Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Staff Favorites: Joanie Ferguson, Angela Harris, and Sally Radell


Joanie Ferguson, Dance Musician

Q: Who is your favorite dance artist and why?


Joanie: I especially enjoy works by Ohad Naharin, Pina Bausch, the dramatic flair of Martha Graham's work, the storytelling and athleticism of Alvin Ailey, the discipline of Cunningham technique, and the playfulness of Pilobolus. The most influential dance musician for me is Andy Hasenpflug at Slippery Rock University.

Q: What is your favorite song?


Joanie: Ugh. So many! I can't really choose, but I love the "old school" funky vibe of James Brown, The Meters, Chaka Khan, Average White Band, Earth Wind & Fire. I also love classical music, experimental music, Philip Glass…

Q: What has been your favorite dance moment during your career?


Joanie: All of my classes are special; there are moments of beauty, power, and genius every day in each class that are incredible to witness. I love watching dancers' discovering their "aha" moments and observing their progress. I love everything that happens at American Dance Festival in Durham, NC. I also really enjoy jamming and collaborating with other dance musicians.

Q: What is your favorite dance work and why?


Joanie: Echad Mi Yodea by Ohad Naharin. I love the repetitive chanting and drum punctuation along with the tension of the performance. Honestly, I get something new out of it every time I see it performed.

Q: What is your favorite book?

Joanie: The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell

Q: What has been your favorite place you have traveled to?


Joanie: Switzerland

Q: What has been your favorite course that you have accompanied for at the Emory Dance Program?

Joanie: I love them all, but I especially love playing for Modern III and IV classes.

Q: What is your favorite place on Emory's campus?

Joanie: WPEC and Schwartz, of course! :)

Q: What has been your favorite dance moment at the Emory Dance Program?

Joanie: My most recent "favorite" is creating a live drum score for Lori Teague's Dance in Real Time series performed outside in front of the Candler Library in 2020.

Q: What is your favorite movie?

Joanie: I love the Austin Powers movie trilogy.

Q: What is your favorite food dish?

Joanie: Mexican, Sushi, Thai, Tex-Mex

Angela Harris, Instructor

Q: What is your favorite dance work and why?

Angela: Serenade is my favorite ballet because when I first saw it as a ninth-grade student, it was the first piece that I saw that embodied ballet movement in an inventive way (choreographically). I absolutely love the movement and once I learned the story behind Balanchine's choreographic process with Serenade, it inspired me to take chances as a young ballet choreographer.

Q: What is your favorite movie?


Angela: Recent movie: LaLa Land...But I have so many that I love!

Q: What has been your favorite dance moment at the Emory Dance Program?

Angela: I am not sure if I have a favorite yet because there have been so many new, wonderful experiences since I started last year. A memorable one was getting to watch Unique Wilson's solo last semester and offering feedback. I always love seeing artists create and am honored to be a part of anyone's choreographic process. It was a beautiful solo, staged on a large staircase on campus.

Q: Who is your favorite dance artist and why?

Angela: Debbie Allen - She truly represents success in so many aspects of the industry. I have idolized her since I was young and first saw her in Fame. I have followed her career as a dancer, choreographer, director, and producer. I auditioned for her in a two-day audition process at the Kennedy Center when I was a senior in high school. I wrote all of my college admissions essays on my experience during that audition process. Unfortunately, I was (literally) the last person cut from the audition for that show (She cast 15 dancers out of almost 500, and I was #16 in the room.) Although I did not get the job, I learned so much watching and working with her for two days. I was in high school at the time, and that audition has stuck with me for all of these years.

Q: What has been your favorite course that you have taught at the Emory Dance Program?

Angela: I love all of the ballet classes that I have had the pleasure to teach at Emory.

Q: What is your favorite book?

Angela: I haven't had much time to read lately, but Memoirs of a Geisha was a compelling one.

Q: What is your favorite food dish?

Angela: Sushi

Q: What has been your favorite dance moment during your career?

Angela: I danced with Urban Ballet Theater for five years, a contemporary ballet company based in NYC. I had so many great performance opportunities with the company, including a seven-city New Mexico tour and a New Year's Eve full-length ballet performance on the beach in Hollywood, Florida. One season, Urban Ballet Theater's Director, Daniel Catanach was commissioned to create a new ballet for the City of New Orleans. He brought the company to New Orleans for a summer residency, where he created the ballet on us, infusing the community and culture of New Orleans. The Kid for Elysian Fields was a modern-day rendition of the story of Billy the Kid. It was beautiful to have a ballet created on us, as well as seeing how live music, art, and community drives storytelling. It was a transformational time for me as a performer and artist.

Q: What is your favorite place on Emory's campus?

Angela: Emory's campus is so beautiful and peaceful. I just love walking around, whenever I get the chance.

Q: What is your favorite song?

Angela: I have so many...but, I really have been into H.E.R. lately!

Q: What has been your favorite place you have traveled to?

Angela: Dubai (or actually the entire UAE)

Sally Radell, Director and Professor

Q: Who is your favorite dance artist and why?

Sally: I have several....Susan Marshall - very sinuous and organic beautiful movement, very, nuanced. Also, Liz Lerman - her intergenerational work caused me to totally rethink who can dance and the diverse impact it can have.

Q: What is your favorite movie?

Sally: Forrest Gump

Q: What has been your favorite dance moment at the Emory Dance Program?


Sally: Many of our EDC concerts have enormously powerful moments of students dancing beautiful choreography and connecting deeply to the moment.

Q: What has been your favorite place you have traveled to?

Sally: England

Q: What is your favorite dance work and why?

Sally: Susan Marshall’s Contenders; it’s very athletic and takes a real-world activity and allows us to see in deeper and notice the power of the details.

Q: What is your favorite place on Emory's campus?

Sally: Lullwater Park

Q: What has been your favorite course that you have taught at the Emory Dance Program?

Sally: More than one.....I love Art as Work (formerly Contemporary Issues) because we dig deep, make powerful personal connections, and uncover the breadth of skills we all have and what we can realistically do with them to make our lives work. Also, somatic courses - I love it when I can guide students to uncover the immense power and awareness of new sensations in their bodies. Both these courses help students become empowered with all that they know and who they are.

Q: What is your favorite song?

Sally: any song by Max Richter

Q: What has been your favorite dance moment during your career?


Sally: This evolves....choreographing dance work that connects with people about critical issues on multiple levels, writing about dancers and body image, and administratively making things happen for our faculty, students, and program

Q: What is your favorite food dish?

Sally: grilled salmon






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