Podcasts about Joyce Theater

On the latest Whisper in the Wings from Stage Whisper, we welcomed on the artistic director Tina Finkelman Berkett, to talk about her company, Bodytraffic's, upcoming performance in New York City. This is a very exciting company we got to know, and the works they are bringing to The Joyce Theater will have you so excited to see some incredible dance. So make sure you tune in and get your tickets for this amazing show!BodytrafficApril 15th-20th@ The Joyce TheaterTickets and more information area available at joyce.orgAnd be sure to follow Tina to stay up to date on all her upcoming projects and productions:bodytraffic.com@bodytraffic

"Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey with special guest, Robert Battle, choreographer, artistic director and newly appointed resident choreographer for the Paul Taylor Dance Company.In this episode of "Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey, host Joanne Carey interviews Robert Battle. Together they discuss Robert's journey from his early beginnings in dance in Miami, his experiences at Juilliard, and his time as artistic director of the iconic Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. Robert shares insights on the importance of mentorship, the creative process in choreography, and the significance of celebrating humanity through art. The conversation highlights the challenges and triumphs of a career in dance, emphasizing the value of connection and community in the arts.Robert Battle's journey to the top of the modern dance world began in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami, Florida where he showed artistic talent early and studied dance at a high school arts magnet program. From there he attended Miami's New World School of the Arts and then the dance program at The Juilliard School where he met his mentor Carolyn Adams. He danced with Parsons Dance from 1994 to 2001, and set his choreography on that company starting in 1998. Mr. Battle founded his own Battleworks Dance Company in 2002 which performed extensively at venues including The Joyce Theater, American Dance Festival, and Jacob's Pillow. A frequent choreographer and artist in residence at Ailey Ailey American Dance Theater since 1999, he set many of his works on the Ailey Company and Ailey II. In July 2011 he was personally selected by Judith Jamison to become Artistic Director of Ailey, making him only the third person to head the Company since it was founded in 1958. During his 12 years as Artistic Director he expanded the Ailey repertory with works by artists as diverse as Kyle Abraham, Mauro Bigonzetti, Ronald K. Brown, Rennie Harris, and Paul Taylor. He also instituted the New Directions Choreography Lab to help develop the next generation of choreographers. He stepped down from the position in 2023.For more information about Robert Battle and the Paul Taylor Dance Companyhttps://paultaylordance.org/“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey wherever you listen to your podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dancetalkwithjoannecarey.com/Follow Joanne on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdanceTune in. Follow. Like us. And Share.Please leave a review!“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

"Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey with special guests Mark Howard and Chelsea Hoy of Trinity Irish Dance Company.In this episode of Dance Talk, host Joanne Carey chats with Mark Howard and Chelsea Hoy from the Trinity Irish Dance Company discussing their personal journeys into Irish dance, the company, and the cultural significance of Irish dance. The conversation highlights the innovative choreography that sets Trinity apart, the importance of imagination in the creative process, and the upcoming 35th anniversary season. The episode emphasizes the power of dance to connect with audiences and the mission of inclusivity and kindness within the art form.TRINITY IRISH DANCE COMPANY (TIDC) was founded in 1990 to celebrate the pioneering work of its Founding Artistic Director Mark Howard. This uniquely Irish-American company “ushered in a new era for Irish step dance” (Chicago Tribune), opening new avenues of artistic freedom that led directly to commercial productions such as “Riverdance.”Considered an American treasure TIDC has performed sold-out tours in Europe, Asia, and North America, appearing in distinguished venues, such as New York's The Joyce Theater, Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center, Princeton's McCarter Theater, Ottawa's National Arts Center of Canada, Tokyo's Orchard Hall, and Chicago's Auditorium Theatre, among many others. The Company has entertained dignitaries as varied as Monaco's royal family, Irish and American presidents, Japanese royalty, and Indian meditation masters. TIDC offers both a highly skilled presentation of traditional Irish step dance and a brilliantly engaging interpretation of contemporary world vision.Mark Howard: Founding Artistic Director / Choreographer and Emmy Award-winning choreographer was born in Yorkshire, England, and raised in Chicago. He began dancing at 8 at the Dennehy School of Irish Dance and began teaching at 17. By 20 he had launched the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance, subsequently leading them to unprecedented World Championship team titles for the United States—the first when he was only 25. He redefined what was possible for American teams becoming the first to win gold in all categories.His pioneering work led to his unique transition from the competitive stage to the performing arts stage to coach then artistic director. Howard himself was a regular guest on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. He has been named three times as one of Irish American Magazine's “Top 100 Irish-Americans,” and he was honored by iBAM! in 2011 and in 2015 by Chicago's Lawyers For the Creative Arts for his outstanding contribution to the performing arts.Chelsea Hoy: Associate Artistic Director / Choreographer / Dancer. Born in Denver, Hoy's choreographic influence has significantly shaped TIDC's newest works. Hoy recently co-choreographed Taking the Mick alongside Howard, a versatile work following their first collaboration An Sorcas (The Circus), which previewed in Japan and had its world premiere at Chicago's historic Auditorium Theatre in 2019.Chelsea grew up dancing competitively for the Wick School of Irish Dance in Denver, Colorado. She joined TIDC in 2014 after she began her studies at Loyola University Chicago. She graduated in 2017 with Bachelors' degrees in Psychology and Photography. In addition to helping guide the company's future, she is a professional photographer, dance instructor, and visual artist. Hoy's love of empowering children through the arts continues to shape TIDC's outreach programming. Information for TIDC and to see their upcoming performances visithttps://trinityirishdancecompany.com/“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey wherever you listen to your podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dancetalkwithjoannecarey.com/... ⁠Follow Joanne on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance Tune in. Follow. Like us. And Share. Please leave a review! “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

"Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey and special guest Lar Lubovitch.In this episode of "Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey, host Joanne Carey interviews renowned choreographer Lar Lubovitch, who shares his journey into the world of dance, his artistic influences, and his experiences at Juilliard. Lubovitch discusses the importance of intuition in dance, the correlation between painting and choreography, and the defining moments that shaped his career. He reflects on his first choreographic experience and the evolution of the Juilliard Dance Department, highlighting the significance of mentorship and the transformative power of dance. In this conversation, Lar Lubovitch shares his journey in the world of dance, discussing the importance of movement poetry, the essence of dance as a higher value, and the significance of improvisation in choreography. He reflects on his recent Lifetime Achievement Award and the sense of community within the dance world. Lubovitch emphasizes the ongoing process of learning and evolving as a dancer and choreographer, encouraging others to embrace the journey of creation and expression in dance.Lar Lubovitch is one of America's most versatile, popular and widely seen choreographers. Based in New York City, Lubovitch's company has performed throughout the world, and his dances have also been performed by many other major companies, including American Ballet Theater, Joffrey Ballet, New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and many others. His dances are renowned for their musicality, rhapsodic style and sophisticated formal structures. His radiant, highly technical choreography and deeply humanistic voice have been acclaimed worldwide.THE COMPANY. The Lar Lubovitch Dance Company is internationally renowned as one of the world's best dance companies. Founded in 1968, the company is now celebrating its 56th anniversary. The 50th season kicked off with a preview performance on Nov 13 (2017) at Lincoln Center's Clark Studio Theater, and culminated with performances from April 17-22 (2018) at the Joyce Theater. Celebrated for both its choreographic excellence and its unsurpassed dancing, the company has created more than 120 new dances and performed before millions throughout the United States and in more than 40 foreign countries. During 2023, the company created two new dances. The first, Conversing With Brahms, premiered in Dallas in April, and the second, Desire, premiered at the Guggenheim Museum in NYC on December 5, 2023. During 2024, the company is creating Many Angels, together with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.⁠https://lubovitch.org/Company/Lar_Lubovitch/lar_lubovitch.html⁠“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey wherever you listen to your podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dancetalkwithjoannecarey.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Follow Joanne on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance Tune in. Follow. Like us. And Share. Please leave a review! “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

Scott Killian has composed scores for Zvi Gotheiner (over 30 works), Shapiro & Smith Dance, Cherylyn Lavagnino, David Dorfman, Susan Marshall, Ralph Lemon, Bebe Miller, Alwin Nikolais and Murray Louis. His works have been performed with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Limon Dance Company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, PACT Dance (South Africa), et al. Venues include The Joyce Theater, Lincoln Center, New York City Center, New York Live Arts, Jacob's Pillow, The Annenberg Center and many regional venues. As a dance musician, he is a regular accompanist at NYC's Gibney 890 Studios and NYU Tisch School of the Arts. As a composer and sound designer for theater, Scott has created works for over 120 professional productions in NYC and at many regional theaters. NYC theatrical venues include Manhattan Theatre Club, The Public Theater, New York Theater Workshop, MCC, Red Bull Theatre, Primary Stages and Rattlestick Theatre. Regional theatres include George Street Playhouse (over 25 productions); Berkshire Theatre Group (Resident Composer--over 50 productions), Alley Theatre (Houston), Shakespeare Theatre (DC), Seattle Repertory Theatre, A.C.T. (San Francisco). Cleveland Playhouse, Shakespeare and Company, Cincinnati Playhouse, Huntington Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival.

Davalois Fearon is a critically acclaimed choreographer, dancer, and educator, who is currently a Core Faculty Lecturer at Princeton University. Davalois was a 2017 Bessie awardee and a 2021-22 Jerome Hill Artist Fellow finalist. Her 12 years with the Stephen Petronio Company is now reflected in her work as founder and director of Davalois Fearon Dance (DFD).  DFD pushes artistic and social boundaries to highlight injustice and inequality and spark vital conversations about change. Fearon's work has been presented nationally and internationally, including at the Joyce Theater and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Among many others, she has completed commissions for the Bronx Museum of the Arts and Barnard College. Her abundant honors and awards include DanceNYC's Dance Advancement Fund Award and grants from the MAP Fund and the Howard Gilman Foundation. In today's episode, ⁠Davalois Fearon⁠ discusses the culture shock she experienced when moving from the Bronx to the SUNY Purchase campus in White Plains, her college experience, professional auditions, and joining of the Stephen Petronio Company. She also discusses the creation of her dance company, DFD, some of her brilliant works including Time to Talk and For C.J., the profound gifts she has received as both a mentee and mentor, and her biggest piece of advice for college students.  Learn more about ⁠⁠Davalois Fearon & ⁠⁠The Story Project⁠⁠.   *Note from the episode: In the episode, Davalois says,”What is an unexpected title you would give yourself that disrupts the hierarchies? AKA, what is your degree from the Making Shit UP University?" This was learned from ⁠Ruha Benjamin⁠, a Princeton Professor, who learned it from ⁠Michelle King⁠, Educator Extraordinare. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/storyproject/support

Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey and special guest, Kayla Farrish  In this episode of Dance Talk, host Joanne Carey chats with Kayla Farrish, a multifaceted artist known for her work as a dancer, choreographer, and photographer. Kayla was recentlly commissioned to re-imagine a work for the Limon Dance Company with its World Premiere at the Joyce Theater, NYC. Kayla shares her journey into the world of dance, her creative process, and her recent collaboration with the Limon Dance Company to reimagine lost works. The conversation delves into the importance of community, the role of music in dance, and the significance of experimentation in choreography. Kayla emphasizes the need for artistic expression that honors the full range of human experience, including whim, magic, and melancholy. She encourages young dancers to embrace their creativity and find their unique voice in the dance world. Kayla Farrish is NY based dancer, choreographer, director, and photographer. She is a North Carolina native born into a dance-loving family. In 2013, she graduated from the University of Arizona summa cum laude, and was awarded the Gertrude Shurr Award for excellence in modern dance and passionate dancing. Since moving to New York, she has freelanced with various artists and companies including Punchdrunk Sleep No More NYC, Kyle Abraham/Abraham. In. Motion, Kate Weare Company, Helen Simoneau Danse, Rashuan Mitchell/Silas Reiner, Aszure Barton and Artists, Madboots Dance, Nicole Von Arx, Danielle Russo Performance Project, Chris Masters Dance Company, Elena Vazintaris/Dance Projects and others.   Both independently and through companies, she has worked as a rehearsal assistant and teaching artist, instructing at various programs including University of NC School of the Arts, University of the Arts, The Juilliard School, NYU Tisch Dance Program, and local dance organizations and studios, and beyond. Kayla Farrish ⁠https://www.kaylafarrish.com/artist-statement⁠ Limon Dance Company ⁠https://www.limon.nyc/⁠ Follow “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey wherever you listen to your podcasts.  ⁠⁠⁠https://dancetalkwithjoannecarey.com/⁠⁠⁠ 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."

We are so excited to be welcoming back Limòn Dance Company onto our latest Whisper in the Wings from Stage Whisper. We were joined once again by the artistic director Dante Puleio and the commissioned choreographer Kayla Farrish, to talk about their latest work being presented at The Joyce Theater. This was such a fantastic conversation as always, and just like this interview, you won't want to miss this production. So be sure you tune in and get your tickets now!Limòn Dance Company November 5th-10th@ The Joyce TheaterTickets and more information are available at joyce.orgAnd be sure to follow our guests to stay up to date on all their upcoming projects and productions:Dante: limon.nyc and @limondanceKayla kaylafarrish.com and @fulloutfarrish

On this episode of Conversations on Dance we are thrilled to welcome back Artistic Director of the Limón Dance Company, ​ Dante Puleio. Dante dives into the specifics of his role, including how he curates programming, casts the works, and protects the company's legacy. The Limón Dance Company will have it's New York City season at the Joyce Theater this November 5 - 10. Tickets are available at joyce.org. LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceMerch: https://bit.ly/cod-merchYouTube: https://bit.ly/youtube-CODJoin our email list: https://bit.ly/mail-COD Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Limón Dance Company celebrates it's 78th season appearing at the Joyce Theater, November 5-10. Our guest is Artistic Director Adante Puleio, for a chat about the historic programs Limón Dance Company will bring to the Joyce, and making modern dance relevant. Tickets are now on sale for performances at joyce.org. For more about the Limon Dance Company, visit Limon.nyc.

Christine Cox, Artistic and Executive Director of BalletX, has led the company to the forefront of contemporary ballet since its founding in 2005. This season, the company brings three New York premieres to The Joyce Theater, featuring bold works by Takehiro Ueyama, Jodie Gates, and Loughlan Prior.Through Cox's innovation in the contemporary ballet space, BalletX has become a leader in pushing the boundaries of what the art form and dancers are capable of by producing 130 ballets by over 70 choreographers in under 20 years. That is an average of six per year, a feat few companies can match. Looking back at it now, that stat seems unthinkable when the modest company was established in 2005. But over the years BalletX has grown sustainably as an institution growing the ensemble of dancers from 10 to 16, providing annual salaries to dancers and becoming a fundraising powerhouse, having received a $7.4 million transformational gift this year which will allow the company to grow into a global force.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Katie checks in with co-founder and Artistic and Executive Director of BalletX, Christine Cox, about the company's upcoming shows at the Joyce Theater.

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In this episode of SLANT podcast, join host Dana Tai Soon Burgess as he delves into the captivating world of dance with renowned choreographer Michael Mao. With over 60 works showcased across the globe, including iconic venues like The Joyce Theater and BAM, Mao's creative vision has mesmerized audiences from New York to Beijing. Join the conversation as Mao shares insights into his diverse influences, spanning from his training under Martha Graham to his experiences performing internationally. Discover the intricate tapestry of movement, culture, and creativity that defines Michael Mao's extraordinary career.

Tune in to our three-part podcast series exploring The Joyce's 2024 American Dance Platform! Listen in as dramaturg, scholar, and ADP guest curator Melanie George sits down with the artists who will take the stage during our annual festival. In this episode, hear from Melissa M. Young, Artistic Director of Dallas Black Dance Theatre, the oldest professional dance company in Dallas. Young discusses her decades-long history with the company and the newly curated program to be performed at The Joyce.  Check out the remaining episodes in our series for a behind-the-scenes look with Soles of Duende and the specially curated program, "Jazz at The Joyce!"  See Dallas Black Dance Theatre at The Joyce on January 12-13, 2024! Visit www.joyce.org/performances/dallas-black-dance-theatre for more information. 

Tune in to our three-part podcast series exploring The Joyce's 2024 American Dance Platform! Listen in as dramaturg, scholar, and ADP guest curator Melanie George sits down with the artists who will take the stage during our annual festival. In this episode, hear from the artists of Soles of Duende, a multicultural, all-female percussive trio based in the rhythms of Tap, Flamenco, and Kathak dance. Amanda Castro (Tap), Arielle Rosales (Flamenco), and Brinda Guha (Kathak) make their Joyce debut with Can We Dance Here?, a riveting performance of rhythmic exchange. Check out the remaining episodes in our series for a behind-the-scenes look with Dallas Black Dance Theatre and the specially curated program, "Jazz at The Joyce!"  See Soles of Duende at The Joyce on January 11 & 14, 2024! Visit www.joyce.org/performances/soles-duende for more information. 

Tune in to our three-part podcast series exploring The Joyce's 2024 American Dance Platform! Listen in as dramaturg, scholar, and ADP guest curator Melanie George sits down with the artists who will take the stage during our annual festival. In this episode, hear from educator, choreographer, and performer of African American Vernacular Jazz Dance, Josette Wiggan, and the consummate storyteller of lived experiences through diasporic dance traditions, Michelle N. Gibson. The two artists will also be joined by the Dormeshia Tap Collective during their ADP showcase, "Jazz at The Joyce." Check out the remaining episodes in our series for a behind-the-scenes look with Dallas Black Dance Theatre and Soles of Duende! See "Jazz at The Joyce" on January 9-10, 2024! Visit www.joyce.org/performances/jazz-joyce for more information. 

One of the things we have gotten wrong for too long has been our understanding of and, consequently, treatment of people with disabilities. Although it is not happening broadly enough or quickly enough, efforts to correct our understanding and our behavior are taking place. One of those efforts is The Penguin Project which is a nation-wide organization and effort to involve people with disabilities in musical theater. My guest for this episode is here to discuss her work with the project. Lisa Heath Jinkins (Choreographer for Golden Isles Penguin Project in Brunswick, GA) began her career as a professional modern dancer in New York City in 1985. She had the opportunity to perform with many top choreographers and companies, including The Martha Graham Dance Company, and at some of the larger theatres in Manhattan: New York City Center and The Joyce Theater, to name two. Lisa met and married Jim Jinkins in NY, and they have two children, Rose and Heath. During this time, Lisa had the opportunity to write 5 children's books for The Disney Company, based on the animated series “PB&J Otter” created by Jim Jinkins. That led to co-creating “JoJo's Circus” for The Disney Channel, and writing scripts for “Pinky Dinky Doo”, an animated television series created by Jim. In 2010, the family moved to Brunswick, GA, where they continued to be involved in the arts, performing in various local productions on stage, and working behind the scenes, as well. In 2016 Lisa was asked to be the Choreographer for a new venture: Golden Isles Penguin Project.  The Penguin Project® is a musical theater production that casts children and young adults with disabilities in all roles. All sing, dance and act in the show. Those individuals (Artists) will get assistance from on-stage peers (Mentors). And after a one year break in 2023, Lisa has been asked to return to help with Meredith Wilson's “The Music Man, Jr.!" She can't wait! To learn more about The Penguin Project and efforts like these go to the following links: Golden Isles Penguin Project: https://goldenislesarts.org/programs/penguin-project/ The Penguin Project:  https://penguinproject.org/ The intro and outro music for this episode is from a clip of a song called 'Father Let Your Kingdom Come' which is found on The Porter's Gate Worship Project Work Songs album and is used by permission by The Porter's Gate Worship Project.

Pam Tanowitz is now an in-demand choreographer – but her career has followed a unique trajectory. For years, she and her company had an under-the-radar following in New York, but only recently did she win wider attention. A work set to TS Eliot's 4 Quartets led to international tours and commissions for the Royal Ballet and New York City Ballet. Before that happened she worked and worked: at dance, but also unglamorous admin jobs. When we met at the Barbican for the London premiere of her Song of Songs, she talked about giving hope to all the late bloomers. Pam Tanowitz has delineated her own dance language through decades of research and creation. Now, the world's most respected companies – Martha Graham Dance Company, Royal Ballet, New York City Ballet and more – are integrating her poetic universe into their repertories. In 2000 she founded Pam Tanowitz Dance to explore dance-making with a consistent community of dancers. She has been commissioned by Fisher Center at Bard, Joyce Theater, Jacob's Pillow and others. Four Quartets (2018) was called ‘the greatest creation of dance theater so far this century' by the New York Times. Find out more about the work of the RADFollow the RAD on social media and join the conversation with host David Jays:Instagram @royalacademyofdanceFacebook @RoyalAcademyofDanceTwitter @RADheadquartersYouTube / royalacademydanceDavid Jays @mrdavidjaysSign up to our mailing list to keep in touch!RAD is an independent educational charity and does not receive regular government funding. Every penny we make goes back into the work we do. You can support us by either naming a seat as part of our Name A Seat Campaign or making a donation.Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Xianix Barrera is a Bessie award nominated flamenco dancer, teacher, and choreographer based in New York City. Female empowerment, sexual identity and social justice color her choreographic work and create the focal point for the company she founded in 2012; Xianix Barrera Flamenco Company. With a background in dance and percussive studies, Xianix has dedicated herself to the lifelong study of flamenco with the masters of the art form in both New York and Spain. Throughout her career she has worked with revered artists such as Isabel Bayón, Raquel Heredia, Rosario Toledo, Soledad Barrio and Juan Ogalla on some of the most important stages in the world including The Joyce Theater, Lincoln Center, The Red Theater in Abu Dhabi and Cafe Silverio in Sevilla. Xianix is a dedicated teacher with a thriving flamenco school in NYC for people of all ages, levels and abilities while conducting workshops for the Joyce Theater and New York City Center during their annual flamenco festival. For more information visit www.xianix.com

On today's episode of 'Conversations On Dance', we are joined by choreographer Hope Boykin. We catch up with Hope about her retirement and transition to full time choreographer, as well as her process and preparation for her new work 'States Of Hope' that will premiere at the Joyce Theater this October 17th and run through October 22nd. If you are in the New York area and would like to purchase tickets, visit joyce.org/performances. Listen to our first episode with Hope from the 2019 Vail Dance Festival: https://www.conversationsondancepod.com/episodes-transcripts/hope-boykin-2019-vail-dance-festival.THIS EPISODE'S SPONSOR:The BFA Dance program at the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University prepares students to be at the forefront of dance innovation through performance, choreographic and critical historical and theoretical exploration. Studying dance at Johns Hopkins, one of the world's premier research institutions, gives students the opportunity to make connections between dance, science, technology, and the humanities. Submit your application by December 1st. Learn more at Peabody.jhu.edu/dancebfaLINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceMerch: https://bit.ly/cod-merchYouTube: https://bit.ly/youtube-CODJoin our email list: https://bit.ly/mail-COD Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Monica and Ethan King continue their conversation with Tommy Bettin and Maggie Small of Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Richmond, Virginia. Discussing adding children to the mix, determining roles and responsibilities and the internal secrets that make it all work successfully, this episode shares the second part to their conversation. Episode Quote: Our relationships whether business or personal are nourished and shaped by the commitment we express through our actions. Dr. Steve Maraboli Fred Astaire Dance Studio Richmond https://www.facebook.com/fredastaireRVA Tommy Bio Tommy Bettin, a classical trained ballet dancer and ballroom and latin professional dancer, trained and performed throughout the United States and Mexico. Mr. Bettin started his own independent ballroom school, Maity Dance, in Richmond, Virginia which transitioned to become a part of the Fred Astaire Franchised Studios. Over the last 5 years, Mr. Bettin has launched the FADS Richmond location into one of the foremost performing in the franchise and has been awarded individually as “Top 40 Under 40” by Richmond-based publication, Style Weekly, for making a notable impact on the growth of the city by excelling in his genre. Maggie Bio Maggie Small, a native of Richmond, Virginia, danced as a professional ballerina with Richmond Ballet for 16 years and has earned a B.A. in Performing Arts from St. Mary's College of California. She has performed internationally in the United Kingdom and China as well as domestically in notable performance spaces such as The Joyce Theater, Jacob's Pillow and alongside Carmen Devallade at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Honors include a Dance Magazine cover story feature as Richmond Ballet's “Homegrown Ballerina”, a “Hometown Hero” Award from the Links, Inc., Style Weekly's Top 40 Under 40, Class of 2020 and the inaugural “Dancer of the Year” RVA Dance Award. Maggie retired from Richmond Ballet in 2019 where she remains as member of the Advisory Council. She also serves as a member of Richmond City's Public Art Commission and works with her husband and business partner, Tommy Bettin, operating and growing Ballroom, Latin and Social Dance studio, Fred Astaire Dance Studio Richmond. Episode Sponsor -  Zeus' Closet  Helpful Entrepreneurial Resources from Become Your Own Boss Helpful Entrepreneurial Resources from Become Your Own Boss Join the ⁠Become Your Own Boss Community⁠ ⁠Monica FREE ebook⁠ Get your⁠ Become Your Own Boss Planner⁠ Ways to reach Monica: Instagram: @becomeyourownbosspodcast Email: monica@monicaallen.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/becomeyourownboss/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/becomeyourownboss/support

Have you thought about working with your spouse? Are you considering starting a business with your significant other? Are you already in business together? On this week's episode, Monica hands over the mic to her husband and business partner, Ethan King as they talk with Tommy Bettin and Maggie Small about startup challenges, one of the biggest myths of owning your own business, working together and so much more. Episode Quote: There is only one thing you must remember in order to have a successful marriage. Always put your spouse first. ~Unknown Fred Astaire Dance Studio Richmong https://www.facebook.com/fredastaireRVA Tommy Bio Tommy Bettin, a classical trained ballet dancer and ballroom and latin professional dancer, trained and performed throughout the United States and Mexico. Mr. Bettin started his own independent ballroom school, Maity Dance, in Richmond, Virginia which transitioned to become a part of the Fred Astaire Franchised Studios. Over the last 5 years, Mr. Bettin has launched the FADS Richmond location into one of the foremost performing in the franchise and has been awarded individually as “Top 40 Under 40” by Richmond-based publication, Style Weekly, for making a notable impact on the growth of the city by excelling in his genre. Maggie Bio Maggie Small, a native of Richmond, Virginia, danced as a professional ballerina with Richmond Ballet for 16 years and has earned a B.A. in Performing Arts from St. Mary's College of California. She has performed internationally in the United Kingdom and China as well as domestically in notable performance spaces such as The Joyce Theater, Jacob's Pillow and alongside Carmen Devallade at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Honors include a Dance Magazine cover story feature as Richmond Ballet's “Homegrown Ballerina”, a “Hometown Hero” Award from the Links, Inc., Style Weekly's Top 40 Under 40, Class of 2020 and the inaugural “Dancer of the Year” RVA Dance Award. Maggie retired from Richmond Ballet in 2019 where she remains as member of the Advisory Council. She also serves as a member of Richmond City's Public Art Commission and works with her husband and business partner, Tommy Bettin, operating and growing Ballroom, Latin and Social Dance studio, Fred Astaire Dance Studio Richmond. Episode Sponsor -  Zeus' Closet  Helpful Entrepreneurial Resources from Become Your Own Boss Helpful Entrepreneurial Resources from Become Your Own Boss Join the ⁠Become Your Own Boss Community⁠ ⁠Monica FREE ebook⁠ Get your⁠ Become Your Own Boss Planner⁠ Ways to reach Monica: Instagram: @becomeyourownbosspodcast Email: monica@monicaallen.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/becomeyourownboss/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/becomeyourownboss/support

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This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thecitylife.org/2023/05/01/the-joyce-theater-foundation-presents-dada-masilo-the-sacrifice/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/citylifeorg/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/citylifeorg/support

Mariusz Olszewski, ballroom artist, coach and choreographer whose work has been presented at the biggest ballroom venues, dance festivals, theaters and television around the world. He choreographed for the World, American, Polish and Ohio Star Ball Champions and other top ranking ballroom couples including Blackpool Dance Festival American Smooth finalist.Mariusz, moved to Minneapolis in 1996 to join Jazzdance! by Danny Buraczeski and danced with the company for 5 years performing at the most prominent stages and dance festivals such as Kennedy Center, The Joyce Theater, Ordway Center for Performing Arts and The Guthrie Theater as well as  Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival and Bates Dance Festival as well as American Dance Festival among others.Prior to Jazzdance, Mr.Olszewski was a lead dancer and assistant to artistic director of The Silesian Dance Theater, the first professional modern dance company in his native country Poland.During his 5 seasons with The Silesian Dance Theater he had performed and worked with such renown choreographers and dance legends as Anna Sokolow, Gerri Houlihan, Teresa Freedman, Melissa Monteros, Avi Kaiser, Mark Haim, David Dorfman, Wendell Beavers, Stephanie Skura, Risa Jarolow , Sam Costa and company's artistic director Jacek Luminski among others.For his roles created in that company he received Silesia's President's Award for Outstanding Artist in 1995.He is a founding member of Beyond Ballroom Dance Company and served as its Artistic Co-director and Rehearsal Director.Mariusz's work is driven from his modern, jazz ,ballroom dancing and theater experience.He  choreographed and collaborated with Minneapolis prime dancers and companies such as Zenon Dance Comapny, Minnesota  Dance  Theater and  James Sewell Ballet's Sally Rousse , Cathy Young Dances, Robin Stiehm's Dancing People Company.Mariusz graduated from The Institute of Culture Theater Department in Opole, Poland.He was a guest choreographer on popular television show "Dancing With the Stars" and featured choreographer for 8 seasons on "So You Think You Can Dance”/ Poland creating a record number of over 35 routines in contemporary, modern jazz and ballroom dance styles.In 2016 he was invited to choreograph two ballroom shows “ Rhythm Divine” and “Grace” for Hong Kong's biggest Dream Cruise Line. Mariusz is a recipient of 2005 McKnight Artists Fellowship for Dancers.

Stepping Out into the World with Davalois Fearon Today we bring you a beautiful and inspiring conversation with Davalois Fearon, whose work as a dancer, teacher, and choreographer brings together her family history, early years in Jamaica, and a dedication to moving the art form and community forward.  Expect to come away with some fascinating insight into her process of connecting the different parts of her life and experience into a unified artistic voice.  Make sure to join us for this great episode, with the one and only Davalois Fearon! “From birth, I was surrounded by movement and music.” – Davalois Fearon, MSP 148 Key Points From This Episode: Davalois' early years in Jamaica and initial attraction to dance and performance.  Moving to the Bronx and the playground training that started Davalois' learning.  Joining the Stephen Petronio Dance Company, touring, parties, and the excitement of the early years.  Davalois' internship at Pentacle and the entrepreneurial lessons she learned.  The period of research that enabled Davalois to truly realize her artistic identity.   Why the grassroots approach that Davalois employed served her so well in the long run. Davalois Fearon is a critically acclaimed choreographer, dancer, and educator. The recipient of numerous awards and grants, her work has been presented nationally and internationally, including at prestigious New York City venues such as the Joyce Theater. In addition, she has been commissioned by renowned institutions and is visiting lecturer at Princeton University. Connect with Movers & Shapers: A Dance Podcast on Instagram and Facebook More info links from this episode: Davalois Fearon on Movers & Shapers  Make your tax-deductable donation to Movers & Shapers! Donate HERE today!

This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thecitylife.org/2022/11/11/complexions-contemporary-ballet-opens-28th-season-at-the-joyce-theater/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/support

Paul Selig is a writer, teacher, and intuitive living in New York City. He is the director of the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Goddard College and serves on the playwriting faculty of the NYU Tisch School of the Arts. His work for the theater has been performed internationally at venues including the Sundance Film Festival, the Joyce Theater, En Garde Arts, The Long Wharf Theater, Teatro Plastico and the Ensemble Studio Theater. His plays include the one woman show Mystery School (performed by Tyne Daly), the stage adaptation of War Letters (with Treat Williams and Mario van Peebles), additional material for the national tour of Tallulah (with Kathleen Turner), Terminal Bar, the Pompeii Traveling Show (NY Drama League Award), Moon City and Body Parts. His operas include the trilogy 3 Visitations. He collaborated with Shapiro and Smith Dance Company on Notes From a Séance and Never Enough. He recently completed a credited rewrite of Truth in Translation, commissioned by South Africa's Market Theater and the Colonnades Theater Lab. His work is published in numerous anthologies, including The Best American Short Plays of 1996-97; Gay Plays 3 and The Best Short Plays of 1988. He received his MFA from the Yale School of Drama. Paul had a spiritual experience in 1987 that left him clairvoyant. As a way to gain a context for what he was beginning to experience, he studied a form of energy healing, working at Marianne Williamson's Manhattan Center for Living and in private practice. He began to "hear" for his clients, and much of Paul's work now is as a clairaudient, clairvoyant, channel, and empath. Paul has led channeled energy groups for 15 years. Paul was invited to channel at the Esalen institute's 2009 invitational Superpowers and the Supernormal symposium and is featured in the upcoming documentary film Authors of the Impossible. - www.TacherBooks.com******************************************************************To listen to all our XZBN shows, with our compliments go to: https://www.spreaker.com/user/xzoneradiotv*** AND NOW ***The ‘X' Zone TV Channel on SimulTV - www.simultv.comThe ‘X' Chronicles Newspaper - www.xchroniclesnewspaper.com ******************************************************************

If These Walls Could Talk with Wendy Stuart & Tym MossHosts: WENDY STUART & TYM MOSSSpecial guest: JAY MICHAELSWednesday, February 16th2 pm EST LIVE from PANGEA Restaurant, NYCWatch LIVE on YouTube at Wendy Stuart TVJay Michaels is a producer/executive with a specialty in communications and promotion. He has been part of the independent theater and film movement since 1977 and was part of Lincoln Center's tribute to Caffe Cino and the original off-off-Broadway movement in 1985. Before becoming an entrepreneur, he worked as an actor (stage and film) and director (off-Broadway) for many years, garnering accolades for helming new plays and musicals and a wildly successful series of Shakespeare plays sporting unique production schemes.He began as a member of the production staff for Hard Times, 1984, and Romulus Linney's Holy Ghosts at the Joyce Theater's American Theater series, which won a 1986 Drama Desk Award. He also served on the production staff of events featuring Eliot Feld, Meredith Monk, Pilobolus, and the Nicholas Brothers. He went on to serve as a national tour manager for Les Miserables, Cats, Oliver, and Edwin Drood and a production associate at PBS for the special series, Increase the Peace.His career as a promotional executive began on Broadway with Guys & Dolls (1992) and continued with Damn Yankees (1994), The Vagina Monologues (2005), and recently with Beginnings (2017). He served on the promotional staff for The Daily News, producing events at Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden, and Atlantic City. He served as a copywriter for Bob Hope at Carnegie Hall featuring Skitch Henderson and his orchestra.Read more at jaymichaelsarts.comWho else but hosts Wendy Stuart and Tym Moss could “spill the tea” on their weekly show “If These Walls Could Talk” live from Pangea Restaurant on the Lower Eastside of NYC, with their unique style, of honest, and emotional interviews, sharing the fascinating backstories of celebrities, entertainers, recording artists, writers and artists and bringing their audience along for a fantastic ride.Wendy Stuart is an author, celebrity interviewer, model, filmmaker and hosts “Pandemic Cooking With Wendy,” a popular Youtube comedic cooking show born in the era of Covid-19, and TriVersity Talk, a weekly web series with featured guests discussing their lives, activism and pressing issues in the LGBTQ Community.Tym Moss is a popular NYC singer, actor, and radio/tv host who recently starred in the hit indie film “JUNK” to critical acclaim.

This week, with the help of Ming Chen of A Shared Universe PodcaStudio, we talk to Michael Trusnovec, one of the co-founders of the sold out Asbury Park Dance Festival, which will be celebrating its third successful year on October 1. We talk to Michael about about his life in dance, and his journey from Long Island to the Paul Taylor Dance Company, with additional stops at the New York City Ballet, the Joyce Theater, the Metropolitan Opera and now Asbury Park.

Robert Burns is known as the national poet of Scotland, a trailblazer for his decision to write in Scots and a Scots dialect of English. But his journey to become a famous poet was not always easy. Actor and fellow Scotsman Alan Cumming brings the story of Burns to life in a new show of theater and dance called "Burn." Co-created by Steven Hoggett, "Burn" is running from September 20-25 at The Joyce Theater. Cumming joins us to discuss.

A transcript of this episode is available here: https://thedanceedit.com/transcript-episode-124Subscribe to The Dance Edit Extra: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dance-edit-extra/id1579075769Visit/add to the Dance Media Events Calendar: https://dancemediacalendar.com/Get the latest dance news direct by subscribing to our free newsletters. Find the ones that match your interests: http://www.dancemagazine.com/subscribeLinks referenced in/relevant to episode 124:-Guardian story on Aaron Watkin's appointment at English National Ballet: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/aug/24/english-national-ballet-announces-aaron-watkin-as-new-artistic-director-Los Angeles Times story on Melissa Barak's appointment at Los Angeles Ballet: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2022-08-24/los-angeles-ballet-appoints-melissa-barak-artistic-director-Classic FM report on dancer, teacher, and grandmother killed in Donetsk shelling: https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/periods-genres/ballet/ballerina-missile-ukraine-russia/-Newsweek piece on Kyiv City Ballet dancers who returned home to fight: https://www.newsweek.com/kyiv-city-ballet-dancer-us-tour-1734213-Broadway World article on National Dance Day plans: https://www.broadwayworld.com/washington-dc/article/Kennedy-Center-to-Present-Three-Day-National-Dance-Day-Celebration-in-September-20220817-New York Times story on Danni Gee's appointment at The Joyce Theater: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/17/arts/dance/joyce-theater-danni-gee.html-Sacramento Bee obituary for Barbara Crockett: https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/obituaries/article264685004.html-New York Times feature on the drop in audience attendance: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/21/arts/performing-arts-pandemic-attendance.html

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In this episode, NCCAkron's Executive/Artistic Director, Christy Bolingbroke enters the 'studio' with Minneapolis-St. Paul-based performer and choreographer Ashwini Ramaswamy, who trained and performs in the lineage of Bharatanatyam. As a founding member of Ragamala Dance Company, she has toured extensively, throughout the U.S. and in Russia, Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, the U.K, and India, as well, she's performed in  well-know US venues like Lincoln Center Out of Doors, and  the Kennedy Center. Her own choreographic work has been presented by venues including The Joyce Theater and The Yard, and has found support through the National Dance Project and US Artists International. The New York Times describes Ashwini as “weaving together, both fearfully and joyfully, the human and the divine…”

In this episode, NCCAkron's Executive/Artistic Director, Christy Bolingbroke enters the 'studio' with Seattle-based choreographer, director and educator Kate Wallich. Named one of Dance Magazine's “25 to Watch,” her work has been presented nationally and internationally by venues including On the Boards, Seattle Art Museum, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Walker Art Center, MASS MoCa, and The Joyce Theater. In 2010 she founded an all-abilities, community-focused class called Dance Church® which, during the pandemic, gained traction as an online streaming platform and received attention from Wired, Vanity Fair, and The LA Times.

In the fifth episode of Off Season Chats, Ameya & Kiran chat with Colombo-based Kandyan dance teacher, performer, & principal dancer at the world-renowned Chitrasena School of Dance Thaji Dias. She reflects on her artistic journey, upholding a multigenerational family legacy, and how the pandemic and Sri Lanka's economic struggles are impacting artists. Off Season Chats is a new series in which we have intimate conversations with dancers who are forging new paths in their artistic, personal, and professional lives. Our special guests are accomplished artists whose works span across many genres of South Asian dance including: Kathak, Kandyan, Kuchipudi, Bharatanatyam, Manipuri, Odissi, and much more. About Thaji Dias: Thaji Dias is the youngest granddaughter of Chitrasena and Vajira, the illustrious dance duo of Sri Lanka, and the Principal Dancer of Chitrasena Dance Company, which is Sri Lanka's oldest and most prestigious dance company. The company was established in the 1940s by Guru Chitrasena, who was instrumental in bringing Sri Lanka's traditional dances from village rituals to the modern stage. Thaji has been a full-time professional dancer and teacher at the Company since May 2012. Introduced to Kandyan dance under her grandmother nearly 25 years ago, she began touring with the dance company at age 12 alongside her aunt and Guru Upeka Chitrasena in an international festival in Paris at the Theatre Du Soleil as a guest of Ariane Mnouchkine. Since then, Thaji has toured Taipei (2004), Montpellier, France (2005), New York, USA (2011), Singapore (2012), and India on several occasions. She also represented the company in their first international collaboration Samhara, with the Nrityagram Dance Ensemble of India. The performance toured the US, including the prestigious Joyce Theater and Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and many parts of India including Music Academy (Chennai) and Konark Festival (Odisha) in 2012, 2013, and 2018. Instagram: @dancethaji Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thaji.dias Dive Deeper: https://youtu.be/eL3PHxbjNTI (Resistance in Dance: Thaji Dias. Why I Dance: The Chitrasena Legacy) https://www.sundaytimes.lk/120429/Plus/plus_09.html (Nrityagram and Chitrasena) https://www.sundaytimes.lk/120429/Plus/plus_09.html (The Chitrasena legacy: Inspiring story at the Design Festival) https://www.sundayobserver.lk/2019/05/19/news-features/pandal-making-sri-lanka (Pandal-making) Today's episode of Off Season Chats would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of our amazing listeners and the following people:   We Edit Podcasts for audio engineering Sangeetha Kowsik for graphic design of our logo Wesley Beeks & Bertel King, Jr. Liked what you heard? Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and other streaming services, subscribe to the podcast, and tell your friends about us so that more people can find this show! You can also join our conversation by following us on social media at @offthebeatdance on IG, FB, Twitter, and Tik Tok or by visiting us at http://www.offthebeat.dance/ (www.offthebeat.dance). We'd love to hear from you.   Off the Beat is a passion project, and we really need your help to make this podcast a long-term and sustainable venture. Please consider supporting us on Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/offthebeatdance (patreon.com/offthebeatdance) so that we can continue to bring you more content. And together, we can create a new dance future...one beat at a time! Off Season Chats is an Off The Beat production.

In episode six of the 12-part podcast series, "https://www.workshouldntsuck.co/white-men-journey (White Men & the Journey Towards Anti-Racism)," Tim interviews Sydney Skybetter choreographer and founder of the Center for Research on Choreographic Interfaces that convenes experts in dance, performance, computer science, kinesiology, anthropology, social justice, and design to explore the relationship between bodies, movement, and emerging technologies. This series was created to be a resource for white men who might be wrestling with questions like, “What's my role in anti-racism, equity, inclusion, and justice work as a white man with power and privilege?” and “How might my personal commitment to do this work manifest itself in the organization I help lead?” Are you new to the series? Check out https://www.workshouldntsuck.co/podcast2/ep54 (episode 54) where podcast co-hosts Lauren Ruffin and Tim Cynova introduce and frame the conversations. Explore https://www.workshouldntsuck.co/white-men-journey (the other episodes in this series) with guests: Raphael Bemporad (Founding Partner) & Bryan Miller (Chief Financial Officer), BBMG Ted Castle (Founder & President) & Rooney Castle (Vice President), Rhino Foods Ron Carucci, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Navalent David Devan, General Director & President, Opera Philadelphia Jared Fishman, Founding Executive Director, Justice Innovation Lab Jay Coen Gilbert, Co-Founder, B Lab; CEO, Imperative21 Kit Hughes, Co-Founder & CEO, Look Listen Marc Mannella, Independent Consultant, Former CEO KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools John Orr, Executive Director, Art-Reach David Reuter, Partner, LLR Want to explore related resources primarily *not* by white guys? Check out https://www.workshouldntsuck.co/white-men-journey (our compilation of 30 books, podcasts, and films). Read "https://humanparts.medium.com/reflections-from-a-token-black-friend-2f1ea522d42d (Reflections From a Token Black Friend,)" mentioned in this episode. Bios SYDNEY SKYBETTER is a choreographer. Hailed by the Financial Times as “One of the world's foremost thinkers on the intersection of dance and emerging technologies,” Sydney's choreography has been performed at such venues as The Kennedy Center, Jacob's Pillow and The Joyce Theater. A sought-after speaker, he has lectured at SXSW, Yale, Mozilla, and Stanford, and consulted for The National Ballet of Canada, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Hasbro, New York University and The University of Southern California, among others. He is a https://vivo.brown.edu/display/sskybett (Public Humanities Fellow, Senior Lecturer and the Associate Chair of Theatre Arts & Performance Studies at Brown University), and an affiliate of https://metalabharvard.github.io/ (metaLAB at Harvard University) and https://www.darklaboratory.com/ (Dark Laboratory at Cornell University). He is a https://www.wired.com/search/?page=1&q=skybetter&sort=score (regular contributor to WIRED) and https://www.dancemagazine.com/search/?q=skybetter (Dance Magazine), has served as a Grant Panelist for the National Endowment of the Arts, is a founding member of the https://futurearchitects.com/ (Guild of Future Architects), and is the Founder of the https://choreographicinterfaces.org/ (Conference for Research on Choreographic Interfaces). TIM CYNOVA (he/him) is the Principal of https://www.workshouldntsuck.co/ (Work. Shouldn't. Suck.), an HR and org design consultancy helping to reimagine workplaces where everyone can thrive. He is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and a trained mediator, and has served on the faculty of Minneapolis College of Art & Design, the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity (Banff, Canada) and The New School (New York City) teaching courses in People-Centric Organizational Design, and Strategic HR. In 2021, he concluded a 12-year tenure leading Fractured Atlas, a $30M, entirely virtual non-profit technology...

Vince Ferguson: Dr. Ashley Lucas is the Founder of PHD Weight Loss. She holds a PhD in sports nutrition and chronic disease, and she's also a registered dietician. She comes to the field of nutrition and weight management with a unique background as a professional ballet dancer. That's right, a professional ballet dancer, and joining me today on my podcast to discuss long-term weight loss success, which is so important and why she believes that weight gain isn't your fault. Let's welcome Dr. Ashley Lucas. Dr. Ashley, how are you? Ashley Lucas: I'm great. Thanks so much for having me. Vince Ferguson: Well, thank you for coming on this show, but before we get started, I want to know, I want you to share with my listeners and viewers where did you grow up and what was your childhood like? Ashley Lucas: Sure. Yeah, I grew up in Washington State and it was a great childhood. I trained as a classical ballet dancer when I was young and worked real hard and just didn't have any natural talent to speak of. And so I was always pushing my body to do things that it naturally didn't want to do. I was injured all the time and I really just had a constant fight to fit the really lean body that we are or were at that time required to fit, you know, as being a ballet dancer. So I had struggles with that. I was told I was fat countless times despite restricting calories like crazy and not eating any fat because I thought that if we ate fat, we'd get fat. Vince Ferguson: Right. Ashley Lucas: And so I had that constant struggle, but throughout that childhood, I learned perseverance and persistence and wouldn't have changed any aspect of it, but it pushed me into what I'm doing now today. Vince Ferguson: Really? So how long were you a professional ballet dancer? Ashley Lucas: Yeah, I started training when I was 4 years old and I went to a boarding school for it during high school. I completed my undergraduate degree in ballet performance and then went on and danced with companies across the country. And so, yeah, I had a fairly successful career because I'm just a little bit obsessive and I was so passionate and just loved everything about it. And actually the end of my dancing career, it was when I landed in New York, I was actually chosen to perform at The Joyce Theater. Vince Ferguson: Nice. Ashley Lucas: And I was flown up there, but instead of finding myself in the spotlight there, participating in these once in a lifetime performances, I found myself in the ER. Vince Ferguson: Really? Ashley Lucas: Yeah, I had no idea what was going on with my health. I thought that maybe I was having a heart attack, a panic attack. Yeah and basically that's what it was. It was a panic attack and the doctors after a whole bunch of different tests said I was just underfed and overexercised and I just couldn't keep going. So I had to step away from my dancing career at that time in my mid 20s. Vince Ferguson: Really? And so what brought you to PHD Weight Loss? Ashley Lucas: Well, from that point, I knew my body couldn't continue doing what it was. And I was really frustrated that I was injured all the time and my body was never at the body composition it needed to be despite working really, really hard. So I decided, you know, I understood how significantly nutrition impacted my own sport performance. So that pushed me into just learning more about nutrition and I went on and earned my PhD in sports nutrition and chronic disease. And I studied exactly that. I wanted to understand what happens to our metabolism when we chronically under eat, you know, when we're always dieting, what happens there and how do we achieve optimal body composition? How do we drop weight? How do we reduce body fat without causing harm metabolically? So I studied that. And then I think most importantly what I looked at is mentally and emotionally from the habits and behaviors that we have, how do we create sustainable change? So we don't just drop weight quickly. Vince Ferguson: Yes. Ashley Lucas: And doing our metabolism and then have it all come back. Vince Ferguson: Yes. Ashley Lucas: So, that's really what I focused on, and after that, I taught at the Ohio State University, but there realized..... Vince Ferguson: The Ohio State? Ashley Lucas: Ohio State, that's right. I realized that I just am very impatient and I need to see dramatic change in people, probably like you, or probably pretty similar in that respect. And so I went back to school again to become a registered dietician. I wanted to be this true expert in the field of weight management and I felt that, that was what it needed to take. But there I was filled with all of this same information. I was told, well, people just need to eat less. They need to move more. It's all a calories in, calories out kind of equation and people just need to have more discipline and eat everything in moderation and avoid fat and eat 6 to 11 servings of grain a day. And it didn't make sense to me. And so I took what I learned there and flipped it all upside down, pretty much everything that I was taught I questioned. Ashley Lucas: And from the answers that I found from more research and the research in my doctoral work, I created PHD Weight Loss. So we have five brick and mortar locations, but we also have an amazing nationwide at-home program where we are serving thousands of people all across the country no matter where they live in a really unique approach that challenges the standard ways of thinking when it comes to nutrition and weight loss. So that is my story of kind of how I've come to this point in helping people just reverse obesity and obesity related health conditions and I'm more passionate about this than I was when I was dancing. So I'm so glad that I've found purpose and passion within myself. Vince Ferguson: Oh yeah. I'm sure. And I'm sure quite a few other people are happy that you found purpose. Ashley Lucas: Yeah. Maybe. I hope so. Vince Ferguson: Exactly. How long have you been doing this now? Ashley Lucas: Oh, probably about 12 years. Vince Ferguson: About 12 years. Ashley Lucas: Yes. Vince Ferguson: Wow. because I've been to your website and I've seen hundreds. I'm not sure if it's hundreds, but I've seen quite a few testimonials. Ashley Lucas: Yes. Ashley Lucas: We have hundreds of testimonials. Vince Ferguson: You do have hundreds? Ashley Lucas: Yeah. Vince Ferguson: That is amazing. That's amazing. Okay. Because we are overwhelmed right now with information about diet and exercise, right, and so much thought, so much is given, so much information is out there, it's like information overload. So what makes your company different from other companies that's out there with this information? Ashley Lucas: Yeah. I mean, we just streamline it all. We don't listen to the conventional wisdom. We create mostly a metabolic shift in the body. So we teach the body how to burn fat for fuel. And it doesn't require you to be Keto or very low carb or Atkins or Paleo or vegan. But what we do is we really take this unique approach where we can guide you on what your unique body needs, on how much to eat, when, what, and just create a really clear customized meal plan to support that aspect and create a metabolic shift from within. So it feels good and you don't have hunger or cravings and we can break that sugar addiction without any withdrawal symptoms. Vince Ferguson: Hmm. So there's no cookie cutter approach here. Ashley Lucas: No, it's going to be customized to each person. Vince Ferguson: But you believe in a low carb diet basically. Ashley Lucas: Yeah. I mean, I believe that we all have a unique tolerance level of how many carbohydrates we can consume. Everybody's different. What I can tolerate is probably much different than what you can tolerate. My husband and I were on a different paradigm as well from what we can tolerate. He comes from a family of morbid obesity, and in order for him to maintain his optimal level of health, he's pretty low carb. For me, I can tolerate a little bit more, I've got to be aware, but I now exercise much less. Probably I need to do more. You could help me with that, but...I took in much less and I weigh, my body fat is leaner than it ever was when I was dancing because of the shift in how I eat now. Vince Ferguson: Really amazing. And you've seen, with what you've seen through your research, you've been able to reduce chronic obesity, chronic illnesses. Basically, you've seen a lot of that happen. Ashley Lucas: So much. And, it's not from the weight loss necessarily. It's from how we're eating and creating this shift in the body. I mean, we have a client who comes to mind, John, and he started with us, had about 50 pounds to drop, but was on 90 units of insulin a day type two diabetic, like that's pretty intense. Vince Ferguson: Yes. Ashley Lucas: Within a week, he had to drop his insulin needs in half. Within three weeks, he was on about six units of insulin a day and now he's dropped to the 50 pounds and he's no longer diabetic. So, you know, a lot of these conditions were told they're chronic, you know, you're just going to have to medicate to continue dealing with diabetes. And that's not true. It doesn't have to be progressive. You can put it into remission. And I like to use the word remission. Vince Ferguson: Okay. Ashley Lucas: If you go back to the old habits and behaviors that got you there in the first place, you know, it's going to come back. It's not that we've cured it, but we've put it into remission. And if we can maintain the weight loss and these habits and this lifestyle, then it never needs to come back. Vince Ferguson: Hmm. Because I know you believe that weight gain is not all full necessarily. Ashley Lucas: Yes. Right. Vince Ferguson: So what do you base that on? Ashley Lucas: A few things. So the first thing is, so the belly fat, we know. Yeah that's right. We all like to let go of. Vince Ferguson: Yeah. Ashley Lucas: These active, these fat cells in the belly. They're different than the fat throughout the rest of the body. They get in there, they pack in tight into your organs and around the organs, it squeezes the organs and in time, this belly fat mass becomes almost like a tumor. It grows its own blood vessels and it secretes its own hormones and I want you to think that this fat mass in your belly is hungry. It has demands and urges and cravings and addiction. Like it has a mind of its own. And all it wants to do is get fatter as fast as possible. Vince Ferguson: Yes. Ashley Lucas: So the more belly fat you have, the more hunger and more cravings and more addiction to food you have. The slower the metabolism you have. So you really don't have to eat that much, and you'll witness continued weight gain. I talk to women all the time who say, gosh, I just really don't eat that much or I eat really healthy, but no matter what, I'm still putting on the pounds. Maybe I exercise a lot, but I'm still, you know, 30, 50 pounds more than I want to be or need to be. And so that's not your fault. It's all driven by this fat mass that's in there that just wants to grow. It makes you hungry. It makes you lazy because the last thing it wants you to do is go expend a ton of energy. So, yeah, it has nothing to do with willpower or your personality. Ashley Lucas: It's all just driven by this thing that just wants to grow. In men, it secretes this hormone called aromatase, which takes your testosterone and converts it into estrogen. Vince Ferguson: Wow. Ashley Lucas: So if you're carrying belly fat and you're a guy you're going to have much lower T and higher estrogen and you're going to find that your fat deposits are primarily in the chest, the throat and the face area. Vince Ferguson: Yes. Ashley Lucas: And you're going to be at real high risk of high blood pressure and sleep apnea. So, it secretes this hormone called Interleukin 6, which is a really inflammatory hormone. Vince Ferguson: Okay. Ashley Lucas: And what's really interesting is that has come to light with all of this COVID-19 situation. And so we know that individuals who are overweight and specifically obese are at a real high risk of suffering from severe COVID-19. And the reason why is because of interleukin 6. Vince Ferguson: Hmm. Ashley Lucas: What happens when we have COVID-19 and some of us have the cytokine storm that we've heard of on the news. Vince Ferguson: Yes. Ashley Lucas: And what's happening is these cytokines are releasing interleukin 6. So if you already have this belly fat mass in there that's producing interleukin 6, you're at a baseline high level. Now, you have the cytokines flowing through and it's just a load of interleukin 6 that your body cannot handle and it mounts this severe response. So that's why if we're overweight or obese, we have such a higher risk of having a severe condition. It doesn't have to do with the actual, necessarily the fat, but it's what the fat is doing in the body that creates the havoc we're experiencing. Vince Ferguson: Hmm. Wow. That's very good. Why is belly fat so dangerous? Ashley Lucas: Because of that. Because it secretes these hormones, because you know in women it secretes also this hormone called aromatase that increases our risk of estrogen dependent breast cancer. So, yeah, it's just an active tumor that we do not want in the body. It acts like that. Vince Ferguson: Now, in addition, I know you said, so it's not our fault, not totally. Would you also blame the food industry because some of the food is addictive, the chemicals that's in the food. Ashley Lucas: Yeah. I know. I had said there are a few reasons and that is one of the reasons for sure. They create these foods that smell and taste and look just perfectly. So we really cannot eat just one. Vince Ferguson: Yeah exactly. Ashley Lucas: A huge component of it. Vince Ferguson: Yes. Yes. So how do we stop cravings? because you know, all of us have these cravings that we got to grab another donut, we got to eat more ice cream. How do we control those cravings? Ashley Lucas: Yeah. I mean, there are a few different ways. So one is to create a shift in the body metabolically. So if we can teach it how to burn fat for fuel, then the body is not going to have the cravings for the fast food and the sugar. We can dull the signals. So right now most of us are carbohydrate, sugar burners. And we need to eat every three to four hours. If not, we get hangry, we crave these certain foods and usually they're kind of carby or salty foods that we're just craving and our hunger cues, we can't trust our body when we're hungry, when we're tired, it's all out of whack. So when we can create this shift in the body and feed our body in a different way, then you will find that we can actually trust what it's telling us and we won't be hungry. Ashley Lucas: We won't have cravings. So that's one of the aspects. Also recognizing what are our trigger foods, they're different for each person. And that's why the eating in moderation, everything in moderation I think was coined by someone who's naturally lean. Because I think I've met three people in my lifetime and working with a lot, thousands of people, who can actually eat everything in moderation. Vince Ferguson: So you don't believe in that. Ashley Lucas: I don't. I think it's caused a lot of issues actually. Vince Ferguson: Yes. Now, but you do believe in eating three or four hours each day. Ashley Lucas: It's different for each person. Generally when we start with our clients, we have our clients eating every three to four hours a day just to make sure that we're managing blood glucose and we're moderating it. So there's no highs or lows, but once someone becomes fat adapted, they don't have to eat every three to four hours. Their body, when their metabolism is fat adapted, they can actually tap into the fat we have stored on our body and burn that for fuel when needed. So a lot of our clients maybe, you know, breakfast if they're hungry, but breakfast really isn't the most important meal of the day. Vince Ferguson: Really? Explain that. It is not? What really? Ashley Lucas: So, you know, Kellogg actually coined that phrase to sell more breakfast cereals. Vince Ferguson: Really? Ashley Lucas: Yeah. There's not research to support the fact that breakfast is actually the most important meal of the day. It is when you're trying to sell more frosted flakes though. Vince Ferguson: Yes. Yes. Most definitely, a lot of research, a lot of companies that sponsor research is using to push their product. Correct? Ashley Lucas: That's right. Vince Ferguson: That's funny. But that's quite interesting too though. Now tell my listeners about, my viewers, how important is supplements, supplementation. Ashley Lucas: Yeah. You know, I think that there is a time and a place for supplements. I mean, I take some of them to help me with different aspects. Like, let's see, vitamin D I think that the majority of us are deficient in vitamin D, especially during the winter. So that could be an important one to take. Vince Ferguson: Yes. Ashley Lucas: A lot of us these days because of our environment and stress levels, we have gut issues. And so taking support for the gut for some people can be helpful, but there's not going to be supplements that are just going to allow you to drop the weight. And if there are, it's usually a quick fix and you haven't changed any habit, behavior, or really learned what your body needs and it's not going to have the lasting impact that you're really looking for. So yeah, I think there's a time and a place, but just being aware of what your body needs is going to be important with that. Vince Ferguson: And you talked about behavior, and I know you focus on behavior and emotional support. How important is that in your client's weight loss journey and sustainability. Ashley Lucas: It's the most important part. Vince Ferguson: The most important part. Ashley Lucas: It is. Vince Ferguson: Really? Ashley Lucas: The nutrition aspect is actually one of the most simplest part. Once we can get it all dialed in, but 80% of any big change comes from the mind and dropping weight and maintaining it is definitely categorized as such. So yeah, the majority of this journey comes from the mind, the mental, emotional, habits, behaviors. So with our clients they're coming in or we are helping them over the phone or by video every week with one on one coaching, support, and accountability, where we talk about those things, what habits and behaviors do we need to shift? What are those sabotaging thoughts that keep coming up and how do we respond to them in a different way? How do we change our stories? Ashley Lucas: You know, oftentimes I'll sit with clients and they'll say, I'm never going to get to 160 or I'm stuck here at 160. Well, that's just a story. And if they talk to themselves with those words, then that's going to become their reality. So we're constantly shifting and moving that and creating new neural pathways in the brain. So we can actually sustain a new body and a new mind. Vince Ferguson: Hmm. Wow. That's awesome. Sounds like a lot of psychology going on in here too. Ashley Lucas: Yeah. It is. Vince Ferguson: Wow. That's amazing. Now what about inflammation? Because you touched on that as well. What foods cause inflammation in the body? Ashley Lucas: So in general, when we eat above our carbohydrate tolerance level and it really doesn't matter where that comes from, it could be a sweet potato, it could be rice, it could be pasta, it could be gummy bears. It doesn't matter where the carbohydrate really comes from. If we're eating too much of it for our unique body, then we're going to secrete a hormone called insulin. And I'm sure you guys have heard about insulin, but insulin is a really inflammatory hormone. And I think we can all agree that we don't want to have high levels of insulin in the body. So we just need to eat to support keeping that insulin as low as possible. And with that, we'll see that our inflammation continues to reduce. Vince Ferguson: Huh. Now as a trainer, I often discuss the importance of exercise when it comes to losing weight and nutrition. But I understand you don't put as much emphasis on exercise when it comes to sustainable weight loss. Correct? Ashley Lucas: Yeah. You know, so I view exercise as not being a huge weight loss tool, but a really big wellness tool. So it's very important leading an active lifestyle, moving, oh, I read this interesting research study today actually and I hope I say this right, but basically they said that even if you move 180 minutes a week of cardio, which is about what, 30 minutes a day of zone two cardio, which means that like you're having a hard time talking to the next person, and if you sit over five hours a day, it erases the benefits of all that cardio. Vince Ferguson: Really? Ashley Lucas: Yes. Vince Ferguson: What? Ashley Lucas: Yeah. So movement for heart health is important, but if you think you're going to get on the elliptical or workout and drop 50 pounds, it's likely not going to happen. So, I look at exercise as huge important to maintain muscle and mood and stress and sleep and to maintain a weight loss. It's going to be important. I think resistance training, lifting weights is like the number one thing. Vince Ferguson: Build muscle. Ashley Lucas: Yeah, muscle. And it's hard to do. I'm trying to build muscle right now and man, it's a challenge. Vince Ferguson: Why is it hard though? Because I know you're on a great diet. Why is it hard for you? Ashley Lucas: I mean, I think genetics have a lot to do with it. You know, some people are going to build muscle easier. I think hormones also have a lot to do with it. And it just takes overload and someone knowing what their doing to help you. So same thing, you know, I think that weight loss, it just takes accountability and support and outside knowledge and same thing with building muscle. You know, it's helpful to have someone by your side to tell you what to do and how to time collapse. You're not wasting so much time in the gym or trying all these different diets on your own and it just not working and you could just get help and make it happen. And it happens quickly. Our men drop three to five pounds a week, our women two to three pounds. So it doesn't have to take forever. Vince Ferguson: Well, what about people who believe they need to drop 10, 15 pounds right away? And they think like the crash weight diet is the way to go. Ashley Lucas: Yeah. Vince Ferguson: What's wrong with that? Ashley Lucas: We know that doesn't work. Lots of water weight there and also to create any kind of habit change, it takes at least six weeks. And that's quick. So yeah, if you drop it in three weeks through a juice cleanse, it's not going to work. Vince Ferguson: Hmm. So you are familiar with juice cleanses because a lot of people use them, do them. Ashley Lucas: Yeah. A lot of people do them. Vince Ferguson: Yeah. But I think in addition to a sustainable weight loss program, I mean, I think juicing is fine as part of your regular dietary program, but not something that you're looking to do just to lose weight and think you're going to keep it off that way, you know. Ashley Lucas: Yeah. I mean it depends. Juicing, you know, I actually prefer a smoothie if you're going to do that. Because if you think, let's say you juice apple and how much apple are you going to have to squeeze down in there? And all that's left is the sugar. It took out all the fiber, a lot of the nutrients with it. So you're left with a cup of sugar really. Vince Ferguson: Hmm. Ashley Lucas: So you're much better off just eating the apple whole if you want it because that fiber is going to slow the insulin response or if you juice a whole bunch of green stuff, it's still just the sugar that's left with some vitamins and minerals in there, but you're much better off eating the salad so you can actually feel full. Vince Ferguson: Right. Ashley Lucas: And delay the response of insulin and glucose, so. Yeah, juicing is kind of tricky. Vince Ferguson: Yeah. Yeah. Because I know some people believe that you juice, you get the vitamins, minerals right to the blood system right away, you know, so that's one school of thought. Ashley Lucas: Right. Vince Ferguson: But I agree with you as well. I believe in the best of both worlds. I juice and I do smoothies. Right. So that's my school of thought. Anyway, yeah, that's good. Now, how long are your sessions with your clients? Are they hourly sessions? Ashley Lucas: No. We have availability for our clients to connect with us as often as they need throughout the week. So it's really whatever they need, but most often, I don't find that long sessions talking about things and circling back and forth is really effective. We're very effective and efficient and to the point, so we give our clients, you know, three things that they can focus on each week to actually take and implement, come back and then we add three more on top of that. So, really all about us is baby steps, bite size pieces so that it's not overwhelming. We respect our clients' time so that, you know everyone is so busy that I wouldn't want them to have to hang out with us for an hour every time, but we're always available. We see our clients each week for as long as they need to get their questions answered, but since we have such good communication with them, people are usually in and out in about 15 minutes. Vince Ferguson: Is that right? Really? Ashley Lucas: Yep. Vince Ferguson: What about virtually, when they call you for consultations? Ashley Lucas: Same thing, about 15, maybe 20 minutes max, but you know, if they want to have three of those a week, they can, but we're so on top of it and they're just getting it and we make it easy. We provide about 85% of the food at the beginning as well. So no cost associated with the food and for our nationwide clients, we ship it for free. Everything's covered and it covers breakfast, most of lunch and snacks. Yeah. And dinner is always or at least one meal, usually it's dinner is going to be the client's responsibility so that they learn one meal at a time. Clients can do their own food if they want to, but I'd say 97% of our clients choose to use our foods because they're just a tool. So we help them with this dinner meal and what it looks like, recipes, dining out, takeout. Ashley Lucas: And then they have the foods to help support them earlier in the day and then they feel like they're this expert. They become very self-sufficient for dinner. And we work on, we practice lunch. So now they've got their dinner and they've got lunch. Then we move on and we practice breakfast. So by the time we get the body where it needs to be, which in our eyes is fully collapsing that belly fat mass, we've got to fully collapse the fat mass or else the weight is going to come back. Vince Ferguson: Right. Ashley Lucas: Right. It's like shaving the top of the weed. If you lose 30 pounds of the 60-pound fat mass. So for a lot of people who dropped weight only to regain it, they've not gotten their body where it needs to be. So, anyway, once we get the body where it needs to be, all of our clients understand their eating style for the future. Ashley Lucas: They're not dependent on any of our food items, but we've allowed habits and behaviors and new ways of thinking to start to be ingrained in the brain and then we practice that in maintenance, and maintenance with us is free, it's for life. We never leave our clients' side. So most of our clients like to meet at least once monthly and they do that forever. You know, we have clients from you know, six, seven years ago when I opened our first PHD brick and mortar space who come in and, Susie, I just got a note that she was back in, checking in and she started with me six years ago and she's up five pounds over that course of time. And she's about 70 years old. Vince Ferguson: Really? Ashley Lucas: So yeah, she just checks in and five pounds makes her feel uncomfortable. Her pants are a little tight. Vince Ferguson: Yeah. Ashley Lucas: And so we just air correct early on and get her back down where she feels her best. And there's no cost associated, you know, as we can air correct that early on. Vince Ferguson: Maintenance. Amazing. Awesome. Awesome. I also went to your website. You seem to have a large team of professionals working with you. Ashley Lucas: Yeah, we are almost 40 of us now, which is so fun. Vince Ferguson: 40? Ashley Lucas: Yeah. Vince Ferguson: How do you manage all those people? Ashley Lucas: Yeah. That's a whole another podcast. Vince Ferguson: That's a whole another podcast. Ashley Lucas: No, it's so fun. We love it. And we just have systems and accountability charts in place and it's clear responsibilities and roles. But as we expand, our nationwide program is amazing. We've actually doubled the number of clients who got started just in a month, last month. Yes. So our schedule is just filling up for nationwide clients, which I just love. Vince Ferguson: Yes. Amazing. But it's only one of you, so it's not easy, you know, what I'm saying? So you have to have systems in place. Ashley Lucas: Yes. Definitely. Vince Ferguson: Has the pandemic affected your business in a positive note, beyond the fact that it was rough on people, but business wise, has it been a blessing for you? Ashley Lucas: You know, I know that we are so busy now, but we have always been very busy. Vince Ferguson: Always been? Ashley Lucas: Yeah. So I do know and believe in my heart that we are, and what you do, we are on the forefront of all of this. Vince Ferguson: Yes. Ashley Lucas: The only thing that we can slightly control right now I feel like is our health. Vince Ferguson: Yes. Ashley Lucas: The only thing we can do to make sure that we are strong enough to overcome whatever comes our way is to get healthy. Vince Ferguson: Yes. Ashley Lucas: So I think that people are understanding that and maybe taking more responsibility for their own health because the only person who can change it is you. Vince Ferguson: Yes. Ashley Lucas: And I think people will have maybe a negative outcome to COVID and then be like, oh my gosh, my health does matter. Vince Ferguson: Most definitely. Ashley Lucas: You know, and then decide to make a change or the best way would be, if they realize that, if we can it before something happens. Vince Ferguson: Yes, yes. Ashley Lucas: Be proactive rather than reactive. That is definitely ideal. Vince Ferguson: Definitely. Wow. I just think that you guys are doing an amazing job, but before I let you go, I know you have a book and talk about that. And I know it's accessible to people. I really want to talk about the book. Ashley Lucas: Yes. It's called the Ultimate Weight Loss Secrets and I talk a lot about the visceral fat, the belly fat, what it does, how it works, you know, why weight gain isn't your fault. And then I provide a lot of simple evidence based strategies that folks can implement into their own life right away to see big change. So a lot of folks have said that it's really helpful. And then I share a lot of stories in there. So it's fun. And it's free right now to download at our website. Vince Ferguson: And, yeah. Okay. And speaking of your website, please tell my listeners and viewers where they can download it. Ashley Lucas: Sure. Yes. It's available at myphdweightloss.com. So that's myphdweightloss.com. And then sometimes I'll put it up on our social media and I try to provide a lot of tips there. And my handle for social media is Dr_AshleyLucas. So that's another place to be able to access it. Vince Ferguson: Perfect. Perfect. Any last words from my viewers and listeners before I let you go. Ashley Lucas: Gosh, I would just say that there is hope to making change. So even if you've dropped weight in the past only to regain it, it really isn't your fault. You don't have to live there. You can make a change for the rest of your life and simply because you want to. So just that there's hope and you can do it if you have this strong desire within you to do, to make a change. Vince Ferguson: So you've actually put the responsibility, the onus back on the person on the client, right? Ashley Lucas: Yeah. Yeah. If we have the right tools in the toolbox, then it's doable. Vince Ferguson: Yes. Oh. And you make it sound so doable and I know why you're doing so well because you have, and you have the research behind you, you have the testimonials and your clients who absolutely love you and your work. It's amazing. And the timing couldn't be better. Ashley Lucas: Yeah. Well, thank you. Thank you for all the work you do, and keeping people fit and strong. Vince Ferguson: Oh, it's my pleasure. That's something I'm committed to doing. And hey, we're in this together and you know, I actually watched the video with you and Pedro. Ashley Lucas: Pedro. Yeah. Vince Ferguson: Yes. Actually, he is a great guy as a matter of fact. Ashley Lucas: Yes. Vince Ferguson: I have seen his videos and I had his current CEO, Bryce Henson on my show. Ashley Lucas: Yeah. Bryce is great. I chatted with him a few weeks ago. Vince Ferguson: Great dude. Great dude. Has on our podcast a few weeks ago. Great guy. A lot of good energy going on around here. Ashley Lucas: Right. Vince Ferguson: So with that being said, Dr. Ashley Lucas on behalf of Body Sculpt of New York, it's my nonprofit and Six Weeks To Fitness, I want to really thank you for coming on my show today. Ashley Lucas: Thanks for inviting me. Vince Ferguson: Ah, it was truly a pleasure and to my listeners and viewers, I hope this program was encouraging and inspiring that you will continue tuning in to my Six Weeks To Fitness Podcast. And if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the show, please leave them below or email me at vince@sixweeks.com and don't forget to subscribe. So you don't miss any future episodes. And remember, we don't stop exercising because we grow old. We grow old because we stop exercising.

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.

Today's guest is Loni Landon.  Loni is a Dancer, Choreographer, and Movement Consultant based in New York City. In addition to creating dances for her own collective Loni Landon Dance Project, her work is commissioned by dance companies and film directors across the country. Born and raised in New York City, Loni performed with Aszure Barton and Artists, Ballet Theater Munich, Tanz Munich Theater, and The Metropolitan Opera, and is a Princess Grace Choreography Fellowship Winner.  As a sought after choreographer, her work has been commissioned by such institutions as The Joyce Theater, Keigwin and Company, BODYTRAFFIC, The Juilliard School, American Dance Institute, Northwest Dance Project, and Groundworks Dance Company.  Her company has performed at The Joyce Theater, Pulse Art Fair, Jacob's Pillow, Insitu Dance Festival, Bryant Park, Beach Sessions in Rockaway Beach and Guggenheim Works and Process Series. Loni has won numerous choreography awards, with residencies at New Movement Residency at USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation New Directions Choreography Lab, ITE, NYU, CUNY Dance Initiative, Kaatsbaan, and Stephen Petronio's new residency center. She has been adjunct faculty at NYU, Barnard, SUNY Purchase, and Princeton University.  Loni is passionate about Entrepreneurship in the Arts and has co-founded THE PLAYGROUND, an initiative designed to give emerging choreographers a place to experiment, while allowing professional dancers to participate affordably. The Playground was recognized by Dance Magazine as a 25 To Watch. As well as four/four presents, a platform that commissions and presents collaborations betweens dancers and musicians. For more on this episode: Movers & Shapers: A Dance Podcast

Denise Armstead is an internationally acclaimed dancer, choreographer and teacher. She is currently Artistic Director of D.A. Dance. Ms Armstead has been a dancer for 40 years, 20 of which she spent as a founding member and premiere dancer with Minneapolis-based Zenon Dance Company. She has also been an aerial artist and choreographer with Risa Cohen Aerial Company, flying through the air on Trapeze, Silks and Harness.Her work has been seen around the globe, including performances in Switzerland, Aruba, Russia and the Marianas Islands. She has commanded center stage at New York's Joyce Theater, The Ordway, The Walker Art Center, The O'Shaugnessey Theater, and the Ritz.Her dancing has been reviewed to acclaim by the New York Times and the Village Voice. Her work in the New York Film Festival earned a Gold Medal, and the City Pages has selected Ms. Armstead as Best Dancer in the Twin Cites. The Minnesota State Legislature passed a resolution praising Denise's artistic contributions at the “Women of Nations” domestic violence shelter, the first and only such citation for a dance artist.In 2012, her multimedia work, “The Three Bonnie Project”, played to standing ovations at the Burnsville Performing Art Center. The Project has been cited as setting the precedent as one of the best combinations of video and dance. Most recently, Denise broke barriers as the first dance company to serve as an Artist in Residence and perform at the Wykoff Theater, along with D.A. Dance performing the first ever evening length dance work at the Zumbrota Theater. Denise has taught dance worldwide, and is also a well-respected equestrienne and riding teacher. She choreographs for the Minnesota Equine Vaulting team and has studied with Olympic-bound athletes. She currently resides in Nerstrand, Minnesota with her stallion-man partner, their ponies, peacocks and lots of cats and dogs.

Our biggest episode yet brings together the medical professionals in New York and Philadelphia who care for some of the biggest companies in the dance world. They give us insight on how they keep those performers on stage. We talk about what it's like to work in small, medium, and large-sized programs, how their dancers access care, and the challenges of pushing the boundaries of choreography without pushing physical boundaries. Brought to you by the American Medical Society of Sports Medicine. Our guests: From Philadelphia: Christine Cox, founder and artistic director of Ballet X (Instagram: @christineccox) Marc Harwood, MD: Rothman Orthopedic Institute and consultant Ballet X and Pennsylvania Ballet From New York: Melody Hrubes, MD: Rothman Orthopedic Institute and medical director Radio City Rockettes (Instagram: @melodyhrubes) Sheyi OjoFeitimi, PT, DPT: Director of Therapy Services, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. #drsheyipt #dancereadyproject For more information on Athletes and the Arts, go to https://www.athletesandthearts.com For American Medical Society of Sports Medicine, go to https://www.amssm.org For Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, go to https://www.alvinailey.org For Ballet X, go to https://www.balletx.org Bios: Christine Cox: Christine Cox co-founded BalletX, America's premier contemporary ballet company, with Matthew Neenan in 2005. The BalletX team has produced over 100 world premiere ballets by nearly 60 renowned and emerging choreographers to date, reaching more than 150,000 dance patrons. Under her leadership as Artistic & Executive Director, the company has performed at prestigious national stages including The Kennedy Center, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Vail International Dance Festival, and The Joyce Theater. In 2013, she and her team launched The X-Process, an engagement program that invites audience members to participate in pre-show conversations with choreographers, an interactive lecture series about contemporary ballet, and open rehearsals. Through the Dance eXchange education program, she has partnered with elementary schools from the Philadelphia School District to emphasize dance as a means to promote self-confidence and acquire valuable life skills, reaching more than 2,000 local students in its first six years. Cox also led a TEDx talk at the George School about innovation in the field of contemporary ballet, from the art form's historical traditions to today's world of evolving definitions and globalization. As an arts leader, she has served on review panels for the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and currently sits on the Advisory Board of the Philadelphia Arts & Business Council. Christine has been recognized with two Rocky Awards for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts, as well as fellowships from the Independence Foundation and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Cox was a full-time company member with the Pennsylvania Ballet from 1993 until her retirement from the stage in 2006. Some of her featured roles included Rum and Coca Cola in Paul Taylor's Company B, Vortex in Alvin Ailey's The River; Choleric in George Balanchine's The Four Temperaments, Eve in Margo Sappington's Rodin, Mis En Vie the Cowgirl in Agnes DeMille's Rodeo, and principal female roles in Jerome Robbins' Fancy Free and The Concert. During this time, Cox served for ten years as the rehearsal assistant of the children's corps for Pennsylvania Ballet's annual production of Balanchine's The Nutcracker. Prior to joining the Pennsylvania Ballet, she danced with BalletMet (Columbus, OH), as a guest artist with Ballet Hispanico (New York, NY), and with the American Repertory Ballet (Princeton, NJ). Cox is the proud mother of two young boys, Warren and Wesley. Marc Harwood, MD: Dr. Harwood is a board certified non-operative sports medicine physician and serves as the Service Chief of the Non-Operative

In this episode, NCCAkron's Executive/Artistic Director, Christy Bolingbroke enters the 'studio' with Brooklyn New York based choreographer, Brian Brooks. Brian's work has toured internationally since 2002 with presentations by BAM, the Joyce Theater, Jacob's Pillow, the American Dance Festival, and Works and Process at the Guggenheim Museum, among others. He has developed and toured work with former New York City Ballet prima ballerina, Wendy Whelan, titled Restless Creature and appears in the film by the same name, with Whelan. https://www.bbrooks.org

Joanie Smith and Danial Shapiro founded Shapiro & Smith Dance in 1987 and developed a collaborative method through which they created their work, taking turns developing material and directing the choreographic process. Danial Shapiro died in the Fall of 2006 and now Joanie Smith serves as sole Choreographer and is honing that process in new ways with the members of Shapiro & Smith Dance.Shapiro & Smith's choreography has been commissioned by companies as diverse as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Phoenix Dance Company of Leeds, UK; and the PACT Dance Company of Pretoria, South Africa. The Company has toured all over the U.S. and abroad including four times at The Joyce Theater in New York City. Over 600 dancers in professional and university dance companies have performed, “To Have And To Hold,” aka, “Bench,” and S&S's production of ANYTOWN, with music by Bruce Springsteen, has had more than 40 performances across the U.S.Joanie Smith and Shapiro & Smith Dance have received continued support from the National Endowment for the Arts, The McKnight Foundation, and The Target Foundation. S&S received a Sage Award in 2012 for “Outstanding Performance.”Smith was recognized as an “Artist Of The Year,” in 2011 by City Pages, Minneapolis, and was named a Fulbright Senior Scholar in Dance to Helsinki, Finland. Smith holds the Barbara Barker Endowed Chair in Dance at the University of Minnesota, an MA in Dance from UCLA, and toured the world in the companies of Murray Louis and Alwin Nikolais before founding Shapiro & Smith Dance.

Alejandro Cerrudo's It Starts Now premiered at The Joyce Theater on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, and the innovation on the table was as refreshing as reaching for a jacket when feeling the first crisp autumn breeze in all of the evening's captivating, transcendent, and silky glory. To see photos and watch a trailer for this performance, please visit The Ballet Herald. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/balletherald/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/balletherald/support

Stephen Petronio is a choreographer, dancer, and the artistic director of the Stephen Petronio Company. Stephen has created over 35 works for his company and has been commissioned by some of the world's most prestigious modern and ballet companies, including William Forsythe's Ballet Frankfurt (1987), Deutsche Opera Berlin (1992), Lyon Opera Ballet (1994), Maggio Danza Florence (1996), Sydney Dance Company (2003, full evening), Norrdans (2006), the Washington Ballet (2007), The Scottish Ballet (2007), and two works for National Dance Company Wales (2010 and 2013). Over his career, Petronio has collaborated with a wide range of artists in many disciplines. Collaborators include some of the most talented and provocative artists in the world: composers Valgeir Sigurðsson, Nico Muhly, Rufus Wainwright, Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, and Peter Gordon; visual artists Robert Longo, Cindy Sherman, Anish Kapoor, Donald Baechler, and Janine Antoni; fashion designers Narciso Rodriguez, John Bartlett, Benjamin Cho, and Leigh Bowery.Stephen Petronio's  training originated with leading figures of the Judson era, performed Man Walking Down the Side of a Building in 2010 for Trisha Brown Company at the Whitney Museum, and performed his 2012 rendition of Steve Paxton's Intravenous Lecture (1970) in New York, Portland, and at the TEDMED-2012 conference at the Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, DC. Petronio received the distinction of being named the first Artist-in-Residence at The Joyce Theater from 2012 to 2014. He has been entangled with visual artist Janine Antoni in a number of discipline-blurring projects, including the video installation Honey Baby (2013), created in collaboration with composer Tom Laurie and filmmaker Kirsten Johnson, and most recently Ally, in collaboration with Anna Halprin and Adrian Heathfield, which premiered at The Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia in summer of 2016. Petronio and Antoni were the 2017 McCormack Artists in Residence at Skidmore college, where they showed their series of installations, Entangle. Most recently, he was commissioned by The Juilliard School to set a work, #PrayerForNow, on their fourth year students for the New Dances Edition 2019. Petronio's memoir, Confessions of a Motion Addict, is available at Amazon.com.  Movement Without Borders Festival - October 2, 2021 - Ernesto Breton performing Rudy Perez's Coverage Revisited. Fall For Dance - October 15 & 16, 2021 - New York City Center - SPC performing American Landscapes (2019). Petronio Punk Picks and Other Delights - November 18-21 - La MaMa - SPC revives a series of solos and duets from Stephen's formative days coming up in the East Village and invites Bloodlines(future) artist Johnnie Cruise Mercer to the stage. Alex Waters:Alex Waters is a media producer and editor for the Short Fuse Podcast, a music producer, and Berklee College of Music student. He has written and produced music for podcasts such as The Faith and Chai Podcast and Con Confianza. He produces his own music, as well as writing and recording for dependent artists such as The Living. Alex lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two cats and enjoys creating and writing music. You can reach him with inquiries by emailing alexwatersmusic12@gmail.com.

Paul Selig is a writer, teacher, and intuitive living in New York City. He is the director of the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Goddard College and serves on the playwriting faculty of the NYU Tisch School of the Arts. His work for the theater has been performed internationally at venues including the Sundance Film Festival, the Joyce Theater, En Garde Arts, The Long Wharf Theater, Teatro Plastico and the Ensemble Studio Theater. His plays include the one woman show Mystery School (performed by Tyne Daly), the stage adaptation of War Letters (with Treat Williams and Mario van Peebles), additional material for the national tour of Tallulah (with Kathleen Turner), Terminal Bar, the Pompeii Traveling Show (NY Drama League Award), Moon City and Body Parts. His operas include the trilogy 3 Visitations. He collaborated with Shapiro and Smith Dance Company on Notes From a Séance and Never Enough. He recently completed a credited rewrite of Truth in Translation, commissioned by South Africa's Market Theater and the Colonnades Theater Lab. His work is published in numerous anthologies, including The Best American Short Plays of 1996-97; Gay Plays 3 and The Best Short Plays of 1988. He received his MFA from the Yale School of Drama. Paul had a spiritual experience in 1987 that left him clairvoyant. As a way to gain a context for what he was beginning to experience, he studied a form of energy healing, working at Marianne Williamson's Manhattan Center for Living and in private practice. He began to "hear" for his clients, and much of Paul's work now is as a clairaudient, clairvoyant, channel, and empath. Paul has led channeled energy groups for 15 years. Paul was invited to channel at the Esalen institute's 2009 invitational Superpowers and the Supernormal symposium and is featured in the upcoming documentary film Authors of the Impossible. - www.TacherBooks.com******************************************************************To listen to all our XZBN shows, with our compliments go to: https://www.spreaker.com/user/xzoneradiotv*** AND NOW ***The ‘X' Zone TV Channel on SimulTV - www.simultv.comThe ‘X' Chronicles Newspaper - www.xchroniclesnewspaper.com ******************************************************************

I met Maia Claire Garrison through our work at The Joyce Theater in the Dance Education Program. She is the Owner & Creative Director of Reel. Dance. Music. With a musician father and dancer mother, the arts were embedded in her upbringing. Maia Claire started in childhood as a competitive gymnast, at age 10 she was discovered by The Big Apple Circus. For two years she studied circus arts and joined The Back Street Flyers' circus act, performing and touring as a child acrobat. She joined her first professional dance troupe as a teenager with Afro Danza. She's toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America working as a dancer, singer, actress, and with the critically acclaimed Urban Bush Women directed by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. Her company M'Zawa Danz was presented at a range of venues such as Aaron Davis Hall, Bennington College, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn Academy of Music, City Center, New York City College, Central Park Summer Stage, Celebrate Brooklyn, Connecticut College, Dance Space Project, Dance Theater Workshop, Florida State University, Jacob's Pillow, The Kitchen, The Knitting Factory, Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors, Miami Dade College, The Miller Theater, New Jersey City University, New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), Playhouse 91, 651 Arts, Rutgers State University, Sarah Lawrence College, St. Stephen's School Rome, SUNY Potsdam University, Symphony Space, Syracuse University, Wave Hill and at The World Trade Center Plaza to name a few. Awarded three consecutive grants from the New York Foundation for the Arts, Maia Claire choreographed multi-disciplinary dance performances, wrote music and co-produced studio recordings often collaborating with her two siblings, ShapeShifter Lab owner/bassist Matthew Garrison, and distinguished Jazz vocalist Joy Garrison. Both widely respected and internationally acclaimed artists in their own right. Learn more about her work: www.maiaclaire.com www.athleticflowmethod.com iTunes This conversation took place in January 2021. Learn more about career planning for dance: https://www.emceemovement.com/.

This summer on the Mind Over Finger Podcast, I promise you a fantastic time with wonderful guests! Every month I'm having a live Q&A with amazing musicians in my Facebook group, the Mind Over Finger Tribe and, as to be expected, much wisdom is being shared! We start with pianist Konstantin Soukhovetski, we continue in May with violinist Callum Smart, in June you'll hear from trumpet player Christopher Still from Honesty Pill, July will bring violinist Esther Abrami, and we'll spend time with guitarist Brandon Jack Acker in August. I hope you can join us live for the upcoming sessions. All of the details are in the Mind Over Finger Tribe at facebook.com/groups/mindoverfingertribe.   If you're enjoying today's content, take a screenshot as you're listening, share on social and tag me and my guest so we can thank you for tuning in!     Frustrated with your playing?  Unsatisfied with you career?  Ready for a change? Whatever your challenge, you don't have to go at it alone, and I can help.  Visit www. https://www.mindoverfinger.com/workwithme to learn more and book your call and let's discuss how to get you from where you are to where you want to be.   THE MUSIC MASTERY EXPERIENCE will be back in June 2021.  This is my LIFE CHANGING, highly personalized group coaching program where I show you how to implement mindful & effective practice techniques, how to make them habits, and how to get RESULTS. Save your spot at http://www.mindoverfinger.com/mme and get access to some really cool bonuses.     MORE ABOUT KONSTANTIN SOUKHOVETSKI: Website: https://www.konstantinthepianist.com/ YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/konstantinstar Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRockStarPianist/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/konstantinstar/ Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/TheRockStarPianist/   Following the premiere of his transcription of R. Strauss' Four Last Songs at L'Esprit du Piano Festival in Bordeaux, France  Konstantin Soukhovetski has cemented his place as one of premiere pianist/composers of his generation. His transcriptions have been heard around the world from South African to Hong Kong; in United States' NYC's Lyric Chamber Music Society, New Orlean's MASNO, Sacramento's Crocker Museum and Pianofest in The Hamptons, where Konstantin is Artist-In-Residence since 2011. Konstantin has won 2019 Innovation Award from Music Academy Of The West. Konstantin Soukhovetski continues the Golden Age traditions of piano performance instilled in him by his mentor- the great American pianist Jerome Lowenthal.   Pending post-COVID schedule will take Konstantin Soukhovetski to Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall with Rachmaninoff Concerto #4 with Pegasus Orchestra, and UC Davis's Mondavi Arts Center with Brahms Concerto #2 with Auburn Symphony. Konstantin will premiere a new ballet by Russian-American award-winning composer Polina Nazaykinskaya commissioned by MorDance in November of 2021. Konstantin is currently working on his first opera libretto for “Tear Down This Wall” in collaboration with Polina Nazaykinskaya commissioned for the 75th Anniversary Season of Mississippi Opera in 2023. In 2018 Konstantin gave world premiere of Ms. Nazaykinskaya ballet “Nostalgia” with Rioult Dance at the Joyce Theater in New York City. Acting credits include: as a narrator with Miami Symphony's Musimelange performance  Stravinsky's Soldier's Tale, Forbidden Juilliard as multiple characters at The Juilliard School and Club Makkor in NYC and Victor or Children in Power as Young Victor at  Moscow State Satire Theatre, Moscow, Russia. Feature film: Dishonorable Vendetta directed by Andre Josef. Short features: Decent Men, Ossetia and Hansel and Gretel, Carbon Based  and  Pictures. Konstantin is a producer and host of “The Real Pianists of The Hamptons" filmed at Pianofest in The Hamptons. Highlights of career: Johannesburg Philharmonic and Eastern Cape Philharmonic Orchestra on multiple South African tours after winning Silver at UNISA International Piano competition in Pretoria, South Africa; Miami Symphony Orchestra, Richmond, Austin,  Auburn, Westmoreland, Virginia and Asheville Symphony Orchestras. He appeared at London's Wigmore Hall, New York's Weill Recital and Zankel Halls at Carnegie Hall, Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, Auditorium Du Louvre in Paris, France and Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern, Switzerland to name a few. Following his debut at Alice Tully Hall, in New York's Lincoln Center asThe Juilliard School 's 2006 William Petschek Debut Recital Award winner The New York Times headlined: “Romanticism so intense it warms up Philip Glass.” ​Mr. Soukhovetski has worked with distinguished conductors: Daniel Meyer, Gérard Korsten, Eduardo Marturet, James DePreist, Jahja Ling, François-Xavier Roth, Doron Salomon, Conrad von Alphen, Michael Goodwin, Stephen Ramsey, Omri Hadari, Andrew Grams and Emil Tabakov. Mr. Soukhovetski is a board member of Southampton Cultural Center, NY where is an Managing Director of The Rising Stars Piano Series and has served on the juries of numerous competitions including Hong Kong Music Schools Festival. Mr. Soukhovetski is an Adjunct Faculty and an alumnus of The Juilliard School where he has earned his BM, MM, and AD degrees with Jerome Lowenthal. Born in Moscow to a family of artists he studied at the Moscow Central Special Music School, under the auspices of the Moscow State Conservatory, with Anatoly Ryabov. ​Awards: ​Second Prize, 2011 Iowa International Piano Competition Third Prize, 2011 Bosendorfer International Piano Competition Second Prize and Audience Prize, 2010 Ima Hogg International Competition First Prize and Audience Prize, 2007 New Orleans International Piano Competition William Petschek Debut Recital Award Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans Second Prize, 2004 UNISA International Piano Competition in Pretoria, South Africa Third Prize, 2003 Cleveland International Piano Competition The Juilliard School's Arthur Rubinstein Award The Juilliard School's 2003 Gina Bachauer Competition First Prize, 2002 Hilton Head International Piano Competition Second Prize, 2002 Walter W. Naumburg International Piano Competition Grand Prize and First Prize at 1997 World Piano International Competition         Join the Mind Over Finger Tribe for access to my weekly live videos and to exchange with a community of like-minded musicians   Visit www.mindoverfinger.com and sign up for my newsletter to get your free guide to an exceptionally productive practice using the metronome.  This guide is the perfect entry point to help you bring more mindfulness and efficiency into your practice and it's filled with tips and tricks on how to use that wonderful tool to take your practicing and your playing to new heights.     THANK YOU: A HUGE thank you to my fantastic producer, Bella Kelly, who works really hard to make this podcast as pleasant to listen to as possible for you. Most sincere thank you to composer Jim Stephenson who graciously provided the show's musical theme.  Concerto #1 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra – Movement 2: Allegro con Brio, performed by Jeffrey Work, trumpet, and the Lake Forest Symphony, conducted by Jim Stephenson. Thank you to Susan Blackwell for the introduction.  You can find out more about Susan, her fantastic podcast The Spark File, and her work helping creatives of all backgrounds expand their impact by visiting https://www.susanblackwell.com/home.   MIND OVER FINGER: www.mindoverfinger.com https://www.facebook.com/mindoverfinger/ https://www.instagram.com/mindoverfinger/    

Cathy Young brings 34 years of experience as an artist and educator to her work as Executive Director ofBoston Conservatory at Berklee. During the course of her career she has been a performer with leading American dance companies, the artistic director of her own dance company, a nationally recognized choreographer and teacher of jazzdance, a professor of dance, co-founder of a college dance program, and the Dean of Dance at Boston Conservatory.Young grew up on a farm in a central Pennsylvania coal mining town. She earned her BA in Sociology and Women’s Studies from Harvard University, where she also got her first exposure to dance as an art form through an opportunity to take an African dance class. Falling in love with dance, not only for its physicality but for its ability to communicate emotion and create community, she made the decision to pursue it as a career, leaving former dreams of law school behind and embracing the joys and challenges of a life as a performingartist.She spent the next 20 years focused on building her career as a dancer, choreographer, artistic director, and teacher of dance. She has worked with leading artists in American contemporary dance and jazzdance, as well as creating a choreographic body of work and directing her own company. Her choreography has been commissioned by universities and professional companies around the country and abroad, and presented in prestigious venues including the Joyce Theater and Dance Theater Workshop in New York, Bates DanceFestival, and The Walker Arts Center in Minneapolis. Her work has been supported by grants from foundations including The Jerome Foundation, McKnight Foundation, and Minnesota State Arts Board. In addition to her work in concert dance, Young has also created choreography for theater, opera, commercials, industrials, and film. As a teacher, she has conducted artist residencies at over 30 colleges and universities, as well as sitting on the faculty of numerous national and international dance festivals including Bates Dance Festival, Florida Dance Festival, and the Open Look Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia.After 20 years as a working artist, she returned to academia to earn her MFA in Dance at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, and accepted a position as an associate professor of dance at Ursinus College in PA, where she co-founded the dance program including full curriculum design, implementation of a dance major and minor, and creation of a student dance company. Young was named Chair of the Theater and Dance Dept., and focused her efforts on engaging students and faculty across the campus, in all academic disciplines, with the transformative power of the performing arts. During her time leading the Conservatory dance division, the BFA program has become recognized as the top contemporary dance program in the US. Young has overseen the implementation of a forward- thinking, comprehensive curriculum designed to prepare dance artists for 21st century entrepreneurial dance careers; and focused her efforts on building and supporting diversity within the dance division curriculum, artistic programming, and student/faculty population. This emphasis on diversity, innovation, collaboration, andcommunity as core values, expressed through the curriculum, training, and artistic productions, have attracted the top students, faculty, and guest artists in the field.In her current role as Executive Director of Boston Conservatory at Berklee, she is charged with strategy, vision, and oversight of all areas of the school, which includes three divisions (Music, Theater, and Dance), 200 faculty, and 850 students. Under her leadership, Boston Conservatory at Berklee has become known as an innovative, contemporary conservatory, creating new models of performing arts education and preparing students to be the performers, teachers, content creators and change-makers of our collective fut

Join Tracy Blom in this one-of-a-kind interview with Victoria Morgan, Artistic Director of the Cincinnati Ballet. Here they discuss the various ways that ballet transforms the soul, creates a place of peace, and instills valuable lessons. Website: https://cballet.org/staff/victoria-morgan/ VICTORIA MORGAN THE SUE & BILL FRIEDLANDER ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Sponsor: Barbara & Larry Kellar Over the past 23 years, Cincinnati Ballet has experienced tremendous growth and critical success under the leadership of Victoria Morgan. Today she is one of only four female Artistic Directors of U.S. ballet companies with an annual operating budget of $10 million or more. In 2008, Morgan took on the additional role of executive leader, serving as both the Artistic Director and CEO of Cincinnati Ballet. Under her leadership, after many years of growing deficits, the Company stabilized, built an $13 million endowment, a $1.5 million operating reserve, and created major artistic productions that redefined the caliber of repertoire for Cincinnati Ballet. Morgan's vision to lead Cincinnati Ballet into a vibrant and confident future is famed by the Company's tour to the Joyce Theater in New York and the tour to the Kennedy Center in D.C. During her tenure at Cincinnati Ballet, Morgan choreographed numerous one-act and full-length ballets. Her most widely acclaimed works include the world premieres of King Arthur's Camelot in 2014 and the new Nutcracker in 2011. Her newly choreographed Cinderella premiered in February 2016. Prior to coming to Cincinnati Ballet, Morgan was resident choreographer for the San Francisco Opera for nearly a decade. She was a principal dancer for San Francisco Ballet (1978–1987) and Ballet West (1969–1978). She performed lead roles for television and film, and her choreography was featured in the PBS documentary The Creation of O.M.O. She served on the boards of Dance/USA, Dance Magazine, and the NEA evaluation panel. She has been presiding judge for the New York International Ballet Competition, the Benois de la Danse Awards Gala in Russia, and The Valentina Kozlova IBC this past summer. Morgan graduated Magna Cum Laude with an M.F.A. from University of Utah and was recognized as a Distinguished Alumna in 2009. She was honored as a YWCA Career Woman of Achievement in 2009, received recognition from Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber's WE Celebrate Women's Business Awards, and served as a member of Leadership Cincinnati USA Class 33. "Music: www.bensound.com" @copyright by Authors On the Air

Join Tracy Blom in this one-of-a-kind interview with Victoria Morgan, Artistic Director of the Cincinnati Ballet. Here they discuss the various ways that ballet transforms the soul, creates a place of peace, and instills valuable lessons. Website: https://cballet.org/staff/victoria-morgan/ VICTORIA MORGAN THE SUE & BILL FRIEDLANDER ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Sponsor: Barbara & Larry Kellar Over the past 23 years, Cincinnati Ballet has experienced tremendous growth and critical success under the leadership of Victoria Morgan. Today she is one of only four female Artistic Directors of U.S. ballet companies with an annual operating budget of $10 million or more. In 2008, Morgan took on the additional role of executive leader, serving as both the Artistic Director and CEO of Cincinnati Ballet. Under her leadership, after many years of growing deficits, the Company stabilized, built an $13 million endowment, a $1.5 million operating reserve, and created major artistic productions that redefined the caliber of repertoire for Cincinnati Ballet. Morgan’s vision to lead Cincinnati Ballet into a vibrant and confident future is famed by the Company’s tour to the Joyce Theater in New York and the tour to the Kennedy Center in D.C. During her tenure at Cincinnati Ballet, Morgan choreographed numerous one-act and full-length ballets. Her most widely acclaimed works include the world premieres of King Arthur’s Camelot in 2014 and the new Nutcracker in 2011. Her newly choreographed Cinderella premiered in February 2016. Prior to coming to Cincinnati Ballet, Morgan was resident choreographer for the San Francisco Opera for nearly a decade. She was a principal dancer for San Francisco Ballet (1978–1987) and Ballet West (1969–1978). She performed lead roles for television and film, and her choreography was featured in the PBS documentary The Creation of O.M.O. She served on the boards of Dance/USA, Dance Magazine, and the NEA evaluation panel. She has been presiding judge for the New York International Ballet Competition, the Benois de la Danse Awards Gala in Russia, and The Valentina Kozlova IBC this past summer. Morgan graduated Magna Cum Laude with an M.F.A. from University of Utah and was recognized as a Distinguished Alumna in 2009. She was honored as a YWCA Career Woman of Achievement in 2009, received recognition from Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s WE Celebrate Women’s Business Awards, and served as a member of Leadership Cincinnati USA Class 33. "Music: www.bensound.com" @copyright by Authors On the Air

Join Tracy Blom in this one-of-a-kind interview with Victoria Morgan, Artistic Director of the Cincinnati Ballet. Here they discuss the various ways that ballet transforms the soul, creates a place of peace, and instills valuable lessons. Website: https://cballet.org/staff/victoria-morgan/ VICTORIA MORGAN THE SUE & BILL FRIEDLANDER ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Sponsor: Barbara & Larry Kellar Over the past 23 years, Cincinnati Ballet has experienced tremendous growth and critical success under the leadership of Victoria Morgan. Today she is one of only four female Artistic Directors of U.S. ballet companies with an annual operating budget of $10 million or more. In 2008, Morgan took on the additional role of executive leader, serving as both the Artistic Director and CEO of Cincinnati Ballet. Under her leadership, after many years of growing deficits, the Company stabilized, built an $13 million endowment, a $1.5 million operating reserve, and created major artistic productions that redefined the caliber of repertoire for Cincinnati Ballet. Morgan’s vision to lead Cincinnati Ballet into a vibrant and confident future is famed by the Company’s tour to the Joyce Theater in New York and the tour to the Kennedy Center in D.C. During her tenure at Cincinnati Ballet, Morgan choreographed numerous one-act and full-length ballets. Her most widely acclaimed works include the world premieres of King Arthur’s Camelot in 2014 and the new Nutcracker in 2011. Her newly choreographed Cinderella premiered in February 2016. Prior to coming to Cincinnati Ballet, Morgan was resident choreographer for the San Francisco Opera for nearly a decade. She was a principal dancer for San Francisco Ballet (1978–1987) and Ballet West (1969–1978). She performed lead roles for television and film, and her choreography was featured in the PBS documentary The Creation of O.M.O. She served on the boards of Dance/USA, Dance Magazine, and the NEA evaluation panel. She has been presiding judge for the New York International Ballet Competition, the Benois de la Danse Awards Gala in Russia, and The Valentina Kozlova IBC this past summer. Morgan graduated Magna Cum Laude with an M.F.A. from University of Utah and was recognized as a Distinguished Alumna in 2009. She was honored as a YWCA Career Woman of Achievement in 2009, received recognition from Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s WE Celebrate Women’s Business Awards, and served as a member of Leadership Cincinnati USA Class 33. "Music: www.bensound.com" @copyright by Authors On the Air

Welcome to ‘Feminism’, the new series of ‘Dior Talks’ podcasts, hosted by Justine Picardie. ‘Dior Talks’ creates fascinating spaces for expression, exploring the imaginations and discourses of the artists and thinkers who influence Maria Grazia Chiuri. ‘Feminism’ engages in dialogue with the women who have inspired the Creative Director of Women’s collections and taken part in bold, empowering collaborations with the House. An exceptional roster of guests shares the magic of their thinking and the key moments of their careers with biographer and journalist Justine Picardie. Here, Picardie talks to Sharon Eyal, the highly esteemed dancer and choreographer, who directs the L-E-V Company, the unconventional yet rigorous dance troupe she founded with performance curator Gai Behar.  Trained in classical ballet, she swiftly developed her own uncompromised style early in her career. She has become known for an expansive range of reference, strongly defined aesthetics and complex choreography, has won numerous major awards for her work and performed with her company worldwide. Sharon Eyal was born in Jerusalem, a self-described ‘hyperactive child’ until her parents signed her up for ballet lessons at the age of 4. From 1990 to 2008 she danced with the Batsheva Dance Company, founded by Martha Graham in 1964, and served as associate artistic director for the Batsheva Dancers Create program from 2005-12. Since its founding in 2013, L-E-V has been the arena for her profound, beguiling vision of choreography, with electronic music, fashion, contemporary art and club culture regular references. The company has performed at major venues such as the Joyce Theater, New York, and Sadler’s Wells, London, and international festivals including Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Montpellier Danse and Julidans. In this first episode of ‘Feminism’, Justine Picardie, a longtime fan, asks Eyal about her unrelenting passion for dance and movement as they discuss the central themes of freedom, physicality and flight, both corporeal and emotional. Despite its grueling realities, dance has been a release for Eyal and, intriguingly, a centering source of calm. She talks about the connection she formed with Maria Grazia Chiuri collaborating on the Spring-Summer 2019 show at which Eyal’s dancers gave a remarkable performance, an experience repeated in ‘Disturbing Beauty’, the film that presented the Autumn-Winter 2021-2022 collection. Eyal finds huge inspiration in Maria Grazia Chiuri’s designs and recognizes the importance of female movement, female expression and, most crucially, female liberation in the women’s collections.

Having studied Spanish dance and flamenco since childhood, Susana di Palma continued her apprenticeship with maestros such as Ciro, Manolo Marin, Manolete, Carmen Mora and Merche Esmeralda.   She performed throughout Spain in tablaos and with companies such as La Singla.  In 1985 she founded Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theater in Minneapolis.  Its mission has been to create innovative theater works that expand on traditional flamenco to reflect on controversial contemporary issues. Di Palma’s full length theater-flamenco ballets include:  Flor, Garden of Names, Gernika , Sadja , First, I Dream,  La Virtud Negra, Encuentros, Tales of the Black Legend, Zorro in the Land of the Yellow-Breasted Woodpecker, Convivir, Los Caprichos, Garden of Names among others. Her works have been presented at New York’s Joyce Theater, Miami’s Florida Dance Festival, St. Paul’s O’Shaughnessy Theater’s “Women of Substance Series,” and the Walker Art Center among other venues.   She choreographed Lorca’s “Blood Wedding” for the Guthrie Theater and Bethany Lutheran College.  In 2012, she was curator for the Walker Art Center’s “Choreographers’ Evening”.  In 2016, she choreographed the full-length work Lorca’s Women which was presented at The Cowles Theater.  That work won the Sage Award for Most Outstanding Choreography and was chosen as one of top 10 performances of the year by the StarTribune.In 2017, she was invited to choreograph PiCa, awork on Picasso for the New York company, Flamenco Vivo.  That work was presented at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and is part of the company’s touring repertoire. In 2017, di Palma received a McKnight Fellowship for Choreography which included a Artist Residency at MANCC – Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography. During that residency, she created Casita, a work on homeless women which was presented at The Lab Theater in 2019 and is scheduled to tour various Minnesota community theaters as part of the Minnesota State Arts Board Touring Grant.  Her puppet theater work for children Tra Ti Ti Tran Tran Toro on immigration has toured over 50 communities and is also scheduled to be part of the 2021 MSAB Touring Program.  Di Palma’s 2020 pandemic response video work Decameron 20:20 included a cast of international flamenco artists and received recognition as one of the noteworthy works of 2020 by the StarTribune. A devoted teacher, di Palma has been part of the Cowles Center’s Distant Learning Program since its’ beginning and continues as one of their Teaching Artists.   She taught at the University of Minnesota Dance Department for over 25 years.  She continues teaching at the Zorongo School where she directs and guides the Majas, apprentice program.Her work has been honored with grants from the McKnight Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board and a MRAC Next Step Grant among others.

Cheryl Boyce-Taylor in conversation with Hanif Abdurraqib to celebrate the release of Boyce-Taylor's intimate collection Mama Phife Represents, a tribute to her departed son Malik ‘Phife Dawg' Taylor of the legendary hip-hop trio A Tribe Called Quest. ---------------------------------------------------- Speakers: Cheryl Boyce-Taylor is a poet and teaching artist. She earned an MFA from Stonecoast at the University of Southern Maine and an MSW from Fordham University. Her collections of poetry include Raw Air (2000), Night When Moon Follows (2000), Convincing the Body (2005), and Arrival(2017), which was a finalist for the Paterson Poetry Prize. The founder and curator of Calypso Muse and the Glitter Pomegranate Performance Series, Boyce-Taylor is also a poetry judge for the New York Foundation for the Arts and the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice. She has led workshops for Cave Canem, Poets & Writers, and the Caribbean Literary and Cultural Center. Her poetry has been commissioned by The Joyce Theater and the National Endowment for the Arts for Ronald K. Brown's Evidence, A Dance Company. Boyce-Taylor is the recipient of the 2015 Barnes & Noble Writers For Writers Award and a VONA fellow. Her life papers and portfolio are stored at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City. Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio. His poetry has been published in Muzzle, Vinyl, PEN American, and various other journals. His essays and music criticism have been published in The FADER, Pitchfork, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. His first full length poetry collection, The Crown Ain't Worth Much, was released in June 2016 from Button Poetry. It was named a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book Prize, and was nominated for a Hurston-Wright Legacy Award. With Big Lucks, he released a limited edition chapbook, Vintage Sadness, in summer 2017 (you cannot get it anymore and he is very sorry.) His first collection of essays, They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us, was released in winter 2017 by Two Dollar Radio and was named a book of the year by Buzzfeed, Esquire, NPR, Oprah Magazine, Paste, CBC, The Los Angeles Review, Pitchfork, and The Chicago Tribune, among others. He released Go Ahead In The Rain: Notes To A Tribe Called Quest with University of Texas press in February 2019. The book became a New York Times Bestseller, was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, and was longlisted for the National Book Award. His second collection of poems, A Fortune For Your Disaster, was released in 2019 by Tin House, and won the 2020 Lenore Marshall Prize. In 2021, he will release the book A Little Devil In America with Random House. He is a graduate of Beechcroft High School. ---------------------------------------------------- Order a copy of Mama Phife Represents: https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/1551-mama-phife-represents Watch the live event recording: https://youtu.be/EBSCuT-rM94 Buy books from Haymarket: www.haymarketbooks.org Follow us on Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/haymarketbooks

Join Cheryl Boyce-Taylor and Alexis Pauline Gumbs as they discuss mothering, parenting, loss, and Cheryl's new book Mama Phife Represents. ---------------------------------------------------- Speakers: Cheryl Boyce-Taylor is a poet and teaching artist. She earned an MFA from Stonecoast at the University of Southern Maine and an MSW from Fordham University. Her collections of poetry include Raw Air (2000), Night When Moon Follows (2000), Convincing the Body (2005), and Arrival (2017), which was a finalist for the Paterson Poetry Prize. The founder and curator of Calypso Muse and the Glitter Pomegranate Performance Series, Boyce-Taylor is also a poetry judge for the New York Foundation for the Arts and the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice. She has led workshops for Cave Canem, Poets & Writers, and the Caribbean Literary and Cultural Center. Her poetry has been commissioned by The Joyce Theater and the National Endowment for the Arts for Ronald K. Brown's Evidence, A Dance Company. Boyce-Taylor is the recipient of the 2015 Barnes & Noble Writers For Writers Award and a VONA fellow. Her life papers and portfolio are stored at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City. Alexis Pauline Gumbs is a Queer Black Feminist Love Evangelist, a daughter-on-assignment and a cousin-in-the-making. She is the author of Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals, Dub: Finding Ceremony, M Archive: After the End of the World and Spill: Scenes of Black Feminist Fugitivity. She is also co-editor of Revolutionary Mothering Love on the Front Lines and co-founder of Mobile Homecoming Trust. This year Alexis is a National Humanities Fellow writing a new biography called The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde: Biography as Ceremony. Order a copy of Mama Phife Represents: https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/1551-mama-phife-represents Watch the live event recording: https://youtu.be/sr1_I0h4HZM Buy books from Haymarket: www.haymarketbooks.org Follow us on Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/haymarketbooks

Check out www.DanceConnectSeries.com for more information on each guest! Instagram: @danceconnectseries -------- Mary Grace McNally (she/her) is a dance performer, choreographer and teacher, originally from Massachusetts. In June 2018, she self-produced, directed and choreographed her first evening-length work, Not For Picking, which premiered at Theaterlab NYC. Mary Grace is honored to be the winner of the 2018 Capezio A.C.E. Award. She was also announced as ADA's National Choreographer of the Year in 2016. Mary Grace's work has been presented at The Joyce Theater, The Dance Gallery Festival, Dixon Place, Young Choreographer's Festival, Centre National de la Danse in France, and deSingel in Belgium. She has studied with artists such as Medhi Walerski, Jesse Zaritt, Adi Salant, Jermaine Spivey, Spenser Theberge, Tilman O'Donnell, and has performed the works of Doug Varone, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Katie Swords-Thurman, Emma Portner, Erica Sobol and Ryan Spencer. Most recently, Mary Grace was a featured dancer at Madison Square Garden for Phish's 2020 NYE concert, choreographed by Jon Rua. She also created new works for Divinity Dance Company (UT) and East Carolina University (NC). Mary Grace is the Artistic Director of MG + Artists, a project-based dance collective. In January 2020, she premiered her newest work, WHEN IT FALLS, at The Montalbán in Los Angeles, produced by Break The Floor. Mary Grace is a guest instructor and choreographer at competitive dance studios, workshops and universities across the country, as well as Guest Faculty at Peridance Capezio Center and Broadway Dance Center. She received her BFA in Dance from the University of the Arts in 2015. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today on Shake a Leg: goodbye 2020 what a mess, talking dance and darkness, holiday press, a Rockettes obsession we confess, and a vogueing expert... hashtag blessed. Back by Popular Demand! Molissa Fenley's "State of Darkness", recently re-staged for 7 dancers at the Joyce Theater in New York City. You can watch the performance here until January 10th and learn more about Molissa Fenley and Company here See and learn more from Cuauhtémoc Peranda about vogueing and ballroom here

Jacqueline Selesky is a professional dancer and choreographer. She graduated from Montclair State University with a BA in dance education. She was the lead soloist in Martha Graham's Daughters of the Night, performed at the Joyce Theater in New York City. Jacqueline appeared on Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have it Netflix series, as well as a dancer on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Good Morning America, and Live with Kelly and Ryan. And she also appeared in various television commercials. Jacqueline has recently started her own YouTube channel called “Fit for Faith with Jacqueline,” where she streams praise and worship dance cardio classes, and all things fitness, dance and faith. Jacqueline's experiences have allowed her to not only advance her skills as a dancer, but also as a well-rounded performing artist and educator. Vincent Ferguson: Well before we talk about your Fit for Faith with Jacqueline YouTube channel, tell my listeners more about you. Where did you grow up, and what was your childhood like? Jacqueline Selesky: I grew up in Long Island in a little town called Central Islip. And I actually grew up doing a lot. My mom had me in so many different things. She had me in basketball, Girl Scouts, and I was always doing something after school. And I'm so grateful to my mom for giving me all of these opportunities. Baton twirling too. I'm forgetting things, there's just so much. And then eventually my best friend was doing dance, so my mom allowed me to go with her to dance class. And then from there, dance took over everything. So I stopped basketball, I stopped everything else. And I just fell in love with dancing and performing. And as I grew up in that studio, I was actually afforded the opportunity to perform in Puerto Rico, perform all over the city and in Long Island. So that's my bringing up, is basically dance took over, and it was a blessing. Vincent Ferguson: Amazing. So it was the exposure to different activities that led you to dance. Jacqueline Selesky: Yeah, it definitely was. I know that everything that I was exposed to was definitely physical and social. And putting all the physical and social together, dance has made the most sense to me. Vincent Ferguson: Did you have any role models in the dance world? Jacqueline Selesky: Yes. So my dance teacher Jerilyn Diaz, actually. She basically became my sister. She was my role model all throughout my childhood. She basically wanted to be a professional dancer, but she actually ended up being a speech pathologist. So she kind of lived vicariously through me and poured everything into me. And not only did she teach me how to dance, but she taught me how to be confident, how to speak my mind. And yeah, I give a lot to her. Also my mother, she was a single mother. And as I said before, she gave me all the opportunities possible, and just seeing these powerful women in my life just do it, and go for whatever they wanted, and be confident, independent woman, really, really molded me. Vincent Ferguson: Wow. Excellent. Excellent. Now has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your work as a dancer in regards to employment opportunities? Jacqueline Selesky: Yeah! Vincent Ferguson: Really? Jacqueline Selesky: Any dancers listening will be like, "Oh yes, please. Open back up." But I mean, I'm grateful that everybody is staying safe. But it's definitely been harder. I have an agent and usually I'm sent on auditions, so I'll be running all over the city auditioning for auditions, being virtual now. Which I don't mind, because living in Long Island, I really don't want to travel to the city. But the energy is different. I'm not able to ... you're not able to connect with a casting director via a video, but it is what it is. And it's actually allowed me to pour more into what I want to do for myself with my YouTube channel. So it's been a blessing in disguise kind of thing. Vincent Ferguson: Oh, most definitely. And having a YouTube channel really doesn't hurt, because if anything, it increases your exposure, doesn't it? Jacqueline Selesky: Oh, yes, by a lot. Reaching people from all over the world, which is amazing, which you can't normally do just from a dance studio. I love the fact that YouTube has been giving me more exposure, especially during COVID, because everybody's on the computer and on their phone right now. Vincent Ferguson: Oh, exactly. Most definitely. And now you call your YouTube channel Fit for Faith with Jacqueline. Now tell my listeners where the name came from and what can they expect to experience participating in your program? Jacqueline Selesky: So Fit for Faith came about, it's funny, I wanted to start a YouTube channel six years ago. It's crazy. It's crazy how long we can put something off for, and just dream it up so much. And then the pandemic hit and it was like, well, this is the perfect time to do this. You know? So let me go ahead and just do this channel. And I knew that I wanted to do something about dance. So taking it back six years ago, hold tight. I want to do a YouTube channel about dance. And then over time I was like, well, what would that look like? That's really general. And then I started going to church. I was born again about three years ago. Vincent Ferguson: Nice. Jacqueline Selesky: And then every time I would go to church service on Sundays, I was actually in a Spanish church. I was the only English speaking person, but hey, the Word is the Word, right? Vincent Ferguson: Yes. Jacqueline Selesky: So I go to church and they would always throw me in the center during worship, and everybody would just follow me. And I felt like it was a Zumba class, like a dance cardio class but worship music. And everybody was following me and it felt amazing. And I'm like, wow, what if I did a YouTube channel that had dance cardio classes catered toward praise and worship music? And it's a little dose of church on YouTube. And then I can also speak about the word, Bible verses, little devotional videos. And help grow my faith while maybe other people need to do the same thing. And this went on, so that's where Fit for Faith came in. Vincent Ferguson: I love it. I love that. Now how important is faith to you, especially in times like these? Jacqueline Selesky: Wow. I didn't realize how much I needed to grow in my faith until this pandemic hit. It's like, I mean, we could probably all agree that it feels like it smacked us in the face. And shook us to the core. And it's still doing that. We're trying to navigate and figure out how to live in all of this. And what I realized is that faith is the only constant throughout a pandemic, throughout a breakup, throughout a divorce. Whatever somebody may be going through, that's the only thing that we can really focus on and won't change for us. And what could only happen is it can grow and become even more beautiful. So faith is important. Vincent Ferguson: Yeah. I see. I see. And you're able to express it with your YouTube channel. Now, what type of music do you have on the channel? Jacqueline Selesky: I try to have a diverse set of music each time I do a dance cardio video, and I call it praise and worship cardio classes. And we'll have gospel, we'll have Kirk Franklin, and we'll put the Bachata and even Merengue and Salsa. It's crazy how many Latin praise and worship songs there are. I'm like, wow, I didn't even know. So many of them. And also what I've been falling in love with is Soca. Soca music for praise and worship songs, I'm like, whoa. They are serious. They're like stomp up in on me. Go to my channel and you'll see what I'm talking about. They are so much fun. Vincent Ferguson: Really? Now how long has the channel been around? Jacqueline Selesky: I literally only started in August. So it's very new. Vincent Ferguson: Yes. Jacqueline Selesky: Yeah, I started it on my birthday, I turned... Oh, I'm about to tell my age. I turned 29 on August 27th. And I'm like, you know what? This last year of my 20s I want to hit with a bang, and I want to start this channel and bring more people to the light, to God, to just goodness. You know? Vincent Ferguson: Yes, and how long are the classes? Jacqueline Selesky: I literally do 20 to 25 minute classes. Because I know a lot of people don't have time to get a big workout in. And you know what? It sometimes only takes 20 minutes to get a nice workout. We don't have to do so much to get what we need and what we want. It's really how much you put into it. And I'm crazy. So on the channel, so as soon as the warmup starts I'm like, it's not really a warm up, let's go crazy. So 20 minutes, that's all we need. And honestly, every day I've been having a 90 day faith and fitness challenge. And in those videos, they're five to 10 minutes long. And I start with the Bible verse and then I give people an action step for your day. Like, open the door for somebody, something just nice to keep you in a good spirit and spread the spirit. And then we always end in a plank while praying. Vincent Ferguson: Really? Very cool, very cool. Are these live fitness classes? Jacqueline Selesky: So I've done a couple of lives, but most of them are prerecorded and then I post them up throughout the week. But I've been thinking about doing more live videos. So I'm glad that you said that, because I think the connecting with people is what I miss about teaching live classes. So look out for the live classes coming soon. Vincent Ferguson: Well once you go live, do you have a certain day and time you'll do that? Jacqueline Selesky: I want to do them on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Those are days that might be tough for people. Monday's are always like, ah, Monday, I got to wake up. Vincent Ferguson: Right. Right, exactly. Exactly. Jacqueline Selesky: You’re dragging your feet Wednesdays, and then Friday is like a celebratory, we may it. So Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Vincent Ferguson: Exactly. Would they be in the morning, afternoon, or evenings? Jacqueline Selesky: I would love to do it in the morning to start people's days off. And then hey, if they can't make the live version, it'll stay on there so they can catch it later. Vincent Ferguson: Right. Okay, so that's something that we're going to look forward to with your live classes. But now if I wanted to find your program, can I go to YouTube and just type in Fit for Faith with Jacqueline? That's how I find it? Jacqueline Selesky: Yes. That's all you got to do, is Fit for Faith with Jacqueline and you will see me. Vincent Ferguson: Perfect. Perfect. Now who would you say your target audience is? Jacqueline Selesky: That's an interesting question, because when you start a YouTube channel, all the videos, prep you say, make sure you are targeting your target audience. And to me, everyone is my audience. That's how I feel. I feel that anyone can get something positive from this channel, whether you just tune in for the videos and we do the little planks and we pray, or we do wall sits and we pray. Or you come in for the dance cardio classes. It's for everyone because the bible is for everyone, and that's what I'm talking about on my channel. And in general, just talking about living positively, spreading light and spreading love. Vincent Ferguson: Most definitely. Most definitely. Especially today. Do you see this as like a health ministry and a way to honor God with exercise? Jacqueline Selesky: Yes, definitely. Definitely a health ministry. And honestly, I'm just grateful to God that he gave me this because it's allowed me to be creative in how I produce content with dance too. You know? So it's definitely a health ministry, but you can go on there for a party too. Vincent Ferguson: Yes. Yes. Now there is a scripture in the Bible about our bodies being the temple of the Holy Spirit, but yet so many people defile the temple don't they? Jacqueline Selesky: Yes, so many. And you know what? I was one of them.   Vincent Ferguson: Okay, yeah. There you go. Jacqueline Selesky: And I've always been an emotional eater. And I know I'm not only one, but I hid that for so long. I'm like, oh, oh, it's fine. Because nobody can tell because I have a fast metabolism. Let me tell you, when quarantine hits, fast metabolism went out the door. Vincent Ferguson: Oh, yeah. Oh, yes. Jacqueline Selesky: So it changed. And God giving me this vision to do this channel has helped me be able to stay healthy. Sometimes even though I want to eat crazy and what not, having to show up for him and be on it and do these videos. And it's not just about looking good, but feeling good while I do it, because that shows. People can see, you know? It's definitely helped me to stop defiling my body because you can put in so many ways. Vincent Ferguson: How are you promoting your channel? Jacqueline Selesky: I've been on Facebook and Instagram a lot. And I also just started a TikTok. I feel very old on TikTok, I'm not going to lie. Like, how do you do this stuff? But I'm learning. So basically on those  social media platforms, and I'm thinking about going on Twitter because I've heard that's a good spot to be. I sound old I know. Vincent Ferguson: Yeah. Yes. I mean the key is promoting on every platform that you possibly can to give yourself a nice little boost. And I think Instagram is hands down one of the best, obviously Instagram. The Facebook, the Twitter, the TikTok. Because again, you may feel like that's a younger audience, but trust me, a lot of the people on there and you want to grab as many people as possible. You know? That's great. That's great, and what we'll do, I'll tag you once this comes out and I'll also promote it in Facebook, on Twitter and Instagram. And I'll put it out there as well, because I like what you're doing- Jacqueline Selesky: Thank you. Vincent Ferguson: ... for the people, for everyone. And that's important. Any age can join in with you. Correct? Jacqueline Selesky: Any age can join in with me. What's great is that a couple weeks ago my friend wasn't feeling great. Like her back, she's going through something with her back. And she came just to watch the video, because I have a bunch of girls who come and do the dance cardio video with me. And she's like, "Oh, I just came to watch today, my back really hurts." And I was like, hmm, because I'm crazy. "You can sit in the chair and you can do the warmup. And you just do arms." And I said, "I bet there's people out there who can't get up out of their chair and they want to participate, but I'm going all over the place that they feel they can't follow. Now they can follow you in the chair." And what's great is that someone definitely commented and said, "Thank you. This was a blessing that you had the woman in the chair. I followed her along the whole time." So everybody can join in no matter what age. Vincent Ferguson: You're right. Just being mindful that everyone, people who are watching you, they may not be as healthy, they may have certain conditions. And like you said, your friend who needed to be in the chair, there are so many other people watching who also are limited in their mobility and needed to see someone like them. That's so important. Awesome. Jacqueline Selesky: Exactly. Vincent Ferguson: I love it. And you don't have a lot of time on the channel, do you talk about nutrition at all? Jacqueline Selesky: I haven't spoken about it so much, I guess because I've been doing 90 days of faith and fitness challenge. So I've been into these little videos that I do every day. But that's something that I'm going to start doing in January, because I'm going to do a 21 day water fast. And I just want to be on the channel with everybody whoever wants to join me in doing that. But also I want to talk about regular nutrition, because that's not a normal thing to keep up every day, right? So just talking about nutrition and how important that is to couple alongside with fitness and then also faith. Vincent Ferguson: Oh definitely, because nutrition, believe it or not. And I tell a lot of people this, and as a trainer, that 80% of your health depends on nutrition. Jacqueline Selesky: So true. Vincent Ferguson: So much. Okay? More than some people realize. Exercise is extremely important, but if you don't have that nutrition component, you're wasting your time. Jacqueline Selesky: Exactly. That's exactly how I feel. Vincent Ferguson: Yes. And that's good. And you're leading the way, which is awesome. Now, what would you say if I said to you, try to convince someone who's on the fence who needs to do something, needs a fitness program. They're in the church and they're concerned about their health. What would you say to this person if you wanted to convince them to give it a shot? To join your class, come in and see what you're doing and be a part of the program. What would you say to them? Jacqueline Selesky: I would say, because I get not wanting to work out. I get being skeptical if it's something you're new to. Because honestly, though I grew up as a dancer, I didn't workout. You know what I mean? I didn't do anything besides dance. So when quarantine hit I was like, I need to workout. My body is starting to slow down and whatnot. This was a great introduction for me, because it allowed me to have fun and forget that I was working out. Especially for people who already go to church, who already hear the praise and worship songs. It's basically like we are in church at a party. Vincent Ferguson: Nice. Jacqueline Selesky: And we're able to work out and forget that we're working out, until after when you're drenched in sweat. And it's amazing. And my friend said this really good thing one time. She said, "When we dance, we are praising him twice." Vincent Ferguson: Wow. Jacqueline Selesky: And that just explains it all, because that's what makes you forget about it too. You're in these songs, shouting out, "Amen. Hallelujah." And have fun. Even if you're alone and you forget you're working out. Vincent Ferguson: It's like making joyful noise unto the Lord, huh? Jacqueline Selesky: Exactly. And honestly, it's one step at a time. Hey, 20 minutes is too much for you, do the first two songs and call it a day. One step at a time. Vincent Ferguson: Nice, one step at a time. Now I know you focus on the cardio, do you do any strength training? I know you mentioned planks, which is great. Jacqueline Selesky: So we've been doing the planks and we've been doing the wall sit while we pray, which is such a challenge. That's why we call it plank challenge, and wall sit challenge. To pray while we do those things because we literally do need to pray. I’m praying oh my God, please help me through these planks. But as of right now we're just doing the dance cardio and those planks and the wall sits. But as the channel develops more, I would love to do more strength training. I would love to even incorporate stretching and cool downs, and things of that nature. Vincent Ferguson: Excellent. Excellent. As you develop your channel you can offer so much more. Amazing. Tell my listeners how we can find out more about Jacqueline Selesky. Do you have a website? Can we follow you on social media? Jacqueline Selesky: I'm @Jay2reality, and then my full name for Facebook Jacquelyn Selesky. And I'm new on TikTok, so be kind to me there. But I am at Fit for Faith on TikTok. So everything is basically my name and Fit for Faith. And I'm going to be having a website soon. And I'm also going to be offering private lessons and classes, group classes for anybody who wants to personally meet me and have class one-on-one with me. Vincent Ferguson: Love it. Absolutely love it because you are an entrepreneur. Jacqueline Selesky: Thank you. Vincent Ferguson: Thank you. Jacqueline Selesky: I'm trying out here. Vincent Ferguson: Oh, you got to. You're doing that. And you're taking the right steps, you're doing the right thing. You're going to build a following, and people are going to be so into what you have to offer them and they will want to work with you. You'll lead the way Jacqueline. This is great. Any final words for my listeners? Jacqueline Selesky: I know it's hard right now out there, whatever you may be personally, in your career and your family, but just know God got you. You're going to be okay. And this is the verse I use every day, and you could use this for a man to just switch it to a he. I say, "She is clothed in strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future." Proverbs 31:25. We are going to make it. Let's dance our way through this pandemic, and we'll make it to the other side. Vincent Ferguson: Awesome. Love it. I'll take those words to heart myself. Thank you so much. Jacqueline Selesky, on behalf of Body Sculpt of New York and Six Weeks to Fitness, I truly want to thank you for coming on my show today. Jacqueline Selesky: Thank you so, so, so much for having me. Vincent Ferguson: And to my readers and listeners, I truly hope this program was informative, encouraging, and inspiring, and that you will continue tuning in to our Six Weeks to Fitness podcast. And if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the show, please leave them on my Six Weeks to Fitness blog at www.sixweekstofitness.com, or email me at Vince@sixweeks.com. And don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes. 

Cheryl Boyce-Taylor is a poet and workshop facilitator. The recipient of the 2015 Barnes and Noble Writers For Writers Award, she is the founder and curator of Calypso Muse and the Glitter Pomegranate Performance Series. Cheryl earned an MFA in Poetry from Stonecoast: The University of Southern Maine, and an MSW from Fordham University. She is the author of four  collections of poetry: Raw Air, Night When Moon Follows, Convincing the Body, and Arrival. A poetry judge for The New York Foundation for the Arts, and The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, she has facilitated poetry workshops for Cave Canem, Poets & Writers, and The Caribbean Literary and Cultural Center. Her poetry has been commissioned by The Joyce Theater and the National Endowment for the Arts for Ronald K. Brown: Evidence, A Dance Company. A VONA fellow, her work has been published in Poetry, Prairie Schooner, Aloud: Voices from the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Pluck!, Killings Journal of Arts & Letters, and Adrienne.  Her life papers and portfolio are stored at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in NYC.

Check out DanceConnectSeries.com for more information on each guest! Instagram: @danceconnectseries -------- Antuan Byers (Dallas, TX) is a graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in Dance. He holds a certificate from the Parsons School of Design and is an alumnus of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. He was a scholarship student at Dallas Black Dance Theatre and Dallas Ballet Center, and has attended summer programs including Abraham.In.Motion, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Jacob's Pillow, Northwest Dance Project, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE Dance Company, all with partial or full scholarship. Antuan has been featured in OUT Magazine, Dance Magazine, Dance Spirit Magazine, and has global campaigns with ASICS and Capezio. He has also danced for recording artists Erykah Badu, Jennifer Holliday, The Skins, and D.R.A.M. Antuan has toured internationally with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's second company, Ailey II, and has performed with The Washington National Opera Ballet, Keigwin + Co., Mark Morris Dance Company, as well as solo work by Kyle Abraham. Antuan has been an ambassador for the Joyce Theater, Company Management Assistant for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and is currently on the Steering Committee of Dance Artists' National Collective (DANC) and a founding member of the Black Caucus at the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA). Antuan is currently dancer The Metropolitan Opera Ballet, performing a diverse repertory including Christopher Wheeldon, Mark Morris, Lorin Latarro, Susan Stroman, Kim Brandstrup, Alexei Ratmansky, Sue Lefton, and Philippe Giraudeau. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Sophie Laplane was born in Paris, France and trained at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris and Paris Opera Ballet School. Sophie joined Scottish Ballet in 2004. She remained a dancer with the Company until 2017, when she became Scottish Ballet's Choreographer in Residence. She debuted “Oxymore” with the Scottish Ballet in 2013 and since has created several works, performed at home and abroad. Recently “Sibilo” premiered at the Joyce Theater, New York. She has created several works for film including, Maze, Idle Eyes and Indoors, created remotely via Zoom. Maze won Best Screen Dance Short at the San Francisco Dance Film festival in 2015. She created new versions of “Oxymore” for the Edinburgh Festival’s Light Shines On and for the Ballet Contemporáneo del Teatro San Martin in Argentina.Rachel Elderkin is a freelance dancer and dance writer based in London. Her dance writing can be also be read in the Stage, londondance.com, Exeunt and British Theatre Guide. She is a member of the UK's Critics' Circle, and has written for The Skinny (Scotland) and LeftLion (Nottingham) where she was Arts Editor.Credits:Host: Rachel ElderkinGuest: Sophie LaplaneProduction: George BushawayProduced for Fjord Review 

Episode 12 – Thomas Fonua – Haus Of Kong & Chosen Family Thomas Fonua is a formidable teddy bear. A professional dancer from the age of 16 with an Economics Degree & a Masters in Leadership and proud Mumma at The Haus of Kong.   Thomas Fonua an artist of Pacific decent with an established career as a dancer, choreographer and emerging leader. Thomas has worked for companies such as Black Grace (NZ) , Australian Dance Theatre, Red Sky Performance(Canada) and has been touring internationally from the age of 16. Thomas' alterego Kween Kong, is the Reigning Dragnation Australia Winner. With a strong focus to inspire, challenge and nurture our community with his loved based leadership style. Thomas is the recipient of The (NZ) Prime Minster's Award for Arts and Creativity(2015), Out For Australia's Emerging Leader(2019) and has recently been nominated for the Dora Award For Outstanding Choreography in Canada. Kween kong https://www.instagram.com/kweenkongofficial/ Haus of Kong https://www.facebook.com/hausofkong The House with Peta-Anne Louth https://www.facebook.com/dasafehouse The House Podcast with Peta-Anne Louth https://www.buzzsprout.com/904999         SHOW NOTES Australain Dance Theatre https://adt.org.au/ Fa'afafine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fa%27afafine Black Lives Matter https://blacklivesmatter.com/ Microaggression https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microaggression Ball Room Culture https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_culture Voguing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vogue_(dance) Talking Chief ( ‘orator' Chief known as Tulafale ) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fa%CA%BBamatai Chosen Family https://fairygodboss.com/career-topics/chosen-family Jehovah's Witnesses https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah%27s_Witnesses Stonewall Riots https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_riots Karangahape Road (commonly known as K' Road) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karangahape_Road Black Grace Dance Company https://blackgrace.co.nz/ The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Priscilla,_Queen_of_the_Desert Gender transitioning https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_transitioning#:~:text=Gender%20transitioning%20is%20the%20process,be%20non%2Dbinary%20or%20genderqueer. Thomas Fonua – Full Biography Born and raised in New Zealand, Thomas is of Indigenous Samoan/Tongan descent. He started dancing at the age of seven and at 16 was offered a two-year apprenticeship with Black Grace Dance Company. This led to a full-time position, completing his formal training and later performing as a leading part of the ensemble touring numerous works through Europe, Asia, North America and Canada. In 2010, he was invited to The Banff Centre to take part as a dancer in the Indigenous Dance Residency. He was then invited back and given the opportunity to be a part of a pilot program designed for dancers with high leadership and choreographic ability called the ‘Merit Dancer Program'. Following the success of the program Thomas became a faculty member, assisting in mentoring, choreographing and dancing with professional dancers of Indigenous heritage from all over the world. Thomas has choreographed work for The Indigenous Dance Residencies productions Backbone and TRACE, The Banff Centre's Midsummer Gala and Red Sky Performance's inSIGNia. Thomas has worked for Red Sky Performance in Canada on productions Migration (2011) and inSIGNia (2013) and has been touring internationally since the age of 16. In 2014, Thomas joined Australian Dance Theatre (ADT) as a guest artist for the Indonesian tour of Be Your Self. Soon after, he joined the professional ensemble where he made his Adelaide debut in the return season of Proximity. In 2015, he performed in the Australian national tour of Be Your Self. He also founded the ‘Ia Manuia' initiative, focussing on the slogan – ‘Pay. It. Forward.' with the vision to give back to his Pacific community and create opportunities for young members. His work, MALAGA, was performed at the Q Theatre in Auckland, New Zealand as part of the TEMPO Dance Festival. Conceived, choreographed and directed by Thomas, the work features himself and the dancers of ADT. In 2016, Thomas performed in the world premiere season of Habitus at the Adelaide Festival as well as part one of The Beginning of Nature at WOMADelaide. Later that year, he performed in the Australian premiere season of Objekt and was a featured choreographer and dancer in ADT's return season of Ignition, where he presented an excerpt from MALAGA titled The Village. Following the season, he was nominated for the Critics Circle award for Best Emerging Artist in Choreography. In 2017, Thomas performed in Garry Stewart's Doppelganger, a piece featured as part of the exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia – Versus Rodin: bodies across space and time, followed by the Melbourne premiere season of Be Your Self and the Australian national tour of Be Your Self Redux. Later that year he performed in the premiere season of The Beginning of Nature in Colombia, South America. In 2018, Thomas performed in the Australian national tour of The Beginning of Nature and international tour throughout Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium. In 2019, Thomas performed The Beginning of Nature at the prestigious Joyce Theater in New York. Following the season, he took part in the development of a new work by Garry Stewart, Supernature as part of the Pillow Lab program in Jacob's Pillow, Massachusetts. Outside of ADT, Thomas competed and won DragNational Australia under his alter ego, Kween Kong. He also established the ‘Haus Of Kong', a small business designed to create windows of opportunities for the SA LGBTQIA+ communities. Kween Kong also made some very special appearances as part of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, performing alongside Maggie Beer and Julia Zamero in The Liner Notes live show, The Blues Brothers. Kween Kong also made a guest appearance with Maude Davey in My Life In The Nude and performed with Hans (Matt Gilbertson) as part of The House Of Hans. He was also announced the Out For Australia's 30 under 30 leadership award, which recognises young leaders across the country who are demonstrating strong leadership capacity in their selected fields. Recently Thomas received support from the Scratch Festival at Griffin Theatre in Sydney to start development on his new work FAFA, a duo, physical-theatre work the examines gender in pacific culture and dissects patriarchy, gender roles and the ideology of the ‘two-spirited' people in world indigenous mythology

For twenty years, Anni Luneau has focused her passion for the performing arts in non-profit management through planned and individual giving, with an emphasis on strategic planning. Her background includes working for institutions such as New York City Ballet, the 92nd Street Y, The Joyce Theater, PEN America, and now as CEO of her own consulting firm assisting small non-profits and philanthropists in making sound donor decisions. She is also an adjunct professor at Baruch College. Additionally, she serves on the Board of Directors of Pilobolus. This episode shares her path into non-profit management, from receiving her B.A. in English and Dance at Keene State College, completing her Juris Doctor at The University of Connecticut School of Law, working as a teacher and establishing her expertise in fundraising. Anni shares her wisdom for anyone curious about considering a career in non-profit management or for young artists making decisions about hiring individuals to join their leadership team.

Neme Alperstein, a recently retired gifted education teacher of 28 years with the New York City Department of Education and partner teacher in The Joyce Theater's K-12 dance education program, shares her depth of co-curricular teaching and learning experience and her joyful tenacity in advancing educational standards. Her thirst for knowledge is ongoing as she is a doctoral student in Teaching and Learning with a specialization in Math, Science and Technology at Hofstra University. Additionally, she is a Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Teachers Network Mentor. She received a NASA Excellence in Teaching Award in 2010. Neme stresses the importance of being teachable, even while a teacher; leveraging collaboration for the benefit of all; and making the outrageous seem very possible.

Dwight Rhoden of Complexions Contemporary Ballet discusses his work "Love Rocks," set to the music of Lenny Kravitz. It debuted at New York's Joyce Theater in January 2020. For the live stage performance: costume design and construction by Christine Darch; lighting and set design by Michael Korsch; and sound design by Corey Folta. Rehearsal and performance clips heard in this episode are used with permission and courtesy of Complexions Contemporary Ballet. UnSequenced is a podcast in which we discover the stories and emotions behind the movement. Each episode dives deep into the creative process with a choreographer, documenting what compels them as an artist, what drives their artistic decisions for a particular work, and what unexpected things come up along the way.

Josh Machiz is a Philadelphia-based musician, comedian, and composer who has been confusing and delighting audiences across North America for the last 2 decades. He is a 2-Time Barrymore Award Winner and was co-recipient of an American Composers Forum Grant. He has worked with several Grammy winners and nominees, Pew Winners, a MacArthur winner, and an Obie winner. Notable collaborators include: Mickey Roker, Uri Caine, Chip Chantry, Chris Botti, Bobby Eli, Bearded Ladies Cabaret, Wilma Theater, BalletX, and Pig Iron Theater Company. The New York Times described his music as “What the mail sounds like.” CBS called TJ Kong & the Atomic Bomb “entertainingly unhinged.” The Charm City Comedy Festival describes him as “Surrealist Stand Up Comedy.” He has been entrusted to hold babies by no less than 4 mothers and has never dropped any of them. He is currently a member TJ Kong & the Atomic Bomb, Josh Machiz Brasses, Arcana New Music Ensemble, Dirty Dollhouse, Hurricane Hoss, and David Fantasy & Adult Content. He is one of Philadelphia's most in-demand bass players and sousaphonists, but plays a number of other instruments competently as well. In comedy Josh has been a Quarterfinalist in 2017 & 2019 Philly's Phunniest and a featured comedian in the 2018 Turnpike Comedy Festival on Amazon Prime. He is a regular contributor to Eavesdropping on America, a satirical podcast that The Onion mistook for earnest anthropological studies and lauded as, “consistently thought-provoking and prove[d] difficult to shake.” Josh has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Guggenheim Museum, Kennedy Center, Kimmel Center, SXSW, Charm City Comedy Fest, Joyce Theater, Vail International Dance Festival, Philly Folk Fest, 92nd St Y, La Mama, Mann Center, MusikFest, Good Good Comedy Theater, TLA, and CMJ. He co-produces Sofar Sounds Philly Comedy Shows, Grin & Beer It Comedy Show at Earth Bread + Brewery, and Young Xer's Night Comedy Shows at the Wilma Theater and he babysits on Tuesday mornings. https://www.joshmachiz.com/ https://twitter.com/PlayWith_Machiz https://twitter.com/MovieFlashMob --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Melissa Brading, a former colleague of mine from The Joyce Theater, joins Be En Pointe to share about her career as a dancer, choreographer, and movement educator. She received her BFA in Dance Education from the University of Central Oklahoma and danced professionally in Houston, TX and later in New York City for choreographers such as Hope Boykin, Amanda Selwyn, Chris Ferris, among others. Melissa worked with Avodah Dance, teaching creative dance workshops to incarcerated women. She studied the Limon technique under Alan Danielson's mentorship and now teaches for The Limon Institute. Melissa's work has been shown in the Amalgamate Artist Series, 60x60 Dance Festival, Fertile Ground, Project Dance NYC and more.  Currently, she is completing her MFA in dance at the University of Michigan. Melissa's story resonates with young artists and their parents considering the reality of making a living a working artist. She has charted a path focused on risk taking, integrity, and self-awareness. Thanks for listening to Melissa's story and journey in dance. She gives a very real and practical understanding of what being a dance artist can look like, and how to find one's anchor to navigate the challenges and thrills of working in the dance industry.  Check out her work: https://www.melissabrading.com/   Be Inspired, Be Brave, Be En Pointe!  www.emceemovement.com

Danny Buraczeski, is Professor Emeritus of Dance at Southern Methodist  University. At SMU, he taught classic jazz dance technique, composition and choreography. A classic jazz stylist for over three decades, his work has traced a clear and deep investigation of jazz, its sources and its ongoing evolution. After a career on Broadway appearing in such musicals as MAME with Angela Lansbury and THE ACT with Liza Minnelli, he founded the original New York City based JAZZDANCE in 1979. Based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul from 1992-2005, the company performed at leading concert halls and festivals in more than 35 states, in Europe, Russia and the Caribbean.Buraczeski’s choreography has been commissioned by the Walker Art Center, the Joyce Theater, the Library of Congress, the American Dance Festival, the Bates Dance Festival and the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Buraczeski was named Artist of the Year in 2000 by the Minneapolis StarTribune. He has received multiple fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, for whom he is now a regular panelist/consultant.

Welcome to Gay Travel Today! I'm Teraj and I'll be your guide as we explore, engage and indulge in the world of LGBTQ+ travel today. This is for all of you out there that are missing live theater and performances. Check out the incredible list of shows and resources offered by Joyce Theater. It features performances from around the world for anyone who loves dance. Just go to Joyce.org/BringDanceHome. Some highlights include the Royal Danish Ballet, TED Talk: Dance, the Paris Opera Ballet, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Whether you want to sit back and watch an international dance show or take an at home dance class from the comfort of your living room, this list will allow anyone to enjoy the beauty of the creative live arts no matter where you are. If there's a particular performance that you enjoyed, be sure to share with it us on social media and #GayTravelToday and also #Sagitravel. Also follow me on Instagram at @teraj08 and also follow the provider of this awesome content, @sagitravelfriendly and remember to use the Gay Travel Skill to book your next destination and also get those much needed up-to-the-date travel advisories. All you have to do is enable Gay Travel Skill on your favorite voice assistant and tell it to simply “open gay travel.” I'll catch you tomorrow, so bon voyage wherever you are!

In this episode, I am joined by dancer and choreographer, Caleb Teicher. Caleb began his dance career as a founding member of Michelle Dorrance's critically acclaimed tap dance company, Dorrance Dance, and is the recipient of many prestigious awards, including two Bessie Awards. Caleb discovered Lindy Hop through a chance encounter with swing dancers in a tap class in 2010 and has since performed in collaboration with Nathan Bugh and as part of Syncopated City Dance Company. His work has been performed at The Joyce Theater, the Guggenheim Museum, Jacob's Pillow, and on Broadway as part of Regina Spektor's residency. Caleb joined me in New York City last month to talk about learning the drums and tap dance at an early age, his rapid and unplanned trajectory in the world of professional dance, what makes the tap and Lindy Hop communities unique, and the critical role that social swing dance has played in his life and sense of community. We also discuss how his preferred role in partner dance has evolved over time, the magic of how dancing Lindy Hop simultaneously expresses its history and the present, and how his newest project, Swing 2020, aims to bring the best and brightest of modern Lindy Hop to a new audience. This episode is produced & edited by Alletta Cooper.

When Brooklyn native Ronald K. Brown and his dance company Evidence bring their signature contemporary African style back to The Joyce Theater this week with a program that honors two of the company’s seminal works and a new piece direct from its world premiere, it will mark a 35-year run in the venue. Join us for a discussion of this revered partnership with Ronald K. Brown and Executive Director of The Joyce Theater Linda Shelton in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.

Host Deardra Shuler talks with Desmond Richardson, one of the Artistic Directors of the Complexion Contemporary Ballet.  Complexions will feature its upcoming season at the Joyce Theater in NYC from January 21 – February 2nd.  Program A will feature the world premiere of “Love Rocks” a full company ballet set to works by the iconic GRAMMY Award winning singer and songwriter, Lenny Kravitz.  Photo credit for Love Rocks goes to Chad Wagner and Steven Trumon Gray, @THEGINGERB3ARDMEN; Sharen Bradford for Bach 25 Dance company photo and Woke photo by Joseph Franciosa. In the second week (Program B), the company will reprise “WOKE,” a physical reaction to the daily news. A bold and dynamic socially conscious one act ballet featuring the full company that examines our humanity in conjunction with today’s political climate.  Also  featured“BACH 25.” Set to the music of Johann Sebastian and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach will be presented as part of Programs A*and  B.

The process of grieving in the workplace often goes undiscussed. This episode connects with people who have experienced the death of loved ones while working, and explores how we might improve this journey that most of us will confront during our careers. 02:32 Sophia Park 22:25 Melissa Haber  38:33 Jim Rosenberg  59:15 Lauren Ruffin SOPHIA PARK is part of the External Relations team at Fractured Atlas. She studied neuroscience at Oberlin College, and conducted research in neurotoxicology and neurodegenerative disorders before pivoting into the arts. Before joining Fractured Atlas, she worked at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. She loves the arts, and runs a small exhibition project called Jip Gallery based in New York City. She is also a writer - you can find her writing in  Womanly (https://www.womanlymag.com/stressed-out/the-han-flowing-through-my-veins) . In her spare time, she likes to run longer than normal distances, find a good spot to go salsa dancing, or sit in front of art work she enjoys. MELISSA HABER is the Assistant Director of Volunteer & Student Services at Montefiore Medical Center. Previously, she was a Project Manager for Community Workforce Programs at Montefiore. Melissa was born and raised in southern Brazil and moved to the United States as a teenager. She has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Boston University, and master’s degrees from Sarah Lawrence College (Health Advocacy) and New York University (Arts Administration). She is passionate about increasing equity in the health care workforce, eliminating disparities in outcomes, and improving patient experience. In her previous career in Development, Melissa raised funds, wrote grants and planned events for organizations such as the Joyce Theater, Parsons Dance, and the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center. Melissa lives in Westchester with her husband, daughters (ages 10 and 13) and dog. She enjoys reading, writing, taking pictures and yoga. JIM ROSENBERG is Lecturer and Director, Corporate Engagement, Healthcare Division at the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee where he works with healthcare leaders who are transforming access, affordability, equity, and excellence in healthcare. Jim designs and delivers degree and non-degree executive education programs, and supports leaders through personalized consulting, teaching, facilitation, and coaching. Jim also works with a diverse mix of mission-driven leaders on strategy, innovation, and growth projects through Workbench, his consulting business. His background includes experience in both nonprofit and commercial organizations, including venture-backed startups, mission-driven nonprofits, and Fortune 500 corporations. Jim holds an M.B.A. from Stanford University Graduate School of Business, and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. You can learn more about Jim's work at www.linkedin.com/in/jimrosenberg (http://www.linkedin.com/in/jimrosenberg/) . 

Today's guest is Ivy Baldwin. Ivy is a New York-based choreographer, performer, teacher, and founder of Ivy Baldwin Dance. Since 1999, she has created 17 works for her company, including, most recently, commissions from BAM (Next Wave Festival), Philip Johnson Glass House, the Joyce Theater, Abrons Arts Center, the Chocolate Factory, and the Wooden Floor. Baldwin has received many awards and fellowships, including from the Guggenheim Foundation, Jerome Foundation, and New York Foundation for the Arts, and has been an Artist-in-Residence with BAM, Movement Research, ArtistNe(s)t (Romania), Manitoga and CPR (currently), and the 92nd Street Y (upcoming). For more info on this episode and Movers & Shapers: A Dance Podcast: themovingarchitects.org/podcasts

Originally from Maine, Tony Award winning lighting designer Tyler Micoleau has lived in Brooklyn for the last 24 years. He has designed extensively throughout New York as well as regionally and internationally, for world premiere plays, musicals and operas as well as outdoor spaces and touring pieces.His work can currently be seen on Broadway in The Band’s Visit at the Barrymore Theater and Be More Chill at the Lyceum Theater.Other New York designs for Lincoln Center Theater, the Public Theater, New York Theatre Workshop, Manhattan Theater Club, Atlantic Theater, Signature, Second Stage, Playwrights Horizons, New York Theatre Workshop, Vineyard Theatre, New Georges, Epic Theatre Ensemble, Page 73, Rattlestick, Barrow Street Theater, Foundry Theatre, The Play Company, Soho Rep and many others.Regional designs for the Huntington Theater, Alley Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Dallas Theater Center, the Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, Trinity Repertory Theatre, Arena Stage, Shakespeare Theater, Kansas City Rep, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Wilma Theater, Pig Iron Theatre, the Folger, Long Wharf Theater and many others.Opera designs for palm beach Opera, Dallas Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, PORTopera, Curtis Opera, Manhattan School of Music, and Connecticut Grand Opera.Dance design for Eliot Feld’s Mandance Project at The Joyce Theater, Neil Greenberg and The Chase Brock Experience.Fine art installation projects include 2×4 Tree (PIFA Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts), Åhus Sommaren 1974 (Bellwether Galleries, Chelsea NYC), Beneath the Floorboards (Ohio Theater Gallery, Soho NYC).Tyler has served on the faculty at Sarah Lawrence College and has been a visiting artist at Dartmouth College, Yale University, Bates College and his alma matter, Bowdoin College.

Ballet Hispánico, America's leading Latino dance organization, brings its bold and eclectic brand of contemporary dance to The Joyce Theater with two world premieres from March 26-31, 2019. Artistic Director and CEO Eduardo Vilaro gives us a preview. For more, visit ballethispanico.org and/or Joyce.org

Ballet Hispánico, America's leading Latino dance organization, brings its bold and eclectic brand of contemporary dance to The Joyce Theater with two world premieres from March 26-31, 2019. Artistic Director and CEO Eduardo Vilaro gives us a preview. For more, visit ballethispanico.org and/or Joyce.org

Ballet Hispánico, America's leading Latino dance organization, brings its bold and eclectic brand of contemporary dance to The Joyce Theater with two world premieres from March 26-31, 2019. Artistic Director and CEO Eduardo Vilaro gives us a preview. For more, visit ballethispanico.org and/or Joyce.org

Linda Shelton has been the Executive Director of The Joyce Theater Foundation since 1993. She was highlighted as one of “The Most Influential People in Dance Today” by Dance Magazine in 2017. She also sits on the boards of Dance/NYC, Dance/USA, and has served as a Tony Awards nominator. Under her leadership, The Joyce received the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s Liberty Award in 2011 and the William Dawson Award for Programmatic Excellence and Sustained Achievement in Programming in 2019. In this episode, Linda and Erik talk about developing the appropriate purview for a board of directors and the Joyce Theater’s community in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood. They also discuss the joint effort between Eliot Feld and Cora Cahan to transform the former movie house into a renowned home for dance.

In 2017 Linda Shelton was named among Dance Magazine's most influential people in dance today. Here's why: since 1993 she's been the Executive Director of The Joyce Theater Foundation, the NY-based non-profit that has served the dance community for more than 30 years. Before joining the Joyce, Linda was the General Manager of The Joffrey Ballet and held various management positions at the Twyla Tharp Dance Foundation and managed tours for the Bolshoi, Moscow Virtuosi and composer Philip Glass. Clearly, Linda's career is rich and varied and one that she shares in our wide-ranging conversation.