Dancing in the World:
Revealing Cultural Confluences

Welcome to Dancing in the World, the podcast that reveals cultural confluences in dance practices across the globe.

This video podcast, hosted by co-authors Sinclair Ogaga Emoghene and Kate Spanos, is a continuation of the conversations started in their book, “Dancing in the World.” In the first eight episodes, they discuss the impetus for writing the book, their collaborative writing process, and some of the major issues they discuss in each chapter. 

Future episodes will feature invited guests who will provide further insight into the idea of cultural confluences in the global dance field.

Dancing in the World podcast

Season 1 of the podcast launched on June 15, 2023.

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EPISODES & clips

Now that the release of the book is upon us, what are we doing next? Our podcast is one strategy for keeping the conversation going and inviting more people to participate. These are topics we’re passionate about, so the conversations never get old. We want to hear your thoughts! Dancing in the World is the podcast that reveals cultural confluences in dance practices across the globe. Hosted by Sinclair Ogaga Emoghene and Kate Spanos, this podcast accompanies their co-authored book, "Dancing in the World: Revealing Cultural Confluences." Conversations center around how dancers and researchers working in diverse dance cultures navigate academia and the professional dance field. Produced by EducArte with support from the Maryland State Arts Council and Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts. www.danceconfluences.com
What's next for Dancing in the World?
"Dance is green." In Episode 8, Sinclair and Kate talk about how hard it is to write about dance in an academic research setting while also expressing how we feel when we dance. Dancing in the World is the podcast that reveals cultural confluences in dance practices across the globe. Hosted by Sinclair Ogaga Emoghene and Kate Spanos, this podcast accompanies their co-authored book, "Dancing in the World: Revealing Cultural Confluences." Conversations center around how dancers and researchers working in diverse dance cultures navigate academia and the professional dance field. Produced by EducArte with support from the Maryland State Arts Council and Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts. www.danceconfluences.com
"Dance is green."
What will you find in our book? In Episode 8, Kate and Sinclair talk about how they structured their book with personal interludes and dialogues to highlight their collaborative model. Dancing in the World is the podcast that reveals cultural confluences in dance practices across the globe. Hosted by Sinclair Ogaga Emoghene and Kate Spanos, this podcast accompanies their co-authored book, "Dancing in the World: Revealing Cultural Confluences." Conversations center around how dancers and researchers working in diverse dance cultures navigate academia and the professional dance field. Produced by EducArte with support from the Maryland State Arts Council and Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts. www.danceconfluences.com
What will you find in our book, "Dancing in the World"?
"It calls for a big heart." In Episode 7, our special guest Professor Chris Ugolo explains the need for cultural acceptance in today's globalized world. Ugolo is a Professor of African Dance at the University of Benin in Nigeria. Dancing in the World is the podcast that reveals cultural confluences in dance practices across the globe. Hosted by Sinclair Ogaga Emoghene and Kate Spanos, this podcast accompanies their co-authored book, "Dancing in the World: Revealing Cultural Confluences." Conversations center around how dancers and researchers working in diverse dance cultures navigate academia and the professional dance field. Produced by EducArte with support from the Maryland State Arts Council and Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts. www.danceconfluences.com
"It calls for a big heart." - Professor Christopher Ugolo
In the final episode of the season, we reflect on our collaborative writing process and our model for talking about dance in confluent spaces. Dancing in the World is the podcast that reveals cultural confluences in dance practices across the globe. Hosted by Sinclair Ogaga Emoghene and Kate Spanos, this podcast accompanies their co-authored book, "Dancing in the World: Revealing Cultural Confluences." Conversations center around how dancers and researchers working in diverse dance cultures navigate academia and the professional dance field. Produced by EducArte and Pablo de Oliveira with support from the Maryland State Arts Council and Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts. Sound composition by Brian Sukovich. Audio and video by Blue House Productions. www.danceconfluences.com
Dancing in the World, Episode 8: Collaboration, writing, and dialogue in confluent spaces
“Human movement is not neutral. We perform our cultural sensibility in everything that we do.” In Episode 6, Sinclair gives the example of a traditional Nigerian chief paying libations to ancestors to a CEO in New York City drinking their morning coffee to show how two similar human actions are done in culturally specific ways. Dancing in the World is the podcast that reveals cultural confluences in dance practices across the globe. Hosted by Sinclair Ogaga Emoghene and Kate Spanos, this podcast accompanies their co-authored book, "Dancing in the World: Revealing Cultural Confluences." Conversations center around how dancers and researchers working in diverse dance cultures navigate academia and the professional dance field. Produced by EducArte with support from the Maryland State Arts Council and Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts. www.danceconfluences.com
"Human movement is not neutral."
"It's just steps, that doesn't mean anything." In Episode 6, we discuss the relationship between authority, intellectuality, and the repeatability of steps in postmodern and traditional dance creation. Dancing in the World is the podcast that reveals cultural confluences in dance practices across the globe. Hosted by Sinclair Ogaga Emoghene and Kate Spanos, this podcast accompanies their co-authored book, "Dancing in the World: Revealing Cultural Confluences." Conversations center around how dancers and researchers working in diverse dance cultures navigate academia and the professional dance field. Produced by EducArte with support from the Maryland State Arts Council and Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts. www.danceconfluences.com
The relationship between repeatability and intellectuality in dance
In Episode 7, we talk with our guest Professor Christopher Ugolo from the University of Benin in Nigeria about how his work over decades relates to the work we are doing now and what he has achieved in the dance field in Nigeria throughout his career. Dancing in the World is the podcast that reveals cultural confluences in dance practices across the globe. Hosted by Sinclair Ogaga Emoghene and Kate Spanos, this podcast accompanies their co-authored book, "Dancing in the World: Revealing Cultural Confluences." Conversations center around how dancers and researchers working in diverse dance cultures navigate academia and the professional dance field. Produced by EducArte and Pablo de Oliveira with support from the Maryland State Arts Council and Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts. Sound composition by Brian Sukovich. Audio and video by Blue House Productions. www.danceconfluences.com
Dancing in the World, Episode 7: A conversation with Professor Chris Ugolo, University of Benin
"How do we create space for our community?" In Episode 5, Sinclair talks about how immigrant spaces are multiplistic, in terms of the architectural, physical, and musical spaces our communities need to thrive. Dancing in the World is the podcast that reveals cultural confluences in dance practices across the globe. Hosted by Sinclair Ogaga Emoghene and Kate Spanos, this podcast accompanies their co-authored book, "Dancing in the World: Revealing Cultural Confluences." Conversations center around how dancers and researchers working in diverse dance cultures navigate academia and the professional dance field. Produced by EducArte with support from the Maryland State Arts Council and Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts. www.danceconfluences.com
"How do we create space for our community?"
“I came from a place of authenticity—or honesty, let’s say.” In Episode 5, our collaborator Pablo Regis de Oliveira talks about his approach to bringing Brazilian music into a confluent space with Nigerian and Ghanaian rhythms. Dancing in the World is the podcast that reveals cultural confluences in dance practices across the globe. Hosted by Sinclair Ogaga Emoghene and Kate Spanos, this podcast accompanies their co-authored book, "Dancing in the World: Revealing Cultural Confluences." Conversations center around how dancers and researchers working in diverse dance cultures navigate academia and the professional dance field. Produced by EducArte with support from the Maryland State Arts Council and Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts. www.danceconfluences.com
A confluent collaboration of Brazilian and Nigerian music and dance - with Pablo Regis de Oliveira
In Episode 6, we discuss the notion of "just steps" and the differences in how choreography and improvisation are racialized in the Western mainstream. We also discuss the relationship between the so-called "repeatability" of steps to authority. Dancing in the World is the podcast that reveals cultural confluences in dance practices across the globe. Hosted by Sinclair Ogaga Emoghene and Kate Spanos, this podcast accompanies their co-authored book, "Dancing in the World: Revealing Cultural Confluences." Conversations center around how dancers and researchers working in diverse dance cultures navigate academia and the professional dance field. Produced by EducArte and Pablo de Oliveira with support from the Maryland State Arts Council and Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts. Sound composition by Brian Sukovich. Audio and video by Blue House Productions. www.danceconfluences.com
Dancing in the World, Episode 6: Just steps, or the racialization of choreography and improvisation
Thinking about dance as “serious play” brings up questions about how “intellectual” certain dances might be and which spaces they belong in. Our discussion highlights the importance of recognizing and accepting many different aesthetic value systems and creative processes in the dance field. Check out the full Episode 4 of our podcast to join the conversation. Dancing in the World is the podcast that reveals cultural confluences in dance practices across the globe. Hosted by Sinclair Ogaga Emoghene and Kate Spanos, this podcast accompanies their co-authored book, "Dancing in the World: Revealing Cultural Confluences." Conversations center around how dancers and researchers working in diverse dance cultures navigate academia and the professional dance field. Produced by EducArte with support from the Maryland State Arts Council and Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts. www.danceconfluences.com
"Dance is serious play."
In Episode 5, we invite our collaborator Pablo Regis de Oliveira to participate in a discussion about "Ainihi e Alteridade: Performing Otherness," which we created for an artistic residency in Maryland in 2021. We discuss our creative process and how the responses we got gave us insight into how our work is valued or misunderstood. Dancing in the World is the podcast that reveals cultural confluences in dance practices across the globe. Hosted by Sinclair Ogaga Emoghene and Kate Spanos, this podcast accompanies their co-authored book, "Dancing in the World: Revealing Cultural Confluences." Conversations center around how dancers and researchers working in diverse dance cultures navigate academia and the professional dance field. Produced by EducArte and Pablo de Oliveira with support from the Maryland State Arts Council and Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts. Sound composition by Brian Sukovich. Audio and video by Blue House Productions. www.danceconfluences.com
Dancing in the World, Episode 5: "Ainihi e Alteridade: Performing Otherness"
What does it mean to move in and out of the mainstream? Recognizing how we flow in and out of particular categories helps us diversify our own understanding of who we are as dancers. Check out the full Episode 3 of our podcast to join the conversation. Dancing in the World is the podcast that reveals cultural confluences in dance practices across the globe. Hosted by Sinclair Ogaga Emoghene and Kate Spanos, this podcast accompanies their co-authored book, "Dancing in the World: Revealing Cultural Confluences." Conversations center around how dancers and researchers working in diverse dance cultures navigate academia and the professional dance field. Produced by EducArte with support from the Maryland State Arts Council and Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts. www.danceconfluences.com
What does it mean to move in and out of the mainstream?
In Episode 4, we discuss the idea of dance as "play" and how dance is defined and practiced in different cultures around the world. How do we talk about aesthetic value in dance? Dancing in the World is the podcast that reveals cultural confluences in dance practices across the globe. Hosted by Sinclair Ogaga Emoghene and Kate Spanos, this podcast accompanies their co-authored book, "Dancing in the World: Revealing Cultural Confluences." Conversations center around how dancers and researchers working in diverse dance cultures navigate academia and the professional dance field. Produced by EducArte and Pablo de Oliveira with support from the Maryland State Arts Council and Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts. Sound composition by Brian Sukovich. Audio and video by Blue House Productions. www.danceconfluences.com
Dancing in the World, Episode 4: Dance as play
Our framework of “cultural confluences” conjures up an image of bodies of water meeting and flowing into and past one another, migrating through what we refer to as the mainstream and non-mainstream. Check out the full Episode 2 of our podcast to join the conversation. Dancing in the World is the podcast that reveals cultural confluences in dance practices across the globe. Hosted by Sinclair Ogaga Emoghene and Kate Spanos, this podcast accompanies their co-authored book, "Dancing in the World: Revealing Cultural Confluences." Conversations center around how dancers and researchers working in diverse dance cultures navigate academia and the professional dance field. Produced by EducArte with support from the Maryland State Arts Council and Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts. www.danceconfluences.com
Confluences as dance cultures meeting
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Credits

Produced by Pablo de Oliveira / EducArte. Recorded, edited, and mastered by Blue House Productions.

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Maryland State Arts Council

This podcast is a production of EducArte, with support from the Maryland State Arts Council and Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts.