Conversations on Dance

The hosts catch up and discuss the Felice Lesser Dance Theater's 50th anniversary documentary about dance during the pandemic, along with personal reflections on influential dancers.

The hosts discuss their favorite dance performances of 2025, highlighting Mira's stunning performance in Paquita at New York City Ballet.

This episode features a live panel discussion with dancers from LINES Ballet at the 2025 Vail Dance Festival, exploring their long-term involvement with the company and the festival's history.

The hosts revisit a March Madness-style bracket of Balanchine ballets with former dancers Maria Calegari and Bart Cook, discussing memories and versions of the ballets.

Former New York City Ballet dancer Deborah Wingert discusses her early training, career under Balanchine, and her work preserving ballet lineage through teaching and staging.

This episode features an interview with Gonzalo Garcia, the new artistic director of Miami City Ballet, discussing his plans for the company's repertory, fundraising, and coaching as it approaches its 40th anniversary season.

The hosts of Conversations on Dance catch up solo, discuss recent guests like Bart Cook and Maria Caligari, share personal workout stories, and mention their 10th anniversary season.

This episode features an interview with Nikolaj Hübbe, a star dancer from the New York City Ballet and former artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet, discussing his career journey and experiences coaching at the Vail Dance Festival.

This episode features an interview with BalletX dancers Savannah Green and Francesca Forcella at the 2025 Vail Dance Festival, where they discuss their early dance roots and career beginnings.

This episode features interviews with three choreographers at the Vail Dance Festival discussing their beginnings in dance and transition into choreography.

This episode features an interview with Michael Novak, Artistic Director of the Paul Taylor Dance Company, discussing his personal dance journey from Broadway aspirations to modern dance at the Vail Dance Festival.

This episode features an interview with former San Francisco Ballet principal dancer Yuan Yuan Tan, discussing her career journey from childhood inspiration in China to her current role as artistic director of the production Lady Whitesnake.

This episode features an interview with legendary New York City Ballet dancer and Balanchine Trust repetiteur Bart Cook, discussing his career, experiences with Balanchine and Robbins, and his role in preserving ballet works.

Rebecca King-Ferraro announces that she and Michael Sean Breeden have won the inaugural Clive Barnes Award for Journalism and Media Achievement and invites listeners to the 15th anniversary awards event in New York City.

This episode features an interview with New York City Ballet soloists Troy Schumacher and Ashley Laracey about the documentary 'The Nutcracker at Wethersfield,' which chronicles the challenges of mounting a Nutcracker production during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Author Elizabeth Kendall discusses her new book 'Balanchine Finds His America: A Tale Of Love Lost And Ballet Reborn', exploring her journey writing about dance, Balanchine's significance, and her research and writing process.

This episode features part two of a conversation with legendary New York City Ballet dancer and repetiteur Bart Cook, focusing on his transition to coaching and his first assignment staging a ballet at the Paris Opera.

This episode features an interview with former New York Times dance critic Alastair Macaulay discussing his recent event analyzing films of legendary ballerina Suzanne Farrell and sharing insights about her career.

This episode features an interview with Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director of Ballet Hispanico, discussing how the company navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in the dance world, and upcoming performances including a reimagined Carmen.

This episode of Conversations on Dance features a live discussion from Miami City Ballet with Patricia Delgado and Gonzalo Garcia, focusing on the new dance and media performance 'Love Letters, Cage to Cunningham' that explores the intimate letters between John Cage and Merce Cunningham.

This episode features a live interview with choreographer Justin Peck and dancer Gonzalo Garcia recorded at Miami City Ballet's 40th anniversary season opening weekend.

This episode features an interview with Pamela Tatge, Executive and Artistic Director of Jacob's Pillow, discussing the upcoming 93rd festival season and the organization's legacy as a premier dance institution.

This episode features a live recording from the opening night of Miami City Ballet's 40th season, with hosts Rebecca King-Ferraro and Michael Sean Breeden introducing the event and their background as former company dancers.

This episode features an interview with Tiler Peck and Garen Scribner about their new documentary 'Tiler Peck: Suspending Time', following an announcement about upcoming live pre-performance talks at Miami City Ballet.

This episode features an interview with legendary dancers and coaches Maria Calegari and Bart Cook, discussing their work with Balanchine and Robbins repertoire, alongside announcements about upcoming live events at Miami City Ballet.

This episode features an interview with Dante Puleio, Artistic Director of the Limón Dance Company, and choreographer Diego Vega Solorza, discussing Diego's background in dance and his upcoming work for the company's Joy Season.

Stanton Welch, Artistic Director of Houston Ballet, discusses the company's upcoming production of 'Raymonda' and shares insights into the current season's performances and challenges.

This episode features an interview with Abigail Simon, a ballerina and cancer survivor, discussing her dance career and her upcoming performance in the Dance Against Cancer fundraiser on May 19th.

This episode features an interview with choreographers Christopher Bruce and Jacqueline Long about their works for Houston Ballet's upcoming program 'Rock and Roll and Tutus', exploring their creative processes and artistic journeys.

This episode features an interview with photographers Ken Browar and Deborah Ory about their book documenting the Martha Graham Dance Company's 100-year history through their unique dance photography approach.

Artistic directors Stanton Welch and Julie Kent discuss their nearly three years leading Houston Ballet, including the company's creative culture, dancer qualities, and upcoming season highlights like Welch's new piece and his version of Giselle.

This episode features an interview with ballerina Dominika Afanasenkov from the New York City Ballet, discussing her early start in ballet, training experiences, and her first performance at the Vail Dance Festival.

Dance writer Marina Harss discusses her recent trips to Vienna and Copenhagen to document new dynamics in European dance companies, including choreographers, directors, and productions.

This episode features an interview with choreographer Robert Battle discussing his career journey, his role as resident choreographer at the Paul Taylor Dance Company, and his experience as director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

This episode features a live panel discussion at the Guggenheim with ballet choreographer Alexei Ratmansky and Miami City Ballet's Artistic Director Gonzalo Garcia, focusing on new works and dance coaching.

This episode features an interview with Michèle Steinwald, guest curator of the 2025 Kaatsbaan Annual Festival, discussing her unconventional artistic background and approach to curating dance performances.

This episode features an interview with NYCB principal dancer Gilbert Bolden III, who shares his journey from initially disliking ballet to becoming obsessed with it through YouTube videos and eventually joining New York City Ballet after a summer intensive audition.

This episode features an interview with Aesha Ash and Jenifer Ringer, educational directors at The School of American Ballet, discussing their personal journeys as students, curriculum planning, and the impact of the new Wellness Center on student training.

This episode discusses the documentary film 'About Face: Disrupting Ballet' with director Jennifer Lin and producer Cory Stieg, exploring their work to eliminate racial stereotypes in ballet through the stories of Asian dancers Phil Chan and Georgina Pazkogun.

Hosts Rebecca King-Ferraro and Michael Sean Breeden interview ballet dancers Unity Phelan and Calvin Royal III at the 2025 Vail Dance Festival, discussing Phelan's journey from apprenticeship to principal dancer at New York City Ballet.

This episode features an interview with American Ballet Theatre principal ballerinas Isabella Boylston and Chloe Misseldine, discussing their experiences at the 2025 Vail Dance Festival, including challenges with altitude and preparation for performances.

This episode features an interview with Melissa Toogood, the artist-in-residence at the Vail Dance Festival, discussing her dance career and deep connection to Merce Cunningham.

This episode discusses the documentary film 'The Sky Was on Fire' about ballet and war in Ukraine, featuring interviews with its producers about the importance of telling artists' stories during conflict.

American Ballet Theatre ballerina Zimi Coker discusses her early training inspired by her mother, her career at ABT, and overcoming a serious injury.

The hosts announce a brief break to prepare for daily live podcast recordings at the Vail Dance Festival, inviting listeners to attend in person or subscribe for behind-the-scenes coverage.

This episode features an interview with former American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Sarah Lane, discussing her ballet career and her current passion for animal rescue through the Dance for Paws fundraising event.

This episode features an interview with tap dancer and multi-hyphenate artist Michelle Dorrance at the Vail Dance Festival, discussing her identity as a musician-dancer and the traditions of tap.

This episode features an interview with the founders of the Illumne Collective, former professional dancers turned therapists and coaches, discussing their mental health challenges in dance and their program to help others in the dance community.

This episode features an interview with Carlos Acosta, discussing his transition from a legendary dancer to artistic director of Acosta Danza and Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Choreographer Arthur Pita and dancer Isabella Carroll discuss creating a new ballet adaptation of The Great Gatsby for the Royal Danish Ballet.

An interview with Eduardo Villalba, Artistic Director of Ballet Hispanico, discussing the company's upcoming season and the impact of politics on the arts.

Hosts interview choreographer Akram Khan about his new ballet Lady Macbeth for the Royal Danish Ballet.

Tobias Praetorius, a Royal Danish Ballet soloist who joined in 2014, traces his path from watching his sister's school at age seven to becoming the choreographer entrusted with Napoli's lost second act in 2027.

Principal dancers Renan Cerdeiro and Alex Peters, both formerly of Miami City Ballet, describe touring with Twyla Tharp's 60th anniversary program, which pairs a revival of her Diabelli Variations work with the new piece Selectide.

Hosts interview acclaimed choreographer Akram Khan about his unorthodox path to dance and his latest project Gagenis.

An interview with Doug about the history and revival of the ballet Bézé de la Fée, hosted by former dancers.

This episode includes sponsor messages for arts entrepreneurship and ballet classes, then likely transitions into an interview about dance.

A podcast featuring in-depth interviews with influential figures in the dance world, exploring their stories, insights, and artistry.

This episode features advertisements for Elmwood School and Art Emotion Ballet School, followed by a call for choreographer applications for Ballet Collective's 2025 commission.

Hosts interview principal ballerina Kirsten Fentroy about her training, career moves, and work ethic.

Kurt Froman traces his career from the Froman Dance Studio in Texas and Fort Worth Ballet to more than seven years with New York City Ballet.

George Balanchine ignored a theater crisis to adjust Meryl Ashley’s tiara for 30 minutes.

Yuri Fateev says great dancers need Jean-Georges Noverre, acting, costume, makeup, and personality—not only jumps.