Beyond the Barre

On this week's episode, our guest is Jennifer Turner, former dancer and founder of Gemini, a branding studio and educational platform for female entrepreneurs that marries voice and visuals, writing and design, for more meaningful, memorable brands. Jennifer’s story starts with an ending: an injury that put a stop to her dream of dancing professionally. So, she jetéd from ballet to university, where writing became her creative outlet and eventually, her career. She’s written the copy for over 150 websites and collaborated on more than 200 brands, from as far as Tanzania and the Caribbean to her own backyard on the West Coast of Canada. Join us to hear about Jennifer’s transition from dance to becoming her own boss as an entrepreneur and business owner! For more information, as well as any links, see the blog post for this episode: http://www.margaretmullin.com/episodes/episode-32-jennifer-turner Follow Beyond The Barre: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebarrepodcast/ Jennifer Turner and Gemini: https://geminibranding.ca/ Host: Margaret Mullin http://www.margaretmullin.com/ https://www.instagram.com/margaretmullin/  Producer: Sarena Fishman Jimenez http://www.sarenafishman.com/  http://instagram.com/sarenafishman Music: William Lin-Yee https://soundcloud.com/williamlinyee

On this week's episode, our guest is acclaimed Broadway performer Darius Barnes, former dancer with the New York City Ballet, Suzanne Farrell Ballet, and Dance Theater of Harlem! In addition to performing in Mean Girls on Broadway, Darius has appeared in the 2019 Broadway revival of Kiss Me Kate, made his Broadway & Principal debut in the Tony Award-winning musical, Memphis, and has been seen in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark, and Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, to name a few. Darius is an accomplished choreographer—currently assistant choreographer on the Michael Jackson Musical developmental labs--and alumnus of the New York Choreographic Institute. In 2010, he was invited to choreograph a piece for the New York City Ballet. On top of his impressive resume of experience within the classical ballet community, and his credits in Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, Darius has also branched out into working as a producer. We are so thrilled to have him on the show today to discuss his journey from Baltimore School of the Arts, to SAB, NYCB, the Suzanne Farrell Ballet, DTH, Broadway, and beyond! For more information, as well as any links, see the blog post for this episode: http://www.margaretmullin.com/episodes/episode-31-darius-barnes Follow Beyond The Barre: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebarrepodcast/ Darius Barnes: http://www.dariusbarnes.com/ https://www.instagram.com/dblexicon/ Host: Margaret Mullin http://www.margaretmullin.com/ https://www.instagram.com/margaretmullin/  Producer: Sarena Fishman Jimenez http://www.sarenafishman.com/  http://instagram.com/sarenafishman Music: William Lin-Yee https://soundcloud.com/williamlinyee

On this week's episode, our guest is Matthew Renko, former soloist with Pacific Northwest Ballet and former member of New York City Ballet and the Suzanne Farrell Ballet! The New York Times described his dancing as “the single most exhilarating moment of the seven ballets in this weeklong season”, but his road has been anything but easy. In this extended episode today, Margaret and Matthew go deep into the good, the bad, and the ugly of a career in ballet. Join us to hear Margaret and Matthew talk about: the decision to go to NCSA and then the School of American Ballet dancing for NYCB and Suzanne Farrell coming to PNB from New York being an explosive dancer: how it wins you acclaim but also impacts longevity dealing with long periods of injury and being an advocate for yourself For more information, as well as any links, see the blog post for this episode: http://www.margaretmullin.com/episodes/episode-30-matthew-renko/ Follow Beyond The Barre: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebarrepodcast/ Matthew Renko: https://www.instagram.com/renks_mcgee/ Host: Margaret Mullin http://www.margaretmullin.com/ https://www.instagram.com/margaretmullin/  Producer: Sarena Fishman Jimenez http://www.sarenafishman.com/  http://instagram.com/sarenafishman Music: William Lin-Yee https://soundcloud.com/williamlinyee

On this week's episode, we welcome back one of our most popular guests and listener favorite--Zippora Karz, this time joined on the show by her sister, Romy Karz Rapoport! Join us to hear about their new mentoring program and YouTube show: Romy & Zippora Turn Out, Tune In where they are sharing their wealth of wisdom and experience as former professional dancers with the New York City Ballet, and current ballet teachers and yoga instructors, to offer compassionate guidance to dancers of all levels and ages. —  For more information, as well as any links, see the blog post for this episode:  http://www.margaretmullin.com/episodes/episode-29-zippora-and-romy Follow Beyond The Barre:  https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebarrepodcast/  Romy & Zippora Turn Out, Tune In: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsYzOjmLnWo3uw60La-_GRA Host: Margaret Mullin  http://www.margaretmullin.com/  https://www.instagram.com/margaretmullin/  Producer: Sarena Fishman Jimenez  http://www.sarenafishman.com/  http://instagram.com/sarenafishman  Music: William Lin-Yee  https://soundcloud.com/williamlinyee

On this week’s episode our guest is dance artist, educator and administrator DeMarcus Akeem Suggs! DeMarcus Akeem Suggs is a graduate of Belhaven University’s dance program (BFA), and his professional experience includes performing with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC), Dayton Ballet, Neos Dance Theatre, Verb Ballets, as well as collaborating with various project-based choreographers. He has held positions as Program Director at The Victory Project (Dayton, OH); Coordinator of Education & Engagement at Victoria Theatre Association (Dayton, OH); as well as Director of Education & Outreach for Neos Dance Theatre. DeMarcus has also served on review panels for Ohio Arts Council and Dance/USA where he was a 2018 Institute for Leadership Training cohort fellow. His current work includes serving as Grants Consultant for Alternate ROOTS and Residency Assistant for The National Center for Choreography at the University of Akron (NCCAkron) where he is simultaneously pursuing a Master’s of Arts in Arts Administration. — For more information, as well as any links, see the blog post for this episode: http://www.margaretmullin.com/episodes/episode-28-demarcus-akeem-suggs Follow Beyond The Barre: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebarrepodcast/ Host: Margaret Mullin http://www.margaretmullin.com/ https://www.instagram.com/margaretmullin/ Producer: Sarena Fishman Jimenez http://www.sarenafishman.com/ http://instagram.com/sarenafishman Music: William Lin-Yee https://soundcloud.com/williamlinyee

On this week’s episode, join us for a conversation with Megan Fairchild, principal dancer with the New York City Ballet! Tune in to hear Margaret and Megan talk about: Megan’s meteoric rise through the ranks of the NYCB Some advice from Megan for young dancers thinking about moving away from home to train Broadway dance “culture” versus ballet world “culture” The event that Megan perceived as her “biggest failure” and how she moved past it Getting her undergraduate degree from Fordham while dancing as a principal at NYCB and going on to get her Master’s of Business Administration at NYU - - - For more information, as well as any links, see the blog post for this episode: https://www.margaretmullin.com/episodes/episode-27-megan-fairchild Follow Beyond The Barre: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebarrepodcast/ Megan Fairchild: https://www.instagram.com/mfairchild17/ https://www.nycballet.com/discover/meet-our-dancers/principal-dancers/megan-fairchild/ Megan’s Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ_WNxLiIEESXCpqGdUGiJw Host: Margaret Mullin http://www.margaretmullin.com/ https://www.instagram.com/margaretmullin/ Producer: Sarena Fishman Jimenez http://www.sarenafishman.com/ http://instagram.com/sarenafishman Music: William Lin-Yee https://soundcloud.com/williamlinyee

On this week’s episode (recorded July 14th, 2020), join us for a conversation with Connor Holloway, company dancer with American Ballet Theatre! Shortly after becoming a company member, Connor was appointed to run the dancer-created Instagram account, @abtofficial.  In the four years that Connor has managed the account, it has tripled its following; making it the most followed ballet company on Instagram. This role led Connor to becoming a full-time Marketing team member in addition to full-time dancer with ABT. On a personal note, Connor, who is gender non-conforming, is passionate about breaking down gender barriers and constructs in the work place— as of this last season, American Ballet Theatre had stripped the titles of it’s gender-labeled morning classes to promote inclusivity. - - - For more information, as well as any links, see the blog post for this episode: https://www.margaretmullin.com/episodes/episode-26-connor-holloway Follow Beyond The Barre: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebarrepodcast/ Connor Holloway: https://www.instagram.com/conholl/ American Ballet Theatre: https://www.instagram.com/abtofficial/ Host: Margaret Mullin http://www.margaretmullin.com/ https://www.instagram.com/margaretmullin/ Producer: Sarena Fishman Jimenez http://www.sarenafishman.com/ http://instagram.com/sarenafishman Music: William Lin-Yee https://soundcloud.com/williamlinyee

For our 25th episode (recorded May 26th, 2020), we are thrilled to have as our guest Wendy Whelan: former principal dancer and current associate artistic director of the New York City Ballet, widely considered one of the world’s leading dancers of her generation. During her 30 years at the New York City Ballet—23 of them as a principal dancer—Wendy danced virtually all the major roles in the company’s repertoire and also developed a reputation for being a choreographer’s muse, creating many original roles with the foremost dancemakers of our time. A documentary, entitled Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan, was released across the country in 2017, and is now available on iTunes and Amazon. The film recently won the Chita Rivera Award for Best Dance Documentary. Join us for this conversation to hear Margaret and Wendy talk about: The formative years Wendy spent in treatment for severe scoliosis and how that experience transformed her attitude toward challenges What it was like joining NYCB shortly after Balanchine’s death How Wendy’s mother, a college basketball coach, instilled in her an interest in and appreciation for sports psychology and how psychotherapy helped her in her career at NYCB Two unexpected qualities Wendy believes dancers can tap into in order to become better artists Words of wisdom from Wendy (can we make that a thing if it isn’t already??) on working in the studio with choreographers on new creations and how bringing authenticity and a spirit of play to the process helped build her reputation as being a muse for choreographers like Christopher Wheeldon and Alexei Ratmansky The connection between the mind and the body being in conversation when it comes to growth, change, and injury Exploring the parallels between two times of heavy transition for NYCB: when Wendy first joined the company after Balanchine’s death, and last year when she assumed the position of NYCB’s associate artistic director We couldn’t have made it to 25 episodes with you all—so thanks for listening and supporting the show, and here’s to many more episodes to come! - - - For more information, as well as any links, see the blog post for this episode: https://www.margaretmullin.com/episodes/episode-25-wendy-whelan Follow Beyond The Barre: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebarrepodcast/ Wendy Whelan: https://www.instagram.com/wendyw/ https://www.wendywhelan.org/about/ https://www.nycballet.com/ Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan (documentary film): https://www.restlesscreaturefilm.com/ Host: Margaret Mullin http://www.margaretmullin.com/ https://www.instagram.com/margaretmullin/ Producer: Sarena Fishman Jimenez http://www.sarenafishman.com/ http://instagram.com/sarenafishman Music: William Lin-Yee https://soundcloud.com/williamlinyee

Our guest this week is Eric Trope of the Miami City Ballet. Join us for a conversation about Eric’s journey, his choreography, and about Buddy System: an organization Eric cofounded in response to his community’s immense need during the COVID-19 pandemic, which helps to get free groceries to the most vulnerable populations in Miami. From not starting ballet until he was in high school, to finishing his training with three years at the School of American Ballet, to developing more fully as an artist at MCB, Eric’s life and success is a testament to the fact that a great career in dance does not necessarily depend on hitting those checkpoints (“Company contract at 18!” or “Principal by 23!”) we often place as we map out our futures. Eric and Margaret also talk about the lesser known and certainly less glamorous challenges of being a professional choreographer: learning to talk about your work, creating commissioned work within set limitations, balancing artistic integrity with pragmatism. Finally, Eric shares how Buddy System came to be, how he found himself helping to run it, and about his newfound sense of fulfillment and energy since getting personally involved in bringing about positive change and helping others within his community. --- For more information, as well as any links, see the blog post for this episode: https://www.margaretmullin.com/episodes/episode-24-eric-trope Follow Beyond The Barre: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebarrepodcast/ Eric Trope: https://www.instagram.com/tropechoreo www.erictrope.com www.buddysystemmia.com Host: Margaret Mullin http://www.margaretmullin.com/ https://www.instagram.com/margaretmullin/ Producer: Sarena Fishman Jimenez http://www.sarenafishman.com/ http://instagram.com/sarenafishman Music: William Lin-Yee https://soundcloud.com/williamlinyee

On this week’s episode (recorded May 20th 2020) -- husband and wife power couple Lindsi Dec and Karel Cruz, current and former principal dancers at Pacific Northwest Ballet! Join us for this light-hearted, inspiring conversation full of wisdom (plus lots of laughs) from two seasoned professionals and long-time audience favorites at PNB, and hear Lindsi and Karel talk with Margaret about: Lindsi’s path from “competition studio kid” to principal dancer at a major company, and how the challenges she faced in returning to the stage as a new mother reaffirmed her love of dance; Karel’s incredible journey from Cuba to PNB – and how he persevered when he had to go from being a principal back to a student overnight when he first came to the States; Their working relationship and how they help each other grow; Some surprising insights about what their biggest struggles have been and how they overcame them; The validity of the dance college route as a viable path to a career (Karel is on faculty at University of Oklahoma’s dance program, and who wouldn’t want to be coached by him every day?) Lindsi and Karel also answer some questions which you, our listeners, sent in! --- For more information, as well as any links, see the blog post for this episode: https://www.margaretmullin.com/episodes/episode-23-lindsi-and-karel Follow Beyond The Barre: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthebarrepodcast/ Lindsi Dec and Karel Cruz: www.lindsiandkarel.com www.wearsolu.com https://www.instagram.com/lindsiandkarel https://www.instagram.com/wearsolu/ https://www.instagram.com/besolu_ Host: Margaret Mullin http://www.margaretmullin.com/ https://www.instagram.com/margaretmullin/ Producer: Sarena Fishman Jimenez http://www.sarenafishman.com/ http://instagram.com/sarenafishman Music: William Lin-Yee https://soundcloud.com/williamlinyee