(474) Alastair Macaulay on Suzanne Farrell

(474) Alastair Macaulay on Suzanne Farrell

Author: Michael Sean Breeden & Rebecca King Ferraro November 20, 2025 Duration: 53:02


Today on Conversations on Dance, we welcome back a listener favorite and our friend, Alastair Macaulay, former Chief Dance Critic for the New York Times. This past week, on Friday November 14th, Alastair hosted an event at the New York Public Library where he examined films of revered Balanchine ballerina, Suzanne Farrell. Alastair tells us about how research for this event, talks about the films he showed, and other tidbits on Suzanne’s career and dancing. At the end, Alastair talks about his City Center Studio 5 event which is available to watch now on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAkP-QnDpL0 


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For anyone who has ever watched a performance and wondered about the life that happens in the wings, Conversations on Dance offers a rare and thoughtful backstage pass. Hosted by former Miami City Ballet dancers Rebecca King Ferraro and Michael Sean Breeden, this award-winning podcast builds on a simple, powerful premise: the most compelling stories in dance aren't always told under the lights. Since 2016, their interviews have provided an essential, grounded look at the art form, moving far beyond reviews or technique to explore the real human endeavors behind the curtain. Each episode is a deep, considered dialogue with the field's most influential voices-not only dancers and choreographers, but also the musicians, directors, and educators whose work shapes the entire ecosystem. Listening feels like pulling up a chair in a studio lounge, where the conversation might cover the gritty reality of a choreographer's creative process, the collaborative tension with a composer, or an educator's philosophy on cultivating the next generation. The hosts' own professional backgrounds inform a dialogue that is both knowledgeable and genuinely curious, fostering connections between the art and its audience. This podcast consistently uncovers the discipline, vulnerability, and sheer hard work that define a life in dance, making the vast world of performance feel intimately accessible. It’s for the dedicated student, the lifelong enthusiast, and the simply curious-anyone who believes understanding the struggle and joy behind the steps only deepens the appreciation of the final, fleeting bow.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 466

Conversations on Dance
Podcast Episodes
(92) Sara Mearns and Jodi Melnick at the Guggenheim [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:15
This week we bring you an episode we recorded at New York City’s Guggenheim museum in January. We wanted to catch up with New York City Ballet Principal Dancer, Sara Mearns, and Jodi Melnick, contemporary choreographer t…
BONUS: San Francisco Ballet Dancers Ep. 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:27
Welcome to our final bonus episode from San Francisco Ballet’s Unbound festival. Just as with last episode, today we will be talking with 3 different dancers in the company about what ultimately led them to SFB and about…
BONUS: San Francisco Ballet Dancers Ep. 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:26
BONUS: San Francisco Ballet Dancers Ep. 1. Welcome to our 1st of two bonus episode wrap ups of San Francisco Ballet’s Unbound festival. In each episode we will be talking with 3 different dancers in the company about wha…
(91) Sofiane Sylve, LIVE From SF MOMA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:15
This week we are happy to be sharing with you a recording of our live event at SF MOMA last month. We were pleased to be able to sit down and talk with San Francisco Ballet Principal Dancer, Sofiane Sylve, as a part of a…
BONUS: Choreographer Trey McIntyre from SFB’s Unbound Festival [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:09
This week on ‘Conversations On Dance', we are joined by esteemed choreographer Trey McIntyre, whose second work for the San Francisco Ballet recently premiered in the company's Unbound Festival. Trey's rise to prominence…
(89) Justin Peck, LIVE from San Francisco Ballet’s Unbound Festival [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:39
This week we are with Justin Peck, LIVE from San Francisco Ballet's Unbound Festival in a live “Meet The Artist” event before the opening night of San Francisco Ballet's Unbound Festival. We talk about his career, his pr…
BONUS: Dores André from SFB’s Unbound Festival [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:35
Today we are bringing you the first of a series of podcasts recorded live in San Francisco. San Francisco Ballet is kicking off its ‘Unbound’ Festival tonight, an event that will span 17 days and feature the world premie…