DanceHere: Ballets Jazz Montréal

DanceHere: Ballets Jazz Montréal

Author: Detroit Opera September 16, 2026 Duration: 50:53
Ballets Jazz Montréal Artistic Director Alexandra Damiani joins Detroit Opera’s Arthur White and Kim Smith for a conversation about dance, collaboration, and the creative vision behind the company’s work. Together, they discuss Ballets Jazz Montréal’s distinctive approach to contemporary dance and its upcoming Detroit program, set entirely to the music of Leonard Cohen. The conversation explores the relationship between movement, music, and storytelling, and what Detroit audiences can expect when Cohen’s songs are reimagined through dance on the Detroit Opera House stage.

Step inside the world of Detroit Opera, where the curtain rises on the stories behind the spectacle. This podcast pulls back the velvet rope, offering a unique auditory seat to the creative processes, historical depth, and vibrant community that define one of America's enduring cultural institutions. Since 1971, this organization has been a cornerstone for opera and dance, and now its voice extends directly to you. You'll hear from the artists themselves-singers, conductors, directors, and dancers-as they discuss the craft and passion that bring a production to life. Conversations delve into the nuances of a score, the physicality of a performance, and the collaborative energy required to mount each season. Beyond the stage, episodes explore the rich tapestry of Detroit's artistic legacy and how opera continues to resonate in a modern city. It’s an invitation to understand the art form more intimately, whether you're a seasoned attendee or simply curious about the power of a human voice in full flight. Tune in for a series that is as much about the people and the place as it is about the performance, capturing the heartbeat of an art form in motion. This podcast is your direct line to the passion and precision that happens long before the first note is sung for an audience.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Detroit Opera
Podcast Episodes
Pre-Opera Talk: La Traviata (Opening Night) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:41
Host Arthur White, Director of Community and Audience Engagement and guests Yuval Sharon, Gary L. Wasserman Artistic Director, and Roberto Kalb, Music Director.
Pre-Opera Talk: La Traviata (Night II) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:16
Host Arthur White, Director of Community and Audience Engagement and guests Jack Blaszkiewicz, Wayne State Assistant Professor of Music History, and Suzanne Mallare Acton, Chorus Master.
Pre-Opera Talk: La Traviata (Closing Night) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:20
Host Arthur White, Director of Community and Audience Engagement and guests Roberto Kalb, Music Director, and Suzanne Mallare Acton, Chorus Master.
Pre-Dance Talk: Mark Morris Dance Group (Night One) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:39
Host Kim Smith, Dance Administrator, will be joined by guests Marcy Harriell, Lead Vocalist, and Nancy Umanoff, Executive Director of Mark Morris Dance Group.
OperaHERE: La traviata [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:58
Host Arthur White, Detroit Opera's Director of Community and Audience Engagement, chats with Director Francesca Zambello about her production of La traviata, Detroit Opera's Music Director Roberto Kalb discusses Verdi's…
Pre Opera Talk Cunning Little Vixen May 19 2024 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:47
“That is at the core of what Janáček is about. He’s not trying to create opera that feels completely out of touch from everyday people.” Detroit Opera’s Artistic Director Yuval Sharon, who staged this multimedia producti…
Pre Opera Talk: Cunning Little Vixen May 17 2024 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:57
“Everyone here plays an important role, but one of the main characters is the orchestra.” Music Director Roberto Kalb describes the work it takes to bring The Cunning Little Vixen to the Detroit Opera House stage for the…