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Conversations on Dance
(468) Maria Calegari and Bart Cook, legendary dancers and coaches of Balanchine & Robbins rep
Today on the Conversations on Dance podcast we are thrilled to have two fabulous guests: Maria Calegari and Bart Cook. We have have both Maria and Bart on the podcast before, but this married couple danced together and now sets ballets together, so we knew we had to get them on the podcast together to hear more about their careers and their work as repetiteurs for the Balanchine Trust and for the Robbins Trust. We talk through their experiences dancing together, then some of the specific ballets that they have set together: basically it’s just an hour and a half of bunhead time.
Maria & Bart are currently offering virtual and in-person private lessons for pre-professional and professional ballet dancers ages 15 and up. Lessons are structured to focus on your specific artistic goals to identify the stylistic and technical nuances that you can use to improve your movement quality, advice that goes beyond the typical class format. For more information visit: https://calegariteacher.com/.
Announcement:
We are thrilled to announce that we will be returning to Miami City Ballet October 17th-19th to host live pre-performance talks for the opening weekend of the company’s 40th anniversary season. For each talk, we will be joined by Gonzalo Garcia as he ushers the company into its first season under his direction. Full details below.
This program is truly not to be missed: the all Peck program includes ‘Year of the Rabbit’, ‘Chutes and Ladders’, and ‘Heatscape.’ If you are in the Miami area come join us. And if you aren’t, time to look for flights!
DETAILS:
FRI October 17 with Gonzalo Garcia at 6:30pm
SAT October 18 with Gonzalo and Justin Peck at 6:30pm
SUN October 19 with Gonzalo and Patricia Delgado at 1pm
Admission to pre-performance talks at the Arsht Center is complimentary with ticket purchase. Tickets available here: https://www.miamicityballet.org/tickets-and-events/202526-season/peck/. If you are unable to join us in person, subscribe to the Conversations on Dance podcast feed through your favorite podcast app, where we will be publishing recordings of the events.
SPONSOR:
Friday through Sunday, November 7th through 9th, join Amanda Treiber and Company for their debut performances at the Mark O’Donnell Theater in Brooklyn! Featuring a cast of international artists, including dancers and musicians from New York City Ballet, and a world premiere to music by Philip Glass, these performances showcase NYC-based choreographer and dancer Amanda Treiber's ability to create worlds through unique movement vocabularies and her deep collaborations with dancers, musicians, and visual artists. You won't want to miss it! Reserve your tickets today at amandatreiber.com.
LINKS:
Website: conversationsondancepod.com
Instagram: @conversationsondance
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(494) Ariel Rose, Choreographer and former Soloist with Miami City Ballet
44:16|Listen to Conversations on Dance ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondanceToday on the Conversations on Dance podcast we are joined by Ariel Rose, choreographer and former soloist with Miami City Ballet. Ariel traces his path from Ballet Academy East to Boston Ballet and Richmond Ballet, ultimately landing at Miami City Ballet. He talks with us about how early exposure to live music, performing opportunities, and diverse choreographic processes shaped him. Rose talks about his choreographic journey including his work with Miami City Ballet and the New World Symphony, his approach to music selection, and details his new project Ballet Rose: Made in Miami. Don't miss Ballet Rose: Made in Miami, one night only on June 13 at the Florence Gould Theatre in New York City. Tickets and more details are available here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/lalliancenewyork/2032602. Learn more on Ariel's website: https://www.balletrose.com/(493) Alexandra Damiani, Executive and Artistic Director of Ballets Jazz Montréal
53:09|Listen to Conversations on Dance ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondanceToday on the Conversations on Dance podcast we are joined by Alexandra Damiani, Artistic Director of Ballets Jazz Montréal. Alexandra traces her path from early training in France, then heading to New York, where she found healing, new technique, and artistic freedom. She recounts her wide-performing career, and the shift to rehearsal direction and leadership. She discusses moving from New York to Montreal during COVID, balancing motherhood with leadership, strengthening Ballet Jazz Montreal's roots locally while touring, and previews BJM’s tour to Houston with Performing Arts Houston. If you are in the Houston area, see Ballets Jazz Montréal in "Dance Me: The Music of Leonard Cohen" June 12 and 13th. Tickets start at $29. More information at performingartshouston.org.(492) Amy Watson, Artistic Director of the Royal Danish Ballet
54:51|Listen to Conversations on Dance ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondanceOn today's episode of "Conversations On Dance", we are joined by Amy Watson, Artistic Director of the Royal Danish Ballet. Amy relays her experience as an American born dancer adjusting to the Bournonville style in her first years with the company, before she landed major opportunities leading to her promotion to principal. Amy also opens up about her many plans for the company since securing the role of Artistic Director, including the immense care she is putting into the Bournonville legacy, building new repertoire of the company and providing the dancers with myriad opportunities to explore all avenues of styles and choreography. If you are in the Copenhagen area, you can catch Akram Khan's "Lady Macbeth" until May 19th, and the final program of the season "Giant Steps" featuring the works of George Balanchine and Christopher Wheeldon from May 21st until June 6th.(491) Co-founders of Barre Trash, Lucas Labrador and Louis DeFelice
43:34|Listen to Conversations on Dance ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondanceOn today's episode of "Conversations On Dance", we are joined by Lucas Labrador and Louis DeFelice, co-founders of Barre Trash, the dancewear line everyone from professionals to students to parents is sporting. They tell us how they first met, what inspired them to become business partners, and how they keep Barre Trash humming along through the competition and many distractions of the dance world today. Shop Barre Trash here: https://barretrash.com/.(490) LIVE from Works & Process: Philadelphia Ballet: Romeo and Juliet by Juliano Nunes
32:09|Listen to Conversations on Dance ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondanceWelcome to a special episode of Conversations on Dance recorded live at Works & Process at the Guggenheim. In the conversation, we sit down with Philadelphia Ballet resident choreographer Juliano Nunes to discuss his brand new 'Romeo and Juliet' that is having it's world premiere at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia on April 30th. Throughout the event, we take moments to pause and watch the artists of Philadelphia Ballet dance and be coached by Juliano. You can watch the event in it's entirety on YouTube here.Romeo and Juliet runs for 11 performances at the Academy of Music this season, from April 30 through May 10. For tickets and more information, visit philadelphiaballet.org.Watch the full event on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpE3tF7eOpk(489) Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director & CEO of Ballet Hispánico New York, on upcoming City Center season
37:51|On today's episode of "Conversations On Dance", we are joined by Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director & CEO of Ballet Hispánico New York. Eduardo makes his fourth appearance on the show, running through a broad range of topics, from how the political climate is directly impacting his arts organization to viral celebrity comments on the arts. He dives into the programming for the company's upcoming City Center season, titled "Mujeres: Women in Motion" featuring varied, dynamic choreographic works from four latina women. Ballet Hispánico New York's City Center season runs from April 23rd through the 26th, and tickets can be purchased at nycitycenter.org. Come see us this weekend in NYC! On Sunday April 19th, join us as we host Works & Process at the Guggenheim in NYC, featuring the talents of the Philadelphia Ballet and choreographer Juliano Nunes. We will be talking to Juliano about the process of creating a brand new full length "Romeo & Juliet" for the company, set to premiere in Philadelphia on April 30th. Tickets for Works & Process are nearly sold out, but you can catch the last few available on worksandprocess.org.(488) Choreographer Akram Khan, on his new 'Lady Macbeth' for Royal Danish Ballet
52:46|On today's episode of "Conversations On Dance", we are joined by acclaimed choreographer Akram Khan, weeks before his brand new full length production "Lady Macbeth" premieres at the Royal Danish Ballet. He tells us how the dancers of the company have immersed themselves through months of singular focus, how the work's plot has evolved since its inception, and how much his own dance language has fused with classical ballet vernacular to create the world of this ballet. "Lady Macbeth" runs April 24th through June 4th at the opera house mainstage in Copenhagen.(487) Royal Danish Ballet soloist Tobias Praetorius
42:33|Listen to Conversations on Dance ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondanceOn today's episode of "Conversations On Dance" we are joined by Royal Danish Ballet soloist Tobias Praetorius. He takes us on his journey as a young student falling in love with the theater, ultimately rising to the rank of soloist in the company, while coming to embrace and explore the company's rich Bournonville history. Tobi's own choreographic talents and love of Bournonville will converge when he will choreograph the lost second act of Bournonville's "Napoli" in an upcoming Royal Danish Ballet staging. Until then, you can catch him in regular performances with the company.(486) March Madness Balanchine Bracket with Maria Calegari and Bart Cook
01:55:17|Listen to Conversations on Dance ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondanceOn Conversations on Dance, we welcome Maria Calegari and Bart Cook to revisit a March Madness-style bracket of George Balanchine ballets created by Indiana University students during COVID, using head-versus-heart choices to spark memories and discussion about dancing and staging the repertory. As we debate matchups, Maria and Bart reflect on musicality, design collaborations, costuming, performance traditions, coaching details, and more. The bracket ultimately yields different winners among the four of us.Follow along with a bracket of your own. Click here to view and download.