Category: Dance

There’s no stopping Joan Myers Brown who at 87, soon to turn 88, still has has many roads to travel. Listed in “Who’s Who in America,” Joan was honored with the 2019 Bessie Award for Lifetime Achievement. Joan is the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Dance Company, PHILADANCO, which she founded…

Nam Holtz was abandoned at birth in her native Korea, and at six months was adopted by a loving American family. She grew up in the Chicago suburbs. It was clear Nam had talent - after graduating college with a BFA in dance, she was cast in the Broadway production of The King and I, and toured the U.S. in Miss Saigon and Flower Drum Song. She's also acted in film and tv. Growing up, Nam never really thought about "her past." But that changed when her older sister gave birth. It became the catalyst for Nam to travel to Korea, to try and find her biological parents and learn all she could about where she was born. That journey is chronicled in "Found in Korea,." the film she, wrote, directed and produced. She talks about that and lots more in this engaging, honest, personal conversation.

In 2017 Linda Shelton was named among Dance Magazine's most influential people in dance today. Here's why: since 1993 she's been the Executive Director of The Joyce Theater Foundation, the NY-based non-profit that has served the dance community for more than 30 years. Before joining the Joyce, Linda was the General Manager of The Joffrey Ballet and held various management positions at the Twyla Tharp Dance Foundation and managed tours for the Bolshoi, Moscow Virtuosi and composer Philip Glass. Clearly, Linda's career is rich and varied and one that she shares in our wide-ranging conversation.

Stefanie Nelson's on the move - literally. A director/choreographer, she is the founder of the Stefanie Nelson DanceGroup. The New York City-based contemporary performance ensemble has been described as instinctual, untamed and edgy. Stefanie's also the founder and artistic director of Dance Italia, an annual summer event in Agrapoli and Lucca. The program has welcomed more than 300 students from 20 countries. It's our pleasure to introduce yet another, passionate, committed, creative woman.

Julie Maloney is a woman of many talents. A former dancer, choreographer and artistic director of the Julie Maloney Dance Company, she is also an acclaimed poet. Her book, "Private Landscape" is an intimate look into the heart of a woman negotiating life after a cancer diagnosis. Julie's debut novel, "A Matter of Chance," tells the story of an 8 year old girl's disappearance from a town on the Jersey Shore and her mom's relentless search to find her. Julie is also the founder/director of Women Reading Aloud, a non-profit that promotes female writers. Needless to say, we cover a lot of ground in this conversation.