Why Dance Matters

The opening guest in the new series of Why Dance Matters is a star among contemporary dance artists. Akram Khan is a dancer, choreographer, director and dreamer, whose work has shaped the international landscape of dance. He came to attention early as a virtuoso in kathak, the Indian classical dance form, and at 13 appeared in Peter Brook’s landmark Mahabharata. His own work explores kathak, contemporary dance and increasingly classical ballet, driving deep roots into myth and his own personal story – and our conversation is heartfelt and thoughtful, spiralling off in unexpected directions.

Akram Khan is one of today’s most celebrated dance artists, his imaginative and highly accessible productions including XENOS, Until the Lions, DESH, Vertical Road, Gnosis and zero degrees. A magnet to world-class artists from other cultures and disciplines, he has collaborated with the National Ballet of China, Juliette Binoche, Sylvie Guillem, Kylie Minogue, Florence and the Machine, visual artists Anish Kapoor and Antony Gormley, and composers Steve Reich, Nitin Sawhney and Jocelyn Pook. He created a section of the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, and has developed a close collaboration with English National Ballet. He was awarded an MBE in 2005.

Find out more about the work of the RAD

Follow the RAD on social media, and join the conversation with host David Jays

Instagram @royalacademyofdance

Facebook @RoyalAcademyofDance

Twitter @RADheadquarters

YouTube / royalacademydance

David Jays @mrdavidjays

Sign up to our mailing list

RAD is an independent educational charity and does not receive regular government funding. Every penny we make goes back into the work we do. You can support us by either naming a seat as part of our Name A Seat Campaign or make a donation.

Explore Akram’s work and find where Jungle Book Reimagined and Outwitting the Devil are touring at https://www.akramkhancompany.net/whats-on/

Creature premieres at the London Film Festival on 15 October and will be released in cinemas in the UK and Ireland on 24 February 2023. https://www.ballet.org.uk/onscreen/creature-film/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we meet dance royalty – Dame Darcey Bussell, who is President of the Royal Academy of Dance. Darcey has been a warm and inspiring figurehead for dance as an artform and for the RAD in particular – whether it’s through her glittering career as a principal ballerina with the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden, or as a broadcaster, or as a judge for seven years on Strictly Come Dancing. Speaking in the RAD’s purpose-built new home in London, we ask if dance feels like a home to her? And why does dance matter to Darcey?

Dame Darcey Bussell is a former Principal with The Royal Ballet and the most famous British ballerina of her generation. Darcey trained at The Royal Ballet School and joined the Company in 1988, retiring from the Company in 2007. Her extensive broadcast work includes being a judge on Strictly Come Dancing and many BBC documentaries. She remains a Guest principal coach at The Royal Ballet and is Artist Laureate of The Royal Ballet School. In 2015 she founded the dance fitness charity DDMIX. Darcey became the President of the Royal Academy of Dance in 2012.

Find out more about RAD's new home for dance: https://bit.ly/37eDNun

Follow the RAD on social media, and join the conversation with host David Jays

Instagram @royalacademyofdance

Facebook @RoyalAcademyofDance

Twitter @RADheadquarters

YouTube / royalacademydance

David Jays @mrdavidjays

Sign up to our mailing list: https://bit.ly/3frWPh9

RAD is an independent educational charity and does not receive regular government funding. Every penny we make goes back into the work we do. You can support us by either naming a seat as part of our Name A Seat Campaign: https://bit.ly/3fnxEwm or make a donation: https://bit.ly/3bxA6z5

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Harper Watters is a highly accomplished dancer with Houston Ballet – but that’s not what got him noticed on social media. The combination of a quick-running treadmill in the gym and a pair of towering pink heels made Harper something of a sensation. His subsequent eye-catching films have won him a serious following on social media and given him a platform to discuss race, sexuality and dance. Harper tells us how he combines a busy life on social media with dancing in one of America’s most prestigious companies, and what it means to be a proud role model to many who might not feel they fit the mould of classical dance.

Harper Watters has a passion for being bold and unapologetically himself, as evidenced not only in his onstage dancing as a Soloist for the Houston Ballet but in his viral heel treadmill videos. He has over 244,000 followers on Instagram and created the YouTube series The Pre Show, which documents the behind-the-scenes stage life of professional dancers. Harper's videos have featured on Elle Magazine, Marie Clare, and Urban Outfitters, and he has worked with prominent photographers and magazines. He’s worked with leading choreographers and has performed on international stages and in numerous US cities.

Find out more about the work of the RAD: https://bit.ly/3KcB5UB

Similarly to Harper, the RAD has an engaged following on social media. Join the RAD's online communities here:

Instagram @royalacademyofdance

Facebook @RoyalAcademyofDance

Twitter @RADheadquarters

TikTok: @RoyalAcademyOfDance

YouTube / royalacademydance

Join the conversation with host, David Jays @mrdavidjays

Sign up to our mailing list: https://bit.ly/3frWPh9

RAD is an independent educational charity and does not receive regular government funding. Every penny we make goes back into the work we do. You can support us by either naming a seat as part of our Name A Seat Campaign: https://bit.ly/3fnxEwm or make a donation: https://bit.ly/3bxA6z5

Follow Harper Watters on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3ubOLKn

Follow Harper Watters on TikTok: https://bit.ly/3u8FdiX

Learn more about Houston Ballet: https://bit.ly/2S397iS

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Why Dance Matters we enjoy meeting people whose work isn’t obviously connected to dance. As a teenager in California, Jordan Thomas was being groomed as a political fixer, but instead broke away to study choreography at one of America’s leading modern dance schools, before beginning a remarkable legal career. He is now America’s leading attorney representing whistleblowers, exposing wrongdoing in some of Wall Street’s biggest companies. Whistleblowers have also prompted revelations from the dance world, exposing racism, harassment and bullying. We ask Jordan how dance changed his life, and about the courage it takes to blow the whistle on your boss.

A principal architect of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Whistleblower Program, in 2011, Jordan Thomas established the first US whistleblower practice exclusively focused on violations of federal securities laws. Both pioneer and recognised leader in the field, his clients have launched many of the SEC’s landmark cases. His clients won the largest single-case SEC whistleblower award in history, more than $83 million for reporting misconduct at Merrill Lynch. A longtime public servant and seasoned trial lawyer, at the SEC Jordan had a leadership role in developing the Whistleblower Program and was assigned to many of the SEC’s highest-profile actions. He is a nationally sought after writer and commentator on securities enforcement, corporate ethics and whistleblower issues.

 Follow the RAD on social media, and join the conversation with host David Jays

Instagram @royalacademyofdance

Facebook @RoyalAcademyofDance

Twitter @RADheadquarters

YouTube / royalacademydance

David Jays @mrdavidjays

Sign up to our mailing list: https://bit.ly/3frWPh9

RAD is an independent educational charity and does not receive regular government funding. Every penny we make goes back into the work we do. You can support us by either naming a seat as part of our Name A Seat Campaign: https://bit.ly/3fnxEwm or make a donation: https://bit.ly/3bxA6z5

Find out more about the work of the RAD: https://bit.ly/3KcB5UB

Discover the core principles of Jordan Thomas’ practice: https://bit.ly/3IMrNxq

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Twenty years ago, in the early hours of new year’s day, a young artist tumbled off the Eurostar, ready to begin a new life in London. Hofesh Shechter grew up in Israel but had been living in Paris, and considered making dance as a showcase for his music. Instead, his unmistakable dance pieces – visceral and propulsive, witty and vulnerable – have made him one of the most distinctive modern choreographers, bringing the energy of a gig to often solemn contemporary dance. Political Mother, the title of perhaps his best-known piece, suggests how Hofesh’s work can feel both public and private. But how does it feel to him?

Hofesh Shechter, one of the most exciting contemporary choreographers, is renowned for composing atmospheric musical scores to compliment the unique physicality of his movement. Artistic Director of the Hofesh Shechter Company, formed in 2008, he is also an Associate Artist of Sadler’s Wells. His repertoire for the company includes Uprising, In your rooms, Political Mother, Grand Finale (Olivier Award nomination) and most recently Double Murder. He works with leading international companies including Alvin Ailey, Batsheva, Candoco, Paris Opera Ballet and The Royal Ballet. He has choreographed for theatre, television and opera, including Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway (Tony Award nomination), and was awarded an OBE in 2018.

Find out more about the work of the RAD: https://bit.ly/3KcB5UB

Follow the RAD on social media, and join the conversation with host David Jays

Instagram @royalacademyofdance

Facebook @RoyalAcademyofDance

Twitter @RADheadquarters

YouTube / royalacademydance

David Jays @mrdavidjays

Sign up to our mailing list: https://bit.ly/3frWPh9

RAD is an independent educational charity and does not receive regular government funding. Every penny we make goes back into the work we do. You can support us by either naming a seat as part of our Name A Seat Campaign: https://bit.ly/3fnxEwm or make a donation: https://bit.ly/3bxA6z5

UK and international tour details for Hofesh Shechter Company and Shechter II UK are at https://bit.ly/3qpNeht

Hofesh Shechter double bill at Paris Opéra: https://bit.ly/3Iq9cH3

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With American ballerina Kathryn Morgan we cover some challenging subject matter – Kathryn’s journey through dance has clearly brought her joy but she has also had to deal with issues around physical and mental health, and especially around body image. With a large and devoted following on social media, she speaks with rare honesty about her experiences. In October 2020, she posted a YouTube video describing why earlier that year she left Miami City Ballet, where she was a soloist. Kathryn’s story has prompted a wider discussion of the culture of professional ballet, its attitude to body image, and what needs to change.

Content warning: This podcast includes a discussion about eating disorders and mental health. For help with eating disorders please go to the NHS Eating Disorder page: https://bit.ly/3w5hJgh

For help with eating disorders or other mental health concerns, please contact the Samaritans helpline on 116 123.

RAD acknowledges that these resources are UK specific so for those listening outside of the UK, suggests contacting local health services for advice and support.

Kathryn Morgan is a modern-day ballerina, blazing a career path outside of the confines of company life. A performer, teacher, judge and influencer, she is also the founder of Kathryn Morgan & Friends, a community focused on the joy that ballet can bring to dancers. Kathryn began her professional career with New York City Ballet in 2006, and was promoted to soloist in 2009. She left NYCB in 2012 while battling an auto-immune illness, and returned to the stage seven years later as a soloist with Miami City Ballet. In 2020, she decided to step away from company life to pursue dancing on her own terms. Her notable performances include Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, and the Striptease girl in Balanchine’s Slaughter on Tenth Avenue.

Follow the RAD on social media, and join the conversation with host David Jays

Instagram @royalacademyofdance

Facebook @RoyalAcademyofDance

Twitter @RADheadquarters

YouTube / royalacademydance

David Jays @mrdavidjays

Sign up to our mailing list: https://bit.ly/3frWPh9

RAD is an independent educational charity and does not receive regular government funding. Every penny we make goes back into the work we do. You can support us by either naming a seat as part of our Name A Seat Campaign: https://bit.ly/3fnxEwm or make a donation: https://bit.ly/3bxA6z5

Find out more about the work of the RAD: https://bit.ly/3KcB5UB

Kathryn Morgan's website: https://bit.ly/3MRDLc6

Kathryn's YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3JgSJpU

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Barbara Peters, a life-enhancing RAD teacher from Yorkshire, has been teaching for over 60 years. She has travelled the world as an RAD examiner, and continued teaching throughout the pandemic over Zoom, attracting some devoted international students. A couple of years ago, in her 80s, she passed the RAD’s Grade 7 and 8 exams, attracting much media interest, and has now been recognised by a fellowship of the RAD and the British Empire Medal. Dance is crucial to the way she approaches the world: we are proud to be her first podcast interview.

Born in Huddersfield, Barbara Peters began her dance journey over 75 years ago when she had her first RAD ballet class, at the age of nine. Between 1948 and 1950, she passed Grades 1 to 5 all with Honours, as it was then. In 1954, after passing Intermediate, she became a full member of RAD. Following an audition to attend the RAD teachers’ training course, she became a student in 1956. In 1957, she passed Advanced and the next year, she was elected Senior Student. She then moved to Italy to help establish the RAD Children’s Ballet in Education syllabus there.

Barbara has been teaching dance for 66 years and at the age of 80, passed Grades 7 and 8, and Discovering Repertoire, all with Merit. In 2022, Barbara was named in the New Year’s Honours list as a recipient of the British Empire Medal for services to dance.

Find out more about Silver Swans for over 55s: https://bit.ly/3pJiOX6

Learn more about Discovering Repertoire: https://bit.ly/37buiw3

Find your nearest RAD teacher: https://bit.ly/3EW4L6x

Find out more about RAD exams: https://bit.ly/34jJdDc

Follow the RAD on social media, and join the conversation with host David Jays

Instagram @royalacademyofdance

Facebook @RoyalAcademyofDance

Twitter @RADheadquarters

YouTube / royalacademydance

David Jays @mrdavidjays

Sign up to our mailing list: https://bit.ly/3frWPh9

RAD is an independent educational charity and does not receive regular government funding. Every penny we make goes back into the work we do. You can support us by either naming a seat as part of our Name A Seat Campaign: https://bit.ly/3fnxEwm or make a donation: https://bit.ly/3bxA6z5

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The American mezzo soprano Joyce DiDonato has won deserved acclaim in the world’s great opera houses – in Rossini, Handel and brand new works – and she’s a passionate communicator. Growing up in Kansas she originally planned to become a music teacher. Even after committing to a singing career, the breaks only followed a whole heap of rejection. A very present, physical performer, the temperature always rises when she comes on stage. She tells us about art and activism, including her work in prisons and with refugees. Joyce’s journey has helped her think about why her work is valuable – why art matters.

Joyce DiDonato was born in Kansas. A multi-Grammy Award winner and 2018 Olivier Award winner for Outstanding Achievement in Opera, the New Yorker proclaimed her ‘perhaps the most potent female singer of her generation.’ Acclaimed as both a performer and a fierce advocate for the arts, she has gained international prominence in operas by Handel and Mozart, and in the bel canto roles of Rossini and Donizetti. She has held residencies at Carnegie Hall and London’s Barbican Centre and appeared as guest soloist at the BBC’s Last Night of the Proms. The latest release in her award-winning discography is Eden, a multi-faceted initiative embracing a global tour, an album and a ground-breaking education programme all exploring our connection to nature.

Find out more about the work of the RAD: https://bit.ly/3KcB5UB

Follow the RAD on social media, and join the conversation with host David Jays

Instagram @royalacademyofdance

Facebook @RoyalAcademyofDance

Twitter @RADheadquarters

YouTube / royalacademydance

David Jays @mrdavidjays

Sign up to our mailing list: https://bit.ly/3frWPh9

RAD is an independent educational charity and does not receive regular government funding. Every penny we make goes back into the work we do. You can support us by either naming a seat as part of our Name A Seat Campaign: https://bit.ly/3fnxEwm or make a donation: https://bit.ly/3bxA6z5

Joyce DiDonato’s new album EDEN is released on 25 February and her international tour begins on 2 March, with performances at the Barbican Centre in London on 5 and 6 April.

Learn more about Joyce DiDonato and The Walk: https://bit.ly/3MgaWWI

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Carlos Acosta has an electric connection to audiences – a combination of elegance, fire and rare charisma. Starting life in one of Havana’s poorest neighbourhoods, the Cuban dancer became a favourite at The Royal Ballet and the Bolshoi. His inspirational effect has been widely recognised – including, in 2018, by the RAD’s Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award. He now leads his own contemporary company, Acosta Danza, and is director of Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB). He describes how he came to love ballet, keeping motivated through the pandemic and a new partnership between BRB and the RAD, designed to share the love of ballet among teachers, students and audiences.

Carlos Acosta is Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet and of Acosta Danza. Born in Havana in 1973, he trained at the National Ballet School of Havana in Cuba, winning awards including the Prix de Lausanne in 1990. He went on to dance with the world’s most prestigious companies, with London’s Royal Ballet becoming his home. He retired from ballet in 2016, having performed almost every classical role from Spartacus to Romeo. He created award-winning shows including Tocororo, and choreographed Royal Ballet productions of Don Quixote and Carmen, plus Guys and Dolls in the West End. He has also written Pig’s Foot, a novel, and his autobiography No Way Home. His awards include a CBE and the RAD’s Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award.

Find out more about RAD’s new partnership with BRB: https://bit.ly/3Ifx3dm

Follow the RAD on social media, and join the conversation with host David Jays

Instagram @royalacademyofdance

Facebook @RoyalAcademyofDance

Twitter @RADheadquarters

YouTube / royalacademydance

David Jays @mrdavidjays

Sign up to our mailing list: https://bit.ly/3frWPh9

RAD is an independent educational charity and does not receive regular government funding. Every penny we make goes back into the work we do. You can support us by either naming a seat as part of our Name A Seat Campaign: https://bit.ly/3fnxEwm or make a donation: https://bit.ly/3bxA6z5

Carlos reflects on his career after receiving the Royal Academy of Dance QEII Award: https://bit.ly/3H53I3W

Carlos' new production of Don Quixote for BRB is on tour: https://bit.ly/36mUALi

Acosta Danza is also touring the UK: https://bit.ly/35lauFm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we meet portrait artist Ralph Heimans as the RAD prepares to celebrate a landmark in its 100 year history - a move to a new purpose built headquarters - with a brand new portrait competition. The competition will invite artists of all abilities to create a portrait of world famous ballerina and founding President of the RAD Dame Adeline Genée. Ralph sits on the judging panel of this competition and will be responsible for selecting the new commission, which will hang pride of place for all to enjoy in the new building when it formally opens in 2022.

Known for high profile commissions of royalty, how would Ralph approach the portrait of a dancer? And what's the point of portraiture in this selfie-ridden age? Join us for this portrait of the artist.

London-based Australian artist Ralph Heimans is one of today's leading portrait artists. His official portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth, produced for the Diamond Jubilee in 2012, hangs in Westminster Abbey, while his portraits of the Duke of Edinburgh (2017) and Prince of Wales (2018) are in the Royal Collection. In 2018, the National Portrait Gallery of Denmark held a mid-career retrospective, including portraits of artists like Dame Judi Dench, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Margaret Atwood. Ralph's large-scale portraits are renowned for innovative compositions that offer engaging narratives about his subjects and their life stories. His works are held in major international collections and in 2014 he became a Member of the Order of Australia.

Find out more about the RAD: https://bit.ly/3qqFBrW

Follow the RAD on social media, and join the conversation with host David Jays

Instagram @royalacademyofdance

Facebook @RoyalAcademyofDance

Twitter @RADheadquarters

YouTube / royalacademydance

David Jays @mrdavidjays

Sign up to our mailing list: https://bit.ly/3frWPh9

RAD is an independent educational charity and does not receive regular government funding. Every penny we make goes back into the work we do. You can support us by either naming a seat as part of our Name A Seat Campaign: https://bit.ly/3fnxEwm or make a donation: https://bit.ly/3bxA6z5

Ralph Heimans' website: https://www.ralphheimans.com

v7eqwOLQa4MuTR1dl6MP

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.