The Adult Ballet Studio

Maureen Footer is an author and cultural historian whose work explores the ways artists, designers, and creators shape the culture around them, and she joined The Adult Ballet Studio this month! Maureen is the author of several acclaimed books on fashion, architecture and design, and her newest book takes her into the world of dance with Feel the Floor: Restoring the Life and Legacy of Jazz Choreographer Buddy Bradley, published by Beacon Press. The book tells the story of Buddy Bradley, a Black choreographer and teacher whose career began during the Harlem Renaissance and eventually took him from Broadway to London’s West End. There, his work helped transform theatrical dance. Bradley taught and influenced some of the biggest performers of his era, and his choreography drew from tap, jazz, ballroom, folk dance and mime. Bradley’s influence also extended into classical ballet. His work helped shape the movement vocabulary of many choreographers, including George Balanchine, and contributed to the development of what would become neoclassical ballet. Yet, despite the reach of his influence, Bradley’s name largely disappeared from mainstream dance history, especially in the U.S. Feel the Floor seeks to change that by restoring Bradley’s story. Maureen is also a lifelong ballet enthusiast and serves on the boards of New York City Ballet, the Jerome Robbins Dance Division of the New York Public Library, and the American Friends of the Paris Opera Ballet. We talk about Bradley’s remarkable legacy, the ways racism and cultural hierarchies have shaped what gets preserved in dance history, and what his story can teach us about influence, inclusion and belonging in the world of ballet. Check it out! Get a copy of Feel the Floor: https://www.amazon.com/Feel-Floor-Restoring-Choreographer-Bradley/dp/0807045241 Follow Maureen on Instagram: @maureenfooter Learn more about Maureen’s work: www.maureenfooter.net Subscribe to The Adult Ballet Studio on YouTube: @adultballetstudio 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 | [email protected] The Adult Ballet Studio has merch! https://theadultballetstudio-shop.fourthwall.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jen Alden is in the studio this month! She is a choreographer, director, arts leader, and financial executive whose work spans professional performance, arts advocacy, nonprofit leadership, and community engagement. She trained with the State Ballet of Oregon, Eugene Ballet, and the University of Oregon before performing as a soloist with the State Ballet of Oregon and dancing with contemporary companies in Portland. Along the way, she also developed a love for musical theater, choreographing her first production, West Side Story, at just 17 years old. After moving to Tulsa, Jennifer co-founded what is now Oklahoma Movement, a nonprofit contemporary dance organization dedicated to using movement as a catalyst for conversation and change. Over the past 15 years, she's created more than 15 evening-length works exploring topics including mental health, addiction, social inequality, women's issues, and systemic racism. In 2020, the organization shifted its focus beyond performance to emphasize outreach, advocacy, and education, reflecting a belief that movement has the power to connect communities and inspire meaningful dialogue. Jennifer's impact extends beyond the studio too! She's choreographed for Tulsa Opera, Theatre Tulsa, Tulsa Symphony, and numerous productions throughout the region, while also serving as chief financial and operating officer of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. There, she's helped secure funding to support one of Oklahoma's most important cultural institutions. In this conversation, Jennifer challenges the idea that artists have to choose between creativity and practicality. We talk about balancing careers in both finance and the arts, building sustainable pathways for artists, creating welcoming spaces for adult dancers, and using dance to explore some of the most complex issues facing our communities. Check it out! Learn more about Oklahoma Movement: oklahomamovement.org Follow Oklahoma Movement on Instagram: @oklahoma_movement Learn more Tulsa PAC and find tix for Universal Theory: tulsapac.com Subscribe to The Adult Ballet Studio on YouTube: @adultballetstudio 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 | [email protected] The Adult Ballet Studio has merch! Shop here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Larry Keigwin, dancer, choreographer and artistic director of KEIGWIN + COMPANY, joined The Adult Ballet Studio for a bonus episode! Keigwin is a native New Yorker, choreographer, and curator who has danced his way from the Metropolitan Opera to Broadway and back. He has created 30 works, including his community-based piece for all ages - Rhapsody - that kicked off Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City festival this year. This community dance work featured 40 New Yorkers, and the group was made up of dancers and non-dancers of all ages and backgrounds. Each version of Rhapsody is shaped by its location and ensemble of dancers and celebrates making art, humanity and shared space. Lincoln center’s Summer for the City festival is even more dance focused than before thanks to the launch of The Pasculano Collaborative for Contemporary Dance, which anchors this year’s festival. The season features New York-based talent as well as artists from around the world, wellness events, and education initiatives that are all offered for free or choose-what-you-pay. The collaborative also paves the way for Lincoln Center’s inaugural Contemporary Dance Festival – a new festival that will be offered each summer and winter. Check it this interview with Larry! Learn more about KEIGWIN + COMPANY: keigwinandcompany.com Follow Larry Keigwin: @larry_keigwin Check out Lincoln Center's Summer for the City: Summer for the City Subscribe to The Adult Ballet Studio on YouTube: @adultballetstudio 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 | [email protected] The Adult Ballet Studio has merch! Check it out: https://theadultballetstudio-shop.fourthwall.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Erica Centola, founder of Tournesol Dance in Rochester, New York, is in the studio this month! Have you ever felt like ballet wasn't built for your body—or because you started later, took a long break, or don't fit the "traditional" dancer mold, you somehow don't belong in the studio? Erica is so good at dispelling those myths and encouraging dancers at any stage of their lives or training to do what they love! Tournesol Dance is an adult-only ballet school that's redefining what serious ballet training can look like for adult dancers. A former histology technician turned ballet teacher and studio owner, Erica combines her understanding of anatomy and biology with an individualized approach to teaching. She helps adult students build stronger technique while rediscovering confidence, creativity, and joy. In this conversation, we talked about why dance is so much more than exercise. We explored how ballet can help heal the mind, reduce stress, reconnect us with our creative selves, and become a powerful source of resilience in adulthood. Erica also shared her journey back to ballet after a long hiatus and why she ultimately created the kind of ballet school she wished had existed for adult dancers all along— where adults are taken seriously, given thoughtful corrections, and offered real opportunities to grow and perform. Check it out! Learn more about Tournesol Dance: https://tournesoldance.com/ Learn more about Erica: @ericacentola Follow Tournesol Dance on Instagram: @tournesoldance Subscribe to The Adult Ballet Studio on YouTube: @adultballetstudio 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 | [email protected] The Adult Ballet Studio has merch! Check it out: https://theadultballetstudio-shop.fourthwall.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tony-winning choreographer Omari Wiles is in the studio for a bonus episode! Omari is the founder and artistic director of The House of NiNa Oricci and Les Ballet Afrik, and he recently made his Broadway debut and won a Tony along with Arturo Lyons for their choreography on Cats: The Jellicle Ball on Broadway. Les Ballet Afrik’s piece, New York Is Burning, was presented this year at Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City Festival as part of the outdoor Dance Encounters series, and I spoke with Omari afterwards about what it means to see vogue and ballroom culture represented on some of the world’s biggest stages. Check it out! Learn more about Omari Wiles: https://www.lincolncenter.org/series/summer-for-the-city/omari-wiles-or-les-ballet-afrik Connect with Omari on Instagram: @omari_wiles Check out Lincoln Center's Summer for the City: Summer for the City 2026 Follow Lincoln Center on Instagram: @lincolncenter Subscribe to The Adult Ballet Studio on YouTube: @adultballetstudio 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 | [email protected] The Adult Ballet Studio has merch! Check it out: https://theadultballetstudio-shop.fourthwall.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.