The Dead White Men Choreographers Society

There’s a special society in heaven (or?) for the white male choreographers of yore. These special few shaped the lives of so many (women) and enforced the (hierarchical) systems of dance we all take for granted today. Who were these giants of the field? What were they really like? Stance […]

March 12, 2018  |  Read Article

Positive Discrimination?

PODCAST BY SILVA LAUKKANEN, PHOTOS BY DAVID WOHLSCHLAG In this episode of DanceCast, Silva interviews Maija Karhunen, a dancer and performer based in Helsinki, Finland. Maija discusses the practicalities of touring as a disabled dancer, attitudes in Europe toward disability, how to navigate the special attention that disability voices receive, and […]

March 8, 2018  |  Read Article

Observations on the Definition of ‘Professional Dancer’

BY EMMALY WIEDERHOLT Over New Years, I initiated a series on what professionalism means in dance, since it’s one of those occupations wherein it’s difficult to find 30 to 40 years of continuous salaried work. I have my own wobbly insecurities about my legitimacy as a dance artist, especially since […]

March 5, 2018  |  Read Article

The Attitude of Being a Professional

DELPHINE HSINI MEI is an interdisciplinary artist and performer based in Taipei, Taiwan. She shares her frustration with commonly held assumptions about dancers, and stresses the subjectivity of pursuing an artistic endeavor. Her responses are part of a larger series dissecting what it means to be a professional dancer. To read […]

March 1, 2018  |  Read Article

Professionalism Through a Burlesque Lens

RAVEN GEMINI is a burlesque dancer with Chicago’s Vaudezilla. She shares a peek into the world of burlesque dance and how some of the assumptions often made about professional dance differ in burlesque. Her responses are part of a larger series dissecting what it means to be a professional dancer. To […]

February 26, 2018  |  Read Article