Why Dance Matters

People often say ‘dance is for everyone’, but few people walk the walk like Irma Becker. In Miami, she leads the Inspire Theatre Project at Area Stage Conservatory. Inspire is an inclusive programme for neurodiverse ballet students – but it doesn’t water down the rigorous RAD ballet syllabus. Irma ran both a professional dance school and a special needs dance company in Mexico before moving to Miami, and has been nominated for the RAD’s Community Engagement award. How does she lead students through ballet’s forbidding thickets of technique? And where does her passion for teaching come from?Inspire Theatre Project at Area Stage Conservatory: https://www.areastageconservatory.org/itpWhy Dance Matters is a dance podcast featuring inspiring conversations with extraordinary people from the world of dance and beyond. Hosted by David Jays, editor of Dance Gazette, this podcast explores how dance shapes lives and why it matters to us all. Brought to you by the RAD, which inspires the world to dance, these insightful stories will surprise and delight. Tune in and discover more on our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sonia Brown is an award-winning RAD teacher in Berkshire, UK. The RAD’s Silver Swans programme, aimed at people aged 55 and over, struck a chord with her. Her mother was Sonia’s first student, and the classes have grown into a warm and inclusive community of dancers: they even threw her a surprise hen party when she got married. And in 2025 Sonia won the People’s Choice Award at the One Dance UK Awards. But how do you release the joy of dance among people who may not have danced for decades, or have never danced before?Sonia’s dance classes: https://www.withsoniabrown.com/Why Dance Matters is a dance podcast featuring inspiring conversations with extraordinary people from the world of dance and beyond. Hosted by David Jays, editor of Dance Gazette, this podcast explores how dance shapes lives and why it matters to us all. Brought to you by the RAD, which inspires the world to dance, these insightful stories will surprise and delight. Tune in and discover more on our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jack Murphy is the acclaimed choreographer and movement director of Bridgerton. Initially an actor, he became a movement director (training in part at the RAD), helping actors find a physicality to connect them with their characters. Jack was involved in the BBC’s iconic 1995 Pride and Prejudice: in a full-circle moment, he’s worked on Netflix’s new version, starring Emma Corrin. But his work is seen at its most captivating in Bridgerton, which shakes up the rules of period drama and puts dance at its centre. His dance is rooted in why people dance, who they truly are. Pride and Prejudice launches on Netflix later in 2026, and season five of Bridgerton in 2027. Jack’s website is https://jackmurphymovement.co.uk/Why Dance Matters is a dance podcast featuring inspiring conversations with extraordinary people from the world of dance and beyond. Hosted by David Jays, editor of Dance Gazette, this podcast explores how dance shapes lives and why it matters to us all. Brought to you by the RAD, which inspires the world to dance, these insightful stories will surprise and delight. Tune in and discover more on our website.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christopher Wheeldon is a very special guest for the 100th episode of Why Dance Matters. He’s a ballet great – creator of marvels like After the Rain and Tryst, and full length enchantments like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Winter’s Tale. He’s big on Broadway and in the West End, with shows like An American in Paris and MJ the Musical. He’s also president of Benesh International, dedicated to the notation which keeps dance alive, and has just received the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award, the RAD’s highest honour. And he is the 100th brilliant person to answer the question: why does dance matter? Christopher Wheeldon: https://christopherwheeldon.com/Why Dance Matters is a dance podcast featuring inspiring conversations with extraordinary people from the world of dance and beyond. Hosted by David Jays, editor of Dance Gazette, this podcast explores how dance shapes lives and why it matters to us all. Brought to you by the RAD, which inspires the world to dance, these insightful stories will surprise and delight. Tune in and discover more on our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The RAD has an impressive global reach – in over 80 countries across the world, thousands of teachers are progressing even more thousands of students the curves and lines that make up classical ballet technique. And looking after all those teachers are a wonderful flock of RAD National Directors, including our guest Amanda Teo, RAD National Director in Singapore. Amanda trained in RAD ballet before working behind the scenes at Singapore Ballet and then coming to the RAD as National Director. She has never lost her passion for what dance can do, the way it inspires, elevates and can create community. Why Dance Matters is a dance podcast featuring inspiring conversations with extraordinary people from the world of dance and beyond. Hosted by David Jays, editor of Dance Gazette, this podcast explores how dance shapes lives and why it matters to us all. Brought to you by the RAD, which inspires the world to dance, these insightful stories will surprise and delight. Tune in and discover more on our website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.