Abun(dance)

This week's special guest is Godfrey Muwulya! Through a wonderful partnership and study abroad program, Kristen was able to connect with Godfrey via the NYU community. Tune in to learn some about the spirit of West African dance and the beautiful music that helps to enliven the dance. 

Unfortunately, we are missing Hannah from this episode due to her coming down with Covid-19. But, she's doing much better now :)

We welcome Alden LaPaglia! As the director of Alden Moves Dance Theater, a school and company in a Brooklyn, NY she has developed quite a name for herself and business. Kristen and Hannah dive into Alden’s past which has positively shaped her presence in the dance community. She is one of a kind - give this episode a listen!

Joining us is Roman Mykyta, former company dancer with the Ballet Theatre of Maryland and current guest artist where Kristen had the opportunity of meeting him. He is an incredible performer, teacher, and choreographer with lot's of exciting visions for the future. One of Roman's areas of expertise is Ukrainian folk dance which he had the honor of studying in Kyiv. His beautiful words and effort to keep sharing their traditional dance serves as a lovely tribute to the country of Ukraine and its people.

We welcome the lovely Marcela Gómez Lugo! We are thrilled to have Marcela, another Mercyhurst alum, on to talk about her most recent achievements!  She is a dancer and choreographer with Ballet 314 and has most recently created her first children's ballet, "Chocolat" which is based on her mothers book. Both the ballet and the book portray a true story of Marcela's mother and her dog, Chocolat! If you want to hear more about Marcela's process, give this one a listen -- it is super inspiring and we couldn't be more proud of her! If you’d like to read her mother’s book which was the catalyst and the premise of the ballet visit this link: https://www.amazon.com/Chocolat-Doris-Lugo-Ramirez/dp/994560855X

We welcome the gifted Nicholas Ruscica! He talks about his journey as a dancer, teacher, and choreographer and walks us through the experiences that have shaped him into the artist he is today. His hard work has allowed him to land a contract with the José Limón Dance Company where he is currently dancing. Nicholas is going places!

Kristen and Hannah welcome the resilient Tevin Johnson! As a dancer he had some ups and downs but no matter what, he continued to persevere and follow his dream to dance professionally. Tevin takes us through his journey where he talks about his past, present, and future as a professional in the dance field. We can't wait to see where his path will take him!

Kristen and Hannah are pleased to welcome Gianna Forte! From growing up in a small town in Connecticut, to training at Washington Ballet, and now dancing professionally with Boulder Ballet, Gianna has experienced ups and downs that has ultimately made her who she is today as a dancer and person. Tune in to hear about her experiences dealing with the pandemic, injuries, transitioning from student to professional, and the financial aspect of being a dancer. She is an inspiration!

Today we welcome the remarkable Elena Kunikova! Having trained at the Vaganova Ballet Academy, the school of Mariinsky Ballet to then going on to dance professionally at Mikhailovsky Theatre Ballet, it is clear that she has made quite a career for herself. Not only did she leave her mark in Russia, but in the United States as well! If you ever get the chance to take an in-person or virtual class from her we highly recommend doing so. To learn more, visit Elena's website, https://ballet-atelier.com, you will not regret it!

Today we welcome Joanne Whitehill, Artistic Director of Burklyn Ballet Theatre! Tune in to hear about everything from her professional experience to the summer programs & Scotland experience offered at Burklyn Ballet. Joanne also offers wonderful audition advice from the perspective of someone who adjudicates auditions. Thank you Joanne for for your warmth & wisdom!

We are fortunate to have Michelle and Kristin with us to talk about their business, Danscend! Their mission is to promote mental health awareness and in doing so, they have plenty of resources for both dancers and educators to gain a better understanding of mental health and how to transcend it into their work. We recommend visiting their website https://danscend.teachable.com/ to learn about their offerings!