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Team Zarely: Rebecca, Conversations On Dance is an amazing and inspiring podcast for all the ballet geeks around the world. The choice of topics and guests shows that you are extremely knowledgeable and do intend showing the ballet world in its entire complexity. Have you been doing any "dance journalism" prior to launching Conversations On Dance?
Rebecca King: As a matter of fact I have been the purveyor of a dance blog, Tendus Under A Palm Tree.com, for the past 7 years. I have found my blog to be so enriching to my career. For my blog, I have spent time researching ballets, researching choreographers, conducting interviews, and developing a creative outlet for myself.
The best part, and perhaps the most surprising, has been connecting with dance lovers from around the world. There is, in a fact, a huge demand for a deeper understanding of the world of professional ballet. For years throughout ballet’s history, there has been a belief among the dance world that the allure of ballet is the dancers onstage seem ethereal, and perhaps untouchable. But with the prominence of the internet and social media in recent years, we are now presented with a unique opportunity to reach more people and pull back the curtain on our art form. Like anything, the more you learn about something and the better you understand it, the more enriching your experience can be.
Most recently, I have partnered with a fellow Miami City Ballet dancer, Michael Sean Breeden to create a podcast, Conversations on Dance, as an extension of my blog. The motivation behind the project remains like that of my blog, but the podcast allows us the opportunity to bring our listeners closer to the people who know the dance world the best. As Michael and I are both current dancers, we are constantly working with many of the people we have on as guests; we know them personally and know their work well. This allows us to ask questions that our guests may not otherwise receive.
Team Zarely: Creating and promoting a podcast must be pretty time consuming. And as you mentioned, both - Michael and you - are current dancers. What motivates you to move forward with your podcast?
Rebecca King: Continuing to promote ballet through technology is something that is very important to Michael and I, because we see it as a way to foster a new generation of ballet lovers. The more understanding that they have of the dance world, the more intrigued they are, and the more they attend performances. In fact, we one listener contacted us to say that she listens to every episode, and has never been to the ballet, but is now interested in attending. We have had parents email us to say that by listening to our podcasts they have a better understanding of their child’s appreciation for ballet and the career that they are hoping to pursue. To us, this is the greatest gift: to be able to share our love for ballet in a useful and engaging way.
Team Zarely: How do you envision Conversations On Dance to evolve?
Rebecca King: Our podcast is still quite new as we launched in June 2016. So, our current goal is to continue to grow our listener base, which will allow us to continue to present wonderful guests each week. We currently have a wish list of nearly 50 guests, so we have a lot of work to do! We definitely have many ideas for the future and how we can evolve, but you will just have to stay tuned to our social media to see what’s next!
Team Zarely: How long have you been doing ballet and how would you describe your path as a dancer?
Rebecca King: I have been dancing since I was three, so 25 years now. I began my professional career at 18 and have been with Miami City Ballet for 10 years and have spent my whole career with the company.
I don’t see myself as one of those dancers who has the perfect body with legs and feet for days. I had to work to make my body malleable to access the technique needed to be a professional dancer. As a student, there were schools that did not seem interested in helping me along that path, but finding the right place made me feel that much more at home. Miami City Ballet has always felt like home to me. The environment allows for you to grow and develop as a dancer, beyond your school training. I think this is essential to any dancer’s path, and I am grateful to have had that throughout my 10 years with Miami City Ballet.
Team Zarely: Rebecca, we are very honored to have you as Zarely Ambassador and do celebrate your leadership in dance community. Why did you decide to be a part of Zarely?
Rebecca King: It really is so hard to find the right tights, and in Zarely’s case, the quality and fit is exceptional, which is exactly what I am looking for. I am also so excited for your new line of active wear!
To listen to Conversation on Dance, search for it on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, or listen through your browser at conversationsondancepod.com
Photos by Julian Duque
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