The Dance Maker Podcast

In this episode of The Dance Maker Podcast, host Beth McKee Elliott chats and chuckles with choreographer and performer Anthony Alterio. They explore how his choreographic process has evolved, how he expands his students’ views of dancemaking, and the value of artistic wisdom that ripens with age.

The two unpack Anthony’s work, Everything I Never Wore, presented in 2024 at the Small Plates Austin show. This solo, performed by Lainey Harbert, “reimagines queer longing through domestic objects and ’90s nostalgia.” Beth and Anthony take time to recall memories woven into clothing, belongings, and space. Life’s souvenirs become the architecture of our lives, and their spirits are tangled in the atmosphere of this deeply personal piece.

Wrap yourself in your coziest crochet blanket to listen and laugh along.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Anthony Alterio is on faculty at Ohio University. He works in the School of Dance and the School of Theatre as Assistant Professor of Instruction, Musical Theatre and Dance. His research explores how representations of identities in the LGBTQIA+ community in pop culture reflect in academic settings as part of a larger interest in how dancers present themselves. Anthony is a native of Pittsburgh, and he began his professional dance training at The University of Colorado-Boulder, where he received a BA double-majoring in Dance and Psychology and went on to attain an MFA in Dance from the University of Michigan. Upon graduation, he has won multiple choreography awards including the Maggie Allesee Choreography award and since has been showing work across the US. Alterio is a member of the Boulder Jazz Dance Company, (formerly Interweave Dance Theatre), the resident company of the Boulder Jazz Dance Workshop as well as Director of a summer dance intensive geared toward the LGBTQIA+ community called Excessive Realness.

Anthony's website - www.anthonyalterio.com

Pittsburgh Dance Workshop - www.pittsburghdanceworkshop.com

The next Pittsburgh Dance Workshop and Pittsburgh Choreography Festival will be held June 7th-12th, 2027.

Become an audience member at Small Plates in NYC at Judson Church to see Anthony's work on November 13th!

Visit www.smallplatesdance.com⁠ for open applications, links to purchase tickets and to donate.

Join our email list at https://tinyurl.com/spcfjoin to receive notices about new podcast episodes, application deadline reminders, and announcements about new shows and events.

In this episode of The Dance Maker Podcast, host Beth McKee Elliott and dance artist Carlye Eckert lean into their ‘gift for gab’ to talk about life’s transitions and their effects on dance-making. They unpack topics like creative environments that restore artists’ connection to their craft, differences between dance-making in the U.S. vs. Europe, and the underestimated potential of short-form dance works.
The two gently pull apart the details of Carlye’s solo work, El Corazón Se Encuentra, performed at the 2025 Small Plates Austin show. What does it look like to honestly listen to and follow your own heart? What does it feel like to experience loss and growth at the same time? How can one make genuine movement and choreograph from the inside out? The piece’s origins lie in these questions, and its deep connection to the answers lets the audience feel its pulse long after watching.
Carlye Eckert is a dance artist.
Her movement-based work is dedicated to fostering spaces for thriving, accessible, and transformative arts experiences for underserved communities. Using environmental and communal encounters as a dynamic canvas to traverse physical and imaginary landscapes, her multi-media approach extends to other artistic disciplines, including visual art, video, set design, and sound. Carlye curates her practice on a spectrum of public, educational, traditional, and unconventional platforms, providing unique opportunities for audiences to immerse themselves in and connect with the present moment.
A graduate of the Juilliard School (Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree, 2009), her work has been presented in Vienna, AUS at MUMOK and ImpulsTanz Festival (2024), in Portland, OR at A-WOL and the West Linn Theater; at Garner Arts Center (West Haverstraw, NY), Chapman Steamer Arts (Newburgh, NY), The Ritz Theater (Newburgh, NY), Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts (New Brunswick, NJ), and in NYC at Judson Memorial Church, Center for Performance Research, Triskelion, CAVE, CUNY, Dance New Amsterdam, West End Theater, Dixon Place, Location One, DUMBO Dance Festival, Green Space, The Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Lincoln Center, and The Juilliard School.
Tune in soon to hear Carlye Eckert hosting interviews for the Dance Maker Podcast!
Carlye's website - https://www.carlyeeckert.com/about
Carlye's insta - https://www.instagram.com/carlyeeckert/
Dance Parade - https://danceparade.org/
Y Museum - https://www.instagram.com/y__museum/
Visit www.smallplatesdance.com⁠ for open applications, links to purchase tickets and to donate. 
Join our email list at https://tinyurl.com/spcfjoin to receive notices about new podcast episodes, application deadline reminders, and announcements about new shows and events.

In this episode of The Dance Maker Podcast, host Beth McKee Elliott speaks with choreographer and performer Audrey Baran about collaboration, Filipino culture, and connections between traditional and contemporary dance. They sift through the details of Baran Dance's work 'Bad Kids', performed in 2025 at the annual Small Plates Duck show. This duet, performed with Jherrymiah Go, brings a contemporary lens to the traditional Binasuan dance and comments on the expectations placed on Filipino women and girls. Audrey shares how her practicing relationship to her cultural heritage alongside her collaborative process shaped the piece. Though the work is rooted in deep conversations, bespoke music, spoken word, and rap, the unspoken elements are what leave a ringing in the ears.
Tune in soon to hear Audrey Baran hosting interviews for the Dance Maker Podcast!
Audrey Baran (she/her) is a Filipina-American dance maker, performer, and educator based in Charlotte, North Carolina. She holds an MFA in Dance from Hollins Univ as well as a Graduate Certificate in Anti-Racism in Urban Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. As the founder and artistic director of nonprofit contemporary dance company Baran Dance, she is dedicated to expanding definitions and representation in contemporary dance throughout the Southeast by presenting collaborative, multimedia performances and mentorship programs for emerging and evolving dance artists. Baran is also a 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher and MUNZ FLOOR® coach and thrives on sharing her research on the intersection of movement and mindfulness among diverse bodies in action.
Baran Dance Website - https://www.baran.dance
Baran Dance Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/barandance/
Sign up for Company Class with Baran Dance - https://app.ubindi.com/Audrey.Baran
Derrick J. Hines music - https://bandcamp.com/derrickjhines
Ruby Ibarra music - https://www.rubyibarra.com/
--------------------------
Visit https://smallplatesdance.com/ ⁠for open applications, links to purchase tickets, and to donate.
Join our email list at https://smallplatesdance.newsletter to receive notices about new podcast episodes, application deadline reminders, and announcements about new shows and events.

In this episode of the Dance Maker podcast, host Beth McKee Elliott connects, laughs, and reminisces with choreographer and author Alexandra Beller. They dive deep into Alexandra's new book, 'The Anatomy of Art: Unlocking the Creative Process for Theater and Dance'. She describes it as a therapeutic feedback workbook for finding the creative throughlines in the lives of practicing performing artists. They also passionately discuss the importance of the Laban/Bartenieff Movement principles, creating inclusive and intergenerational spaces for movers, and how to truly find oneself in an intuitive artistic flow state.
Alexandra Beller (MFA, CMA) is a choreographer, director, educator, and former member of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. As Artistic Director of Alexandra Beller/Dances, she has created over 40 dance theater works internationally. Her teaching spans Princeton University, Laban Institute, and global residencies. In theater, she’s worked Off-Broadway and regionally, with credits including Lincoln Center and A.R.T. Alexandra is currently writing two books: The Embodied Conductor (Meredith Music, 2025) and The Anatomy of Art (Bloomsbury, September '26). She blends somatic practice, rigorous inquiry, and creative freedom to help artists deepen their process and unlock new possibilities.
Website/education: www.alexandrabellerdances.org
Website/book: https://www.anatomy-of-art.com/
Website/Stage and Film: https://www.alexandrabeller.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexandrabellerdances/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thelabanista
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8suG0TLGKqufov8IpqLrKw
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-beller-0a56a57/
--------------------------
Visit https://smallplatesdance.com/ ⁠for open applications, links to purchase tickets, and to donate. 
Join our email list at https://smallplatesdance.com/newsletter/ to receive notices about new podcast episodes, application deadline reminders, and announcements about new shows and events.

Small Plates Choreography Festival is a dance performance series advancing the work of dance makers. Small Plates is dedicated to creating a growth environment for artists by producing curated showcase-style performances in several cities each year, and by facilitating guided dialogue between the audience and the choreographers after each performance. The artist/audience interface is what makes Small Plates truly special.

Small Plates Choreography Festival is a platform for artist promotion, an incubator for creative community, an entry point for emerging choreographers and curious observers into the world of concert dance, and a sounding board for established artists and their audiences to engage in the art of performance with one another. Small Plates creates a touring opportunity for small dance companies and independent makers, allowing them to experience how their creative work will be received in communities outside of their own.

Small Plates Choreography Festival was created in 2012 by Beth McKee Elliott with the intention to create meaningful performance opportunities for choreographers and dancers, and to cultivate a zoetic interface between movement artists and their audiences. The festival provides a venue for the presentation of short dance works to a shared audience, building community through performance, dialogue, and professional networking.

We invite you to be part of the Small Plates community experience by APPLYING for one of our shows, or by coming to experience one of our PERFORMANCES where you can meet and talk with the ARTISTS, or MAKING A DONATION to support our efforts.

The Dance Maker Podcast was created to extend the mission of Small Plates Choreography Festival in amplifying the voices of artists featured in our performances.

Producers interested in hosting Small Plates Choreography Festival in their community should contact the director Beth Elliott.

smallplatesdance.com

Dance Maker host Beth McKee Elliott reflects on closing the 2025 performance season and wrapping up season two of the Dance Maker podcast, announcing a short break before returning in the spring with new artist interviews.

She highlights the success of the year’s performances in Duck, NC and Austin, TX, featuring over 30 works from 20+ artists nationwide.

Looking ahead, she outlines the 2026 Small Plates seasons in Northern Virginia, Duck, and New York City, where the festival returns for its first NYC performance since 2018.

The episode also emphasizes goals for podcast monetization and encourages listeners to subscribe, share, and support Small Plates through donations.

Finally, she offers gratitude to the artists, staff, and community before wishing everyone a peaceful end to 2025.

Visit www.smallplatesdance.com⁠ for open applications, links to purchase tickets and to donate. 

Small Plates NOVA applications are being accepted until December 1 at midnight.

Join our email list at https://tinyurl.com/spcfjoin to receive notices about new podcast episodes, application deadline reminders, and announcements about new shows and events.

Photos: Brian Wolfe www.instagram.com/brianarmoured212

Matt Bradfort www.instagram.com/hankntank

Beth McKee Elliott www.instagram.com/embodiedthreads www.instagram.com/smallplatesdance

Music: Foundations, Shimmer, Matthew Wigton, A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

In this episode of the Dance Maker podcast, host Carlye Eckert interviews choreographer Meghan Frederick about her work, practice, and artistic evolution. They dive into the creative process behind Frederick’s score-based piece After Yes, discussing the intentional disruption of flow, the impact of motherhood on her art, and the vulnerability and trust involved in live performance. The conversation also explores audience perception, compositional structures, and how abstraction in dance can serve as a mirror for discomfort and self-reflection. This rich dialogue offers both personal insight and broader commentary on the power of contemporary dance.

Visit www.smallplatesdance.com⁠ for open applications, links to purchase tickets and to donate. 

IG: @⁠carlyeeckert⁠

IG: @meghanfrederick5

Join our email list at https://tinyurl.com/spcfjoin to receive notices about new podcast episodes, application deadline reminders, and announcements about new shows and events.

Photos: Jim Coleman (Emily Green) and Brian Wolfe www.instagram.com/brianarmoured212

Music: Foundations, Shimmer, Matthew Wigton, A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

In this episode of the Dance Maker Podcast, host Michele Painter sits down with choreographer and performer Emily Green to discuss her piece Blue, first created in college and recently revived for the Small Plates Choreography Festival in Newburgh, NY. Emily reflects on her evolution as an artist over the past decade, sharing how her relationship with her body, performance, and audience connection has shifted with time. The conversation explores themes of collaboration, vulnerability, and the fleeting yet powerful nature of live dance. Emily also offers insight into her current projects and her passion for creating work that embraces intimacy, playfulness, and human connection.

IG: @emi_greenn

IG for current collaborative full-length choreographic work:

@macho_huzzah_dance

Visit www.smallplatesdance.com⁠ for open applications, links to purchase tickets and to donate. 

Join our email list at https://tinyurl.com/spcfjoin to receive notices about new podcast episodes, application deadline reminders, and announcements about new shows and events.

Photos: Jim Coleman (Emily Green) and Brian Wolfe www.instagram.com/brianarmoured212

Music: Foundations, Shimmer, Matthew Wigton, A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

@michele1981plie

In this moving episode of the Dance Maker podcast, host Michele Painter speaks with choreographer and movement educator Judy Kurjan-Frank about her deeply personal solo work, Birth Plan / Dear Child, performed at the 2024 Small Plates Choreography Festival. Judy shares how becoming a mother of three—especially the birth of her third child—inspired the movement, themes, and emotional layers of her choreography. Through collaborative creation, recorded poetry, and embodied memory, she explores how dance can serve as both expression and healing during transformative life experiences. The conversation touches on unlearning ballet habits, reconnecting with selfhood in postpartum life, and the universality of love conveyed through movement.

You can find out more about Judy on IG @judeschmoods.

The recorded poetry was written by Claire Taylor.

Visit www.smallplatesdance.com⁠ for open applications, links to purchase tickets and to donate. 

Join our email list at https://tinyurl.com/spcfjoin to receive notices about new podcast episodes, application deadline reminders, and announcements about new shows and events.

Photos: Matt Kelley (Judy Kurjan-Frank) and Brian Wolfe www.instagram.com/brianarmoured212

Music: Foundations, Shimmer, Matthew Wigton, A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Creating Through Impasse: Meredith Barnes on Dance, Friendship, and Healing | Ep 22

In this episode of the Dance Maker podcast, host Beth McKee Elliott speaks with choreographer Meredith Barnes about her journey as a dance artist, educator, and founder of DanceArtTheater. They explore the origins and emotional depth of Meredith's duet Relationship Impasse, a piece born from personal grief and social upheaval during the pandemic. The conversation dives into the creative process, collaboration with dancers, and the power of dance to express complex, often unspoken feelings. Meredith also shares upcoming projects and her continued commitment to nurturing the dance community through performance and mentorship. It's an inspiring and heartfelt look at the intersection of art, life, and healing.

Learn more about Meredith and DanceArtTheater at www.dancearttheater.com

Meredith will be presenting work at Small Plates Duck, OBX on Duck Amphitheater 1200 Duck Road, Kitty Hawk, NC at on July 30, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. 

The performances are free and open to the public.

Visit www.smallplatesdance.com more information.

Join our email list at https://tinyurl.com/spcfjoin to receive notices about new podcast episodes, application deadline reminders, and announcements about new shows and events.

Photo: Brian Wolfe www.instagram.com/brianarmoured212

Music: Foundations, Shimmer, Matthew Wigton, A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION