This month's guest is pioneering artist, advocate, and cultural leader, Mary Verdi Fletcher. Mary is a nationally celebrated pioneer in physically integrated dance and a leading voice for disability rights in the arts. As President and Founding Artistic Director of the Dancing Wheels Company & School, she has spent over four decades reshaping the landscape of American dance, championing access, artistry, and equity for performers of all abilities.

One of the first professional wheelchair dancers in the U.S., Mary founded Dancing Wheels in 1980, followed by a groundbreaking school in 1990, which quickly became a global hub for inclusive dance training. Under her leadership, the company has performed for over 6 million people, developed a repertory of 100+ works, and toured internationally, educating communities on the power and beauty of integrated dance.

Mary's contributions extend far beyond performance. She played a pivotal role in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 and led efforts that secured public transportation access nationwide—earning her the nickname “The Rosa Parks of Cleveland.” She was also instrumental in establishing Ohio’s personal care assistance program, promoting independent living for thousands.

Her advocacy has garnered numerous accolades, including an Emmy Award, the Cleveland Arts Prize Lifetime Achievement Award, the Governor’s Award for Arts Education in Ohio, and national honors from Dance/USA. She has served on key arts and disability boards and committees, influencing cultural policy and arts education nationwide.

Mary continues to innovate through virtual programs, teacher certification initiatives, and upcoming publishing projects, ensuring that access to the arts remains a right—not a privilege. Her legacy is a profound testament to how one individual can change laws, perceptions, and possibilities for generations to come.

OhioDance  A State of Dance is a six-part series coming out the fourth Friday of   each month through November 2025. This podcast is driven by the OhioDance mission to secure the foothold of dance in Ohio through  increasing visibility, firming viability, and elevating the position of  dance in Ohio.

In  2016, a five-person team set out on a mission to capture the  achievements of persons and institutions who have shaped the intricate  diversity of dance history and practice within the state of Ohio and  weave them together in an easily accessible digital format. This we call  the OhioDance Virtual Dance Collection. As of 2025 we have highlighted  42 individuals and institutions. The team has traveled over 5000 miles  and interviewed hundreds of individuals in all five regions of Ohio.⁠ vdc.ohiodance.org⁠ [https://us2.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=http%3A%2F%2Fvdc.ohiodance.org&xid=7457ab4d48&uid=6658474&iid=0aa4c26b4e&pool=cts&v=2&c=1690495018&h=3d08a0a96f0253c527182e727095a91239c27228891ad793c1d128808ab1f4d3]

If you like what you are listening to and are not a member of OhioDance, you can go to⁠ ohiodance.org⁠ [https://ohiodance.org/] and  click the membership button to join and receive the many benefits that  come with your membership. You can also donate through our purple donate  button.

Dance Revolutionary Mary Verdi Fletcher - Boss Lady of CLE

Ann Cooper Albright is  the author of How to Land: finding ground in an unstable world which  offers ways of thinking about and dealing with the uncertainty of our  contemporary lives; Engaging Bodies: The Politics and Poetics of  Corporeality; Modern Gestures: Abraham Walkowitz Draws Isadora Duncan  Dancing; Traces of Light: Absence and Presence in the Work of Loïe  Fuller; and Choreographing Difference the Body and Identity in  Contemporary Dance. She is founder and director of Girls in Motion, an  award winning afterschool program at Langston Middle School and   co-director of Accelerated Motion: Towards a New Dance Literacy, a  digital collection of materials about dance. Albright is also a veteran  practitioner of contact Improvisation, has taught workshops  internationally, and facilitated Critical Mass: CI @ 50 which brought  300 dancers from across the world to learn, talk, and dance together in  celebration of the 50th anniversary of this extraordinary form. The  book, Encounters with Contact Improvisation, is the product of one of  her adventures in writing and dancing with others. Her work has been  supported by the NEA, NEH, ACLS, The Guggenheim Foundation, and the Ohio  Arts Council.

OhioDance  A State of Dance is a six-part series coming out the fourth Friday of   each month through November 2025. This podcast is driven by the OhioDance mission to secure the foothold of dance in Ohio through  increasing visibility, firming viability, and elevating the position of  dance in Ohio.

In  2016, a five-person team set out on a mission to capture the  achievements of persons and institutions who have shaped the intricate  diversity of dance history and practice within the state of Ohio and  weave them together in an easily accessible digital format. This we call  the OhioDance Virtual Dance Collection. As of 2025 we have highlighted  42 individuals and institutions. The team has traveled over 5000 miles  and interviewed hundreds of individuals in all five regions of Ohio.⁠ vdc.ohiodance.org⁠ [https://us2.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=http%3A%2F%2Fvdc.ohiodance.org&xid=7457ab4d48&uid=6658474&iid=0aa4c26b4e&pool=cts&v=2&c=1690495018&h=3d08a0a96f0253c527182e727095a91239c27228891ad793c1d128808ab1f4d3]

If you like what you are listening to and are not a member of OhioDance, you can go to⁠ ohiodance.org⁠ [https://ohiodance.org/] and  click the membership button to join and receive the many benefits that  come with your membership. You can also donate through our purple donate  button.

Writing and Dancing with Ann Cooper Albright

Season Two, Episode Six: Our guests for the season finale are Griset Damas-Roche and Amy Schofield. 

Born in Havana, Griset Damas Roche studied ballet at Cuba’s Instituto Superior de Arte and the Ballet of Havana. In 1998 she moved to Bogotá, Colombia, teaching flamenco and as a choreographer. In 2014, Griset moved to Columbus, with her family, where she taught for Flamenco del Corazón school. She opened UWillDance, a flamenco studio in Plain City. Griset was invited to join the city’s promotion campaign “Columbus Makes Art”. She has performed with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, and the Symphony Orchestra of Princeton. Griset leads the Flamenco Company of Columbus, which includes renowned and expert musicians from Ohio and Spain. Her newest project is Caña Flamenca, a trio of female flamenco dancers.

Amy Schofield (she/her/ella) holds a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of New Mexico and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She has studied flamenco baile and cante at the Fundación de Arte Flamenco de Cristina Heeren in Seville and the Centro de Arte Flamenco y Danza Española Amor de Dios in Madrid, as well as numerous workshops in Spain and the US. Amy is a teaching artist with Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana and is pursuing a PhD in Dance Studies at The Ohio State University where she researches flamenco dance in the US-American context and dance pedagogy.

OhioDance A State of Dance is a six-part series coming out the fourth Friday of each month through November 2024. This podcast is driven by the OhioDance mission to secure the foothold of dance in Ohio through increasing visibility, firming viability, and elevating the position of dance in Ohio.

In 2016, a five-person team set out on a mission to capture the achievements of persons and institutions who have shaped the intricate diversity of dance history and practice within the state of Ohio and weave them together in an easily accessible digital format. This we call the OhioDance Virtual Dance Collection. As of 2024 we have highlighted 37 individuals and institutions. The team has traveled over 5000 miles and interviewed hundreds of individuals in all five regions of Ohio. vdc.ohiodance.org [https://us2.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=http%3A%2F%2Fvdc.ohiodance.org&xid=7457ab4d48&uid=6658474&iid=0aa4c26b4e&pool=cts&v=2&c=1690495018&h=3d08a0a96f0253c527182e727095a91239c27228891ad793c1d128808ab1f4d3]

If you like what you are listening to and are not a member of OhioDance, you can go to ohiodance.org [https://ohiodance.org/] and click the membership button to join and receive the many benefits that come with your membership. You can also donate through our purple donate button.

Flamenco’s Past, Present, and Future through a Latinx Lens with Griset Damas-Roche and Amy Schofield

Season Two, Episode Five: This month’s guest is Samuel A. McIntosh. McIntosh is a talented dancer and choreographer specializing in street dance styles, including Popping, Animation, and Boogaloo. With 15 years of experience, he has learned from legends and competed internationally, achieving recognition in events across the globe. An arts administration graduate, he advocates for Hip-Hop's community-building potential through its core values, fostering empowerment and creativity in others. He is the Founder of 10K Movement, a nonprofit organization that focuses on providing access to authentic Hip Hop and Street dance programming and education.

OhioDance A State of Dance is a six-part series coming out the fourth Friday of each month through November 2024. This podcast is driven by the OhioDance mission to secure the foothold of dance in Ohio through increasing visibility, firming viability, and elevating the position of dance in Ohio.

In 2016, a five-person team set out on a mission to capture the achievements of persons and institutions who have shaped the intricate diversity of dance history and practice within the state of Ohio and weave them together in an easily accessible digital format. This we call the OhioDance Virtual Dance Collection. As of 2024 we have highlighted 37 individuals and institutions. The team has traveled over 5000 miles and interviewed hundreds of individuals in all five regions of Ohio. vdc.ohiodance.org [https://us2.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=http%3A%2F%2Fvdc.ohiodance.org&xid=7457ab4d48&uid=6658474&iid=0aa4c26b4e&pool=cts&v=2&c=1690495018&h=3d08a0a96f0253c527182e727095a91239c27228891ad793c1d128808ab1f4d3]

If you like what you are listening to and are not a member of OhioDance, you can go to ohiodance.org [https://ohiodance.org/] and click the membership button to join and receive the many benefits that come with your membership. You can also donate through our purple donate button.

Samuel A. McIntosh on street dance: roots and future

Season Two, Episode Four: This month’s guest is Eric Otto Artistic Director & Head of Curriculum, Toledo Ballet, Toledo Ohio. Eric was born and raised in Westchester County, New York. He began dancing at the age of seven with the School of American Ballet in New York City. He has danced professionally with the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet and BalletX. He was an original cast member of Twyla Tharp’s Come Fly Away, performing the leading role of Sid. He has appeared on Broadway in The Phantom of the Opera and toured with Twyla Tharp for her 50th Anniversary. As a choreographer, Eric has received commissions by Peoria Ballet Company, Albany Berkshire Ballet, The Joffrey Academy Of Dance, Saratoga Arts Fest, The Bruce Museum, Bucknell University and Skidmore College.

OhioDance A State of Dance is a six-part series coming out the fourth Friday of each month through November 2024.This podcast is driven by the OhioDance mission to secure the foothold of dance in Ohio through increasing visibility, firming viability, and elevating the position of dance in Ohio.

In 2016, a five-person team set out on a mission to capture the achievements of persons and institutions who have shaped the intricate diversity of dance history and practice within the state of Ohio and weave them together in an easily accessible digital format. This we call the OhioDance Virtual Dance Collection. As of 2024 we have highlighted 37 individuals and institutions. The team has traveled over 5000 miles and interviewed hundreds of individuals in all five regions of Ohio. vdc.ohiodance.org [https://us2.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=http%3A%2F%2Fvdc.ohiodance.org&xid=7457ab4d48&uid=6658474&iid=0aa4c26b4e&pool=cts&v=2&c=1690495018&h=3d08a0a96f0253c527182e727095a91239c27228891ad793c1d128808ab1f4d3]

If you like what you are listening to and are not a member of OhioDance, you can go to ohiodance.org [https://ohiodance.org/] and click the membership button to join and receive the many benefits that come with your membership. You can also donate through our purple donate button.

Empire State to Glass City: Eric Otto brings a slice of the Big Apple to Toledo

Season Two, Episode Three: This month’s guest is Al Evangelista and we are discussing Filipino/a/x American diaspora, queer identities, and bringing history into the room with technology. Al s a performer, choreographer, and educator. His creative works have been performed at Steppenwolf Theatre Company, American Theatre Company, Links Hall, Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, and Moss Arts Center. Evangelista’s work focuses on community-engaged practices, queer performance, social justice and Filipina/o/x-American diaspora. He also works in theatre, documentary-based work, and improvisatory collaboration.

Evangelista has danced in works for Dance Exchange, the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Inconvenience, and performed at Chicago Opera Theatre, Adventure Stage Chicago, among others.

He is an affiliate faculty member of Oberlin's Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies and a faculty fellow in the Center for Communicating Science at Virginia Tech. alevangelista.com [http://alevangelista.com/]

Dancing Lab Developed by Al Evangelista is a Part of the National Center of Choreography at the University of Akron August 23, 2023

Al Evangelista is one of three dance artists whose work is being supported in 2023 through a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to the National Center for Choreography at the University of Akron. Evangelista's project, developed in partnership with Daring Dances (Ann Arbor, MI), is part of NCCAkron [https://www.nccakron.org/_files/ugd/ad7034_b9ada3f044ff48bd8c4e952e68942324.pdf]'s Dancing Labs residency program.

OhioDance A State of Dance is a six-part series coming out the fourth Friday of each month through November 2023.

This podcast is driven by the OhioDance mission to secure the foothold of dance in Ohio through increasing visibility, firming viability, and elevating the position of dance in Ohio.

In 2016, a five-person team set out on a mission to capture the achievements of persons and institutions who have shaped the intricate diversity of dance history and practice within the state of Ohio and weave them together in an easily accessible digital format. This we call the OhioDance Virtual Dance Collection. As of 2024 we have highlighted 37 individuals and institutions. The team has traveled over 5000 miles and interviewed hundreds of individuals in all five regions of Ohio. vdc.ohiodance.org [https://us2.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=http%3A%2F%2Fvdc.ohiodance.org&xid=7457ab4d48&uid=6658474&iid=0aa4c26b4e&pool=cts&v=2&c=1690495018&h=3d08a0a96f0253c527182e727095a91239c27228891ad793c1d128808ab1f4d3]

If you like what you are listening to and are not a member of OhioDance, you can go to ohiodance.org [https://ohiodance.org/] and click the membership button to join and receive the many benefits that come with your membership. You can also donate through our purple donate button.

Dancing Solidarity with Al Evangelista

Season Two, Episode Two: This month’s guest is Dennis Dugan. Lighting Designer/OhioDance Board Member, Dennis is a recipient of the 1997 Ohio Dance Award for outstanding contributions to dance in Ohio and has been working with light since the seventies. His early experiences in New York focused primarily on modern dance. Dennis worked with The Kathryn Posin Dance Company. The New York years also included off-off Broadway theater. Since returning to the Cleveland area in 1982, Dennis has worked with dance and theater organizations throughout Ohio. Although dance is his favorite performance art, Dennis also enjoys exploring sculpture, photography, and lighting public art.

OhioDance A State of Dance is a six-part series coming out the fourth Friday of each month through November 2023.

This podcast is driven by the OhioDance mission to secure the foothold of dance in Ohio through increasing visibility, firming viability, and elevating the position of dance in Ohio.

In 2016, a five-person team set out on a mission to capture the achievements of persons and institutions who have shaped the intricate diversity of dance history and practice within the state of Ohio and weave them together in an easily accessible digital format. This we call the OhioDance Virtual Dance Collection. As of 2024 we have highlighted 37 individuals and institutions. The team has traveled over 5000 miles and interviewed hundreds of individuals in all five regions of Ohio. vdc.ohiodance.org [https://us2.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=http%3A%2F%2Fvdc.ohiodance.org&xid=7457ab4d48&uid=6658474&iid=0aa4c26b4e&pool=cts&v=2&c=1690495018&h=3d08a0a96f0253c527182e727095a91239c27228891ad793c1d128808ab1f4d3]

If you like what you are listening to and are not a member of OhioDance, you can go to ohiodance.org [https://ohiodance.org/] and click the membership button to join and receive the many benefits that come with your membership. You can also donate through our purple donate button.

Lighting Dance with Dennis Dugan

Season Two, Episode One: This month’s guest is Padma Chebrolu. Padma is an accomplished teaching and performing dance artist and is the artistic director of the Cultural Centre of India (CCI) which she founded about 30 years ago in Cincinnati. Her exemplary artistic abilities, leadership, and creativity have created tremendous impact on the arts education and public appreciation for the heritage arts in Ohio’s schools and community organizations.

Padma is the recipient of the 2021 Ohio Heritage Fellowship Award from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) in recognition of the dedication and significant contributions she had on the community through the advancement and preservation of traditional arts. She is also the recipient of the 2022 OAC Master Artist award for Traditional Arts Apprenticeship for preserving cultural heritage. She has been recognized by the Honorable Mayors of Cincinnati Mr. John Cranley (2019) and Mr. Aftab Pureval (2022) for her artistic influence and contributions to the Cincinnati community. She has been on the Ohio Teaching Artist Roster since 2019, Cincinnati Arts Association’s Artist on Tour for schools in the Greater Cincinnati area since 1997, and has been recognized by Cincinnati Arts Association as the 2022 Art Educator. Padma frequently serves on OAC grant review panels. She is on the board of the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education and on the advisory board of OhioDance.

OhioDance A State of Dance is a six-part series coming out the fourth Friday of each month through November 2023.

This podcast is driven by the OhioDance mission to secure the foothold of dance in Ohio through increasing visibility, firming viability, and elevating the position of dance in Ohio.

In 2016, a five-person team set out on a mission to capture the achievements of persons and institutions who have shaped the intricate diversity of dance history and practice within the state of Ohio and weave them together in an easily accessible digital format. This we call the OhioDance Virtual Dance Collection. As of 2024 we have highlighted 37 individuals and institutions. The team has traveled over 5000 miles and interviewed hundreds of individuals in all five regions of Ohio. vdc.ohiodance.org [https://us2.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=http%3A%2F%2Fvdc.ohiodance.org&xid=7457ab4d48&uid=6658474&iid=0aa4c26b4e&pool=cts&v=2&c=1690495018&h=3d08a0a96f0253c527182e727095a91239c27228891ad793c1d128808ab1f4d3]

If you like what you are listening to and are not a member of OhioDance, you can go to ohiodance.org [https://ohiodance.org/] and click the membership button to join and receive the many benefits that come with your membership. You can also donate through our purple donate button.

Padma Chebrolu: The Wisdom of Indian Dance and Living a Life Fueled by Joy

Season One, Episode Six: This month’s guest is Damien Highfield. Damien began dancing at the age of four in his hometown of Columbus, where he trained at Balletmet for ten years, then became a member of Balletmet/Jazzmet. He then went to Butler University in Indianapolis. From there Damien performed for Atlanta Ballet, Ohio Ballet and GroundWorks DanceTheater.   Damien has performed as a guest artist with Indianapolis Opera, Columbus Opera, Alexandra Ballet, Fort Wayne Ballet and the Academy of Ballet Arts. Damien has danced the title role in Hamlet, Dracula, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, Cinderella, and the pas de deux in Alonzo King’s Heaven and Earth. He has been a featured choreographer for many professional and pre-professional companies.  Damien created a full-length ballet, The Toymaker, for the Roots of Choreography project. Damien returns for his 16th season with Ballet Theatre of Ohio. He originated the role of Mars in BTO’s Beyond the Stars, performed with BTO during the Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festivals, has danced in principal roles in The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, and Wizard of Oz for BTO. Mr. Highfield is set to retire from dance this season and will focus his attention on the management of Stage Center, a dance apparel store located in Akron. Mr. Highfield, who is married with three daughters, choreographs, and teaches throughout Ohio.

OhioDance A State of Dance is a six-part series coming out the fourth Friday of each month through November 2023.

This podcast is driven by the OhioDance mission to secure the foothold of dance in Ohio through increasing visibility, firming viability, and elevating the position of dance in Ohio.

In 2016, a five-person team set out on a mission to capture the achievements of persons and institutions who have shaped the intricate diversity of dance history and practice within the state of Ohio and weave them together in an easily accessible digital format. This we call the OhioDance Virtual Dance Collection. As of 2023 we have highlighted 33 individuals and institutions. The team has traveled over 5000 miles and interviewed 100 individuals in all five regions of Ohio. vdc.ohiodance.org [https://us2.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=http%3A%2F%2Fvdc.ohiodance.org&xid=7457ab4d48&uid=6658474&iid=0aa4c26b4e&pool=cts&v=2&c=1690495018&h=3d08a0a96f0253c527182e727095a91239c27228891ad793c1d128808ab1f4d3]

If you like what you are listening to and are not a member of OhioDance, you can go to ohiodance.org [https://ohiodance.org/] and click the membership button to join and receive the many benefits that come with your membership. You can also donate through our purple donate button.

The Unstoppable Force that is Damien Highfield 

Season One, Episode Five: This month’s guest is Zelma Badu-Younge, Ph.D. Zelma Badu-Younge is Professor of Dance, and Director of the School of Dance, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio. Zelma Badu-Younge, one of the most charismatic cultural fusion artists, captivates her audience as she steps on stage. This mesmerizing performer is considered one of the most electrifying choreographers, with her high-energy synthesis of West African traditions combined with other world dance forms.

OhioDance A State of Dance is a six-part series coming out the fourth Friday of each month through November 2023.

This podcast is driven by the OhioDance mission to secure the foothold of dance in Ohio through increasing visibility, firming viability, and elevating the position of dance in Ohio.

In 2016, a five-person team set out on a mission to capture the achievements of persons and institutions who have shaped the intricate diversity of dance history and practice within the state of Ohio and weave them together in an easily accessible digital format. This we call the OhioDance Virtual Dance Collection. As of 2023 we have highlighted 33 individuals and institutions. The team has traveled over 5000 miles and interviewed 100 individuals in all five regions of Ohio. vdc.ohiodance.org [https://us2.mailchimp.com/mctx/clicks?url=http%3A%2F%2Fvdc.ohiodance.org&xid=7457ab4d48&uid=6658474&iid=0aa4c26b4e&pool=cts&v=2&c=1690495018&h=3d08a0a96f0253c527182e727095a91239c27228891ad793c1d128808ab1f4d3]

If you like what you are listening to and are not a member of OhioDance, you can go to ohiodance.org [https://ohiodance.org/] and click the membership button to join and receive the many benefits that come with your membership. You can also donate through our purple donate button.

The Awe-Inspiring Journeys of Zelma Badu-Younge

From OhioDance and hosted by independent choreographer and artist Rodney Veal, A State of Dance brings you conversations about the world of dance.