This week’s Barre Talk guest is Jorden Morris, Orlando Ballet’s newest artist in residence. A former principal dancer with Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Jorden Morris choreographs, teaches, and directs for prestigious dance companies across the country. In addition to premiering two full-length productions with Orlando Ballet this season, Morris will be a guest teacher at Orlando Ballet School’s summer intensives for the next two years and continue working with the company through the 2021-22 season. Morris’ ballet’s “Moulin Rouge” and “Peter Pan” will premiere in Orlando in February and April 2021 respectively.

This week Robert is joined by American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer, Aran Bell. Bell joined ABT Studio Company in September 2014, joined the main Company as an apprentice in May 2016, and became a member of the corps de ballet in March 2017. He was promoted to Soloist in September 2019 and to Principal Dancer in September 2020.

Bell’s awards include the Hope Award at the Youth America Grand Prix Finals in New York City in 2009 and 2010, followed by the Junior Grand Prix in 2011, Grand Prix at the Milan International Ballet Competition (2010), the Premio Positano (2011), the Premio Amalfi Young Talent Award (2012), Gold Medal at Tanzolymp Berlin (2012), Gold Medal and Audience Choice Award at Rieti International Ballet Competition (2012), the Premio Roma Jia Ruskaja (2012) and the Premio Capri Danza International Award (2014).  He has performed in galas throughout Europe and the United States.  Bell was featured in the 2011 film First Position: A Ballet Documentary.

This week’s Barre Talk guest is Alfred Szymanski. Szymanski is a special event and development consultant to arts and non-profit organizations. He has worked with organizations including American Ballet Theatre, American Repertory Ballet, Columbia College Chicago, St. Bonaventure University,  The New School, and Parsons School of Design. Szymanski has managed events honoring royalty, first ladies, political/business leaders, and celebrities at Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, United Nations, NYC Armory, Central Park, and Gracie Mansion. He currently volunteers at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Natural History in New York City.

Robert is joined by Michael Pink, British choreographer, director, dancer, and theatre producer whose works and style have been referred to as “classical ballet for the 21st century.” Pink began his professional career as a dancer with the London Festival Ballet (now the English National Ballet). After retiring from the stage, Pink went on to choreograph, direct, and teach internationally. He has served as the Artistic Director of the Milwaukee Ballet for the last 16 years.

This week’s Barre Talk guest is Denise Roberts Hurlin. Denise was a founding member of Parsons Dance Company and a member of the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Denise and fellow Paul Taylor dancer, Hernando Cortez, co-founded Dancers Responding to AIDS as a vehicle to help many of their friends and fellow dancers who had become ill. Denise remains in her role as founding director, leading the program’s efforts to continue providing a safety net for the dance community.

Robert is joined by the legendary Masazumi Chaya, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s former Associate Artistic Director. Chaya joined AAADT in 1972 and performed with the Company for 15 years. In 1988, he became the Company’s Rehearsal Director after serving as Assistant Rehearsal Director for two years. A master teacher, both on tour with the Company and in his native Japan, he served as choreographic assistant to Alvin Ailey and John Butler. From 1991 to 2019, Mr. Chaya served as Associate Artistic Director of the Company.

This week's Barre Talk guest is Kansas City Ballet Music Director, Ramona Pansegrau. Pansegrau has been called one of the best ballet pianists in the world. She was the music director for Tulsa Ballet for nine years, and conductor of the Tulsa Symphony orchestra for ballet performances prior to joining Kansas City Ballet in October 2006. Pansegrau’s other ongoing engagements include Music Director and Conductor for the USA International Ballet Competition and a guest conductor for Orlando Ballet.

Robert is joined by former Dance Theatre of Harlem principal dancer, Robert Garland on this week’s Barre Talk. After creating a work for the DTH School Ensemble, Arthur Mitchell invited Robert Garland to create a work for The Dance Theatre of Harlem Company and appointed him the organization’s first Resident Choreographer. Garland has also created works for New York City Ballet, Britain’s Royal Ballet, Oakland Ballet, and many others. He also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the Juilliard School in New York City and is currently the Dance Theatre of Harlem School Director.

This week’s Barre Talk guest is radio personality, Chad Pitt! Chad is one half of the “Chad and Leslye in the Morning” on Magic 107.7. He’s spent 15+ years behind a microphone, on television, hosting award shows, and advocating for many local and national non-profit organizations.  We’re thrilled that Chad will be narrating the voice of Carabosse in our upcoming production of The Sleeping Beauty!

As we continue to strive to reach wider audiences, this week’s Barre Talk episode is in Spanish featuring sisters, Rosalinda and Diana Farias Ortegón. Rosalinda and Diana chat with Robert about their careers, their time spent together at Ballet de Monterrey, and what they hope to see for the future of ballet in Mexico.

This week’s guest is Abdur-Rahim Jackson graduate of The Juilliard School, former Principal Dancer with The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Broadway performer. He has created ballets for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Complexions Contemporary Ballet and Orlando Ballet. Abdur-Rahim co-choreographed Beyoncé "Halo" music video and choreographed the LED sections of Beyoncé "Crazy in Love" Super Bowl XLVII Halftime performance on CBS. He has also choreographed the Salt-N-Pepa Lane Bryant Campaign, L'Oréal/Matrix and JCPenney Salons Hair and Fashion Shows across the country.

This week’s Barre Talk guest is Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet. O’Hare’s ballet career began with The Royal Ballet’s sister company Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet. He became a Principal dancer during its transformation into Birmingham Royal Ballet. He performed extensively in the UK and internationally with leading figures in the ballet world, including Ninette de Valois, Peter Wright, Frederick Ashton, MacMillan and David Bintley. O’Hare is celebrating his ninth season as Director of the Royal Ballet.

This week’s Barre Talk guest is an internationally recognized stager and coach, Susan Jones. Susan is currently a Regisseur at American Ballet Theatre where she danced with the Company for eight successive seasons. She was appointed Regisseur in 1980. Next year will mark 50 years since Jones joined ABT!

Jones has staged works for Orlando Ballet including Don Quixote and Sinatra Suite. Her ABT stagings include George Balanchine’s Symphonie Concertante, Agnes de Mille’s Fall River Legend, Twyla Tharp’s Push Comes to Shove, Bach Partita, The Brahms-Haydn Variations, and many others. 

As we continue to strive to reach wider audiences, this week's Barre Talk episode is in Spanish featuring Orlando Ballet Company dancers, Luis Gonzalez and Israel Zavaleta Escobedo. Luis and Israel chat with Robert about their training, careers, and life at Orlando Ballet.

Luis Gonzalez joined Orlando Ballet in 2012 through 2015. From there, he joined Joffrey Ballet in 2015. Gonzalez returned to Orlando Ballet for the  2019/20 season.

Israel Zavaleta Escobedo joined Orlando Ballet’s second company in 2018 after attending the OBS Summer Intensive. He spent two years as a member of Orlando Ballet’s Second Company. Escobedo was promoted from Company Apprentice to Main Company member for the 20/21 season.

This week Robert Hill is joined by Orlando Ballet dancers, Kate-Lynn Robichaux and Rachele Eusebione! Kate-Lynn joined the Orlando Ballet Company in 2011 and has danced many principal roles during her career. Rachele spent two years with the Orlando Ballet Second Company and was recently promoted to the main company as an apprentice for the 20/21 season. Kate-lynn and Rachele speak with Robert about their training, careers and life at Orlando Ballet.

Internationally celebrated ballerina and current artistic director of Miami City Ballet, Lourdes Lopez joins Robert Hill on this week’s Barre Talk. Lourdes Lopez was recently named one of “The Most Influential People in Dance Today” by Dance Magazine. She became artistic director of Miami City Ballet in 2012, bringing with her a nearly 40-year career in dance, television, teaching, and arts management. As a Soloist and Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet, Lopez danced for two legends of the art form, George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins

This week’s guest is world-renowned ballet sensation, Julio Bocca! Bocca has been called one of the most popular Argentine dancers of all time and is a recipient of many prestigious awards including The New York Times Dancers of the Year. He spent twenty years as a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre and went on to serve as artistic director of the National Ballet of Uruguay.

This week’s Barre Talk guest is Dance Theatre of Harlem Artistic Director, Virginia Johnson. Johnson was a founding member of Dance Theatre of Harlem and was one of its principal ballerinas over a career that spanned nearly 30 years. After retiring, Johnson went on to found Pointe Magazine and was editor-in-chief for 10 years

This week’s Barre Talk guest is Broadway producer, director and co-founder of Apples and Oranges Arts, Tim Kashani! Pamela and Tim Kashani sponsored Orlando Ballet’s Dance Accelerator program which is modeled after the Kashanis’ “Theater Accelerator,” An immersive musical theatre intensive development accelerator for promising storytellers. Tim Kashani serves on the Orlando Ballet Board of Directors.

World-renowned ballerina and newly appointed Artistic Director of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Susan Jaffe joins Robert Hill on this week’s episode of Barre Talk. Susan was a principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre for 22 years, beginning in 1980. She appeared prominently in the international dance scene and frequently danced with Mikhail Baryshnikov. Susan and Robert talk about their time at American Ballet Theatre and their experience as artistic directors during a global pandemic.