MOVERS & SHAPERS: A DANCE PODCAST

The personal stories, experiences, and ideas from those who shape the dance field. Available anywhere you get your podcasts.

 

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MSP 182: Jamila Glass

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PODCAST 182: Jamila Glass

Release Date: 1.6.25

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A World Immersed in Art with Dancer, Filmmaker, Choreographer, and Artistic Director Jamila Glass

Episode 182: Show Notes.

Jamila Glass is a filmmaker, choreographer, and Artistic Director of L.A. Contemporary Dance Company (LACDC), where she has been a member since its founding in 2005. She has choreographed for Netflix, HBO, Hulu, BET, and PRADA, with her work featured in the NY Times, L.A. Times, Essence, and Ebony. In 2024, she co-founded the Los Angeles Choreographers Institute and has directed 21 short dance films, a TV pilot, and music videos through her production company, The Cutting Room. A graduate of USC’s School of Cinema-Television, her work blends movement, storytelling, and world-building to reflect the human experience. On this episode of Movers and Shapers: A Dance Podcast, Erin sits down with Jamila Glass to discuss her love for dance, her time at a performing arts high school, and her journey through USC’s School of Cinema-Television. Jamila explores how dance and film began to intertwine in her life, unpacking her powerful statement: “I’m a better dancer because I’m a filmmaker, and I’m a better filmmaker because I’m a dancer.” She reflects on nearly five years as Artistic Director of the L.A. Contemporary Dance Company (LACDC) and shares her current projects and excitement for what’s ahead. Don’t miss this insightful conversation with an inspiring artist. Thanks for listening!

Key Points From This Episode:

  • Jamila shares the origin story of her love for dance.
  • She reflects on her time in a performing arts high school (in Houston).
  • What she wanted to get into after high school and her first entry into film: video editing.
  • Jamila takes us through her USC journey and her plan for after graduation.
  • How her two worlds of dance and film began to merge.
  • She explains how she started and her experience choreographing for film and television.
  • Jamila delves into and unpacks her quote, “I’m a better dancer because I’m a filmmaker, and I’m a better filmmaker because I’m a dancer.”
  • Why she finds it interesting that people grapple with the idea that they need to choose one thing and stick to it for the entirety of their careers.
  • Jamila details her role and insights gained as Artistic Director of the L.A. Contemporary Dance Company (LACDC)
  • What she’s creating now and the energy behind her upcoming projects.

ABOUT Jamila

Filmmaker and Choreographer Jamila Glass is known for creating cinematic journeys of movement, shaping characters, and building worlds that reflect what make us human. In addition to creating work as the Artistic Director of L.A. Contemporary Dance Company (where she joined in 2005 as a founding member), she has choreographed extensively in film and television. Glass’ choreography work includes projects on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, BET, and Prada, and garnered mentions in the New York Times, L.A. Times, Essence Magazine, Ebony Magazine, and Mashable. A cinema-television graduate from the University of Southern California (with an advertising minor), she has spent the last 10 years bridging the world of film and movement, directing and producing 20 dance films.

photo: Photo by Malachi Middleton

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Podcast produced by: The Moving Architects
Interviewer: Erin Carlisle Norton

MSP 181: Chicago

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PODCAST 181: Chicago

Release Date: 12.23.24

TO DOWNLOAD PODCAST OR LISTEN:

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Five Voices, One City: Unpacking Chicago’s Dance Community, with Kristina Fluty, Alyssa Gregory, Rahila Coats, Michael McStraw, and Helen Lee

Episode 181: Show Notes

In this episode of Movers & Shapers: A Dance Podcast, we dive deeply into the vibrant and diverse world of Chicago’s dance scene. Joining Erin are five incredible voices, each bringing a unique perspective on what makes this city’s dance community so dynamic, expansive, and full of life. Featured in this episode are Kristina Fluty, Alyssa Gregory, Rahila Coats, Michael McStraw, and Helen Lee — five Chicago-based dance artists who capture the spirit and energy of this thriving artistic hub. Together, they share how living in Chicago has shaped their careers and creative journeys, and explore how the city’s geography influences its dance community. We explore the work being created there, the support systems and resources that have been most valuable in their growth, and delve into an overview of opportunities for residencies and funding. Plus, each artist reflects on what keeps them curious, inspired, and energized within the Chicago dance world. Tune in for a lively and insightful conversation that captures the essence of this incredible dance community. Enjoy!

Key Points From This Episode:

  • Setting the scene for the Chicago-focused episode.
  • We are introduced to our five guests: Alyssa Gregory, Kristina Fluty, Rahila Coats, Michael McStraw, and Helen Lee.
  • How living in Chicago has influenced their careers and artistic journeys.
  • Our guests help situate Chicago for listeners unfamiliar with the city and how it shapes the dance community.
  • We dive in and discuss the Chicago dance scene and the work being made.
  • Resources and support systems that have been the most valuable to our guests throughout their careers.
  • An overview of the opportunities available for dance residencies and funding within the Chicago dance scene.
  • Dance education hubs and the overall dance class vibe in Chicago.
  • Each guest talks about what keeps them curious, interested, and excited about their dance lives in Chicago.

ABOUT Kristina Fluty

Connect: Molly Shanahan Spiral Body

Kristina Fluty has called Chicago dance company Molly Shanahan/Mad Shak her artistic home since 2003. She is one of the inaugural certified teachers of Shanahan’s Spiral Body Techniques® and works with Shanahan to develop the framework and disseminate the teachings. The Feldenkrais Method® and Contact Improvisation (more than 25 years of personal practice) are also largely influential in her creative work and pedagogy. Early training includes a BA from Point Park University, time on scholarship at the Trisha Brown studios, and the early ‘aughts downtown NYC dance scene with instructors/choreographers such as K.J. Holmes, Miguel Gutierrez, and David Dorfman.

Kristina has taught and/or coached movement at the University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin, Columbia College Chicago, the Lou Conte Dance Studio/Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Dovetail Studios, Chicago Movement Collective, the University of Chicago, Lyric Opera, Mordine and Company, Thodos Dance Chicago, BoneDanse, and Synapse Arts. She has choreographed theatrical intimacy at Steppenwolf, Porchlight, TimeLine, Marriott, and Remy Bumppo in Chicago, as well as one gig at Center Theater Group in Los Angeles. She has danced with many choreographers and companies in venues such as Joyce Soho, Tangente Montreal, the Athenaeum, Links Hall, Millennium Park, and Ruth Page, and continues to perform as much as possible. 

Her MA and certifications in Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analysis and Movement Pattern Analysis are from Columbia College Chicago. Currently, Kristina is an Associate Professor at The Theatre School at DePaul University, where she teaches movement to actors in the BFA and MFA conservatory programs.

ABOUT Alyssa Gregory

Connect: The Process website, The Fly Honeys, Arts + Public Life

Alyssa (Uhh-lee-sa) Gregory is a Chicago based performer, choreographer, teaching artist, and arts administrator.  She’s worked with some of Chicago dance’s greatest including Erin Kilmurray, The Moving Architects, Joanna Furnans, The Leopold Group, Jenn Freeman/Po Chop, and The Fly Honey Show.  She holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance & Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University and a  Masters of Arts in Performing Arts Administration from Roosevelt University.  She has worked in Marketing, Communications and Social Media for the Dance Presenting Series, Honey Pot Performance, The Fly Honey Show, the Arts Club of Chicago and is currently Communications Manager at Arts + Public Life. She is also host of The Process Podcast which highlights the creative process of Chicago dancers, dance makers and all-around booty shakers.  (she/her)

 

ABOUT Rahila Coats

Connect: Instagram @rahilacoats

Rahila is a movement artist based in the Midwest. She has performed new works and repertoire by Abigail Sena Atugah, Kofi Anthonio, Judith Brin Ingber, Karen Charles, Marciano Dos Silva Santos, Drew Lewis (House of DOV), Carl Flink, Kevin Iega Jeff, Ohad Naharin, Andrea Miller, Robert Moses, Leslie Parker, Uri Sands, Chris Schlicting, Erin Kilmurray, Anna Martine Whitehead, and Tali Wertheim- Agranionik and more in and outside the US dance community. Her works have been shown through the support of Danceworks Chicago, Thodos Dance Chicago, Synapse Arts, Co.mpany Projects, Twenty Percent Productions, Jerusalem Jazz Festival, and the University of Ghana- Legon. In 2021 she received Chicago’s 3Art’s Make A Wave Award along with 120 Chicago based artists. She toured nationally with Red Clay Dance Company from 2021-2024, and currently performs in Anna Martine Whitehead’s FORCE! An Opera in 3 Acts. Rahila regularly performs and composes music with the music collective Family Junket.

ABOUT Michael McStraw

Connect: Chicago Dance History

Michael McStraw, Executive Director of Chicago Dance History Project (CDHP), is a member of and an outstanding advocate for the Chicago performing arts community. As a professional dancer, musician, arts administrator, dance educator, board member, and arts patron, Michael has been a positive and constant influence in the community for 40 years. Raised in Western Pennsylvania, his life includes a BS degree in Geology from Allegheny College, a Master of Fine Arts degree in Modern Dance from the University of Michigan, and a stint as an agricultural extension agent in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone, West Africa. He danced extensively with the area’s premier contemporary dance companies, including Mordine & Company Dance Theater, an organization he also managed, Jan Erkert & Dancers, and DanszLoop Chicago, of which he was a founding member. Prior to joining CDHP, Michael was honored to serve as Giordano Dance Chicago’s Executive Director for 13 years. He is an experienced marketing, operations, and project management professional with special skill in developing strategic long-term solutions for complex business issues. Michael has twice served three-year terms on the Illinois Arts Council Dance Panel, is past President and Board Member for See Chicago Dance, Chicago’s dance marketing and advocacy organization, and has mentored young artists/administrators within Pentacle’s Help Desk program. After serving six years as an ex-officio member of the Harris Theater for Music and Dance’s Board of Trustees, representing that organization’s Resident Companies, Michael was appointed as a full Trustee in June 2022. Michael was celebrated as the Chicago Tribune’s “2022 Chicagoan of the Year in Dance.”

(Photo by Todd Rosenberg, courtesy of Giordano Dance Chicago)

ABOUT Helen Lee

Connect: Momentum Sensorium

Helen Lee (they/she) is a Queer Asian Chicago-born interdisciplinary artist raised by immigrant parents from South Korea. They received an MFA with a focus in Performance and Film from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BA in Dance with a minor in Theatre from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. They have been a company member for The Humans, Tangentz Butoh Performance Group (Lori Othani), Aloha Dancers and Friends of Polynesia, understudied with Iona Contemporary Dance Theatre, been a guest artist for IS/LAND, and studied with Eiko Otake, Tadashi Endo, and Molly Shanahan. They have been teaching yoga, meditation and mindfulness since 2007. That same year, they formed Momentum Sensorium, a project-based company that has created and choreographed for See Chicago Dance, Out of Site, APIDA Arts Festival, and sometimes in unconventional locations such as lighthouses, train stations, and attics. Much of their work focuses on the senses, death, and the entanglement of light/shadow, joy/grief, celebrating Asian voices and Black and Asian allyship. They have presented works in the US, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Iceland, Finland and Canada. Helen was selected for 2022 Newcity Breakout Artist and 2024 Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist. They have had residencies at Chicago Artists Coalition, Chicago Cultural Center, Links Hall and High Concept Labs at Mana Contemporary. They are a frequent performer and improviser for Cristal Sabbagh’s Freedom From Freedom To series at Elastic Arts and is currently part of Tend for Khecari.

MSP 180: Tristan Ching Hartmann

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PODCAST 180: Tristan Ching Hartmann

Release Date: 12.9.24

TO DOWNLOAD PODCAST OR LISTEN:

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Crafting a Fulfilling Life In Dance with Tristan Ching Hartmann

Episode 180: Show Notes.

What does it take to craft a fulfilling life in dance? For Tristan Ching Hartmann, it’s a blend of resilience, curiosity, community, and an unshakable love for movement. From her shy beginnings in Ventura, California, to performing with the Margaret Jenkins Dance Company in San Francisco, Tristan’s journey has been anything but conventional. She reflects on transformative moments, including commuting long hours for ballet classes, finding her artistic home with Robert Moses’ Kin, and reinventing herself as a jazz dancer during her time in London. Tristan delves into how her teaching practice reignited her creativity, her experiences taking on choreography, and the life lessons she’s learned from Argentine Tango. She also shares the profound impact of a serious spinal injury that temporarily halted her dancing and how it led her to redefine her relationship with movement. Now dancing into her late 40s, she offers insights on adapting training, cherishing every moment in the studio, and navigating the physical demands of her art. Her passion for building community and mentoring younger dancers reflects her deep commitment to the art form and those who practice it. Join us for an inspiring conversation that explores what it truly means to craft a fulfilling life in dance!

Key Points From This Episode:

  • An introduction to Tristan Ching Hartmann and her unique movement journey.
  • How a childhood dance class sparked a lifelong passion for movement and artistry.
  • Tristan’s deep connection to ballet and her love for its precision, grace, and classical music.
  • The balancing act of pursuing dance while meeting her family’s academic expectations.
  • How Stanford shaped her journey, leading to modern dance and joining Robert Moses’ Kin.
  • The pivotal role of Robert Moses in Tristan’s early professional career and artistic growth.
  • Recovering from a serious spinal injury and the life-changing decision to travel and reflect.
  • How moving to London allowed Tristan to reinvent herself and explore jazz and the West End.
  • Her transformative experience teaching and discovering new ways to connect with students.
  • Returning to the stage with Margaret Jenkins Dance Company in her late 40s.
  • How Tristan adapts training to stay active despite the physical challenges of aging.
  • Tristan’s insights into Argentine Tango as a life lesson in feeling and responding.
  • Reflecting on her love for building community and mentoring the next generation of dancers.

ABOUT Tristan

Tristan Ching Hartmann (she/her) was born and raised in Southern California.  She took her first dance class in the garage of her babysitter’s friend, and doesn’t remember a time (thankfully) when she didn’t dance.  She took ballet, jazz, and tap at local schools in Ventura until a fellow student Tristan idolized decided to start commuting to the Westside School of Ballet.  Tristan followed.  Tristan trained at Westside and spent summers at the San Francisco Ballet School until she graduated high school and entered Stanford University.  At Stanford, Tristan took her first modern dance, a rigorous Cunningham technique class taught by Diane Frank, as well as commuting up to San Francisco to study with Alonzo King, Arturo Fernandez, Carmen Rozestraten, and Summer Lee Rhatigan.  Tristan also began working with Robert Moses at this time.

Tristan graduated from Stanford with a B.A. in English and M.A. in Education, and moved up to San Francisco the next day.  She danced with Robert Moses’ Kin for 11 years, collaborating with incredible artists such as Sara Shelton Mann, Robert Henry Johnson, Joanna Haigood, Marcus Shelby, Somei Yoshino Taiko Ensemble, and Youth Speaks.  In March 2006, not searching for a better experience, just a different one while she could still dance, Tristan retired from Robert Moses’ Kin.  Two weeks after retiring from the company, Tristan learned she needed immediate cervical spine surgery; the following week, she and her husband, Mark, made the decision to travel after she had recovered.

While traveling, Mark was offered a job in London.  There, Tristan took the opportunity to reinvent herself—coming back to her love for jazz, getting an agent, and starting the West End audition circuit.  In 2009, Tristan danced at the BRIT Awards in a special tribute to the Pet Shop Boys featuring Brandon Flowers and newcomer Lady Gaga.  Tristan and Mark spent two years in London before moving back in 2010 to be closer to Mark’s father who had been diagnosed with a gliobastoma.

Back in San Francisco, Summer Rhatigan invited Tristan to join the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance.  It was an oasis of learning, creation, and thought—fueled by teaching artists like Christian Burns, Alex Ketley, Eli Nelson, Miranda LaValle, Bobbi Jene Smith, and Tom Weinberger, as well as the students themselves.  Here, Tristan was able to refine her teaching skills and– thanks to Summer’s encouragement and support– began leading creative writing sessions and making work for the first time.

A big hole was felt—and is still felt—when the Conservatory closed in 2018.  Not feeling ready to teach anywhere else, Tristan instead invited some friends and former students to play around in the studio.  These play sessions led to a couple small solos and duets, which were eventually performed to live text by Christine No and Nick Jaina in a show produced by Red Light Lit. They were performed again in a collaborative show with Nol Simonse, Kara Davis, Victor Talledos, and Manuelito Biag in March 2020, days before shelter-in-place began.

And then, of course, the pandemic.  A huge ellipses for us all… A different experience for everyone and yet, somehow similar in its wonderings and grief, whether acknowledged or not.

In 2021, at 47 ½ years old, and 14 years after she had first expressed interest in working with the company, Tristan joined Margaret Jenkins Dance Company, thanks to the generosity and open-minded vision of its director.  When not in the studio with MJDC, Tristan enjoys a weekly movement practice led Sara Rudner, travelling with her husband, hosting a writing happy hour, gently exploring Argentine tango, and dreaming/collaborating with her friends.

PC:  Peter Teigen

 

 

Podcast produced by: The Moving Architects
Interviewer: Erin Carlisle Norton

MSP 179: Durham

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PODCAST 179: Durham

Release Date: 11.25.24

TO DOWNLOAD PODCAST OR LISTEN:

    • Apple: Subscribe, Listen, Rate Us HERE

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The Durham Dance & Art Community with Anna Barker, Jessi Knight, Kristin Taylor Duncan, and Stacy Wolfson

Episode 179: Show Notes

Durham, North Carolina, is a mid-sized city known for its vibrant mix of innovation, collaboration, and creativity. Frequently ranked as one of the best places to live in the US, it boasts a thriving arts, culture, and culinary scene. With a strong sense of community, Durham takes pride in its commitment to inclusivity and diversity. In this episode, we shine a spotlight on four inspiring Durham-based dance artists: Anna Barker, Jessi Knight, Kristin Taylor Duncan, and Stacy Wolfson. Resourceful and deeply passionate, these dancers not only support one another but also fully embrace the creative freedom they’ve found in Durham, along with its unique joys and challenges. Our conversation explores the journeys that brought each artist to Durham and how the city has influenced their work. They share insights into its geography and connections to the Triangle and Triad regions, discussing how these factors shape their artistic processes. The discussion also tackles the challenges of building a dance community and reflects on its role within the local arts landscape. Looking ahead, the artists articulate their visions for the future of their community, the changes they hope to see, and what makes their dance lives in this city so deeply meaningful. Don’t miss this heartfelt and inspiring exploration of creativity, connection, and community. Tune in today!

Key Points From This Episode:

  • An introduction to today’s topic and each of our special guests.
  • What drew these artists to Durham and how it has influenced their artistic journeys.
  • Insight into the geography of Durham; the Triangle and Triad.
  • How dance artists navigate the various challenges of making work in Durham.
  • Where in the community artists can come together in Durham or its surroundings.
  • Reflections on where dance fits into Durham’s art landscape and why.
  • A breakdown of the different changes or developments they’d like to see in the dance community and how they envision their contributions to it.
  • What is special to Kristin, Jessi, Anna, and Stacy about their dance life in Durham.

ABOUT Anna Barker

Anna Barker she/her (Artistic Director, real.live.people)- Anna’s choreographic research draws from the shared human experience to create an exchange about our social and interpersonal existence within an evolving sociopolitical context. She founded her dance theater company, real.live.people, in 2013 with collaborator Leah Wilks. Since its inception, the company has presented four evening-length live works: “it’s not me it’s you” (2014), “Feature Presentation” (2016), “Again, but this time with feeling” (2018) and “could be worse” (2024). She directed and produced her first feature-length dance film, “Level Up” (2021), which was featured in the Carrboro Film Festival and ADF’s “Movies by Movers” festival in 2022. Her work has been presented in various festivals and venues across the US. She received the NC Arts Council Fellowship (2019) and the Ella Pratt Emerging Artist Grant (2018). She currently creates dance work both in Durham and in NYC. In 2022, she opened The Movement Studio, an accessible Pilates-based movement space, at Radical Healing in Durham. She is a returning faculty member at the American Dance Festival’s Summer Dance Intensive this year. Anna lives in the woods with her partner Leif and her beloved dog GG. www.annasbarker.com

Connect

Anna Barker Website

The Movement Studio Durham

 

ABOUT Jessi Knight

Jessi Knight is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer from Pittsboro, NC. Her dance journey began as a happy accident and has since developed into a life-long passion. After graduating from Duke University with a self-designed dance degree with an emphasis in music and education, Jessi embarked on a teaching and choreographing career that has afforded her the opportunity to teach, choreograph, and perform both locally and nationally. She spent four years in Denver, CO, as a member of the internationally acclaimed Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and currently resides in North Carolina where, in addition to choreographing on a project-by-project basis for her company Knightworks Dance Theater, she is a close collaborator with The Bipeds and mama to two incredibly brilliant spirits.

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Knightworks Dance Theater

 

ABOUT Kristin Taylor Duncan

Kristin Taylor Duncan is a native of Durham, NC. She is a BFA graduate of the UNC School of the Arts.  Mrs. Duncan has trained at Jacob’s Pillow, and on scholarship at the Lou Conte Dance Studios in Chicago. In her early childhood years she danced with Collage African Dance Company and at Dance Arts Unlimited. In New York, she apprenticed with Urban Bush Women, and worked with choreographers Nathan Trice, Bridget Moore, Christal Brown, Shani Collins, Ayo Jackson and Sidra Bell.  Kristin has performed with Dr. Kariamu Welsh and Nnenna Freelon in the Clothesline Muse, cellist and vocalist Shana Tucker, Dr. Andrea E. Woods Valdez, Mexico City-based Tania Perez-Salas Compania de Danza, Juel Lane, Gaspard Louis, nosi DANCE theatre, as well as created and performed works with Yuxtadanza Compania de Danza of Venezuela.

Kristin performed with Helen Simoneau for the DANCE X Tour traveling to Montreal, Tokyo and Busan, South Korea. She has taught for the UNCSA’s preparatory program, the Festival of North Carolina Dance, Slippery Rock and also as a guest teacher at Durham School of the Arts and Tri-Cities Performing Arts School in Atlanta, GA.

For two seasons Kristin joined the Community Choral Project at UNC Chapel Hill as the High School choreographer. She has also worked with the Glenwood Elementary award winning 5TH grade Show Choir. Kristin has choreographed works for the elementary students participating in Evening to Shine presented by Durham Public Schools performed at the Durham Performing Arts Center.

Kristin has worked with choreographer Jasmine Powell performing in Approximation of a Woman and in the “Problem PSA” music video by music vocalist Kwanza Jones. She has participated in the “Feedback: The Institution for Performance” program hosted and directed by Carolina Performing Arts. Through Carolina Performing Arts she has performed with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company as a community performer in the work, “What Problem”. 

Mrs. Duncan is a proud recipient of the Ella Fountain Pratt Emerging Artist Grant and the Artists Support Grant. Since the founding days of her company KT COLLECTIVE Dance Company, she has been commissioned to create works by Helen Simoneau, American Dance Festival, NC Museum of Art, the Nasher Museum, NC Museum of History, Myra Weiss of Proxemic Media and North Carolina Central University. KT COLLECTIVE has performed at the Dumbo Dance Festival, the Richmond Dance Festival and most recently had the honor of performing at the Carolina Theatre for the Confronting Change celebration.  

Kristin is the Dance Director at Riverside High School as well as the High School Dance District Lead. In addition, Mrs. Duncan teaches at the Ballet School of Chapel Hill and in the Duke Dance Program.

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KT COLLECTIVE Dance Company

 

ABOUT Stacy Wolfson

Stacy Wolfson (artistic director) is a choreographer (The Bipeds), dancer, singer (The Bipeds, Curtis Eller’s American Circus), mama of two amazing teenagers, wife, and Pilates studio owner (Bull City Pilates and Massage). Originally from Virginia, she spent a decade in Chicago working collaboratively with The Space Movement Project, a company she co-founded in 2005. After deciding that the Chicago winters were no longer acceptable, Wolfson and her family relocated to Durham, NC where she began working as an independent choreographer.

Wolfson seeks out like-minded collaborative performers and creators, and began working closely with banjo-player Curtis Eller. She subsequently formed The Bipeds in late 2015. The Bipeds have presented work across North Carolina, Chicago, Virginia and New York and have had their films shown in various film festivals across the US and UK. Their most recent work was a commission for American Dance Festival’s “Made in NC” show in 2024. Other performance credits include RAD|Renay Aumiller Dances, North Carolina Dance Festival, ADF, Little Green Pig Theatrical Concern, David Dorfman Dance, Cincinnati Fringe Festival, Lucy Vurusic Riner of RE/Dance, Chicago Cultural Center, Erin Carlisle Norton, and Ayako Kato. Wolfson also sings harmony, records and tours with Eller’s rock & roll band, The American Circus.

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The Bipeds

MSP 178: Alice Gosti

By Podcast

PODCAST 178: Alice Gosti

Release Date: 10.28.24

TO DOWNLOAD PODCAST OR LISTEN:

    • Apple: Subscribe, Listen, Rate Us HERE

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Beyond the Stage: Alice Gosti on Time, Space, and Identity

Episode 178: Show Notes

What does it mean to create art that exists both within and beyond time and place? In this episode, we step into the world of Alice Gosti, an Italian-born, Seattle-based dance artist known for pushing the boundaries of performance. She is also a key collaborator of MALACARNE, an experimental dance and performance ensemble dedicated to co-creating transformative rituals that challenge limiting ideas about class, sexuality, gender, ability, and ethnicity. Raised in Italy with American roots, Alice’s multicultural identity informs her approach to choreography and her fascination with “non-places” like airports, where people share fleeting moments of connection. She reveals how these unconventional spaces inspire her work, why beauty and entertainment are consequences of her work rather than motivations, and shares her passion for durational performance and the powerful transformations that occur over hours-long art experiences. Whether she’s turning a museum into a stage or bringing choreography to the heart of an airport, Alice’s work invites us to reconsider how we experience movement and meaning in unexpected spaces. Tune in for her reflections on the intersections of time, space, and identity in art and consider new ways to see life as a creative artist!

 

Key Points From This Episode:

  • Alice’s beginnings in Perugia, Italy, and her introduction to dance at three years old.
  • Early dance influences, including her exposure to the Alwin Nikolais lineage.
  • Pressure Alice faced to pursue choreography over dance due to her appearance.
  • Her interest in integrating performance art and dance in nontraditional venues.
  • The distinction between makers and performers and which category she fits into.
  • Reflections on feeling like an “other” in both Italy and the United States.
  • Alice’s strong connection to Seattle and its artistic support.
  • Insight into her love for planes, airports, and creating dance pieces in “non-places.”
  • Perspectives on creating dance and choreography that isn’t driven by entertainment.
  • Engaging audiences not typically interested in dance through sensory experiences.
  • Alice’s exploration of durational performances, inspired by long-form theater.
  • Compassion for the audience in durational versus endurance performances.
  • The experimental dance and performance ensemble that she collaborates with.
  • What Alice is working on now and what audiences can expect from her in the future.

“It would make such a huge difference if – choreographers and dance artists – valued more critical thinking, autonomy, [and] possibility for conversation and observation.” — Alice Gosti

ABOUT Alice

Alice Gosti (she/her) is an Italian-American immigrant choreographer, facilitator, hybrid performance artist, DJ, curator, and architect of experiences, creating work across Duwamish and Coast Salish Land (Seattle) and Europe since 2008. Known for crafting immersive and transformative performances, Gosti blends movement, visual art, and sound to engage with pressing social, political, and ecological themes.

Gosti has received numerous awards, commissions, and residencies, including the 2021 Princess Grace Choreography Honoraria Award, 2013 Vilcek Creative Promise in Dance Award, 2012 ImPulsTanz danceWEB scholarship, and the inaugural Intiman Theatre’s Emerging Artist Program Director Award. She is a recipient of the Bossak/Heilbron Award, the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture Award, multiple 4Culture grants, and Artist Trust’s GAP Grant and Fellowship. Her recognition extends to the 2016 NEFA National Dance Project Grant and prestigious residencies such as the 2022 Amazon Artist-in-Residence and McColl Center for Art + Innovation. Gosti has also been awarded by the Italian Council and was a two-time Cornish Artist Incubator Awardee, as well as an Artist-in-Residence at Velocity Dance Center, Seattle University, and the University of Washington.

Nationally, Gosti’s work has been commissioned and presented by institutions including On the Boards, Velocity Dance Center, FRYE Art Museum, Seattle Art Museum, Henry Art Gallery, Intiman Theatre, Jacob’s Pillow, the Vilcek Foundation at the Joyce Theater (NY), and ODC Theater (SF) as part of the SCUBA touring network. She has also been featured at the Risk/Reward Festival (PDX) and Performance Works Northwest (PDX). Internationally, her work has been shown in Italy at venues such as Associazione Culturale Dance Gallery, Teatro Stabile dell’Umbria, and Museo Civico di Palazzo della Penna, among others.

As a performer and collaborator, Gosti has worked with artists including Sara Shelton Mann, Keith Hennessy, Carolyn Carlson, and Mark Haim. She is the creative force behind MALACARNE, a performance group centering trans and nonbinary individuals, and their explorations challenge dominant narratives surrounding class, gender, and ethnicity.

Gosti’s expertise also extends to movement direction and choreography for theaters across the U.S., including the Merrimack Repertory Theater, Seattle Repertory Theater, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Folger Theatre, ACT Theatre, and Seattle Shakespeare Company. She is an associate artist with upstart crow collective, continuing to bring innovative perspectives to the intersection of theater and dance.

photo: Michelle Smith-Lewis

Connect with Alice Gosti

Instagram: @gostiaa @malacarneco

Gostia.com

Malacarne.co

 

Podcast produced by: The Moving Architects
Interviewer: Erin Carlisle Norton

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