
The Background Dancer
The Background Dancer sheds light on critical aspects underpinning the dance and performing arts industry through topics ranging from management, entrepreneurship, education, technology, fashion, choreography, politics, interdisciplinarity, media and wellness. Host Jason Yap details fascinating and useful information to help deepen your knowledge of all things offstage, while exploring and preparing together for a post-performance career. Listen in for a bi-weekly conversation with dance lovers from across Asia, Europe and the US, sharing experiences and practices that are both intimate and insightful. Jason is a dance artist, multidisciplinary producer and psychology graduate himself. Despite not pursuing it vocationally, he has still adopted many of psychology's approaches throughout his professional life - the concept of multiplicity and the performing arts as a 'whole that is bigger than the sum of its parts' ecosystem. Ready to talk all things dance? Join us as we begin to foreground Dance in the Background!
Episodes
76 episodes
Finale: Season 2 Review Part 2
We have come full circle yet again and successfully completed another full season of the most niche dance content you can find! Part 2 of the season round-up provides a quick run-through episodes 11 -20 under the thematic categories of Techn...
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Season 2
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Episode 22
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24:56

Finale: Season 2 Review Part I
We have come full circle yet again and successfully completed another full season of the most niche dance content you can find! Part 1 of the season round-up provides a quick run-through episodes 1 -10 under the thematic categories of Manage...
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Season 2
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Episode 21
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23:29

Dance of International Relations | Urmimala Sarkar Munsi
Established as an independent, non-profit organization, WDA-AP originated as the Asia Pacific Dance Alliance in Hong Kong in 1988. It later became part of the global body, World Dance Alliance (WDA), founded in 1990 by Carl Wolz. In 1993, the n...
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Season 2
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Episode 20
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56:02

Access to AXIS | Nadia Adame
Founded in 1987, California-based AXIS Dance Company has long been at the forefront of redefining dance and disability. Through world-class productions that challenge perceptions, AXIS quickly established itself as one of the first conte...
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Season 2
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Episode 19
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1:03:36

Palette of the Modern Impresario | Paul Seaquist
One of the most persistent misconceptions surrounding classical ballet is the notion that they are too old-fashioned and rigid. However, true arts enthusiasts recognize its inherent diversity and multi-disciplinarity even in the so-called "olde...
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Season 2
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Episode 18
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1:00:48

Talking Circus with CircusTalk | Stacy Clark
The memory of my first-ever invert on a pole — when I hung upside down—remains vivid as if it happened yesterday. That experience with the circus arts community in Malaysia opened my eyes to a vast and captivating genre that thrives on its inte...
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Season 2
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Episode 17
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59:05

Accelerating the Dance Creative | Carole Edrich
Positioned as a pre-seed collaborative social enterprise, DanceGRiST was established with the noble objective of elevating the income and status of dancers, multi-skilled artists, and other professionals in the movement arts sector. Led ...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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47:27

Inside Industry Auditions | Danny Hindmarsh
Shifting from performer to entrepreneur requires not just passion but also a high tolerance for risk and uncertainty. Without a strong appetite for the unpredictable journey ahead, many dancers shy away from the entrepreneurial path. Yet, those...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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58:33

Transforming the Dance Teacher | Olivia Mode-Cater
Dance education is often likened to a Chinese proverb: 'A minute of work seen on stage takes 10 years of work off stage.' And while talent plays a role, education stands as the primary pillar shaping a dancer's journey. In our exploration of da...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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55:47

Pioneering Dance as Technique | Anouk van Dijk
A personal story told many times over on this podcast is my journey into dance which commenced gradually through the popular reality TV series, So You Think You Can Dance. While the show's drama took center stage for many, what captiva...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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1:00:25

Grooving to Choreorobotics | Kate Sicchio
When Boston Dynamics, an engineering and robotics design company went viral for successfully creating the now famous Atlas dancing robots video, it caught more than a few people in the world of dance by storm. Would our jobs be threatened by ro...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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47:56

Into the Jackrabbit Hole | Mark Mahoney
SaaS, also known as software as a a service or web-based software, operates on a subscription basis, providing users with centrally hosted solutions accessible anytime, anywhere. This model has transformed countless industries, includi...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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56:01

Creativity in Screendance | Mike Tyus
Long before the formulation of the world’s first MA in Screendance by the LCDS, the genre had already dated as far back to the early days of cinema. Gene Kelly emerged as a prominent figure during the 1940s and 50s after he starred in and co-di...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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46:45

Puppetry in Dance Theatre | Duda Paiva
While most of us aspiring contemporary dancers will decide to undergo formal training under the foundations of Graham, Cunningham, Limon and various others, a small subset has diverted into the wondrous world of puppet theatre. One such perform...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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46:05

Dance of Costume Design | Rike Zöllner
Costumes, costumes, costumes... they are everywhere, aren't they? From festive occasions to theatrical performances and even on the silver screen in movies. Whilst studying dance, I was always captivated by the costume design at the School of T...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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41:07

Tailoring a Dancewear Venture | Sandra Meynier Kang
As a dancer, have you ever wondered about the significance of the clothes on your back? For most, the selection of brands and gear is a deliberate choice, a conscious decision shaping their dance journey. A notable name in this arena is <...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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1:07:40

Dance Medicine at Harkness | Dr. Donald Rose
Have you ever suffered a catastrophic injury? How does one recover and regain peak condition following damage to the anatomy? Amidst the many inherent challenges within the dance sphere — a beacon of hope shines at the NYU Langone Orthopedic Ho...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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58:41

Pillars of Dance Science | Emma Redding
What exactly is Dance Science? What are the main foundations that constitute its rich and detailed history? Given dance's unique position at the intersection of arts and sports, it was inevitable that this field would eventually enter the mains...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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1:01:30

Pointe of Podcasting | Lauren Ritchie
What does it take to stand out as a podcaster anyways? Is the craze for this new medium truly justified for the world of dance? Like in every other sector, the field of dance-related podcasts is now beyond saturated. Yet, that didn’t discourage...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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1:19:39

Dance of Art Journalism | Margaret Fuhrer
Is journalism dead? What is the most trusted form of media today? While there isn’t a definitive answer, one company comes admirably close. Dance Media Publications is a multi-varied media platform that covers dance like no other and has...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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48:37

Institutional Leadership and Culture | Pamela Tatge
What does it mean to be a leader in the arts? Have you ever dreamt of heading an international platform which boasts both historical and current prestige? As far as dance goes dance, very few are like The Jacob's Pillow. Established on a treasu...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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49:05

Co-directing an International Festival | Wieland & Poulinas
What does it take to stage a dance festival? Have you ever wanted to initiate an international platform with long-term sustainability? Despite the overwhelming number of contemporary dance festivals around today, very few have peaked at the lev...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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54:36

Artunio Talks 4: Compromising Your Art for Exposure on Social? | Timotej Vrab
Are you compromising your art for more exposure, followers and following on social media? What do artists really need? Simply, we need to be discovered by people who are interested in what we have to share. Just think about it. Instagram is not...
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Season 1
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Episode 54
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29:46

Artunio Talks 3: Is the Environment on Social Media Ridiculous? | Timotej Vrab
Is the overall environment on social media just absurd? Is it appropriate to place art next to irrelevant content such as pets, pranks and political correctness? But that herein lies the problem we face when squaring up to mass content on platf...
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Season 1
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Episode 53
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31:00

Artunio Talks 2: Does Social Media Downgrade Creativity? | Timotej Vrab
Does social media actually downgrade your creativity? What are the obvious disadvantages of constantly churning out content for such platforms? A lot has changed from their humble beginnings and who knows how much more is changing as we speak. ...
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Season 1
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Episode 52
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29:44
