Why Dance Matters

Jack Murphy: Bridgerton’s dancing master

Jack Murphy is the acclaimed choreographer and movement director of Bridgerton. Initially an actor, he became a movement director (training in part at the RAD), helping a

Christopher Wheeldon: ballet meets Broadway

Christopher Wheeldon is a very special guest for the 100th episode of Why Dance Matters. He’s a ballet great – creator of marvels like After the Rain and Tryst, and full

Amanda Teo: ballet meets world

The RAD has an impressive global reach – in over 80 countries across the world, thousands of teachers are progressing even more thousands of students the curves and lines

Alicia Graf Mack: holding history in her hand

Alicia Graf Mack is only the fourth ever director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. It’s a company with a huge significance for dance history – and especially fo

Serena McCall: style and steam

The wonderful Scottish dancer Serena McCall is currently appearing in Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man. It’s a tale of torrid sex and violence, set in a small US town. Serena

Alexandra Beller: what does the body know?

The human body is a walking repository of human experience, its joys and terrors, surprises and exhilarations. Someone who knows how to tap into that embodied experience

Lil Buck: from Memphis to the world stage

No one moves like Charles “Lil Buck” Riley. The dancer, renowned for Memphis jookin’, has a breathtakingly fluid style which has led to collaborations in ballet, music, f

Isabelle Brouwers: sharing the dance

Isabelle Brouwers is an eloquent advocate for ballet and the way it can speak to young people, audiences and wider communities. She retired from English National Ballet e

Nathan James: taptastic!

As the RAD releases its new Musical Theatre syllabus, Dr Nathan James (the RAD’s Deputy Artistic Director – Education) describes what makes it distinctive. From falling u

Dena Kaplan: good-girl dancer to euphoric DJ

In a candid interview, the Australian-based dancer, actor and musician Dena Kaplan describes the unexpected places dance may take you. Dena was born in South Africa and m

Sir Peter Wright: a century of dance

Sir Peter Wright is living proof that doing what you love will sustain you. The ballet producer and artistic director turns 100 in November, but has been involved in rece

Pawlet Brookes: the art of serendipity

Serendipity is what happens when the universe smiles on you: a happy chance, a creative coincidence. It is also the name of the remarkable Serendipity Institute for Black

Jordan James Bridge: defying the gatekeepers

Jordan James Bridge is a sharp mover and thinker and an ambitious talent. Having danced for Company Wayne McGregor, his own choreography has made a splash on screen and i

Sonia Sabri: the power of dance

Our guest today is the choreographer Sonia Sabri – dance changed her life, and now she uses it to change others. Sonia grew up in Wolverhampton, UK, in a traditional Indi

Dr. Mark Broomfield: changing the world, one dance at a time

Dr. Mark Broomfield is a dance scholar and artist, and the author of Black Queer Dance: Gay Men and the Politics of Passing for Almost Straight. Born in London, he has sp

Elizabeth Honer: what does leadership look like?

We meet Elizabeth Honer – the RAD’s first female chief executive in its 106 year history – marking her first year in post. Elizabeth’s career in public service has includ

Christopher Scott: making Wicked dance

Our first guest of 2026 is the choreographer of the Wicked movies: the defying gravity force field that is Christopher Scott. In two phenomenal films, based on the hit s

Jamiel Devernay-Laurence: ballet entrepreneur

Jamiel Devernay-Laurence has a dance brain, but also a business brain. Founder, artistic director and enthusiastic compere of the ever-growing series of Ballet Nights eve

Evie Templeton: Wednesday, ballet and Lady Gaga

Here’s an unusual compliment: “Evie has amazing eyes that can emote both compassion and complete psychotic behaviour.” This is a director describing Evie Templeton, who a

Anthony Roth Costanzo: high notes and bold choices

Few classical singers embrace movement as vividly as the star countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo. He explores all the possibilities of a performing career, from opera to