This week we are continuing our conversation about teaching ballet classes online during the COVID-19 pandemic. We talk with Gavin Larsen, a former principal dancer with Oregon Ballet Theatre, now living in Asheville, NC, where she teaches and writes about dance. After training at the School of American Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet School, she danced with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Alberta Ballet, and the Suzanne Farrell Ballet before joining OBT. For the first half of this episode, we get to know Gavin by chatting about her extensive career. Starting around 35 minutes in, we dive into how she is adapting to teaching online, how she is articulating corrections, how to combat challenges for specific students, and what positives we can take from this time. ALSO: along the theme of Zoom classes, we know that ballet students and professionals alike are feeling a huge sense of missing out as we navigate this pandemic. Summer courses are being cancelled across the country, and here on Conversations on Dance, we often discuss how important summer courses are for dancer development. This is why we are exploring offering Conversations on Dance Zoom classes as a way to supplement your current training regimen, in an affordable way. We want to test the waters and see what kind of interest there might be. So, this Thursday, May 21st, 2020 at 4pm EST, we will be offering a FREE Zoom Intermediate/Advanced ballet class for the first 10 people who email us. Sign up now to take class with Rebecca and Michael, by emailing [email protected] and we will send you the Zoom info! Get in touch now!This episode is brought to you by Yumiko (yumiko.com).The post (185) Gavin Larsen on Teaching Online appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we talk with Nancy Richer, founder of Richer Movement. Nancy Richer was born and raised in New York City and danced with The Royal Danish Ballet, The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, The Los Angeles Ballet, and Twyla Tharp Dance. By founding Richer Movement, she developed her movement method based on the warm ups and cross training she did during her career as a professional ballerina. Nancy was ahead of the curve, teaching ballet and movement classes online before COVID-19 shifted dance training online for the rest of us. We talk with her about tips and tricks to navigating this time as a student and a teacher, online teaching practices, and how to shift your perspective when you aren't able to be in the studio.Train with Nancy and get 25% off when you use promocode COD2020 at richermovement.com.Catch Nancy on Yumiko's Instagram Live for Wellness Wednesdays. Join in every Wednesday and stay moving at home! This episode is brought to you by Yumiko (yumiko.com).The post (184) Nancy Richer of Richer Movement on Teaching Online appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we are joined by Mikko Nissinen, Boston Ballet Artistic Director. Born in Helsinki, Mikko began his dance training at age ten with The Finnish National Ballet School, and launched his professional dance career at age 15 with The Finnish National Ballet.  He went on to continue his dance training at The Kirov Ballet School in St. Petersburg, Russia. He danced professionally for 19 years, with Dutch National Ballet, Basel Ballet and as a principal dancer with San Francisco Ballet. In 2001 he was appointed Artistic Director of Boston Ballet.Now nearly 20 years into his tenure as director, we talk with Mikko about his training and early career, his ambition to always be learning more about ballet, his aspirations to run a large company, and how he landed with his position at Boston Ballet. Mikko also talks with us about leading the organization through numerous crises, including navigating the current COVID-19 pandemic.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko. The post (183) Mikko Nissinen, Boston Ballet Artistic Director appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the pod, Rebecca and Michael fill out a Balanchine masterwork tournament bracket to crown the ultimate Balanchine ballet. In March, two students at Indiana University sent us an email: they were missing March Madness and decided to create a bracket for Balanchine Masterworks as a fun activity for the dance department. They were kind enough to share their bracket with us. So today, we each fill out our bracket, share our results, and defend our choices. Our bracket discussion starts at time marker 16:00.Follow along with us (file below and on conversationsondancepod.com) and be sure to share your winner with us! Share your bracket on social media and tag us: @conversationsondance.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko. (yumiko.com). Introducing Yumiko at home. Post a picture or video wearing your favorite yumiko  and be entered to win a free piece. Just follow them on Instagram, @Yumiko, tag them in your post, and use #yumikoathome. They are choosing a winner every Friday, so be sure to click over to their Instagram for all the details. Remember you can shop online anytime at yumiko.com.  The post (182) Rebecca and Michael: Balanchine Masterworks Tournament Bracket appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by our friend, Tricia Albertson, Principal dancer with Miami City Ballet. Raised in Santa Cruz, CA, she began her ballet training at The Studio School of Classical Ballet. She attended summer programs at San Francisco Ballet School and the School of American Ballet (SAB) before joining SAB for the year-round program in 1995. In 1997 she joined Miami City Ballet as a corps member and was promoted to Principal in 2006. In her 22 years with Miami City Ballet, Tricia has danced most of the corps, soloist and principal roles in the company’s repertoire.We talk with Tricia about her time at SAB, her early years at Miami City Ballet, how the company has changed in 22 years, and even as she has now been with the company longer than any member in Miami City Ballet history, she is still being pushed and growing as an artist. This episode is sponsored by Yumiko. (yumiko.com)A special note: We are working to put together an episode dedicated to the challenges of Zoom ballet/dance classes in our current climate. We want to hear from teachers how they are coping with issues like correcting without a full picture (or correcting in 2D), keeping focus from students (particularly younger ones), trying to instill musicality with timing issues on the app, etc. If you are a student, we want to hear from you some of the challenges you are facing and some of the things you need from your teachers. If you have any questions you would like to see us answer, or would like to contribute to any of that latter topics, please get in touch with us. You can email us at [email protected] or send us a DM on Facebook or Instagram, @conversationsondance. Subscribe to this podcast through your favorite app to be automatically notified when this new episode is released. The post (181) Tricia Albertson, Principal with Miami City Ballet appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by Mira Nadon, New York City Ballet Corps de Ballet dancer. Mira began her ballet training at the age of six at the Inland Pacific Ballet Academy in Montclair, California. She attended summer courses at the School of American Ballet (SAB), in 2014 and 2015, before entering SAB full-time for the 2015 winter term. In November 2017, Ms. Nadon became an apprentice with NYCB and joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in November 2018.We talk with this rising star about her training, joining NYCB as an apprentice at just 16, and her career accomplishments at such a young age.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko (yumiko.com).Photo: Nadon in Peter Martins' The Sleeping Beauty. Erin Baiano, Courtesy NYCBThe post (180) Mira Nadon, New York City Ballet Corps de Ballet dancer appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by our friend, Jovani Furlan, soloist with New York City Ballet. Born in Joinville, Brazil, Jovani started dancing at the age of 11 at The Bolshoi Theater School in Brazil. In 2010 he participated in the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, and was offered a full scholarship to attend the Miami City Ballet School by Edward Villella. He began his training at the MCB School in 2011 and joined Miami City Ballet in 2012. He was promoted to soloist in 2015 and was named an MCB principal dancer in 2017. Jovani joined NYCB as a soloist in August 2019.We talk with Jovani, who we both danced with for many years in Miami, about his origins with ballet, why he had his eye on coming to dance in the US, joining MCB during the directorship transition, and how his new position at New York City Ballet came about.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko (yumiko.com)The post (179) Jovani Furlan, Soloist New York City Ballet appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In January and February we put together a higher education series to explore dance programs in schools across the country. Today we are adding to this distinguished list of programs as we talk with the Juilliard School's Director of the Dance Division, Alicia Graf Mack. Alicia enjoyed a distinguished career as a leading dancer of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She has also been a principal dancer with Dance Theatre of Harlem and Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and she has danced as a guest performer with Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet. She graduated from Columbia University and holds an MA in nonprofit management from Washington University in St. Louis. She began her inaugural season as director of the Juilliard Dance Division in the fall of 2018.Each year 24 new dancers are accepted into Juilliard's four-year BFA program. In addition to the daily ballet and modern technique classes, every dancer participates in classical and contemporary, partnering, dance composition, anatomy, acting, dance history, stagecraft, production, music theory, repertory, and elements of performing. In today's episode, Alicia tells us about her career, dealing with injuries, her personal experience with higher education, and what ultimately landed her at the Juilliard Dance Division. For information on admissions, please visit juilliard.edu/admissions. During this time of quarantine, Alicia has taught a beautiful online class that can be accessed on Juilliard's website: https://www.juilliard.edu/school/news/media-gallery. Be sure to follow Juilliard on their social media channels for more content from faculty, current students, and alumni, as they unify all this creativity under #JuilliardThrives. Conversations on Dance is brought to you by Yumiko (yumiko.com). Photo by Rachel Papo.The post (178) Alicia Graf Mack, Director, Dance Division at the Juilliard School appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Rebecca and Michael connect via Skype from quarantine. We discuss some options of ballet related content to consume while the world is social distancing during the Coronavirus Pandemic. We list some online class options, resources for dancers who are out of work, and our favorite dance related books, movies, and much more. This list was put together based on internet research and content that we are familiar with. Pointe Magazine and Dance Magazine are also offering a lot of great up to date resources. Conversations on Dance is brought to you by Yumiko. (Yumiko.com)Remember to please follow CDC guidelines and the direction of your local officials during this time. We are hoping to be able to bring our listeners content to help take your mind off of everything, if just for a short time. During this time, we will not be following our regular publishing schedule, so follow us on social media to stay up to date on our new content. Below is a list that includes links to the items we discuss in this episode.ONLINE CLASSES: Kathryn Morgan YouTube Channel, World Ballet Day Videos, John Clifford Class with Portland Ballet, Miami City Ballet School Class via Dance Spirit, Men’s Class (PNB Summer Course 2018), PNB School Class (Summer 2016), Herman – Dance Live by Herman Cornejo on YouTube, and Ashley Bouder just launched a YouTube Channel. INSTAGRAM RESOURCES FOR CLASS: Martha Graham classes via @marziamem @lloydknight, Tiler Peck via @tilerpeck, Juilliard class available at @juilliardschool, and @vaildancefest is cataloging a lot of what your favorite dancers are doing during this time. PLACES TO TAKE BALLET CLASS ONLINE OUTSIDE OF INSTAGRAM OR YOUTUBE: Dancio (offering two free weeks of classes due to Coronavirus), Veyette Virtual Ballet School, 1on1 Ballet, and Ballet Beautiful.HOW CAN WE HELP DANCERS DIRECTLY DURING THIS TIME? If you are a dancer, get in touch with the Actor’s Fund or explore these freelance dancer resources. The Dance Union Podcast is starting a GoFundMe for NYC Based Dancers. Tell Congress to include displaced entertainment workers in relief package via Action Network.MOVIES: The Red Shoes (Amazon Prime), Billy Elliot (Netflix), Center Stage (Netflix), Turning Point (Amazon Prime), White Knights (Amazon Prime), Black Swan (Hulu, Amazon Prime), Oklahoma (Amazon Prime), Carousel (Amazon Prime), Singin’ In the Rain (iTunes), On The Town (iTunes), American In Paris (Amazon Prime), Top Hat (Netflix), West Side Story (Netflix), Fame (Netflix.)BOOKS: Repertory In Review (Nancy Reynolds), Apollo’s Angels (Jennifer Homans), Winter’s Season (Toni Bentley), Holding Onto the Air (Suzanne Farrell), The Unmaking Of a Dancer (Joan Brady), Once a Dancer (Allegra Kent), Balanchine (Bernard Taper), Margot Fonteyn (Alastair Macaulay).VIRTUAL ART: 12 museums with virtual tours, stream the Met Opera via Metopera.org, and John Clifford's YouTube Channel. Video of the Italian Opera singer on his balcony. We will be putting out emails with some of our favorite episodes chronologically, so go to our website to sign up for our email list to get an email with a featured episode from our older catalog.The post (177) Rebecca and Michael: Quarantine Guide for Ballet Dancers and Fans appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In light of the impact that the Coronavirus is having on the arts community, not to mention the world, we are shining some light on one of the ways that you can stay in shape during these times of social distancing. Today we are talking with friends of the pod, Francis Veyette and Lauren Fadeley Veyette, founders of Veyette Virtual Ballet School. We catch up with them to hear about their personalized virtual training, coaching, and mentorship programs. They tell us about new offerings that they are putting together in order to serve the demand within the dance community during this time. If you are looking for ways to keep dancing during this quarantine, you will definitely want to hear more about what Fran and Lauren are doing.Listen to our first episode with Fran in episode 28 and Lauren in episode 30. Get in touch with them through their website: veyettevirtualballetschool.com.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko (yumiko.com). The post (176) Veyette Virtual Ballet School is exactly what you need right now appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we bring you our final episode from the 2019 Vail Dance Festival! Today we speak with Gil Boggs, Colorado Ballet Artistic Director. Gil began his dance career with the Atlanta Ballet and he joined American Ballet Theatre in 1982. In 1991 he was promoted to Principal Dancer and danced with the company for 17 years. Boggs also performed with the Twyla Tharp Dance Company, Baryshnikov and Company, Nureyev and Friends, and made several guest appearances around the world. Boggs accepted the position of Artistic Director with Colorado Ballet in the Spring of 2006. We talk with Gil about his distinguished career, his transition after retiring from the stage, how his directorship at Colorado Ballet came about, and some of the ways he has been able to grow the company. This episode is brought to you by The Town of Vail, Yumiko (yumiko.com), and The Veyette Virtual Ballet School (veyettevirtualballetschool.com). The post (175) Gil Boggs, Colorado Ballet Artistic Director appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Conversations on Dance, we are joined by Michael Montgomery, dancer with Alonzo King LINES Ballet from the 2019 Vail Dance Festival. Michael was born in Long Beach, CA, trained at the Orange County High School of the Arts and studied at the Alvin Ailey School in the Certificate program. In 2011 he graduated from the Alonzo King LINES Ballet BFA Program at Dominican University of California. In 2010, he joined LINES Ballet and was named to the list of “25 to Watch” by Dance Magazine in 2013. We talk with Michael about his origins in dance, the BFA program at Dominican University, what a typical day is like as a member of LINES, and what it is like working in the studio with Alonzo during his creation process. This episode is brought to you by The Town of Vail, Yumiko (yumiko.com), and The Veyette Virtual Ballet School (veyettevirtualballetschool.com). The post (174) Michael Montgomery, Alonzo King LINES Ballet appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are happy to bring you our full conversation with celebrated Choreographer, Pam Tanowitz, from the 2019 Vail Dance Festival.  We spoke with Pam from a Live panel event at Washington DC’s Kennedy Center in episode 140 and we were thrilled to be able to get some time to speak with her more in depth about her career and work.  As a choreographer, Pam Tanowitz is known for her abstract treatment of classical and contemporary movement ideas. Her work is deeply rooted in formal structures, manipulated and abstracted by her until the viewer sees through to the heart of the dance. In 2000, Tanowitz founded Pam Tanowitz Dance (PTD) to explore dance-making with a consistent community of dancers and has since choreographed works for some of the world’s most renowned dance companies, including The Martha Graham Dance Company, Paul Taylor American Modern Dance and New York City Ballet. She has been commissioned by The Joyce Theater, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Vail Dance Festival, and many other leading arts institutions.Today we talk with Pam about how she studied choreography, what inspires her, how she works in the studio, and about her work created for the Vail Dance Festival. This is  book Pam references towards the end of the episode: Pas de Deux: A Textbook on Partnering.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko, the Town of Vail, and The Veyette Virtual Ballet School (veyettevirtualballetschool.com).The post (173) Pam Tanowitz, Choreographer appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by our friend, Kate Penner. Kate received her early dance training from Arlington Center for Dance, now BalletNova, in Arlington, VA and participated in the Kennedy Center's Dance Theatre of Harlem Residency Program and Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell.  She attended and graduated from Harvard University, where she worked with Heather Watts and Damian Woetzel, performing ballets such as George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, Serenade, and Who Cares?  Upon graduating, Kate has enjoyed a freelance career in the Boston area. Kate has taught ballet and math as a faculty member of both Boston Ballet School and Harvard's Department of Mathematics, and has been a part of the Vail Dance Festival team since the start of Damian Woetzel's tenure as Artistic Director in 2007.In this episode we discuss the article from the Guardian in November 2019 that asks, “Does ballet have a race problem?” Kate offers her thoughts and reactions to this topic that has been at the forefront of discussion in the ballet world over the past few months. Conversations on Dance is sponsored by Yumiko (yumiko.com) and The Veyette Virtual Ballet School (veyettevirtualballetschool.com).The post (172) Kate Penner, on Ballet's Race Problem appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the past few weeks we have been examining different college dance programs including Indiana University and St. Mary’s College’s LEAP Program. This week we are concluding our higher education series on Conversations on Dance, with an in depth look at the University of Southern California’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. We are joined, for a second time, by the program's vice dean and director, Jodie Gates.We first spoke with Jodie in episode 137, where we talk with her about her distinguished career dancing with Joffrey Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and guesting with companies around the world. Today we have the opportunity to hear more about her work at USC Kaufman, her role in helping to found the program in 2012, what students can expect from the program, and where their graduates are now.For more information on USC’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance visit kaufman.usc.edu. This episode is brought to you by Yumiko (yumiko.com) and The Veyette Virtual Ballet School (veyettevirtualballetschool.com).The post (171) Jodie Gates, Director of USC's Glorya Kaufman School of Dance (part two) appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are continuing our higher education series on Conversations on Dance by introducing you to an incredibly unique program.  Today we chat with Stephanie Miller, the Associate Director at St. Mary’s College's LEAP Program.  Stephanie began dancing at the age of three, and received her BA in Dance from Saint Mary's College, as well as an MFA in Choreography and Performance from Mills College.  She danced primarily with Paufve Dance from 2002-2011, and has performed with several other Bay Area dance companies. In July 2017, she returned to her alma mater to step into the role of Associate Director for the LEAP Program or Liberal Education for Arts Professionals. LEAP is a program that brings higher education to current or former professional dancers with 2 or more years experience, in a way that works with students’ busy schedules.  Stephanie tells us about her personal experience in dance, how the LEAP program came about, her role in the program, and how the program is looking to expand in order to serve more professional artists.  For more information visit https://www.stmarys-ca.edu/leap.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko (yumiko.com) and The Veyette Virtual Ballet School (veyettevirtualballetschool.com). The post (170) Stephanie Miller, the Associate Director at St. Mary’s College's LEAP Program appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, in episode 168, we talked about Michael's coming out of retirement for Nutcracker guesting. Unfortunately due to scheduling, this episode was cut short, so in a BONUS episode this week, we are finishing that chat, and taking a few detours along the way!The post BONUS: Rebecca and Michael: Nutcracker Gigs, Part Deux appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Conversations on Dance higher education series.  Over the next few weeks, we will be talking with individuals from different college  dance programs across the country.  This week we are joined by Carla Körbes, former Pacific Northwest Ballet Principal Dancer and Associate Professor of Music in ballet at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.  Carla was born in Brazil and in 2000, she joined the New York City Ballet as a member of the corps.  In 2005 she joined Pacific Northwest Ballet where she would dance as a Principal Dancer until her retirement in 2015.  Since retiring, she worked as associate artistic director for LA Dance Project, before accepting her position at Indiana University. We talk with Carla from the 2019 Vail Dance Festival about her position at the University, what the students' curriculum and daily life is like, and how these dancers are uniquely set up for company life.  For more information on the program, visit music.indiana.edu.  Listen to our last chat with Carla about her career from 2017 in episode 55. This episode is brought to you by Yumiko (yumiko.com), The Town of Vail, and The Veyette Virtual Ballet School (veyettevirtualballetschool.com).The post (169) Carla Körbes, Associate Professor of Music in Ballet at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nutcracker may be over, but this week Rebecca and Michael sit down to catch up and discuss Michael's Nutcracker gigs. Rebecca asks Michael about coming out of retirement for his return to the Nutcracker this past December. We chat about how he prepared, what the rehearsal process was like, and we get nostalgic over other Nutcracker memories from years past. This week we are happy to welcome a new sponsor, Veyette Virtual Ballet School. Be sure to check them out: veyettevirtualballetschool.com. As always, thank you to Yumiko for their continued support of COD: yumiko.com.The post (168) Rebecca and Michael: Nutcracker Gigs appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, for our first episode of 2020, we are joined by Hope Boykin, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Dancer, from the 2019 Vail Dance Festival. Hope is from Durham North Carolina, and attended Howard University. She was a student and intern at the Ailey School before going on the join the company. She was an original member of Complexions, was a member of Philadanco, and received a New York Dance and Performance Award, or Bessie Award. We talk with Hope about her journey with dance as a youth, the challenges she faced, her now 20 years with Ailey, her work as a choreographer, and her personal podcast. Hope brings such light and optimism to this chat, and we can’t wait to share her with you!This episode is brought to you by Yumiko (yumiko.com) and The Town of Vail.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comMerch: https://bit.ly/cod-merchYouTube: https://bit.ly/youtube-CODJoin our email list: https://bit.ly/mail-CODInstagram: @conversationsondance Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined from the 2019 Vail Dance Festival by Joseph Gordon, New York City Ballet Principal Dancer.  Joe was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and began his dance training at the age of five at The Phoenix Dance Academy. He began studying at the School of American Ballet during the 2006 summer course and enrolled as a full-time student that fall. In August of 2011, Mr. Gordon became an apprentice with NYCB.  He worked his way through the ranks for the next 7 years and in October 2018, he was promoted to principal dancer.  We talk with Joe about how his job at New York City Ballet came about, some of his first opportunities, his 6 years in Vail, and some of his favorite memories from the festival.This is our final episode of 2019.  Thank you to all of our listeners for your continued support during our 3rd year of Conversations on Dance.  We will be on a break over the holidays and will return with an all new episode on January 6th.  See you in 2020.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko (yumiko.com) and The Town of Vail.The post (166) Joseph Gordon, New York City Ballet Principal Dancer appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined from the 2019 Vail Dance Festival last summer by Charlotte Landreau, dancer with Martha Graham Dance Company.  A native of France, she trained first as a rhythmic gymnast, where she was the third in France.  With her sights set on the Olympics, an injury forced her career trajectory to shift.  She attended the Béjart School in Switzerland, studying acting and dance, before coming to NYC to study at the Martha Graham School.  She joined the Martha Graham Dance Company in 2013.  She speaks with us about how her training as a rhythmic gymnast influences her dance career, the challenges of seeing the career she dreamt of slip away, how she made a quick transition into the dance world, and how she connected so deeply with the Graham technique.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko (yumiko.com) and The Town of Vail.The post (165) Charlotte Landreau, Dancer with Martha Graham Dance Company appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined from the 2019 Vail Dance Festival this past summer, by Christopher Grant, New York City Ballet dancer.  Christopher was born in Jamaica, Queens. He began his dance training at the School of American Ballet (SAB) in 2002.  In August 2015, he became an apprentice with NYCB and joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in August 2016.  We talk with Chris about his training, the struggles of moving from student life to company life, how he hopes that he can set an example for students coming through the school, and his second year at the Vail Dance Festival.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko and The Town of Vail.YUMIKO's new Holiday Collection is the perfect way to get winter-ready this season!  The Holiday Collection ships within 2-3 days.  Available to order at www.yumiko.com.The post (164) Christopher Grant, New York City Ballet Dancer appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are sharing with you a live podcast recording from the 2019 Vail Dance Festival. Here we speak with Visual Artist Kenneth Parris III and dancer Melissa Toogood on Tuesday July 30th, 2019.   Kenneth had many of his Merce Cunningham paintings and drawings featured throughout the festival this year, and many of these pieces feature Cunningham dancer and his wife, Melissa Toogood. We sit down to chat with this duo about their artistic partnership and their relationship to the works of Merce Cunningham.  This episode is brought to you by Yumiko (yumiko.com) and the Town of Vail.The post (163) Kenneth Parris III and Melissa Toogood, LIVE from Vail Dance Festival appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Conversations on Dance, we talk with dancer turned photographer, Erin Baiano from the Vail Dance Festival. If you follow Vail Dance Festival on social media, it is Erin's beautiful photos that tell the story of the festival, from rehearsals to performances.  Erin grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and attended the School of American Ballet before joining American Ballet Theater.  She danced with ABT for 6 years before retiring from the stage.  She quickly found a love for photography and was rented by culture photographer, Paul Kolnick.  Her work has been published in Vanity Fair, Time Out NY, Entertainment Weekly, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, New York Magazine and various other publications.  Hear Erin talk about her dance career (including her role in the movie, ‘Center Stage'), about how she became interested in photography, how Paul taught her how to photograph dance, and her role at the Vail Dance Festival.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko and the Town of Vail.The post (162) Erin Baiano, Dancer Turned Photographer appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined from the 2019 Vail Dance Festival by Adji Cissoko, dancer with Alonzo King LINES Ballet.  Adji grew up in Munich, Germany where she trained at Ballet Academy Munich. She attended the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre on full scholarship, before joining the National Ballet of Canada in 2010. In 2014, she joined LINES Ballet. We talk with Adji about her training, her long audition process to find the right company for her, how she shifted her goals for her career, and why LINES Ballet is the perfect place for her.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko (yumiko.com) and The Vail Dance Festival.The post (161) Adji Cissoko, Dancer With Alonzo King LINES Ballet appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, on Conversations on Dance, we are joined by Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director of Ballet Hispánico. Eduardo recounts his early years adjusting to New York City life as a Cuban immigrant, what it was like building his first company from the ground up, and how Ballet Hispánico has carved out an identity for itself that is unique in the dance world.Ballet Hispánico, America's leading Latino dance organization, returns to the Apollo Theater on November 22 & 23 to celebrate the power of the Latina voice with works by all female choreographers. This season includes the world premiere of Anabelle Lopez Ochoa's ‘Triburones,' as well as the return of ‘Nací' by Andrea Miller and Michelle Manzanales' ‘Con Brazos Abiertos.' Tickets begin at $13.50 and are available by phone at (800) 745-3000 or online at www.apollotheater.org.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko (yumiko.com).The post (160) Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director of Ballet Hispánico appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on COD, we are joined by New York City Ballet dancer India Bradley. With a history of dance in her family, India began her training in her home state of Michigan. After training at DTH and SAB, India was accepted into NYCB. After just one year in the company, she has proven to be an in demand talent elsewhere, with a spate of additional performing opportunities that have included the Ashley Bouder Project, Vail Dance Festival and BalletCollective. We talk to India about her early experiences at NYCB, her experiences with a multitude of side projects and what the leadership transition at NYCB has been like for the newest generation of dancers.This episode is generously supported by Yumiko (yumiko.com), Vail Dance Festival, and BalletCollective. Conversations On Dance would like to take this opportunity to invite you to an evening of dance and music that finds NYCB soloist Troy Schumacher's trailblazing BalletCollective collaborating with the groundbreaking orchestral collective The Knights. Comprised entirely of dancers from the New York City Ballet, and featuring world premieres by two of its dancers, Schumacher and Preston Chamblee, the evening will build on BalletCollective's tradition of creating forward-thinking, collaboration driven art that reflects the world we live in.Hailed by the New York Times as being ‘unforced, experimental and refreshing', BalletCollective has been at the forefront of collaborative art for nearly a decade. Don't miss their performances at the Gelsey Kirkland Arts Center in Brooklyn, this Oct 23, 25 and 26. You can purchase tickets at www.balletcollective.com/tickets. The post (159) India Bradley, Dancer with New York City Ballet & BalletCollective appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are joined by Houston Ballet Principal Dancer, Connor Walsh. Born in Fairfax, Virginia, Connor began his training at the age of seven under the direction of his mother Constance Walsh. He has trained at The Kirov Academy of Ballet, The Harid Conservatory, and Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy. In 2004, Walsh joined Houston Ballet’s company as a member of the corps de ballet. He was quickly promoted to soloist in 2006 and then to principal dancer in 2007. Connor talks with us about how his mother influenced his early dance training, his experience looking for the right school for him, Houston Ballet’s director transition when he was just a student, and what it is like dancing in Houston.If you are in the New York City area, catch Connor and his fellow dancers onstage later this month at City Center. From October 24 through 26, 2019, Houston Ballet will celebrate its 50th Anniversary Season at New York City Center with a program of contemporary works showcasing the Company’s diverse talents. Seldom seen on the East Coast, this performance marks the Company’s largest engagement in New York since 2013 and their first program at City Center since 1986. Tickets start at $35 and can be purchased online at NYCityCenter.org, by calling 212.581.1212, or in person at the City Center Box Office.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko.  Shop now at yumiko.com.The post (158) Connor Walsh, Houston Ballet Principal Dancer appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Conversations on Dance, we are joined by New York City Ballet dancer Preston Chamblee. Preston hails from North Carolina, where he began his dance training. After dancing at the School of American Ballet, Preston was accepted into the New York City Ballet and shortly after began to dance featured roles in ballets like ‘Morgen', ‘Rodeo' and ‘Year of the Rabbit'. Preston has recently branched out into the world of choreography and was selected as BalletCollective's 2019 choreographer in residence. We talk to Preston about his experiences as a NYCB dancer, what inspires him as a choreographer, and how he balances his dual roles. This episode is sponsored by Vail Dance Festival and BalletCollective.This episode is sponsored by Yumiko (yumiko.com), Vail Dance Festival, and BalletCollective.Don't miss Ballet Collective's performances at the Gelsey Kirkland Arts Center in Brooklyn, this Oct 23, 25 and 26, 2019. You can purchase tickets at www.balletcollective.com/tickets.The post (157) Preston Chamblee, Dancer with New York City Ballet appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined from the 2019 Vail Dance Festival by Julian MacKay, first soloist at the Mikhailovsky Theatre.  Born in Montana, he quickly discovered his passion for ballet as a young boy, moving to Russia to train at just 11 years old.  He went on to train at the Moscow State Ballet Academy for six years, graduating top of his class. He danced for 8 months at the Royal Ballet before returning to Russia to join the Mikhailovsky as a soloist at just 20 years old.  We talk with Julian about his fascinating journey through ballet curriculums in Russia, how the schools and companies work there, about his debut in the full-length Swan Lake with two weeks to prepare, and his first time at the Vail Dance Festival.Conversations on Dance is brought to you by Yumiko (yumiko.com) and The Town of Vail.The post (156) Julian MacKay, First Soloist with Mikhailovsky Theatre appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week it's just Rebecca and Michael.  We sit down to go through the responses from our listener survey.  We talk about some of the statistics that came to light from our questionnaire, go through some of the guest requests, talk about the ins and outs of creating the podcast, and go through your feed back.  If you have not yet taken our survey, it's not too late: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9XVM5KJ.If you wish to request a guest or put us in touch with a potential guest, email us at [email protected] episode is brought to you by Yumiko, yumiko.com.The post (155) Rebecca & Michael Respond to COD Listener Survey appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by Christine Shevchenko, Principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre.  Christine was born in Ukraine, where she was chosen to train in rhythmic gymnastics and ballet at an Olympic school.  At eight years of age, she moved with her family to the United States where she trained for nine years at Pennsylvania Ballet’s Rock School.  In 2003, Christine became the youngest recipient of the Princess Grace Award. She won a Bronze Medal in the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, and a Gold Medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition.She joined American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company in August 2006 and moved through the ranks, being promoted to Principal in September 2017.   We talk with Christine from the Vail Dance Festival about her intense early training in Ukraine, dancing at the Rock School, her career at ABT, and her first time at the Vail Dance Festival. This episode is brought to you by Yumiko and by the Town of Vail, a sponsor helping to host the Vail Dance Festival in our community.  Please take a moment to fill out our 9 question listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9XVM5KJThe post (154) Christine Shevchenko, Principal with American Ballet Theatre appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by Yumiko Takeshima, founder of dance wear company, Yumiko.  Yumiko began dancing at the age of four in Sapporo Japan.  At the age of 14, she moved to San Francisco to study at San Francisco Ballet School.  Yumiko went on to dance with various companies, before ultimately ending up at Dutch National Ballet where she danced for over a decade.  While at Dutch National, out of neccessity, she started to design her own leotards in 2002.  Soon, word of her designs spread and the orders were pouring in.  She would rehearse all day, then return to her apartment and sew throught the night to fulfill orders.  After retiring from the stage, in April 2014, Yumiko has continued to grow her massive dance brand by focusing on designing and developing new styles and products for the company.  This episode is brought to you by Yumiko.  Our listener survey can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9XVM5KJThe post (153) Yumiko Takeshima, Founder of Yumiko appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's just Rebecca and Michael this week, breaking down everything that happened surrounding Lara Spencer's comments on Prince George studying ballet on Good Morning America.  We are guessing that this story may have made it on your radar over the past few days, but we are here to break down the dance community's reaction, why it was important, and how Good Morning America reacted on Monday morning.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko.  Please take a moment to fill out our 9 question listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9XVM5KJThe post (152) Boys Dance – Our Reaction to Lara Spencer and GMA appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are bringing you a live podcast recording from the Vail Dance Festival with New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Lauren Lovette.  We catch up on what she has been up to since we saw her last summer, talk about her choreography, and her position of Artist in Residence this year at the festival.  Unfortunately, we again had a technology glitch during this episode and are bringing you an iphone audio recording of the event.  As you know, this audio is not up to our usual quality, but Lauren’s chat with us was just too good not to bring to the masses.  Thank you for your understanding.  This episode was recorded live on August 4th, 2019. This episode is brought to you by Yumiko and The Town of Vail.The post (151) Lauren Lovette LIVE From Vail Dance Festival appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are bringing you a live podcast recording from the Vail Dance Festival with Jookin superstar, Lil Buck.   Charles “Lil Buck” Riley is an dancer, actor and model from Memphis, Tennessee who specializes in a style of street dance called jookin. He gained popularity after director Spike Jonze used his cell phone to record an interpretive performance of “The Dying Swan” by Lil Buck and Yo-Yo Ma.  Li' Buck has been a long time favorite of the festival since 2011.  Lil Buck is the founder of Movement Art Is, an organization focused on using movement artistry to inspire change in the world.  This episode was recorded live on July 31st, 2019. Watch the video of this live event here: https://bit.ly/2MRqcNsThis episode is brought to you by Yumiko and The Town of Vail.  This live podcast was recorded at Manor Vail Lodge.The post (150) Lil Buck LIVE From Vail Dance Festival appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are bringing you a live podcast recording from the Vail Dance Festival with Festival Artistic Director Damian Woetzel and Janet Eilber, Martha Graham Dance Company Artistic Director.   The pair talks with us about the Graham legacy, their roles as artistic directors of their respective organizations, and what audiences can expect to see from the Martha Graham Dance Company this year in Vail.  This episode was recorded live on August 8th, 2019. This episode is brought to you by Yumiko and the Town of Vail.  This episode was recorded at Manor Vail Lodge.The post (149) Damian Woetzel & Janet Eilber LIVE from Vail Dance Festival appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are bringing you a live podcast recording from the Vail Dance Festival with New York City Ballet Principal Tiler Peck. In her 11th year at the Vail Dance Festival, Tiler continues to explore her work as a choreographer with a revival of last year's premiere ‘Lincoln Square' and new premiere to Caroline Shaw's ‘Thousandth Orange'. We talk to her about her choreographic inspirations, and the thought process behind her latest work. This episode was recorded on August 6, 2019.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko and the Town of Vail.  This episode was recorded at Manor Vail Lodge.The post (148) Tiler Peck LIVE from Vail Dance Festival appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we sit down with choreographer Pam Tanowitz from the Vail Dance Festival.  We spoke with Pam from a Live event at Washington DC’s Kennedy Center in episode 140 and today we get to chat with her about her new creation for Vail.  This is a small excerpt of a longer conversation on her work that we will be publishing in the coming weeks.  In this bonus episode, Pam gives us some insight into her new piece she is creating here at Vail Dance Festival that will premiere on Monday August 5, 2019 for NOW Premieres.This is  book Pam references Pas de Deux: A Textbook on Partnering.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko and the Town of Vail.  This episode was recorded at Manor Vail Lodge.The post BONUS: Choreographer Pam Tanowitz from Vail Dance Festival appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New York City Ballet up-and-coming corps member, Roman Mejia, sits down with us from the Vail Dance Festival.  We talk about his year of dance since we last saw him in Vail, working with Edward Villella, and on performing Alexei Ratmansky's ‘Fandango' here at Vail Dance Festival on August 2nd, 2019.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko and the Town of Vail.  This episode was recorded at Manor Vail Lodge.The post BONUS: Roman Mejia of NYCB from Vail Dance Festival appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer, Herman Cornejo, sits down with us from the Vail Dance Festival.  We talk about his year of dance since we last saw him in Vail, his 20th anniversary with ABT, and about what he is dancing this year at the festival.  You will want to listen to the end where he shares some BIG news with us!This episode is brought to you by Yumiko and the Town of Vail.The post BONUS: Herman Cornejo of ABT From Vail Dance Festival appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are bringing you a live podcast recording from the Vail Dance Festival on the Vail premiere of “The Little Prince.”  We are joined by choreographer, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and BalletX dancer who dances the title role in the peice, Roderick Phifer.  This episode was recorded on July 29th, 2019, one day before the ballet will hit the stage here in Vail on  the evening of July 30th.Tune into our previous chat with Annabelle in episode 90.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko, the Town of Vail, and was recorded at the Manor Vail Lodge.The post (147) Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Roderick Phifer, on ‘The Little Prince' appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are brining you a live podcast recording from the Vail Dance Festival with American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer, James Whiteside.  This episode was recorded on July 27th, the morning before the premier of his newest work, “New American Dream.”  Unfortunately, we did come up against some technical difficulties, so we are sharing this episode from a backup file, with a little lower quality than we are used to.  We appologize for the inconvenience, but we felt that this conversation with James was too enjoyable for our audience to miss.  Enjoy. The post (146) James Whiteside LIVE From Vail Dance Festival appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we have the pleasure of diving into one of the works that will be presented this year at the Lake Tahoe Dance Festival, Agnes De Mille’s ‘The Other.'  We speak with dancers Stephen Hanna (formerly of NYCB) and Abi Stafford (Principal at NYCB) who will be performing this work at the festival. We are also joined by Diana Gonzalez-Duclert, who is setting the ballet on Stephen and Abi. Diana assisted Ms. De Mille in setting the ballet on American Ballet Theatre in 1992. We caught up with this trio at the end of their week long rehearsal process to prepare the work for the festival. We talk about why this work is so significant, the challenges that come along with dancing De Mille ballets, and talk through the story line. Diana tells us why it is so important that companies like New York Theatre Ballet, Ballet Arkansas, and Alabama ballet continue to present De Mille works in their repertoire.The Lake Tahoe Dance festival is July 24-26. Tickets are on sale at laketahoedancecollective.org.We would like to mention that we were unfortunately unable to deliver our usual sound quality for this episode.  Because we could not geographically be together for this interview, all 5 of us skyped in to discuss this work.  We appreciate your understanding that sometimes these things are out of our control, but it was important for us to bring this episode to you, as we find what Diana, Abi, and Stephen had to say about this work fascinating, and important.  Thank you.This episode is sponsored by Yumiko (yumiko.com) and Lake Tahoe Dance Festival (laketahoedancecollective.org).The post (145) Agnes De Mille's ‘The Other' at Lake Tahoe Dance Festival appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's just Rebecca and Michael this week on the pod.  We talk about looking forward to this year's Vail Dance Festival, our 3 year anniversary, what Michael has been up to, and we answer your questions from social media.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko (yumiko.com.)The post (144) Rebecca and Michael: Catching Up & Vail Dance Festival Preview appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by Christin Hanna and Constantine Baecher of the Lake Tahoe Dance Festival.  Christin and Constantine met twenty years ago as students at American Ballet Theater. Constantine's career as both choreographer and dancer has led him to the Hamburg Ballet School, Royal Danish Ballet and Compagnie de Carolyn Carlson amongst others as well as co-founding his own company Cross Connection Ballet and the Copenhagen International Choreography Competition in 2007. Christin has danced with Oakland Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, participated in numerous independent projects and is a founding member of New Chamber Ballet NYC where she brought Constantine as guest choreographer in 2003. Six years ago they started the Lake Tahoe Dance Festival in Christin's hometown of Tahoe City, CA.  For more information on the Lake Tahoe Dance Festival which is being held July 24-26, visit laketahoedancecollective.org.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko (yumiko.com) and Lake Tahoe Dance Festival (laketahoedancecollective.org.)The post (143) Christin Hanna and Constantine Baecher of the Lake Tahoe Dance Festival appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by Tyler Angle, Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet and Artistic Director of the Nantucket Atheneum Dance Festival. Tyler Angle was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and began his dance training at the age of nine at the Allegheny Ballet Company. He entered the School of American Ballet full-time in the fall of 2001. In the fall of 2003, Mr. Angle became an apprentice with New York City Ballet. Mr. Angle joined New York City Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in June 2004 and was promoted to the rank of principal dancers in October 2009. This will be Tyler's fifth season as the Artistic Director of the Nantucket Dance Festival, which will be taking place this July 22-27 and feature world class stars from the New York City Ballet, LA Dance Project, Miami City Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet.Tickets will go on sale for the festival July 1st and can be purchased through their website, (nantucketatheneum.org), or at the box office, located in the Great Hall of the Atheneum, during library hours. Tickets are $45, $60, or $85, with discounts offered for children under 12, students, and seniors.This episode is brought to you by the Nantucket Atheneum Dance Festival and Yumiko (yumiko.com).The post (142) Tyler Angle, NYCB Principal & Nantucket Atheneum Dance Festival Artistic Director appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.