The Dance Union Podcast

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 began to understand what holes in the dance community he wanted the company to fill, especially in the Latinx community. All of these leads back to revisiting the question: Can the master’s tools dismantle the master’s house? 

(recorded: March 3, 2025)

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.

Hosts:

David Herrera
https://www.dhperformance.org/the-directors-

Mario Ismael Espinoza

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

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Artists and Organizations Mentioned: 
https://www.dhperformance.org/
https://lovedancemore.org/
https://www.paramardance.com/
https://www.stephaniegarcia.art/
https://www.instagram.com/primerageneraciondance/
https://www.gabrielmatamovement.com/about-5

Yvonne Montoya - https://www.yvonnemontoya.co/
Dancers Group - https://dancersgroup.org/
Bridge Live Arts - https://www.bridgelivearts.org/ 
Omar Roman de Jesus/Bocatuya - https://www.bocatuya.com/
Rosie Herrera - https://www.rosieherrera.dance/
Vanessa Sanchez - https://lamezclasf.net/about/

 

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 a different reality via social media and how can we distinguish between AI and real humans? 

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

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 friends or attracting scrutiny because of being the person in the room to stand up against clear abuses of power, they peel back the layers of the story of Wicked, unfolding how experiences in their lives mirrored themes imparted from “Defying Gravity”. 

**TW for eating disorders starting at 53:00 and ending at 56:50

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

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

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

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

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

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

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