The Dance Union

This is our last episode before we go on our summer 2026 break. Enjoy! REMEMBER TO VOTE! Register to Vote (by state): ballotpedia.org/Voter_registration_forms_by_state 2026 Elections Calendar (by date and state): apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/calendar/ Check Voter Registration Status (nationally): www.commoncause.org/resources/verif…tration-status/ Polling Place Locator (by state): www.vote.o...

For the past few weeks, court case decisions that hinge on the lives and fate of Black people have dominated our algorithms, demanding national discourse about anti-Blackness that compresses time and reminds us that the system of white supremacy* is present even when no white person is directly involved. j. bouey (they/them) and Veronica Jiao (she/her) reflect on the death and court cases regardin...

Discussing the Supreme Court’s decision to gut the Voting Rights Act by allowing wild gerrymandering to occur ahead of the 2026 mid-term elections. The fight for our right to vote continues. It’s on us now. Let’s make history this year at the polls! Register to Vote (by state): https://ballotpedia.org/Voter_registration_forms_by_state 2026 Elections Calendar (by date and state): https://apnews.com...

Thick Like Me founders Jazelynn Goudy (she/her), Davianna Griffin (she/her), and Dr. Alex Christmas (she/her) take over the pod on this Pass The Mic episode to discuss their experiences with sizeism in dance and beyond. Thick Like Me (TLM) is a dance organization dedicated to body liberation and the promotion of holistic health within the dance community. Content Notice: This episode touches on th...

ICE, ANTM, AI Data Centers, EpStein Files, Taxing the Rich… ICE Detention Centers - https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/map AI Data Centers - https://www.datacentermap.com/usa/ PLEASE DONATE TO THE REP MUSIC CAFE - HELP THE REP Donate - givebutter.com/Helptherep Website - www.repmusiccafe.com/upcoming-events/ The Dance Union TheDanceUnionPodcast.com IG: @thedanceunion FB: www.facebook.com/TheDanc...

Discussing the Benito Bowl halftime performance, the astrology of this season, and more. *AUDIO NOTE: j’s mic had some technical difficulties so it may be difficult to hear their voice* PLEASE DONATE TO THE REP MUSIC CAFE - HELP THE REP Donate - givebutter.com/Helptherep Website - www.repmusiccafe.com/upcoming-events/ The Dance Union TheDanceUnionPodcast.com IG: @thedanceunion FB: www.facebook.com...

First podcast in 2026, the year of the Fire Horse is nigh, ice is melting, and we are doing our best to be abreast. PLEASE DONATE TO THE REP MUSIC CAFE - HELP THE REP Donate - https://givebutter.com/Helptherep Website - https://www.repmusiccafe.com/upcoming-events/ The Dance Union TheDanceUnionPodcast.com IG: @thedanceunion FB: www.facebook.com/TheDanceUnion/ *SUPPORT THE DANCE UNION PODCAST* Patr...

Reflecting on our experiences in dance industries outside of major arts cities like New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta. The Dance Union TheDanceUnionPodcast.com IG: @thedanceunion FB: www.facebook.com/TheDanceUnion/ *SUPPORT THE DANCE UNION PODCAST* Patreon: www.patreon.com/danceunion Venmo: @Dance-Union HOSTS j. bouey www.jbouey.com/ IG/Twitter: @j_bouey Patreon: patreon.com/S_A_T_U...

Shining some light on what whiteness is. It’s only the beginning because whiteness really needs to be studied. The Dance Union TheDanceUnionPodcast.com IG: @thedanceunion FB: www.facebook.com/TheDanceUnion/ *SUPPORT THE DANCE UNION PODCAST* Patreon: www.patreon.com/danceunion Venmo: @Dance-Union HOSTS j. bouey www.jbouey.com/ IG/Twitter: @j_bouey Patreon: patreon.com/S_A_T_U_R_N Veronica Jiao vero...

Remembering Alice Wong, exploring the choreography of Wicked: One Wonderful Night, and naming how whiteness moves through space. Yay. The Dance Union TheDanceUnionPodcast.com IG: @thedanceunion FB: www.facebook.com/TheDanceUnion/ *SUPPORT THE DANCE UNION PODCAST* Patreon: www.patreon.com/danceunion Venmo: @Dance-Union HOSTS j. bouey www.jbouey.com/ IG/Twitter: @j_bouey Patreon: patreon.com/S_A_T_U...

Zorhan Mamdani is the next Mayor of these United States and j. (they/them) and Veronica (she/her) bask in the optimism of the many wins this election season. *Correction: Zohran Mamdani is a Leo rising and has a Scorpio stellium* The Dance Union TheDanceUnionPodcast.com IG: @thedanceunion FB: www.facebook.com/TheDanceUnion/ *SUPPORT THE DANCE UNION PODCAST* Patreon: www.patreon.com/danceunion Venm...

j. (they/them) and Veronica (she/her) return from their summer hiatus and get cauught up on some of the latest news in dance. The Dance Union TheDanceUnionPodcast.com IG: @thedanceunion FB: www.facebook.com/TheDanceUnion/ *SUPPORT THE DANCE UNION PODCAST* Patreon: www.patreon.com/danceunion Venmo: @Dance-Union HOSTS j. bouey www.jbouey.com/ IG/Twitter: @j_bouey Patreon: patreon.com/S_A_T_U_R_N Ver...

Antuan Byers (he/him) led a reflective conversation with Nile Ruff (she/her) and Terrell Rogers (he/him), two members of DancersDeserveBetter (formerly Dancers of Dance Black Dance Theater), on their journey to unionize after being unjustly terminated and later coming to a settlement agreement with Dallas Black Dance Theater. (recorded: January 6, 2025) Hosts: Antuan Byers (he/him) IG: @antuanbyer...

Angel Glasby (she/they) and Ke’Ron J. Wilson (she/they) hold a tender conversation about creating environments of care for trans dance artists in rehearsal, and how that care enriches art. Through their lens, we begin to see where the intersection of Black trans and non-binary experiences is situated in the larger landscape of dance. Though transphobia and real tangible harm are inflicted on trans...

j. (they/them) and Veronica (she/her) reflect on the harms of entering the role of a dance educator without the proper knowledge and community understanding of the culture that surrounds the dance form being taught, especially in relation to underground dance styles. How has the structure of a dance lesson changed with time? What are the repercussions of centering ballet in the professional dance...

This week, we are grateful to be joined by Bex Ferrell (they/she), Assistant Professor in Arts Management at the College of Charleston, and Candace Thompson-Zachery (she/her), the Co-Executive Director for Dance/NYC! What is happening to dance funding right now, both in the micro- and macrosphere? Where is there funding still? While the funding from the NEA is a concern for many industries, how do...

TRIGGER WARNINGS: CULTS AND GROOMING In what ways can we identify dance and entertainment industries as cults? How do these industries groom us to accept a specific type of abuse or neglect while working in those industries? Veronica and j. discuss what constitutes a cult and grooming, their own experiences with it in and outside of these industries, and the importance of also anchoring ourselves...

In this episode, j. and Veronica are joined by Stacey Badgett Jr. to talk about funding and community in the arts. With funding being rescinded for the arts, how will the structures that the dancers in the dance industry, having some of the smallest amounts of funding, be adapted to other sectors of the arts and entertainment industries? In what ways has the dance community been the backbone for t...

Recorded the day after the Super Bowl, Veronica and j. share their own definitions and experiences of community, building on the work done by others long before the January inauguration, in response to the fear expressed and the calls for community that have spread across social media. They then analyze Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance, immediately posing the critical question: What did Ken...

We passed the mic to Mario Ismael Espinoza (they/them), who is part of the Entertainment Community Fund, and David Herrera (he/him), who discussed the creation and evolution of Herrera’s Latinx Hispanic Dancers over the last 20 years. Through this discussion, they unravel how Herrera’s perspective of his future career evolved as he began to envision the inception of Latinx Hispanic Dancers and beg...

Town Hall - Surviving Fascism by J. Bouey Dance Projects

From fires signifying the acceleration of the climate disaster to Trump’s inauguration and subsequent executive orders, 2025 is already giving us a premonition of what is to come. Join V and j. as they unpack what this might mean for our near future and how we can rely on community to keep a sound mind. Most of all, with how quickly AI becomes integrated into our everyday lives, how will AI shape...

THERE ARE WICKED SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE BEGINNING AT 21:30 AND CONTINUING UNTIL THE END OF THE EPISODE. In this episode, j. and Veronica analyze the lyrics of “Defying Gravity”, reflecting on their experiences as and understanding with Elphaba and Glinda. From scrutinizing the memes that are being made about Nessarose as a disabled character to discussing their own experiences with losing friend...

j. and Veronica geek out over Wicked (spoiler free), and use inspiration from the movie’s themes and release to dive into the beauty of trying new things throughout adulthood, Veronica’s experience being signed (congrats!!!), and their vulnerable moments they have experienced in the dance studio. How has Qigong helped Veronica through her journey with depression? What is the emotional journey that...

Veronica is joined by guest Jonathan Smith (he/him) to scrutinize the modes of gatekeeping enacted by sign up sheet culture for open call auditions, union access, and casting directors. How can casting directors who are unknowledgeable about the dance forms they are casting in become gatekeepers, despite good intentions? In the age of technology, are casting directors even needed anymore or do the...