy Jurberg:I have not been to Tokyo or Dubai, so yeah, no, Dubai is Dubai, the thing about Dubai that's so um it's futuristic, but it's also you know, it's a culture that is so yeah, I don't hard to wrap around.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, I'm kidding. I don't really want to go to Dubai. I've heard people say it's a little bit too manufactured and fake.
Billy Jurberg:It there is that, and then they and then you know that there is a whole slave class, yeah. There is a slave class. I don't care what any and that is not Tokyo, right?
Carmen Lezeth:Okay, so we're going to Tokyo. I can't wait. I love it. Thank you, Billy. Love you. Okay, if you could change one thing in the world today, what would it be? Do not say Trump. I guess. Is that it? I know. Okay. It would be skip that one. All right, we'll skip that one.
Billy Jurberg:It would be him. Uh there's absolutely no question. I would just say, could we just get rid of it for now?
Carmen Lezeth:All right. Okay, favorite part of being a dad. You have two kids. I'm not gonna say their names, uh, but you have a boy and a girl. Uh both are tweens now, right? Both are, I mean, yeah.
Billy Jurberg:Yeah.
Carmen Lezeth:One is 16 and one is 12. 12.
Billy Jurberg:Just getting to spend time with them.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah.
Billy Jurberg:Getting to be in there with them, in their presence, putting them to bed, more or less, waking them up, feeding them, being with them.
Carmen Lezeth:I just want to say that one of the things, and I've never told you this that I love about you is um you will call me and we'll talk about whatever, but you're not constantly talking about your children. But when you do talk about your children, it is always about what they're doing and how great they are at it. Even if they're disappointing you, I don't think you realize this. Like a lot of my other friends will call and bitch and complain about their children, but you are the only person I know who calls me and you don't normally talk about your kids with me. I think because you know I don't have kids, you know. But when you do talk about your children, it is always about like, oh, the, you know, did you see what I posted on Instagram, the piano, da-da-da, what I and it's always about like, and I noticed this because it's what I wish I had in a parent. Like I wish I had had that growing up, that um level of excitement of an adult and the uplifting of a a child, even when they're not in your presence. Because I'm sure that never happened to me because it wasn't happening, because there was nobody around. You know what I mean? Like, I so I admire that. See, when I tell you I admire you, this is kind of eye-opening for you, isn't it? A little bit. Are you getting sad? You're trying to no, no, no, no, no, no. Um, but yeah, I love that about you. And um, I hope someday when I do, you know, I mean, I know your children, but when they're adults, I want to share that part of you with them. I don't know why I'm acting like you won't be around, but I'm just saying. Sorry. Okay, um best part of getting older.
Billy Jurberg:The best part, I guess the best part of getting older is you realize whatever time you have left in front of you is important. need to make the most of it because whatever's past is past and it's it's done and you can't change it. Um you could improve upon it I guess because you can be do something in the future that's better. But I think it's I think the best part of getting older is that you realize that you have less in front of you. You have less time in front of you and you have less maybe even functional time right because wow interesting right because you see so many people at 80 they're they're not even functional anymore right like they're not you know many not all but you know but there's a disproportionate amount of people that you know become less functional and they're they're not being you know productive and they're not you know um I think of uh God um what's her name on Golden Pond um on Golden Pond Jane Fonda Jane Fonda as an example of someone who is so functional at her age how she speaks how she is out there how she is and I I go man I want to be a Jane Fonda but she right but she she also talked has talked about like you know at a certain age at like 60 she was like look I know that I have what's left in front of me is you know it's this amount of time and I need to make the most of it and I in you know and and and I hate to say that the the obvious that everyone likes to say oh I don't care about what anyone thinks anymore and I'm not going to listen to anyone else anymore or whatever. And I think that that's not entirely true because I think your feelings can still get hurt and I think you can still feel like a schmuck and you can still feel uh underwhelmed and not be you know the person that you want to necessarily be so it's like it's interesting that you say this about me currently and yet I'm at this point in my life where I'm trying to figure out like what are my next steps like what am I going to do?
Carmen Lezeth:My kids are going to leave and they've been my whole life I know you think they're gonna leave but no but you're convinced they're gonna hang on.
Billy Jurberg:But I'm just you know they they're going on to university and they're gonna have their own lives you know and um and so I need to find a whole new me and how am I going to explore that and what are the things that I'm going to do to educate myself and keep learning like you say all the time like we want to learn we want to we want to know more.
Carmen Lezeth:That's how you stay young is stay curious. That's what people don't understand. It's not about Botox and it's not about correct you know being skinny or whatever. It's really about staying curious.
Billy Jurberg:Curious correct it's like it's your mind you know where you want to keep keep it up and going okay um I have three more questions um this one we'll wait till the end well I'll just ask you now do you have a favorite Rob Reiner film? Well when Harry met Sally Yeah classic okay yeah um what is the one thing you always travel with because you travel a lot so what's the one thing you would tell people to make sure they do when they travel or take with you I'm preparing for our trick toothbrush really like all right that wasn't I don't know you know I gotta know the truth here's the truth about traveling so I'm the one I'm that person this is this is gonna sound I'm that person I've seen some some Instagram reels where it's like the guy's going you know I'm going on uh I'm going on vacation only I don't know where and I just packed two minutes ago and the one next to me is the one that did everything everything right so that's David like David packs everything he has scissors and pills and he every single thing and wipeies and and it's all perfectly packed and all perfectly like and I the minute before we're ready to go I'm like going okay I'm getting ready I'm gonna go and I I just make sure I've got you know my my two okay it's some advil I always want to make sure I got some advil ready advil advil okay all right two more questions um Jane Fonda Lily Tomlin or Dolly Parton oh god I think we already know you said Jane Fonda Jane Fonda although I love I love love love love love Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin we love and I love Lily Tomlin too I know more about Dolly Parton and I know more about Jane Fonda and I'm sorry Jane Fonda is an icon and I'm her when her and Cher because Cher's another one I I have so much I I love Cher and she getting married to her like 25 year old boyfriend good for her and who and whoever's doing her face or whatever she's got it on because she's done it properly to but she whatever doing it since she was like 20 that's why I mean no no really look I think they both look amazing for people who have had surgical faces. Who did I hear oh you know what I you want to hear what I heard which I thought was fucking priceless is I'm sorry the the F bomb what I thought was priceless is um she says okay and what is her name and I can't I see this is when I go brain dead I can't remember this is like our phone call you you're like who is it who is this person that I'm trying to think anyways so um she's she's uh a uh a writer um from New York City she doesn't have a phone she doesn't have a computer she's uh she's basically uh a very interesting older woman um and she's not I don't want to say historian but she's like a commentator she's always very thoughtful and I should remember her name and I can't remember her name right now anyways she says look she says there's three faces there's your young face there's your old face and then there's your surgical face brilliant I was like it's so true she goes and some people's surgical faces are okay and most and lots of people's surgical faces are just surgical faces and it's so true it's like this was me when I was young this is me if I were old right and this is my surgical me because it's so prevalent I know but so many but so many people do too much.
Carmen Lezeth:Cher and Dolly Parton though that that's a different thing because they that's kind of their character persona. They've been doing it forever so they don't really count. Jane Fonda did it right. Jane Fonda still looks her age but she's clearly like nobody has a neck problem in Los Angeles only me because they've all had the lift they've all had this thing done you know what I mean but but she's done because they do the necks I guess right do they do well they even say it's a facelift so it's part of the neck too yeah so it it like look at me clearly I know way too much about this I will never I will never go into surgery but yeah but I mean if you notice Jane Fonda you know everybody has this kind of tight natural thing you know so yeah well no because now it's like now I mean these people's faces are completely utterly different. They're not even the same people I love Demi Moore but I'm done I can't look at her without freaking out I mean she looks like she's what about Chris Jenner well like okay so don't get mad at me there are some people I do not consider even worthy of being in my atmosphere because I don't know what they did to become famous. So there's a whole bunch of so I don't pay attention to her but I or the family or the children I couldn't all of them I couldn't pick them out in a lineup if they were in front of me because I don't know I know the names but I don't know who they are um there was another one there was a blonde woman who also was the Hilton she was the daughter of the yeah I don't know who she is either but I know that that name you know what I mean I know I'm so mean that way but I'm like or with her well no because she's a talented actress right she's you know whatever you think the last movie she did what was it called I don't know but I can't hear you so you have to move closer to your computer did you like her in the last movie she was I don't know what movie you're talking about. I haven't she was I didn't see her in the last movie it was some kind of ghost or whatever I mean you know like back in the day all the movies she did or whatever and it's just here's my thing do whatever you want to do to make yourself feel better whatever I'm all cool with it but it just makes me uncomfortable to see a woman what is she in her 60s and she looks like she's 25.
Billy Jurberg:She's at least in her 60s yeah yeah so it's a weird one but but that's our interview that's it see wasn't so hard it was in we didn't even get to talk about politics I know I was on purpose I was that's all right that's for another one well I mean that I I think this is more about just introducing you to um the atmosphere as my brother for the mother because I don't want people to hate you right away no I appreciate you doing this though um thank you so much I love well thank you for interviewing me I I hope it was uh somewhat productive I hope you get I hope it's do I have to give you I don't ever remember you needing like a confidence booster no I don't need a confidence booster are you just tired no I'm not tired because you had to get up so early to do the interview and oh I got up my usual time to go take the kids I get up at 6 15 you know that's my normal time when I have the kids I get up at 6 15 I make them breakfast and then um we're out the door by 7 15 7 30 and I drive them all the way to the all the way to hell right by the time I get back it's usually like 8 40 8 45 almost nine o'clock after dropping them off so my morning is from six to nine I got a three hour shift driving those and I'm gonna delete all of that because most people can be like bitch please it's true um so I am so grateful that you came on the show I appreciate you Billy so much and remember everyone at the end of the day it really is all about the joy see you next time bye everyone thank you bye bye so fake I love it thanks for stopping by all about the joy be better and stay beautiful folks have a sweet day
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