5.6.7.EIGHT

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Serge Laurent, Director of Dance and Cultural Programs at Van Cleef & Arpels. Serge is in charge of implementing Dance Reflections, an international program supporting the art of choreography. Laurent's journey began with a classical education at the École de Louvre, specializing in Art History and Archeology. His career took him from being an Assoc...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Steven Melendez, Artistic Director at the  New York Theatre Ballet . Steven's journey with dance began through his current company's LIFT Program, which teaches dance to homeless or home insecure youth. Steven has since danced as a Soloist and Principal dancer at a collection of ballet companies across three continents. Steven's story is also explor...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Kevin Jenkins, Founder and Artistic Director at Ballet Counterpointe . Kevin's choreography, which Dance Magazine has praised as "riveting," has been featured at dozens of dance companies, including State Street Ballet, SUNY Purchase, and San Diego Dance Theater. He has also served on faculty at Boston Ballet School, Joffrey Ballet School, and severa...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Matz Skoog, executive coach at Matz Skoog Coaching . Skoog, a Stockholm native, had an accomplished career in dance at several international companies. Following his career in dance, he became a sought-after tutor, which led to a variety of professional appointments, including Artistic Director of the English National Ballet and Royal New Zealand Ba...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Jeffrey Cirio, an internationally recognized ballet dancer who is currently dancing as Principal at Boston Ballet . Jeffrey also is co-founder and Artistic Director of his own company, Cirio Collective. Jeffrey has danced for American Ballet Theatre and the English National Ballet as Principal and Lead Principal, respectively. Jeffrey holds medals fr...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Kristin Draucker, a veteran dancer and choreographer who is currently performing with the Paul Taylor Dance Company . As a long-time New York City resident, she has danced with a variety of well-known companies in the area. Draucker began creating original works in 2014 and has shown her choreography both nationally and internationally at various com...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Julianna Rubio Slager, Artistic Director at Ballet 5:8 . Slager, who is originally from Michigan, studied under many renown global dance experts and teachers. Upon moving to Chicago, Slager had the opportunity to work as a freelance artist, teacher, and choreographer in the Greater Chicago area. Eventually, she co-founded Ballet 5:8 in 2012. Ballet...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Joseph Morrissey, Director of Dance at the Interlochen Center for the Arts . Prior to this role, he served in a similar role with the Hong Kong Ballet. As a professional dancer, he danced with the Bavarian State Ballet in Munich and the Boston Ballet II.  He's a seasoned choreographer and also has instructed for various dance companies, including the...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Jess Spinner, entrepreneur and holistic health coach at The Whole Dancer . Jess holds a bachelor's degree from Butler University in Dance and Arts Administration. Upon graduation, she danced with the Louisville Ballet and did some professional work as a freelancer in Boston. Now, Jess's life mission is to support dancers in finding a personal balanc...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Liz Bayley , a seasoned professional dancer whose interest in sports injuries birthed a career as a physiotherapist for some of the world's top shows. Liz was a professional dancer for 15 years, performing all over the world. Liz went on to work as a physiotherapist in the West End on shows such as Hamilton , Wicked , The Wizard of Oz , Singing in t...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews David Leventhal, Program Director at Dance for PD — a part of the Mark Morris Dance Group. Through the program — which is on its 20th year — David teaches dance classes for people living with Parkinson's disease and trains other teaching artists to do the same. What started as a humble six-person dance class has now grown to serve 300 communities acr...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Margeaux McCarthy, Owner of the Dance Xchange App, LLC . Margeaux is a former professional hip hop dancer with credits in commercials for some of the world's biggest brands. After she retired from the stage, McCarthy became a real estate sales advisor by day and a dance instructor by night. With a love for resale apps such as eBay, McCarthy saw a ne...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Alisa Finney, Principal at The Gay Wightman School of Ballet , Artistic Director at The Melbourne Ballet Company, and a mentor through the Dance Studio Owners Association (DSOA). Alisa has also crafted a 13-level classical ballet system of training that is widely used by thousands of dancers across the globe. Through the pandemic, Alisa's reach has g...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Angela Martindale , a female entrepreneur, public speaker, lifestyle expert, and influencer who is known globally for her fitness training techniques and methods, her inspirational public speaking, her lifestyle coaching, and her work with charitable organizations. Angela has been featured on ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX affiliates and has worked with man...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Tony Bordonaro and Ingrid Kapteyn, Co-Artistic Directors at Welcome to Campfire — an experiential dance platform that merges dance and theater to immerse performers and audiences into incredible dystopian settings. Tony and Ingrid first met while performing in Sleep No More NYC in 2013. After a run of the show in Shanghai, the two went on to develop...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Joanna Wozniak, Senior Consultant at HBR Consulting and former ballerina with the Joffrey Ballet. Joanna, whose run with the Joffrey started as a seasonal artist in 2001, went on to enjoy a two-decades-long career with the esteemed Chicago dance company. In 2009, Point Magazine named one of her performances as one of their "12 favorite performances...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Elisabeth Motley , an award-winning, Brooklyn-based choreographer, scholar, and teacher, who is using her platform to make dance accessible to all. Motley — who holds a BFA from the Juilliard School and an MFA from Goddard College — has focused her work on neurodivergence, crip theory, and disability as choreographic sites. Elisabeth also currently t...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Flor Aracama and Nico Busso of DuoRings. Flor and Nico's unique creation — DuoRings. — is a unique aerial rings duo which combines gymnastics athleticism and performance and, since 2016, has been regularly featured on tour with Cirque de Soleil. After spending a decade together on the Argentinian national gymnastics team, Flor and Nico got married a...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Nico Kolokythas, Founder of strengthmotionmind and Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Birmingham Royal Ballet. Nico has an extensive two-decades-long background in elite sports, focusing predominately on judo, netball, basketball, football, taekwondo, and tennis. Nico eventually completed a PhD in injuries and the adolescent ballet dancer through...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Alexandra Damiani, Artistic Director at BJM-Les Ballets Jazz De Montréal . Alexandra was classically trained in dance in and around her home country of France. After winning the jeune ballet d'Aquitaine de Bordeaux competition in France, she received a scholarship to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in the US and has since danced at a variety...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Julie Cartwright, President at P.volve . P.volve is an omnichannel fitness brand featuring a global on-demand platform, a growing line of patented equipment, and several franchise studios in New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Since its founding in 2018, P.volve has grown from a few employees to over 75 employees — and counting. Julie, herself,...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Dr. Chloe Angyal, an accomplished journalist and published author. Most recently, Chloe released Turning Pointe: How the New Generation of Dancers is Saving Ballet from Itself . Her book focuses on the future of ballet and reckons with all the forces that endanger its future — whether that be racism, sexism, elitism, or many others. Dr. Angyal holds...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Erin Pride, Founder and CEO at Dancepreneur Academy and host of The Dance Boss Podcast . Erin holds a BFA in dance from Montclair State University and a master's in dance education from New York University. Her company helps dance professionals launch and scale online dance businesses. Erin is also the host of the Dance Boss Podcast, where she gives...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Sonja McCord, Chief Executive Officer at The Sonja McCord X . Sonja — who is based in New York City — has had opportunities to perform with a myriad of top dance companies and boasts 15+ years of agency and in-house marketing experience. Now, Sonja combines both careers at her company, where she coaches dancers to amplify their brand, monetize their...

This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra interviews Billy Siegenfeld, Founder of Jump Rhythm , creator of the Standing Down Straight technique, and a myriad of other things — playwright, choreographer, music arranger, performer, director, professor, and much more. Billy received his undergraduate degree from Brown University and a graduate degree in jazz studies from New York University. As a professo...