Conversations with Ballet & Dance Icons

Italian ballerina Alice Mariani grew up in the rolling hills of Tuscany and went on to study at the prestigious La Scala Ballet School in Milan.

After a visit from Semperoper Ballett Aristic Director Aaron S. Watkin, Alice was invited to join the company in Dresden, Germany. In 2011 she joined the corps de ballet and has risen through the ranks to First Soloist.

She is currently preparing to perform a triple bill of the acclaimed choreographer William Forysthe‘s work in London (Sadler’s Wells 21-23 June), which will be her first visit to the capital.

Listen to Alice talk about working with Forysthe in the studio and the feeling of performing his work on stage.

She also tells us about life as a First Soloist, and the joy of performing the company’s repertoire of classical, neoclassical and contemporary works.

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https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/djwpodcasts/1wwwod/Alice+Mariani.mp3

Spanish born Jón Vallejo is a principal dancer with Semperoper Ballett (Dresden, Germany), a company with a long history with the acclaimed choreographer William Forsythe.

In this podcast, Jón shares his experience of working with Forsythe over his 12 year career with the company, and gives us an insight into how Forsythe breathes new life into his revered pieces to keep them fresh for the dancers and the audience.

Semperoper Ballett is showcasing three works by William Forsythe in triple bill All Forsythe, at London’s Sadler’s Wells (21 – 23 June).

The triple bill includes the groundbreaking In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, which famously changed ballet forever, with its deconstruction of classical ballet technique.

Neue Suite, created especially for the company, is made up of a series of pas de deux choreographed between 1987 and 1999, which gives highlights of Forsythe’s repertoire. 

Enemy in the Figure features 11 cavorting dancers, lit by a single spotlight.

Jón also shares with us what makes Semperoper Ballett unique and how they realise the artistic vision of “breaking down the borders that traditionally exist between classical and contemporary dance and redefining dance as a culmination of both.”

Listen to his personal journey of growing up in the Spanish Basque country to becoming a principal dancer.

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https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/djwpodcasts/1wwwod/jon+vallejo.mp3

Alyssa Lisle is a 24 year old contemporary dancer born in the north east of England. She graduated with a 1st class BA (Hons) in Professional Dance Practise at Dance City, Newcastle upon Tyne.

In this podcast episode, Alyssa shares her experience of forging a career in the north east of England as a dancer and a dance teacher. 

Alyssa talks about touring with Fertile Ground – the North East’s leading professional early career dance company.

The company is presenting ‘Fully Grounded’ (until 21 July), an exciting new double bill of world premieres from choreographers ReGina Wielingen and Robby Graham.

Listen to Alyssa talk about the opportunities for dancers in the north east, her experience of working with Fertile Ground, the two different choreographers and her aspirations for the future of the local dance scene.

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https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/djwpodcasts/1wwwod/Fertitle+Ground.mp3

Jinyeob Cha is a household name in Korea, after she was propelled to celebrity status as a judge on the Korean version of Dancing with the Stars. And while that has made Jinyeob a famous personality, it’s her incredible choreography and celebrated career that has firmly established her as a pioneering Korean dance artist.

She was prestigiously chosen to choreograph the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics ceremonies, an opportunity that not only showcased Jinyeob’s work to people in her own country, but introduced Korean contemporary dance to a worldwide audience.

Jinyeob trained at the London Contemporary Dance School and has performed with the acclaimed Hofesh Shechter Company, an experience that shaped her own choreography and creative process.

Jinyeob is an innovator of Korean contemporary dance and after a decade of making work in Seoul, she is returning to present her work ‘Riverrun’ at the Festival of Korean Dance, being held in London at The Place, 9-16 May.

Jinyeob shares her fascinating experience and the challenges of creating one of world’s greatest productions, seen by millions globally who tuned in to watch the  2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics ceremonies. She also shares insights into the dance scene in Korea and how contemporary dance is perceived within the Korean culture, and how the popularity of dance is increasing through commercial dance TV shows.

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New technologies like virtual reality and social media are opening up new ways of presenting and interacting with dancers, creators and performances. It is definitely an exciting and interesting time for the art-form and choreographer and former Birmingham Royal Ballet dancer Alexander Whitley, is pioneering the tech dance space with the launch of a dance virtual reality (VR) App.

Alexander Whitley and Natalie Allen in Pattern. Photo by Tristram Kenton

In this podcast episode, Alex explains how VR and dance work together and how audiences can see and experience his piece ‘Celestial Motion’ in a new and interactive way. Put on a VR headset and you can be on stage, you can look 360 degrees and get up close to the dancers.

Celestial Motion was adapted by Alex from his original stage production 8 Minutes, which received rave reviews when the piece premiered last year.

You can listen also to our podcast with Alex, which gives a deep insight into the intellectual foundations and creative process behind  8 Minutes.

Alexander Whitley – Frames

The Celestial Motion App was produced by The Guardian’s award-winning in-house VR team, and made in association with Sadler’s Wells.

Download The Guardian VR app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.

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Breakin’ Convention is the award-winning, critically acclaimed international hip hop festival and this year marks 15 sensational years of bringing hip hop culture into the theatre.

Jonzi D, MC, dancer and spoken word artist is the Founder and Artistic Director of Breakin’ Convention and Associate Artist of Sadler’s Wells, the home of this ground breaking hip hop festival.  

Jonzi D gives us the low down on this year’s hot line up of international artists hitting the stage in London. There’s hip hop dancers, DJs, graffiti artists and an incredible ensemble of 15 leading jazz musicians.

Jonzi D shares his journey over the last 2 decades from hip hop artist to pioneer of hip hop theatre. We talk about the evolution of the UK hip hop scene over the years, the emerging artists breaking out in the battles and coming together for the festival. Jonzi D shares his vision for the future of hip hop theatre and the legacy for Breakin’ Convention.

Breakin’ Convention is an exhilarating family friendly festival that brings together the most respected, innovative and inspirational artists from around the world and is not to be missed!

Breakin’ Convention hits London 5-7 May at Sadler’s Wells. Get a taste of what’s to come at the free Park Jam hip hop event in London on 29 April.

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

World Dance for Parkinson’s Day sees 23 dance organisations and individual teaching artists from 16 countries offering classes for people with Parkinson’s throughout April, in honor of Parkinson’s Awareness Month and International Dance Day.

Dance is scientifically proven to help people who suffer from Parkinson’s, with dance classes and programs offering more than just lessons – they also provide social, emotional, and creative experiences that enhance lives of the dance students and their families.

Jody White Van de Klippe, Program Director for Hamilton City Ballet’s Dance for Parkinson’s and dance student Stan Tick talk about how dance classes are transforming lives for people with Parkinson’s.

Listen to Stan talk about his diagnosis and the affects of the disease before he discovered Dance for Parkinson’s in his home town in Canada. Stan’s personal journey and experience of the positive benefits of dance is inspiring and he is filled with wise words of encouragement for anyone who is living with Parkinson’s.

Jody tells us about how World Dance for Parkinson’s Day has grown and brings together a global network of research, dance artists and organisations to make lives better through dance.

Companies involved include Mark Morris Dance Group, who founded Dance for PD®, and who as Jody says “without their pioneering spirit and efforts, the global expansion of dance based programming for people who have Parkinson’s disease would not exist”; Dutch National Ballet, English National Ballet, Hamilton City Ballet, Mark Morris Dance Group, Canada’s National Ballet School, Houston Ballet, Queensland Ballet, Scottish Ballet, Skånes Dansteater and many more.

Learn more about World Dance for Parkinson’s Day and explore dance classes, watch documentaries and find diverse programs near you in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, France, Portugal, Israel, India, England, Malta, Scotland, South Africa, South Korea, and the United States.

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https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/djwpodcasts/1wwwod/Jody+White.mp3

Daria Klimentová, prima ballerina, dance teacher and photographer, is one of the most acclaimed dancers of our times. After a glittering career as a senior principal dancer with the English National Ballet, she is now moulding the future dance stars at the Royal Ballet Upper School.

Listen to Daria share her experience of deciding to hang up her pointe shoes and step off the stage and her transition to becoming a dance teacher.

Daria talks about her partnership and friendship with the incredible principal dancer Vadim Muntagirov, her passion for passing on her professional experience to the next generation of dancers and her love of photography.

Daria gives us an insight into the training at the Royal Ballet School and the challenges for dancers today; she also talks about her renowned International Ballet Masterclass in Prague, which attracts dancers from around the world.

It was a privilege to speak with Daria and to feature her in The Wonderful World of Dance Magazine Act II, photographed by the wonderfully talented Karolina Kuras at The Library in London, dressed by Teatum Jones and having a make-up by Paulina Kozdra!

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Charlotte Darbyshire is the co-Artistic Director (along with Ben Wright) of Candoco Dance Company – a contemporary dance company of disabled and non-disabled dancers in the UK that’s made up of highly trained and passionate dancers from around the world.

The company is presenting work across the UK and we’ve just reviewed their Double Bill at London’s Sadler’s Wells, which our wonderful reviewer Francesca Marotto said “celebrates the power of diversity” (read full review here).

As a founding member of Candoco, Charlotte has an inspiring and trailblazing journey over the last 25 years, championing and pioneering diversity in dance, training disabled dancers and creating opportunities and choreographing for disabled and non-disabled dancers.

Listen to Charlotte talk about how she became interested in practice and research into inclusive and creative approaches to dance practice for disabled and non-disabled people, trained and untrained dancers.

Charlotte also talks about her many roles as choreographer, teacher, dancer, dance lecturer, dance film director and the work being presented by Candoco Dance Company (check out locations near you).

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Neon Dance Artistic Director and Choreographer Adrienne Hart is bringing an exciting evening of curated contemporary dance celebrating international Piano Day to Sadler’s Wells on 22 & 23 March.

The Wild Card evening starts with a photographic exhibition in the foyer, features flowers being pollenated by a piano tuning fork, and there’s two pieces created by Adrienne showcasing Neon Dance. Adrienne’s curated Wild Card is set to be a night to remember. She’s presented works on stages from the Radialsystem V in Berlin to Glastonbury and in countries from Norway to Kosovo.

Listen to Adrienne talk about her own dance journey, the integral support she’s received as an emerging choreographer that led to her creating her own company and how she’s selected the works and collaborations for Wild Card.

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https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/djwpodcasts/1wwwod/final+adrienne+hart+6+march+18.mp3