This week, through the magic of Skype, Rebecca talks with Michael and friend of the pod, Zoe Zien, who are in Hong Kong setting Justin Peck's “Year of the Rabbit” for Hong Kong Ballet. Michael and Rebecca danced with Zoe at Miami City Ballet for the majority of her 13 years with the company.  Listen to our full episode with Zoe about her career and training in episode 58.  Today, Michael and Zoe talk with Rebecca about their first international experience as repetiteurs, what their process has been like, dealing with jet lag, and they break down some of their favorite experiences they have had in Hong Kong so far.The post (139) Michael and Zoe Zien, On Staging ‘Year of the Rabbit' in Hong Kong appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by Tegan Rich, a dancer with Festival Ballet Providence, who is currently recovering from a full rupture of her achilles tendon.  Originally from Stuart, Florida she began her training at the Dance Academy of Stuart and as a teenager, she later moved to Miami to train with the Miami City Ballet School.  When she was 19, she went on to join Festival Ballet Providence in Providence, Rhode Island.  Now in her eighth year with the company, she has danced a broad corps and principal repertoire in ballets by George Balanchine, Yury Yanowsky, Viktor Plotnikov, Christopher Wheeldon, among others.  Today we talk with Tegan about her journey through Miami City Ballet School, her path to Festival Ballet Providence, her struggles with an eating disorder, and how she is recovering from her recent full rupture of her achilles tendon.The post (138) Tegan Rich, Festival Ballet Providence appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are joined by Jodie Gates, vice dean and director of the University of Southern California’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance.  Ms. Gates was a celebrated principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet, and Pennsylvania Ballet, as well as a principal guest artist with several companies around the world. She was a muse for celebrated choreographer Robert Joffrey and has worked with a host of renowned choreographers, including Merce Cunningham, Agnes de Mille, Paul Taylor, and Gerald Arpino.  In addition to her work at USC, she continues her passion of choreographing around the world and works as a beloved repetiteur for William Forsythe.Founded in 2012, USC Kaufman is at the forefront of developing dancers, choreographers and dance leaders for the future.  Their degree program embraces the artistic rigor of conservatory dance instruction with unparalleled academic opportunity offered by one of the world’s leading universities to shape the next generation of dance leaders who are connected to the world-at-large.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko (yumiko.com) and USC’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance (kaufman.usc.edu)The post (137) Jodie Gates, Vice Dean and Director of USC's Glorya Kaufman School of Dance appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we have the pleasure of welcoming Actress, Golden Globe Award Winner, and bunhead, Jennifer Garner to the Conversations on Dance podcast.  While she doesn’t need an introduction, what you might be fascinated to learn, like we were, is that her love for ballet runs deep and started at a young age.  As a girl, she took ballet all through high school, only stopping once she got to college and turned her focus to other things.  She has remained a lover of ballet, and since she has taken to Instagram with this love, she is using her platform to spread the word about ballet far and wide.  We talk with Jennifer about how dance really sparked her interest in performing and acting, how ballet shaped her into who she is today, and she reveals that she truly is a bunhead in every sense of the word.  This episode is sponsored by Yumiko and The Lake Tahoe Dance FestivalThe post (136) Jennifer Garner appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we sit down at the Kennedy Center to talk with American Ballet Theatre dancer, Connor Holloway. Connor was born in Louisville, Kentucky and started performing at the age of six in school musicals.  At the age of thirteen, he began taking ballet classes at the Louisville Ballet School while attending a magnet performing arts high school as a vocal performance major.  He went on to attend Boston Ballet’s pre-professional program and was later promoted to the trainee level.  Holloway became a member of ABT’s studio company in 2013 and joined the main company in 2014. In addition to being a full time dancer, Connor is also a member of ABT’s marketing team as the social media manager for American Ballet Theatre’s official accounts. Be sure to follow his great work! We talk with Connor about his journey from Kentucky to New York City, about how he deals with anxiety at work, and how he came to manage ABT’s Instagram account.This episode is sponsored by Yumiko and The Kennedy Center.The post (134) Connor Holloway, American Ballet Theatre Dancer appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was recorded in February, when Rebecca & Michael were at the Kennedy Center to cover American Ballet Theatre's tour to Washington, D.C.  We sit down to finally catch up on Michael's experience setting a ballet for the very first time.  Michael spent about a month in Phoenix with the wonderful dancers of Ballet Arizona to teach them Justin Peck's ballet ‘In Creases.'  He shares with us how he prepared, what the first day was like, how he modeled his work ethic, and what it felt like to see the ballet on stage for the first time.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko and The Kennedy Center.The post (133) Rebecca & Michael: Becoming a Repetiteur 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, Miriam Miller from last summer’s Vail Dance Festival.  Miriam was born in Iowa City, Iowa, and began her dance training in 2001. She attended summer courses at the School of American Ballet (SAB) in 2011 and 2012, enrolling as a full-time student during the 2012 winter term. Ms. Miller became an apprentice with NYCB in January 2015. While still an apprentice with NYCB, Miller performed the role of Titania in George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, as well as featured roles in Balanchine’s Harlequinade and Peter Martins’ Swan Lake. She joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in January 2016.  We talk with Miriam about her start with ballet, how her first show of Titania came about, her hopes for her career, and going to college while dancing full time. This episode is sponsored by Yumiko and The Town Of Vail.The post (132) Miriam Miller, New York City Ballet 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 from the Kennedy Center by American Ballet Theatre soloist, Catherine Hurlin.  Born in New York City, Catherine began her dance training at Scarsdale Ballet Studio and Westchester Dance Academy.  She was awarded the Hope Award at the 2007 Youth American Grand Prix New York City Finals, and went on to receive a full scholarship to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre. Hurlin joined ABT as an apprentice in December 2013 and the corps de ballet in June 2014.  She was promoted to Soloist in September 2018. Hurlin was the recipient of a 2018 Princess Grace Award and just this past weekend it was announced that Catherine has been awarded the Erik Bruhn Prize, one of the ballet world’s most prestigious awards.  Today we talk with Catherine about moving through the ranks at ABT starting in the school, about her mother who was a former Paul Taylor dancer and her impact on her career, and about her many accolades she has accumulated over her career. This episode is brought to you by Yumiko and The Kennedy Center. The post (131) Catherine Hurlin, American Ballet Theatre Soloist 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 in-demand choreographer and artistic director of BalletMet, Edwaard Liang. Liang danced for the New York City Ballet, where he rose to the rank of soloist. He later joined the Netherlands Dance Theatre, and performed in the broadway show ‘Fosse'. These influences have shaped his choregraphic talents, which are sought all of the globe. He has choreographed for the Bolshoi Ballet, the New York City Ballet, The Kirov Ballet, Shanghai Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and many more. In our final episode from our time at the San Francisco Ballet's ‘Unbound' festival, we talk with Edwaard about his then upcoming premiere for the company.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko and San Francisco Ballet.yumiko.comsfballet.orgThe post (130) Edwaard Liang, Artistic Director of BalletMet appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Vail Dance Festival has announced their dates for their 2019 festival and to celebrate, we are diving into our archives from our time last year at the festival. Today we are joined by festival favorite, Herman Cornejo. Herman was born in Argentina and began his ballet studies at the age of eight. At the age of 14 he attended the School of American Ballet, and upon returning home he joined Ballet Argentino under the direction of Julio Bocca. In 1999 he joined American Ballet Theatre, was promoted to Soloist in 2000 and to Principal Dancer in 2003. Cornejo has performed as a guest artist with numerous companies around the world, La Scala Ballet, Universal Ballet of Korea, National Ballet of Japan, Kremlin Ballet, New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet, and many others. We talk to Herman about his time as a young dancer being mentored by Julio Bocca, what his early years in American Ballet Theatre were like, and what keeps bringing him back to the Vail Dance Festival.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko and the Town of Vail.The post (129) Herman Cornejo, Principal with American Ballet Theatre appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rebecca and Michael record an emergency podcast to discuss and react to the big news this week in the ballet world: the announcement of the appointment of Jonathan Stafford as artistic director and Wendy Whelan as associate artistic director of New York City Ballet.  Our sound quality isn't our best, and for that we apologize, but we had to drop everything and get on the phone to chat about the news ASAP!  Thanks for your understanding.Check out our social media channels on Monday March 4th, 2019 for a special giveaway from our sponsor Yumiko!The post (128) Rebecca & Michael: NYCB Directorship Announcement appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s episode of Conversations on Dance was recorded at a live post-performance event at the Kennedy Center.  At the beginning of February, American Ballet Theatre brought Alexei Ratmansky’s “Harlequinade” to the Kennedy Center for a week of incredible performances. Following a Saturday matinee, we caught up with ABT soloist, Skylar Brandt, who had just danced the lead role of “Columbine.”  In this live podcast event open to audience members, we talk with Skylar about her initial dance training, attending ABT’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, and moving through the ranks at ABT.Following this discussion, we filmed a 20 minute “Bonus Walk and Talk” with Skylar while we walked her through the beautiful halls of the Kennedy Center  to her dressing room.  We talk about her performance, working with Alexei Ratmansky, and even pause to sit in the empty house after the audience has filtered out to discuss what a special experience it is to perform on the Kennedy Center stage.  Don’t miss this bonus video that pairs perfectly with this week’s episode. Click over to the Kennedy Center’s You Tube Channel, or find the link on our social media channels: instagram.com/conversationsondance or facebook.com/conversationsondance.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko and The Kennedy Center.The post (127) Skylar Brandt of American Ballet Theatre LIVE from the Kennedy Center appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's just Rebecca and Michael this week.  It's that time of year when company contracts are going out, which means that dancers across the country may not be getting their contracts renewed for the 2019-2020 season.  We put together a handful of bullet points to help dancers navigate this tough time and discuss what to do next.  We turn this challenging experience into something positive, this week on Conversations on Dance.This episode is sponsored by Yumiko and The Kennedy Center.The post (126) Rebecca & Michael: What to do if you didn’t get your contract renewed appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Conversations on Dance we are bringing you a live podcast we recorded yesterday, February 4th, 2019 at the Kennedy Center. The Kennedy Center has wonderful Ballet and Contemporary Dance Class Series that offer advanced high school students the unique opportunity to learn from dancers from the nationally and internationally recognized companies that tour to the Kennedy Center.  Yesterday we watched a modern class with these students taught by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Glenn Allen Sims.  Immediately following class, we sat down with Glenn while the students looked on to talk about his career, his key to longevity in his 20 plus year career, and for advice that he would offer the local students he worked with that afternoon.    For more information on The Kennedy Center’s master class program, visit education.kennedy-center.org.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko and The Kennedy Center.The post (125) Glenn Allen Sims of Alvin Ailey LIVE from the Kennedy Center appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we head back into our vault from our time at the Vail Dance Festival last summer.  Today we speak with former Miami City Ballet Principal dancer, Patricia Delgado, and New York City Ballet Principal, Jared Angle.  Even though they have never danced in the same company, many gigs have brought them to dance together, especially at the Vail Dance Festival.  So we sat down with them to talk about what makes their special partnership work.  This year they danced the central pas de deux of Justin Peck’s new work created at the festival “Rise Wait Climb Through”, with music created by Caroline Shaw.  We chat about what we would like to see them dance together next year in Vail, about dancing Year of our Lord from Year of the Rabbit together, and about the process of Justin’s new work that had it's premier later that night. This episode is brought to you by Yumiko and The Vail Dance Festival.The post (124) Patricia Delgado and Jared Angle 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 San Francisco Ballet dancer Madison Keesler. Madison began her professional career at age 17, and soon found herself learning some of the most coveted roles in the repertoire. In addition to her time in San Francisco, she has danced extensively in Europe with the English National Ballet and Hamburg Ballet. We talk to Madison about why being willing to take risks has been the driving force behind her career, and how it has shaped the dancer she is today.Episode sponsored by Yumiko and San Francisco Ballet.The post (123) Madison Keesler, dancer with San Francisco Ballet appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on ‘Conversations On Dance', we are by joined by Marika Molnar, founder and president of Westside Dance Physical Therapy. Marika is often called the godmother of dance medicine, and with good reason. After helping to rehabilitate George Balanchine after a knee surgery, she became the first full time physical therapist on staff at the New York City Ballet. Since then, she has influenced the lives of hundreds of dancers by increasing body awareness and providing daily manual care. Listen to how she got her start, what advice she has for other therapists treating dancers, and what she thinks dancers can best do to prevent injury and heal quickly.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko.The post (122) Marika Molnar, Director of Physical Therapy for New York City Ballet appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are returning to our time at San Francisco Ballet last April for the company’s Unbound Festival.  This week we talk with Frances Chung, Principal Dancer with San Francisco Ballet. Frances was born in Vancouver, Canada and received her training at Goh Ballet Academy.   She joined San Francisco Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2001 and was promoted to principal dancer in 2009.  Frances has danced countless major roles in the company’s vast repertoire as she worked her way through the ranks.  Frances received the Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Individual Performance for the 2013 Repertory Season and the silver medal at the 2000 Adeline Genée Awards.  Today we talk with Frances about her training, how she became a bunhead later in life, some of the most challenging ballets she has danced, and about the company’s Unbound, a festival of new works.  This episode is brought to you by Yumiko and San Francisco Ballet.The post (121) Frances Chung, Principal with San Francisco 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 the chief dance critic of the New York Times, and one of our most frequent guests, Alastair Macaulay. Alastair, an expert on dance history, has previously guided us through histories of Balanchine's classic ballet ‘Serenade' and the work of Frederic Ashton. This week he delves into the true history of one of ballet's most revered choreographers, Marius Petipa. We take a look at what works have been falsely attributed to Petipa, how he was perceived in his lifetime, and why his work still matters.This is our last episode of 2018, and we want to personally thank every listener that tuned in this year. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season and that you join us again in the New Year.Check out the Nikolai Sergeev dance notations and music scores from the Harvard Library that Alastair references.  Notations on Snow from the Nutcracker can be found on pages 39-62.  More information on Alastair's upcoming presentation on Petipa at the New York Public Library on December 26th HERE.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko.The post (120) Alastair Macaulay on Marius Petipa appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was recorded live on Saturday, December 8th, 2018 at the Yumiko New York Flagship Boutique.  We sit down with dancer and actress, Juliet Doherty.  Juliet comes from a family of dancers, spending her entire childhood in the studio.  Always active in musical theater, Juliet toured the world playing the coveted role of Clara alongside the renowned Radio City Rockettes in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and would later go on to dance alongside Tiler Peck in Susan Stroman’s “Little Dancer” musical.  Most recently she has stared in the film “On Pointe” and the movie “High Strung, Free Dance.”  In her professional dance career she danced with San Francisco Ballet.This episode is generously brought to you by Yumiko USA.The post (119) Juliet Doherty, LIVE from Yumiko's New York Flagship Boutique 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 one of the ballet world's most celebrated pianists, Cameron Grant. Cameron joined the New York City Ballet in 1984, where he was appointed pianist of the New York City Ballet orchestra four years later. He has played nearly every major piano ballet in the repertoire, including Balanchine masterworks like ‘Davidsbundlertanze' and ‘Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2', and Robbins ballets like ‘Dances At a Gathering' and ‘Goldberg Variations'. We spoke with Cameron about how he came to work for the ballet, what working with Robbins was like, and the unique challenges of playing for ballet dancers.This episode is sponsored by The Town of Vail, Yumiko, and The 2018 Dance Magazine Awards.The post (118) Cameron Grant, New York City Ballet Pianist 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 Miami City Ballet dancer Eric Trope. While so much attention is understandably given to the physical health of dancers, Eric has been an outspoken advocate for supporting the mental health of dancers to the same extent. In this episode, we cover the difficulty of performing anxiety, dealing with body shaming and what can be done both individually and as a community to improve the mental health of our artists.Eric's article on Biscuit Ballerina's blog and article on the Conversations on Dance blog. Episode sponsored by Yumiko and The 2018 Dance Magazine Awards.The post (117) Eric Trope of Miami City Ballet on a dancer's mental health appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we are joined by Miami City Ballet Artistic Director, Lourdes Lopez, and our former boss.  Born in Havana, Cuba and raised in Miami, Lopez began taking ballet lessons at the age of five and continued her training full time at the School of American Ballet when she was 14. George Balanchine chose her to join the  New York City Ballet corps de ballet shortly after her 16th birthday.  She danced many featured roles with the company and was promoted by Balanchine to soloist in 1981, one of the last dancers he promoted.  She became a Principal under the direction of Peter Martins in 1984 and she retired from the stage in 1997.  After retiring she joined WNBC-TV in New York as a cultural arts reporter.  She later went on to become the Executive Director of The George Balanchine Foundation and then co-founded the dance company, Morphoses with Christopher Wheeldon in 2007.  In 2012, she became the Artistic Director of Miami City Ballet.  Lourdes has been named a Nominee at this year’s Dance Magazine Awards taking place in New York City on December 3rd.  For more information on the Dance Magazine awards, visit dancemagazine.com.  This episode is brought to you by Yumiko.Note: Lourdes discusses the book entitled, Bravura!: Lucia Chase and the American Ballet Theatre.The post (116) Lourdes Lopez, Artistic Director of Miami City Ballet appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Conversations On Dance, we spoke with Houston Ballet soloist Harper Watters. Though Harper's talents led to prominent roles with the Houston Ballet and two promotions, he gained attention both within the dance community and in pop culture at large, in viral videos of himself dancing in towering pink heels. We talk to Harper about how he has leveraged his social media stardom into creating a platform where he can promote inclusivity in the dance world and provide a positive role model for dancers everywhere.The post (115) Harper Watters, Houston Ballet Soloist 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 choreographer Arthur Pita. Pita graduated with a master's degree from London Contemporary Dance School, and has choreographed internationally in many different formats, including works for opera, musical theatre, plays and film. He has garnered attention for his imaginative and personal re-interpretations of classic narratives like Kafka's ‘Metamorphosis' and Shakespeare's ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream'. This week at the Joyce Theater in New York City, his interpretation of Roland Topor's ‘The Tenant' will premiere, with American Ballet Theater principal James Whiteside as the lead.This episode was recorded back in April 2018, when we were at San Francisco Ballet for their Unbound Festival, in which Arthur was one of the 12 choreographers who created a new work.This episode is brought to you by Yumiko and The 2018 Dance Magazine Awards.The post (114) Arthur Pita, Choreographer appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we are joined by San Francisco Ballet Principal Dancer, Sasha De Sola.  Born in Winter Park, Florida, Sasha trained at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C. on a full merit scholarship.  In 2004, Ms. De Sola received a scholarship for studies at the Paris Opera Ballet School.  At the age of 17, Sasha joined San Francisco Ballet where she rose through the ranks and was promoted to the rank of Principal Dancer in 2017. Today we talk with Sasha from the Kennedy Center in Washington DC while the company was there last week on tour.This episode is brought to you by The Kennedy Center and Yumiko.The post (113) Sasha De Sola, Principal San Francisco Ballet appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s bonus episode we are continuing our coverage of San Francisco Ballet at the Kennedy Center as they showcase 6 works from the company’s Unbound: a festival of new works.  Today’s episode was recorded in April when we were in San Francisco as these works all premiered.  We talk with new corps member, Natasha Sheehan about training at San Francisco Ballet School, joining the company, and her blog about healthy eating and wellness.  The post BONUS: Natasha Sheehan, Dancer with San Francisco Ballet appeared first on tendusunderapalmtree.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.