Podcast
STUDIO STORIES: REMINISCING ON TWIN CITIES DANCE HISTORY
Hosted by ARENA DANCES · EN
Stories are among our most potent tools. We need to unearth old stories that live in a place and begin to create new ones. We are story makers, not just storytellers. All stories are connected, new ones woven from threads of the old. (Paraphrased- Robin Wall Kimmerer) Join ARENA DANCES every Thursday at noon for Studio Stories, a podcast reminiscing on Twin Cities Dance history. Hosted by Mathew Janczewski, each week will feature a new renowned dance artist who has made an impact on the dance landscape in this big dance town. Know of someone whose connections should be shared? Let us know! Email us at arenadances@gmail.com
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Studio Stories: Reminiscing on Twin Cities Dance with Madeline (Dean) Black - Season 20, Episode 198
Dec 2501:00:14Tap to summarizeMadeline’s life pursuit is the discovery of how the human body moves. Over 30 years in the field of movement, her curiosity explored all aspects of movement in dance, Pilates, yoga, Gyrotonic®, fitness training and from studies of human biomechanics, human cadaver dissection labs, osteopathic and manual therapies. Madeline is the author of “Centered: Organizing the body through movement theory, kinesiology and Pilates techniques” published by Handspring Publishing. Madeline developed the Madeline Black Method™, a method teaching movement teachers to use assessment skills, movement sequences and manual techniques to help people achieve their fullest movement potential. Her extensive study and widely respected accomplishments in the field of movement and fitness have fueled her rise as an international leader in movement and exercise education. What sets Madeline apart is her intuitive integrity, articulate awareness of the physical body and decades of expertise.Madeline has filmed many workshops and movement classes for Pilates Anytime and Fusion Pilates EDU Online. She has a private practice in Sonoma, CA USA.
Transcribe →Studio Stories: Reminiscing on Twin Cities Dance with Catherine Jhung- Season 20, Episode 197
Dec 1801:24:07Tap to summarizeCatherine Jhung is a dancer, actor, teacher and school administrator. Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and Denver, CO., she graduated with a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and holds a Master’s degree in early childhood education from Brooklyn College. Catherine appeared as a featured dancer and royal wife in The King and I on the First National Tour of the Tony Award-winning 1997 Broadway revival. Modern dance credits include Bill Young and Dancers (New York City), Silesian Dance Theatre (Bitom, Poland) and the New Dance Ensemble (Minneapolis, MN), where she performed in the works of many notable choreographers, including Bill T. Jones, Douglas Dunn, Bebe Miller, Doug Elkins and Ralph Lemon. In Minneapolis, Catherine also performed at the Minneapolis Children’s Theatre Company and Theatre Mu (Mu Productions). As an actor, Catherine appeared on television in ABC’s One Life To Live and All My Children. She was a member of the award-winning Rising Circle Theater Collective, originating roles in the plays Pulling the Lever and American Family Project. Catherine taught arts-in-education workshops in dance and drama to students of all ages in the New York City area for over ten years for American Ballet Theatre, Queens Theatre in the Park and New York City Center. She served as a Montessori preschool administrator for five years. And most recently taught at the Park Slope Schoolhouse and in NYC Dept of Ed PreK early learning centers. Catherine enjoys spending time with her family and in nature, swimming, cycling around her neighborhood, cooking and singing. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her musical husband and daughter and the family’s two beloved cats, Fripp and Eno.
Transcribe →Studio Stories: Reminiscing on Twin Cities Dance with Olalade Gbadamosi - Season 20, Episode 196
Dec 1100:36:21Tap to summarizeOlolade Gbadamosi, also known as O, is a Twin Cities native who is a dancing artist, an educator and administrator. Ololade specializes in the dance styles Krump, Hip Hop and Afro Social dances.Krump is a street dance that stands for Kingdom Radically Uplifting Mighty Praise. Ololade is mostly self taught in this style and has traveled outside of Minnesota to participate in battles and also take classes from other proven krumpers including the creators of the dance style Chez "Tight Eyez" Willis and Jo'Artis "Mijo" Ratti. Ololade has been a big supporter in the MN Krump & dance community by teaching krump, hosting events such as The Uprizing and being involved in hip hop based performances such as I'm From Vol. 1; The Mixtape series at the Cowles Center; and Rooted Hip Hop Choreographers' Evening. He has also performed internationally in Montréal, Canada (Gutta Zone Krump event), Johannesburg, South Africa (One Kasi Arts Summit) and Dusseldorf, Germany (European Buck Session Krump event).
Transcribe →Studio Stories: Reminiscing on Twin Cities Dance with Vanessa Voskuil - Season 20, Episode 195
Dec 400:58:53Tap to summarizeVanessa Voskuil is a choreographer, director, performer, writer, designer, and teaching artist. Ranging from large community-inclusive performance works to ensemble and solo works for site-specific locations and theater settings, her work has been described as “visually arresting,” “boldly and uncompromisingly moving within its own time and its own logic,” and “interlaced with surrealist sensibility and bracing intelligence.”Voskuil has received two Minnesota Sage Dance Awards for Outstanding Design and nominated twice for Outstanding Performance. She has been honored twice with a McKnight Fellowship for Choreography (2009, 2015) and awarded “Best Dancer 2015” by City Pages in addition to her cast for “en masse” in 2009. She has been honored by Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine as "Best of the Year 2015." Voskuil has been named one of the “7 Artists to Watch” by Minnesota Monthly Magazine and recognized by the Star Tribune as one of “9 Minnesota Artists to Expect Great Things.” Her work has been commissioned by the American Dance Festival (NC), Walker Art Center, The Southern Theater, Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater, Minnesota Visible Fringe, Red Eye Theater, Off-Leash Area, and Flaneur Productions, and supported by the Jerome Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, Sewell Family Foundation, American Composers Forum, Moore Family Fund for the Arts of the Minneapolis Foundation, Forecast Public Art, Northern Lights.mn, and Dakota West Arts Council. In 2017, she was awarded a 3-month artist residency and travel fellowship to Japan provided through the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.From 2003-09, Voskuil served as co-founding, artistic director of award-winning, ensemble-based performance company, Live Action Set. In 2010, Voskuil co-founded the Minnesota Dance Film Festival and served as the festival director until 2013.As a teaching artist, Voskuil has taught through Zenon Dance school, University of MInnesota, and Live Action Set. She has held choreographic residencies at the American Dance Festival (NC), Carleton College, Macalester College, University of Wisconsin-River Falls, Zenon Dance School, International Music Camp, and Guild Incorporated.As a performer, Voskuil has performed with Emily Johnson’s Catalyst Dances (1998-2005), Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater (2001-2009), Skewed Visions, Theatre Novi Most, and Off-Leash Area.Voskuil holds a BFA in Dance and a BA in Theater from the University of Minnesota.
Transcribe →Studio Stories: NEW BREED series with Cecil Neal - Season 19, Episode 194
Sep 2500:42:30Tap to summarizeCecil Neal, also known as Virgo and The Final Warning, is an artist born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and based in Minneapolis. His training began in his high school dance program and at SPCPA (St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists), and was refined under the mentorship of Herb Johnson from the age of 16.Cecil’s artistry has carried him to stages such as the Ordway, the Super Bowl, Walker Art Center, and Orchestra Hall with the Minnesota Orchestra ensemble. Internationally, he has represented with companies like BRKFST and FWKD in Vancouver and Montreal—bringing the spirit of Krump to audiences across borders.In 2025, Cecil was awarded the McKnight Fellowship for Dancers, marking a milestone in his pursuit of growth and artistic freedom. That same spirit of trust and expression pushed him to victory at the 10-Year Anniversary of House of Dance Twin Cities (All Styles Battle) and continues to guide his leadership as he prepares to judge the 11-Year Anniversary this year. His teaching has also expanded beyond Minnesota, impacting communities in San Diego and Oceanside through classes with Culture Shock San Diego—reaching new levels of connection and inspiring dancers to find their own voice.At home, Cecil is building new programming for both youth and adults, while continuing to share his artistry at Hot House Studios, Young Dance, and through the YMCA Beacons Program.At the heart of Cecil’s work is a belief in consistency, hard work, and giving back. Through every performance, battle, and classroom, he strives to create moments of trust, freedom, and transformation for himself and the communities he serves.
Transcribe →Studio Stories: NEW BREED series with Kayla Schiltgen - Season 19, Episode 193
Sep 1800:41:21Tap to summarizeKayla Schiltgen is an interdisciplinary artist based in rural Two Harbors, Minnesota, blending dance and film to cope with and communicate her existence. Guided by her belief that subjectivity and vulnerability serve as an echo palette for others, Kayla creates screen dance, installation, and performance to facilitate exchange that affirms, affects, and inspires both artist and audience. She takes a multidimensional approach rooted in the Rural—working as choreographer/editor, dancer, cinematographer, and sound designer, with place as her collaborator.Kayla is a 2025 McKnight Choreographer Fellow, 2022 Upstream Artist Fellow, the recipient of multiple Minnesota State Arts Board and Arrowhead Regional Arts Council awards, and recognized as a creative rural leader in the Upper Midwest by Springboard for the Arts.Her work has been presented at the Walker Art Center, the International Meeting on Video-Dance and Video-Performance (Spain & France), North Dakota Environmental Rights Film Festival, InShadow Screendance Festival (Portugal), Duluth Superior Film Festival, DanceBARN Screendance Festival, Wolf Tree Film Festival (MI), Arena Dance’s CandyBox Festival, RAD Fest, The Lab at NorShor Theatre, and the Minnesota Fringe Festival, among others.Kayla’s practice centers the Rural as a site of resilience and creativity. She is currently touring rural Minnesota with performances, workshops, and artist chats of her evening-length work is this magic?. She holds a B.A. in Dance from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and continues her studies with screendance artist Katrina McPherson, and courses in filmmaking and improvisational movement.Learn more about Kayla’s work @kaylaschiltgen or at kaylaschiltgen.com.
Transcribe →Studio Stories: NEW BREED series with Emily Michaels King - Season 19, Episode 192
Sep 1100:40:54Tap to summarizeEmily Michaels King is a performing artist based in St. Paul, Minnesota exploring authentic expression and human depth through movement, multimedia, and visual compositions for the stage. Emily is known for her fearless personal work, provocative compositions, and collaged evening-length solo performances, including: her award winning show MAGIC GIRL; multimedia online work DIGITAL; IN PERSON, a companion to DIGITAL; the raucous CHICKEN WING; and the harrowing STAR KEEPER. An in-progress version of her solo, ELECTRIC, was performed at Arena Dance’s 2022 CandyBox Festival. Additionally, her work has been presented at the Walker Art Center, the Guthrie Theater, and Movement Research, among others. Emily is also a 2025 McKnight Choreography Fellow. Pairing minimalism and subtlety with cacophony and bared irreverence, Emily’s works employ the lush landscape of the inner world and the power of unapologetic vulnerability. They combine movement with text, graphics, sound, and technology to focus on themes of self discovery and reclamation, womanhood, and bold expressions of personal truth.
Transcribe →Studio Stories: NEW BREED series with Malia Craft - Season 19, Episode 191
Sep 400:24:30Tap to summarizeMalia Craft is from Hartwell, Georgia and began her training at Hot Shots Dance Company, where she trained in ballet, modern, contemporary, hip hop, and jazz and found her love for performing, as well as teaching. Malia attended the University of Georgia, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Dance, with a minor in exercise and sports science, and a certificate in K-12 dance education. Malia was also a part of the Georgette’s Dance Team for three years. She is currently an artist with Threads Dance Project, Concerto Dance and Rhythmically Speaking Dance. In addition to training and performing, Malia is passionate about working with young artists. She has choreographed musicals and dance team routines, and has taught at numerous studios throughout Georgia and Minnesota.
Transcribe →Studio Stories: NEW BREED series with Dominick Burkhardt - Season 19, Episode 190
Aug 2800:41:09Tap to summarizeTwin Cities–based dancer and choreographer Dominick Burkhardt discovered his passion for the arts early in life, growing up in his mother’s dance studio. Immersed in a creative environment from a young age, he trained extensively in all styles of dance—including ballet, jazz, hip hop, tap, contemporary, modern, and acro—building a versatile and dynamic foundation. He honed his technical and performance skills at both Larkin Dance Studio and the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, graduating in 2018 with a strong focus on both commercial and concert dance. During his time at SPCPA, he also received training in musical theater, further enriching his performance range while maintaining a strong dance core. His diverse training has allowed him to move seamlessly across genres, whether on stage, on screen, or in the studio. Dominick has worked with top artists and global brands, performing and modeling for the NFL and several Fortune 500 companies in a range of commercial campaigns. He is a current company member with Black Label Movement, where he performed at the 2024 American Dance Festival, and has worked with companies and artists including Rachel Lieberman in the Red Eye's NW4W Festival, Cheng Xiong in the Candy Box Dance Festival presented by ARENA DANCES, and Eduardo Navarro in Cloud Museum, performed at the Walker Art Center. In 2025, he was selected as a choreographer for Black Label Movement’s Movers Make 2.0, a platform supporting emerging choreographic voices. In addition to performing and choreographing, Dominick is a dedicated educator who currently teaches all styles of dance at various Twin Cities dance schools. With a deep appreciation for both technique and artistry, he’s passionate about helping dancers of all levels grow in confidence, versatility, and discipline. Outside of the dance world, Dominick holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from Upper Iowa University and works as a system administrator in Minneapolis. He also serves as a Staff Sergeant in the Iowa Air National Guard. Whether on stage, in the studio, or in uniform, Dominick is committed to excellence, mentorship, and empowering others through discipline, creativity, and purpose in every area of life.
Transcribe →Studio Stories: NEW BREED series with Sarah McCullough - Season 15, Episode 167
Nov 14, 202401:05:05Tap to summarizeSarah McCullough (she/her) is a Minneapolis-based movement enthusiast, freelance performer, yoga practitioner/teacher, and educator in contemporary forms. Originally from Virginia, she attended James Madison University as a Madison Achievement Scholar, and earned her BA in Dance and Mathematics. As a student, she performed works by Doug Varone, Netta Yerushalmy, Christopher K. Morgan, Rubén Graciani, and others. Since joining Minneapolis’ dance community in 2018, she has had the pleasure of performing in works choreographed by Alexandra Bodnarchuk, Berit Ahlgren, Carl Flink, Helen Hatch, Marisol Herling, Mathew Janczewski, Taja Will, and more. She has toured with Minneapolis based dance companies Black Label Movement and ARENA DANCES to the greater Minnesota area, Florida, and New York. She is a highly collaborative artist who is passionate about aliveness in performance, and seeks to perform works that center humanity, complexity, and play. She currently teaches contemporary classes at Zenon Dance School, Hothouse, and Minnesota Dance Theater. Sarah has offered classes at the Limón Twin Cities Intensive, ARENA DANCES' Instinct Intensive, The University of Winchester (UK), North Carolina State University, and several high school dance programs throughout the Twin Cities. She is also a 200-hour accredited yoga teacher and offers a holistic approach to mindful movement as a personal and artistic practice.
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