Abun(dance)

We welcome Alden LaPaglia! As the director of Alden Moves Dance Theater, a school and company in a Brooklyn, NY she has developed quite a name for herself and business. Kristen and Hannah dive into Alden’s past which has positively shaped her presence in the dance community. She is one of a kind - give this episode a listen!

Joining us is Roman Mykyta, former company dancer with the Ballet Theatre of Maryland and current guest artist where Kristen had the opportunity of meeting him. He is an incredible performer, teacher, and choreographer with lot's of exciting visions for the future. One of Roman's areas of expertise is Ukrainian folk dance which he had the honor of studying in Kyiv. His beautiful words and effort t...

We welcome the lovely Marcela Gómez Lugo! We are thrilled to have Marcela, another Mercyhurst alum, on to talk about her most recent achievements!  She is a dancer and choreographer with Ballet 314 and has most recently created her first children's ballet, "Chocolat" which is based on her mothers book. Both the ballet and the book portray a true story of Marcela's mother and her dog, Chocolat! If...

We welcome the gifted Nicholas Ruscica! He talks about his journey as a dancer, teacher, and choreographer and walks us through the experiences that have shaped him into the artist he is today. His hard work has allowed him to land a contract with the José Limón Dance Company where he is currently dancing. Nicholas is going places!

Kristen and Hannah welcome the resilient Tevin Johnson! As a dancer he had some ups and downs but no matter what, he continued to persevere and follow his dream to dance professionally. Tevin takes us through his journey where he talks about his past, present, and future as a professional in the dance field. We can't wait to see where his path will take him!

Kristen and Hannah are pleased to welcome Gianna Forte! From growing up in a small town in Connecticut, to training at Washington Ballet, and now dancing professionally with Boulder Ballet, Gianna has experienced ups and downs that has ultimately made her who she is today as a dancer and person. Tune in to hear about her experiences dealing with the pandemic, injuries, transitioning from student t...

Today we welcome the remarkable Elena Kunikova! Having trained at the Vaganova Ballet Academy, the school of Mariinsky Ballet to then going on to dance professionally at Mikhailovsky Theatre Ballet, it is clear that she has made quite a career for herself. Not only did she leave her mark in Russia, but in the United States as well! If you ever get the chance to take an in-person or virtual class f...

Today we welcome Joanne Whitehill, Artistic Director of Burklyn Ballet Theatre! Tune in to hear about everything from her professional experience to the summer programs & Scotland experience offered at Burklyn Ballet. Joanne also offers wonderful audition advice from the perspective of someone who adjudicates auditions. Thank you Joanne for for your warmth & wisdom!

We are fortunate to have Michelle and Kristin with us to talk about their business, Danscend! Their mission is to promote mental health awareness and in doing so, they have plenty of resources for both dancers and educators to gain a better understanding of mental health and how to transcend it into their work. We recommend visiting their website https://danscend.teachable.com/ to learn about thei...

Today we welcome two wonderful sisters, Ernesta and Andra Corvino, who have touched many lives in more ways than just one; they embody their father, Alfredo's legacy by carrying on his spirit and passion for dance in everything that they do. In this episode Kristen and Hannah talk in depth about their successful careers and how it has led them to where they are now. Their energetic warm presence a...

Kristen and Hannah's former professors from Mercyhurst University, Jennifer McNamara and Matthew Christensen (with special guests--their dogs) are here to discuss their most recent re-staging of the ballet Swan Lake. Their version breaks traditional gender conformities and has a fresh take on what ballet needs in order to survive in the ever changing 21st century.

Today's episode features the incredible Marika Baxter, a physical therapist with a unique approach to wellness. Her work not only focuses on the body's physicality but also the integration of how healing is generated spiritually and emotionally as well. She has worked with many patients but many have been dancers (Kristen being one of them!). We invite you to listen to what she has to say and also...

Kristen and Hannah have a special heart to heart with their dance dads! Paul and Dave discuss what it is like to be fathers of dancers and their experiences over the years. A lot of times we hear about moms involved in dance but today we want to share a dad's perspective. Enjoy a light hearted episode featuring our lovely supportive fathers!

Kristen and Hannah are happy to share their conversation with the wonderful Jess Spinner! As a health, nutrition, and lifestyle coach for dancers, Jess has created a program called "The Whole Dancer" which encapsulates her mission to give dancers the tools they need to be successful. Being a former professional dancer allows her to draw from personal experience in order to help her clients achieve...

Enjoy this week's conversation with the 'iconic' Liam Fitzpatrick. Kristen and Hannah were excited to speak with Liam as they haven't connected much since he graduated from Mercyhurst the year prior to them. If you're ever in the Boston area be sure to seek out one of his classes, they will not disappoint! 

Kristen and Hannah met Tanya Trombly, fellow Mercyhurst alum, a few years back when she came to campus to guest lecture. Through the power of social media they have been following her since which has led us to this episode. From freelance artist, to personal trainer, and entrepreneur, she has nearly done it all! Tune in to hear about Tanya's career as she explains how she's succeeded through trial...

Ever heard of "Turning Pointe?" It's book written by former dancer and journalist, Chole Angyal. After having read the book themselves, Kristen and Hannah are honored to have spoken to Chole and hear first hand from her about the process of writing a novel, depicting the truth behind ballet; something that is far more tainted than one might think. We encourage everyone to read this book as it is a...

This episode features the incredible Michael Job! Kristen and Hannah learn about Michael's inspiring career which led him to achieve an enormous amount of success. As someone who's trained with world renowned teachers and companies, Michael has a lot of great insight and experience.

Kristen and Hannah speak to Debra about adaptive dance programs and her individual experience as a director. She has an abundance :) of information to share with everyone about why dance is important to all different populations. All bodies can dance! "Just do it!" as Deb would say.

This episode features Laurie Deyo who has a non-traditional yet very successful career in dance. Kristen and Hannah talk about dance education with Laurie as well as her career leading up to where she is currently.  *Trigger Warning: this interview brings up issues of eating disorders (please be mindful and take care of yourselves as this can be a challenging subject for some)

Kristen and Hannah are so honored to bring to you their former dance professor, Solveig Santillano! She has a lot of wonderful insight on how her career as a dancer and dance educator has evolved. Solveig dives deep into her own experiences that have evidently shaped her into the artist she is today.

Kristen and Hannah are beyond excited to kick off their interview series with the lovely Renée Meiffren! Thank you to Renée for sharing some of your experiences training, dancing, teaching, and archiving. You are an inspiration and a joy to learn about!

Episode 15: OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES Kristen and Hannah discuss the different challenges and points of consideration when it comes to performing outdoors. They take a look a look at various outdoor dance festivals and how they function especially during this unique year. 

EPISODE 14: THEATRE TRADITIONS From pre-show circles to closing up the theater with the ghost light, Kristen and Hannah discuss traditions that are common to performances. If you are asking yourself questions about the meaning behind the famed bows or the receiving of flowers at the end of a show then you'll definitely want to give this a listen!

EPISODE 13: REFLECTION ON REFLECTION Kristen and Hannah discuss the pros and cons to the mirror and its affects on us as dancers. We invite everyone to think about how mirrors play a role in their day to day routine. How does it make you feel?