Conversations on Dance

Join Conversations on Dance hosts Rebecca King Ferraro and Michael Sean Breeden for a live podcast recording with Michael Novak, Artistic Director of the legendary Paul Taylor Dance Company. As the company returns to the Vail Dance Festival for the first time since 2018, Novak reflects on honoring the legacy of Paul Taylor—one of the most influential figures in American modern dance—on what would have been Taylor’s 95th birthday.This special conversation offers insight into the company’s tribute performance, featuring the beloved Company B and the 50th anniversary presentation of Esplanade, a masterwork hailed for transforming everyday movement into mythic dance. This episode is brought to you by Discover Vail and was recorded live from the Vail Dance Festival on July 27, 2025.Tickets to Conversations on Dance at the 2025 Vail Dance Festival on sale now! https://vaildance.org/conversations-on-dance/LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceMerch: https://bit.ly/cod-merchYouTube: https://bit.ly/youtube-CODJoin our email list: https://bit.ly/COD-email

It's that time of year again! Get ready for daily drops from Conversations on Dance all throughout the 2025 Vail Dance Festival through August 3rd. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a moment.Today we are joined by four dancers from LINES Ballert: Adji Cissoko, Lorris Eichinger, Ilaria Guerra, and Shuaib Elhassan. In this morning’s conversation, explore the company’s return to the Vail Dance Festival with a program that includes Ode to Alice Coltrane—a tribute to the legendary spiritual jazz icon—and Mother Goose, a mesmerizing reimagining of Ravel’s beloved 1912 suite, Ma mère l’Oye. Hear behind-the-scenes insights into the creative process behind these visionary works and get to know the artists shaping them. The conversation will be followed by an open audience Q&A. This episode was recorded live from the Vail Dance Festival on July 26, 2025.

The Vail Dance Festival is almost here! If you are going to be at the festival, please join us for our in-person events. Ticket and more information available here: https://vaildance.org/conversations-on-dance/.If you can't be with us, please subscribe to the Conversations on Dance podcast wherever you get your podcasts to be notified as we are publishing episodes daily from the festival. Episodes will be running from July 26 - August 3.Tickets to Conversations on Dance at the 2025 Vail Dance Festival on sale now! https://vaildance.org/conversations-on-dance/LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceMerch: https://bit.ly/cod-merchYouTube: https://bit.ly/youtube-CODJoin our email list: https://bit.ly/COD-email

On today's episode of "Conversations On Dance" we are joined by award winning ballerina Yuan Yuan Tan. We cover her meteoric rise, from entering San Francisco Ballet as a soloist at 18 directly from her schooling, a nearly unheard of feat, to anchoring the company as a principal for nearly three decades, and finally becoming a leader in the arts, most recently as the artistic director for the Chinese folktale production Lady White Snake, a stirring visual blend of dance, martial arts, music and costumes. To purchase tickets to Lady White Snake, coming to the David H Koch theater at Lincoln Center this July 26 and 27th, visit davidhkochtheater.com.Tickets to Conversations on Dance at the 2025 Vail Dance Festival on sale now! https://vaildance.org/conversations-on-dance/LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceMerch: https://bit.ly/cod-merchYouTube: https://bit.ly/youtube-CODJoin our email list: https://bit.ly/COD-email

This is Part Two of our episode with Bart Cook. If you missed Part One, please check back in our feed.On today's episode of "Conversations On Dance", we are joined by legendary New York City Ballet dancer and repetiteur for the Balanchine Trust Bart Cook. Bart was a favorite of both George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, prized for his versatility and chameleon like ability to inhabit the inner worlds of the ballets he danced. Bart goes into detail with us about these experiences, both onstage as a dancer and offstage, ensuring that the care and beauty he imbued these works with as a dancer continues in the artists of today. Tickets to Conversations on Dance at the 2025 Vail Dance Festival on sale now! https://vaildance.org/conversations-on-dance/LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceMerch: https://bit.ly/cod-merchYouTube: https://bit.ly/youtube-CODJoin our email list: https://bit.ly/COD-email

On today's episode of "Conversations On Dance", we are joined by legendary New York City Ballet dancer and repetiteur for the Balanchine Trust Bart Cook. Bart was a favorite of both George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, prized for his versatility and chameleon like ability to inhabit the inner worlds of the ballets he danced. Bart goes into detail with us about these experiences, both onstage as a dancer and offstage, ensuring that the care and beauty he imbued these works with as a dancer continues in the artists of today. Tickets to Conversations on Dance at the 2025 Vail Dance Festival on sale now! https://vaildance.org/conversations-on-dance/LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceMerch: https://bit.ly/cod-merchYouTube: https://bit.ly/youtube-CODJoin our email list: https://bit.ly/COD-email

Tickets to Conversations on Dance at the 2025 Vail Dance Festival on sale now! https://vaildance.org/conversations-on-dance/Today it's just us as we catch up on the past few weeks: Miami City Ballet's recent announcement of Gonzalo Garcia as the new Artistic Director, Michael's time in Amsterdam, the Clive Barnes awards, and we go through all our events that are coming up at the 2025 Vail Dance Festival. You can support the Clive Barnes Foundation by donating here: https://www.clivebarnesfoundation.org/.SPONSOR:Felice Lesser Dance Theater celebrates its 50th Anniversary with the live documentary, I AM A DANCER 2020, a real-time journey into the effects of the pandemic on the dance world. Combining live dance, projected video, and filmed interviews depicting how dance workers navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, I AM A DANCER 2020 will have four performances, June 26th to 28th at New York Live Arts in New York City. For tickets and information, please visit newyorklivearts.org.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceMerch: https://bit.ly/cod-merchYouTube: https://bit.ly/youtube-CODJoin our email list: https://bit.ly/COD-email

Since 1933, Jacob's Pillow has been a beacon for dancemakers, movers, scholars, students, and audiences. Located in Becket, Massachusetts, and founded by modern dance pioneer Ted Shawn, "the Pillow" (as it has affectionately come to be called) was the first dance site to be designated as a National Historic Landmark, and the first presenting organization to receive the National Medal of the Arts.Opening June 25th and running through August 24th of this year, the Pillow's 93rd Festival season will feature nine weeks of performances, classes, workshops, events, exhibits and activations, spread across the indoor and outdoor venues of a sprawling 220-acre campus. With more than 40 dance companies lined up from around the world, this year's Festival is particularly significant as it marks the opening of the new state-of-the-art Doris Duke Theatre - a venue poised to become one of the dance world's most technologically advanced ever built. Here to speak with us today about all of this is Jacob's Pillow Executive and Artistic Director, Pam Tatge. In her role, Pam is responsible for setting the artistic vision and strategic goals for all aspects of the organization, including Festival programming, education, preservation, audience engagement, residency programming and artist support, long-term planning, collaborative programming, fundraising, marketing, and more. Get tickets & learn more about this summer's programming: https://www.jacobspillow.org/festival/._____________________________Conversations on Dance is proud to be the recipient of the inaugural Clive Barnes Award for Journalism and Media Achievement. Join us for the 15th Anniversary Clive Barnes Awards, Monday, June 9 at 5:30pm at the National Arts Club in New York City. Hosted by Budd Mishkin, the Awards will feature guest presenter Tiler Peck and a special performance by Clive Barnes Award alumnus Victor Abreu of New York City Ballet. For tickets and information, please visit clivebarnesfoundation.org.LINKS:Website: conversationsondancepod.comInstagram: @conversationsondanceMerch: https://bit.ly/cod-merchYouTube: https://bit.ly/youtube-CODJoin our email list: https://bit.ly/COD-email

Rebecca here to share some big news!!! Join us on Monday June 9th for the 15th Anniversary Clive Barnes Awards!The Clive Barnes Foundation will honor outstanding theater and dance professionals at the 15th Anniversary Clive Barnes Awards, Monday, June 9 at 5:30pm at the National Arts Club in New York City. Carrying on the legacy of legendary dance and theater critic Clive Barnes and his encouragement of young artists, the annual Awards will recognize three theater performers and three dance performers as Honored Artists. This year, Conversations on Dance is proud to be the recipient of the inaugural Clive Barnes Award for Journalism and Media Achievement. Hosted by Budd Mishkin, the Awards will feature guest presenter Tiler Peck and a special performance by Clive Barnes Award alumnus Victor Abreu of New York City Ballet. For tickets and information, please visit clivebarnesfoundation.org.