Two Two Guys Kealan McLaughlin

This week we are joined by intrepid choreographer Jera Wolfe to talk about his most recent creation — a dance film called "Soul" for the National Ballet of Canada — and get a behind-the-scenes look at the genesis of this profound piece. We talk about his rise to success, the unique blend of experiences that add to his choreographic vocabulary, and get some stories from his time as a finalist on So You Think You Can Dance Canada. Finally, we close with a conversation on the state of Indigenous representation in the arts in Canada, and hear what it has been like for Jera to re-discover his Métis heritage.

Check out "Soul" on NBoC's youtube here:
https://youtu.be/So9_pPS1rzo


Host: Kealan McLaughlin

Guest: Jera Wolfe

@JeraWolfe
https://www.jerawolfe.com/



Two Two Guys can be reached at:



Instagram and Facebook:

@twotwoguys



Email:

twotwoguyspod@gmail.com



Leave a review! Send us a message! Let us know what topics are important to you! And if you can, and if you're lucky enough to have older generations of your family in your life, take a few moments over the next few days to ask them a story about where you come from. It's so easy to lose contact with our heritage, so go learn about your tribe!

Have we got a real bumper of an episode for YOU! This week the man—the myth—the legend, Joseph Gatti stopped by the pod, and oh did he bring it!! Topics include (but are not limited to) that time he invented a new pirouette combination at the NY IBC, stories of working with the great Fernando Bujones, the key to making your feet look better (that I guarantee you've never heard before), what it takes to run a company and why he chose to start his company United Ballet Theatre in 2018! Plus we go deep into the Gatti Method and talk about the ways he and United Ballet Theatre are changing the ballet world forever.



Joseph Gatti is the founder and director of United Ballet Theatre (UBT) and United Ballet Theatre Academy (UBTA) in Orlando, FL. He has been a soloist with Boston Ballet, a principal with Cincinnati Ballet and Corella Ballet, guest principal with Orlando Ballet, and has danced in galas across the world and won numerous ballet competitions.

In 2018 he founded UBT, with UBTA following in 2021. We talk about what lead him to starting his own company, and how he is doing things very differently than the norm.

Listen along and let Joseph's magnetic spirit lift your day.







Host: Kealan McLaughlin



Guest: Joseph Gatti



@BalletGatti

@UnitedBalletTheatre

@UBT.academy

https://www.athletesofart.org/





Two Two Guys can be reached at:







Instagram and Facebook:



@twotwoguys







Email:



twotwoguyspod@gmail.com







Leave a review! Send us a message! Let us know what topics are important to you! And if you can, take a few moments over the next few days to train your body in a different way than you're used to. They say variety is the spice of life ;)

This week we are joined by star of the stage for three decades - Greta Hodgkinson! Greta retired from the National Ballet of Canada as a principal ballerina in 2020 at the age of 46, having danced in the company for 30 years. During this episode we go into the "how" of it all, and try to determine the magic recipe which enabled Greta to dance so fabulously and with such longevity. We talk about how a dancer's mindset changes over time, the importance of good coaching and mentoring, and hear stories from her illustrious career.

Also, Greta is launching a mentorship program called Dance Mentoring by Greta. You can stay up to date by checking it out online and on social media!





Host: Kealan McLaughlin



Guest: Greta Hodgkinson



@GretaHodgkinson

@DanceMentoringbyGreta

https://www.dancementoringbygreta.com/





Two Two Guys can be reached at:







Instagram and Facebook:



@twotwoguys







Email:



twotwoguyspod@gmail.com







Leave a review! Send us a message! Let us know what topics are important to you! And if you can, take a few moments over the next few days to imagine yourself in your future. Ask yourself what might be necessary for that future to be a happy one, then begin moving towards those things now.

This week on the podcast we present part 2 of our interview with Cuban ballet-phenom Osiel Gouneo. In part 2 Osiel speaks on some of his most serious struggles and the lessons he learned in overcoming them. He talks about the unique challenge in guesting with Paris Opera Ballet, and what makes it one of his most cherished professional memories. Finally, he tells a story about his special relationship with Cuban ballet-juggernaut Alicia Alonso, asking for a leave of absence on only his 2nd day at work, and a remarkable story of being recognized by a fan. Plus much more!



Make sure to listen to part 1 as well, and check out our Instagram for easy access to all the solos referenced in the episode.



And if you're looking for instructional videos, Osiel has a dance masterclass available online. Check out the link below.





Host: Kealan McLaughlin



Guest: Osiel Gouneo



@gouneoosiel

https://osielgouneo.com/

https://www.dance-masterclass.com/osiel



Two Two Guys can be reached at:







Instagram and Facebook:



@twotwoguys







Email:



twotwoguyspod@gmail.com







Leave a review! Send us a message! Let us know what topics are important to you! And if you can, take a few moments over the next few days to check in with your body. Are you sleeping enough, do you need more water? We only get one body, so let's try to take care of the one we got.

This week on the pod we are joined by Cuban ballet-phenom Osiel Gouneo for part 1 of a 2-part interview. Having danced as a leading principal at Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Havana), Norweigan National Ballet (Oslo), and Bayerisches Staatsballett (Munich), as well as guesting and performing in galas all over the world, Osiel is in equal measure tremendously talented, completely charismatic, and utterly unpretentious. In part 1 we talk about the relationship between greatness & modesty, the ways people are, and the ways we could be pushing the art form further in the 21st century, take a look under the hood at what he is feeling and thinking about when he performs his remarkable feats on stage, and much more.



Make sure to come back for part 2 next week and check out our Instagram for easy access to all the solos referenced in the episode.









Host: Kealan McLaughlin



Guest: Osiel Gouneo



@gouneoosiel







Two Two Guys can be reached at:







Instagram and Facebook:



@twotwoguys







Email:



twotwoguyspod@gmail.com







Leave a review! Send us a message! Let us know what topics are important to you! And if you can, take a few moments over the next few days to put the work into something you love. You never know, one day you might become famous for it.

We present to you Part 2 of our conversations with ballerina-turned-conductor Maria Seletskaja. On the previous episode we talked about the unique career transition that took her from performing lead roles on stage to leading the orchestra in front of the stage and discussed her upcoming debut conducting Swan Lake for the Estonian National Ballet. On this episode we hear about the performance mere hours after the curtain has closed, share feedback directly from the dancers in the performance, and probe further into the psyche of a conductor in these high-pressure moments.



Maria has made the remarkable journey from dancing as a soloist ballerina with some of the leading ballet theatres in Europe to conducting across the globe with companies like the National Ballet of Canada, Royal Danish Ballet, and now her home theatre of the Estonian National Ballet. Join us for 2 conversations, both rich with insight, and learn about the intersection between the dancers and the orchestra from an artist unparalleled in her qualification. And make sure to listen to Part 1 if you haven't already!









Host: Kealan McLaughlin



Guest: Maria Seletskaja



@mariaseletskaja







Two Two Guys can be reached at:







Instagram and Facebook:



@twotwoguys







Email:



twotwoguyspod@gmail.com







Leave a review! Send us a message! Let us know what topics are important to you! And if you can, take a few moments over the next few days to celebrate a win, big or small. The greatest results can come from the smallest beginnings.