Conversations on Dance is an award winning podcast hosted by former Miami City Ballet dancers Rebecca King Ferraro and Michael Sean Breeden . Since 2016, the podcast has provided an inside look at the world of dance through in-depth interviews with the field’s most influential dancers, choreographers, musicians, directors, and educators. With a mission to educate, inspire, and connect, Conversations on Dance goes beyond performance to uncover the stories, insights, and artistry that shape the…
Watch NOW: PREMIERES from the 2026 Vail Dance Festival here: https://www.youtube.com/live/IWR7IJTIUjM?si=Hew1Dst2yyijlh9k. Enjoy one month of Conversations on Dance on Patreon for free! Redeem here . Join Conversations on Dance hosts Rebecca King Ferraro and Michael Sean Breeden for a live podcast recording exploring the special and unique process of preparing today’s generation of dancers for the…
Enjoy one month of free access to Conversations on Dance on Patreon and listen ad-free. Click here to redeem. Join Conversations on Dance hosts Rebecca King Ferraro and Michael Sean Breeden for a live podcast recording with this summer’s Artist-in-Residence, Alexei Ratmansky. Ratmansky is widely regarded as one of the most important ballet choreographers of his generation, creating celebrated…
Enjoy one month of free access to Conversations on Dance on Patreon and listen ad-free. Click here to redeem. Join Conversations on Dance hosts Rebecca King Ferraro and Michael Sean Breeden for a live podcast recording with one of ballet’s most exciting rising stars: Ryan Tomash, newly promoted Principal Dancer at New York City Ballet. Born in Toronto and trained at Canada’s National Ballet…
Enjoy one month of free access to Conversations on Dance on Patreon and listen ad-free. Click here to redeem. Join Conversations on Dance hosts Rebecca King Ferraro and Michael Sean Breeden for a special live podcast recording celebrating a remarkable milestone: the 10th year of Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award-winning composer and performer Caroline Shaw as the festival’s Leonard Bernstein…
Enjoy one month of free access to Conversations on Dance on Patreon and listen ad-free. Click here to redeem. Join Conversations on Dance hosts Rebecca King Ferraro and Michael Sean Breeden for a live podcast recording with Three of Vail’s most beloved returning artists: Lauren Lovette, Unity Phelan and Robbie Fairchild. Fairchild, a former NYCB Principal Dancer, became a Tony-nominated Broadway…
Enjoy one month of free access to Conversations on Dance on Patreon and listen ad-free. Click here to redeem. Join Conversations on Dance hosts Rebecca King Ferraro and Michael Sean Breeden for a live podcast recording with tap visionary and MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient Michelle Dorrance and artists from Trinity Irish Dance Company, the Chicago-based ensemble that has spent 35 years…
Enjoy one month of free access to Conversations on Dance on Patreon and listen ad-free. Click here to redeem. Today we are live from Vail with one of the Vail Dance Festival’s most beloved returning artists, ABT Principal Dancer Herman Cornejo. Called “the most technically accomplished male ballet dancer in the United States” by The New Yorker, Cornejo has spent more than 15 summers on the Vail…
Enjoy one month of free access to Conversations on Dance on Patreon and listen ad-free. Click here to redeem. Join Conversations on Dance hosts Rebecca King Ferraro and Michael Sean Breeden for a live podcast recording featuring Lloyd Knight and Laurel Dalley Smith from the Martha Graham Dance Company, one of the most iconic and enduring forces in American modern dance. As the company marks its…
Enjoy one month of free access to Conversations on Dance on Patreon and listen ad-free. Click here to redeem. Tickets are on sale now for our live events at the 2026 Vail Dance Festival. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here: https://vaildance.org/conversations-on-dance/ Conversations on Dance was the recipient of the 2024 Clive Barnes Award for Journalism and Media Achievement.…
Enjoy one month of free access to Conversations on Dance on Patreon and listen ad-free. Click here to redeem. Today on the Conversations on Dance podcast we are joined by Jack Fever to discuss their curation of "Martha Graham: The Mother of Psychological Dance" on display now at the New York Public Library. Jack joins us again after about 10 years to share recent work and their move to full-time…
Today on the Conversations on Dance podcast we are joined by Susan Jaffe, Artistic Director of American Ballet Theatre. Susan reflects on ABT’s Spring Season, the challenges of the Met season shifting later into summer, and the company exceeding attendance goals while continuing strong ticket sales. She talk about how Executive Director Barry Hughson's arrival has strengthened fundraising and…
Listen to Conversations on Dance ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondance Today on the Conversations on Dance podcast we are joined by Paul Boos, Repetiteur and former Balanchine dancer. Paul recounts growing up in South Dakota, being enrolled in ballet with his sisters, then eventually continuing his training at American Ballet Theatre, where he received a full…
Listen to Conversations on Dance ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondance On today's episode of Conversations On Dance we are joined by Padraic Moyles, Executive Producer and Director of 'Riverdance 30 - The New Generation'. Padraic tells us about his own journey as a performer in the early days of the Riverdance phenomenon, how the show has evolved in its 30 year…
Listen to Conversations on Dance ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondance Today 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…
Listen to Conversations on Dance ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondance Today 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…
Listen to Conversations on Dance ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondance On 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…
Listen to Conversations on Dance ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondance On 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…
Listen to Conversations on Dance ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondance Welcome 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…
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…
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…
Listen to Conversations on Dance ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondance On 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…
Listen to Conversations on Dance ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondance On 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…
Listen to Conversations on Dance ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondance Today, on "Conversations on Dance", we talk with Ken Browar and Deborah Ory, the minds (and cameras) behind NYC Dance Project. We talk with Ken and Deborah about their book, Martha Graham Dance Company, 100 years, and how their backgrounds in dance and editorial fashion shaped their approach. They…
Listen to Conversations on Dance ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondance Today on the Conversations on Dance podcast, we talk with former New York City Ballet dancer and Balanchine répétiteur Deborah Wingert about her early training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, where rigorous daily classes, musical and artistic context, and early teaching responsibilities…
Stanton Welch and Julie Kent join the Conversations on Dance podcast this week and reflect on nearly three years leading Houston Ballet, praising the dancers’ versatility, focus, and the engaged Houston community, and describing the value of sharing leadership. They discuss how the company’s identity is shaped by having a prolific choreographer as artistic director in Stanton and what they look…
On today's episode of "Conversations On Dance" we are joined by dance writer Marina Harss. Marina tells us about her recent excursions to Vienna and Copenhagen, where she traveled to document some of the most exciting new dynamics in European dance companies, including a renewed focus on Copenhagen's genius choreographer Bournonville, new directors in the Royal Danish Ballet and the Vienna State…
On today's episode of "Conversations On Dance" we are joined by choreographer Robert Battle. Robert tells us about how he started a company to push his own choreographic work, what it was like to become the third director in the history of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and how he's just begun to explore his recent post as resident choreographer of Paul Taylor Dance Company. To see Robert's…
WATCH the program on YouTube here . On February 7, 2026, Miami City Ballet presented a first look of world-renowned choreographer Alexei Ratmansky’s new commission celebrating MCB founder Toby Lerner Ansin’s 85th birthday, before its February premiere in Florida. This work blends history, tradition, and forward-thinking creativity, with a score by Johann Strauss. Ratmansky and Miami City Ballet’s…
On today's episode of "Conversations On Dance" we are joined by two leaders of the School Of American Ballet, Jenifer Ringer, Director Of Intermediate/Advanced Divisions and Artistic Programming, and Aesha Ash, Head Of Artistic Health and Wellness. They tell us about their own experiences as students at the school before heading onto illustrious careers at the New York City Ballet, what goes into…
Today on "Conversations On Dance", our episode centers on the new documentary film "About Face: Disrupting Ballet", which follows two asian dancers, Phil Chan and Georgina Pazcougin, in their effort to eliminate racial stereotypes pervasive in ballet performances across the world. Director/Producer Jennifer Lin and Producer Cory Stieg join us to talk about their personal experiences with racial…
On today's episode of "Conversations On Dance" we are joined by American Ballet Theatre ballerina Zimmi Coker. Zimmi recounts how, as a former dance herself, her mother gently guided her through her initial training, how she fell in love with ABT and began to receive plum roles in major full length works, and, most harrowingly, how she overcame a devastating injury that had her pulling out of…
Listen to Conversations on Dance ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondance On today's episode of "Conversations On Dance", we are joined by Kari Brunson Wright, Josh Spell and Rachel Coats, founders of the ILUMN Collective and former professional dancers turned therapists and coaches. We talk the various mental health challenges they faced as dancers, how they came…
Today it's just Michael and Rebecca for our annual look back over the year. Enjoy! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year everyone! We will be back with a new episode on January 7th, 2026. Listen to Conversations on Dance ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/conversationsondance Miami City Ballet Nutcracker running through 12/28:…
On today's episode of "Conversations On Dance", we dive into the new documentary "The Nutcracker At Wethersfield", a film that explores the chaotic, thrilling experience of a huge team of dancers, artists and volunteers coming together to ensure that the "Nutcracker" holiday tradition could continue during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are joined by the choreographer Troy Schumacher and ballerina…
On today's episode of Conversations On Dance, we are joined by author Elizabeth Kendall. Elizabeth has written numerous books on dance, her most recent, "Balanchine Finds His America: A Tale Of Love Lost And Ballet Reborn" is on shelves now. Elizabeth takes us through her journey to writing on dance, why Balanchine has become such an important figure to her as a writer, and the varied processes…
Today on Conversations on Dance, we welcome back a listener favorite and our friend, Alastair Macaulay, former Chief Dance Critic for the New York Times. This past week, on Friday November 14th, Alastair hosted an event at the New York Public Library where he examined films of revered Balanchine ballerina, Suzanne Farrell. Alastair tells us about how research for this event, talks about the films…
Today on Conversations on Dance, we hear about a new documentary film about ballet and war in Ukraine, "The Sky Was On Fire." We are joined by the film's Producer Julie Meyer and EP/DP Michael Murray. Julie and Michael tell us about how this story came to them, how they built trust with the subject's of the film, why they feel these stories are important to tell, and how they hope the film will…
This episode was recorded live on October 19, 2025 at The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami before the opening of Miami City Ballet's 40th anniversary season. Guests in this episode are Tony Award winning choreographer and former Miami City Ballet Principal Dancer, Patricia Delgado, and Miami City Ballet Artistic Director, Gonzalo Garcia. Listen to Conversations on Dance…
This episode was recorded live on October 18, 2025 at The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami before the opening of Miami City Ballet's 40th anniversary season. Guests in this episode are is Tony Award winning choreographer, Justin Peck, and Miami City Ballet Artistic Director, Gonzalo Garcia. The pre-performance talk coordinated with the all Peck program that the company opened…
This episode was recorded live on October 17, 2025 at The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami before the opening of Miami City Ballet's 40th anniversary season. This pre-performance talk coordinated with the all Peck program that the company opened their season with, which included "Year of The Rabbit," "Chutes and Ladders," and "Heatscape." Listen to Conversations on Dance…
On today's episode of "Conversations On Dance" we are joined by superstar NYCB ballerina Tiler Peck and Garen Scribner, former SFB soloist and the Artistic Director of the San Francisco Dance Film Festival. Tiler recounts how her harrowing recovery from a potentially life altering injury was captured on film after Garen suggested the process be turned into a documentary. The resulting project is…
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…
On today's episode of "Conversations On Dance", we are joined by Dante Puleio, Artistic Director of the Limón Dance Company, and esteemed choreographer Diego Vega Solorza, whose work for the company will premiere in the company's upcoming Joyce season. Dante tells us how he became familiar with Diego's work and why it was a natural fit for the company and the season, while Diego dives into his…
On today's episode of "Conversations On Dance", we are joined by Gonzalo Garcia, former principal dancer with San Francisco Ballet and the New York City Ballet, and the new artistic director of the Miami City Ballet. Gonzalo gives us an inside view on his plans to shape Miami City Ballet as only the third director in its 40 year history, including his thoughts on repertoire he wants to bring,…
On today's episode of "Conversations On Dance", we are joined by choreographers Christopher Bruce and Jacquelyn Long, whose works will be featured on the upcoming Houston Ballet program "Rock, Roll & Tutus". They take us through their creative processes, how they select and interpret music through dance and each of their long artistic relationships with Houston Ballet, with Christopher honing his…
This week on Conversations on Dance, it's just Michael and Rebecca. We catch up on what we have been up to since Vail Dance Festival in August. Michael talks about working as a rehearsal director for James Whiteside in Mexico, and staging Justin Peck's 'Heatscape' at New York City Ballet this Fall. SPONSOR: San Francisco-based choreographer Alyssa Mitchel presents the premiere of Endure, a…
Today on Conversations on Dance we are joined by Dominika Afanasenkov from the Vail Dance Festival. Dominika is a ballerina with the New York City Ballet. She talks to us about how growing up in cities all over the world impacted her training, how she’s approached the breakthrough opportunities she’s received so far, and what her first experience at the Vail Dance Festival was like. This episode…
On today's episode of "Conversations On Dance", we are joined by Nikolaj Hübbe, star dancer of the New York City Ballet, and both former principal and artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet. Nikolaj takes us through his story, from his starry eyed fascination as a child with the productions in Denmark, his meteoric rise to principal and subsequent leap of faith joining the New York City…
On today's episode of "Conversations On Dance", we are joined by Michèle Steinwald, guest curator of the 2025 Kaatsbaan Annual Festival. Michèle takes us through their artistic beginnings, as a teenager shaped by experiences as diverse as being in a punk rock band, posing in a meat dress for an installation or simply buying a at ticket to performances at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, to…
Join Conversations on Dance hosts Rebecca King Ferraro and Michael Sean Breeden for a live podcast recording with New York City Ballet’s exciting new generation of principal dancers: Chun Wai Chan, Mira Nadon, and Gilbert Bolden III. These dynamic artists are shaping the future of classical ballet with their exceptional talent, artistry, and fresh perspectives. Hear about their paths to principal…
