Podcast appearances and mentions of joan myers brown

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey  In this episode of  “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey,  join host Joanne Carey as she chats with Special Guest: Joan Myers Brown during Women's History Month. Listen in with Ms. Brown (who is 92 years young) shares her story that began as a young dancer living in segregated America who became determined to create opportunities for black dancers. Ms. Brown emphasizes the power and essence of dance as a form of expression and the life lessons it teaches. She is a lady who will inspire you to do and be your best! Joan Myers Brown (affectionately known as “Aunt Joan” or “JB”) is the founder of The Philadelphia School of Dance Arts in 1960 and The Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO!) in 1970.  She serves as honorary chairperson for the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD), established in 1991, an organization that she laid the groundwork for in 1988 with the founding of the International Conference of Black Dance Companies.  She is a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, which bestowed upon her an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts; is a member of the dance faculty at Howard University in Washington, DC; and awarded an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA. In May 2015, she received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from The University of Pennsylvania. Listed in Who's Who in America and described as an “innovator and communicator,” Ms. Brown has made significant contributions to arts communities locally, regionally, nationally and throughout the world.  Joan Myers Brown's undisputed status as a leader in the national and international arts communities were acknowledged when she was selected to receive the 2012 National Medal of the Arts, the nation's highest civic honor for excellence in the arts. President Barack Obama presented the prestigious honor at a ceremony that took place in July 2013 at the White House. President Obama cited Ms. Brown for carving out “an artistic haven for African American dancers and choreographers to innovate, create, and share their unique visions with the national and global dance communities.” In May 2020, Ms. Brown celebrated two landmark achievements – PHILADANCO!'s  50th year and the Philadelphia School of Dance Arts' 60th year.  She as recently honored with a Lifetime Achievement Recognition from the Martha Hill Awards Gala. Find out more about Joan Myers Brown and Philadanco: https://philadanco.org/about/ @philadanco @philaschoolofdancearts @joanmyersbrown ⁠⁠⁠Follow Joanne Carey on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance And follow  “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey wherever you listen to your podcasts. Tune in. Follow. Like us. And Share. Please leave us review about our podcast  “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey "Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

I've been keeping you up to date on my training for the AACR Philadelphia Marathon weekend when I'll be doing the 8k to benefit the oldest and largest cancer research foundation in the world. Thanks to you we've already raised nearly a quarter of a million dollars and 35 percent more have signed up for runners for research over last year. Join me in supporting this great organization supporting researchers who are discovering breakthroughs in cancer treatment. www.aacr.org/runnersforresearchIf you are a black business - there's no better resource than the African American Chamber of Commerce of PA, NJ and DE. I speak to Regina A. Hairston, President and CEO and Jovan Goldstein, Chair of the Board about the tools they offer to businesses and the return of the in person annual meeting and awards ceremony on October 26, 2022.www.aachamber.comThere are challenges facing men of color when it comes to addressing mental health. I speak with Gabe Bryant who is with the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services' initiative Engaging Males of Color about the issue, resources available and an upcoming film “Trigger: Stories of Those Impacted by gun Violence in Philadelphia which premiers October 17th.https://dbhids.org/event/trigger-film-premiere/https://healthymindsphilly.org/boost/I talk re-entry with Corie Priest, Community Engagement Program Administrator at the Delaware, the first person in the department's history they've hired who they've prosecuted in the past. https://www.wilmhope.org/https://doc.delaware.gov/dcrc/index.shtmlhttps://www.project-new-start.org/https://cepp.com/project/delaware-reentry/https://delcoda.com/programs-initiatives/reentry-coalition/First, I talk with Philadelphia Icon and Founder of PHILADANCO, Joan Myers Brown about the organizations upcoming concerts at the Kimmel Cultural Campus October 28-30th. https://www.kimmelculturalcampus.org/events-and-tickets/202223/kcp/philadanco-fall/

Today's guest on Movers & Shapers are Joan Myers Brown and Kim Bears-Bailey of Philadanco. Joan is the founder of Philadanco which was created in 1970 out of a need to provide performance opportunities and training for Black dancers. PHILADANCO!  has since grown into a professional dance company that is recognized around the world for its artistic integrity, superbly trained dancers, and captivating performances. Of her many honors, she is the honorary chairperson for the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD), an organization she established in 1991, and she received the prestigious National Medal of Arts Award and 2019 Bessie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance for her choreographic influence on black dance in America.  Kim joined Philadanco in 1981 and its current Artistic Director. She is a Bessie's award recipient and Associate Professor of Dance at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Kim is one of few artists granted permission to remount the works of many world-renowned choreographers including Talley Beatty, Pearl Primus and Gene Hill Sagan. For more in this episode of Movers & Shapers: themovingarchitects.org/podcasts Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

PHILADANCO's Dr. Joan Myers Brown is a true dance pioneer. After founding the Philadelphia Dance Company in 1970, she went on to create the International Association of Blacks in Dance and the International Conference of Black Dance Companies. As she steps down (but not away) from her role at PHILADANCO, she reflects on her achievements and the impact she has made on the dance community globally. Also on the show: Ben “BoxWon” Barnes-McGee, who will take break dancing to the 2024 Olympics for the first time ever with the help of the World Dance Sport Federation's Breaking for Gold USA. This West Philadelphia native is a four-time world champion b-boy and founder of a Bred2Burn, a hip-hop dance education and development mentorship program.

This week Flashpoint is highlighting Black doctors and their efforts to continue to fight against COVID by spreading awareness of the vaccine. KYW's Jay Scott Smith is rejoined by Dr. Jennifer Caudle on her efforts in dispelling false and misleading information through her web series based on COVID-19.  The newsmaker of the week is Dr. Monique Gray is a cancer surgeon, who has been on the frontline of community outreach since the pandemic has progressed through communities of color.  The Philly Rising Changemaker highlights trailblazing Philadanco founder Joan Myers Brown as she is setting the stage for her retirement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A transcript of this episode is available here: https://thedanceedit.com/transcript-episode-80Subscribe to The Dance Edit Extra: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dance-edit-extra/id1579075769Links referenced in/relevant to episode 80:-New York Times interview with Joan Myers Brown: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/02/arts/dance/Joan-Myers-Brown-Retiring-Philadanco.html-Variety's coverage of the Trans March on Broadway: https://variety.com/2021/theater/news/transgender-march-on-broadway-cameron-mackintosh-1235057686/-Boston Ballet's new roster, including Michaela DePrince: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/09/07/arts/boston-ballet-announces-its-roster-2021-22/-Complete "Dancing with the Stars" cast list: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/dancing-stars-2021-meet-season-30-celebrity-cast-79752719-Crystal Waters' "100% Pure Love" video, choreographed by and featuring Michael K. Williams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQX2q6WCrbE-New York Times piece on reworking "Nutcracker" to protect children: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/02/arts/dance/nutcracker-rules-children-covid.html-Vanity Fair feature on Doug and Ashley Benefield and American National Ballet: https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2021/09/when-doug-and-ashley-benefield-started-a-ballet-company-it-wasnt-supposed-to-end-in-death-October 2017 Pointe story on the company's unraveling: https://pointemagazine.com/american-national-ballet/-April 2018 Pointe story on ballet company red flags: https://pointemagazine.com/red-flags-ballet-companies/-November 2020 Post & Courier story on Doug's murder and Ashley's arrest: https://www.postandcourier.com/news/local_state_news/ballet-dancer-who-founded-charleston-company-arrested-in-shooting-death-of-husband/article_d27d5002-22ad-11eb-a94e-1fb42b55ce36.html-Dance Magazine profile of Colleen Werner: https://www.dancemagazine.com/plus-size-ballet-dancer-2654850189.html-Werner's Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/colleenmwerner/

Known as Aunt Joan, or JB, to her PHILADANCO! family, she's a powerhouse of artistic energy and warmth, and a passionate advocate for Black dancers. As she will tell you, she's nearly 90 years old and has seen a lot.  No pandemic can dampen this woman's spirits or her determination to create opportunities for her dancers to shine. She grew up loving to dance, studying ballet, but finding work in the night club circuit—dancing, choreographing and performing with big name entertainers, including Sammy Davis, Jr, Cab Calloway, and Pearl Bailey.  In this episode she talks about why it's important for her to provide opportunities for young black dancers today.

Brenda Dixon Gottschild is the author of Digging the Africanist Presence in American Performance: Dance and Other Contexts; Waltzing in the Dark: African American Vaudeville and Race Politics in the Swing Era (winner of the 2001 Congress on Research in Dance Award for Outstanding Scholarly Dance Publication); The Black Dancing Body–A Geography from Coon to Cool (winner, 2004 de la Torre Bueno prize for scholarly excellence in dance publication); and Joan Myers Brown and The Audacious Hope of the Black Ballerina-A Biohistory of American Performance. Additional honors include the Congress on Research in Dance Award for Outstanding Leadership in Dance Research (2008); a Leeway Foundation Transformation Grant (2009); the International Association for Blacks in Dance Outstanding Scholar Award (2013); the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus Civil Rights Award (2016); and a Pew Fellowship in the Arts (2017). A self-described anti-racist cultural worker utilizing dance as her medium, she is a freelance writer, consultant, performer, and lecturer; a former consultant and writer for Dance Magazine; and Professor Emerita of dance studies, Temple University. As an artist-scholar she coined the phrase, “choreography for the page,” to describe her embodied, subjunctive approach to research writing. Nationwide and abroad she curates post-performance reflexive dialogues, writes critical performance essays, performs self-created solos, and collaborates with her husband, choreographer/dancer Hellmut Gottschild, in a genre they developed and titled “movement theater discourse. Our guest's decades of experience are shared with Adenike and Natasha in an intimate conversation about the creative process, and the way racism pulls at the time and energy of Black people, particularly women/femmes. We also discuss embodiment, self-concept and more! Our collaboration culminates in a visceral vocal improvisation that we can't wait for y'all to hear! Check the BCH Study Room link in our bio for more on Brenda, with easy access to additional links from previous episodes! Link to transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/nAYy4p0MJOk Links to content discussed in this episode: Brenda's website (where you can find information to purchase her books, and more!): https://bdixongottschild.com Yvonne Daniels: Embodied Knowledge (Book): https://books.google.com/books/about/Dancing_Wisdom.html?id=nhCRJ4u_CYIC Frank Wilderson - Afropessimism (Book and Theoretical framework): https://wwnorton.com/books/9781631496141 Afro-futurism (Theoretical framework): https://newsroom.ucla.edu/magazine/afrofuturism Somatic Self-Portrait Exercise: TikTok created by Natasha to demonstrate: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackcreativehealing/video/6937759473989717253 --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/black-creative-healing/support

A transcript of this episode is available here: https://thedanceedit.com/transcript-episode-42Links referenced in/relevant to episode 42:-Ann Reinking in "There'll Be Some Changes Made" from "All That Jazz": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL36kbuI6tE-Reinking in "We Got Annie" from "Annie": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmSUcq3D_t0-Reinking in "Big Noise from Winnetka" on "Dancin' Man": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aOjeiqL4TY-Chloé Lopes Gomes' account in Pointe of racism at Staatsballett Berlin: https://www.pointemagazine.com/chloe-lopes-gomes-ballet-2649095670.html-The New York Times story on Lopes Gomes' allegations: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/arts/dance/Chloe-Lopes-Gomes-Ballet.html-Theresa Ruth Howard's Dance Magazine op-ed on what Lopes Gomes' case reveals: https://www.dancemagazine.com/chloe-lopes-gomes-racism-2649520212.html -Playbill announcement of "Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical": https://www.playbill.com/article/ratatouille-the-tiktok-musical-streaming-concert-to-benefit-the-actors-fund-Philadanco website: https://philadanco.org/-Philadanco Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/philadanco/-Philadanco Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Philadanco-International Association of Blacks in Dance website: https://www.iabdassociation.org/-IABD 2021 conference information: https://www.iabdassociation.org/mpage/conference

Joan Myers Brown is a Philadelphia icon. She has done more for the world of dance in Philadelphia than anyone and she's our guest on this episode. Ms. Brown was born in Southwest Philly during the 1930's. She's a self-proclaimed “Woodland Avenue Girl.” A high school gym teacher saw her natural talent for dance and... The post Joan Myers Brown: The Mother of Philadelphia Dance appeared first on The Philly Blunt.

The legendary, Joan Myers Brown, founder of The Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO) and The Philadelphia School of Dance Arts joins PHL Diversity Podcast to discuss the 50-year celebration of PHILADANCO, the International Blacks in Dance Conference coming to Philadelphia from January 14-19, and her legacy being documented in the book “Audacious Hope of the Black Ballerina” by written by Brenda Dixon Gottschild. Throughout her lifetime, Myers Brown has received a host of accolades from local awards to the National Medal of Arts presented by President Barack Obama.

Vanesse Lloyd Sgambati is guest host who speaks to children's book illustrator Laura Freeman who will be featured at the 2020 African American Children's Book Fair and middle grade author Torrey Maldanado. Vanesse also interviews Joan Myers Brown, founder of Philadanco for the feature “What is Philadelphia Reading.” Myers Brown also talks about the upcoming conference of the International association of Blacks in Dance. https://www.iabdassociation.org/

Host and KYW Newsrdio community affairs reporter Cherri Gregg asks the burning questions about Philadelphia's maternal mortality rates and resulting racial disparties.  Samia Bristow, senior director programs for Matnernity Care Coalition joins Jatolla Davis, a midwife and certified nurse with Jefferson Health, Saleemah McNeil, a reproductive therapist and CEO of Oshun Family Center and Janayah Davis, a mother who survived a near death experience during child birth. The newsmaker of the week is Joan Myers Brown, founder of the Philadelphia School of Dance Arts and Philadanco. The changemaker of the week is Tookany/Tacony Watershed Partnership, Inc. Executive Director Julie Slavet is guest.  

The Kimmel Center presents "Philadanco Dance Philly Style" April 12th - 14th at the Kimmel Center. KYW Newsradio's RJ McKay spoke with Philadanco founder and artistic director, Joan Myers Brown about the performance.

Philadanco presents "Choreographers on the Move", featuring the works of choreographers Christopher Huggins and Milton Myers November 16th - 18th at the Kimmel Center. KYW Newsradio's RJ McKay spoke with Philadanco artistic director Joan Myers Brown about the program and Philadanco.

On today's episode Margaret Mullin welcomes back to her show Theresa Ruth Howard who is a leader and expert in the subject of diversity and inclusion in ballet and is the founder of Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet. An online initiative that is documenting and preserving the history of black ballet artists. Today Theresa is on the show speaking about the launch of a new and exciting web docuseries, "And Still They Rose, the Legacy of Black Philadelphian's in Ballet". The series premieres online on October 22nd on MOBBallet.org. It highlights the careers of Joan Myers Brown, Delores Browne, and Judith Jamison, three black Philadelphian dancers who were trained in classical ballet. For more information please connect with Theresa Ruth Howard here MOBBallet.   For more information please connect with Theresa Ruth Howard here MOBBallet

Founder of Philadanco!, Joan Myers Brown reflects on what goes into building a leading African-American dance company and school. [27:29]

Founder of Philadanco!, Joan Myers Brown reflects on what goes into building a leading African-American dance company and school. [27:29]

Founder of Philadanco!, Joan Myers Brown reflects on what goes into building a leading African-American dance company and school. [27:29]

Founder of Philadanco!, Joan Myers Brown reflects on what goes into building a leading African-American dance company and school. [27:29]

For the launch of the Dance Channel, I thought long and hard about what the first author interview would be. I felt that it was critically important that this channel begins with a rich conversation between myself and a well respected author whose contributions to dance scholarship were substantial.  It seemed to me that this channel could function as a space where the voices of those doing rigorous work with dance at the center, could be invited into conversations that focused on their most recent project, but exposed the challenges and issues they faced along the way in trying to do their work with integrity. To that end, I knew I needed someone whose voice in dance scholarship was strong and consistent and whose contributions were undeniable. When I thought of it that way, it became clear that I needed to have this first interview showcase the work of Dr. Brenda Dixon Gottschild. Brenda Dixon Gottschild‘s newest work, Joan Myers Brown and the Audacious Hope of the Black Ballerina: A Biohistory of American Performance (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011) chronicles the growth and development of one of the country's most important dance companies through the life of its creator and her community. Here, the author treats readers to a backstage pass into the mind of one of the toughest ladies in dance, Joan Myers Brown, founder of the Philadelphia School of Dance Arts and later of the Philadelphia Dance Company (known lovingly as Philadanco.) It's important to understand that this book is a “biohistory” – a work that blends not just Ms. Brown's biography, but contextualizes it in the history of Black Philadelphia and the development of American concert dance. The book is just the most recent in the line of works written by the author whose work has always focused on bringing invisibilized narratives to light and putting them into their proper historical context. The author, who I am glad to know as “Dr. Brenda,” doesn't shy away from the realities of race, class, power and gender that can often constrain one's mobility in the world and her work here makes clear that to that point, the dance world is no exception. Challenges and constraints aside, Joan Myers Brown and the Audacious Hope of the Black Ballerina: A Biohistory of American Performance is an example of the some of the finest contemporary scholarship in dance studies. As the fifth book project for Dr. Brenda Dixon-Gottschild, fans of her work won't be left wanting for anything in this newest book and dance enthusiasts are sure to find a compelling narrative that will leave them satisfied and wanting more of what this author has to offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

For the launch of the Dance Channel, I thought long and hard about what the first author interview would be. I felt that it was critically important that this channel begins with a rich conversation between myself and a well respected author whose contributions to dance scholarship were substantial.  It seemed to me that this channel could function as a space where the voices of those doing rigorous work with dance at the center, could be invited into conversations that focused on their most recent project, but exposed the challenges and issues they faced along the way in trying to do their work with integrity. To that end, I knew I needed someone whose voice in dance scholarship was strong and consistent and whose contributions were undeniable. When I thought of it that way, it became clear that I needed to have this first interview showcase the work of Dr. Brenda Dixon Gottschild. Brenda Dixon Gottschild‘s newest work, Joan Myers Brown and the Audacious Hope of the Black Ballerina: A Biohistory of American Performance (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011) chronicles the growth and development of one of the country’s most important dance companies through the life of its creator and her community. Here, the author treats readers to a backstage pass into the mind of one of the toughest ladies in dance, Joan Myers Brown, founder of the Philadelphia School of Dance Arts and later of the Philadelphia Dance Company (known lovingly as Philadanco.) It’s important to understand that this book is a “biohistory” – a work that blends not just Ms. Brown’s biography, but contextualizes it in the history of Black Philadelphia and the development of American concert dance. The book is just the most recent in the line of works written by the author whose work has always focused on bringing invisibilized narratives to light and putting them into their proper historical context. The author, who I am glad to know as “Dr. Brenda,” doesn’t shy away from the realities of race, class, power and gender that can often constrain one’s mobility in the world and her work here makes clear that to that point, the dance world is no exception. Challenges and constraints aside, Joan Myers Brown and the Audacious Hope of the Black Ballerina: A Biohistory of American Performance is an example of the some of the finest contemporary scholarship in dance studies. As the fifth book project for Dr. Brenda Dixon-Gottschild, fans of her work won’t be left wanting for anything in this newest book and dance enthusiasts are sure to find a compelling narrative that will leave them satisfied and wanting more of what this author has to offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the launch of the Dance Channel, I thought long and hard about what the first author interview would be. I felt that it was critically important that this channel begins with a rich conversation between myself and a well respected author whose contributions to dance scholarship were substantial.  It seemed to me that this channel could function as a space where the voices of those doing rigorous work with dance at the center, could be invited into conversations that focused on their most recent project, but exposed the challenges and issues they faced along the way in trying to do their work with integrity. To that end, I knew I needed someone whose voice in dance scholarship was strong and consistent and whose contributions were undeniable. When I thought of it that way, it became clear that I needed to have this first interview showcase the work of Dr. Brenda Dixon Gottschild. Brenda Dixon Gottschild‘s newest work, Joan Myers Brown and the Audacious Hope of the Black Ballerina: A Biohistory of American Performance (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011) chronicles the growth and development of one of the country’s most important dance companies through the life of its creator and her community. Here, the author treats readers to a backstage pass into the mind of one of the toughest ladies in dance, Joan Myers Brown, founder of the Philadelphia School of Dance Arts and later of the Philadelphia Dance Company (known lovingly as Philadanco.) It’s important to understand that this book is a “biohistory” – a work that blends not just Ms. Brown’s biography, but contextualizes it in the history of Black Philadelphia and the development of American concert dance. The book is just the most recent in the line of works written by the author whose work has always focused on bringing invisibilized narratives to light and putting them into their proper historical context. The author, who I am glad to know as “Dr. Brenda,” doesn’t shy away from the realities of race, class, power and gender that can often constrain one’s mobility in the world and her work here makes clear that to that point, the dance world is no exception. Challenges and constraints aside, Joan Myers Brown and the Audacious Hope of the Black Ballerina: A Biohistory of American Performance is an example of the some of the finest contemporary scholarship in dance studies. As the fifth book project for Dr. Brenda Dixon-Gottschild, fans of her work won’t be left wanting for anything in this newest book and dance enthusiasts are sure to find a compelling narrative that will leave them satisfied and wanting more of what this author has to offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the launch of the Dance Channel, I thought long and hard about what the first author interview would be. I felt that it was critically important that this channel begins with a rich conversation between myself and a well respected author whose contributions to dance scholarship were substantial. It seemed to me that this channel could function as a space where the voices of those doing rigorous work with dance at the center, could be invited into conversations that focused on their most recent project, but exposed the challenges and issues they faced along the way in trying to do their work with integrity. To that end, I knew I needed someone whose voice in dance scholarship was strong and consistent and whose contributions were undeniable. When I thought of it that way, it became clear that I needed to have this first interview showcase the work of Dr. Brenda Dixon Gottschild. Brenda Dixon Gottschild‘s newest work, Joan Myers Brown and the Audacious Hope of the Black Ballerina: A Biohistory of American Performance (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011) chronicles the growth and development of one of the country's most important dance companies through the life of its creator and her community. Here, the author treats readers to a backstage pass into the mind of one of the toughest ladies in dance, Joan Myers Brown, founder of the Philadelphia School of Dance Arts and later of the Philadelphia Dance Company (known lovingly as Philadanco.) It's important to understand that this book is a “biohistory” – a work that blends not just Ms. Brown's biography, but contextualizes it in the history of Black Philadelphia and the development of American concert dance. The book is just the most recent in the line of works written by the author whose work has always focused on bringing invisibilized narratives to light and putting them into their proper historical context. The author, who I am glad to know as “Dr. Brenda,” doesn't shy away from the realities of race, class, power and gender that can often constrain one's mobility in the world and her work here makes clear that to that point, the dance world is no exception. Challenges and constraints aside, Joan Myers Brown and the Audacious Hope of the Black Ballerina: A Biohistory of American Performance is an example of the some of the finest contemporary scholarship in dance studies. As the fifth book project for Dr. Brenda Dixon-Gottschild, fans of her work won't be left wanting for anything in this newest book and dance enthusiasts are sure to find a compelling narrative that will leave them satisfied and wanting more of what this author has to offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the launch of the Dance Channel, I thought long and hard about what the first author interview would be. I felt that it was critically important that this channel begins with a rich conversation between myself and a well respected author whose contributions to dance scholarship were substantial.  It seemed to me that this channel could function as a space where the voices of those doing rigorous work with dance at the center, could be invited into conversations that focused on their most recent project, but exposed the challenges and issues they faced along the way in trying to do their work with integrity. To that end, I knew I needed someone whose voice in dance scholarship was strong and consistent and whose contributions were undeniable. When I thought of it that way, it became clear that I needed to have this first interview showcase the work of Dr. Brenda Dixon Gottschild. Brenda Dixon Gottschild‘s newest work, Joan Myers Brown and the Audacious Hope of the Black Ballerina: A Biohistory of American Performance (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011) chronicles the growth and development of one of the country’s most important dance companies through the life of its creator and her community. Here, the author treats readers to a backstage pass into the mind of one of the toughest ladies in dance, Joan Myers Brown, founder of the Philadelphia School of Dance Arts and later of the Philadelphia Dance Company (known lovingly as Philadanco.) It’s important to understand that this book is a “biohistory” – a work that blends not just Ms. Brown’s biography, but contextualizes it in the history of Black Philadelphia and the development of American concert dance. The book is just the most recent in the line of works written by the author whose work has always focused on bringing invisibilized narratives to light and putting them into their proper historical context. The author, who I am glad to know as “Dr. Brenda,” doesn’t shy away from the realities of race, class, power and gender that can often constrain one’s mobility in the world and her work here makes clear that to that point, the dance world is no exception. Challenges and constraints aside, Joan Myers Brown and the Audacious Hope of the Black Ballerina: A Biohistory of American Performance is an example of the some of the finest contemporary scholarship in dance studies. As the fifth book project for Dr. Brenda Dixon-Gottschild, fans of her work won’t be left wanting for anything in this newest book and dance enthusiasts are sure to find a compelling narrative that will leave them satisfied and wanting more of what this author has to offer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices