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- [00:03]
Alicia Graff Mack
Artistic director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and former principal dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Linda Denise Fisher Harrell embodies grace and grit. Her spirit and energy are unmatched, and she recognizes her body as a vessel for expressing these qualities.
- [00:24]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
Dance became therapeutic for me. I could be vulnerable. I could transform. I could transport the audience. There was a certain power there. Like I could take the audience with me and share my pain and share my joy.
- [00:42]
Alicia Graff Mack
You're listening to Moving Moments, the podcast that explores the dance world's most accomplished and groundbreaking artists. I'm your host, Alicia Graff Mack Dean and director of dance at the Juilliard School. During each episode, you'll hear me talk with some of my closest friends and most trusted colleagues as we sit down to hear about their creative process and how they are changing the dance world on and off the stage. We go way back. As a young professional, I admired you from the audience, and it wasn't until I actually met you in person that I realized you weren't my height. It's crazy. Your legs and arms are so long. You are mama long legs. But I have enjoyed watching your star rise, seeing your incredible career as a performer, teacher, arts administrator, and artistic director. And now you are leading one of the world's premier contemporary dance companies with incredible savvy and grace. Could you have imagined this life?
- [01:46]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
Well, thank you, Alicia, for having me. Thank you so much. Yes, I present as tall, but I am far from it. I'm just. I'm lanky. I have lots of arms. I'm actually all arms and legs and. Yeah, but I'm only five, four and a half. I think I could imagine this life. You know what I mean? I think all of my pathways up until this point in my life have kind of led me here. You know, whether it's all the rich experiences that I've had as a performer with both the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Hover Street Dance Chicago, those were such amazing experiences. And as an educator at Towson University and the Baltimore School for the Arts for 16 years, administrator, grant writer, program director, advocate, and champion for young people. It's just. I think that they all just kind of culminate here because my role as artistic director actually call for all of those abilities and all of those gifts. And so I feel like it's such a huge responsibility, but it brings me such joy because I feel like I'm moving in the totality of my purpose.
- [03:05]
Alicia Graff Mack
And you are so right in the artistic director role. There is no guidebook on how to do it. And so beautifully. You have all of these experiences to guide you and to pull from in such incredible institutions that you've been part of building. Tell us about your early beginnings growing up in Baltimore, Maryland. I myself, you know, am also a Maryland native. And even before you came into your life as a dancer, did you have movement as part of your daily life and practice?
- [03:39]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
So, I grew up in Baltimore City. I'm a city kid, grew up on the Northwest side. Shout out to the 21215. I'm a product of Baltimore City public schools. My sister and I had a pretty normal childhood, except I have very extraordinary parents. Both of them are visually impaired. My father is totally blind, and my mother is legally blind. She's. She's blind now. She's totally blind now. And now as I look back on my childhood, I believe that they shaped my outlook on life. They're both fiercely independent and fearless and resourceful and loving and completely supportive of whatever my sister and I wanted to do. My father worked two jobs. He worked for the Social Security Administration while leading his own jazz band at the same time. So I had that artistic thing surrounding me since I was crawling. I remember, like, swinging on Johnny Felite, who was a drummer. I remember swinging on his legs in rehearsal, you know, So I had jazz musicians around me at all times, which was pretty powerful. So looking back, you know, there were things that shaped my childhood. I could read when I was three years old, and not just because I was smart. It was out of resource with it, you know, helping my mother get around, helping her catch the bus. And she's saying, oh, we need to get off at D O L F I E L D. Oh, field. You know what I mean? I just kind of knew how to navigate movement, I think came early on. I was always chicken, a ball, throwing a ball. I had baseball, softballs, Nerf footballs, all those. All those things. Bats, the whole thing. So I was outside. I remember coming in the house at the end of the day and being dirty. Like, my complexion was gray from being outside. So I was always an athletic child. If there was something happening in the street, I was in the middle of it. And socially, too, like social dances. I remember in elementary school, school, our principal allowed us to dance during lunch. Somebody would DJ and we would dance. So I was a mover even before I knew what that was. And so just having that prospect of when high school came around. MTV was prominent, fame was on tv, all of those things. Anytime a movement sequence was on television, I was pulled in. And so Any opportunity to audition for what? Baltimore has a Fame school. We can dance on the table at lunch. I'm auditioning. I didn't know anything about it. I didn't know about tights, having a solo, all those things. I was like, I'm gonna do it. Because that's what they do in fanny. So movement was always a part kind of my childhood. And then just seeing, like, all those images of dance. Michael Jackson. I wanted to be in a Michael Jackson video. And so that's kind of what drew me to the Baltimore School for the Arts.
- [07:01]
Alicia Graff Mack
And tell us about your audition. Because if you haven't ever taken a dance class, been exposed to what that traditional sort of dance education looks like, what was that audition like for you?
- [07:14]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
Well, I'm going to say ignorance is bliss, because I didn't know I was just as ignorant. I think I played Lionel Richie, Running with the Night. And if you. If you ask my teachers, because I talk to Stephanie Powell about this all the time. And she said, we sat behind that panel and just chuckled. And I think they made me do it again. You know how you do it? A solo. And they went back and they said, did you repeat that? Because they knew I was improvising. They knew it. They were like, what is she doing? I think there was some cartwheels in there. I could do all of that stuff. And so what they loved and why they took a chance on me, I think with no training, as they said, you were flexible, you were musical. We could tell that you love to move, and you could take up space, like there was something there. And then on the side, they were working with me, like, trying to stretch my feet. They would say, pull up. And I was like, what is that? And then. And then at one point, Norma Perry goes. And I said, what was what? What is that? I don't understand the terminology. So I think they took a chance on me because they saw potential. And a bonus is I didn't know anything. So there was. There was nothing to unlearn. I just listened to everything that they told me to do.
- [08:38]
Alicia Graff Mack
I think that's one of the key aspects of not only being a student, but also being a professional is to always be learning, be curious, and be willing to unlearn the things that you already feel you have.
- [08:54]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
Right.
- [08:55]
Alicia Graff Mack
That quality is so important.
- [08:58]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
Totally.
- [08:59]
Alicia Graff Mack
So I know that you studied under two giants of the dance world, Stephanie Powell, who you just mentioned, and also Sylvester Campbell. What did those two incredible artists instill in you?
- [09:13]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
Oh, my God. So those were two of the biggest cheerleaders in my life. I mean, they were my parents. And then they was Sylvester and Stephanie. You know, both had very high artistic expectations and knew how to get the best out of you. They were really dance teachers, educators, coaching. Like, there's a thing about coaching someone saying, go back and do that again. That's better, but it's still not there. You know, they were big coaches, but very different. You know, Ms. Stephanie is so encouraging and supportive. Like, if there was the scholarship opportunity coming up, she made sure you knew the date. She made sure you had a solo for it. She made sure you had a unitard to wear. She had a brush in her bag. If your hair was not up, she was like, go to the bathroom. Let's get the pins. Like, she. She made sure that you were going to step up to the plate and that you were going to be prepared. Like, if you go back and ask many of us, myself, shoot, ask Darrell, Graham Moultrie. Ask Jermaine Fivey, who crafted their Juilliard solos or, you know, or solos for college. We'll all say Stephanie Powell. Like, she was. She was always there championing you along. And Sylvester was more of a taskmaster. He studied under Doris Jones and Claire Haywood. Doris Jones. I've had the amazing opportunity of training under her as well. When I was the member of Capitol Ballet, it was not a joke or a game in there. And she was truly one of the greatest male ballet dancers of his time. But due to discrimination in the United States, he was forced to find his career outside of the state Dutch National Ballet and rural Winnipeg Ballet. And so he was hard on us. He knew exactly what it took to rise to a certain level in this profession, especially a child of color. Like, we're in Baltimore City, and he's training serious professionals. He was hard because he knew that we had to be the best. We had to be the best in the room. And so pushing, working hard was the standard. And he was one of the most incredible partners. Like, his pas de deux classes could go on for three hours at a time, and he made sure that he had his hands on everybody. And so they both poured a lot of attention into me because they could see that I was learning. I was learning rapidly. I just kind of soaked in all of their information, and they just. I mean, what a gift they gave me. They were hard on me, and thank.
- [12:05]
Alicia Graff Mack
God, you know, our paths kind of crossed in the sense of we were trained by some of the same people. I remember when I was preparing for some of my first international ballet competitions, My coach, Donna Pidel, she had Stephanie come and choreography one of my contemporary solos. And then Sylvester Campbell coached my classical variations. And I remember when both of them would walk into the studio.
- [12:31]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
Woo.
- [12:32]
Alicia Graff Mack
Be nervous. I would be so nervous because it was just me and them. When were you first introduced to the Ailey School and Company and what was it like to study there as a young person?
- [12:44]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
So the first time I saw the Alvin Ailey American Dance theater, I was 15. So I had been training in ballet and modern. And one of Baltimore School for the Arts alumni, Steven Smith, was also in the Ailey Company. And so he and Gary deloach, yes, fantastic lead Ailey dancer, came to the Baltimore School for the Arts and taught a masterclass. And then the next day we walked to the model, what's now the Modell Lyric Theater. We walked and watched a mini performance of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. And my mind went. I suddenly understood, oh, that's why they keep getting me to point my seat. Oh, that's why I have to straighten my knee. Oh, I get it. Like, I get like, it all made sense. I saw so many extraordinarily beautiful dancers who looked like me. The movement that they were doing spoke to me. I really felt like they were talking my language. And from that moment on, I was like, oh, my God. And there's a school. And Denise Jefferson came down to Baltimore and did a summer intensive audition. And I was accepted. I was awarded a full scholarship and at 16 years old, went up to New York. I mean, crazy, right? And the. The Ailey school was at 1515 Broadway, which is like the Minced off theater. It was a buzz with extraordinary talent. I mean, Desmond Richardson was in the school, Alan Barnes, Francesca Harper, like, we were all in the school. Could you imagine? Like, I had all these fantastic classes that were at such a high level. I don't think I had ever worked that hard. Like, I had Baltimore School for the Arts and then Ailey, and that my training just took off. And you never knew when Mr. Ailey would walk by and peek in your class or if he would shuffle by the dancers lounge and say, hello, dancers. Or he would say, hey, you guys want to come to rehearsal? And we were all fighting, clamoring over each other to run up the steps and then down to Studio 4 to pile in to see his latest ballet. So all of those things were happening, and I just feel like my training went to another stratosphere after seeing that company, after being in the magic of the school and in a school with so many different bodies and different ethnicities and just all of that magic, it touched me in a way that I hadn't been inspired to move before.
- [15:28]
Alicia Graff Mack
Wow. A magical, transformative time for you as an artist. But for so many, those names that you just mentioned, Alan Barnes, Desmond Richardson, Francesca Harper, they're leaders in our field now.
- [15:42]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
I learned so fast because of who was around me.
- [15:46]
Alicia Graff Mack
So you attended the Ailey School summer programs, and you're preparing to graduate from high school, and you audition for the Juilliard School. What was that like, and what was your first year like?
- [15:59]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
Well, you know, first of all, Juilliard was and is remains one of the top artistic institutions in higher learning. And as I look back on my training in Juilliard, it was fantastic. I had Hector Zaraspi and Alfredo Corvino and Michael Mall and Zhenya Melikova. Like, all of these fantastic features. I really did. I think I was set up in a way to not appreciate that. And this is what I. This is what I mean, because I started so late, and I had instructors at the Baltimore School for the Arts who told me, you're late. That's what. That's all they kept saying. You're late, Missy, get in fifth because you're late. You got to get this information right now. You got to catch up. You have to catch up. So I was always on a fast track. I got to get this information. Everybody around me knows how to do this, that, and the other. By the time I got to Juilliard and we were in Laura Glenn's class, and she really wanted you to feel some of the nuances that are so important, right? I was like, no, I gotta be on stage. I can't be. I can't lay down. I wanted to be dancing. I was like this. What happened to the fast track? What happened? And so by the end of that first year, I felt like I need to. I need to dance. I need to be performing. So that's when harbor street came to town to do auditions at the very end of my first year Juilliard, and I ended up going with Harbor Street.
- [17:39]
Alicia Graff Mack
Wow. I can totally understand that, you know, understanding the curriculum and sort of foundational pedagogical ideas of the Juilliard School. The dance division truly takes that four years and uses it as an arc of learning and process. And usually first years feel that way. They feel like we're not moving fast enough. And many of our students are wondering, like, why am I taking so long to learn such small details? But they do add up over time. And I do understand when you feel like you're ready, you're ready.
- [18:14]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
But in hindsight, I should have taken my time. When you're young, you don't appreciate time. But I think, like, what. How much better could I have been if I really took my time? You know, you just. I always think back, I understand.
- [18:32]
Alicia Graff Mack
And me looking at your career, I don't think you could have done it any better. And you did it. So now you're. You're very young, 19 years old, starting your career in Chicago. What are some of the takeaways from your three years at Harbor Street?
- [18:48]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
Lou Conte hired me, and Lou Conte, man, I thank him for this all the time. Lou Conte is a stickler for detail. Like, I have never scene, like to really observe something and get its full dynamic quality while being with the ensemble. Like, I really appreciated ensemble work in such a great way. It was the first time I worked with a multitude of choreographers, like whether it was Daniel Ezra, Wildar, which is a whole nother story. That's a whole nother podcast. That was the first time I got to travel and dance. You know, we traveled all over the United States and Europe and those of my first passport, like, just all of those firsts which were at such a high level, like everyone in harbor street, the level of technique, you know, the level of expectation and artistry and how you had to show up as a professional every day, that standard was set really high. We just understood what it was like to be fully present, artistically, fully dedicated, which is a through line to today to Harbor Street. That's just what we do.
- [20:15]
Alicia Graff Mack
And so after three years, you make this full circle move and auditioned for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater under the direction of Judith Jamison. How did you make that decision to audition for the company?
- [20:33]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
Whoa. So while I was with Hubbard Street, Mr. Ailey passed away. You talk about a dream, like, to work with Mr. Ailey. You know what I mean? That was like a far off. Like, one day I'll get that good and I'll work with Mr. Ailey. So that was heart wrenching, you know what I mean? And then the news came out that Judy Jamison, you know, took over and was like, only. And I learned that she was coming to Chicago. I think this was in my second year at Harper street. And I thought, I gotta dance for her. Like, she doesn't know me. Like, I gotta dance for her. And I'm. I think I ended up auditioning for like the summer something I had no business. You know what I Mean, like, I'm a show for this. I know I don't want to. I don't want to go to the summer intensive, but I'm just going to show up because what if she's there? She came. Denise Jefferson was running it, but Judy came. And so she saw. That was the first time she saw me. We spoke after. She was like, girl, you need to get to New York to audition. So then I knew she was interested. And so I auditioned at the end of my third year of harbor street because it was just. Ailey was a dream. That was one of those, like, you know, dream aspirations and made it to the company. And I have to tell you, I had the opportunity to dance alongside of my idols. I mean, Renee Robinson was over here. Deborah Manning was over here. Sarita Allen was in front of me. Desmond Richardson was behind me. Dwight Rodham is up. Andre Tyson. I mean, I was surrounded by superheroes. Then add Judy walking in the room. My level had to be extraordinary because this is the standard. She walked in the room, she set the standard every single day. When she walked in, you knew, oh, here she goes, here she comes. It has to be good. Whatever I'm about to do, it could be just some. Something in the back. You know, you knew that once you hit the Marley, it had to be excellent. And she was an extraordinary leader. Still is. She leads by example. Some of her direction that she's given me over the years, Extraordinary. And she was never afraid to say, linda, try this, try this, try this. And I'll say, yes, ma'am, and we'll come back. And she's like, yeah, that thing I told you yesterday, some do that. So go back and do what you were doing. You know what I mean? So there was a certain humility that I appreciated as well. And I fully trusted her. I trusted her vision. I trusted her completely. Like I said, I feed off of a community. And so I was surrounded by 29 other incredible. I remember sitting in the wings every evening was like great performances on pbs.
- [23:26]
Alicia Graff Mack
That's so beautiful. So I ask every guest that appears on the show about their moving moment. When you were dancing with Ailey, can you describe to me one of your most memorable moving moments?
- [23:42]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
Wow. It's hard to pick out one out of the 13 years. Let me just say this. I did not have the opportunity to work under Mr. Ailey. I did not get the opportunity to know him as a person, as an artist, as a choreographer, as a director. But I feel like I did know him from so many years during his work I went through a divorce while I was in the company, and dance became therapeutic for me. And because of Mr. Ailey's work, the depth of it. The depth, it's not just technically difficult, but emotionally, you have to go deeper. There has to be a vulnerability that comes with your artistry or to translate fully. And so anytime I had to do aliens work, anytime I had to do cry, anytime I had to do memoria, any fix me, anything in the rep where I could just go in and dive in. The way I think he wanted the work to translate was such therapy for me. I could be vulnerable, I could transform, I could transport the audience. There was a certain power there. Like, I could take the audience with me and share my pain and share my joy. Those are the times I felt close to Mr. Ailey without even working with him.
- [25:11]
Alicia Graff Mack
You would make me cry. Dancer to dancer, you know, we understand the why of movement, and so much of it is to be that vessel of expression, to be a conduit for emotion and for touching someone or having someone understand your humanity without even speaking a word. It's just so special. Thank you for sharing. You kind of touched on one of the qualities that I admire in you. There's so many, but this one I call grace and grit. And here's just one example. I'm going to tell you a little story. Matthew Rushing, the current associate director and former star of the company, told me this story about how you left the road to go on maternity leave to have your beautiful baby girl, Azia. And Matthew recalled how you came back a few weeks after having Edea and you hit the step. Legend has it, and yes, it's legendary, legend has it that one of your first rehearsals back was in Ailey's the River, which is by far one of the most difficult ballets in the Ailey rep. And the solo that you performed, Vortex, is by far one of the most difficult and technically challenging works that you can do. So is this a true story? How did you do this? How did you have a baby, come back and stay on tour? I feel like now there's more dancers who are doing that. But during your time, I wasn't familiar with any moms who were working and dancing and touring like that.
- [26:49]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
Yeah, that was a crazy time in my life. And there was one other mom in the company, Tony Pierce, Mamas United. Thank God for having a sister to kind of go back and forth and share struggles and share challenges and pains and, you know, try to cope with certain things. Because, remember, back then, There was no FaceTime you know, you couldn't get online and see the baby's face. I remember calling Adiya every day. You know, even when she was going to preschool and kindergarten, they would get her out of class and say, moms and the moms. So that was really difficult. So the urban legend. Couple of things. I'm a tweet there. Adia was born in December, so before that, I went on maternity leave. And when I came back, I didn't come right back after having her. So I came back at the beginning of the contract. So June. So Adma had been like five and a half months old. And my first day back in rehearsal, Masters Michael and Judith Jamison said Linda Vortex. Yes. So, yeah, and now. And I was ready. I had. I had been. Thank God for Stephanie Powell. I had been training whenever I could take class, whenever I could hand a D over and go get into a class. I'm pretty disciplined. I can keep a regimen up. I know I got to get back into my body. It doesn't feel like mine anymore. And, yeah, that first rehearsal, back in front of the entire company. Were tapped from the corner. I was like, okay, look, I just pushed the baby out. So here we go. Here we go. What you got? You know? And that's how I just approached it. Like, if I can be a mom and juggle and do the things that I need to do to raise my kids, then dance is just a privilege. You know what I mean? That's how I looked at my entire career after I had Ediya. It's like every time I get on this Marley as a gift, because I don't know when the day is that I have to read this. And so every time I get out here, I'm going for it, because I don't know if this is the last day I get to do this. And this is a privilege to be able to dance in front of thousands of people and share your art and share all of the things at this level and do Mr. Ailey's work. So Vortex. I got it.
- [29:16]
Alicia Graff Mack
It's so true, though, when you do something that's so hard, beyond what you know that you can do, the dancing part is just all love. I remember Ron Brown when I came back from being injured. I'd taken a long break, three years away from performing. And I came back and I performed the lead role in Grace. And he was like, you know, you're dancing beautifully, but there's just something different there. And I just said, I don't have time to be afraid anymore. Just gotta put it all out there. And he said something to the effect of, where there is no fear, there's only love.
- [29:50]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
Yeah.
- [29:50]
Alicia Graff Mack
And I said, yep, that's it.
- [29:52]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
Totally. You don't have time to be afraid, too. There's no prime for that. Dancing was an act of generosity, full stop. You know what I mean? You have to be willing to give, give, give, give. And if you're not willing to do that, there's something that's going to be missing in your dancing.
- [30:13]
Alicia Graff Mack
Beautiful. So I believe you left the company in 2005. Is that correct? And I know that because I arrived in 2005, I was really disappointed that we never crossed over, because I admired you so much, and I really wanted to have some time working with you and learning from you. But our paths have crossed in many ways over these years, and you eventually moved back to Maryland and started working at Towson University. Can you talk about what you learned as a professor, as someone who was tasked to see other people's careers move forward?
- [30:57]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
I have nothing but love for my Towson University community. What an extraordinary landing that was, you know, to leave a pretty wonderful career and go into another wonderful one where I was sharing, because it wasn't me teaching or disseminating anything down. It really was just sharing. I'm proud that I still am a part of that community. And at the same time, I was simultaneously on faculty at the Baltimore School for the Arts, my alma mater. And so I would teach some classes, you know, at Towson on Wednesdays, run down to the Baltimore School for the Arts, and teach my teenagers. And that was a whole nother thing. And I just appreciate each stage of life, whether it was young professionals and young adults at Taos University, my teens, or it was my Ailey campers, you know, who were middle schoolers, 11 to 14. And you talk about having to show up in your authentic self because they can see through you. Just to be able to share with young people at all of those stages in their artistry really helped to fulfill my artistic promise. So I wasn't just a dancer. I was able to evolve into something else that gave me such joy.
- [32:18]
Alicia Graff Mack
It's a calling. Linda. All that you have created in yourself is like momentum. And you just keep that momentum moving forward until other people catch it. And I know everyone whose lives you've touched have felt that motivation and momentum from you. You're such an inspiration to. So many thanks. I want to make sure we talk about your current role as artistic director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, which is just awesome. You are touring the world with some of the most gifted professional artists that we have ever seen. What did you hope for? What was your vision when you first took the home at Hubbard Street?
- [33:02]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
So I feel this awesome responsibility. It's not a burden, it's a responsibility. I know what Hubbard street gave to me, and I know how important Hubbard street is as an institution. And so my first priority is this must go on. Harbor street must continue. There have been some financial challenges, and so my priority was we gotta keep going. People have to know about who we are. They have to know about this gem of a company because it has never stopped being excellent. That's my legacy. If I leave here, and people say she really ensured that the company can go on to the next level, I'll be good, you know, that it could survive. I wanted to do that through audiences. When I was in the company, I remember people flocking to the audience, and we had such great support. And so I wanted to make sure that we got our audiences back and that people were really genuinely excited. And you do that by showing the audience a bit of themselves on stage. People has to relate to the work that you're doing. So bringing in voices like Darrell, Graham Moultrie, who have never choreographed On Hubbard street, which I couldn't even believe. Amy Hall Gardner. I'm celebrating the Juilliard people. You see what I'm doing here? That's right.
- [34:25]
Alicia Graff Mack
I see you, because that was gonna be my next question. What do you look for in choreographers and dancers trying to plug the Juilliard School? Because there are so many alumni who are currently part of the Hubbard street community?
- [34:39]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
Well, y'all, Alicia, you know, y'all doing it right over there.
- [34:43]
Alicia Graff Mack
You just.
- [34:44]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
I mean, just the information that you provide your students prepare them for the real world. And they can do anything. You know, they can be in any genre. And I think as far as looking for dancers, I look for dancers who are proficient in everything, a multitude of forms, ones who are not defined by genre. Oh, I'm a ballet dancer. Oh, I'm a contemporary dancer. Oh, I'm a. You're just a dancer. And you're able to look at any given movement with equality, with curiosity, with a genuine excitement of knowing what that is and being a part of it and learning its form and appreciating its base. That's what I look for. And that's a tall order, but it's possible.
- [35:35]
Alicia Graff Mack
You are the mother of three beautiful children, two adults and one teenager. You are a wife. You are a queen diva of the dance world. And you are a working black woman. When you open your eyes every morning, what motivates you to get through each day?
- [35:53]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
Lordy, my family, man, my family is awesome. My kids, I'm so proud of them. You know why? They're good people. They are good, genuine people who care about other people. That's it. Like, I feel so gratified by that. Gratitude gets me a lot of places. Being grateful. Being grateful for such a loving and supportive husband who said. When I read the application for Harper street, he said, I'm not married to Baltimore. I'm married to you. So wherever you go, I'll go. I mean, just to have that kind of support. I was on the road while raising kids. My kids could not like me if they wanted to, you know, because of all of that being here and being there and all that. But they can appreciate what that was in me. That search for artistry, that fulfilling, that part of me. And it's okay to not be able to do all things at all times. But, man, it's. It's been an extraordinary life. I thank my kids for choosing me. You know, they choose you. So I just. I'm so grateful. She's so grateful.
- [37:11]
Alicia Graff Mack
Well, thank you. You've blessed me today with this conversation. I'm going to take some nuggets of this information back to my. My working mom life as well.
- [37:21]
Linda Denise Fisher Harrell
Thank you, Alicia.
- [37:24]
Alicia Graff Mack
I hope you enjoyed this episode of Moving Moments. If you like what you heard, please tell your friends about it. Spread the word. Be sure to follow the show, rate us, and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. To keep up with future episodes, follow us on Instagram at Moving Moments podcast and Visit us at artfulnarrativesmedia.com Tune in next month as we hear another inspiring artist's moving moment.