For PDD’s first interview of 2019, Clara connected with Conductor Ming Luke over Skype. Despite being an incredibly versatile artist who conducts for a wider variety of productions than is typical in the US (as discussed in the interview!), Luke has developed expertise in conducting for dance and has served as the Principal Guest Conductor for the San Francisco Ballet (SFB) for many years. He shared incredible insight into the nuances of orchestral collaboration with dance artists, from the array of adjustments a conductor may make within a given tempo, to the “ah-ha” moment of realizing how to time the notes that correspond to a grand jeté. We also discussed the ways in which more detailed communication can improve understanding between dancer and conductor. It was particularly revelatory to hear Luke describe the joys of conducting in terms of a visceral emotional-physicality that we might just as easily apply to dance itself! Follow Ming’s always-exciting new ventures at mingluke.com.
Ming Luke is a versatile conductor whose background as a dancer gives him the perspective to excel in collaborating with dance companies. As the Principal Guest Conductor for the San Francisco Ballet (SFB), Luke has led over one hundred productions at the historic War Memorial Opera House. Embarking on eight tours with the company, he has presented time-honored classics like Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet at the John F. Kennedy Center and Sadler’s Wells. Ming Luke has also conducted for the Bolshoi Orchestra in Russia, the New York City Ballet Orchestra, Nashville Symphony/Ballet, Napa Regional Dance Company, Boston Ballet, and l’Orchestre Prométhée in Paris as part of a residency with Les Etés de la Danse. He has worked closely with some of the most preeminent choreographers of the 21st century, including Justin Peck, Christopher Wheeldon, Mark Morris, Alexei Ratmansky, and Liam Scarlett. Beyond dance, Ming Luke has worked with ensembles and orchestras across the world and conducted pops concerts in a variety of venues. He has been recognized nationally for his work with music education and holds a Master of Fine Arts in Conducting from Carnegie Mellon.
Audience members of all ages shared their love for Natalia Makarova after a screening of her self-directed Ballerina Program 1: Body and Soul–the first section of a four part BBC Documentary series. They gushed over her career, partnerships, free spirit, charm, and her lasting influence on ballet.
In this episode we found ourselves traversing a wide range of dance territory with the accomplished Costume Designer and Dancer, Reid Bartelme. We spent the majority of the hour exploring Reid’s process of finding his footing as a latecomer in the ballet world, where he nonetheless achieved early success dancing with some of North America’s top companies. We eventually got into costuming talk and speculated about dance in the world more broadly, questioning where responsibility lies for developing cross-genre understanding. In this episode you’ll get a lively look inside company life and a dancer’s mind!
In this episode we speak with dancer and choreographer Loni Landon about her process of creating lush, captivating movement and the influence of her early career in Germany on her collaborative choreographic process. Importantly, Loni illuminated the difficulty of cultivating an artistic life that pays the rent, even as a dance artist who is widely regarded as enjoying early success and potential. We felt inspired by her proactive approach to changing the dance world for the better as we learned about her enthusiasm for pursuing collaborative projects and dance-based experiences with other artists, as well as her founding of The Playground, a financially accommodating space for dancers and choreographers to come together and explore (
Pod De Deux 