In this episode of "Aquarian Music Witch: The Podcast," join Jane in a candid conversation with Ashlea Sovetts, a versatile dance artist and professor. In this episode, we start by exploring the dynamics of higher education in dance versus music, and discussing Ashlea's yoga practice and her spiritual connection to it. We also touch on Ashlea's community-building experiences and insights into Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in academia, as well as her work with Santana University in Sorrento, Italy, providing students with international dance opportunities. We also discuss the post-pandemic teaching landscape as Ashlea reflects on online instruction and some of the challenges that students of dance faced after quarantine. The episode concludes with a discussion on affect theory, manifestation, and happiness inspired by Sarah Ahmed's writing "Happy Objects." Tune in for an insightful exploration of dance, education, energy, and personal growth with Ashlea Sovetts. Ashlea's bio: Ashlea Sovetts is a multifaceted dance artist who can flow between a variety of different roles. Primarily, her work focuses on choreographic residences, dance in higher education, arts program development, and arts administration. As a choreographer, she investigates real-life experiences as inspiration to create narratives. As an educator, she emphasizes a somatic approach by focusing on breath, fluidity and awareness of one’s presence in relationship to others. As an art program manager, her skill set includes idea and content development, community outreach, recruitment and retention of students, grant writing/editing and leading facilitation amongst artists through project execution. As an administrator, Ashlea was the Recruitment Coordinator for the Department of Dance at Texas Woman’s University and she actively serves on the three boards as she is the former board president for the Grand Strand Charter Arts High School, a World Dance Alliance Americas board member, and an NDEO Advocacy committee member. In addition, her work has been supported by the South Carolina Arts Commission, Alternate Roots, the Andrew W. Mellon foundation, and the New England Foundation for the Arts. Her work has taken her internationally, as she was the University Partner Relations Coordinator for the Sant’Anna Institute in Sorrento, Italy. In addition, she is the Community Relations Coordinator for the Staibdance summer intensive in Sorrento, Italy and continues to develop international dance programming through the Sant’Anna Institute in Sorrento, Italy and the greater region of Naples, Italy. Currently, Ashlea is the Visiting Assistant Professor in Dance at her alma mater, Winthrop University. Ashlea, originally from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina graduated Cum Laude and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and has a Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas. www.ashleasovetts.com @bemovedxashlea amwpod.supercast.com