Episode 7: Rick Southerland

09/16/19 • 41 min

Today we're joined by Goucher College professor, Rick Southerland. We talk about his career path in dance education and some of his experiences as both a teacher and performer.
Rick is Associate Professor of Dance at Goucher College and past president of the National Dance Education Organization. Rick spent more than 20 years teaching in PK12 dance education in North Carolina, Maryland, Georgia, Nevada, and Washington, DC. Rick currently oversees the K12 dance education certification program and teaches dance education, modern dance technique, composition, and study abroad courses on the African continent.

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Episode 6: Tamako Miyazaki

Today we're joined by Washington Ballet principal Tamako Miyazaki. We discuss her transition from Japan to the U.S., what it was like for her to compete, and her experience in Washington Ballet.
Tamako began her ballet training in Japan, before moving to the US, where she has won many awards and scholarships on the competition circuit, including first place in the Youth America Grand Prix finals in 2002. After dancing for two seasons with the Washington Ballet Studio Company, and then briefly with Columbia Classical Ballet, she joined the Washington Ballet as a company member and is currently in her sixth season.

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Episode 8: Charlie Abel

Today we hear from dancer and director Charlie Abel. We talk about how he got started in dance, as well as some of his strategies and focuses as a director.
A former high-school wrestler and semi-pro baseball player, Charlie fell in love with ballet in his home state of Louisiana where he performed with the Louisiana Ballet. Since then he has performed principal roles with the Yugoslav National Ballet, New Jersey Ballet, and the Baltimore Ballet. He has appeared in numerous theater production including two Helen Hayes nominated stage plays with the Keegan Theatre in Washington, DC. Charlie has taught classical and theater dance at Dance Institute of Washington, Mid-Atlantic Center for the Performing Arts, Ballet Royale Institute of Maryland, and the Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts. He has served on the faculty at Catholic University and University of Maryland in Baltimore County, and he is currently the Director of Ballet Performance at Metropolitan School of the Arts.