What does it mean to make dance accessible? Is it simply opening doors to more people, or is it about creating spaces where everyone feels that they truly belong once they’re through the door and into the studio?
On this bonus episode of The Adult Ballet Studio, Andrea Ziegelman is in the studio! She is the founder and executive and artistic director of Accent Dance NYC, a nonprofit organization that uses the dance to build bridges between communities, celebrate cultural diversity, and bring dance education and performances to children and families across New York City and lower Westchester County.
Since its founding, Accent Dance NYC has reached more than 45,000 school-aged children, introducing them to movement traditions ranging from ballet and flamenco to West African dance and hip-hop. The company explores important subjects like immigration, identity, and climate change through dance.
Andrea's own path is fascinating. She grew up in a family of professional classical musicians, trained seriously in ballet from a young age, and studied dance at the University of Utah. She also went on to build a career as an attorney in New York City, while continuing to dance, perform, and teach.
In our conversation, we talk about Andrea's lifelong connection to ballet, what inspired her to found Accent Dance NYC, and how dance can create understanding and connection across different cultures and experiences.
We also discuss Accent's October gala, Seen, including a new work by acclaimed ballerina Ingrid Silva, and the ongoing conversation around representation and belonging in the dance world.
And, of course, we bring it back to adult ballet and what meaningful access to dance really looks like for dancers of all ages. We discuss how we can create more welcoming spaces for adult dancers, and why it's never too late to see yourself as part of the dance community. Check it out!
Music in this episode:
Waltz of the Flowers - Tchaikovsky
Barroom Ballet - Silent Film Light - Kevin MacLeod
Barroom Ballet - Silent Film Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100310
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
@eblosfield | theadultballetstudio@gmail.com
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