act/re/act

Conversation w/ Ann Cooper Albright about Improvisation, Contact Improvisation, & Scholarly Inquiry

Ann Cooper Albright Interview: Guggenheim Fellow on Simone Forti & Contact Improvisation | act/re/act Podcast
Oberlin Dance Chair | Guggenheim Fellow | Contact Improvisation Expert | Dance Scholar**
Join Oberlin College Dance Department Chair Ann Cooper Albright, 2019-2020 Guggenheim Fellow, in this illuminating conversation about improvisation, dance scholarship, and her latest book *Simone Forti: improvising a life. Following her inspiring UW-Milwaukee residency, host Daniel Burkholder explores how improvisation informs all aspects of Albright's multifaceted career as dancer, scholar, teacher, choreographer, and improviser.
## Featured Scholar: Ann Cooper Albright Bio Highlights
Ann Cooper Albright is a distinguished dancer, scholar, and Professor/Chair of the Dance Department at Oberlin College. With degrees from Bryn Mawr College, Temple University (MFA Dance), and New York University (PhD Performance Studies), she bridges academic rigor with embodied practice.
Major Recognition & Fellowships:2019-2020 John Simon Guggenheim FellowNEA, NEH, and ACLS grant recipientJerome Foundation and Ohio Arts Council supported artistOberlin College Department Chair - Dance Studies
Essential Publications (among others):"Simone Forti: improvising a life"** (latest book, 2025)"How to Land: finding ground in an unstable world"** - Contemporary uncertainty guide"Engaging Bodies: The Politics and Poetics of Corporeality"**"Choreographing Difference: the Body and Identity in Contemporary Dance"**"Moving History/Dancing Cultures"** (co-editor with Ann Dils)"Taken by Surprise: Improvisation in Dance and Mind"** (co-editor with David Gere)"Encounters with Contact Improvisation"**Resistance and Support: Contact Improvisation @ 50"** (forthcoming)
Conversation Highlights:Simone Forti biography insights** - Legendary improvisation pioneerContact Improvisation mastery** - 50+ years of practice and teachingAcademic dance scholarship** - Bridging theory and embodied practiceUW-Milwaukee residency** - Teaching philosophy and student inspirationImprovisation methodology** - How spontaneity informs all artistic workDance literacy education** - "Accelerated Motion" NEA project"Girls in Motion" program** - Award-winning middle school dance initiativeCritical Mass facilitation** - Contact Improvisation @ 50 leadership
This comprehensive conversation reveals how Ann approaches improvisation as both artistic practice and scholarly inquiry. From her groundbreaking Simone Forti biography to her leadership in Contact Improvisation's 50th anniversary celebrations, discover how Albright has shaped contemporary dance education and scholarship.
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Learn More:act/re/act Podcast Archive: https://www.danielburkholder.com/actreact-podcastAnn Cooper Albright's Books: Available through academic publishers
Keywords: #AnnCooperAlbright #GuggenheimFellow #OberlandCollegeDance #ContactImprovisation #SimoneForti #UWMilwaukee #DanceScholarship #MovingHistoryDancingCultures #GirlsInMotion #CriticalMass #NEAGrant #PhDPerformanceStudies #ActReActPodcast

Conversation with mayfield brooks about Improvising While Black (IWB), decomposing dance, and urban farming

mayfield brooks:  "Improvising While Black" 
Bessie Award Nominee | Princeton Fellow | UCLA Visiting Chair | Black Dance Methodology
Discover the groundbreaking work of mayfield brooks, 2021 Merce Cunningham Award recipient and movement-based performance artist who created the revolutionary dance methodology "Improvising While Black" (IWB). Host Daniel Burkholder, Milwaukee-based dance artist, conducts an in-depth conversation exploring brooks' interdisciplinary approach to Black dance, ancestral healing, and what they call "composting dance."
Featured Artist: mayfield brooks Bio Highlights
mayfield brooks is a singular movement-based performance artist, vocalist, urban farmer, and writer based in Lenapehoking (New York City). Their innovative work spans multiple disciplines while staying deeply rooted in the body and Black dance traditions.
Major Awards & Recognition:
2021 Merce Cunningham Award recipient from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts
2021 Bessie Award nominee for experimental dance film Whale Fall
2022 Danspace Project Platform artist
2022-23 Hodder Fellow at Princeton University
2024 Alma Hawkins Visiting Chair at UCLA World Arts and Cultures/Dance
2025 Creative Time Research & Development Fellow
Conversation Deep Dives:
"Improvising While Black" methodology - Revolutionary dance framework
Decomposing dance concepts - Decomposed matter of Black life in performance
Interdisciplinary performance practice - Movement, voice, farming, writing integration
Urban farming meets performance - Unique artistic intersections
This compelling artist conversations reveals how brooks defies artistic definition while maintaining deep roots in embodied practice. From their experimental film work to their innovative teaching methodology, discover how this dance artist is reshaping contemporary dance through Black cultural frameworks and ancestral wisdom.
 
Learn More:
act/re/act Podcast Archive: https://www.danielburkholder.com/actreact-podcast
mayfield brooks' work: https://www.improvisingwhileblack.com/
Keywords: #mayfieldbrooks #ImprvisingWhileBlack  #BessieAward #BlackDance #UCLA #Whalefall #CompostingDance #AncestralHealing #InterdisciplinaryPerformance #ActReActPodcast

Miguel Gutierrez Interview: Improvisation, Dance, Creative Process & Feldenkrais Method | act/re/act Podcast S5E1

Miguel Gutierrez Interview: Improvisation, Dance, Creative Process & Feldenkrais Method | act/re/act Podcast S5E1
Artist Interview | Dance Performance | Creative Process | Feldenkrais Method
Discover the creative world of renowned dance artist Miguel Gutierrez in this intimate conversation exploring improvisation techniques, sexuality, and innovative performance methods. In Season 5, Episode 1 of the act/re/act podcast, host Daniel Burkholder conducts an in-depth conversation covering Gutierrez's unique approach to movement, creativity, performance, and The Feldenkrais Method.
This comprehensive artist interview offers valuable insights for dancers, performers, creative professionals, and anyone interested in somatic practices, dance, and contemporary performance art. Miguel Gutierrez shares personal stories, creative methodologies, and professional wisdom gained through decades of innovative work.
Featured Artist: Miguel Gutierrez Bio Highlights
Miguel Gutierrez (he/him) is a distinguished artist and educator based between Brooklyn, NY and Los Angeles. His recent performance work Super Nothing, developed through New York Live Arts' prestigious residency program, represents cutting-edge approaches to queer survival through dance. As a 2014 Whitney Biennial selected artist, Gutierrez has presented work internationally at renowned venues including:
Festival D'Automne, Paris
Brooklyn Academy of Music
REDCAT Los Angeles
Festival Universitario, Colombia
Currently serving as Associate Professor of Choreography in UCLA's Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance, Gutierrez brings academic rigor to his artistic practice.
Podcast: act/re/act with Daniel Burkholder - Conversations with contemporary artists and performers
Connect & Learn More:
Miguel Gutierrez Official Website: https://www.miguelgutierrez.org/
act/re/act Podcast Archive: https://www.danielburkholder.com/actreact-podcast
Keywords: #dance #improvisation #performance #MiguelGutierrez #WhitneyBiennial #UCLA #QueerPerformance #FeldenkraisMethod #SuperNothing #ContemporaryDance #Improvisation #CreativeProcess #NewYorkLiveArts #BrooklynAcademyOfMusic #PerformanceArt

Conversation with Baakari Wilder about tap dancing, improvisation, teaching, and deeply listening to music

Join me for the final episode of this season, and my conversation with Baakari Wilder. 
Baakari is one of the most dynamic tap dancers of his generation and is known for his musicality and subtly, as well as his ability to explore complex rhythms. It was a pleasure to finish this season of act/re/act with this thoughtful and insightful conversation. 
Baakari's bio:
Baakari Wilder is internationally known for starring in the Broadway musical Bring In Da Noise, Bring In Da Funk. He received a Bessie Award for his performance, and later assumed the lead role for a year. He received the Pola Nirenska Award for achievement in dance, and the “Hoofer Award” by the American Tap Dance Foundation. Baakari's dancing has delighted audiences around the world in places such as the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, France, Africa, Brazil, Germany, Japan, and Russia. He has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theatre from the University of Maryland at College Park. He shares his knowledge of tap dancing through his role as assistant artistic director of the Washington D.C. based companies Capitol Tap and District Tap.
Find out more about Baakari here: https://www.baakariwilder.com/
And, here: https://www.capitoltap.com/
Find Daniel's website here: https://www.danielburkholder.com/
Stay tuned for more episodes coming this fall!
Until then, take care, be well, and live spontaneously. 

Conversation with Elena Day about Physical Theater, Clowning, Jacques Lecoq, and Improvisation

Join me for this fascinating conversation with Elena Day about physical theater, clowning, the Jacques Lecoq method, teaching, performing, and, of course, improvisation. Elena offers a unique perspective on how one uses or employs improvisation in pedagogy, the creative method, and performance in a context previously unexplored on this podcast - circus. 
Here's a bit about Elena:
Elena Day is a physical theater teacher and director. Currently the Protrack Director and Head of Physical Theater at The New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA) in Brattleboro, VT, Elena explores how play, presence, mask technique, and creativity intertwine as she supports the next generation of circus artists to reach their highest performance potential. A graduate of L'Ecole Internationale de Theatre Jacques Lecoq in Paris, Elena has performed with Cirque du Soleil & Cirque Mechanics, directed and movement-directed award-winning shows, and taught physical theater, including clowning and Lecoq technique, to people of all ages and backgrounds. She studied Lecoq-based pedagogy with Giovanni Fusetti. Other influential teachers include Ronlin Foreman, Gardi Hutter, Joy Zinoman, Shri Ekan, Nir-gun-ava-thi Ananda, Dody DiSanto, Beth Davis, Chris Bayes, Avner Eisenberg, & Philippe Gaulier. To increase your play quotient, check out www.elenaday.com.
ou can find out more about Elena Day at the following links:
Personal Website: https://www.elenaday.com/
New England Center for Circus Arts: https://necenterforcircusarts.org/
You can find my website here: https://www.danielburkholder.com/
Enjoy this conversation, please subscribe, and stay tuned for many more this season!
Take care, be well, and live spontaneously! 

Conversation with Andrew Suseno about Contact Improvisation, the Political Body, Somatics, and his ongoing project Moving Rasa

In this episode of act/re/act I had the opportunity to have a conversation with Andrew Suseno, a dancer and somatic practitioner who developed Parcon Resilience, and more recently Moving Rasa - a form of site-specific dance improvisation developed from his experience within the improv and dance community as a person of the Global Majority. I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation, I hope you do as well! 
Here is Andrew's Bio:
Andrew Suseno is a queer, Indonesian-Chinese American residing on the unceded land of Lenaphoking. He has a Physical Therapy doctorate, Laban Movement Analyst Certification, is a Feldenkrais Practitioner, and significant dance and Contact Improvisation experience. Andrew created Moving Rasa aka Parcon Resilience as  a form of site-specific movement improvisation and inquiry that centers his hybrid experiences as a diaspora person of the Global Majority. Rasa  is the Indonesian word for taste or discerning feeling through the heart. For Andrew, Moving Rasa is a dynamic connection to his Javanese, Indonesian roots leaning into the full extent of his somatic and improvisational background to dismantle internalized oppression and lift up hybrid practices that invite all people across ability, age, gender and sexuality to connect to their Rasa and roots.
You can find out more about Andrew Suseno at the following links:
Moving Rasa: https://movingrasa.com/
You can find my website here: https://www.danielburkholder.com/
Enjoy this conversation, please subscribe, and stay tuned for many more this season!
Take care, be well, and live spontaneously! 

Conversation with Dr. S Ama Wray about Dance Improvisation, Embodiology, Jazz Music, Rhythm, Community Building, and Performance

In this episode of act/re/act I have the pleasure of talking with Dr. S Ama Wray, a dance artist and founder of Embodiology - a dance improvisation practice developed from Dr. Wray's expertise in jazz dance, African arts, and creative practice. This was an exciting conversation that touched on many aspects of the importance of art making, and a wonderful expression of the breadth of dance improvisation out in the world. 
Here’s a bit more about Dr. Way:
Dr S. Ama Wray is the creator of Embodiology® - a movement method, based on West African principles of human communications, that leads to human flourishing. She is a Professor of Dance and founder of the Africana Institute for Creativity Recognition and Elevation at UC Irvine. Embodiology’s distinctive breath-informed, rhythmic movement and music concepts have shown evidence-based efficacy in elevating vitality, well-being, and resilience, along with emboldened activation of community responsibility. Her virtual classes, Joy in Motion, begin with breathwork, supporting everyday people to transform their indoor spaces into experiences of 'co-liberation'. Wray has been a guest speaker/lecturer at the United Nations, Institute of Advanced Studies, TEDx, and other globally renowned organizations. Her roots in art making have been informed by collaborations with artists including Wynton Marsalis, Bobby McFerrin, Mojisola Adebayo, and Derek Bermel. Embodiology®  is registered as a trademark, rendering its creator and beneficiaries’ ethical responsibility to reciprocally return acknowledgment and resources to the Ewe community in Ghana, where its principles were uncovered - each time this work is shared. Her writing about Embodiology is published in edited volumes by Routledge and Oxford Books.
You can find out more about Dr. S Ama Wray at the following links:
Embodiology: https://www.embodiology.com
Joy In Motion: https://www.joyinmotion.io
2023 Summer Embodiology Intensive: https://events.embodiology.com
You can find my website here: https://www.danielburkholder.com/
Enjoy this conversation, please subscribe, and stay tuned for many more this season!
Take care, be well, and live spontaneously! 

Conversation with Keith Hennessy about Improvisation, Curiosity, Performance, and Politics

Welcome to act/re/act podcast, where we explore improvisation through conversations with remarkable artists.
In this episode I talk with Keith Hennessy, a dance artist who I have admired since I first saw him perform with Contraband, a seminal dance company from San Francisco, in the mid-1990s when I was working at Dance Place in Washington, DC. Keith is someone I’ve always seen as a visionary, provocateur, and really thoughtful and visceral artist. It’s really great to have him on the podcast.
Here's a bit about Keith: 
Keith Hennessy, MFA, PhD,  is a dancer, writer, choreographer, witch, and teacher. Raised in Canada, living in Ramaytush Ohlone territory (San Francisco) since 1982, he tours widely. Using improvisation, ritual, collaboration, and protest, Keith instigates queer embodied experiences that respond to political crises and heartbreak. Hennessy directs Circo Zero, co-founded the performance/culture spaces 848 and CounterPulse, and was a member of Sara Mann’s Contraband, 1985-1994. Awards include Guggenheim, NY Bessie, USArtist, and a few Bay Area Isadora Duncan Awards.
 
You can find out more about Keith Hennessy here: http://circozero.org/
You can find my website here: https://www.danielburkholder.com/
Enjoy this conversation, please subscribe, and stay tuned for many more this season!
Take care, be well, and live spontaneously!