At the Barre with Madison Ballet

In this episode of At the Barre, we are joined by Ilana Goldman, Professor of Dance and Director of the BFA program at Florida State University, as well as an accomplished dancer, choreographer, and educator.

Ilana shares her journey from early dance training and her time at Juilliard to a wide-ranging performance career with companies including Oakland Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet and Trey McIntyre Project, before transitioning into academia and choreography.

This conversation centers on her new work for Madison Ballet’s ChoreographHER, And Everything Is Still…, set to music by Andy Scott. Originally inspired by a short piece she created at Florida State, Ilana expands the work into a larger, multi-sectional piece that explores musicality, spatial design, and the architecture of movement.

Throughout the episode, Ilana offers insight into her creative process and how she worked with the “genius in the room” to create a work that reflects the dancers’ personalities and strengths. Ultimately, her work embraces the idea that dance can mean many things at once, leaving space for audiences to bring their own interpretations to what they see on stage.

About Ilana Goldman

Ilana Goldman is a dancer, choreographer, filmmaker, and educator. She served as Choreographer in Residence of Metro D.C.’s Bowen McCauley Dance (2018–2019) and Artist-in-Residence at Glacier National Park (2022). She has choreographed works for Sacramento Ballet first and second companies, New York Theatre Ballet, ARC Dance Seattle, Tallahassee Ballet, Black Rock City Ballet, Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre, Perry-Mansfield, Shenandoah University, Missouri State University, Florida State University, and University of Washington, among others. Her work was selected for performances at Brooklyn’s Dumbo Dance Festival and the Boston Contemporary Dance Festival.

She performed professionally as a principal dancer with Oakland Ballet and Sacramento Ballet, as a member of Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet and Trey McIntyre Project, and as a guest artist with Alonzo King LINES Ballet.

See “And Everything Is Still…” by Ilana LIVE in ChoreograpHER April 3-5, 2026

🎟️ madisonballet.org/choreographer

Join the conversation!

MBSP WEBSITE: https://www.madisonballetspecialprojects.com/

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/madisonballetspecialprojects

UPCOMING MADISON BALLET PERFORMANCES: https://www.madisonballet.org/performances

REGISTER FOR BALLET 101: https://www.madisonballet.org/school/open-division

Questions/comments? Email us at [email protected]

Credits

COVER PHOTO: Matthew Ulrich

DANCER: Madison Ballet Company Artist Lauren Thompson

MUSIC: Capet String Quartet - Ravel (Col. D 15057-60) 1928

In this episode of At the Barre, we are joined by Endalyn Taylor Outlaw, Dean of Dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and guest choreographer for Madison Ballet’s ChoreographHER.

Endalyn shares her journey from a creative childhood in Chicago to an acclaimed career with Dance Theatre of Harlem and on Broadway, to her evolution into a choreographer and educator.

This conversation centers on her work It’s the Thing with Feathers. Inspired by Emily Dickinson’s poem Hope is the Thing with Feathers, the piece explores the varied ways hope can show up in our lives, with movement functioning almost as its own character. Set to a dynamic score by Nils Frahm, the piece reflects Endalyn’s interest in blending classical and contemporary vocabularies while creating an expressive, human-centered experience.

Throughout the episode, Endalyn also shares her perspective on the role of academia in the dance world, as both a space for experimentation and a bridge to the professional sphere.

About Endalyn Taylor Outlaw

Dancer, choreographer, and educator Endalyn T. Outlaw (née Taylor) is the dean of the  School of Dance at UNCSA. She has held the positions of director of Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) School in New York — a company she joined in 1984, becoming a principal dancer in 1993 — and director of the Cambridge Summer Art Institute in Massachusetts. Her extensive administrative, artistic and academic career is steeped in ballet pedagogy and she has created an eclectic body of choreographic works.

Outlaw excels at restaging ballets, having performed many of the classics and having worked with luminaries in the field including DTH founder Arthur Mitchell, British-American ballet dancer and choreographer Frederick Franklin, director and choreographer of LINES Ballet Alonzo King, American dancer and choreographer Agnes de Mille, and director and choreographer of Garth Fagan Dance and “The Lion King,” Garth Fagan. She has performed on Broadway and stages all over the world, including as an original cast member of Tony Award-winning Broadway productions of “The Lion King,” “Aida,” and “Carousel.”

See “It’s the Thing with Feathers” by Endalyn LIVE in ChoreograpHER April 3-5, 2026

🎟️ madisonballet.org/choreographer

Join the conversation!

MBSP WEBSITE: https://www.madisonballetspecialprojects.com/

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/madisonballetspecialprojects

UPCOMING MADISON BALLET PERFORMANCES: https://www.madisonballet.org/performances

Questions/comments? Email us at [email protected]

Credits

COVER PHOTO: Matthew Ulrich

DANCER: Madison Ballet Company Artist Lauren Thompson

MUSIC: Capet String Quartet - Ravel (Col. D 15057-60) 1928

In this episode of At the Barre, host Chris Farenthold, Director of Madison Ballet Special Projects, is joined by Nathalia Arja, principal dancer with Miami City Ballet and choreographer of Seven Days Walking, featured in Madison Ballet’s upcoming performance, ChoreograpHER.

Natahlia shares her journey from growing up in a ballet family in Rio de Janeiro to becoming a principal dancer, and how an unexpected injury led her to discover her creative voice as a choreographer.

She also discusses the inspiration behind Seven Days Walking, the process of staging the work on Madison Ballet dancers, and how choreography became a powerful outlet during a difficult period in her career.

From watching birds on the beach to creating movement for an all-male cast, Nathalia offers insight into the creative impulses that shape her work and the evolving artistic language she is developing as both dancer and choreographer.

About Nathalia Arja

Nathalia Arja was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where she began taking dance classes at the age of five at Escola de Danca Alice Arja. At 14, she began dancing with the Compania de Ballet do Rio de Janeiro. During her year with the company in Brazil, Arja also competed in and won several dance competitions where she was offered a scholarship for El Teatro Colón, El Ballet de Santiago, Joffrey Ballet School and Canada’s National Ballet School.

At 15, she received a full scholarship to attend Miami City Ballet School where she trained for three years. She joined Miami City Ballet as a school apprentice in 2009 and was promoted to member of the corps de ballet in 2011. She was promoted to soloist in 2014 and principal soloist in 2016. In March 2020, Nathalia was promoted to Principal.

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/nathaliaarja​​

See Seven Days Walking by Nathalia Arja LIVE in ChoreograpHER April 3-5, 2026

🎟️ madisonballet.org/choreographer

Join the conversation!

MBSP WEBSITE: https://www.madisonballetspecialprojects.com/

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/madisonballetspecialprojects

UPCOMING MADISON BALLET PERFORMANCES: https://www.madisonballet.org/performances

Questions/comments? Email us at [email protected]

Credits

PHOTO: Matthew Ulrich

DANCER: Madison Ballet Company Artist Lauren Thompson

MUSIC: Capet String Quartet - Ravel (Col. D 15057-60) 1928

In this episode of At the Barre, host Chris Fahrenthold, Director of Madison Ballet Special Projects, is joined by Ja’ Malik, Artistic and Executive Director of Madison Ballet to discuss his artistic journey, the influences that shaped his career, and the vision guiding Madison Ballet’s future.

Ja’ Malik shares how his early ballet training, exposure to powerful artistic role models, and passion for choreography led him to a career both onstage and behind the scenes. The conversation also explores how Madison Ballet programs its seasons, supports diverse choreographic voices, and creates meaningful connections with the Madison community.

Listeners will also get a preview of the upcoming ChoreograpHER program, coming to Madison Youth Arts Center April 3–5, 2026!

About Ja’ Malik

Previous to joining Madison Ballet, Ja' Malik built a career of executing commissions from nationally-renowned dance companies and advocating for representation of Black artists. He founded and has served as Executive Director of New York City's Ballet Boy Productions, whose mission is to create pathways for young Black men to thrive in a career in dance.

In 2019, Ja' Malik collaborated with Tony-nominated Camille A. Brown on choreography for The Public Theater’s 2019 production of Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When The Rainbow is Enuf, and is a former member of Cleveland Ballet, Oakland Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theatre, Nathan Trice Rituals, City Dance Ensemble, Ballet Hispanico, and Ballet X. In 2003 he graduated from the first class of Joffrey Ballet School, and New School University, BFA program.

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/ja_malik_choreographer/

See ChoreograpHER @ Madison Youth Arts Center Starlight Theatre April 3-5, 2026

🎟️ madisonballet.org/choreographer

Join the conversation!

MBSP WEBSITE: https://www.madisonballetspecialprojects.com/

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/madisonballetspecialprojects

UPCOMING MADISON BALLET PERFORMANCES: https://www.madisonballet.org/performances

Questions/comments? Email us at [email protected]

Credits

PHOTO: Matthew Ulrich

DANCER: Madison Ballet Company Artist Lauren Thompson

MUSIC: Capet String Quartet - Ravel (Col. D 15057-60) 1928

Welcome to the very first episode of At the Barre, A Madison Ballet Special Projects podcast!

In our premiere episode, Caitlin Sloan (Strategic Advisor, MBSP) interviews Madison Ballet Special Projects Director, Chris Fahrenthold to share some insight into who we are and what we do!

Key points in this episode:

• Chris’s background and journey into the ballet world
• The origin story of Madison Ballet Special Projects
• The mission of MBSP and how it fits within Madison Ballet’s broader work
• Why this work matters, and how MBSP contributes to Madison’s cultural and artistic landscape
• A look at our programming, from performances to community conversations
• What we hope audiences experience and take away from attending
• The importance of creating space for dialogue around dance
• Ways listeners can support or get involved with MBSP
• What to expect from future episodes of At The Barre

Whether you’re a longtime ballet enthusiast or simply curious about how dance gets made, this episode offers insight into the creative process and the values guiding our work.

Join the conversation!

MBSP WEBSITE: https://www.madisonballetspecialprojects.com/

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/madisonballetspecialprojects

UPCOMING MADISON BALLET PERFORMANCES: https://www.madisonballet.org/performances

Questions/comments? Email us at [email protected]

Credits

PHOTO: Matthew Ulrich

DANCER: Madison Ballet Company Artist Lauren Thompson

MUSIC: Capet String Quartet - Ravel (Col. D 15057-60) 1928

At the Barre with Madison Ballet is your behind-the-scenes look at the ideas, stories, and creative processes shaping Madison Ballet’s work.

Hosted by Chris Fahrenthold, each episode brings our community a little closer to the dancers, choreographers, and collaborators who are making ballet in Madison right now.

Whether you’re a seasoned balletomane, current or former dancer, or simply curious about how dance gets made, we warmly invite you into the room where it happens.

Connect with us:

WEBSITE: madisonballet.org

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/madisonballet

EMAIL: [email protected]

Credits:

PHOTO: Matthew Ulrich

DANCER: Madison Ballet Company Artist Dana Sheldon

MUSIC: Capet String Quartet - Ravel (Col. D 15057-60) 1928