The Dance Union Podcast

Wicked

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 we embark on when we learn new skills, or, in the case of injury, have to relearn a passion? And, as we try to handle an increasingly unstable political reality, how can weightlifting, pilates, and other forms of strength training be useful to us both for our present and future mental and physical healths?

For those who own LLCs and nonprofits: (1) j. and Veronica discuss the “Nonprofit Killer” Bill and its associated implications, and (2) j. gives a brief overview of the necessity of completing the beneficiary ownership information report (due December 27th!) for your businesses.

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

To Cast, Or Not To Cast...

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 they add an extra barrier for access into the dance industry? And, the question to close us out as we inch closer to January 2025: what will theater and Broadway shows look like if we enter four years under Trump?

Jonathan McClinton Smith (he/him, IG: @jonathannsmith) was most recently seen on Broadway in Disney's Aladdin. Smith has danced with Step Afrika!, The 7 Fingers, Telemundo, Cirque du Soleil’s Cirque Dreams, Les Farfadais, and many more. Smith was also in two world premieres in 2023: Malvolio (Classical Theatre of Harlem) and Watch Night (Dir & Choreo: Bill T. Jones, PAC NYC).

(recorded: November 19, 2024)

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

Rest. Regroup. Reorganize.

In this week’s episode, j. and Veronica share how their body and mind have settled after the election results, particularly emphasizing their point-of-view on the circulating feelings of doom and gloom that have been amplified by the algorithm, as well as their observations on the patterns of passings of elders to ancestors in the wake of Judith Jamison’s passing. While we come to terms with the results of the election, how can we express this without dismissing the fact that oppression is engrained in the United States’ past and present, no matter the administration in power? And, more importantly, how can we channel this energy into showing up for already established mutual aid efforts and organizations that have been putting in the work for years, if not decades? 

*Note: j. uses their Tibetan singing ball to lead a small meditation session! For those with auditory sensitivity, this is around 9:05 and ends around 11:55.

(recorded: November 12, 2024)

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

Reflecting On Our Voting History

Recorded on election day before the polls had closed, j. and Veronica consider how our ancestors (those who fought not only for freedom, but also oppression) have shaped our current political climate, as well as how to determine which ancestor is guiding our actions. From the sheer loss of mail-in ballots to the fires set in ballot boxes, they use the Voting Rights Act to discuss the longstanding history of how such drastic measures to suppress voters could be so widespread. This recent piece of history that has led to widespread voter suppression leads them to question our vocabulary when we are talking about our ancestors–what are the dangers of purposefully ignoring those oppressors in our past?

*Note: Unfortunately, j.’s mic cut out in the last 30 minutes, so the episode abruptly ends! However, we will pick back up with that conversation in next week’s episode.

(recorded: November 5, 2024)

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

And, The Results Are In...

As we come to terms with the results of last night’s presidential election, j. and Veronica pose conversations that are necessary for us to consider in our own bodies as we figure out how to sustainably support our communities around us. Where is liberation in astrology? Where is liberation and community in our bodies? Why should we practice intentional joy and gratitude and resist the urge to doom scroll? And, as we continue our creative practice, how can we understand how fascism and the defunding of art are inherently connected?

(recorded: October 22, 2024)

And a special treat: j. Uses their Tibetan singing ball to lead a small meditation session! For those with auditory sensitivity, this is around 18:00 and ends around 20:00.

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

How Ballet and Modern Effect Our Authentic Movement

Join j. bouey, Veronica Jiao, and Troy Ogilvie as they explore how training in western dance forms, especially ballet, affects our improvised movement, as well as how training in western dance forms stifles our natural movement leading to constrained movement in the club. Ultimately, how can training in a dance form developed in a royal court create a crisis when trying to connect with our own ancestral dances? 

Our second weekly of the season! Question for y’all as we go into Halloween: how do you envision astrology forecasts being incorporated in the podcast? Reach out to us here or on our Instagram (@thedanceunion) if you have any ideas on how to embody the forecast!

 

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

Troy Ogilvie
https://troyogilvie.squarespace.com/

Edited By: Jon Reyes

Reflecting On A Year of WTF…!?

This week’s episode, recorded shortly following the one-year anniversary of October 7th, features j. bouey and Veronica Jiao, who discuss how this past year of resistance shaped their personal and professional lives. What has Palestine taught us about resistance, as we not only resist for Palestine, but also for our rights as working professionals? How has this year of grief, in which we continue to mourn the martyrs in Palestine and Lebanon and those unjustly taken by the state, the most recent victim being Marcellus Williams, manifested within our lives? 

This is the start of the second part of season 2! We’re changing our format back to having recently recorded weekly episodes! We’re excited to continue this journey with y’all and are grateful for every one of you who joins us.

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

On Joy w/ Germaul Barnes

Germaul Barnes (he/his/they) and j. sit down to discuss not only how cultivating joy has become intertwined with their careers, but also how joy is essential in resistance. They reflect on how their ancestors held on to joy even in the face of enslavement, exploring what we can learn from that legacy and how we can use joy as a means of caring for our bodies while engaging in any form of resistance within the empire. At the heart of this conversation, Germaul and j. challenge you to ask yourself: what does joy mean to you?

(Recorded: May 26, 2024)

Germaul Barnes is a multi-faceted and acclaimed artist with an international presence, whose choreography has graced stages around the world. He has danced with companies such as Group Motion Dance Company and Tolada Dance Company in Berlin, Germany, and has been mentored by luminaries like Katherine Dunham and Eleo Pomare. Currently, he serves as a répétiteur for the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company and is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of dancers as an instructor at the Alabama School of Fine Arts. 

Germaul Barnes
https://southern-danceworks.com/artistic-director/
IG: @iamviewsicdance

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
.
Edited By: Jon Reyes

Disability In Dance w/ Kayla Hamilton and Jerron Herman

In this episode, j. passes the mic to Kayla Hamilton (she/her) and Jerron Herman (he/him) to discuss their experiences navigating the dance world with disabilities, as well as what it means to be a “disabled artist”. How do historical movements, such as that during the AIDS epidemic, inform their own work as they maneuver through the disability arts movement? How do spaces made by and centered around disabled people allow for individuals to fully embody and discuss the intersectionality of their identities? And, considering this, how can we continue to improve on spaces created to include disabled bodies? 

(recorded: March 19, 2024)

Kayla Hamilton is a performance maker, dancer, educator, and consultant, who is a current Jerome Hill and Pina Bausch Fellow and is the founder of the recently formed “Circle O”, an organization centering BIPOC Disabled creatives. She is the co-developer of “Crip Movement Lab”, described as “pedagogical framework centering cross-disability movement practices for every-body” and has developed access center programming for several dance organizations in NYC. 

Jerron Herman is a dancer/writer, who has premiered works at Danspace Project, Baltimore Museum of Art, LIncoln Center (digital), among others. His writings, including Art Papers and 3 Bodies, have been published across both nationally and internationally. Jerron is currently a part of INTERIM, described as “a boutique centering joy for disabled artists”, and has recently received the 2024 USA Fellowship and the 2023-24 Fellowship at NYU Center for Ballet and the Arts.

Kayla Hamilton
https://circleo.squarespace.com/about
IG: @circleo_org

Jerron Herman
Jerronherrman.com
IG: @jerronherman 

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
.
Edited By: Jon Reyes

Dancers for Palestine w/ Nadia Khayrallah, Leila, & Hallie Chametzky

In a special episode, j. passes the mic to three organizers from Dancers for Palestine (D4P), Leila Awadallah (she/her), Hallie Chametzky (she/her), and Nadia Khayrallah (they/them), so that they can facilitate a discussion amongst the three of themselves about the history of their own relationships with Palestine, Zionism and the repercussions of being pro-Palestinian & having an Arab identity in the dance field, and how D4P came to be. To what degree can art change the world and to what degree do we need to step away from a purely artistic endeavor to focus on mutual aid? And how can we garner a universal acceptance within the dance community that Palestine must be free? 

(Recorded: March 16, 2024)

While this episode was recorded in March, these questions are even more prevalent now after the violent suppression of pro-Palestinian protests across college campuses, the continued genocide in the Gaza Strip that has now expanded to the West Bank, and, now, Israel’s terrorism in Lebanon. 

*EDITORS NOTE: From 30:00 to 32:30, you can hear the outro play over the guest’s introduction. This will be fixed soon. But, in the meantime please bare with us. We wanted to make sure this episode got out to you on time.*

—- 
To join the movement, email dancersforpalestine@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram @dancers_for_palestine

Dancers for Palestine (D4P) is an autonomous group of dance workers who organize in solidarity with the global movement for Palestinian liberation. Formed during Israel’s genocidal attack on Gaza beginning in 2023, D4P seeks to both cohere and create a dance community which is vocal and active in its support of the Palestinian people. 

—

Leila is a researcher, performer, choreographer, community organizer, and educator. She is a current PhD candidate at UC Berkeley in the Theatre, Dance, Performance Studies Program and is an alum of New York University and George Mason University. Her research and work look at how dance is co-opted, appropriated, and performed for state and anti-imperial interests, particularly as it pertains to Palestine and its occupation. 

Hallie Chametzky (she/her) is a movement artist, writer, archivist, and organizer. Her choreographic work investigates assumptions about historical and contemporary women and the forces which shape their lives. Jewishness is also central to her work, and leftist activism central to her Jewishness. Hallie’s choreography has been supported by University Settlement, MOtiVE Brooklyn, Undiscovered Countries, The Craft, and Spoke the Hub, and her writing can be found in the Brooklyn Rail, In Dance, Culturebot, Nimrod, Mouse Magazine, and Gigantic Sequins, among others. 

Nadia Khayrallah (they/them) is a dance artist, writer, admin, (dis)content creator and community (dis)organizer, rooted in history and fantasy, form and groove, esoterica and common sense. Their work has recently been presented with Arab American National Museum, Time & Space Limited, CUE Art Gallery, and Spark Theatre Festival. They can also be found yelling at institutions and writing poems in the notes app.

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
.
Edited By: Jon Reyes