A State of Dance

About A State of Dance

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

Publisher

OhioDance

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

23 Jun 2023

Latest episode

22 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

22 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   22 Sept 2026

   Staying Present, Looking Ahead with Brandon Ragland

   This month's guest is Brandon Ragland, Artistic Director of Dayton Ballet, and an accomplished dancer, choreographer, educator, and arts leader. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Ragland trained at the Alabama School of Fine Arts before earning a B.S. in Dance-Arts Administration from Butler University. He began his professional career with Alabama Ballet, performing classical and neoclassical works by choreographers including George Balanchine, Christopher Bruce, Roger Van Fleteren, and Septime Webre. In 2010, he joined Louisville Ballet, where he spent 13 years as a leading artist performing works spanning classical ballet and contemporary choreography. Throughout his career, Brandon has developed a multifaceted practice encompassing performance, choreography, teaching, and artistic leadership. His choreography has been presented by organizations including Louisville Ballet, Alabama Ballet, Ballet Arkansas, AROVA Contemporary Ballet, Next Generation Ballet, and others, while his contributions to the arts have been recognized with honors including the Lift A Life Foundation Emerging Leader in the Arts Award and Louisville Magazine's Best Artist Award. As Artistic Director of Dayton Ballet, he brings these experiences together in shaping a vision that honors ballet's traditions while creating space for new choreography, new stories, and the continued evolution of the art form. OhioDance: A State of Dance is a six-part series coming out the fourth Friday of each month through November 2026. 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 this the OhioDance Virtual Dance Collection. As of 2026 we have highlighted 46 individuals and institutions. The team has traveled over 5000 miles and interviewed hundreds of individuals in all five regions of Ohio.⁠ vdc.ohiodance.org⁠ If you like what you are listening to and are not a member of OhioDance, you can go to⁠ 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.

2. 

   24 Aug 2026

   Urban Midwest Storytelling with Dominic Moore Dunson

   This month's guest is Dominic Moore-Dunson, an award-winning choreographer, director, and educator based in Akron, Ohio. A 2025 Lloyd Richards New Futures Fellow and Dance Magazine "25 to Watch" artist, he is Co-Founder and Creative Director of MooreDunson Co., a family-led creative studio he leads alongside his wife, Ashley Moore-Dunson. His work spans dance, theater, and immersive performance, using his signature Urban Midwest Storytelling approach to explore memory, identity, safety, belonging, and the complexity of family and community. Dominic's work has been presented nationally and featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Akron Beacon Journal. He is a 2024 Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award recipient and Headlands Center for the Arts Fellow, and the creator of works including the inCOPnegro Trilogy, The Remember Balloons National Tour, and The Block. Across his artistic and educational practice, he brings together movement, storytelling, cultural reflection, and community engagement. OhioDance: A State of Dance is a six-part series coming out the fourth Friday of  each month through November 2026. 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 this the OhioDance Virtual Dance Collection. As of 2026 we have highlighted  46 individuals and institutions. The team has traveled over 5000 miles and interviewed hundreds of individuals in all five regions of Ohio.⁠ vdc.ohiodance.org⁠ If you like what you are listening to and are not a member of OhioDance, you can go to⁠ 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.

3. 

   21 Jul 2026

   Lineage, Leadership, and the Future of Black Dance with Kevin Ward

   This month's guest is Kevin Ward. Mr. Ward is an acclaimed dancer, choreographer, educator, musician, and arts leader. He joined Dayton Contemporary Dance Company in 1980 and served as its Artistic Director from 1999 to 2007, helping guide one of the nation's leading Black contemporary dance companies. After working with the National Dance Institute and New Mexico School for the Arts in Santa Fe, Ward returned to DCDC in 2022 as Senior Artistic Advisor. His honors include three Ohio Arts Council Fellowships, the OhioDance Award, and the Kennedy Center's Masters of African American Choreography Medal. OhioDance: A State of Dance is a six-part series coming out the fourth Friday of  each month through November 2026. 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 this the OhioDance Virtual Dance Collection. As of 2026 we have highlighted  46 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.

Who has been a guest on A State of Dance

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• David A Choate
• Lynn Dally
• Suzan Bradford Kounta
• Cervilio Miguel Amador
• Mary Verdi Fletcher

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

17,777

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 25 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

21

Social presence

0

YouTube

72

Engagement

0

Contact A State of Dance

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.