Best Choreographers In Conversation Creative Process Original Series Podcasts (2025)

1
An Actor Prepares - SHARON LAWRENCE on Crafting Complex Characters - Highlights 20:42

9h ago20:42

20:42

“I would encourage you, as I do if you're an actor, to know your own equipment, know your own psychology, and use the great teachers that are synthesized in my favorite teacher's book, Moss, who I studied with later. There is a book called Intent to Live that distills down Uta Hagen, Stella Adler, Bobby Lewis, and Stanislavski. The great teachers a…

1
SHARON LAWRENCE on Acting, Activism & The Art of Transformation 1:02:31

3d ago1:02:31

1:02:31

“That transformation was key to my next step as an artist, to knowing that's what acting is. It isn't just posing; it isn't just being a version of yourself in a way that was free. Performing wasn't just performing; it was transforming. I think that artists find that in many different ways, and as actors, there are many ways into that. I would enco…

1
Childhood, Creativity & the Stories that Define Who We Are with MEGAN ABBOTT - Highlights 16:23

6d ago16:23

16:23

“I think that it all goes back to childhood. I’ve always really been writing about family. I suppose we always are. I do think that it is the original wound, and it's where we are kind of wired and built from those early years. So I think every other relationship just replicates that. It's very natural for me to go there, I suppose because the feel…

1
Exploring Family Dynamics & Fierce Female Friendships with Novelist MEGAN ABBOTT 49:59

7d ago49:59

49:59

“I always say to young writers, you need to put your heart on the page. Don't worry about being like anyone else. I would say that foremost, in any of the arts, it is self-expression at its core. I don't buy rules or a set criteria or a static criteria. I don't believe in any of that. I think the most exciting talents are kind of inexplicable. You …

1
"We're connected to the lives of every creature on the planet" EIREN CAFFALL - Highlights 15:07

12d ago15:07

15:07

“The more that you have that evolving relationship with the natural world, that's dynamic and alive to the moment you're in, and that's not afraid of the feelings of fear, hopelessness, grief, or pain that attend paying close attention to the world as it is evolving around you, the better we are able to be flexible in the relationship we need to fo…

1
All the Water in the World with Writer & Musician EIREN CAFFALL 1:00:18

13d ago1:00:18

1:00:18

“We are in a complex and delicately balanced relationship of connection to everything else on the planet. We begin to recognize, write into, and speak into the complex interdependence and interconnection of every gesture that we make on the planet. Most storytelling that I really respond to, whether it's from my own culture or from previous civiliz…

1
The Healing Power of Music, Community & Belonging with ROBERT & VICTORIA PATERSON 47:18

18d ago47:18

47:18

“In an age of seeming isolationism, where some countries tend to isolate, this is such a great way to bring people together. When you're doing music and the arts, all those barriers just fall away. People are just collaborating and having fun. It’s such a bridge-building endeavor. I don't mean that to sound cheesy either, because I just think it is…

1
Family, Addiction & Overcoming Trauma - Author & Musician LIZ MOORE on Long Bright River starring AMANDA SEYFRIED 49:08

1M ago49:08

49:08

“ I've lived in Philadelphia for about 16 years. The book itself was inspired by my time spent in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia interviewing a lot of the people that I met there, both longtime residents of the neighborhood and also people who were transient, a lot of people struggling with addiction and a lot of women doing sex work…

1
OUR PLANET, OUR FUTURE - Environmentalists, Artists, Scientists & Earth Defenders Share their Stories 18:34

2M ago18:34

18:34

We are privileged to present the voices of individuals dedicated to effecting change and mitigating the harm inflicted upon our precious planet. These are individuals deeply committed to the core values that drive positive transformation. Thank you for tuning in to our episodes and for your ongoing dedication to stewarding our planet, not just on E…

1
Performance, Politics, Art & Society w/ Sociologist RICHARD SENNETT - Highlights 12:43

2M ago12:43

12:43

“I'm really interested in the relation between performance and ritual. Where do those two separate?” Richard Sennett grew up in the Cabrini Green housing project in Chicago, attended the Juilliard School in New York, and then studied social relations at Harvard. Over the last five decades, he has written about social life in cities, changes in labo…

1
The Performer: Art, Life, Politics with RICHARD SENNETT, Sociologist & Author 31:57

2M ago31:57

31:57

“We look at creative work as though the very creative process itself is something good. These are tools of expression, and like any tool, you can use them to damage something or to make something. They can be turned to very malign purposes, for instance, in the operas of Wagner. So I wanted to do this set of books, I want to show what is kind of th…

1
ADAM MOSS - Fmr. Editor of New York Magazine, Author, Artist on Creativity as a Process - Highlights 14:23

2M ago14:23

14:23

“When I was working at the Times and the Times Magazine, on one Tuesday morning, the towers fell. September 11, 2001. The magazine had a 10-day lead time, so it was a weekly that was essentially 10 days old by the time it came out. We came to work and realized the world had changed, and the entire process, the magazine had been made for over a hund…

1
Dance, Performance & the Illusion of Agency - KATIE KITAMURA on her new novel AUDITION 10:04

2M ago10:04

10:04

" I think the narrative structure of those story ballets, which were some of the biggest stories of my childhood. I grew up watching Swan Lake. Giselle, La Bayadère, these were stories that were as present to me as anything that I read. Those story ballets are often split in two parts in a way. You have the White Swan and the Black Swan. In Giselle…

1
JARON LANIER on Tech, Music, Creativity & Who Owns the Future - Highlights 13:29

2M ago13:29

13:29

“What I meant when I said there is no AI is that I don't think we serve ourselves well when we put our own technology up as if it were a new God that we created. I think we confuse ourselves too easily. This goes back to Alan Turing, the main founder of computer science, who had this idea of the Turing test. In the test, you can't tell whether the …

1
Musician, VR Pioneer, Author JARON LANIER on AI & Dawn of the New Everything 49:13

2M ago49:13

49:13

“AI is obviously the dominant topic in tech lately, and I think occasionally there's AI that's nonsense, and occasionally there's AI that's great. I love finding new proteins for medicine and so on. I don't think we serve ourselves well when we put our own technology up as if it were a new God that we created. I think we're really getting a little …

1
Inside the Mind of PETER WELLER, Actor, Art Historian, Director, Musician, Author - Highlights 13:57

3M ago13:57

13:57

Peter Weller is a renowned theater and Hollywood actor. His performances in films such as RoboCop and Naked Lunch garnered him much critical and commercial success over the years. His television acting and directing credits include Sons of Anarchy, Dexter, and 24. Unbeknownst to most, Weller has spent decades honing his appreciation for the visual …

1
From RoboCop to the Renaissance w/ Actor, Art Historian, Director, Musician, Author PETER WELLER 1:11:27

3M ago1:11:27

1:11:27

“I met Miles backstage at the Hollywood Bowl—the last gig he ever played. Miles asked, “Who’s that white boy?” I introduced him to Bob Thiele Jr., whose father produced Coltrane. When Miles discovered this, he said, “Well, you can hang,” following this friendly gesture with me walking Miles to his car. I did not know he was dying. I kissed him on b…

1
The Art of Fiction with Author, Musician, Satirist T.C. BOYLE - Highlights 11:35

4M ago11:35

11:35

“What I have done in my career is just try to assess who we are, what we are, why we are here, and how come we, as animals, are able to walk around and wear pants and dresses and talk on the internet, while the other animals are not. It's been my obsession since I was young. I think if I hadn't become a novelist, I might have been happy to be a nat…

1
A Life in Writing with T.C. BOYLE 53:01

4M ago53:01

53:01

Why are we filled with so many contradictions? How does writing help us make sense of the absurdity and of the absurdity and chaos of the world? T.C. Boyle is a novelist and short story writer based out of Santa Barbara, California. He has published 19 novels, such as The Road to Wellville and more than 150 short stories for publications like The N…

1
How Does Art Shape Our Lives? Musicians, Writers, Filmmakers & Actors Share Their Stories 11:22

5M ago11:22

11:22

How do the arts help us find purpose and meaning? What role do stories play in helping us preserve memories, connect us to each other, and answer life’s big questions? MAX RICHTER(Award-winning Composer & Pianist · His album Sleep is the most streamed classical album of all time) reflects on the importance of creativity and how literature, music, a…

1
Art, Creativity & Intuition - Filmmakers, Musicians & Artists discuss their Creative Process 16:04

6M ago16:04

16:04

Where does our intuition come from? How are lifelong creative partnerships formed and what role do friendship and personal connection play? How do our personal lives influence the art we make? Erland Cooper (Scottish composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist) explores the emotional and transformative effects of music and visual arts. He undersc…

1
JULIAN LENNON on Art, Empathy & Creativity - Highlights 18:34

7M ago18:34

18:34

“I think a lot of joy comes from helping others. One of the things that I've been really focusing on is finding that balance in life, what’s real and what’s true and what makes you happy. How can you help other people feel the same and have a happier life? I think whatever that takes. So if that's charity, if that's photography, if that's documenta…

1
Life’s Fragile Moments with JULIAN LENNON - Photographer, Musician, Documentary Filmmaker 55:58

7M ago55:58

55:58

What is the power of photography? How do images and songs bookmark our lives, reminding us of what we care about, who we love, and what it means to be alive? Julian Lennon is a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, photographer, documentary filmmaker, and NYTimes bestselling author of the Touch the Earth children’s book trilogy. This autumn, Whispers…

1
Harnessing Creativity to Heal & Unwind the Body & Mind w/ DR. JULIA CHRISTENSEN - Highlights 16:52

7M ago16:52

16:52

"The state of being in flow and seeking out that state, sort of disappearing from the here and now... it must have been something that has been part of human cultures for many millennia. We know that, for example, dancing can bring you into these states. And we know from many anthropological works that people dance themselves into trance, a type of…

1
The Pathway to Flow with Neuroscientist, Fmr. Dancer DR. JULIA CHRISTENSEN 1:05:48

7M ago1:05:48

1:05:48

How can we unlock a state of flow in our daily lives? How does connecting with nature influence our mental and physical well-being? How do movement, dance and play help us feel more creative, connected, and content? Dr. Julia F. Christensen is a Danish neuroscientist and former dancer currently working as a senior scientist at the Max Planck Instit…

1
What Does It Mean to Live a Good Life? Musicians, Writers, Visionaries & Educators Share their Stories 15:11

8M ago15:11

15:11

What does it mean to live a good life? How can the arts help us learn to speak the language of the Earth and cultivate our intuitive intelligence? What is the power of mentorship for forging character and creative vision? How can we hold onto our cultural heritage and traditions, while preparing students for the needs of the 21st century? Alan Poul…

1
Navigating Our Environmental Future From Climate Crisis to Urban Revolution 12:31

8M ago12:31

12:31

Have we entered what Earth scientists call a “termination event,” and what can we do to avoid the worst outcomes? How can we look beyond GDP and develop new metrics that balance growth with human flourishing and environmental well-being? How can the 15-minute city model revolutionize urban living, enhance health, and reduce our carbon footprint? Eu…

1
How can music disrupt oppression & bring about social change? - Highlights - JAKE FERGUSON, ANTHONY JOSEPH & JERMAIN JACKMAN 14:58

10M ago14:58

14:58

“I think as humans, we forget. We are often limited by our own stereotypes, and we don't see that in everyone there's the potential for beauty and love and all these things. And I think The Architecture of Oppression, both parts one and two, are really a reflection of all the community and civil rights work that I've been doing for the same amount …

1
The Architecture of Oppression with JAKE FERGUSON, ANTHONY JOSEPH & JERMAIN JACKMAN 1:01:23

10M ago1:01:23

1:01:23

How can music challenge systemic oppression and bring about social change? How can we envision alternative paths while avoiding the pitfalls of past paradigms? Jake Fergusonis an award-winning musician known for his work with The Heliocentrics and as a solo artist under the name The Brkn Record. Alongside legendary drummer Malcolm Catto, Ferguson h…

1
How Can Music Heal Trauma & Foster Identity? - Highlights - MATTIA MAURÉE 11:24

1y ago11:24

11:24

“One of the things I think about a lot is this. I vividly remember the desire throughout pretty much most of my twenties and certainly my teen years to be a famous artist and win big awards. And when you dig down into what you actually want from that, it's connection. The teen brain, in particular, is extremely geared toward connection and gets dif…

1
Exploring the Sensory World of Autism, ADHD & Non-Binary Artists with MATTIA MAURÉE 58:14

1y ago58:14

58:14

How can we learn to flourish because of who we are, not in spite of it? What is the sensory experience of the world for people with autism and ADHD? How can music help heal trauma and foster identity? Mattia Maurée is an interdisciplinary composer whose work centers around themes of perception, body, sensation, trauma, and resilience. Their scores …

1
How can jazz & physics help solve real world problems? - NEIL JOHNSON, Head of Dynamic Online Networks Lab 15:38

1y ago15:38

15:38

"So in our projects, part of the creative process is learning how to interact with other disciplines. It’s not something academia in general does. I happen to be a saxophone player. In something like music, the richness comes from different instruments—their shortcomings and advantages combined together. My hope is that's what we end up doing in th…

1
The Emotional Brain, Music, Consciousness & Memory with JOSEPH LEDOUX - Highlights 14:25

1y ago14:25

14:25

“When you're playing music with a group of people, there are those special moments when it all works, and you're in the groove. As soon as you begin to think about it, you lose it because you've introduced thought, and it's trying to take over. There's something at a lower level, a different level altogether, where all that is happening and working…

1
How does the brain process emotions and music? JOSEPH LEDOUX - Neuroscientist, Author, Musician 1:00:41

1y ago1:00:41

1:00:41

How does the brain process emotions? How are emotional memories formed and stored in the brain, and how do they influence behavior, perception, and decision-making? How does music help us understand our emotions, memories, and the nature of consciousness? Joseph LeDoux is a Professor of Neural Science at New York University at NYU and was Director …

1
Voices of the Earth: Reflections on Nature, Humanity & Climate Change 11:43

1y ago11:43

11:43

Environmentalists, writers, artists, activists, and public policy makers explore the interconnectedness of living beings and ecosystems. They highlight the importance of conservation, promote climate education, advocate for sustainable development, and underscore the vital role of creative and educational communities in driving positive change. 00:…

1
Exploring Science, Music, AI & Consciousness with MAX COOPER - Highlights 13:09

1y ago13:09

13:09

“As technology becomes more dominant, the arts become ever more important for us to stay in touch the things that the sciences can't tackle. What it's actually like to be a person? What's actually important? We can have this endless progress inside this capitalist machine for greater wealth and longer life and more happiness, according to some metr…

1
Do good deeds offset bad deeds? How do our families shape who we become?- Highlights - DAN FUTTERMAN & ADAM RAPP 11:07

1y ago11:07

11:07

"S. E. Hinton, Susie Hinton wrote The Outsiders when she was 15 and 16. It was published when she was 17. She was told by one editor in particular that she couldn't have any swear words, so she was sort of forced to write about these very big, intense, love-and-death operatic themes where there's a boy who dies by suicide by cop. There's a boy who …

1
The Outsiders Musical & American Rust w/ ADAM RAPP & DAN FUTTERMAN - Award-winning Writers 39:11

1y ago39:11

39:11

What role do the families we’re born into or the traumas we experience shape the people we become? Do good deeds offset bad deeds? How can the arts increase our capacity for empathy, understanding, and kindness? Dan Futterman is creator, executive producer, and writer of Amazon Prime's American Rust, the acclaimed crime drama starring Jeff Daniels,…

1
Consciousness, AI & Creativity with DUSTIN O’HALLORAN - Emmy Award-winning Composer 51:02

1y ago51:02

51:02

What will happen when Artificial General Intelligence arrives? What is the nature of consciousness? How are music and creativity pathways for reconnecting us to our humanity and the natural world? Dustin O’Halloran is a pianist and composer and member of the band A Winged Victory for the Sullen. Winner of a 2015 Emmy Award for his main title theme …

1
How can music help us expand our understanding of consciousness & AI? - Highlights - DUSTIN O’HALLORAN 10:16

1y ago10:16

10:16

Dustin O’Halloran is a pianist and composer and member of the band A Winged Victory for the Sullen. Winner of a 2015 Emmy Award for his main title theme to Amazon's comedy drama Transparent, he was also nominated for an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA for his score for Lion, written in collaboration with Volker Bertelmann (aka Hauschka). He has …

1
How to Live a Good a Life - Stoic Wisdom & the Founding Fathers - Highlights - JEFFREY ROSEN 12:27

1y ago12:27

12:27

"I love Bernstein's excitement in talking about how he says, for Beethoven, was he the best harmonist? No. Was it his orchestral abilities? Absolutely not. It was just that each note that he chose was exactly the right note to follow the note that proceeded it as if he had 'a private telephone wire to Heaven' and that he was channeling the note tha…

1
The Pursuit of Happiness - JEFFREY ROSEN - President & CEO of the National Constitution Center 42:38

1y ago42:38

42:38

What is the true meaning of the pursuit of happiness? What can we learn from the Founding Fathers about achieving harmony, balance, tranquility, self-mastery, and pursuing the public good? Jeffrey Rosen is President and CEO of the National Constitution Center, where he hosts We the People, a weekly podcast of constitutional debate. He is also a pro…

1
Creating Safe Spaces: ITA O’BRIEN & the Art of Intimacy Coordination - Highlights 12:52

1y ago12:52

12:52

"For years, people spoke about how awkward or embarrassing it was to perform the intimate content. And what they're speaking about is feeling horrible. If something's awkward, that squirm, that ring in the body, it feels embarrassing. That's actually an emotion that is not professional. That is not allowing the actor to stay feeling listened to, he…

1
Intimacy Coordinator & Movement Director ITA O’BRIEN on Normal People, Sex Education & Creating Safe Spaces 52:46

1y ago52:46

52:46

How can intimate scenes be brought to the screen in ways that respect the emotional well-being and privacy of the artists themselves? How do we make sure that we can create a story about abuse without anyone being abused in the process? Ita O’Brien is the UK’s leading Intimacy Coordinator, founder of Intimacy on Set (and author of the Intimacy On S…

1
The Art of Bringing Stories to Life - Highlights - LISA EDELSTEIN 14:22

1+ y ago14:22

14:22

"When I did my show Positive Me, we were in the middle of a horrible crisis. The AIDS crisis was very real to me and my friends and not real to the people that I knew from New Jersey. They thought it was government hype. They didn't believe in it. And so I couldn't even fathom that. And I had taken a class with Elizabeth Swados about writing satire…

1
LISA EDELSTEIN - From Acting to Directing, Writing & Visual Art 49:36

1+ y ago49:36

49:36

How can the arts help us examine and engage with social issues? How do our families shape our views, memories, and experience of the world? From her role as Dr. Lisa Cuddy on the hit Fox series House, to her starring role as Abby McCarthy in Bravo's first scripted series Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce, Lisa Edelstein's range of roles are as diverse …

1
What does the future hold for our late-stage capitalist society with mega-corps controlling everything? - Highlights - KYLE HIGGINS, KARINA MANASHIL & KID CUDI 14:22

1+ y ago14:22

14:22

“When I was younger, I used to draw all the time, so cartoons, comic books, anything visual just got me really quickly when I was younger. And I wanted to be a cartoonist up until I was 14, 15. And then I had this idea to be a rapper, but animation cartoons, these were things that I was super passionate about. It's something that never changed thro…

1
Comics, Music, Ethics & AI: KYLE HIGGINS, KARINA MANASHIL & KID CUDI on the Making of Moon Man 1:07:18

1+ y ago1:07:18

1:07:18

What does the future hold for our late-stage capitalist society with mega-corporations owning and controlling everything? How can the world-building skills of the makers of films and comics help us imagine a better future? Kyle Higgins is an Eisner award-nominated #1 New York Times best-selling comic book author and award-winning filmmaker known fo…

1
Reshaping Our World: Climate Change, Education, Mental Health & Advocacy for Nature 9:56

1+ y ago9:56

9:56

"Climate change gives us a chance to re-imagine the world in a way that every single human being can participate in. And so whether you're in a remote part of the United States or some other country, when you learn about climate change, it shouldn't just be the science. It should be the opportunity." –Kathleen Rogers Excerpts of interviews from One…

1
Songs of Nature - Musicians, Writers, Ecologists, Philosophers on the Mysteries of the Natural World 9:25

1+ y ago9:25

9:25

“The natural world has its own sonic language. Its own fingerprints. And that's one of the beautiful things about being out here. There is another acoustic environment, another sort of sonic fingerprint, and it is always changing. Every day is a sort of a different sound picture. I walk out the door and you do hear it changing over time. The leaves…

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Choreographers In Conversation Creative Process Original Series Podcasts

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