This is Ian Eastwood:

Ian Eastwood is a young and upcoming dancer/choreographer from Chicago. Eastwood has worked with Tori Kelly on the music video to her song "Paper Hearts," choreographed Childish Gambino's video to "Sober," and Justin Bieber's video to "No Pressure" feat. Big Sean for Bieber's "PURPOSE: The Movement" dance/music video series. But among all of these achievements Eastwood can add trailblazer to the list, because he just did something no one has before: he made the first ever dance mixtape, "AdultLessons."

You're probably as confused as I was when I first heard about the project. When one thinks of a mixtape, they think of a strictly audio project, usually of the hip-hop/rap variety, and usually the cardinal weapon to the "I knew about this artist before he was mainstream" battle that is constant within the community of music lovers. It's hard to imagine change, someone breaking the mold, especially when it has only been talked about and not done; that is why it is so important and special when someone does it. So, what is a dance mixtape you may ask? Well according to Eastwood, it's a visual and auditory project about 30 minutes long that tells a story, just like an album or mixtape does, but not unlike a movie either. It's a play on words, "AdultLessons" is supposed to be pronounced "adolescence" (and the juxtaposition of the two really hits home throughout the project), it has a moral (or in this case many), and it's revolutionary.

Available for free download or stream on Datpiff, "AdultLessons" has all of the components of a mixtape. It's like the traditional definition of a mixtape: a compilation of songs mixed by a DJ for the radio or club; it contains a slight mix of songs that he, and his audience through his dancing, really enjoys. The project also has the feeling of the more personal definition of a mixtape: a mix of songs, given as a gift, that remind someone of the person he/she is giving the mix to; the project is riddled with lessons that Eastwood wants the world to know he has learned and that he also wants to teach to the world. And Eastwood's vision most definitely fits the more new-wave definition of a musical mixtape (as opposed to the new-wave definition of an album): the mixtape serves to get his name, vision, talent, and goals out into the world, as a whole project, not to produce a quick viral hit (or single if we're translating to musical terms) on YouTube, or some other platform. Not that Ian hasn't done that, because he has, but he shows that he can do something more in depth and cohesive.

"AdultLessons" is also marked by its collaborative nature. All of the artwork and titling was done by Eastwood's parents and his friends take part in some of the dancing, acting, and editing. Peter Cottontale from The Social Experiment, the band most closely associated with its lead vocalist, rapper on the rise, and Eastwood's fellow Chicagoan and friend Chance the Rapper, even mixed the sound on the tape and scored the parts that didn't belong to another artist's track.The mixtape includes excerpts from tracks by many different artists including Raury, Childish Gambino, Kanye West, and Chance the Rapper with the Social Experiment, as well as a guest appearance from Chance the Rapper and the Social Experiment themselves as Ian dances to their song, "Sunday Candy," (which he also choreographed the official music video for). By moving through the lessons he has learned in his life that have led him to adulthood, he expresses his journey through incredible choreography and story telling, interesting editing, and a general nostalgic, yet excited-for-the-future vibe. It's exciting to see this new artist grow with his talent and share his passion, which comes along with his heartbreak, happiness, and lessons for life. "AdultLessons" is an extraordinary example of the way dance can translate life and be mapped onto life's experiences, like other art forms that people may be more familiar with such as music, writing, etc., making it a must-see.