The Royal Academy of Dance has launched Series 5 of their popular dance podcast Why Dance Matters.
Hosted by journalist David Jays, the series features pioneering voices from across the dance and theatre spheres, with a fantastic line-up of stars and changemakers creating waves across the world.
The series begins with New York City Ballet principal dancer Tiler Peck ahead of the European debut of her highly anticipated work Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends. The second episode sees Tim Arthur get behind the mic to chat about his story and first year as Chief Executive of Royal Academy of Dance.
The third episode features dance changemakers in the Global South: the Singapore-based Raphael Ng whose career began in the dance studio and jetted to the world of finance; the fourth features Brazilian RAD Teacher Ana Maria Campos who speaks from this year’s Prix de Lausanne. Francesca Harper, Artistic Director of the dynamic Ailey II, the second company to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, is also a guest.
In the final episode, the podcast venture outside the world of dance to hear from Giles Terera MBE, the British actor who’s won numerous accolades including the 2018 Olivier Award for Best Actor in the musical, Hamilton, and was most recently seen in the National Theatre’s revivals of Othello and Blues For An Alabama Sky.
Speaking on the launch of Series 5, podcast host and journalist David Jays says: ‘We are very excited to launch the fifth season of Why Dance Matters with remarkable people from Brazil, the USA and Singapore, and to hear how dance has shaped their journey. Tiler Peck, one of the world’s great ballerinas, opens the season. Later we’ll hear how RAD ballet can lead to a career in high finance and how the award-winning actor Giles Terera reframes his body for Shakespeare or musicals. We also meet a publisher, a theatre director, a consumer finance champion, a sometime burlesque performer and the RAD’s new CEO – and they’re all the same person! Do join us for the new season.”
Why Dance Matters is a series of conversations with extraordinary people from the world of dance and beyond. It traces the impact of dance on their lives and asks why dance matters to them – and why it might matter to us all.
Episodes are released weekly. Why Dance Matters is available on all major streaming platforms.
Podcast Running order:
Episode 1: Tiler Peck, California-born principal dancer of New York City Ballet. Release date: Thu 23 Feb
Episode 2: Tim Arthur, Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Dance. Release date: Thu 2 Mar
Episode 3: Raphael Ng, Fund Manager at Salzworth Global Currency Fund and co-founder of Jeté Studios in Singapore. Release date: Thu 9 Mar
Episode 4: Ana Maria Campos, Mentor, Tutor and Examiner for the RAD. Release date: Thu 16 Mar
Episode 5: Francesca Harper, Artistic Director of Ailey II, the celebrated second company to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Release date: Thu 23 Mar
Episode 6: Giles Terera MBE, award-winning actor, musician and writer, working consistently at venues including the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company and Shakespeare’s Globe. Release date Thu 30 Mar.
