As the world is forced to adapt in order to stay healthy and safe due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it's important for people to find meaningful things to do. Emily Brunner talks with Susan Ramee, creator of Sajell dancewer and Masks by Sajell, about how she transitioned from making dance skirts to face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To purchase masks please visit Masks by Sajell on Etsy

As the world is forced to adapt in order to stay healthy and safe due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it's important for people to find meaningful things to do. Emily Brunner talks with Jaqlin Medlock, dancer at Stephen Petronio Company and owner of Jaqlin Medlock Photography, about how she plans to stay connected to her art during the COVID-19 shutdown.

As the world is forced to adapt in order to stay healthy and safe due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it's important for dancers to find a way to keep dancing and to stay strong. Emily Brunner talks with Blanca Huertas Agnew, teacher at the School of Pennsylvania Ballet about how dancers can safely continue to exercise and work on technique at home. 

Last week, most of America realized that our daily lives were going to change, very quickly, due to a tiny, microscopic piece of genetic material that latches onto host cells in order to live and reproduce.  That coronavirus, which we now all know as COVID-19, has impacted our lives in some very big ways. Today Emily Brunner is talking with Schulyer Lian, a student in the Advanced Division at the School of American Ballet in NYC.  SAB closed their school and dorms last week and Schuyler is now at home here in the Philadelphia region, for at least 5 weeks.  That’s a big change and today Emily is sharing Schuyler’s story about how she’s adapting to the change in her daily life.  

How a so-called "useless" degree can turn out to be invaluable

Join Emily Brunner as she talks about all of the things she learned as a music performance major in college.

Join Emily Brunner as she talks about what drives us to create our art and asks the question "Do we create for our audience or do we create for ourselves?"

The imperfections in our lives can actually give us great beauty and joy!

Join Emily Brunner as she talks about wabi sabi and shares how appreciating the imperfections in life can bring us happiness.

Music: "On Brevity" by Josh Woodward

Let's go backstage at Wayne Ballet's Nutcracker performances to talk with some of the dancers about pointe shoes, partnering and hairspray!

Listen as Emily Brunner shares and recites "'Twas Three Weeks Before Christmas (The Nutcracker Poem)"

Music: "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" by Kevin MacLeod

Dancers, teachers, parents - this one's for you! In honor of everyone's favorite time of the year - Nutcracker! - I wrote you all a poem ;)

Listen as Emily Brunner shares and recites "'Twas Three Weeks Before Christmas (The Nutcracker Poem)"

Music: "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" by Kevin MacLeod

Blanca Huertas-Agnew, Philadelphia choreographer and dance teacher, is the founder and artistic director of the Puerto Rico Classical Dance Competition.  The goal of PRCDC is to create a platform for young people in artistic development to continue their studies in professional companies with the possibility of being hired as future professionals in classical dance. It aims to provide resources through scholarships to students who exhibit extraordinary talent and assist in their development through scholarships to assist in the costly training. Today Blanca joins Emily Brunner to talk about her journey founding the competition, which will be taking place February 28th, 29th and March 1st 2020 in Puerto Rico.

In today's episode Blanca talks about:

• How ballet and Puerto Rico have been an Important part of her life
• How Hurricane Maria affected dancers' education in Puerto Rico
* How Blanca has personally seen dancers lives changed by furthering their education In universities and at intensives
• How the competition will help dancers and who the competition Is for
• The universities and school that are awarding scholarships through the competition
• How we can all help by paying It forward

Puerto Rico Classical Dance Competition website: https://prcdc.art

Click here for direct link for donation to Puerto Rico Classical Dance Competition.

Music: "On Brevity" by Josh Woodward