Named after the Greek goddess of dance and chorus and also an allusion to historian Sally Banes’ seminal book on postmodern dance “Terpsichore in Sneakers,” Terpsichore is a podcast celebrating dancers, choreographers, and bodies in motion. Curated and hosted by dance critic and writer Emily May, Terpsichore interviews leading voices from the dance industry about their lives, careers, and the artists that have inspired them.
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Named after the Greek goddess of dance and chorus and also an allusion to historian Sally Banes’ seminal book on postmodern dance “Terpsichore in Sneakers,” Terpsichore is a podcast celebrating dancers, choreographers, and bodies in motion. Curated and hosted by dance critic and writer Emily May, Terpsichore interviews leading voices from the dance industry about their lives, careers, and the artists that have inspired them.
Episode 35: Visual artist Megan Rooney on the dance between paint and movement
Terpsichore: Voices in Dance
54 minutes 26 seconds
3 months ago
Episode 35: Visual artist Megan Rooney on the dance between paint and movement
Based in London, visual artist Megan Rooney grew up between South Africa, Brazil, and Canada. She completed her BA at the University of Toronto before earning an MA in Fine Art from Goldsmiths College, London, in 2011. Working across painting, sculpture, installation, performance, and language, the body has long played a central role in her practice. Megan describes her painting process as deeply physical—using her own body to engage with the canvas in shifting ways. Whether swaying gently or rushing forward, her bodily stance and mood directly shape the gestures that unfold in her work.
Performance is often an integral part of Megan’s exhibitions. She regularly collaborates with choreographer Temitope Ajose, with whom she shares a long-standing creative partnership. For her recent solo exhibition ‘Yellow Yellow Blue’ at Thaddaeus Ropac gallery in London, Ajose and dancer Leah Marjovec performed a duet titled ‘Spin Down Sky II’, accompanied by live saxophone from multidisciplinary artist tyroneisaacstuart. This performance—first developed through earlier works at Kettle’s Yard in 2024—continued the poetic narrative of the night butterfly and the bolas spider, symbolic characters that have become recurring figures in Rooney’s evolving universe.
Listen to our full conversation with Megan and, if you’re based in London, make sure to head over to Thaddaeus Ropac to see the final performance of ‘Spin Down Sky II’ at 7pm on 27th July.
Terpsichore: Voices in Dance
Named after the Greek goddess of dance and chorus and also an allusion to historian Sally Banes’ seminal book on postmodern dance “Terpsichore in Sneakers,” Terpsichore is a podcast celebrating dancers, choreographers, and bodies in motion. Curated and hosted by dance critic and writer Emily May, Terpsichore interviews leading voices from the dance industry about their lives, careers, and the artists that have inspired them.
