Conversations with Ballet & Dance Icons

Hofesh Shechter is an award winning, critically acclaimed choreographer, composer and artistic director of the ground-breaking and mind-blowing Hofesh Shechter Company.

The renowned contemporary dance company presents work that is deeply visceral with performances that are spellbindingly raw, often raging, completely unexpected and a full assault on the senses.

Hofesh talks in this podcast about growing up in Israel, travelling to Europe, and arriving in London to dance with the Jasmin Vardimon Company, before deciding take a year out to create his own work, which led to the formation of his own company.

Listen to Hofesh describe his movement language, how he creates new work, his inspirations, and how he works with the dancers to deliver powerful performances of his distinct choreographic vocabulary.

Hofesh also talks about the impact of lockdown and the shift to focus on digital, with the collaboration with Sadler’s Wells. Their Digital Stage In Focus series gives you the opportunity to take one of Hofesh Shechter Company workshops and learn exerts from his distinctive choreography.

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American Ballet Theatre Soloist, Gabe Stone Shayer talks in this podcast about his journey from Philadelphia to becoming the first African-American male graduate of the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, the first in the 250 year history of this prestigious school.

Gabe shares his experience of dancing and living in Moscow, touring with the Bolshoi Ballet and returning to the US to join the American Ballet Theatre.

Having performed many soloist and principal roles over the years, and creating roles with the acclaimed choreographer Alexei Ratmansky, Gabe was promoted to Soloist during the lockdown and awaits to return to perform on stage.

During the lockdown, Gabe has drawn on his love of choreography and launched the Creative Genesis project and has raised more than $30,000 to go towards creating and presenting new choreographic work. This project importantly helps support other dancers during these covid times, giving them work and an opportunity to perform as they wait for the theatres to reopen.  

You can DONATE HERE to the Creative Genesis project!

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Akram Khan MBE is without doubt one of the most innovative and important choreographers of our time. He has created some of the most profound and moving works over the last 20 years of Akram Khan Company, a company he founded with Farooq Chaudry.

In this podcast, Akram talks about his experience of lockdown that led to feelings of depression, caused by the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. He gives us an insight into how he began creating again and collaborating on their 20th celebration programme The Silent Burn Project.

Akram looks back over his dance career; from his dance training in Kathak South Asian classical dance and contemporary dance, to the influences and inspirations that led to him choreographing works that tell stories which critically address subjects ranging from power, oppression and racism.

Listen to Akram talk about his approach to creating new works, his process of working with his visual, musical and design collaborators and dancers when he goes in the studio.

In this intimate discussion, Akram reflects on his career highlights, on working with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Antony Gormley, prima ballerina Sylvie Guillem CBE, creating Giselle with English National Ballet, and his hotly anticipated premiere of ENB’s Creature which has been delayed due to coronavirus. We also talk about his creations; Dust, Until the Lions, Xenos, DESH and more.

As we delve into Akram Khan Company, Akram gives a glimpse of what to expect from The Silent Burn Project, which features world famous prima ballerina Misty Copeland, plus dance short films, debates and more exciting content to celebrate the last two decades of this astounding company.

The Silent Burn Project premieres worldwide for FREE via livestream on the company’s website, YouTube channel and Facebook Live on 4 October 2020 at midday UK time.

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https://djwpodcasts.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/1wwwod/2Akram+khan.mp3

Principal dancer Carlo di Lanno moved from San Francisco Ballet to Semperoper Ballett in Germany just as the coronavirus pandemic started to hit Europe.

After arriving in the company’s home in the city of Dresden, Carlo immediately quarantined for two weeks before going into the studio to take company class and start rehearsals for the season that has already seen cancellations.

Listen to Carlo talk about his lockdown dance experience and what it’s like joining a new ballet company when required to socially distance from your colleagues, while taking class metres apart from another, on rotating schedules.

Semperoper Ballett is stepping back on stage with a series of gala events called »Semper Essenz: We Will Dance!«, being performed at the wonderful opera house accompanied by their world-famous orchestra. 

With so many dance companies around the world cancelling their entire seasons, furloughing dancers and making staff redundant, it is uplifting to see ballet dancers set to perform to live audiences with a live orchestra – it’s almost semi-normal!

Carlo also shares his journey from growing up in south Italy to dancing with La Scala in Milan, Staatsballett Berlin and moving to San Francisco Ballet and working with world renowned choreographers William Forsythe, David Dawson, Benjamin B. Millepied, Christopher Wheeldon and more.

»Semper Essenz: We Will Dance!« is on 25 September and 1, 4, 16, 18 & 25 October 2020 – get your tickets.

Photo: Sofiane Sylve and Carlo Di Lanno in On the Nature of Daylight by Ian Whalen

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https://djwpodcasts.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/1wwwod/Carlo.mp3

In this podcast, English National Ballet‘s Isabelle Brouwers gives us an insight into her lockdown experience that coincided with recovering from an injury; she also talks about how she prepared to return to the studio and what it’s like dancing with a mask.

It is an understatement to say that Covid has presented enormous challenges for the dance industry. Dancers have been especially hit, as they have strived to maintain their physical and mental wellbeing within the confines of their homes, often isolated and separated from their families as well as their dance colleagues. And this is before the industry-wide redundancies, covid infections and shifting government policies restricting and delaying live performances around the world.

However, throughout this period Isabelle has remained positive. She shares how she used the time at home with her sister to rehabilitate her injured foot, while taking courses to further her academic career, and writing about dance and reviewing online shows. These goals helped to keep her focused and ensure she was ready to return to ENB’s new multi-million pound home in East London.

Listen to Isabelle describe the feeling of finally being back in the studio, and how the company has managed the dancers’ return to keep them safe, with staggered start times, one-way systems and dance social ‘bubbles’.

Isabelle is absolutely relishing being back at the barre, even though this means taking company class in a mask – something dancers around the world are having to get used to. It’s intriguing to hear a dancer describe how a small piece of cloth has an impact on how a dancer experiences their space, their body and their artform.

Isabelle also looks back at her journey from Germany to the Royal Ballet School and English National Ballet School; her experience of joining ENB where she’s risen through the ranks from the corps de ballet to First Artist.

Isabelle talks about picking up awards including Youth America Grand Prix (2007), Genée International Ballet Competition (Silver Medal 2013), Young British Dancer of the Year in 2013 with nominations in 2015 & 2016, and ENB’s Emerging Dancer Finalist in 2017.

As Isabelle looks to the future, she discusses how Covid is affecting the upcoming season that would normally see her touring the UK and the world. And after six years with the company, she’s drawing on her experiences of working with acclaimed choreographers like Akram Khan and the hope of performing his new work ‘Creature’ later this year, to keep her inspired as the dance world and devoted audiences wait for live performances to recommence and for the show to go on.

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In this podcast, National Ballet of Canada acclaimed Principal dancer and award winning Associate Choreographer Guillaume Côté talks about his 22 year career with the company that has fostered his drive to create roles and new ballets and perform across the world with companies including La Scala Theatre Ballet, English National Ballet, The Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, The Hamburg Ballet and Stuttgart Ballet.

Guillaume is also the Artistic Director of Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur – one of the largest summer dance festivals in Canada. This year’s 29th festival is forging ahead and responding to the challenges of covid by launching a new project called ‘A Shared Solitude‘, with 20 artists, 20 creations, forming 1 voice. Each week from 5 July works will be released online from artists including:

Listen to Guillaume talk about the how the 20 artists have created works during lockdown, life as a principal dancer, his love of music, his passion for ballet, being a dad and his partnership with his wife, fellow principal dancer Heather Ogden.

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In this podcast, Royal Ballet First Soloist Mayara Magri and Choreographer Ruth Mair Howard-Jones talk about creating the lockdown dance film ‘Sono Con Te’, which translates in English to ‘I Am With You’.

Sono Con Te features 29 dancers from 18 countries and companies including Royal Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Cape Town City Ballet, New Adventures and more. These artists have come together to share the message of love and unity during these challenges times.

Listen to Ruth and Mayara talk about the inspiration behind the film, the creative process, filming with social distancing on the quiet streets of London.

Sono Con Te is out now – watch on YouTube.

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https://djwpodcasts.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/1wwwod/Mayara+Magri.mp3

In this podcast, Royal Ballet Artist Leticia Dias joins us from Rio where she has been staying with her family during lockdown.

Listen to Leticia talk about growing up and studying ballet in Rio, winning a Prix de Lausanne scholarship that took her to the Royal Ballet Upper School at the age of 16. She describes her experience of adjusting to life in the city, the amazing performance opportunities she received while at the school and joining the Birmingham Royal Ballet before finding her home with The Royal Ballet.

Leticia shares her life as an artist of the company, how she’s dealing with life in lockdown, staying in shape and taking care of her health and wellbeing, plus dancing in lockdown dance film ‘SONO CON TE’, (which means I Am With You in English). Created by Ruth Mair Howard-Jones, and choreographed via Zoom to share the message of love and unity during these challenging times.

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https://djwpodcasts.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/1wwwod/leticia.mp3

Good news feels a little hard to come by these days. So it’s exciting to see the critically acclaimed, award winning BalletBoyz 20th anniversary celebrations continuing with an online presentation of Deluxe by Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London.

Sadler’s Wells will showcase Deluxe as part of new Digital Stage – a free online performance platform, created in response to the cancellation of shows across its theatres as part of efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Deluxe will form part of the launch on Friday 27 March 2020, World Theatre Day, which can be accessed via Sadler’s Wells Facebook page at 7.30 pm and will be available for seven days – so mark this in your diaries!

Just as Covid-19 was starting to hit London, we interviewed BalletBoyz Artistic Directors, former Royal Ballet Dancers Michael Nunn and William Trevitt. Michael and William talk in this podcast about leaving The Royal Ballet after 12 years to create their own company and moving from classical to modern dance. They also look back at the pieces that are special to the company, talk about their studio process and share what makes a BalletBoyz dancer.

With a long history of dance filmmaking, Michael and William talk about making the stunning Romeo and Juliet, winning the Palm d’Or, and their next dance film project (you’ll have to listen to find out which classical ballet they’re taking to the screen next!).

Listen to the Artistic Directors talk about the choreographers of the two pieces in Deluxe – Shanghai-based dancer and choreographer Xie Xin and Punchdrunk choreographer Maxine Doyle.

We’re so excited that Deluxe is coming to Sadler’s Wells Digital Stage on 27 March 2020 at 7.30pm.

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https://djwpodcasts.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/1wwwod/BalletBoyz2.mp3