In this episode, Megan is joined by Ricardo, a professional dancer and creative working across stage, film and commercial performance, for an honest conversation about sustainability, authenticity and care within a demanding freelance dance career.
Ricardo shares his journey into dance, from early training and time on the Centre of Advanced Training Programme at The Place to performing in Wicked and creating his own short dance film, Shattering Conceptions. Together, they explore what it means to stay connected to joy and self-expression in an industry that often prioritises output, speed and visibility.
The conversation moves through themes of self-care and mental health, including journaling, therapy, emotional regulation and taking intentional breaks to prevent burnout. Megan and Ricardo reflect on empathy in creative work, the pressure to prioritise others, and how sustainable practices can look different across seasons of life.
They also discuss navigating freelance structures — finding the right agent, managing multiple projects, and building supportive professional relationships — alongside broader reflections on the commercialization of dance and the importance of returning to its roots.
Throughout the episode, Ricardo speaks candidly about vulnerability, resilience and showing up authentically, offering a reminder that longevity in dance is built not just on discipline, but on care, presence and honesty.

In this episode, Megan is joined by Alethia, a British Caribbean choreographer, performer, teacher and researcher based in the UK, for a wide-ranging conversation on sustainability, authorship and care within contemporary dance practice.

Together, they reflect on their respective journeys into movement, from early training to their current work across choreography, teaching and research. The conversation moves through questions of balance — between rigor and rest, planning and intuition, holding space for others while tending to one’s own capacity — particularly within freelance life.

Alethia shares candidly about navigating burnout, energy management, and how living with ME has reshaped the way they approach creation, rehearsal structures and long-term projects. Megan and Alethia also explore dancer empowerment in the studio, the value of trust and risk-taking in process, and the often unseen labour behind choreography.

The episode closes with reflections on inhabiting dual identities as choreographer and performer, the grief and growth that come with changing physical capacities, and a shared call for greater accessibility and inclusivity within dance spaces and theatres.

In this episode, Megan is joined by Rose, a Dutch–Senegalese independent dance artist based in London, for a rich conversation on training, creativity, and navigating constant change as a freelance artist.

Rose shares how practices such as Kalaripayattu and other movement forms have shaped her relationship to discipline, devotion, and artistic freedom, and how she balances rigorous technique with poetic expression.

Together, they explore routines and solitude as anchors while touring, the dialogue between training and creativity, and how cultural exchange, risk-taking, and embodied presence continue to inform Rose’s evolving practice as a performer, choreographer, and teacher.