Archive: Dance Writing, Reviews, and Podcasts

“Stories are among our most potent tools… We need to unearth old stories that live in a place and begin to create new ones. We are story makers, not just storytellers. All stories are connected, new ones woven from the threads of the old” (Robin Wall Kimmerer).

Join ARENA DANCES for our weekly Studio Stories podcast, where each week we reminisce on Twin Cities dance history with a new special guest. This week on Thursday, October 27 we have Yuki Tokuda for Season 8, Episode 106!

Originally from Japan, Yuki is a ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher who moved to the United States in the year 2000 to continue her training with the Joffrey Ballet School. With diverse training, Yuki has danced professionally with USA Ballet, Peoria Ballet, Metropolitan Ballet and has been a company member for 7 years with the Continental Ballet, here in Bloomington. Not to mention guest performer and collaborator with James Sewell Ballet and Minnesota Dance Theater.

Studio Stories airs Thursdays at noon. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or find it here!

Join us for the Studio Stories podcast this week on Thursday, October 20 with Michael Casper for Season 8, Episode 105!

Michael, for many years now, does Shiatsu and western massage, but in the 90s he was a company member of New Dance Ensemble/New Dance Lab and a choreographer. 

Studio Stories airs Thursdays at noon. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or find it here!

Join us for the Studio Stories podcast this week on Thursday, October 6 with Maggie Bergeron for Season 8, Episode 104!

Maggie is an organizer, teacher, choreographer, dancer, lighting designer, and writer, holding a BFA in Dance from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

Studio Stories airs Thursdays at noon. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or find it here!

Join us for the Studio Stories podcast this week on Thursday, October 6 with Abdo Sayegh Rodriguez for Season 8, Episode 103!

Abdo has an illustrious career, performing with the Ballet Nacional de Caracas and Ballet Nuevo Mundo de Caracas in Venezuela. Abdo came to the US as a guest artist with Minnesota Dance Theater under Loyce Houlton’s direction in 1994, to later join the company for over a decade of performing, to eventually becoming Associate Artistic Director. Abdo is a 2007 recipient of the McKnight Dancers Fellowship and is presently the Executive Director of TU Dance.

Studio Stories airs Thursdays at noon. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or find it here!

Studio Stories podcast this week Thursday, September 29 with Becky Stanchfield for Season 8, Episode 102!

Becky Stanchfield, born and raised in Minneapolis, has been teaching ballet in the Twin Cities for over 50 years. Her training started at 4 years of age with Dorothy Lundstrum, and continued with Loyce Houlton at The Contemporary Dance Playhouse (later MDT) starting at age 14.

Studio Stories airs Thursdays at noon!

Listen wherever you get your podcasts or find it here.

Studio Stories this Thursday, September 22 with Eva Mohn for Season 8, Episode 101.

Eva Mohn is a graduate of the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities dance program, founding company member of Black Label Movement and Space to Embrace (TU Dance), moving internationally to perform with Johannes Weiland, and presently a company member with the Cullberg Ballet, a national and international repertoire contemporary dance company in Sweden.

Studio Stories airs Thursdays at noon.

Listen where ever you get your podcasts or here!

Join us in our 100th episode celebration as we circle back to our very first interviewee, Caroline Palmer.

Caroline Palmer has been writing about dance for over 30 years for publications including Paper Magazine, City Pages, Star Tribune, and her own blog “Big Dance Town.” She is currently writing a book about the history of Twin Cities dance called “Making A Scene.”

Studio Stories airs Thursdays at noon!

Listen where ever you get your podcasts or find it here: https://www.arena-dances.org/studio-stories-reminiscing-on-twin-cites-dance-history/

It’s back! Studio Stories podcast returns Thursday, September 8 with Neal Cuthbert for Season 8, Episode 99

In his 25 years at the McKnight Foundation, Neal oversaw the expansion of McKnight’s artist fellowship programs, established the Distinguished Artist Award, and co-developed the artist website, mnartists.org.

Studio Stories airs Thursdays at noon.

Listen where ever you get your podcasts or here!

Join ARENA this Thursday, August 4 for Studio Stories: Reminiscing Twin Cities Dance History with Shane Larson – Season 7, Episode 98

Shane Larson was raised in Minnesota, where he received his early training at the St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists. He graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies. He also studied at SEAD in Austria. Since living in New York City, he’s branched out to collaborate with punk musicians, film makers, improvisational music ensembles, and site-specific visual artists. He is also a multimedia video artist making collage-based work about memory. Shane joined the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company in 2015.

Tune in this Thursday, August 4 at 12:00pm and listen here.

Available on our website or wherever you get your podcasts!

Shane Larson will conclude Season 7 of Studio Stories on August 4. Stay tuned for Season 8, coming soon!