Where are you from?: I am born and raised in Austria. Living in the city of Salzburg.

Tell us the story of how you got into writing: I got into writing via crazy detours. My primary profession in the last decade was dancing. I started to run an Austrian blog and community site for breaking (the dance style that is wrongly known as breakdance by the majority of people) in 2006. It does not exist anymore, as we went down with the rise of Facebook. But that definitely kicked off my interest in writing.

What was your favorite book growing up?: I loved the Shannara Chronicles from Terry Brooks and everything that came out of the realm of my favorite RPGs like Shadowrun, Vampire, and the Black Eye. I was a straight forward fantasy fan in my younger years.

What is your favorite book as an adult?: This is a head to head race between the Tao of Wu by The Rza and This is Marketing from Seth Godin.

What is the name of your new book?: Dance Smart: Concepts for all Hip Hop Dance Styles.

What inspired you to write the book?: I was inspired to write this book by students who asked me after a dance class if the things I demonstrated were available in writing.

Tell us more about your new book: Dance Smart is a hands-on guide to developing the craft of a dancer. Not from a technical side, but the mindset. It breaks down methods to work with movement, evolve, and improvise. It helps to create unique characters from dancers by applying and easily understandable thought process.

It teaches one of the fundamental puzzle parts for people who want to follow their dream to make a living as a dancer. It helps to develop your identity in dance. This identity is what sets you apart from the dancers beside you. 

I am working on two other publications that tackle the next pieces to making a living as a dancer.

Where do you go to get into writing mode?: I write either late at night on my couch, when my wife and daughter are already asleep or in small cafes. A calm environment sets me in the right mood. Lo-Fi music can sometimes help, but in general, I prefer to write without music.

Who needs to read this book?: Everybody who wants to improve dance skills, especially the ability to freestyle and improvise.

Who inspires you?: People who do stuff. The thing that inspires me the most is raw action, coupled with a clear vision. I love real talk and passionately hate small talk. Anybody of this kind can inspire me. Sadly, I feel this is a rare breed of humans. But maybe I am just moving in the wrong circles.

How important is reading and literacy for youth in this world?: It is one of the most important things I can think of, and it is really undervalued in today's society.

What is some advice you would give to someone with a dream to create something they dream of?: Doing the thing you want to do is probably not much harder than finding regular employment that pays well and is good for your soul. Too many people slave away in jobs that kill their inner fire. Start working on your dream now. Do it after school or work until it starts to pay your bills. But start now. The sooner your start, the sooner you will get there.

Where can people find your new book?: http://getbook.at/dance-smart

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Website: http://www.frague.at

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