“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey

Join "Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey and special guest Anna Sperber

In this episode of  "Dance Talk” ® , host Joanne Carey interviews choreographer Anna Sperber, who shares her journey into the world of dance, her education, and her artistic identity. They discuss her upcoming piece 'Beacons' at the American Dance Festival, the role of the audience in dance, and the creative process behind choreography.

Sperber reflects on the influence of motherhood and Martha Graham on her work, the importance of somatics, and her initiative 'Class, Class, Class' aimed at fostering new teaching talent. The conversation culminates in her thoughts on receiving the Bessie Award and her excitement about returning to ADF.

Anna Sperber is a Brooklyn-based choreographer and performer. Her work has been described by The New York Times as “immediately compelling” and “wonderfully strange” with “moments of theatrical magic.” Her performances are rooted in the poetic potency of choreography and its potential for perceptual transformation, embodying a tension between formality and chaotic wildness.
Sperber received a 2022 New York Dance and Performance “Bessie” award for Outstanding Choreographer / Creator for Bow Echo (2021). Her work has been presented and commissioned by The Kitchen, The Joyce Theater UNLEASHED Series, The Chocolate Factory, Baryshnikov Arts Center, Roulette, Gibney Dance, and Dance Theater Workshop in New York City, as well as by the American Dance Festival in Durham, NC. Sperber has received fellowships and residencies at MacDowell, Yaddo, Bogliasco Foundation in Bogliasco Italy, the Marble House Project, as a Schonberg Fellow at Dance The Yard, Dance Initiative in Carbondale Colorado, Center for Performance Research, Gibney Dance DiP (Dance in Process), Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, and Movement Research. Her work has been supported by New Music USA Live Music for Dance, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, The Jerome Foundation, and Brooklyn Arts Council, Cafe Royal Cultural Foundation, and a 2025 NYSCA Grant to Individual Artists. 
Sperber has collaborated extensively with esteemed experimental composers and live musicians as well as visual designers in New York City. These interdisciplinary collaborations are crucial to the integration of visual and sonic landscapes with the moving body in her work. As a performer, she has worked with many New York-based choreographers including luciana achugar and Juliette Mapp.
Sperber was a co-founder of classclassclass, designed to nurture new dance teachers while offering reduced class rates, and has taught as a guest artist at American Dance Festival, Movement Research, Freeskewl, Gibney Dance, Hunter College, George Washington University, and Wayne State University. Sperber founded and ran BRAZIL, a studio and intimate performance space in Bushwick, Brooklyn from 2004 to 2014 and Sunset Space from 2019-2020.

More about Anna

https://www.annasperber.com/

See the performance at American Dance Festival

https://americandancefestival.org/event/anna-sperber/2025-06-25/

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey

wherever you listen to your podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠https://dancetalkwithjoannecarey.com/⁠⁠

Follow Joanne on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance 

Tune in. Follow. Like us. And Share. 

Please leave a review! 

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey 

"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

Join "Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey and special guest Lloyd Mayor

In this episode of "Dance Talk” ® , host Joanne Carey speaks with Lloyd Mayor, director of the Clive Barnes Foundation, about his journey in the dance world, the influence of Martha Graham, and the importance of resilience in the performing arts.

They discuss the role of the Clive Barnes Foundation in supporting emerging talent, the future of dance and theater, and the significance of movement as a form of therapy. Lloyd shares insights on navigating the dance industry, the challenges faced by dancers, and offers advice for aspiring artists.

LLoyd Mayor is of Swiss and British nationality and was born in Geneva, Switzerland, and trained at the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in London. After entering the Martha Graham School with a full scholarship, he joined the Martha Graham Dance Company as a soloist dancer from 2012 to 2022. Mr. Mayor performed a wide range of lead roles in Martha Graham's repertoire as well as contemporary collaborations with Pam Tanowitz, Nacho Duato, Andonis Foniadakis, and Richard Move’s “The Show (Achilles Heels),” first danced by Mikhail Baryshnikov. For the Martha Graham Company's 90th anniversary in April 2016, Mr. Mayor danced with former Étoile and former artistic director of the Paris Opera Ballet, Aurélie Dupont. Mr. Mayor also continues to teach around the world, sharing the knowledge of the Graham Technique. Outside of dance, Mr. Mayor is a vibrant real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and takes great pride in being a global multilingual and multicultural professional who always puts forward the experience of collaborative effort and being of service to his clients’ needs. In 2014, he was honored with the Clive Barnes Dance Award, and is now Director of the Foundation. Lloyd Mayor is passionate about keeping Clive and Valerie Taylor Barnes's legacy alive so that young talent can keep being recognised and celebrated.

More about the Clive Barnes Foundation

https://www.clivebarnesfoundation.org/

Tickets to the Annual Awards June 9th
at the National Arts Club

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/15th-annual-award-clive-barnes-ceremony-and-anniversary

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey

wherever you listen to your podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠https://dancetalkwithjoannecarey.com/⁠

Follow Joanne on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance 

Tune in. Follow. Like us. And Share. 

Please leave a review! 

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey 

"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

Join "Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey and special guests Stevn Melendez and Wendy Perron.

In this episode of "Dance Talk” ® , host Joanne Carey engages with Steven Melendez, the artistic director of New York Theatre Ballet, and Wendy Perron, a dance historian and former editor of Dance Magazine. They discuss the significance of Judson Dance Theater, its impact on modern dance, and how its philosophies resonate with contemporary dance practices.

The conversation explores the challenges of restaging historical works, the importance of audience engagement, and the political context of dance as a form of protest and expression.

The episode culminates in a preview of an upcoming performance that aims to bridge the past and present of dance April 23-26.

The Judson Dance Theater was a pioneering experimental dance collective that operated in New York City from 1962 to 1964. They performed at Judson Memorial Church in Greenwich Village, known for its social and artistic activism. Judson Dance Theater is widely recognized as a key force in the development of postmodern dance and its avant-garde approach influenced subsequent generations of choreographers. 

Steven Melendez was born in New York City in 1986 and started his ballet training with the LIFT Program at Ballet School New York at the age of 7. He has danced as a Soloist dancer with Ballet Concierto in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a Principal dancer with The Vanemuine Theater Ballet Company in Tartu, Estonia, and for over 15 years with New York Theatre Ballet. He was a national and international guest artist and teacher and has worked across Europe, Asia, and Central and South America. Steven co-choreographed his first large-scale work, Song Before Spring, for New York Theatre Ballet which was named a Dance Europe critic's choice “Best Premiere” of 2016. Steven is currently a member of the alumni advisory committee on diversity and inclusion for School of American Ballet and served as the Hiland Artistic Director for National Dance Institute New Mexico. Steven was named as the Artistic Director of New York Theatre Ballet in April of 2022

Wendy Perron is a dancer/choreographer turned writer/editor/scholar. She trained in modern dance and ballet and earned a BA from Bennington College and an MA from SUNY Empire State College. She danced with the Trisha Brown Company in the 1970s and choreographed more than 40 works for her own group, which received commissions from Lincoln Center Festival, the Joyce Theater, Jacob’s Pillow, and the Danspace Project. Perron has taught at Bennington, Princeton, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and the Conservatory at SUNY Purchase. In the early 1990s she served as associate director of Jacob’s Pillow. She was the editor in chief of Dance Magazine from 2004 to 2013, and has also written for the New York Times, the Village Voice, vanityfair.com, and journals in Europe and China. An authority on Judson Dance Theater and postmodern dance, Perron has lectured across the country and in Russia and China. In 2011 she was the first dance artist to be inducted into the New York Foundation for the Arts’ Hall of Fame. Her second book, The Grand Union: Accidental Anarchists of Downtown Dance, 1970-1975, met with acclaim when it was published in 2020. She has recently performed with Yoshiko Chuma and the School of Hard Knocks in downtown venues. Her new online series, “Unsung Heroes of Dance History,” presents research on dance artists outside the “canon.” She has been on the Juilliard faculty since 2019.

To see this performance

https://nytb.org/tickets

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey

wherever you listen to your podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://dancetalkwithjoannecarey.com/

Follow Joanne on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance 

Tune in. Follow. Like us. And Share. 

Please leave a review! 

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey 

"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

Join "Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey and special guest Trinity SantoroIn this episode of "Dance Talk” ® , host Joanne Carey interviews Trinity Santoro, an apprentice with the American Ballet Theatre. Trinity shares her journey from a competition dancer to a ballet apprentice, discussing her early experiences, the importance of technique, and the challenges she faces in the professional dance world. She emphasizes the significance of maintaining joy in dance, the role of competition, and the lessons learned from various summer intensives. Trinity also reflects on her experiences as an ABT apprentice, the excitement of working with dance legends, and the preparations for her upcoming tour. Throughout the conversation, she offers valuable insights and words of wisdom for aspiring dancers. Trinity is definitely a dancer to watch, she's going places!Trinity Santoro began her formal training in classical ballet and contemporary dance in Hanover Park, Illinois, at the Faubourg School of Ballet in 2013 under the direction of Watmora Casey. She then spent five years with A&A Ballet under the direction of Alexei Kremnev and Ana Reznik. Santoro also trained at The Royal Ballet School’s Summer Intensive in 2018.In May 2022, she performed in Guatemala with A&A Ballet as the title role in Firebird. In September 2022, Santoro joined Kansas City Ballet as a member of KCBII. In 2023 and 2024, she appeared as a guest artist with Southold Dance Theatre, performing the title role in Giselle.Santoro has won numerous awards during her dance career, including winning Gold at the World Ballet Competition in 2017. She is a four-time Youth America Grand Prix Finalist, winning the Grand Prix award in 2022.Santoro joined ABT Studio Company in January 2024, where her repertoire included Amy Hall Garner’s Within the Sunset, “Country Gardens” from Twyla Tharp’s Brief Fling, and the Diana and Acteon pas de deux. She created a role in James Whiteside’s Young & Beautiful.Santoro joined American Ballet Theatre as an apprentice in December 2024.To see Trinity performhttps://www.abt.org/Follow Trinity on Instagram @trinity_santoro“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey wherever you listen to your podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dancetalkwithjoannecarey.com/⁠Follow Joanne on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdanceTune in. Follow. Like us. And Share.Please leave a review!“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

Join "Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey  and special guest Charlene Campbell Carey

In this episode of "Dance Talk” ® , host Joanne Carey speaks with Charlene Campbell Carey, the Artistic Director of Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre and president of Ballet Beyond Borders. They discuss Charlene's journey in dance, the unique ballets created in Montana, and the importance of cultural relevance in dance. Charlene shares insights about her organization, which fosters cultural exchange and harmony through dance. She shares the impact of personal loss on her artistic vision. The conversation also touches on the challenges of international collaboration, the role of improvisation in performances, and the exciting future projects and tours planned for Ballet Beyond Borders.

Charlene Campbell Carey’s career in ballet and choreography began in 1976 and branched into entertainment and diplomacy. Studying ballet in Chicago and training on scholarship throughout high school at the National Academy of Arts, led her to American Ballet Theatre where she also became a member of the faculty and assistant to Director Patricia Wilde. Ms. Campbell danced at Radio City Music Hall, choreographed for Chicago’s “Light Opera Works” and served on the faculty for Lou Conte and the Hubbard Street Dance Company.

Ms. Campbell's career spans hundreds of ballets, operas, night club acts, and industrials.

In 1998, Ms. Campbell founded Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre in Missoula, Montana. 2008, prior to the Olympic Games, Ms. Campbell led the RMBT delegation to Beijing, Guilin, Yangshou, Shanghai, and Suzhou China. The tour was a diplomatic and artistic success, returning to China October 2008 to participate in the Beijing Dance Academy International Ballet Competition as a master teacher and coach.

RMBT began a tradition of offering performances in Montana for former Senator Max Baucus, visiting Ambassadors and diplomats. RMBT has toured Europe and participated in an official Trade Mission with Senator Max Baucus to both Brazil and Colombia in 2011.

Ms. Campbell continues to create ballets with topics relevant to Montana, showcasing and informing the community about the facts of Ebola, Polio, HPV, Dengue Fever , West Nile , and Influenza. The Gates Foundation utilized the Polio Ballet as an educational tool internationally.

RMBT was thrilled to represent the USA & Montana in Gala performances and opening ceremony events for the prestigious Salzburg Music Festival & in collaboration with the Salzburg Ballet in Austria.

In 2014, RMBT embarked to China on an official USA State Department tour of the Henan and Guangxi Provinces. RMBT was presented in Beijing by the National Ballet of China at the Tianquio Theater and participated in cultural exchanges throughout the three week tour including a memorable day with the Chinese Disabled Performance Troupe as facilitated by USA Ambassador to China Max Baucus and accompanied by his wife Melodee Hanes Baucus.

RMBT currently has an active, unprecedented and successful partnership with Lizt Alfonso in Havana, Cuba. Both USA & Cuba arts organizations are working in harmony via the arts and people to people global understanding projects. The next BBB Festival will be in Cuba January 2025 . BBB also has a feature film in development titled “Rain Balls” which celebrates love and the process of living and dying through a Mother and Childs experience with cancer and chemotherapy.

She has continued to teach and choreograph commissions across the United States, Europe, South America and Asia.

Learn about RMBT and Ballet Beyond Borders

https://www.rmbt.org/

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey wherever you listen to your podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://dancetalkwithjoannecarey.com/

Follow Joanne on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance

Tune in. Follow. Like us. And Share.

Please leave a review!

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey

"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

Join "Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey  and special guests: Duke Dang, Executive Director of Works & Process and Alison Manning, Co-Executive Director of Harkness Dance Center.

In this episode of "Dance Talk” ®, host Joanne Carey chats with Duke Dang, and Alison Manning, about their organizations upcoming collaboration: the Uptown Rhythm Dance Festival. The festival is a collaborative project aimed at celebrating various forms of rhythm dance. Alison and Duke discuss the festival's programming, community engagement, and the importance of inclusivity and accessibility in dance.

The dialogue highlights the festival's diverse lineup of artists, workshops, and the significance of dance in fostering community connections.

Get your tickets, you won't want to miss this festival!

Alison Manning is the former Executive Director and Co-Producer of The Yard on Martha’s Vineyard, from 2008-2020. She is founding Co-Artistic Director and Choreographer of DanceTheYard, The Yard’s year-round professional dance company, with choreographic partner and company Co-Artistic Director Jesse Keller Jason.

Alison is a passionate Horton teacher and an avid tap and rhythm dancer and advocate. She discovered her love for the Horton technique as a scholarship student at Jacob’s Pillow, working with the great Milton Myers, and has continued studying with mentors Mr. Myers, Kristina Berger, Karen Gayle and other lauded Horton Teachers through the years. She taught the technique on Faculty at The Yard each summer, and as a guest teaching artist at NYU Steinhardt School, Wesleyan Univeristy, Peridance Capezio Center, and STEPS on Broadway. In addition to teaching, Alison dances and performs with The Bang Group and has worked for The Peggy Spina Tap Company, Xodus Dance Collective, Kinodance company among others. She is the current President of the Marymount Manhattan College Dance Advisory Board as well as a member of the Adjunct Faculty. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from said institution with a BFA in Modern Dance and a Minor in Art History. Alison lives in New York City with her wife and four children and is honored to be shepherding the Harkness School of Dance during this exciting time at The 92nd Street Y, New York.

https://www.92ny.org/

Duke Dang is the executive director of Works & Process, a performing arts organization that champions and resources artists and their creative process from studio-to-stage by partnering with over a dozen residency centers across Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York to provide fully-funded residencies and presents iteratively at the Guggenheim Museum, Lincoln Center, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, and SummerStage.  Works & Process was honored with a 2021 Dance Magazine Award and nominated in 2021 and 2022 for the APAP William Dawson Award for Programmatic Excellence and Sustained Achievement.

Born at a UN refugee camp in the Philippines to Vietnamese parents seeking political asylum, Duke immigrated to California growing up with the assistance of Section 8 housing vouchers, food stamps, and attending Head Start. Prior to Works & Process, Duke worked at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Glimmerglass Festival, and Sydney Theatre Company. He earned in BA in Art History from Boston University and MA in Performing Arts Administration from New York University.

To Find out about Works & Process

⁠https://www.worksandprocess.org/

To get your tickets to Uptown Dance Festival

https://www.92ny.org/event/uptown-rhythm-dance-festival

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey wherever you listen to your podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠https://dancetalkwithjoannecarey.com/...⁠ ⁠

Follow Joanne on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance

Tune in. Follow. Like us. And Share.

Please leave a review!

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey

"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

"Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey with special guest, Robert Battle, choreographer, artistic director and newly appointed resident choreographer for the Paul Taylor Dance Company.

In this episode of "Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey, host Joanne Carey interviews Robert Battle. Together they discuss Robert's journey from his early beginnings in dance in Miami, his experiences at Juilliard, and his time as artistic director of the iconic Alvin Ailey Dance Theater.

Robert shares insights on the importance of mentorship, the creative process in choreography, and the significance of celebrating humanity through art. The conversation highlights the challenges and triumphs of a career in dance, emphasizing the value of connection and community in the arts.

Robert Battle’s journey to the top of the modern dance world began in the Liberty City neighborhood of Miami, Florida where he showed artistic talent early and studied dance at a high school arts magnet program. From there he attended Miami’s New World School of the Arts and then the dance program at The Juilliard School where he met his mentor Carolyn Adams. He danced with Parsons Dance from 1994 to 2001, and set his choreography on that company starting in 1998. Mr. Battle founded his own Battleworks Dance Company in 2002 which performed extensively at venues including The Joyce Theater, American Dance Festival, and Jacob’s Pillow. A frequent choreographer and artist in residence at Ailey Ailey American Dance Theater since 1999, he set many of his works on the Ailey Company and Ailey II. In July 2011 he was personally selected by Judith Jamison to become Artistic Director of Ailey, making him only the third person to head the Company since it was founded in 1958. During his 12 years as Artistic Director he expanded the Ailey repertory with works by artists as diverse as Kyle Abraham, Mauro Bigonzetti, Ronald K. Brown, Rennie Harris, and Paul Taylor. He also instituted the New Directions Choreography Lab to help develop the next generation of choreographers. He stepped down from the position in 2023.

For more information about Robert Battle and the Paul Taylor Dance Companyhttps://paultaylordance.org/

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey wherever you listen to your podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://dancetalkwithjoannecarey.com/

Follow Joanne on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance

Tune in. Follow. Like us. And Share.

Please leave a review!

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey

"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

"Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey and special guest Candace Thompson-Zachery

In this episode of "Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey , join host Joanne Carey as she speaks with Candace Thompson-Zachery, co-executive director of Dance NYC, about the organization's mission, the challenges facing the dance industry, and the findings of the recent State of NYC Dance 2023 report. While they discuss the importance of advocacy, the impact of the pandemic, and the financial struggles of dance workers and organizations, the conversation highlights the need for greater equity and support within the dance community.

During the conversation, Candace Thompson-Zachery also discusses the complexities of the dance industry, focusing on the freelance nature of dance work, financial challenges faced by artists, and the importance of advocacy for the dance community. The discussion also covers the differences between non-profit and for-profit organizations, the launch of the Dance Workforce Resilience Hub, and the significance of grants and funding in supporting dance initiatives. The conversation concludes with insights on future directions for dance advocacy and the importance of community support.

Dance/NYC is a valuable resource for dancers and the dance community. Check out their website to find out all that is happening in the NYC Dance World and what resources are available- make use of them!

Candace Thompson-Zachery was born in Trinidad and Tobago, now local to Brooklyn, NY, operates between the spheres of dance, cultural production and fitness and wellness, with a focus on the Contemporary Caribbean. She has had an established career as a performer, choreographer, fitness professional, cultural producer, teaching artist, community facilitator and Caribbean dance specialist. In addition to her work in these areas, she leads ContempoCaribe, an ongoing choreography and performance project and is the founder of Dance Caribbean COLLECTIVE, an organisational platform for Caribbean dance in the diaspora that spearheads the New Traditions Festival in Brooklyn, NY. She graduated from Adelphi University's BFA program for Dance, and has presented, performed and taught at major venues including: Queen's Hall (T&T), John F. Kennedy Center, New York Live Arts, Brooklyn Museum, and The Ohio State University. She was an inaugural member of the Dancing While Black Fellowship Cohort 2015/2016, was an awardee of Adelphi University's 2017 - 10 Under 10 program, and a Dixon Place Artist-in-Residence for fall 2017. As a cultural producer and strategist, Candace has worked with the Dance and Performance Institute of Trinidad and Tobago, WIADCA (NY), Sydnie L. Mosley Dances, Renegade Performance Group, and curator Claire Tancons, for the 2019 Sharjah Biennial. Ms. Thompson-Zachery holds an M.A. in Performance Curation from the ICCP program at Wesleyan University and a certificate from the Executive Program in Arts & Culture Strategy at UPenn. with National Arts Strategies. Of tantamount importance to her is the vital role dance plays in our communities and she is eager to see dance artists of various styles, practices and traditions thrive in New York City.

https://www.dance.nyc/

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey wherever you listen to your podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://dancetalkwithjoannecarey.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠

Follow Joanne on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance

Tune in. Follow. Like us. And Share.

Please leave a review!

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey

"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

"Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey with special guest Samuel Pott, founder and artistic director of Nimbus Dance.

In this episode of "Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey interviews Samuel Pott, the artistic director of Nimbus Dance. They explore his journey into dance, the founding of Nimbus Dance, and the upcoming world premiere of the re-imagined Firebird. They touch on the collaboration with the New Jersey Symphony, the thematic elements of Firebird, and the personal connections that inform the work.

Together they discuss the benefits of dance, the importance of community engagement, and the creative process behind reimagining classic works. Samuel shares insights from his experiences with the Martha Graham Dance Company and emphasizes the significance of authenticity in storytelling through dance.

Samuel Pott (Founding Artistic Director) founded Nimbus in 2005 . Mr. Pott’s work as a performer, choreographer, educator, and arts leader, is dedicated to the authentic, humanistic, and equitable engagement that emerges in individuals and in communities through deep exploration and learning in the dance and the arts.

Under his direction, the organization has toured nationally, built the Nimbus Arts Center at The Lively in Downtown Jersey City, developed the School of Nimbus which serves over 400 students onsite and many thousands in offsite community programs annually, and become the largest contemporary dance organization in the State of New Jersey.

Mr. Pott’s choreography has embodied the organization’s endless fascination with exploration and engagement with important themes of the day, and collaboration with artists from many genres, among them: composers Daniel Bernard Roumain, Samson Young, Judd Greenstein, Aaron Parks, and Qasim Naqvi; visual artists Nicola Lopez, Bryant Small, Laia Cabrera/Isabelle Duverger, Theda Sandiford; and writers Alysia Souder and Rashad Wright. Pott maintains a multi-year artistic partnership with the New Jersey Symphony. Mr. Pott’s 20+ original works for Nimbus are complemented by his commitment to support the work of diverse established and emerging choreographers through commissions, including: Dawn Marie Bazemore, Sofia Nappi, Darshan Singh Bhuller, Yoshito Sakuraba, Pedro Ruiz, Vernard Gilmore and Korhan Basaran. 

As a performer, Mr. Pott danced as a soloist with the Martha Graham Dance Company, performing in iconic roles–the Husbandman in Appalachian Spring, Agamemnon in Clytemnestra, and Adam in Embattled Garden–and new choreographic works created by a range of leading contemporary choreographers including Larry Kegwin, Ann Bogart, Robert Wilson, and Lar Lubovitch. Prior to joining the Graham company, Mr. Pott performed as a lead dancer with American Repertory Ballet, Oakland Ballet, and Savage Jazz Dance Company, in a wide range of new and classical repertory. A recipient of Choreography Fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts in 2008, 2017, and 2023, and named a Distinguished Teaching Artist by the Council in 2012, Pott was one of 25 arts leaders nationally selected for the Association of Performing Arts Presenters’ (APAP) inaugural Leadership Fellows Program, serves on the Dance Advisory Council for New Jersey Performing Arts Center and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for ArtPride NJ, and is a co-founder of the Jersey City Arts Council.

To get tickets to see Nimbus Dance, March 7th, 8th & 9th and to catch this world premiere click below

https://www.njsymphony.org/events/detail/the-firebird-with-xian-zhang

To learn more about the company and their programs

https://www.nimbusdance.org/

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey wherever you listen to your podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://dancetalkwithjoannecarey.com/

Follow Joanne on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance

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Please leave a review!

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey

"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."

"Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey with special guests Mark Howard and Chelsea Hoy of Trinity Irish Dance Company.

In this episode of Dance Talk, host Joanne Carey chats with Mark Howard and Chelsea Hoy from the Trinity Irish Dance Company discussing their personal journeys into Irish dance, the company, and the cultural significance of Irish dance. The conversation highlights the innovative choreography that sets Trinity apart, the importance of imagination in the creative process, and the upcoming 35th anniversary season. The episode emphasizes the power of dance to connect with audiences and the mission of inclusivity and kindness within the art form.

TRINITY IRISH DANCE COMPANY (TIDC) was founded in 1990 to celebrate the pioneering work of its Founding Artistic Director Mark Howard. This uniquely Irish-American company “ushered in a new era for Irish step dance” (Chicago Tribune), opening new avenues of artistic freedom that led directly to commercial productions such as “Riverdance.”

Considered an American treasure TIDC has performed sold-out tours in Europe, Asia, and North America, appearing in distinguished venues, such as New York’s The Joyce Theater, Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, Princeton’s McCarter Theater, Ottawa’s National Arts Center of Canada, Tokyo’s Orchard Hall, and Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre, among many others. The Company has entertained dignitaries as varied as Monaco’s royal family, Irish and American presidents, Japanese royalty, and Indian meditation masters. TIDC offers both a highly skilled presentation of traditional Irish step dance and a brilliantly engaging interpretation of contemporary world vision.

Mark Howard: Founding Artistic Director / Choreographer and Emmy Award-winning choreographer was born in Yorkshire, England, and raised in Chicago. He began dancing at 8 at the Dennehy School of Irish Dance and began teaching at 17. By 20 he had launched the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance, subsequently leading them to unprecedented World Championship team titles for the United States—the first when he was only 25. He redefined what was possible for American teams becoming the first to win gold in all categories.His pioneering work led to his unique transition from the competitive stage to the performing arts stage to coach then artistic director. Howard himself was a regular guest on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. He has been named three times as one of Irish American Magazine’s “Top 100 Irish-Americans,” and he was honored by iBAM! in 2011 and in 2015 by Chicago’s Lawyers For the Creative Arts for his outstanding contribution to the performing arts.

Chelsea Hoy: Associate Artistic Director / Choreographer / Dancer. Born in Denver, Hoy's choreographic influence has significantly shaped TIDC’s newest works. Hoy recently co-choreographed Taking the Mick alongside Howard, a versatile work following their first collaboration An Sorcas (The Circus), which previewed in Japan and had its world premiere at Chicago’s historic Auditorium Theatre in 2019.Chelsea grew up dancing competitively for the Wick School of Irish Dance in Denver, Colorado. She joined TIDC in 2014 after she began her studies at Loyola University Chicago. She graduated in 2017 with Bachelors’ degrees in Psychology and Photography. In addition to helping guide the company’s future, she is a professional photographer, dance instructor, and visual artist. Hoy’s love of empowering children through the arts continues to shape TIDC’s outreach programming.

Information for TIDC and to see their upcoming performances visit

https://trinityirishdancecompany.com/

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey wherever you listen to your podcasts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

https://dancetalkwithjoannecarey.com/... ⁠

Follow Joanne on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance

Tune in. Follow. Like us. And Share.

Please leave a review!

“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey

"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."