The Dance Union Podcast

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.org/polling-place-locator/

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
veronicaraejiao.com/
IG: @vrjiao

Edited By: Jon Reyes

Recording date:  17 June 2026

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 regarding the deaths of Cyrus Carmack-Belton and O’Shae Sibley, the Natasha Doll viral trend, and Dance Place’s sudden elimination of the Artistic Director role.

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.org/polling-place-locator/

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
veronicaraejiao.com/
IG: @vrjiao

Edited By: Jon Reyes

Recording date: 8 June 2026

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/projects/elections-2026/calendar/
Check Voter Registration Status (nationally): https://www.commoncause.org/resources/verify-your-voter-registration-status/
Polling Place Locator (by state): https://www.vote.org/polling-place-locator/ 

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
veronicaraejiao.com/
IG: @vrjiao

Edited By: Jon Reyes

Recording date:
26 May 2026

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: @antuanbyers

Nile Ruff (she/her)
IG: @nile.thelionking

Terrell Rogers (he/him)
IG: @terrellrogersjr

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

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 people, Angel and Ke’Ron hold the joy that persists just as close and tenderly.

(recorded: April 15, 2025)

Hosts:

Angel Glasby (she/they)
IG/TikTok: @delicatedelusion

Ke’Ron J. Wilson (she/they)
IG/TikTok: @keronjwilson

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

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 industry? 

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
veronicaraejiao.com/
IG: @vrjiao

Edited By: Jon Reyes

Recording date:
18 April 2025

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 does that funding compare to that of private donors? What would it mean to have wage and working standards in the arts? Why is data important for funding and how do we create a narrative out of it that will appeal to our local governments? Join us for this episode for an insider’s perspective on advocacy for arts funding!

(recorded: March 19, 2025)

Hosts:

Bex Ferrell (they/she)
SM: @fdance

Candace Thompson-Zachery (she/her)
SM: @candacecreates

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
.
EPISODE RESOURCES
Executive Summary Support - drive.google.com/file/d/1AWe6PFkm…LuhVWupJ-2n/view
NYSCA - arts.ny.gov/nysca-grant-opportunities
NEA - www.arts.gov/grants/grants-for-arts-projects
NEFA NDP - www.nefa.org/NationalDanceProject
MAP Fund - mapfund.org/
Cultural Development Fund
www.nyc.gov/site/dcla/cultural-…ograms-funding.page
Cultural Assembly - theculturalassembly.com/
CUNY Dance Initiative www1.cuny.edu/sites/dance-initiative/
Find Your Representatives - www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
SC Arts Alliance - scartsalliance.com/
Performing Arts Alliance (their website is currently down)
Dance/USA - www.danceusa.org/
Book: Careers in Dance - www.thriftbooks.com/w/careers-in-da…dition=29147672
Dance/NYC Campaign - hub.dance.nyc - Our NYC Dance
Resource: Contract language - Dance/USA - www.danceusa.org/technical-and-st…zation-documents
NYC Dance 2023 Report: hub.dance.nyc/state-of-nyc-dance-2023-report/

 

Release date:

31 March 2025

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 communities outside of the dance and entertainment industries as we are navigating them. 

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
veronicaraejiao.com/
IG: @vrjiao

Edited By: Jon Reyes

Recording date:
11 March 2025

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 the arts industry as a whole? How do you protest in these industries with the constraints of capitalism? And why is learning to be conscious and intentional about your relationships intrinsically linked to community building?

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
veronicaraejiao.com/
IG: @vrjiao

Edited By: Jon Reyes

Recording date:
3 March 2025

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 Kendrick mean when he said, “the revolution WILL be televised”? Through this central question, they unpack what it means to understand systems of oppression, especially in the context of cultivating relationships. 

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
veronicaraejiao.com/
IG: @vrjiao

Edited By: Jon Reyes