On today's episode of 'Conversations On Dance', we are joined by internationally renowned choreographer Lar Lubovitch. We talk to Lar about his late start in dance, the benefits of creating works on his company and the differences in the creative process for the dozens of commissions he received over decades whether for the most respected ballet companies in the world, musical theater or ice dancing. If you're in the New York area, come celebrate Lar's career this December 3rd at the...

On today's episode of 'Conversations On Dance', we are joined by the Artistic Director of Ballet West, Adam Sklute. Adam sits down with us to tell us about his journey from dancer to director, the positive changes he's enacted since he took over the role of Artistic Director in 2007 and to give us a deep look into the company's production of Willam Christensen's 'Nutcracker', the very first full length production of the holiday classic ever performed in America. Ballet West will be performing...

On today's episode of 'Conversations On Dance', we are joined by Houston Ballet's Artistic Directors, Stanton Welch and Julie Kent. Stanton looks back on 20 years leading the Houston Ballet, while the two of them give us an inside look at what their shared leadership roles mean to both them and the organization at large, while also offering a glimpse into what audiences can expect from the company this season and into the future. If you are in the Houston area and would like to purchase...

On today's episode of 'Conversations On Dance', we are joined by Michael Small, former reporter for People Magazine and the host of the podcast 'I Couldn't Throw It Out'. Michael tells us about a fascinating experience he had interviewing Martha Graham at age 95, an interview that Michael luckily held onto on cassette tape for nearly three decades because he, naturally, couldn't throw it out. We listen to the interview here, but for a deep dive on Michael's other interview subjects, including...

On today's episode of 'Conversations On Dance', we are joined by Marina Harss, author of 'The Boy From Kyiv', the life story of the great choreographer Alexei Ratmansky. We talk to Marina about her own journey to writing dance, how she came to admire and love Ratmansky's work and what her process was researching and developing the book. You can purchase 'The Boy From Kyiv' at your local bookstore or on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Ql3WMa. THIS EPISODE'S SPONSOR: The BFA Dance program at the...

On today's episode of 'Conversations On Dance', we are joined by choreographer Hope Boykin. We catch up with Hope about her retirement and transition to full time choreographer, as well as her process and preparation for her new work 'States Of Hope' that will premiere at the Joyce Theater this October 17th and run through October 22nd. If you are in the New York area and would like to purchase tickets, visit joyce.org/performances.  Listen to our first episode with Hope from the 2019 Vail...

Today on 'Conversations On Dance', we are joined by two forces behind dance at the Kennedy Center, Alicia Adams, Vice President of International Programming and Dance, and Jane Raleigh, Dance Programming Director. Jane and Alicia take us through their journey from young artists to arts management leaders, tell us how arts administration has evolved in recent years and talk about their collaborative work to program and plan dance at the Kennedy Center. To view the dance programming and...

On today's episode of 'Conversations On Dance' we are joined by star ballerina and resident choreographer of the Paul Taylor Dance Company, Lauren Lovette. We talk to Lauren about the leap of faith she took in leaving New York City Ballet to freelance, how her choreographic voice has developed since being offered her role as resident choreographer and what to expect from her dual world premieres this fall season. Tickets for Paul Taylor's fall season at the David H Koch theater this Oct 31st...

Today's episode is a special bonus episode and cross over with Nashville Ballet's Inside the Ballet Podcast. In this episode, Michael takes the guest chair and chats with two members of the Nashville Ballet team, Briona Richardson, Senior Manager of Community Engagement and Nick Mullikin, Artistic Director. This episode gives a behind the scenes look at the work Michael did helping bring JustinPeck's 'Year Of the Rabbit' to Nashville Ballet.  If you're in the Nashville area, visit...

Today on 'Conversations On Dance' we are joined by Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, Artistic Director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. We talk to Linda-Denise about her late start and quick catch up in dance, her years touring with Alvin Ailey and her plans to continue to bring Hubbard Street to all Chicago audiences through innovative programming. To purchase tickets to Hubbard Street's 2023-24 performances, visit hubbardstreetdance.com. THIS EPISODE'S SPONSOR: New York Theatre Ballet celebrates...

On today's episode of 'Conversations On Dance', we are joined by Jakari Sherman, director of 'Drumfolk', a production by Step Afrika! currently on tour across the United States. Jakari tells us about his introduction to stepping, a percussive, highly-energetic style of dance, how he came to discover, join and eventually lead Step Afrika, and what audiences can expect from the concept and storytelling of 'Drumfolk'. If you are in the Houston area, you can catch 'Drumfolk' at Performing Arts...

Today on ‘Conversations On Dance’, we are joined by Musical Director of the New York City Ballet, Andrew Litton. Andrew takes us on a journey from his days as a kid learning about music by sitting in the orchestra pit at the metropolitan opera, to the first ballet performances he played in accompanying Rudolf Nureyev, to the work he does now bringing scores to life rehearsing and conducting performances at the New York City Ballet. You can catch Andrew at the podium starting September 19th at...

Today on 'Conversations on Dance' we are joined by Moses Pendleton. Moses has been one of America’s most innova­tive and widely performed choreographers and directors for over 40 years. A co-founder of the ground-breaking Pilobolus Dance Theater in 1971, he formed his own company, MOMIX, in 1980. Mr. Pendleton has also worked extensively in film, TV, and opera and as a choreographer for ballet companies and special events. We talk with Moses about his unique trajectory to dance and directing...

It's just us this week. We chat about the 2023 Vail Dance Festival (listen to episodes from the fest here) and catch up on what else we have been up to recently. Email us: [email protected] Rebecca's website: rebeccaferraro.com LINKS: Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceMerch: https://bit.ly/cod-merchYouTube: https://bit.ly/youtube-CODJoin our email list: https://bit.ly/mail-COD Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thank you to friend of the pod, Kate Penner, for guest hosting this episode. Every year, the Vail Dance Festival brings in thousands of additional audience members through its social media and streaming content. For a live recording of the ‘Conversations On Dance’ podcast, videographer Nel Shelby and photographer Christopher Duggan will join to talk about how they bring the Festival to life for audiences everywhere in the dizzying amount of media content they produce for the Festival every...

A major highlight for the Vail Dance Festival every year is the NOW: Premieres program, a jam-packed evening of ten newly commissioned dances with an array of artists that only the Vail Dance Festival could manage to bring together. Internationally acclaimed choreographers and artists Kyle Abraham and Melissa Toogood join this live recording of the ‘Conversations On Dance’ podcast to talk about their process this year creating two brand new works for this celebrated evening. This Monday...

Vail Dance Festival has always been a laboratory for new creations and experimentation, and 2023 is no exception. This live recording of the ‘Conversations On Dance’ podcast will feature choreographers Jamar Roberts and Caili Quan, and cover their creative processes at Vail Dance Festival and how it differs from their choreographic undertakings year round. This Monday August 7th, The Vail Dance Festival comes to you! Don’t miss the live stream of Monday’s Now: Premieres program at 7:30pm...

Ballet X has been a Festival favorite for over a decade, while Dance Aspen had its splashy debut just last year. This live recording of the ‘Conversations On Dance’ podcast will welcome the artistic directors of these respective companies, Christine Cox and Laurel Winton, to talk about their visions and missions for their organizations and why performing at the Vail Dance Festival is such a coveted experience for their dancers. This episode was recorded live on August 4th, 2023 at the Manor...

Vail Dance Festival has long committed to bringing artists at all different points in their journey and development, and 2023 is no different. The ‘Conversations On Dance’ podcast is joined by this year’s Scholar-In-Residence Spencer Lenain and his childhood dance idol esteemed American Ballet Theatre principal James Whiteside for a live podcast recording.  The pair will talk about how having such a range bolsters the experiences of dancers and audiences alike. This episode was recorded live...

Adji Cissoko is an artist of striking elegance and daring, whether as a performer or choreographer. With Cissoko’s selection of 2023’s Artist-in-Residence, Festival audiences will be treated to ample amounts of both. For this live recording of the ‘Conversations On Dance’ podcast, Adji will talk about her years at the Vail Dance Festival past and what the opportunities as Artist-in-Residence mean for her creative output this year. This episode was recorded live on August 1st, 2023 at the...

Tap dancing is inseparable from its relationship to music. In a live recording of the ‘Conversations On Dance’ podcast, tap master Leonardo Sandoval and bassist/composer Gregory Richardson of Music From The Sole will dissect that relationship as they discuss their work on ‘I Didn’t Come To Stay’, which will have its Vail Dance Festival premiere on August 2nd. This episode was recorded live on July 31st, 2023 at the Manor Vail Lodge. Conversations on Dance at the Vail Dance Festival is...

Los Angeles Dance Project has been bringing a vast and varied repertoire to audiences in Los Angeles and throughout the world for over a decade, expanding the boundaries of dance and how the art interacts and relates to movement in the modern world. This live recording of the ‘Conversations On Dance’ podcast feature artists of LADP discussing the company’s return to the Vail Dance Festival, in its tenth anniversary, on a program of all female choreographers. This episode was recorded live on...

Author Jennifer Homans first made her mark ten years ago with the release of 'Apollo's Angels', an exhaustive work tracing ballet's roots from the Renaissance to modern times. Now she's back with a new release, 'Mr. B: George Balanchine's 20th Century', following the choreographer's life and work in one of the most comprehensive ways ever committed to the page. Homans sits down to with the hosts of the podcast 'Conversations On Dance' to talk about the research she did over the course of a...

Martha Graham Dance Company is one of the most storied and celebrated dance institutions in America and a Vail Dance Festival fan favorite. In recent years, the company has been steadily building its repertoire beyond the Graham classics. This live recording of the ‘Conversations On Dance’ podcast will talk with the company’s Artistic Director, Janet Eilber, about her storied career, working with Martha Graham, and her role as artistic director.  Janet will give audiences a preview of what to...

This week on Conversations on Dance, we are joined by Savannah Green, dancer with BalletX. Savannah was born and raised in New York City, receiving her initial dance training from Manhattan Youth Ballet. In 2017 she graduated from University of California, Santa Barbara with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Political Science. She has been a member of BalletX since 2020. Savannah has been going to the Vail Dance Festival since she was about 11, and has now participated in the festival as an...