Archive: Dance Writing, Reviews, and Podcasts

Join us on Thursday, December 11 at noon for a powerful conversation with Ololade Gbadamosi Alashé.

Ololade—known in the Krump community as O and Gambit—is a self-taught practitioner of Krump. A community builder and fierce advocate, O has taught Krump throughout Minnesota, hosted events such as The Uprizing, and performed in a wide range of hip hop-based productions, including I’m From Vol. 1, Mixtape, Mixtape Side B, Mixtape Ill, the Gutta Zone Festival in Montreal, and ROOTED: Hip Hop Choreographers’ Evening. He also teaches students through the Ordway’s Artists in the Schools program, sharing the culture, power, and purpose of Krump with young people across the state.

Tune in here or wherever you get your podcasts for an inspiring conversation about artistry, community, and the transformative force of movement.

Studio Stories returns for its twentieth season! Join us this Thursday, December 4 at noon, for a conversation with the extraordinary Vanessa Voskuil.

Vanessa is a multifaceted choreographer, director, performer, writer, designer, and teaching artist whose work spans large-scale community performances, intimate ensemble pieces, and site-specific creations. Her artistry has been described as “visually arresting,” “boldly and uncompromisingly moving,” and “interlaced with surrealist sensibility and bracing intelligence.”

Tune in for an inspiring look into her creative world! Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

Wrapping up the “New Breed” series for Studio Stories, we hear from  Cecil Neal for episode 194. It will air at noon on Thursday, September 25. “New Breed” is a special series within Studio Stories that highlights dancers and dance makers who are shaping the Twin Cities dance scene.

Cecil Neal, also known as Virgo and The Final Warning, is an artist born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and based in Minneapolis. His training began in his high school dance program and at SPCPA (St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists), and was refined under the mentorship of Herb Johnson.

In 2025, Cecil was awarded the McKnight Fellowship for Dancers, marking a milestone in his pursuit of growth and artistic freedom. At the heart of Cecil’s work is a belief in consistency, hard work, and giving back. Through every performance, battle, and classroom, he strives to create moments of trust, freedom, and transformation for himself and the communities he serves.

Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

For this week’s  Studio Stories series “New Breed,” we talk with Kayla Schiltgen for episode 193. It will air at noon on Thursday, September 18. “New Breed” is a special series within Studio Stories that highlights dancers and dance makers who are shaping the Twin Cities dance scene.

Kayla is an interdisciplinary artist from rural Two Harbors, Minnesota, whose work blends dance, film, and visual art to explore identity, place, and radical love. Rooted in improvisation and vulnerability, her practice spans choreography, screendance, installation, and performance, and she is currently a 2025 McKnight Choreographer Fellow.

Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

For this week’s episode of the Studio Stories series “New Breed,” we talk with Emily Michaels King. The episode will air at noon on Thursday, September 11. “New Breed” is a special series within Studio Stories that highlights dancers and dance makers who are shaping the Twin Cities dance scene.

Emily is a performing artist based in St. Paul, Minnesota, exploring authentic expression and human depth through movement, multimedia, and visual compositions. Emily is known for her fearless personal work, provocative compositions, and collaged evening-length solo performances. Additionally, her work has been presented at the Walker Art Center, the Guthrie Theater, and Movement Research, among others. Emily is a 2025 McKnight Choreography Fellow.

Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

This weeks episode for Studio Stories series “New Breed,” we talk with Malia Craft. The episode will air at noon on Thursday, September 4.

“New Breed” is a special series within Studio Stories that highlights dancers and dance makers who are shaping the Twin Cities dance scene.

Malia is a Hartwell, Georgia native and University of Georgia graduate whose passion for both performing and teaching has brought her to the Twin Cities dance community. She currently teaches at multiple studios and performs with Concerto Dance, Rhythmically Speaking and Threads Dance Project.

Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

This week for “New Breed,” we talk with Dominick Burkhardt. The episode will air at noon on Thursday, August 28.

“New Breed” is a special series within Studio Stories that highlights dancers and dance makers who are shaping the Twin Cities dance scene.

Dominick is a Twin Cities-based dancer and choreographer who grew up in his mother’s dance studio, where his passion for the arts first took root. A versatile artist with a background in both commercial and concert dance, he now performs with Black Label Movement and a number of independent projects.

Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

This week for New Breed we talk with Rachel Lieberman, airing at noon on Thursday, August 21.

New Breed is a special series within Studio Stories that highlights dancers and dance makers who are shaping the Twin Cities dance scene.

Rachel is a multidisciplinary dance artist whose roots in Giordano Jazz Dance and academic foundation from Macalester College have shaped a dynamic performance and choreographic career in the Twin Cities. She has performed with many in the community including Analog Dance Works and Black Label Movement. She weaves her passion for movement with visual art, music, and writing to create richly layered, community-centered work.

Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

The annual New Breed series kicks off Season 19 with Alex Arce, airing at noon on Thursday, August 14. New Breed is a special series within Studio Stories that highlights dancers and dance makers who are shaping the Twin Cities dance scene.

Alex is an Ecuadorian American dance artist, choreographer, and educator. His dynamic practice bridges street dance, Latin diasporic forms, and contemporary/modern dance. Alex has continued to grow his artistry through national training programs and impactful collaborations locally with Meridians Movement, Black Label Movement, and more recently as a company member of ARENA DANCES.

Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

Airing Thursday, July 10 at noon, we speak with Doug Hooker to close out Season 18.

Doug graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Dance. He has had a variety of professional performing opportunities, including with the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps, the Broadway show Blast!, Dancing People Company, and locally with ARENA DANCES, Collide Theatrical Dance Company, Concerto Dance, José A. Louis, Paula Mann, Shapiro and Smith Dance, Rhythmically Speaking Dance, and Threads Dance Project.

Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.