The Background Dancer
Subscribed: 9Played: 66
Subscribe
© 2025 The Background Dancer
Description
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!
81 Episodes
Reverse
With the boom in dance universities and academies worldwide over the past two decades, aspiring dancers today may feel spoiled for choice. Yet, identifying true gems among these institutions is crucial for those seeking professional training backed by top educators to shape their futures. Hence why, I explored these crucial choices with Angela Pickard, a dynamic curriculum builder and innovative thinker who became the UK's first Professor of Dance Education in 2021. Angela is the Director of ...
Alexandra Beller is a choreographer, director, teacher, and writer who has worn many hats throughout her career, and was widely known as a member of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company between 1995-2001. Since then, she has become a mentor and coach, guiding creators and performers on their professional journeys. She is also the Artistic Director of Alexandra Beller/Dances, an arts organization that has evolved from a performance and education company into a hub that supports art...
After dedicating the past three years to exploring the world of dance through two full seasons focused on its most innovative pioneers and trailblazers, it’s time to shift gears toward a select few who embody multidisciplinary artistry at its finest. To kick off this third and final season, we delve into the journey of a remarkable artist known for his seamless transition between performer, educator, and creator — Swedish-born Winston Reynolds. Winston began his training at Circomedia in the ...
Bonuses don't end with just the one, as we have yet another fascinating character to introduce to the Background family. What does ageing actually mean in dance? To tackle an issue haven't discussed on this platform, we spoke to a fellow Asian born - Sharon Brach. Sharon is a highly versatile dancer, instructor, and choreographer on the back of a distinguished career that spans Asia, the US, and Europe. After rigorous training in Manila, she graced prominent stages and appeared on tele...
Before diving into yet another fascinating season of dance changemakers, we first have some bonus episodes to wet your appetite! Season 3 is primarily about multi-faceted artists who wear many hats and are brilliant at them all. When the opportunity to host an inaugural LIVE book review presented itself, I duly accepted the challenge to tell choreographer, educator and author, Janaea Rose Lyn. Janaea's focus is on creating and facilitating work that reflects timeless human experience through ...
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 Technology, Education, Business, Interdisciplinarity & Politics. How have the stories of these amazing personalities shaped your perception and approach in dance? Will your journey intersect with one of theirs? Concluding the second season, this epi...
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 Management, Media, Science, Fashion & Choreography. How have the stories of these amazing personalities shaped your perception and approach in dance? Will your journey intersect with one of theirs? Concluding the second season, this episode recaps th...
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 name of the Asia-Pacific Center was changed to WDA Asia-Pacific to reflect its relationship to the global body. Tasked with serving as a primary voice for dance and dancers throughout the Asia-Pacific region, the WDA-AP encourages the exchange of ideas a...
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 contemporary dance companies to integrate disabled and non-disabled dancers. AXIS has since toured extensively, performing in over 100 cities across the US, Europe, the UAE, and Russia, while also earning nine prestigious Isadora Duncan Dance Awards. Current Artis...
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 "olden days." A prime example is the Ballet Russes, one of the greatest ballet troupes of all time, led by the legendary impresario Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev. Fast forward a hundred years, and the landscape has evolved, yet the core principles of collaborat...
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 interdisciplinarity. So, when the opportunity arose to delve into this season's exploration of interdisciplinarity, I was fortunate enough to discover CircusTalk, an international online platform previously led by Canadian Casting Director and Career Coach,...
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 by the visionary Carole Edrich, a former tango dancer and bodybuilder turned project manager and writer, DanceGRiST has cultivated an international team and forged fruitful commercial collaborations all while challenging the prevailing misconception that dance...
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 who do take the leap often become the industry's trailblazers, using their vision and tenacity to spark meaningful change. One such trailblazer is Danny Hindmarsh, an Australian dancer turned business innovator who is already making a global impact. As...
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 dance education during our first season, we delved into academia and the art of learning. Now, we take a closer look at the business of education, focusing on the creation of teaching resources essential for dance educators in the form of Dance Ed Tips. ...
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 captivated me was the dancers' adaptability across various styles and techniques. It revealed that each dance style was rooted in fundamental technique, a pivotal aspect for any dancer unlocking their physicality. One recent development in the vast history of dance tec...
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 robots too now? Enter the fascinating world of Choreorobotics, a field that explores the convergence of dance choreography and robotics technology. At the forefront of this interdisciplinary domain is Dr. Kate Sicchio, a choreographer, media artist, per...
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, including entertainment, communication, and, most notably, education. As dance studios and activity centers worldwide sought efficient management solutions, Jackrabbit Technologies emerged as a pioneer in cloud-based class management software. Under CEO and co-founder...
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-directed the classic film "Singin' in the Rain" (1952). In contemporary cinema, dance continues to play a significant role through films such as "Black Swan" (2010), "La La Land" (2016), which have all brought dance back into the spotlight for the next ge...
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 performer, choreographer and now puppeteer is Duda Paiva. After a few more years thriving as an independent theatrical artist, he initiated the Duda Paiva Company in Amsterdam, Holland, in 2004. Duda was educated as an actor, ballet and Butoh dancer in both Br...
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 Theatre and Arts Entertainment. They were the ones I interacted with most, as they were responsible for crafting costumes and set designs for various other departments including Music, Drama and Chinese Opera. Rike Zöllner hails originally from Germany ...
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States
I am very impressed by the way Jason curates the podcast. He posits dance in context to give audience a bigger picture of how performing arts relates with the real world. Despite this web of relationships is such a vast and complicated one, I am able to follow along under Jason's well organized topics and his clear articulation of thoughts. Highly recommended!
What I enjoy most about The Background Dancer Podcast is that it is incredibly unique. I have yet to find any podcast that fully encompasses the world of performance art—and more exclusively, dance! Jason also has a bona fide talent for podcasting. His voice is clear, distinct, and intuitive. The Background Dancer brings the topic and discussion of dance into the foreground!