145- Angelica Valente: Creative Director of VALENTE, KATSEYE, Megan Thee Stallion, PUMA, Tik Tok, Usher, Paris Hilton and Co-Founder of Spaced Visuals.

<p><strong>Interview Date: July 26th, 2026</strong></p><p>Episode Summary:</p><p>In this episode of The Business of Dance Podcast, Menina Fortunato reconnects with Hollywood Summer Tour alum Angelica Valente, whose journey has taken her from competitive dancer in Thunder Bay, Ontario, to an LA-based director, producer, fashion designer, and creative entrepreneur. Angelica shares how an early trip to Los Angeles changed the trajectory of her life, eventually inspiring her to move to LA at 17 to study dance. While pursuing a professional dance career, her interests in fashion, film, editing, styling, and creative direction began opening doors she never originally imagined.</p><p>Angelica opens up about navigating the entertainment industry as an international artist, from OPT and the O-1 visa process to developing the work ethic, resourcefulness, and relationships necessary to build a career in the United States. She shares how she co-founded Spaced Visuals, grew from working with emerging artists to major productions, and eventually launched her own fashion label, VALENTE. Today, her worlds of dance, film, fashion, and creative direction intersect through productions, campaigns, custom stagewear, and visual storytelling.</p><p>Throughout the conversation and mentee Q&amp;A, Angelica encourages dancers to remain open to where their careers can lead, take risks before they feel completely ready, and create opportunities rather than waiting for permission. Her journey is a powerful reminder that dance can be the foundation for countless careers beyond performing—and that the skills dancers develop can continue shaping their success in unexpected ways.</p><p>Shownotes:</p><p><strong>0:00</strong> – Meet director and designer Angelica Valente</p><p><strong>3:23</strong> – Growing up dancing in Thunder Bay</p><p><strong>5:15</strong> – Discovering Los Angeles and dreaming bigger</p><p><strong>8:06</strong> – Expanding from dance into creative direction</p><p><strong>9:28</strong> – Film, editing, fashion spark new passions</p><p><strong>11:36</strong> – Navigating OPT and the O-1 visa</p><p><strong>17:42</strong> – Building Spaced Visuals from the ground up</p><p><strong>19:26</strong> – Launching VALENTE and learning fashion independently</p><p><strong>21:19</strong> – Designing custom stagewear for KATSEYE</p><p><strong>24:33</strong> – Recognizing how far you have come</p><p><strong>26:32</strong> – Taking risks before you feel ready</p><p><strong>28:45</stron