Conversations on Dance

This week’s episode of ‘Conversations On Dance’ was recorded live at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Our guest is former New York City Ballet principal and Artistic Director of the San Francisco Ballet, Helgi Tomasson. The San Francisco Ballet is performing at the Kennedy Center this week, from October 23 – 28, 2018. They will be performing six works that premiered earlier this year at the ‘Unbound’ festival in San Francisco. You can purchase tickets online at www.kennedy-center.org. This episode is supported by the Kennedy Center and Yumiko. Watch the full video of this event now: https://youtu.be/N6FlxJV3mZcThe post (112) LIVE from the Kennedy Center: Helgi Tomasson, Artistic Director of San Francisco Ballet appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by Sarah Van Patten, Principal with San Francisco Ballet. Sarah trained at Ballet Workshop of New England, and danced with Massachusetts Youth Ballet. In 2000 at age 15, she joined the Royal Danish Ballet as an apprentice where John Neumeier cast her as Juliet in his Romeo and Juliet. Soon after, she was promoted to the rank of corps dancer, one of the youngest corps dancer ever invited to the Royal Danish Ballet in its 200-year history. Van Patten joined San Francisco Ballet as a soloist dancer in 2002 and was promoted to the rank of principal dancer in 2007. We talk with Sarah about her training, traveling so far from home at such a young age to join Royal Danish Ballet, what brought her to San Francisco Ballet, and about returning to dancing after the birth of her son. This episode was recorded in April during our time at San Francisco Ballet’s “Unbound Festival.”This episode is supported by San Francisco Ballet, Yumiko, and The Kennedy Center. Get information about our live podcast recording with guest Helgi Tomasson, Artistic Director of San Francisco Ballet, on October 22, 2018 at 4pm.The post (111) Sarah Van Patten, San Francisco Ballet Principal Dancer appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Conversations on Dance we are joined from the Vail Dance Festival by Stella Abrera, Principal with American Ballet Theatre. Stella began her training in her home town of Pasadena, California. Her family moved to Sydney, Australia where she spent three years studying the Royal Academy of Dancing (or RAD). After returning to the States, Abrera joined American Ballet Theatre as a member of the corps de ballet in 1996 and was appointed a Soloist in 2001. After almost 20 years with the company and returning to the stage after dealing with a severe injusry, she was promoted to Principal Dancer in August 2015. Today we talk with Stella about her early training, how she came to join American Ballet Theatre, and some of the challenges and triumphs of her 22 years with the company.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko and The Vail Dance Festival.The post (110) Stella Abrera, Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Conversations On Dance, we talk to Daniel Applebaum, dancer with the New York City Ballet. Daniel joined the company in 2005, and quickly became one of the most depended upon dancers, regularly dancing triple bills, morphing into varied choreographic styles, and keeping dozens of ballets ready to go in his mind and body. Noted for his intelligence, elegance, musicality, and full out movement quality, Daniel continues to be an onstage force and promises to be a mind that will shape the dance world in the years to come.This episode is sponsored by Yumiko and The Vail Dance FestivalThe post (109) Daniel Applebaum, dancer with the New York City Ballet appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on ‘Conversations On Dance', we are joined by the choreographic team sweeping the modern dance world, Rashaun Mitchell and Silas Riener. The duo performed together at Merce Cunningham Dance company where they discovered their choreographic compatibility and a similar willingness to explore the way abstraction and representation coincide in the body. Their works have been presented at MoMA PS1, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, NY Live Arts, the Brooklyn Academy of Music and many other prestigious venues throughout the country. They will premiere ‘Switch' for the Joyce theater this Oct 2-6. Tickets may be purchased at www.Joyce.org . This episode is sponsored by Yumiko, The Vail Dance Festival, and QuarterMarks.The post (108) Rashaun Mitchell and Silas Riener, Choreographic Duo appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on ‘Conversations On Dance', we are bringing you a special bonus episode, with one of of most frequent guests, Alastair Macaulay. Today, Alastair has announced his decision to step down from his post as chief dance critic of the New York Times. In his years writing for the Times, Alastair's reviews became events unto themselves, illuminating the performances he saw for many avid readers. Today we talk to Alastair about the artists whose performances most inspired him, courting controversy with ‘Sugarplumgate', and what he'll miss most about the job that made him a hugely important figure in the dance world. Episode sponsored by Yumiko, The Town of Vail, and Quarter Marks.The post BONUS: Alastair Macaulay on his departure from the New York Times appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of ‘Conversations On Dance', we are joined by Boston Ballet principal Misa Kuranaga. A native of Japan, Misa first came to dance professionally in America with the San Francisco Ballet, before additional training at the School of American Ballet. In 2003, she joined Boston Ballet, where was quickly handed major soloist and principal opportunities, ultimately rising to the rank of principal dancer in 2009. We talk to her about her path to Boston Ballet, fighting through periods of uncertainty and lack of motivation, and how she continues to develop her artistry after nearly ten years as a principal.Support for this episode is brought to you by Yumiko, The Vail Dance Festival, and Quarter Marks.Enter to win a Yumiko leotard now through September 22, 2018: instagram.com/conversationsondance.The post (107) Misa Kuranaga, Boston Ballet Principal appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Conversations On Dance, we are thrilled to be joined once again by American Ballet Theatre principal Isabella Boylston. We caught up with her at the Vail Dance Festival, where we talked about her most recent season at the Met with ABT, how her second year running the Ballet Sun Valley Festival differed from the first, and her preparations for her first performances dancing Justin Peck's ‘In Creases'. This episode is sponsored by Yumiko (yumiko.com) and Quarter Marks (quartermarksquarterly.com)The post (106) Isabella Boylston, ABT Principal, from Vail Dance Festival appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Rebecca & Michael sit down to discuss this past summer, what we are up to in the coming months, and to discuss the New York City Ballet Artistic Director job description. Here is the New York Times article by Michael Cooper which we reference.We are thrilled to welcome Yumiko as our newest sponsor of Conversations on Dance. Visit their Flagship boutique in New York City featuring the all new interactive Color Bar.___________________________________________We recorded this episode before the devastating news came last week that the dance world lost two greats: Paul Taylor and Peter Frame. We did not feel it appropriate to publish this week’s episode without mentioning these two who impacted dance on a grand scale and who also impacted our careers directly.Firstly, we never met Paul Taylor, but we both had the great pleasure of dancing quite a few of his works. These works offered up some of our most memorable and challenging onstage moments. We felt as if we got to know Paul through his dances and through his repetiteurs who staged the ballets on us. We will always treasure the memories of dancing these works.As for Peter Frame, Rebecca only had a short experience with him when he came to Miami City Ballet to share his solo for ‘Episodes’ that Paul Taylor created on him. Michael had the pleasure of being his student. Whether you knew him just a short time, or came in contact with him on a regular basis, it was clear to everyone that Peter was a truly selfless, humble, beautiful human being. He truly wanted to bring joy to any person he touched. His legacy will live on through the audiences who watched him dance, and the students whom he mentored.Rest in Peace Paul Taylor and Peter Frame.The post (105) Rebecca & Michael: Summer 2018 & NYCB Artistic Director Job Posting appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Summer is almost over and many of our listeners are getting ready to head back to school. To help ease us into that transition, we sat down with the director of the Boston Ballet School, Margaret Tracey. Margaret had an illustrious 16 year career as a principal at the New York City Ballet, dancing a massive repertoire of works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Trey Mcintyre, William Forsythe and Peter Martins. Margaret began teaching at Boston Ballet School in 2005, and accepted her position as director in 2007. In today's episode, we talk to Margaret from the Vail Dance Festival about how her years as a dancer inform her work as a teacher, how she tailors teaching methods to each individual student, and how she plans to continue to expand and enrich the programs offered at the Boston Ballet School.The post (104) Margaret Tracey, Director of Boston Ballet School appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The dance world has a complicated relationship with food. Plagued with pervasive body dysmorphia, our culture is often riddled with myths and negativity regarding our diets. We spoke with dietitian Suzanne Fisher about the dance world’s unique problems with diet and what can be done to overcome them and maintain a healthy relationship with the food that fuels our art.Suzanne's website: fishernutritionsystems.com. Mention Conversations on Dance for a special 15% discount.Guidelines for Professional Dance Companies on Healthy Nutrition The post (103) Suzanne Fisher, Dietitian For Dancers appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode of Conversations On Dance, we are joined by Devon Teuscher, principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. In 2006, after completing her training at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, Devon was invited to join ABT's studio company. Consistent soloist work led to her first promotion in 2014, and following a triumphant turn as Odette/Odile in the full length ‘Swan Lake', she was promoted to principal in 2017. We sat down at the Vail Dance Festival with Devon to discuss how she pushed through difficult early years in the corps de ballet, the hours of hard work and thought that went into shaping her ‘Swan Lake', and what she wants next from her career.Photo: Sarah KehoeThe post (102) Devon Teuscher, principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us for another live Festival Forum panel discussion with Damian Woetzel and Claudia Schreier. Damian Woetzel is the Artistic Director of The Vail Dance Festival and Claudia Schreier is back creating work at the festival for a third time. We talk about Damian's beginnings at the festival and how he developed it's mission. We talk with Claudia about her roots in the Vail Dance Festival as a young intern that grew into a burgeoning career as a choreographer noticed by major companies and critics alike. (Note: This episode was recorded on August 5th, 2018.)Photo: Dandara Veiga and Chris Bloom in “Contra” at the 2018 Vail Dance Festival. Choreography by Claudia Schreier. Photo by Erin BaianoThe post Vail Festival Forum Bonus Content: Damian Woetzel and Claudia Schreier appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we talk with New York City Ballet Principal, Lauren Lovette. The last time we chatted with her was last year at the Vail Dance Festival, so this year we catch up with her, talk about her guesting gig with Royal Danish Ballet, and hear about her new work “Papillons” that premiered on August 6th, 2018 at the Vail Dance Festival. (Note: This episode was recorded on August 6th, 2018.)Photo: Unity Phelan and cast in “Papillons” at the 2018 Vail Dance Festival. Choreography by Lauren Lovette. Photo by Erin BaianoThe post BONUS: Lauren Lovette on her new work for Vail Dance Festival appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Roman Mejia is one of the newest members of the New York City Ballet, having burst onto the scene at the Vail Dance Festival fresh out of the School of American Ballet. In just his first year at the company, he’s garnered critical acclaim for numerous solo roles, and is quickly gathering momentum as a dancer to be seen. We talk with Roman about the pressures of being thrust into the spotlight so soon into his career, how he prepares for these challenges, and how coming from a ballet family has prepared him in his career. (Note: This episode was recorded on August 4th, 2018) Photo: Roman Mejia in “Pas de Deux from William Tell” at the 2018 Vail Dance Festival. Photo by Erin Baiano The post (101) Roman Mejia LIVE From Vail Dance Festival appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Merce Cunningham is one of the greatest and most influential choreographers of the 20th century. In honor of the Merce Cunningham centennial, we were pleased to host Melissa Toogood, a dancer of his works and Abi Sebaly, a Cunningham scholar. We discuss Merce’s work methods, collaborations with artists like John Cage and Robert Rauschenberg, broad influence in the avant-garde in dance and beyond, and his “Scenario,” excerpts of which were performed at the Vail Dance Festival on August 3, 2018. (Note: This episode was recorded on August 3rd.)Photo: “Scenario (an excerpt)”, International Evenings of Dance I, Vail Dance Festival, Friday, August 3, 2018, Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. Credit Photo: Erin BaianoThe post Vail Festival Forum Bonus Content: Merce Cunningham Centennial appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We sit down in Vail to catch up with The New York Times Chief Dance Critic Alastair Macaulay and discuss the Vail Dance Festival. We discuss what makes the festival so special, how it has evolved, dancers who he has watched flourish in Vail, and what makes him keep coming back for more. (Note: This episode was recorded on August 3, 2018.)Photo: Erin BaianoThe post BONUS: Alastair Macaulay from the Vail Dance Festival appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our first episode from the 2018 Vail Dance Festival. For our first live event we spoke with Justin Peck and Caroline Shaw. Justin Peck, one of the world’s most sought after and celebrated working ballet choreographers, and fresh off a Tony nomination for his work on the Broadway musical ‘Carousel’, will be premiering his first work at the Vail Dance Festival. Caroline Shaw, composer-in-residence at VDF, has been commissioned to create the score for this work. In conversation together with these artists, we will explore the possibilities of such a collaboration, from the first moments of mutual inspiration to bringing the premiere to the stage.This episode is brought to you by the Town of Vail, a sponsor helping to host the Vail Dance Festival in our community.The post Vail Festival Forum Bonus Content: Justin Peck and Caroline Shaw appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week it's just Rebecca and Michael to celebrate our 100th episode. We take the time to reflect on the past two years of Conversations on Dance by counting down our top 10 favorite episodes. We have had so many incredible guests that it was hard to narrow it down, so a few other favorite moments come up. Thank you to all of our listeners who have made these past two years of podcasting such a wonderful journey and thank you to each and every one of our guests who took the time to talk with us a spread the good word of ballet!We are heading to Vail on Tuesday, July 31st, so stay tuned for lots of content coming at you live from The Vail Dance Festival. Subscribe now on iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts to receive notifications when a new episode has been published. For more information on what we will be up to in Vail click here: https://conversationsondancepod.com/vail-dance-festivalThe post (100) Rebecca & Michael celebrate 100 episodes! appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This we we are delighted to welcome Michael Novak, the Artistic Director Designate of the Paul Taylor Dance Foundation. Raised in Rolling Meadows, IL, Michael began studying dance at age ten. In 2001, he was offered a Presidential Scholarship to attend The University of the Arts in Philadelphia to pursue training in jazz and ballet. The following year, he undertook an apprenticeship at the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet Society, where he remained until 2004. After moving to New York City, Michael was admitted to Columbia University’s School of General Studies where he was awarded scholarships for academic excellence. After being a freelance dancer in New York City for many years, Michael joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in 2010. This past May, Paul Taylor chose Michael as a successor, naming him artistic director-designate of the Paul Taylor Dance Foundation. Michael is 35 and will continue on with the company as a dancer. Today we talk with Michael about what brought him to dance, finding Paul Taylor and his choreography, and what has happened since Paul called him in March with some big news.The post (99) Michael Novak, Artistic Director Designate of the Paul Taylor Dance Foundation appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Conversations On Dance, our guest is Houston Ballet Artistic Director and acclaimed choreographer Stanton Welch. Born in Australia to two prominent ballet dancers, Welch expressed an interest in choreography almost immediately after beginning his dance training. Soon after joining the Australian Ballet as a dancer he received his first choreographic commission, and five years later he was named resident choreographer. Following major commissions at companies around the globe, Welch was appointed artistic director of the Houston Ballet. We talk to Welch about coming from a family of dancers, his choreographic inspirations, and the challenges of directing a company.The post (98) Stanton Welch, Artistic Director Houston Ballet and Choreographer appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by Ana Sophia Scheller, San Francisco Ballet Principal Dancer. The Argentinian-born dancer moved to New York at the age of 13 to study at the School of American Ballet, and later joined NYCB as a corps member in 2004 after a brief time with ABT’s Studio company. In her 13 years with NYCB, she worked her way up to the title of Principal dancing featured roles in all of the classics and originating roles in several new works. In the summer of 2017 she announced that she would make the move to join San Francisco Ballet as a Principal for the following season. We talk with Ana about her beginnings with ballet, how she joined the New York City Ballet, and what ultimately took her to San Francisco Ballet.The post (97) Ana Sophia Scheller, San Francisco Ballet Principal Dancer appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on Conversations On Dance, we speak with Dwight Rhoden, founding artistic director and resident choreographer of Complexions Dance Company. Despite a late start in dance, Rhoden danced for numerous major companies, including as a principal with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Partnering with acclaimed performer Desmond Richardson, Rhoden co-founded Complexions in 1994, a company often cited as America’s original multi-cultural dance company. With its profound commitment to diversity and new contemporary work, Complexions has achieved international acclaim. Rhoden has choreographed over 80 works for Complexions, in addition to works created for the Mariinsky Ballet, the New York City Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet, and many others. Today we talk to Dwight about his beginnings as a dancer, what’s next for Complexions and the work he most recently created at San Francisco Ballet’s Unbound festival.The post (96) Dwight Rhoden, Artistic Director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by Mathilde Froustey, Principal Dancer with San Francisco Ballet. Mathilde started dancing at the age of 9 in the South of France before going on to study at the Paris Opera Ballet School in 1999. In 2002 she joined The Paris Opera Ballet where she would dance numerous Principal roles for over a decade. In January 2013 she accepted an offer from Helgi Tommasson to join the San Francisco Ballet as a Principal. News of her leaving Paris Opera made waves, as she was the first top-notch dancer to leave the company in years. Today we talk with Mathilde about her career and her time dancing with both Paris Opera and San Francisco Ballet. She offers us especially interesting insight into Paris Opera and how the company is run, which is a stark contrast to companies in the United States. The post (95) Mathilde Froustey, Principal Dancer with San Francisco Ballet appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by Katita Waldo, Ballet Master with San Francisco Ballet. Katita trained at San Francisco Ballet School, prior to joining the company in 1988 and becoming a Principal dancer in 1994. She performed Principal roles in a diverse repertory of works by acclaimed choreographers including George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Lar Lubovitch, Helgi Tomasson, and Christopher Wheeldon before retiring from the stage in 2010. In 2008, SFB Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson asked Katita to serve as Ballet Master for 2 world premiers. These experiences ultimately lead to her full-time appointment to the position upon her retirement. Today we talk with Katita about her career, he first experiences in the front of the room setting ballets, adjusting to her new role as Ballet Master, her process for learning ballets before coming into the studio, and her role in the ‘Unbound' festival.This episode is sponsored by San Francisco Ballet and Body Wrappers/Angelo Luzio.The post (94) Katita Waldo, Ballet Master with San Francisco Ballet appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast, we are joined in San Francisco by one of the world’s most in demand choreographers, Christopher Wheeldon. Having trained at Royal Ballet, Wheeldon was taken into the company, but soon transferred to the New York City Ballet, where he rose to the rank of soloist. His choreographic talents were soon recognized and while still in his twenties, he was named resident choreographer of the New York City ballet. He was shortly after in demand at major companies all over the globe, including the Bolshoi Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and the Royal Ballet. In 2014, he made his Broadway directorial debut with ‘An American in Paris’, a production that garnered him a Tony for his work as choreographer. We talk with him about what it was like finding his voice as a young choreographer, how he made the transition to broadway, and what continues to inspire his work.The post (93) Christopher Wheeldon, Choreographer appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we bring you an episode we recorded at New York City’s Guggenheim museum in January. We wanted to catch up with New York City Ballet Principal Dancer, Sara Mearns, and Jodi Melnick, contemporary choreographer to hear about their Works and Process at the Guggenheim that they were putting together. We chatted with the pair quickly between rehearsals, so we could offer our listeners a preview of this work “One of Sixty-Five Thousand Gestures/ NEW BODIES” that will be going to the Spoleto Festival in Charelston, South Carolina June 7-10. For more information about the festival and performances running May 25-June 10th, visit Spoletousa.org. To get tickets to see Sara and Jodi, search “NEW BODIES” on the Spoleto website, or click here. The post (92) Sara Mearns and Jodi Melnick at the Guggenheim appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our final bonus episode from San Francisco Ballet’s Unbound festival. Just as with last episode, today we will be talking with 3 different dancers in the company about what ultimately led them to SFB and about their experience at the Unbound festival. These episodes were recorded in the first few days of the festival around April 20th. First up today, we talk with Lauren Strongin. Next we are joined by Principal Ulrik Birkkjaer who just finished his 1st year with the company. Finally we sit down with soloist Julia Rowe. The post BONUS: San Francisco Ballet Dancers Ep. 2 appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BONUS: San Francisco Ballet Dancers Ep. 1. Welcome to our 1st of two bonus episode wrap ups of San Francisco Ballet’s Unbound festival. In each episode we will be talking with 3 different dancers in the company about what ultimately led them to SFB and about their experience at the Unbound festival. These episodes were recorded in the first few days of the festival around April 20th. To start off this episode, we sit down and chat with Principal Dancer, Luke Ingham. Next, we welcome Benjamin Freemantle who was just promoted to soloist. And lastly, we talk with Principal Dancer Jennifer Stahl.The post BONUS: San Francisco Ballet Dancers Ep. 1 appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are happy to be sharing with you a recording of our live event at SF MOMA last month. We were pleased to be able to sit down and talk with San Francisco Ballet Principal Dancer, Sofiane Sylve, as a part of a live lecture put together by the San Francisco Based organization, “Words on Dance.” We talk with Sofiane about launching her career at only 14, her time dancing with New York City Ballet, what brought her to San Francisco Ballet, and about her aspirations to be an Artistic Director. Just before we started recording, Words on Dance founder Deborah Kaufman introduced us to the audience. This episode is sponsored by Body Wrappers/Angelo Luzio, Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami, and Words on Dance. Learn more about the work Words on Dance is doing at wordsondance.org.The post (91) Sofiane Sylve, LIVE From SF MOMA appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on ‘Conversations On Dance', we are joined by esteemed choreographer Trey McIntyre, whose second work for the San Francisco Ballet recently premiered in the company's Unbound Festival. Trey's rise to prominence as a choreographer began when Ben Stevenson, then director of the Houston Ballet, created the position of choreographic apprentice for him. He has gone on to choreograph works for the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Stutgartt Ballet and many others. In 2005, he found his own dance company, the Trey McIntyre Project, which was an immense critical success and was lauded for its innovative business model. Trey has recently added photographer to his list of considerable talents, with his work being published by the New York Times, The Washington Post and the Boston Globe. To see and support Trey's photographic work, check out patreon.com/treymcintyre.The post BONUS: Choreographer Trey McIntyre from SFB's Unbound Festival appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to another live podcast from San Francisco Ballet. In this episode we are joined by festival choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. This episode is a recording of a live “Meet the Artist” event that took place before a performance of the Unbound festival on April 22nd. For more live content like this from other San Francisco Ballet performances, please check out San Francisco Ballet’s podcast network on iTunes. Stay tuned to Conversations on Dance for regularly programmed Monday episodes, as well as continued bonus content from our time in San Francisco. Enjoy, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, LIVE from San Francisco Ballet's Unbound Festival.We are back from San Francisco where we recorded a massive 26 episodes that are waiting to be published on your feed. We chatted with world class choreographers about their careers and work including Christopher Wheeldon, Stanton Welch, and Edwaard Liang, ballet master Katita Waldo, as well as some of the remarkable dancers of San Francisco Ballet, like Sarah Van Patten, Ana Sophia Scheller, and Sofiane Sylve. Subscribe now on iTunes to recieve notifications of new episodes when they are published. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for some behind the scenes content and new episode alertsEpisode sponsored by Body Wrappers Angelo LuzioThe post (90) Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, LIVE from San Francisco Ballet's Unbound Festival appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by choreographer and dancer, Myles Thatcher, LIVE from San Francisco Ballet's Unbound Festival, and his collaborators for his new ballet ‘Otherness’, costume designer Sylvie Rood, and nonbinary artist, Kersh Branz. This episode was recorded from a live “Meet The Artist” event before the opening of Myles’ ballet at the Unbound festival at San Francisco Ballet. For more live content like this from these events, please check out San Francisco Ballet’s podcast network on iTunes. Stay tuned to Conversations on Dance as we continue to bring more content to you directly from the festival.The post BONUS: Myles Thatcher, LIVE from San Francisco Ballet's Unbound Festival appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are with Justin Peck, LIVE from San Francisco Ballet's Unbound Festival in a live “Meet The Artist” event before the opening night of San Francisco Ballet's Unbound Festival. We talk about his career, his process, and about the concept behind his new ballet for SFB, “Hurry Up, We're Dreaming.” Stay tuned this week for more from the festival coming soon!The post (89) Justin Peck, LIVE from San Francisco Ballet's Unbound Festival appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are bringing you the first of a series of podcasts recorded live in San Francisco. San Francisco Ballet is kicking off its ‘Unbound’ Festival tonight, an event that will span 17 days and feature the world premieres of 12 choreographers. Our first guest is Dores Andre, a principal dancer here with the company, who is to be featured in 4 of the premieres.The post BONUS: Dores André from SFB's Unbound Festival appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shelby Williams, Biscuit Ballerina. On this week's podcast, our guest is Shelby Williams, dancer at the Royal Ballet Of Flanders, and creator of internet sensation Biscuit Ballerina. Shelby began her career with Houston Ballet II, before shortly moving on to several major companies in Europe. In addition to the Royal Ballet Of Flanders, she has danced with Dresden Ballet, Barcelona Ballet and Ballet D'Europe.Shelby created an alternate instagram personality ‘Biscuit Ballerina', a hysterical parody starring a technically deficient, and bafflingly confident dancer butchering her way through the classical canon. While these videos are riotously funny, they are also Shelby's commentary on how perfection obsessed ballet dancers can be. Today we talk to Shelby about her own dancer career, how ‘biscuit ballerina' was born, and what she hopes followers of this persona take away from the account.If you aren't following @biscuitballerina on Instagram yet, we highly recommend it. Check out our sponsors: Body Wrappers and Sudio Sweeden (use promo code DANCE at checkout).The post (88) Shelby Williams, Creator of Instagram's ‘Biscuit Ballerina' appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s just Rebecca and Michael this week, together from New York City, as they return to discuss some of the feedback received after last week’s episode. They also discuss a recent article on dancers' and negativity (10:30), and how a dancer’s perspective on their career changes post retirement (16:29). They return to their interview format next week, and the following week will be reporting from San Francisco Ballet to cover their Unbound Festival. Subscribe now so you won’t miss a moment!The post (87) Dancers' Negativity and Perspective Post-Retirement appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's just Rebecca and Michael this week as they sit down to discuss some of the stories that have been making news recently. We talk about Misty Copeland's epic and graceful response to a Twitter troll last week (7:55) and discuss Avichai Scher's article for the Huffington Post, “The Me Too Moment Is Ballet's Chance for a Turning Point” (16:15). We will be going to San Francisco April 20-25th to partner with San Francisco Ballet to bring you coverage from their massive “Unbound” Festival, which will feature 12 new works by 12 choreographers in 17 days (34:48). Subscribe now to Conversations on Dance in iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts to automatically be notified when new episodes are available.The post (86) Misty Copeland's Clap Back & Ballet's Chance for a Turning Point appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we welcome Caitlin Trainor, Artistic Director of Trainor Dance and Founder of Dancio. Named one of the 25 to watch in 2016 by Dance Magazine, Caitlin is a performer, choreographer, and a member of the faculty at Barnard College. Caitlin fell in love with dance and choreography during her time in college at Skidmore, where she became determined to carve out a career for herself in the field. And indeed she did. She has been prolific in the field ever since, founding her own company, Trainor Dance, in 2011. Last year Caitlin launched her newest venture, Dancio, a website that offers on-demand videos of ballet classes with some of the best teachers in the world. Today we talk with Caitlin about how she came to love dance, how she pursed her dream of a career in dance, and founding her own company. We find out more about Dancio: how the idea came about, and what she sees in it’s future.***We are thrilled to announce that we will be working with San Francisco Ballet April 20th-25th to cover their massive “Unbound: A Festival of New Works.” Unbound will feature 12 choreographers creating 12 world premiers on the dancers of SFB, that will premier over 17 days. We are so thrilled to be partnering with the company to bring this ground breaking festival to you through Conversations on Dance. To make sure you don’t miss a moment from San Francisco, follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and subscribe to Conversations on Dance via iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. You won’t want to miss it. ***The post (85) Caitlin Trainor, Artistic Director of Trainor Dance and Founder of Dancio appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we welcome back costume designer duo, Reid Bartelme and Harriet Jung. We first had them on the pod in 2016 in episode 21, where we talk with them about how they became interested in fashion, how they met each other, and about their work. This time we met up with them in person back in January at the Guggenheim Museum, the site of their newest project. We talk with them about what they have been up to since we last spoke, including their time as fellows at Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU, then we get a preview of their upcoming event as part of the Works & Process at the Guggenheim. On March 25th and 26th, the pair will be presenting new work in collaboration with their favorite clients and choreographers, Lar Lubovitch, Pam Tanowitz, Jack Ferver, Gwen Welliver, and Burr Johnson. As part of the program Barteme and Jung will participate in a moderated discussion led by fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi on March 25 and New York City Ballet principal dancer Adrian Danchig-Waring on March 26. Dancers include Reid Bartelme, Maggie Cloud, Jack Ferver, Russell Janzen, Burr Johnson, Harriet Jung, and Stuart Singer with singer Tiffany Abban accompanied by pianist Patrick Gallagher.  If you are in New York City, you won’t want to miss Reid and Harriet atWork & Process at the Guggeheim March 25th and 26th. For tickets, visit guggenheim.org and use Promo code “COD” for $25 tickets.The post (84) Reid and Harriet on their Works & Process at the Guggenheim appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we head back in our archives to our time at The Kennedy Center in October of 2017. With this episode we are delighted to share an inside look into the world of arts administration. We are speaking with Meg Booth, Director of Dance Programming at The Kennedy Center. Meg attended the University of Notre Dame where she recieved a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She began her work in the arts at North Carolina Dance Theatre before joining IMG Artists as an Associate. She went on to work with Twyla Tharp and Mikhail Baryshnikov before landing at The Kennedy Center as the Marketing Manager. After 4 years in that position, in 2007, Meg would become responsible for all the dance seen on Kennedy Center stages. Hear her talk about her journey, how she decides what companies and works to bring to Kennedy Center audiences, and the puzzle of logistics she goes through to bring these world class performances to fruition.As a note, we wanted to bring this episode to you in conjuction with the announcement of The Kennedy Center’s 18-19 season of dance. Since this was recorded in October, it was before the final performances of The Suzanne Farrell Ballet. Since Meg is the administrative Director of The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, we talk at length about the company and what was expected from the final performances. For more on what is coming to the Kennedy Center in their new season, visit tkc.com/newseason.The post (83) Meg Booth, Director of Dance Programming at The Kennedy Center appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week it is just Michael and Rebecca, taking some time to catch up. Rebecca has a big announcement to make, we talk changes happening at New York City Ballet and what it means for ballet as a whole (30:10), and we discuss what is coming up for Conversations on Dance (44:07).This episode is sponsored by Sudio headphones. Start listening to Conversations on Dance today with Sudio headphones. We are happy to be able to offer our listeners 15% off any purchase when you use promocode DANCE at checkout. To take advantage of this offer, go to https://goo.gl/fAH3D6.  The post (82) Michael and Rebecca on Retirement & Changes in the Ballet World appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are presenting our final episode recorded from the Vail Dance Festival in August 2017. Today we sit down with Matthew Neenan, PA Ballet Choreographer in Residence & Co-founder of BalletX. Matthew began his dance training at the Boston Ballet School, later continuing his studies at the School of American Ballet. From 1994-2007 Neenan danced with the Pennsylvania Ballet. In 2006, Matthew received the New York City Ballet’s Choreographic Institute’s Fellowship Initiative Award, and in 2007 was named Choreographer in Residence at Pennsylvania Ballet. His work has been performed at the Washington Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Ballet West, and many others. In 2005, Matthew co-founded BalletX with fellow dancer Christine Cox. BalletX has toured and performed Neenan’s choreography in New York City at The Joyce Theater and The Skirball Center, at the Vail Dance Festival, and at Jacob’s Pillow. Today we talk with Matthew about his dancing career, his choreography, how the evolution of Pennsylavnia ballet has changed his work, the founding of BalletX while still dancing, and the hopes and dreams he has for the company going forward.The post (81) Matthew Neenan, PA Ballet Choreographer in Residence & Co-founder of BalletX appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by Reid Bartelme and Jack Ferver, hosts of the podcast “What’s Going on With Dance and Stuff.” We have had Reid on the podcast before to discuss his work as a costume designer, so tune into episode 21. Today we get to know Jack a little more when he tells us about his acting career, his choreography, and how ballet and other art forms inform his work. The two are close friends and they talk about how they met, how they collaborate, and how they decided to start their podcast “What’s Going on With Dance and Stuff.” After recording this episodes, Reid and Jack turned the tables on us and interviewed us for their pod. Dance podcast worlds collide this week on Conversations on dance.If you have yet to tuned into “What’s Going on With Dance and Stuff” we highly reccommend you check them out. New episodes go live on Fridays, and you can even go back and find the episode when they had us as guests. Find them on iTunes and subscribe today!The post (80) Reid Bartelme and Jack Ferver, hosts of ‘What’s Going on With Dance and Stuff' appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are joined by Amy Brandt, Pointe Magazine Editor-in-Chief. Amy invited us to the Pointe headquarters in New York City and gave us a tour of their beautiful offices before we sat down to chat. Amy dance professionally with Milwaukee Ballet and The Suzanne Farrell Ballet among others. During her ballet career, she pursued her college degree part-time, while also beginning to write for Pointe Magazine, starting with her advice column, “Ask Amy.” Amy graduated summa cum laude from Marymount Manhattan College with a BA in English and World Literatures, and currently serves on its advisory board. She has been the editor in chief since 2014. Today we talk with Amy about getting a college degree while dancing full time, what she sees as her responsibility as the editor of the ballet world’s most widely read publication, and some of the tough issues facing ballet today.The post (79) Amy Brandt, Pointe Magazine Editor-in-Chief appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are joined by two of our close friends, former Miami City Ballet Principal Dancer, Patricia Delgado, and current MCB Principal, Renan Cerdeiro. Patricia has been on our podcast quite a few times in the past, so to hear more from Pat, visit our past catalog of episodes. Renan was born in Rio de Janiero, Brazil and started dancing at a young age. In 2008, he was named a finalist at the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland, and was awarded a scholarship to train at Miami City Ballet School. He joined MCB in 2010, and was promoted to Principal in 2013. Patricia and Renan often danced together at Miami City Ballet, and became one of the company’s most beloved onstage couples. We caught up with the pair when they were guesting as The Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavelier in Next Generation Ballet’s Nutcracker this past December. Hear them talk about their first time dancing together, what makes their partnership so special, their experience dancing Romeo and Juliet together, and what it feels like to reunite here in Tampa with Next Generation Ballet.The post (78) Renan Cerdeiro, MCB Principal, & Patricia Delgado, Former MCB Principal appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we have a wonderful bunhead episode in store, with one of our favorite guests, The Chief Dance Critic of the New York Times, Alastair Macaulay. Alastair and Michael are together in Michael’s New York City apartment, while I call in to join the conversation. Today we are focusing on two of the most important choreographers of the 20th century: George Balanchine and Frederick Ashton. If you listen to the pod, you have heard us speak of Balanchine, and are likely a fan yourself, but we haven’t covered Ashton much, until today. Mr. Macaulay has been preparing for a lecture he will be presenting at the New York Public Library on February 5th on the subject of these two choreographers. Alastair offers us a wonderful preview of the content he will cover, tells stories of the two choreographic greats, and compares and contrasts their work.Alastair will be presenting the annual Lincoln Kirstein Lecture, “Ashton and Balanchine: Parallel Lives” at the New York Public Library on February 5th at 6pm. This event is co-presented by The Center for Ballet and the Arts at New York University and The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. For more information, visit NYPL.org.The post (77) Ashton and Balanchine: Parallel Lives with Alastair Macaulay appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are bringing you another episode from Next Generation Ballet in Tampa. We sit down with esteemed New York City Ballet Principals Sara Mearns and Amar Ramasar who were performing as guest artists for NGB’s “Nutcracker” this past December. Sara has been on the pod before, so if you haven’t heard our interview with her, check out episode 24. Amar and Sara have been dancing together since they joined the company in 2000 and 2003 respectively. They have had works created on them and surrounding their partnership by countless choreographers including Justin Peck, Peter Martins, Chris Wheeldon, and Alexei Ratmansky to name a few. Today we talk with them about what makes a successful partnership, how they worked through some difficult times, why they work so well together, and they share with us some of their favorite onstage moments together.The post (76) Sara Mearns and Amar Ramasar, New York City Ballet Principals appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the podcast we are tackling a subject that we find of immense interest to students and parents in our travels to schools across the country: does having a career in ballet mean forgoing college? Our guest this week is a Harvard Graduate and an Los Angeles Ballet Soloist who shows that it’s possible to do both. This week we talk with Elizabeth Claire Walker, who always dreamed of a career in ballet, and had parents who strongly valued her education. She trained as a teenager at American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. After being accepted at Harvard, she pushed on with her ballet career, attending company auditions and being discovered by Los Angeles Ballet in their inagural season. Liz defered college and headed to LA to start her career. An experimental summer-school stint in Cambridge in 2007 made Walker fall in love with Harvard and gave her the push she needed to pursue her degree. She continued dancing while attending college, suffering an injury that made her hesitant to re-enter the world of professional ballet so soon. After graduating, she was re-hired at LA Ballet, and was recently promoted to soloist. We talk with Liz as a part of our time at the Vail Dance Festival in August of last year. We have such an enlightening talk with Liz that we truely reccommend for all parents with children who wish to pursue a career in ballet.The post (75) Elizabeth Claire Walker, Los Angeles Ballet Soloist and Harvard Graduate appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we continue our coverage of Next Generation Ballet’s Nutcracker by speaking with Philip Neal, Artistic Director of Next Generation Ballet. Philip began his training at the age of 11 at the School of Richmond Ballet, where he was recognized by Edward Villella and offered a scholarship to the School of American Ballet. He joined the New York City Ballet in 1987 becoming a Principal in 1992. He went on to dance lead roles in the vast majority of the company’s rep, and was invited to guest with many companies including the Kirov Ballet and Paris Opera Ballet. After a 23- year tenure with City Ballet, 17 of those years as a Principal, Philip was invited by The George Balanchine Trust and The Jerome Robbins Rights Trust to become a Repetiteur, staging the ballets of both legendary choreographers throughout the world. From 2010-2013, he directed developmental efforts in Palm Beach County on behalf of Miami City Ballet before being appointed the Artistic Director of Next Generation Ballet & Dance Dean of the Patel Conservatory at the Straz Center in Tampa FL, one the largest performing arts center in the United States. Today we talk with Philip about his career, how he discovered his talent for arts development, get some teaching pointers, and learn more about the great work he is doing at Next Generation Ballet.The post (74) Philip Neal, Artistic Director of Next Generation Ballet and Former New York City Ballet Principal appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceCOD MerchListen to COD on YouTubeJoin our email listSponsorship information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.