MOVERS SHAKERS MAKERS

We couldn't make The Next Step mini series without including BILLY ELLIOT. Is this the seminal dance coming of age film? How does it hold up a quarter of a century after it was released and became a cultural phenomenon? Bonus film: THE FITS (2015) starts eerily the same as Billy Elliot, but steers firmly away from the predictable halfway through...I'm joined this episode by host of Drinks at the Bar podcast, Paul James Rooney...who apart from being a podcast host and experienced dancer has actually played older Billy Elliot in the very successful stage version! We muse over Thatcherism, homophobia, questionable "ballet" choreography and whether Billy would've realistically had a shot at getting into the Royal Ballet School.LINKSDrinks at the Barre Podcast on AppleDrinks at the Barre Podcast on SpotifySpice Girls, Stop Right NowIndie Wire interview with Stephen Daldry Billy Elliot: Class Traitor  

FAME (1980) fed the world a version of performing arts schools where everyone is constantly jumping around dancing and singing. But how much truth is there in that? Our bonus film, GIRL (2018), has a very different take on the experience of dance training.We talk about the enduring genius of Gene Anthony Ray, finding your tribe in school, why the cast demanded danger pay for one scene and...did we mention Gene?!What happens in Rocky Horror stays in Rocky Horror!Guest: Cordelia BraithwaiteLINKSLa Guardia AlumniSanjoy Roy review of Up From the Waist

Up next in our new mini-series, The Next Step, is DIRTY DANCING (1987)! With bonus film--FLASHDANCE (1983).Long a stalwart of slumber parties, Dirty Dancing can actually be a tougher watch than you remember, with a plot that revolves around an illegal abortion. We all know the famous line at the end of the film, but do you know who Baby's father was in real life? Or how to do that lift properly? And why Patrick Swayze isn't even the best dancer in this movie? Perhaps the ultimate 80s film about a female sexual awakening, a rewatch reveals canny representations of class struggles. WARNING: you'll be singing that f*cking Hula Song for days to come.Guests: Zoë Ashe-Browne, Diarmaid O'MearaLINKSAbortion law timeline Jezebel interview with Eleanor Bergstein

Our first episode of the new mini series, The Next Step, is CENTER STAGE (2000)! Can you believe this dancer classic is celebrating 25 years since its release? With bonus film--DANCERS (1987).We use Center Stage to discuss the delicate balance between dancer and sponsor, camisole tops, unequal power dynamics, the girl behind Degas's 'Little Dancer' sculpture and Ethan Steifel's dancing assets. Chock full of professional NYC dancers (not to mention future Oscar Winner Zoe Saldaña) Center Stage was the millennial go-to film for a soapy story with an all out dance number at the end. So, a quarter of century on, this film definitely has the feet...but does it have the heart?Guests: Amber Hunt, Prof Rose MartinLINKS NYTimes article 2004About Marie van GoethemThe Spinoff articleTiler Peck Center Stage solo Roger Ebert Dancers Review 1987

Our ballet horror movie mash up podcast, continues with BLACK SWAN (2010) and US (2019).In this final instalment of Ballet Macabre we're looking at Duality. To start off, host Emma Lister and guests Amber Hunt and Rose Martin give their insights as professional dancers on what is likely the best known film in this mini genre, Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan. Though the film won its star Natalie Portman an acting Oscar for her role as the dancer trying to master the dual roles of the white and black swan, how accurate is her portrayal? Do all top level ballerinas have disordered eating? Are all directors sexual predators? And what's up with the 32 fouettés in this movie? (If you don't know what those are, don't worry, we'll explain!)The final film in our mini series is Jordan Peele's Us, the most recent film we're covering. With a story that highlights the privilege a portion of society enjoys at the expense of others, we ponder whether ballet is truly elitist. We also acknowledge the proximity to wealth and glamour being a ballet dancer provides while not necessarily paying above minimum wage. And finish off the mini series by asking a big question: must we split ourselves in two to be a great dancer? Bonus reel:Scary Movie 5References:Black Swan 32 fouettésBBC Panorama docSam Kench on Body HorrorAngela Trimbur Dance

This one is hot off the presses! Just as I was about to release the final episode in our mini series, Lucile Hadžihalilović 's award winning INNOCENCE (2004) was made available to stream. I had trouble tracking it down in my early research, and when I finally watched it I knew I had to include it. Its oblique plot follows a year at a mysterious all girls school where ballet is one of the few subjects taught. Though not an outright horror movie, it deals with so many themes from our mini series so far: the Chosen One, Pain and several puzzle pieces from our upcoming final instalment. Not only that, but I knew one of its stars...Dancer Léa Bridarolli was just 11 when she was chosen to play 'Alice' in Hadžihalilović's haunting coming of age film. She has many memories from filming, including the audition scene that underpins her character's tragic arc, a scene she was able to play by drawing on an early experience as a young dancer. She and Emma also discuss why ballet dancers (mostly women) so often portray children or young teenagers on stage, and why horror movies have a fixation with scary kids! ReferencesMark Kermode's Scary Kids blog postBONUS REELCabin in the Woods

BALLET MACABRE continues with SUSPIRIA (1977) and AUDITION (1999) as Emma Lister, long time film lover, podcast host and ballet dancer guides us down the dark hallway that is the use of ballet in horror movies. In this, the second episode in our mini series, we have the theme of pain linking our film pairing:Guests Richard Bermange and Nandita Shankardass join to give their insights on the original Suspiria directed by Dario Argento, which for all its baroque beauty, rocking Goblin score and undeniable influence on the genre leaves something to be desired in terms of accurate portrayals of ballet classes! Next we explore the theme of pain, both mental and physical, in Takashi Miike's Audition, another influential horror film that arguably opened the door to the extreme depictions of gore and sadism in the 'torture porn' genre. But for our interviewees, more terrifying still is the eponymous audition scene...Bonus Reel: RED SPARROW (2018)References:The Turning - Room of Mirrors

We start our mini series with THE RED SHOES (1948) and SUSPIRIA (2018) as Emma Lister, long time film lover, podcast host and ballet dancer guides us down the dark hallway that is the use of ballet in horror movies.Guests Zoe Ashe-Browne and Diarmaid O'Meara join to give their insights as professional dancers and amateur cineasts on perhaps the foundational ballet horror film: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's The Red Shoes. They marvel at Moira Shearer's technique, discuss the feasibility of the film's stage calls and ponder the selective marathon that is the path to a professional dance career.Fast forward 70 years and dance and horror has gone expressionist. Luca Guadagnino's Suspiria remake (don't worry we're cover the first one later!) is a bat-sh*t crazy mash up of choreographers Mary Wigman, Pina Bausch and Martha Graham's work, with some highly meme-able red string costumes to boot. Overflowing with ideas the film opens a discussion on the ultimate chosen one in The Rite of Spring and instances when the dancer/choreographer relationship can turn vampiric.Bonus reel: Josephine Decker's MADELINE'S MADELINE (2018)

Hailed a “stirring voice” by the New York Times, Roopa Mahadevan is a leading second-generation Indian classical and crossover vocalist in the American diaspora known for her collaborative spirit. She leads the crossover ensemble Roopa in Flux, where she works with musicians in jazz, soul/R&B, and various global traditions, directs the innovative choir Navatman Music Collective, and sings for leading Bharathanatyam and modern dancers around the world. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center,  MET Museum, Kennedy Millenium Stage and is a soloist on Christopher Tin's Grammy Award-winning Calling All Dawns.She and Emma discuss how to find your ‘flow' in improv, the influence of her gurus and why Bulgarian choir is the perfect match with classical Indian music!Roopa's websiteRoopa's Album, Roopa in Six YardsThe three questions:Was there a piece of art that changed everything for you?A class by artist and activist Daniel Valdez collegeIs there a piece of art that you respect, but don't like necessarily?"Confessional art"Give us a recommendation!Maria Popova's The Marginalia  website/newsletter (formerly known as Brain Pickings)

Gavin Sutherland is a conductor, composer and orchestrator who specials in dance—he's conducted for Northern Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Royal New Zealand Ballet,  Norwegian and Finnish National Ballet as well as English National Ballet where he is principal guest conductor. He and Emma discuss his career as a conductor that starting aged 18, his favourite joke to tell an orchestra and why certain music has the power to pull on our heartstrings.Holst's Jupiter conducted by Susanna Mälkki www.gavinsutherland.co.ukThe three questions...What piece of art changed everything?The Towpath a paint by Christopher Nevinson, has a personal reason as well as artistic for being your pick.What piece of art do you nor like, but respect? Not a (Mark) Rothko fan, but I understand its scale and complexity in so few elements of its construction. Give us a recommendation...The symphonies of Sir Arnold Bax 

Charlotte Maclet is an award winning violinist who first performed a Mendelssohn concerto at age nine! She has performed as a soloist in her native France and abroad. She led the acclaimed quartet Camerata Alma Viva and is now first violinist for Zaïde Quartet. She and Emma discuss her recent recording with Zaïde, Invisible, which places the music of Fanny Mendelssohn and Clara Schumann alongside the more famous men who share a surname, how to lead a quartet as democratically as possible and why she chose life in chamber music over a solo career.Quatuor ZaïdeBuy their record: InvisibleThe 3 Questions:What piece of art changed everything for you?The work of Gustav KlimtWhat piece of art do you respect rather than like?The work of Marina AbrahmovitchGive us a recommendation...Listen to Glen Gould! And read Haruki Murakami's Absolutely On Music

Andrew Mellor is a journalist and critic. He has written about music, architecture, design, and cultural politics for publications around the world and is a critic for Gramophone and the Financial Times.  He and Emma chat about his new book The Northern Silence, why it might be too late for meaningful access to classical music in Britain--especially in education and why Helsinki airport is so quiet?!Andrew's blogBuy The Northern SilenceThe 3 Questions:What piece of art changed everything for you?Glynbourne Opera's  Theodora by HandelWhat piece of art do you respect rather than like?English SongGive us a recommendation...The films of Joachim Trier 

In this, the last episode of our miniseries, Emma Lister and Amy Drew are joined by choreographer Morgann Runacre-Temple  and dancer/teacher Senri Kou to discuss how being pregnant and having a child fits (or doesn't fit) into the dance sector. We talk morning sickness during a show of Sleeping Beauty, the physical and hormonal changes of pregnancy, the decision to go back to performing vs the decision to stop, how you're perceived in the dance world as a parent and the trials of finding childcare  ...we're getting it all out on the table! We also have a mini survey we conducted on UK and international ballet companies to help us decipher what the 'norms' are in the sector. REFERENCEShttps://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/21/arts/dance/21agui.html  https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/conceptionandfertilityrates/bulletins/childbearingforwomenbornindifferentyearsenglandandwales/2020  https://pipacampaign.org/research/balancing-act-survey?referrer=/research  https://www.dancedataproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Connecting-the-Dots-Update.pdf   

This week hosts Emma Lister, Amy Drew and Matthew Paluch continue their discussion of the phenomenon of “cancel culture” in the ballet and dance world. Please do listen to Part I first if you haven't! Where does the term 'cancel culture' come from, what are the mechanisms at work? How does it apply to ballet? What about calls to reclaim it as 'accountability culture'? We are talking about  the Rosie Kay debacle, Liam Scarlett and the recent pressure ostracise Russian dancers who don't denounce Putin.Wish us luck… This episode is in two, more digestible parts, both are out now. REFERENCES·       https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/madness-of-crowds-9781472959959/·      https://www.insider.com/cancel-culture-meaning-history-origin-phrase-used-negatively-2020-7·      https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2021/12/22/cancel-culture-what-views-are-britons-afraid-expre·      https://screenrant.com/gone-with-wind-movie-problematic-slavery-racism-reason/·      https://www.dancemagazine.com/nutcracker-racist/·      https://www.danceaustralia.com.au/expertise/cancel-culture-and-the-ballet·      https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/scottish-ballet-to-make-important-changes-to-the-nutcracker-after-anti-racism-review-3445761·      Ratmanksy Instagram post·      https://www.dancemagazine.com/liam-scarlett-cancel-culture/·      Paris Opera Report·      https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/feb/26/ballet-goes-on-as-uk-audience-backs-russian-dancers

This week, in part I, host Emma Lister and Matthew Paluch discuss the phenomenon of 'cancel culture' in the ballet and dance world. Where does this term come from and what are the mechanisms at work? How does it apply to ballet? What about calls to reclaim it as 'accountability culture'? We will be discussing the recent instances of 'cancelling' The Nutcracker and the removal of ballet from auditions at a UK dance institute.Wish us luck…This episode is in two, more digestible parts, both are out now. REFERENCES·       https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/madness-of-crowds-9781472959959/·      https://www.insider.com/cancel-culture-meaning-history-origin-phrase-used-negatively-2020-7·      https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2021/12/22/cancel-culture-what-views-are-britons-afraid-expre·      https://screenrant.com/gone-with-wind-movie-problematic-slavery-racism-reason/·      https://www.dancemagazine.com/nutcracker-racist/·      https://www.danceaustralia.com.au/expertise/cancel-culture-and-the-ballet·      https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/scottish-ballet-to-make-important-changes-to-the-nutcracker-after-anti-racism-review-3445761·      Ratmanksy Instagram post·      https://www.dancemagazine.com/liam-scarlett-cancel-culture/·      Paris Opera Report·      https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/feb/26/ballet-goes-on-as-uk-audience-backs-russian-dancers

Welcome to our new mini series! We're talking about things that historically have been taboo to discuss in ballet. In episode one, host Emma Lister is joined by series co-host Amy Drew,  they dissect what's taboo about menstrual cycles in the context of ballet and get great advice and information from Dr Nicky Keay, Dr Stephanie Potreck and Julianne Rice-Oxley. We're talking heavy periods, missing periods, nutrition, cycle tracking, perimenopause and hormonal birth control. Even if you're not a dancer who has periods, we know you have a friend, partner, coworker, sibling, parent or dance teacher who does. This is essential listening to start reframing how we talk, train and feel about menstrual cycle—from day one to menopause. REFERENCESDr Nicky Keay's book - Hormones, Health and Human PotentialJennis.com- Jessica Ennis appAthletes monitoringPeriod Power https://www.outsideonline.com/health/training-performance/menstrual-cycle-injury-risk/Patriarchy pad picture 

Lighting designer Jessica Hung Han Yun won a Knight of Illumination Award for Equus at Stratford East when she was just 24.  She's since worked at the National Theatre, Donmar Warehouse, Rambert2, The Royal Court, and she has also designed lights for the revered theatre company Complicité and director Nicholas Hytner. Her upcoming work on RSC's My Neighbour Totoro can be seen at the Barbican from Oct 2022.She and host Emma Lister talk about creativity under pressure, how lighting is like editing, why she struggles with Shakespeare and trying to live up to the beloved animated classic My Neighbour Totoro.www.jessicahhy.comThe 3 Questions...Was there a piece of art that changed everything for you? Artist Rei Naito and architect Ryue Nishizawa's, Teshima Art Museum Was there a piece of art that you think has value but don't necessarily like?Shakespeare What/who should we check out that we may not know about?... Christopher Bauder's work for Dark Matter  and ABBA Voyage  

Anders  Duckworth is a British/Swedish choreographer. With training in both design and dance, their work blurs movement, fashion and visual arts. Constantly seeking new collaborations, they have choreographed for short film, installations, and theatrical pieces.  Anders was selected as a Work Place Artist at The Place in London until 2026.In this interview, Anders and Emma talk about their new piece, Mapping Gender, how to rehearse in an 18th century dress, working with an olfactory artist and why it's impossible for a map to be unbiased.Mapping Gender  premieres at London's The Place on 28 September, 2022, and will tour to Cambridge Junctions and Worthing Theatres and Museum.www.andersduckworth.com Jerry Brotton's A History of the World in Twelve MapsThe dress from the V&A collection.The 3 Questions...Piece that changed everything? Hussein Chalayan ready to wear, fall, 2000 Piece that you don't like but think has value? 'Whaam!', Roy Lichtenstein (1963) Who/what should we know about that we may not? Maresa von Stockert, Alethia Antonia, Elinor Lewis (and her company Plue).

Nicholas Thayer is a London-born, Netherlands-based composer, producer and inter-disciplinary artist.  His electronic and new classical work has been composed for dance pieces, gallery installations and site specific work. He and Emma discuss Entropy, a lockdown collaboration for Ballet Zurich that has finally been performed live on stage and the album it lead to: Tetramer, out now. They also talk about  adolescent musical tastes, how Glenn Gould revolutionised the recording studio and that time Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee sent Nicholas an email... The 3 Questions...Was there a piece of art that changed everything for you? 'Appetite for Destruction', Guns‘n Roses, Was there a piece of art that you think has value but don't necessarily like?N/A! If he thinks a piece of art has value, he must therefore like it. What/who should we check out that we may not know about?... The documentary film Sisters with TransistorsThoughts and lectures of Brian EnoThe work of Ryoji Ikeda

Yann Seabra is a stage designer whose work has been sought after by companies such as The Royal Opera House, San Francisco Ballet, Circa, Ballet Black and Protein Dance company.He and Emma discuss the tutu he designed with 5000 Swarovski crystals on it for Cira Robinson, why he loves a 70s silhouette, his long time collaboration with choreographer Arthur Pita and his new work for Mthuthuzeli November's piece Wailers at Northern Ballet.www.yannseabra.comThe 3 Questions...Was there a piece of art that changed everything for you? Alternative Miss World  Was there a piece of art that you think has value but don't necessarily like? Tate Modern: Surrealism Beyond Borders What/who should we check out that we may not know about?... Dmitri Papapganos and  Katrin Brach 

Alesandra Seutin is an award-winning multidisciplinary performance artist and choreographer who works internationally between Senegal, Belgium and the UK. She leads two international touring dance performance companies: Vocab Dance which she founded 2007 and she is also Co-Artistic Director of the famed École des Sables. Alesandra is an artistic advisor at Sadler's Wells, where she is also Guest Artistic Director of National Youth Dance Company (NYDC) for the second year running. In 2022 she worked with the young dancers of the current NYDC cohort to create a new show Quartier Paradis. In this episode host Emma Lister and she discuss the vital ways movement can be influenced by voice, new dance hierarchies, how French magical realist film, Night of Kings, part inspired her piece for NYDC…and the relevancy of Eurovision Song Contest!  The 3 Questions...Was there a piece of art that changed everything for you? Dakar Biennale  Was there a piece of art that you think has value but don't necessarily like?Eurotrash pop music What/who should we check out that we may not know about?...  Dushime music maker/actorAmapiano

Last week's episode circled around the taboo of motherhood in the dance world, the lack of a full time company in Ireland and the question of why there is comparatively so many women making dance work in Ireland. We'll be following up and expanding on all these topics in this week's episode. In this series we'll be interviewing Irish women making dance in a virtual roundtable with MOSHMA host Emma Lister and her regular cohost Zoë Ashe-Browne, winner of the Constance Markievicz Award, 2021.Ep 3 - Roundtable part 2, Liz Roche, Liv O'Donoghue, Sibéal DavittThis mini series has been made possible by support from the Arts Council Ireland on behalf of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.REFERENCESDance Data Project statisticsNYTimes profile of DDP found Elizabeth Yntema

What do you think of when you think of Ireland? The Emerald Isle, Guinness, Oscar Wilde and Riverdance? What about women making dance? Because this tiny island turns out loads of them--just over 80% of recent dance bursary awardees were for women making work. In a time when the dance world is confronting the predominance of men in roles of leadership, what is Ireland getting right? Is it ahead of the curve?But where are these makers to go? Ireland does not have one permanent dance company...lots to discuss here!Over three episodes we'll be interviewing Irish women making dance in a virtual roundtable with host Emma Lister and her regular cohost Zoë Ashe-Browne, winner of the Constance Markievicz Award, 2021.Roundtable part 1: Marguerite Donlon, Sarah Reynolds, Roisin WhelanThis mini series has been made possible by support from the Arts Council Ireland on behalf of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.REFERENCESDance Data Project StatisticsGender pay gap in Ireland in the Irish Timesand also here in RTE

Ahead of our first roundtable discussion with six women making dance in Ireland, Emma Lister and cohost Zoë Ashe-Browne give a (tiny) bit of Irish history and pose the driving question of this new mini series: In a time when the conversation in dance often turns to the predominance of men in roles of leadership, why are there so many women choreographing  in Ireland?Zoë Ashe-Browne  is the winner of the Markievicz Award 2021.This mini series has been made possible by support from the Arts Council Ireland on behalf of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.REFERENCESDance Data Project census 2021Lecture on Constance Markievicz by Prof Paseta

Dolly Brown is a photographer who specialises in documenting art and artists. She may be best known as her Instagram alterego: @londonlivingdoll. She's worked with The Royal Ballet, Barbican, Tate Modern, Trisha Brown Dance Company, BalletBoyz, Mark Morris Dance Group among many others and has exhibited in the London galleries such as Mother, Plinth, London Institute of Photography and Galerie Norbert Arns in Cologne.We spoke about one of her favourite shots of all time, why she likes to work on the periphery of her subjects and how Instagram subverted existing power dynamics within the photography industry. The 3 Question...Is there a piece of art that changed everything or you?James Joyce - UlyssesVirginia Woolf - Mrs DallowayIs there a piece of art or artist that you don't necessarily like, but you think has value?WagnerTell us about an artist that we may not know about but who we should check out.Gregory Spears, composerJan Svobada, photographer

Kalle Nio is a magician and visual artist based in Finland. He is co-drector/founder of the theatre company WHS and the recipient of numerous awards including the Finnish state prize for Multidisciplinary Art and the Helsinki Cultural Prize.In this episode he and host Emma Lister discuss Lähtö (Départ), a beautiful, uncategorizable theatre piece which he directs and performs in, as well as the connections between magic and early cinema, why Victorian magicians inspire him most and his 2016 piece, Cutting Edge.Kalle is another interview in our artist chain after having been nominated by Adrian Berry in the previous episode!Kallenio.comLähtö  trailerCutting Edge trailerThe 3 questions...Was there a piece of art that changed everything for you?Philippe Genty's DédaleWas there a piece of art that you didn't like but that you think has value?Xavier Le Roy's UntitledWho should the listeners know about who they may not?Tin Grabnar, theatre director of Somewhere Else

In the final episode of our three part miniseries, we zoom in to meet three dancers. They are all at different stages of their careers and their lives have been affected in different ways by the pandemic:GEAROID: 18 months into his professional career he is leaving his company job in Zurich. But, with the pandemic looming it is not the ideal time to go job hunting…TIA: A mid career freelancer, Tia is days away from opening night of AWDC performance at Sadler's Wells when the UK gets its stay at home orders…MINTY: At a point in her career where she is dancing her dream roles, Minty can't shake the feeling that there's  another direction she should explore. Then Covid hit…In this episode we will also zoom out, looking at the larger picture of how dancers, whose performing years are so limited, have had their careers particularly altered by the pandemic.REFERENCES:Theresa Ruth Howard, companies sending dance floor to dancers in their homes, humanizes dancers.Freelancers Make Theatre Work analysis of challenges faced by performing arts sector freelancers NYTimes reports on artists losing health care coverage from unionsNYTimes says 35 is average retirement age for dancers 

The last 18 months have been a trying time for everyone's mental health. But how have dancers been uniquely affected? A group of artists whose lives and identities are notoriously tied up in training and career—what happened when the theatres went dark and the studios fell silent?Through interviews with a range of dancers, host Emma Lister explores mental health during the pandemic— taking in depression, PTSD, body image issues, substance abuse…and some surprising positive effects too!Interviewees:Isaac BowryCrystal CostaAsh MukherjeeVanessa Vince Pangwith Kristen McGarrity, BSc (Hons) PsychologySURVEY RESULTSHas the Covid-19 pandemic affected your mental health negatively? (you can tick multiple) Anxiety | 73.65% Depression | 51.26% Insomnia | 31.77% Loneliness | 51.26% Boredom | 50.9% Fear | 44.04% Anger | 35.38% Obsessive behaviour | 19.13% Alcohol/substance abuse | 13.36% Stress | 64.98% PTSD | 6.86% Suicidal Thoughts | 9.75% No it hasn't affected me negatively | 4.69%Has the Covid-19 pandemic affected your mental health positively? (you can tick multiple)Time to reflect | 67.03%Time to rest | 63.41%Time to heal (physically or mentally) | 46.38%Spend more time with loved ones | 52.54%Reconnected with people | 28.62%No, there have been no positives | 5.43%REFERENCESPubMed articleForbes articleIn the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ieIn the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 800-273-8255 or chat for supportOther international helplines can be found at www.befrienders.orgKristen's references:Cooley, C.H. (1902) Human Nature and the Social Order, New York, Scribner.Hollway, W. (2012) Social Psychology Matter, The Open University, Milton Keynes, Chapter 5: Self, pp. 123 - 124.Mind.org.uk

In this, the first episode of our mini-series Dance in the Time of Corona, Emma Lister is joined by cohosts Zoë Ashe-Browne and Shelby Williams. They reveal the results of a survey they conducted after the controversial Venice Biennale College Danza audition call and the ensuing movement: #payyourdancers. The survey was open to ALL professional dancers, past and present. Respondents represented every corner of the dance world: Jazz dancers, tap dancers, commercial, Irish, Hip Hop, classical Indian, classical ballet, contemporary, musical theatre and ballroom.  What do they all have in common? Well, 92% had seen something advertised or were approached about unpaid work. When is this OK? When is it exploitative? How will the pandemic affect dancers being offered such work? Featuring an interview with Friedrich Pohl, of Dancers Connect.REFERENCES:www.dancersconnect.deFacebook thread from Venice Biennale College DanzaWhistle While You Work Royal Family Dance CrewBroadway show attendance80% of dancers in UK freelanceWest End box office figuresBallet Black Trainee position

Adrian Berry is Artistic Director of the UK's leading circus and arts centre, Jacksons Lane. He is also a producer, writer and director and wrote and directed the successful stage play From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads, which toured the UK racking up 143 shows and has recently been released as a spoken word album on iTunes. He spoke to Emma from a North London park about  the newly renovated Jacksons Lane, why it was cathartic to write about his teenage eating disorder and how running away to Liverpool at 18 changed the course of his life.Listen to From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads on iTunes HEREJacksons Lane's website: www.jacksonslane.org.ukThe 3 Questions...Was there a piece of art that changed everything?Seeing Belgian theatre group Peeping Tom perform 32 rue Vanderbranden Is there a piece of art that you didn't love, but you respect or think has value?The films of Peter GreenawayWho should we check out that we may not know about?Musician Shuggie Otis and magician Kalle Nio 

Stina Quagebeur is the associate choreographer and a first artist at English National Ballet. Nora, her first mainstage choreographic work for ENB, was based on Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House and premiered at Sadler's Wells in 2019. Since then she has been choreographing steadily for the company; most recently the duet Hollow and the raucous Take Five Blues, both of which finally had their post-lockdown premiere to a live audience.In this episode, host Emma Lister and she discuss making narrative vs abstract work, her obsessive research and how she can rely on her 'gut feeling' when making decisions in the studio.Stina's Instagram: @stinachoreographerStina's website: www.stinachoreographer.comYou can rent Take Five Blues from English National Ballet's "Ballet on Demand" HEREThe 3 Questions...Was there a piece of art that changed everything?Swan Lake, and working with contemporary choreographers Russell Maliphant and Akram Khan. Is there a piece of art that you didn't love, but you respect or think has value?The work of choreographer Pina Bausch Who should we check out that we may not know about?Director Emma Rice and her company Wise Children

Manjinder Virk is an actor, writer and director. As an actor she can currently be seen on The Beast Must Die with Jared Harris and Cush Jumbo on Britbox, and is shooting Jed Mercurio's Trigger Point for ITV. On film she stars in the documentary The Arbor, for which she received acting nominations from the BFI and British Independent Film Awards. As a writer director one of her works, a short film Out of Darkness won Best of Fest award at the Aesthetica Short Film Festival in 2013.In this, the first episode of season 3, host Emma Lister and Manjinder discuss how her dance training enriches her acting, why she feels it's important to be creative without judgement and what life event inspired her award winning short film. Manjinder's interview is another link in our ‘artist chain' after having been nominated by Rhoda Ofori-Attah in season 1!Watch Manjinder's film Out of Darkness HEREManjinder's Instagram:  @manjinder23Twitter: manjinder_virkThe 3 Questions...Was there a piece of art that changed everything?Derervo, clown troupeIs there a piece of art that you didn't love, but you respect or think has value?Comedy as a genre Who should we check out that we may not know about?Artists and writers:  Amber Lone, Sue Vincent, Rhiannon Tisse

Season 3 of MOVERS SHAKERS MAKERS is out now!Featuring a new set of interviews with fascinating artists and the mini-series: DANCE IN THE TIME OF CORONA. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen...www.makeshiftcompany.com

In the last episode of series 2, Emma talks to Alice Williamson--a difficult artist to categorise. Essentially, she works with movement and design, be it making costumes or dancewear for her label Designed by Alice, her photography and illustrative work, toy design, research on 'skin hunger' or her collaboration with Dr. Merrit Moore combining robotics and dance.Her design work begun when she had a parallel career as a ballet dancer in companies such as: Hong Kong Ballet, Northern Ballet and Staatsoper Ballet Berlin. She talks to Emma about staying creative when you're in a big organisation, her new found love of robotics and the journey a fishing net takes to become recyclable fabric for her “thoughtful” dancewear.Alice's websitewww.Designedbyalice.co.ukInstagram:@designedbyalice@shop_designedbyaliceThe last three questions..... PIECE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHINGNope. There wasn’t one!PIECE THAT DIDN’T LOVE BUT HAS VALUEAI: More than Human exhibit at The Barbican NOMINATE AN ARTIST FOR US TO CHECK OUTNeri Oxman, designer

Juggler Sean Gandini and his partner Kati Ylä-Hokkala have built one of the UK’s most successful contemporary circus companies: Gandini Juggling. Gandini has directed multiple full length circus pieces: Spring, 4x4: Ephemeral Architectures, Sigma and of course Smashed, their Pina Bausch inspired mega-hit that has toured the world. He also has the Olivier Award winning Philip Glass opera Akhnaten under his belt as choreographer and is currently working on LIFE, a new piece with the Cunningham Foundation. But, just to be contrary, we decided to talk about an earlier piece, a darker piece, a less loved piece...CLØWNS & QUEENS premiered in 2013. Right after their hit Smashed. For them, it is a relatively little performed piece; an investigation of the perversity of circus. There is nudity, the threat of violence, actual violence….and some baroque music.Watch a full version of CLØWNS & QUEENS HERE!Direction: Sean Gandini and Kati Ylä-HokkalaDramaturge: John Paul ZaccariniLighting Design: Jean-Ba LaudeCostume Design: Gemma BanksJuggling based on ideas: Sakari MännistöPerformers: Caterina Boschetti, Marinna De Sanctis, Iñaki Fernández Sastre, Sean Gandini, Doreen Großman, Christelle Hersscher, Sakari Männistö, Francesca Mari, Silvia Pavone, Jon Udry, Kati Ylä-Hokkala, Cecilia ZuchettiGandini Juggling WebsiteCLØWNS & QUEENS WebsiteBook referenced in interview:Thomas Wilson's biography of Gandini Juggling: Juggling TrajectoriesAvailable from Gandini Press WebsiteThe last three questions..... PIECE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHINGJuggler Sergei Ignatov’s juggling to ChopinThe work of choreographer Merce Cunningham PIECE THAT DIDN’T LOVE BUT HAS VALUESoviet propaganda art, or other morally didactic work.NOMINATE AN ARTIST FOR US TO CHECK OUTThe work of choreographer Jonathan BurrowsThis season of MOVERS SHAKERS MAKERS has been made possible by grants from the Norfolk Arts Project Fund and using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Why is the bullying of boys who want to take ballet so persistent? Emma Lister seeks to answer this question and why their love of dance is often defended with the usual football comparison/"real men lift women" trope. In the final episode of of our mini-series, Ballet for the Twenty-first Century, we'll open up topics such as: body image, casting, role models, gendered ballet technique, The Billy Elliot Effect and homophobia.Special guests: Denzil Bailey, Richard Bermange, James Forbat, Matthew Paluch and Mark Samaras.---Articles or videos we referenced in the ep---M. Paluch. (2019). There's an elephant in the room and it's gay.... Dancing Times. October 2019, p29-31. www.dancing-times.co.ukHere's a link to the conversation with Kenneth Tharp and Royal Ballet dancers for Black History MonthThis mini-series has been made possible by a grant using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

In this episode of MOVERS SHAKERS MAKERS mini-series, Ballet for the Twenty-first Century, Emma Lister and guest Phil Chan discuss his first book Final Bow for Yellowface: Dancing Between Intention and Impact, and his upcoming work, Shades of the Orient, in which Chan supports his claim that Orientalism is one of the major pillars of classical ballet. He puts forward some constructive solutions on how to stage problematic works (La Bayadère set in 1930's Hollywood anyone?!) and discusses the impact that recent social justice movements have had on ballet companies.Chan is cofounder of Final Bow for Yellowface, a pledge to eradicate outdated portrayals of Asians on stages the world over. To date, almost every major American ballet company has signed this pledge, and several international companies as well.Final Bow for Yellowface Website:www.yellowface.orgFollow them on Instagram: @finalbowforyellowfaceTHIS EPISODE HAS BEEN AUDIO TRANSCRIBED.This mini-series has been made possible by a grant using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

In part II of our episode on mental health and the classically trained ballet dancer, Emma Lister talks to counsellor (and ex-dancer) Terry Hyde. They discuss the symptoms and triggers of panic attacks and depression, the loss of identity that plagues dancers when they leave the profession and the danger of pushing your feelings away. Terry also speak frankly about how the dance world needs to ‘call out the bullies’.If you missed part I of this episode, go back and listen to it now! In it, Emma is joined by cohost Zoë Ashe-Browne, they discuss a 30 question survey released to ballet dancers with questions about their mental health, training and professional life -- over 400 hundred dancers took part.Zoë, joins us near the end of the show to put forward some constructive suggestions for the dance world based on what we've learnt.Terry Hyde MA MBACPwww.counsellingfordancers.comEPISODE FEEDBACK EMAIL: makeshiftcompany@gmail.comInstagram: @makeshiftcompanyTwitter: @moshmapodThis mini-series has been made possible by a grant using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England....and here's the Theresa Ruth Howard talk that Shelby Williams referenced in Pt I.

Emma Lister and cohost Zoë Ashe-Browne released a 30 question survey about ballet dancers' mental health. They never expected the response it got--hundreds of classically trained dancers filled it out. This is obviously a topic we need to talk about!In this, the first episode of MOVERS SHAKERS MAKERS ballet mini-series, they reveal some of the statistics collected, the stories shared and speak candidly about what it all means. Special guests: Barry Drummond, Alex Newton, Shelby Williams—THE SURVEY—30 questions. Completed by over 400 trained ballet dancers. Graduated 2010-2020: 45% and pre1990-2010: 55% .*Below are only the results discussed in the podcast*SCHOOL LIFETo the best of my knowledge, my school had qualified, professional teachers:Strongly agree 51.69%Agree 37.3%Neither agree nor disagree 6.29%Disagree 3.6%Strongly disagree 1.12%I received a well rounded dance education. (Not an exhaustive list): injury prevention, professional development, physical maintenance, performance experience, access to counselling, nutrition, other dance forms, dance theory:Yes 52.36%Not sure 10.56%No 37.08%In ballet school I felt I could voice my concerns or questions:Strongly agree 3.37%Agree 15.96%Neither agree nor disagree 22.25%Disagree 35.06%Strongly disagree 23.37I experienced first-hand (either witnessed or personal experienced) verbal abuse from my ballet school staff: bad language, yelling (in anger, not above the music!), comment that made me feel uncomfortable, comment that made me feel bad about myself:Strongly agree 50.11%Agree 31.69%Neither agree nor disagree 5.17%Disagree 10.11%Strongly disagree 2.92%I experienced eating distress in school: guilt after eating, restricted calorie intake, purging, obsessive thoughts about weight, obsessive eating habits, extreme negative thoughts about body shape:I did not suffer from eating distress 18.88%I experienced sexually inappropriate behaviour from staff at my ballet school:Strongly agree 11.01%Agree 19.33%Neither agree nor disagree 10.34%Disagree 31.46%Strongly disagree 27.87%If you experienced sexually inappropriate, homophobic, sexist, racist behaviour, did you report it or talk about with another adult? Yes 12.97%No 58.54%Didn’t know who to report it to 28.48%PROFESSIONAL LIFEIn my career I have predominantly been under the care of professional, experienced staff:Strongly agree 16.97%Agree 40.43%Neither agree nor disagree 21.30%Disagree 18.77%Strongly disagree 2.53%I experienced verbal abuse from staff in my work place (examples as before):Strongly agree 38.04%Agree 35.14%Neither agree nor disagree 10.14%Disagree 11.96%Strong disagree 4.71I have a positive relationship with at least one member of staff where I work/recent long contract:Strongly agree 33.45%Agree 53.09%Neither agree nor disagree 8%Disagree 4%Strong disagree 1.45%I experienced eating distress in professional life (symptoms as before):I did not suffer from eating distress 22.26% I experienced sexually inappropriate behaviour from staff in my work place:Strongly agree 15.58%Agree 25.72%Neither agree nor disagree 13.04%Disagree 26.81%Strong disagree 18.84%I have access to professional help with my mental health through my employer/s:Strongly agree 4.35%Agree 12.32%Neither agree nor disagree 12.32%Disagree 35.51%Strong disagree 35.51%

Performance poet, Piers Harrison-Reid rose to national visibility with a poem that bridged two of the UK’s greatest institutions: The National Health Services and the BBC. The poem Love is for the Brave, an ode to the NHS was commissioned by the BBC and has garnered a million views and counting across various platforms. With roots in hip hop, dub and slam poetry Piers’ poems are often vehicle for potent political and social commentary and are therefore in demand on news media as immediate responses to world events. Like his response to the latest wave of BLM uprising More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish, which he says brought with it a surprising, disappointing amount of negative response. Did I mention he’s also an A&E nurse?THIS EPISODE HAS BEEN AUDIO TRANSCRIBED.Piers' Websitepiersthepoet.co.ukLinks to videos discussed in the epidose:More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish Car Crash People Jenny Love is for the brave I (2018)Love is for the brave II (2020)The last three questions.....PIECE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHINGKahlil Gibran’s The Prophet PIECE THAT DIDN’T LOVE BUT HAS VALUEExperimental Film, i.e. Richard Linklater’s Waking Life NOMINATE AN ARTIST FOR US TO CHECK OUTMusician, The Heartseas KidPoet, Kae Tempest This season of MOVERS SHAKERS MAKERS has been made possible by grants from the Norfolk Arts Project Fund and using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Monique Jonas is still only at the beginning of her dance career and she’s already worked with Rambert Dance, Kim Brandstrup, New Adventures and Richard Alston Dance Company. Not only that, but she’s also started her own company-- Jona Dance Company . She talks to Emma Lister about how aged 6 a twist of fate introduced her to dance, the frustrations that led her to start her own company, as well as her work on the Young King music video and the creation of her newly commissioned piece for Matthew Bourne’s Adventures in Film, Checkmate.JONA DANCE www.monique-jonadance.comINSTA: @jona_dance_company INSTA: @mon_jonas Watch the Young King video here!Watch Checkmate, for Adventures in Film here! The last three questions...PIECE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHINGSchool trip to see Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater perform: Alvin Ailey’s Revelations PIECE THAT DIDN’T LOVE BUT HAS VALUEJust Us Dance Theatre’s Born to Manifest NOMINATE AN ARTIST FOR US TO CHECK OUTRhys Dennis and Waddah Sinada‘s dance company: FUBUNATIONwww.fubunation.orgThis season of MOVERS SHAKERS MAKERS has been made possible by grants from the Norfolk Arts Project Fund and using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Kellie Shirley knows about the highs and lows of being an actor in Britain. She chats to Emma Lister about resisting early pressure to shed her accent, her big break in a film that no one saw and how she "went back to square one" before landing a dream job. Fame came knocking in the 00's with a reoccurring role on Britain's beloved soap, Eastenders (BBC), but with it came the paparazzi and sometimes being pigeon holed as a 'soap actor'. Now she's starring in Idris Elba's warm hearted show In the Long Run ( Sky, Starz) and was selected to take part in the prestigious BAFTA Elevate program.Kellie was nominated for MOVERS SHAKERS MAKERS by fellow BAFTA Elevate member, Rhoda Ofori-Attah in episode S1.6.Kellie's website:www.kellieshirley.co.uk The last three questions....PIECE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHINGPantomime performance with her dad PIECE THAT DIDN’T LOVE BUT HAS VALUETiger King on NetflixNOMINATE AN ARTIST FOR US TO CHECK OUT: Fraser Ayres, writer, actor, producer, CEO of Triforce Creative Network This season of MOVERS SHAKERS MAKERS has been made possible by grants from the Norfolk Arts Project Fund and using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

We're back for a second season with more fascinating chats with artists!Mid-season we also have our first mini-series: Ballet for the Twenty First Century. We'll be doing a deep dive on three issues in ballet that need updating.This season of MOVERS SHAKERS MAKERS has been made possible by grants from the Norfolk Arts Project Fund and using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

In the last episode of our inaugural season Emma Lister speaks to actor Rhoda Ofori-Attah. Born in Ghana but raised in the UK, Rhoda trained at the Oxford School of Drama. Some of her credits include: The Bill (ITV), Coronation Street (ITV), Silent Witness (BBC), Cold Feet (ITV) and Informer (BBC) among many others. She plays Miss Griffiths in the new season of the BAFTA nominated show Top Boy (Netflix). In 2019 she was selected for the prestigious BAFTA Elevate Program, designed to support people from underrepresented groups in TV and film progress in their careers. She discusses that program, her preparation for her role in Top Boy and the moment on stage when she realised she had found her calling.Rhoda is the first interview in our artist chain after having been nominated by Seeta Patel in Ep. 1.2Rhoda's Instagram: @rhoda.oforiattahRhoda's IMDbBAFTA Elevate The last three questions...What’s the piece of art that changed everything for you?French cinema, specifically the films of Emmanuelle Béart, Juliette Binoche and Jeanne Moreau. What’s a piece of art that you didn’t necessarily love, but has value?Emmerdale Nominate another artist that we should all know about…Actors:Kellie Shirley (In the Long Run)Manjinder Virk (The Arbor)Anjli Mohindra (The Bodyguard, Doctor Who)

Finnish circus artist Sakari Männistö is a performer recognised for his innovative, technical juggling. In this week’s podcast, he and Emma Lister discuss the solitary nature of juggling practice, his most memorable performance and what he did when he lost all the footage during the making of his cult video Juggle Doll (with no back up)! They also discuss his new project UNUM, as well as Jong, his collaboration with Finnish composer Lotta Wennakoski— a piece for juggler and chamber orchestra.Sakari’s website:www.sakarimannisto.fiThe UNUM 360 circus project.This project is supported by The Finnish Cultural and Academic Institutes’ Together Alone project, and produced by Agit-Cirk. Jong was composed by Lotta Wennäkoski and commissioned by Agit-Cirk. The piece was co-produced by Agit-Cirk and Lapland Chamber Orchestra and premiered at Korundi, in Rovaniemi 2013, with conductor John Storgårds. The last three questions...What’s the piece of art that changed everything for you?'Pommi and Gommi', Finnish children’s entertainers M.A.Numminen & Pedro HietanenWhat’s a piece of art that you didn’t necessarily love, but has value?The challenge of performing, sometimes unwelcomed, in pubs in remote Finland.Nominate another artist that we should all know about…Composer Outi Tarkiainen www.outitarkiainen.fi

As ‘Chula the Clown’, Gabriela Muñoz has performed all over the world with her hit show Perhaps, Perhaps, Quizas. She discusses it and why ten years on she felt ready to make her newest show, DIRT! She also discusses her work with charitable organisations that bring laughter and clown workshops to areas of conflict, and how her interactions with the people she met there forever informed her approach to performing.Gaby’s websitechulatheclown.comGaby’s Instagram: @chulatheclown The last three questions... What’s the piece of art that changed everything for you?Robert Wilson’s 'The Black Rider'The BibleWhat’s a piece of art that you didn’t necessarily love, but has value?The work of William ShakespeareNominate another artist that we should all know aboutVisual artist Floria Gonzáles www.floriagonzalez.com

Emma speaks to Guy Hoare, the British lighting designer whose striking work has appeared at the Royal Opera House, Sadler’s Wells, The Old Vic, Donmar Warehouse and many other world-famous stages. They discuss how he sees lighting as an extension of dramaturgy, the creativity of science and how he shaped the light for Arthur Pita’s The Metamorphosis and Alexander Whitley Dance Company’s Overflow.Guy’s website: www.guyhoare.co.ukThe MetamorphosisAlexander Whitley’s OverflowThe last three questions... What’s the piece of art that changed everything for you?Yves Klein’s 'Victory of Samothrace S9'What’s a piece of art that you didn’t necessarily love, but has value?Working with the score of a contemporary composerNominate another artist that we should all know about-William Butler Yeats, 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree'-Virgil, Eclogues-Tacita Dean’s found postcards

Seeta Patel talks to Emma Lister about her new Bharatanatyam Rite of Spring, and why she can be nervous when starting a new project. The classical Indian dancer is not one to shy away from tough topics; in the wake of George Floyd's death she discusses the duty of the artist to react to world events.Seeta's Website: www.seetapatel.co.ukSeeta's Twitter/Instagram: @seetadancesThe last three questions...What’s the piece of art that changed everything for you?Philip Glass’s MetamorphosisWhat’s a piece of art that you didn’t necessarily love, but has value?Stictly Come DancingNominate another artist that we should all know about:Actor Rhoda Ofori-Attah

In the first episode of series one host Emma Lister talks to classically trained dancer Zoë Ashe-Browne, currently an artist at the Royal Ballet of Flanders. They discuss her choreography for that company and The National Ballet of Ireland, the possible limitations of classical companies for the creative individual and the flaws of hiring ballet stars as artistic directors.We discussed Zoë’s pieces Us and Flux, full films of which are on her website.Zoë’s Instagram: @zoeashebrowne_choreographerThe last three questions...What’s the piece of art that changed everything for you?Jiří Kylián triple bill, Nederlands Dans Theater, Sadler’s WellsWhat’s a piece of art that you didn’t necessarily love, but has value?The kind of contemporary dance that she wasn't exposed to as a young dancer.Nominate another artist that we should all know aboutJames Vu Anh Instagram (@jamesvuanh)

MOVERS SHAKERS MAKERS is the podcast all about the creative mind and what makes it tick. In this first season, host Emma Lister talks to performers, choreographers and designers about how they started their careers, what inspires them and how they hone that inspiration--as well as some current issues: politics, culture, history you name it!