Podcast appearances and mentions of al blackstone

Luca Dinardo is a musical theatre performer, dance captain and choreographer. She grew up training at Patrick Studios and completed her full time training there. Luca was drawn to the world of musical theatre and her professional credits include; Bring It On – The Musical,  Billy Elliot ,NINE, RENT , Kiss of the Spider , West Side Story  and Hamilton.Luca's career has also seen her assist some of Australia's finest choreographers, including Andrew Hallsworth, Kelley Abbey, Michael Ralph and Marko Panzic and international choreographers Travis Wall, Stacey Tookey & Al Blackstone.Join us as we explore the highs and lows of Luca's career. We discuss the struggles she faced to make a name for herself in the industry and to overcome self doubt. We also talk about how she has overcome setbacks.A truly inspiring conversation.

Speaking with Al Blackstone was a delight!  Many of you know Al from So You Think You Can Dance, but his credits show that he has long been in the game.  Thank you Al for sharing your time and knowledge with all of us!AL BLACKSTONE (short for Albert) is an Emmy-winning director, choreographer, and educator based in New York City. He loves to tell stories and believes deeply in the power of dance, community, and kindness. Born and raised in a dance studio, his passion for bringing people together to experience something meaningful has driven him to create work for concert, film, television, theater, ships, basements, parks, and many many stages. This includes original dance narratives such as Freddie Falls in Love (Joyce Theater), Happy We'll Be (Roseland Ballroom), Elephant in the Room (Arts on Site), NORMA (Steps on Broadway) and Brown Eyed Girl (2011 Capezio A.C.E. Award for Choreographic Excellence). Al has directed/choreographed reinventions of classic musicals such as An American in Paris (Cape Playhouse), Pippin (Music Theater Wichita) and Annie (Axelrod Performing Arts Center) and has choreographed dozens more around the coun- try and Off-Broadway. In 2020 Al won an Emmy for his work on the iconic television show So You Think You Can Dance where he has been making dances since 2016. Additional network television credits include Good Morning America and The Macy!s Thanksgiving Day Parade. He continues to create self-produced short films including La Vista, The Suburbs, and A Good Thought (up- coming with playwright Rachel Bonds). In 2019 he choreographed the film Double Exposure (On the Rocks Films) and the next year he was chosen by the Irving Berlin Estate to direct and choreograph Isn't It A Lovely Day to commemorate the 85th Anniversary of the classic musical Top Hat. Most recently, in 2023 he assisted choreographer Mandy Moore (La La Land) on the dance sequences for the upcoming film IF directed by John Krasinksi and starring Ryan Reynolds. He also danced in the film. As an educator Al is deeply indebted to the many brilliant teachers he has encountered throughout his life including his parents Richard and Denise Blackstone, Doug Caldwell, Frank Hatchett, Sheila Barker, and Andy Blankenbuehler. Their wisdom inform and inspire his own classes which have been shared with dancers all over the world for more than two decades. He has been on faculty at Steps on Broadway, Broadway Dance Center, and JUMP Dance Convention and in 2019 he was featured in the documentary film Uprooted which sheds light on the African roots of jazz dance in America. He has been a guest artist at many universities including The University of the Arts, Pace University, Point Park University., and Marymount Manhattan. Al is proud to be a part of the New York dance community including being a board member at Arts On Site a woman-owned arts organization dedicated to providing artists with opportunities to create and perform new work. In 2020 collaborated with his husband designer Abraham Lule on MOMEN NYC, a project that highlights and celebrates the power of dance through live events, workshops, and virtual offerings for adult dancers. Their weekend work- shop MOMEN&FRIENDS has brought hundreds of dancers together from around the world to form deep and lasting dance memories. He lives in Queens and has kept a journal since he was twelve. Thank you for listening Jam Fam! Make sure you follow us across social media and don't forget to like and subscribe anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts!Facebook: JAM Joe and Michelle's Dance PodcastInstagram: jam_dance_podcastTwitter: @jamdancepodcastEmail: jamdancepodcast@gmail.com

Guest Host Mark Osmundsen offers listeners a conversation with Al Blackstone, an Emmy-winning director, choreographer, and educator. Born in New Jersey and raised in a dance studio, Al has called New York City home for more than a decade, and has created many works for stage and screen, including dance narratives such as Freddie Falls in Love (Joyce Theater), Happy We'll Be (Roseland Ballroom), Elephant in the Room (Arts on Site), NORMA (Steps on Broadway) and Brown Eyed Girl (2011 Capezio A.C.E. Award for Choreographic Excellence). Al has directed/choreographed reinventions of classic musicals such as An American in Paris (Cape Playhouse), Pippin (Music Theater Wichita) and Annie (Axelrod Performing Arts Center) and has choreographed dozens more around the country and Off-Broadway.In 2020 Al won an Emmy for his work on the iconic television show So You Think You Can Dance where he has been making dances since 2016. He is currently on faculty at Steps on Broadway, Broadway Dance Center, and JUMP Dance Convention.Links:Al Blackstone WebsiteInstagramMomen NYCL-O-V-E for “So You Think You Can Dance”GLO classes:Mark Osmundsen's classes. 

“The story of Jazz Dance is the story of America.” My guests today are the creators of the acclaimed new film documentary: Uprooted – The Journey of Jazz Dance, which has been winning awards at film festivals around the world, and in the US can currently be seen on HBO Max.   All three of the film's creators are from the UK, they all have extensive training and backgrounds in dance, and with this movie they are all making their feature length film debuts. The film's director is Khadifa Wong who trained as a dancer and actress but became frustrated by the lack of opportunities for performers of color, and then realized that her true passion lay behind the camera. Producer, Lisa Donmall-Reeve, migrated to film following a very successful twenty year career as a performer that included playing many leading roles on London's West End. And dancer, choreographer and educator, Zak Nemorin - who conceived the film - has appeared in seventeen West End musicals and is the Head of Jazz Dance at Millennium Performing Arts in London. To create the film they interviewed 70 experts - dancers, choreographers, educators and historians - regarding the history of Jazz dance as well as the evolution of its many roots and branches, including Debbie Allen, Josh Bergasse, Al Blackstone, Andy Blankenbuehler, Bob Boross, Camile Brown, Warren Carlyle, Graciela Danielle, George Faison, Thomas De Frantz, Karen Hubbard, Saleemah Knight, Bonnie Langford, Martine Mattox, Jerry Mitchell, Mandy Moore, Walter Painter, Travis Payne, Arlene Phillips, Chita Rivera, Susan Stroman, and Chet Walker to name only a few. Along the way they explore where Jazz dance originated and how it became the dance language of Broadway.  I highly recommend it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The act of creating is both a testament to and a full embodiment of its creator. An actor gives so much of themselves to the role that they're playing. A dancer utilizes every muscle to express an emotion. A writer pulls from their own life and experiences to create other worlds and powerful stories. And so it is only natural that we often tie our own self-worth and meaning to the success or failure of that creation.  Today, I'm talking with Emmy-winning director/choreographer Al Blackstone, who I had the pleasure of working with a few years back. He brings us three stories of doubt and uncertainty and aloneness, when his own talent as a dancer was questioned and his value as a director was dismissed. This is an honest conversation on who we really are beyond the labels of actor or artist and how the idea of “making it” comes more from ourselves than from the acceptance or validation of others.  Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones (Off-Broadway actor and singer)   Listen to This Week's Audition Story In addition to the three main stories, there are bonus episodes where guests like Al share memorable audition stories as well. Al talks about when he was at a dancer call years ago for the revival national tour of Sweet Charity. It's a story that any non-dancer (like myself) can definitely relate to. And these bonus episodes are only available to monthly supporters of Why I'll Never Make It. Producing this podcast isn't cheap, and with your help I can reach a wider audience with things like more video and transcription options, which would greatly benefit deaf and hard of hearing artists, for example. So please consider a one-time donation (via PayPal) or a monthly subscription to bonus episodes (via Supercast), which will help offset podcast production costs. Whichever way you choose to contribute, your help is so very much appreciated!     Freddie Falls in Love Al also shares a fourth story about a show he actually created called Freddie Falls in Love. In 2019, this dance production was presented at the famous Joyce Theater in New York City, marking and personal and professional highlight in Al's career. However, the NY Times had a very different opinion about his show, calling it a "frothy" and "meandering production" among other things. Al admits that he hasn't really spoken publicly about this review and how much it devastated him. But in a special conversation he opens up what this review did to him, offering heartfelt candor and insight into how he handled with such public rejection. To access this bonus episode (and more) go to support.winmipodcast.com.     This Week's Artist Spotlight: MOMEN NYC Born out the pandemic to meet the needs of dancers, who just needed the time and space to move again. Al co-founded MOMEN NYC as a way to bring adult dancers together so they could focus on their craft and make lasting connections with other dancers. He truly believes deeply in the power of dance, community, and kindness to express what is more true about ourselves and help bring us all closer together. Follow MOMEN on Instagram for the latest updates.     The Final Five For the past few seasons, the Final Five has been a bonus episode to this podcast, but for Season 6 it's in the form of a blog post where guests answer the five final questions. You can find Al's Final Five on the WINMI Blog. Follow Al - YouTube / Instagram / Website  Follow WINMI - Instagram / Twitter    ---------- Why I'll Never Make It is a Top 25 Theater Podcast hosted by Patrick Oliver Jones and is a production of WINMI Media, LLC.  It is also a part of Helium Radio Network and a member of the Broadway Makers Alliance.  Background music in the episode is by Blue Dot Sessions and used under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Season 2 kicks off with Alicia Pociask!Alicia Pociask grew up dancing, singing, and acting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She attended Point Park University, receiving her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance and a Minor in Theater Arts. Alicia has worked at Hershey Park, Cedar Point, Paramount King's Dominion, Country Tonite Theatre in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, performed in many industrials for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and was a video tracked dancer for the Pepsi Corporation. Alicia spent her last five performance years traveling the world as a dancer with Holland America Cruise Line.Alicia spent 8 years as a resident show supervisor, choreographer, and director for the Emmy Award winning production company, RWS Entertainment Group where she choreographed five mainstage production shows for Holland America Cruise Line, was an associate choreographer for STEP ONE Dance Company, and directed and choreographed three mainstage shows for Azamara Club Cruises. In 2015 Alicia had the honor of assisting Al Blackstone for the workshop of Crazy in Love, an original short musical written by Kooman and Dimond.Alicia is extremely passionate and invested in the education of young performers. She travels around the world as a guest teacher, choreographer, and judge for StarQuest International, Beyond the Stars, and Precision Arts Challenge. She also is the Musical Theater Program Director for Kona Dance and Performing Arts in Kona, Hawaii. Currently, Alicia resides in Brooklyn, New York.instagram: @aliciarose33Follow us on Facebook: JAM Joe and Michelle's Dance PodcastFollow us on Instagram: jam_dance_podcast

This week on Movement Guidance we have Shelby Davis! She has worked closely with Marinda Davis, Brooke Pierotti, Al Blackstone, Andrew Winghart, and others.  She was a part of Kiersten Russell's company, PURSUIT, on Season 2 of World of Dance.  Some of her credits include Jennifer Lopez, Little Big Town, and Derek Hough.  She is also a company member with MashUp Contemporary Dance company and marInspired; The Storytellers.  Don't forget to follow us on Instagram: @movementguidance

A transcript of this episode is available here: https://thedanceedit.com/transcript-episode-54Links referenced in/relevant to episode 54:-Washington Post story on the Washington Football Team replacing its cheerleaders with a coed dance team: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/03/03/washington-football-team-cheerleaders-replaced/-New York Times piece on dancer bodies: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/03/arts/dance/what-is-a-ballet-body.html-Actors' Equity statement on the Open Culture program: https://www.actorsequity.org/news/PR/OpenCultureDisappointment/-Denver Post story on Aspen Santa Fe Ballet's company closure and organizational evolution: https://theknow.denverpost.com/2021/03/09/aspen-santa-fe-ballet-closes-coronavirus/254403/-Sydnie Mosley's Dance Magazine essay on not creating for the sake of creating: https://www.dancemagazine.com/virtual-burnout-2650626814.html-Al Blackstone's Dance Teacher love letter to the dance studio: https://dance-teacher.com/al-blackstone-dance-studio/-Dance/USA's second COVID impact survey: https://s-a39abb-i.sgizmo.com/s3/i-zYkAqbH1dQ67H04kbl-4331405/?sguid=zYkAqbH1dQ67H04kbl-Excerpt from from "Dismantling Racism:  A Workbook for Social Change Groups," by Kenneth Jones and Tema Okun: https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/white-supremacy-culture-characteristics.html-Dance/USA site: https://www.danceusa.org/-Dance/USA social pages:https://www.instagram.com/danceusaorg/https://twitter.com/DanceUSAorghttps://www.facebook.com/DanceUSAorg

Check out DanceConnectSeries.com for more information on each guest! Instagram: @danceconnectseries -------- Al Blackstone is an Emmy Award-Winning director, choreographer, and educator. His passion for bringing people together to experience something meaningful drives him to make dances, tell stories, and encourage joyful connection. Born in New Jersey and raised in a dance studio, he has called New York City home for more than a decade. In that time he has created emotional work for the stage and screen, thrown dance parties for charity, and introduced hundreds of people to one another. He believes deeply in the power of dance, community, and kindness. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Al Blackstone is an emmy-nominated director and choreographer, known for his unique way of storytelling through movement. His choreographic creations include Happy We’ll Be, Freddie Falls In Love and the upcoming Norma - which is described as an after-hours performance series at a to-be-disclosed iconic Manhattan institution.  I asked Blackstone into the studio to talk about Norma: how it was inspired by his time in the musical world, and how he works with many of Broadway’s most beloved dancers to create work that feels distinctly non-Broadway. Here’s our conversation... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Al Blackstone (alblackstone.net)(IG:@alblackstonechoreo) is an Emmy-nominated director, choreographer, and educator. His passion for bringing people together to experience something meaningful drives him to make dances, tell stories, and encourage joyful connection. Born in New Jersey and raised in a dance studio, he has called New York City home for more than a decade.  In that time he has created emotional work for the stage and screen, thrown dance parties for charity, and introduced hundreds of people to one another. He believes deeply in the power of dance, community, and kindness.  We discuss his upbringing, what dance did for him in his youth, and current projects he is working on!! Enjoy!

My guest on this episode, Al Blackstone, is an Emmy-nominated director, choreographer, and educator and the recipient of the 2011 Capezio A.C.E. Award for Choreographic Excellence.

A New York City based director, choreographer, and educator, Al Blackstone is the recipient of the 2011 Capezio A.C.E. Award for Choreographic Excellence. His work has been called “sweet, silly, sly... infectious.” by Dance Magazine, and while he has worked mostly in musical theatre, Al's passion for contemporary and jazz dance have enriched his unique approach to storytelling.

We make our BIG ANNOUNCEMENT as well as chat with one of our all time favorites, Al Blackstone! We talk making a difference through partying, loving to dance and we talk Halloweeeeeeeeen. Special edition of Merch Madness! Check out the details of our big announcement on our social media pages! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are days when I have to pinch myself to the things that I get lucky enough to cover. Most recently, I was invited to see a new show that is being produced by Academy/Grammy/Tony Award winning, lyricist/composer/producer, Stephen Schwartz, in a partnership with Princess Cruise Lines. The production, BORN TO DANCE, is conceived and directed by the very charming and accomlished, Daniel C. Levine, and fiercely choreographed by Al Blackstone. This is Mr, Schwartz's second collaboration with the Princess Cruise Lines, after the success of their previous production, MAGIC TO DO. Stephen Schwartz: http://www.stephenschwartz.com/ Al Blackstone: http://www.alblackstone.net Daniel C. Levine: https://danielclevineproductions.com/ Born To Dance on Princess Cruise Lines: https://www.princess.com/ships-and-experience/onboard-experience/entertainment/production-shows/born-to-dance/ Support Keith Price's Curtain Call on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/keithpricecurtaincall Keith PRice's Curtain Call on Broadway World: https://www.broadwayworld.com/author/Keith-Price-s-Curtain-Call Subscribe to Keith Price's Curtain Call on Itunes: www.keithpricecurtaincall.com Follow @keithpricecurtaincall on Instagram Follow @kpcurtaincall @comedydaddy Like me on FB: https://www.facebook.com/Keith-Prices-Curtain-Call-1380539615593807/ Subscribe on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCduwJ3ytmAwdJMQtGllk1Ig