integrated dance

Experimentation and Inclusivity

In this episode of DanceCast, Silva interviews Eric Kupers, a director, choreographer and performer in the Bay Area. He is the co-director of Dandelion Dancetheater and director of Bandelion (the interdisciplinary ensemble within the company). Eric discusses his experimental approach to dance-making, the creative significance of inclusivity (both in terms of different bodies as well as different artistic genres), his intro to performance through folk dance at his public elementary school and why exposure to dance is imperative in education, and his development of an inclusive dance program at Cal State University East Bay.
Text by Emmaly Wiederholt and photo by Luiza Silva

http://www.dandeliondancetheater.org/
http://keshetarts.org
http://stanceondance.com
https://www.dancemagazine.com

Creating a More Inclusive World

PODCAST BY SILVA LAUKKANEN

In this episode of DanceCast, Silva interviews Marisa Hamamoto, founder and director of Infinite Flow, the first inclusive ballroom dance company in the US. She shares her myriad experiences with inclusion and why it became such an important concept for her, her difficult history pursuing dance before founding Infinite Flow, why the #MeToo conversation needs to be integrated more into the dance world, and how the discovery of ballroom put her on a new trajectory empowering herself and others to dance.
Text by Emmaly Wiederholt

http://stanceondance.com
http://keshetarts.org
http://www.infiniteflowdance.org
https://www.danceusa.org
http://bodyshift.org

Embodying the Conversation on Arts and Social Justice

In this episode of DanceCast, Silva interviews Adam McKinney, cofounder of DNAWORKS, an arts and service organization committed to dialogue and healing through the arts. He discusses how he became involved in race and trauma work; how dance can build community and address oppression; DNAWORKS programming exploring layers of identity; and the importance of keeping intersectionality in mind when teaching and leading.

Adam McKinney is a classically trained dancer and former member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Béjart Ballet Lausanne, and Alonzo King LINES Ballet. He holds an M.A. in Dance Studies with concentrations in Race and Trauma theories. Adam served as the inaugural Chair of the Dance Department at the New Mexico School for the Arts in Santa Fe for six years, and is currently an Assistant Professor of Dance at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.

Text by Emmaly Wiederholt

http://dnaworks.org
http://keshetarts.org
http://stanceondance.com
http://bodyshift.org
https://finearts.tcu.edu/dance/

In this episode of DanceCast, Silva interviews Wagner Moreira, a Brazilian dancer, choreographer and teacher living and working in Dresden, Germany. Wagner and Silva discuss the in-between place of living in one country but being from another, the role of Wagner’s father in helping him find dance and his choreographic tribute to him 18 years after he took his own life, the use of nudity in dance and the idea of provocation instead of confrontation, the process of making/becoming/identifying as a dancer, and how technology is changing our modern concept of time.
Text by Emmaly Wiederholt

https://wlmoreira.wordpress.com
https://keshetarts.org
https://stanceondance.com
https://bodyshift.org

In this episode I speak with Maija Karhunen about her work and life as a dancer.

In this episode of DanceCast, Silva interviews Maija Karhunen, a dancer and performer based in Helsinki, Finland. Maija discusses the practicalities of touring as a disabled dancer, attitudes in Europe toward disability, how to navigate the special attention that disability voices receive, and her desire to grow in both her professional and personal identity. Text by Emmaly Wiederholt.

Maija Karhunen is a dancer and performer based in Helsinki. She works with choreographers and directors in Finland and Europe. She studied dance and choreography in Finland, the Netherlands and Germany. Karhunen's interests lie in the all-encompassing performativity of the human, questions of power, intimacy, the personal and the grotesque. She works also in the field of (dance) writing and critique.

http://keshetarts.org
http://danceabilityfinland.com/kaaos/?lang=fi
https://vimeo.com/196710873
http://stanceondance.com
http://www.bodyshift.org

In this episode of DanceCast, Silva interviews Monika Požek, founder and director of MeetShareDance in Madrid, Spain. MeetShareDance is an annual festival that takes place in a different country each year, and that was created with the aim of supporting integrative dance as well as building an international network of integrated dance professionals. Silva and Monika discuss the evolution of the festival, Monika’s background, and the spread of integrated dance both in Europe and the United States. Text by Emmaly Wiederholt.

Monika Požek, founder and artistic director of MeetShareDance, received her first dance training in Slovenia, dancing and competing hip hop for 12 years. After obtaining a degree in continuing education, she moved to Argentina where she began training in contemporary techniques, as well as studying dance movement therapy (at AADT and Maria Fux method) and integrated dance at IUNA with Susana Gonzales. She continued with Danceability teacher training in Finland, workshops with Adam Benjamin, CandoCo and collaborating with a wheelchair dance group Zebra (Slovenia) and DanZass (Madrid). In 2012, she started MeetShareDance. In 2014-15, Monika was a Fulbright Schuman researcher on integrated dance, traveling to Atlanta and working with Full Radius Dance. In 2017, MeetShareDance festival was winner of the #BeInclusive EU Sport Award. Monika lives and works in Madrid.

http://stanceondance.com
http://keshetarts.org
https://meetsharedance.com

n this episode of DanceCast, Silva interviews Nancy Bain, who has spent her life working in dance education. She shares some of her most unique teaching experiences, including addressing war with students through dance at a public elementary school for the arts. Nancy also discusses why she never opted to open a dance studio, how she helped her alma mater start a dance department, how she developed an injury awareness class, and her myriad work with special needs students. She believes dance is for everyone, and her rich career reflects this.

Text by Emmaly Wiederholt

In this episode I was talking to my good friend Julie about her work within the integrated dance scene as well as her time in Java.

Liv is a multidisciplinary artist and educator based in the Bay Area. Liv graduated from Alonzo King LINES Ballet BFA Program at Dominican University of California in 2013, and spent the 2013-2015 seasons dancing with DanceWorks Chicago under direction of Julie Nakagawa. Liv embraces employment opportunity nationwide; developing integrative arts curriculum, educating dancers, performing, and creating choreographic commissions with organizations such as Youth Art Exchange, Jacob's Pillow Curriculum in Motion®, The JUNTOS Collective, Western Michigan University, Southern Exposure, and Alonzo King LINES Ballet BFA & Summer Programs. You can currently spot Liv dancing with AXIS Dance Company, where she joined in August of 2016.
Photo of Liv by David DeSilva

http://www.aliviaschaffer.com
http://stanceondance.com
http://www.axisdance.org
http://www.bodyshift.org

In this episode of the DanceCast, Silva Laukkanen speaks to her third site-specific dance artist, Stephan Koplowitz, who has been producing site specific dances for over 30 years. He shares a peek into his research and choreographic process, as well as discusses the origins and status of site specific dance, and the considerations of history and politics when choreographing in a new space.
Text by Emmaly Wiederholt

http://bodyshift.org
http://stanceondance.com
http://stephankoplowitz.com/about.html

Dale Andree is the founder and director of National Water Dance, a biennial event that organizes dance artists and educators across the country into a movement choir to inspire environmental awareness and action. In this episode of DanceCast, Dale discusses her history teaching improvisation to children, her status as a re-emerging choreographer, and her larger vision of getting communities of dancers across the country to come together and dance for water.
Text by Emmaly Wiederholt

http://se.nationalwaterdance.org
http://stanceondance.com
http://www.bodyshift.org
https://globalwaterdances.org
http://www.ndeo.org

Mark Travis Rivera is a choreographer, writer, public speaker and advocate who lives in the world of intersectionality. Latino, gay, gender-non conforming and disabled, Mark’s life is a testament to how much agency a young person can have. In fact, the 26-year-old holds the distinction of being the youngest person to found an integrated dance company in the United States, marked dance project. In this episode of DanceCast, Mark shares the ins and outs of his life, as well as what still needs to be done to ensure equal access and opportunity.

https://marktravisrivera.com
https://bodyshift.org
https://stanceondance.com

In this episode I discuss about the history and future of Keshet Dance Company with its founder and artistic director Shira Greenberg.

Shira will share the how all began and where they are now. She is talking about her different projects , some of them expanding through out the 20 year history of Keshet.

• Keshet Dance Company - http://keshetarts.org/

Judith and I talk about her work in Axis Dance Company and her 10 year plan about getting the integrated dance scene together in USA.

• Axis dance Company - http://axisdance.org
• Keshet Dance Company http://keshetarts.org
• Body Shift http://bodyshift.org
• VSA Texas http://vsatx.org