Turning the Tables: Daniel Burkholder on Improvisation, Creative Process, and Building an Archive | act/re/act Podcast

In this special episode of act/re/act, the script is flipped as host Daniel Burkholder, Chair of the Dance Department at UW-Milwaukee's Peck School of the Arts, sits in the hot seat. Recent BFA graduate and former podcast assistant Megan Holzhauer interviews Daniel about his improvisational practice, creative process, and the philosophy behind this very podcast.

Daniel opens up about how improvisation shapes both his artistic work and daily life as an administrator, revealing how he navigates structure while remaining open to spontaneous opportunities. He discusses his approach to teaching improvisation—surprising students who expect to "just improvise" with carefully designed structures that serve as doorways rather than boxes, creating focus without limitation.

In this conversation, we explore:

• How structure and spontaneity coexist in improvisational practice
• Daniel's creative process for developing new choreography, including his ongoing Wisconsin waterways series
• The role of somatic practices (Feldenkrais Method) and mindfulness in dance improvisation
• Making space for individual expression in ensemble work
• Teaching improvisation to students with diverse backgrounds and experience levels
• The research and discovery process behind site-specific dance works
• Why Daniel started the act/re/act podcast and how it has evolved
• The importance of contextualizing your improvisational lineage
• Creating long-form artistic archives in an era of short-form media

Daniel shares insights from recent work including "Embodied Truth: Finding Ways to Move Together" and his Three Rivers piece, discussing how academic research, rehearsal discoveries, and performer individuality shape the final work. He reflects on interviewing artists across disciplines—from hip-hop and tap dancers to comedians and musicians—and what these conversations reveal about improvisation as a practice that pushes against established norms.

This meta-conversation offers a rare glimpse into the mind of an artist-educator who believes every creative act is an act of improvisation, and that deep, sustained engagement—not snippets—is where real discovery happens.

Keywords: dance improvisation pedagogy, choreographic process, somatic dance practice, Feldenkrais Method, teaching improvisation, contemporary dance education, site-specific choreography, improvisational lineage, dance podcast, artistic research methodology, embodied practice

Perfect for dancers, choreographers, educators, and anyone interested in the intersection of structure and spontaneity in creative practice.

Conversation with Nina Martin on Ensemble Thinking, ReWire Movement States, Improvisation, and Performance

TCU Dance Professor | Ensemble Thinking Founder | ReWire Movement States | Contact Improvisation

Discover the groundbreaking work of Nina Martin, PhD, creator of Ensemble Thinking and ReWire Movement States, two revolutionary methodologies that have transformed contemporary improvisation. Host Daniel Burkholder explores Martin's 50 years of embodied research with this six-time National Endowment for the Arts fellowship recipient and true rebel of the dance world.

Featured Artist: Nina Martin Bio Highlights

Nina Martin, MFA, PhD is a choreographer, pedagogue, dance theorist, and performer whose work centers on perception, composition, and spontaneous movement states. With five decades of embodied research and applied dance practice, she has fundamentally shaped how improvisation is understood as viable performance, research methodology, and pedagogical framework.

Major Recognition & Positions:

• Six-time NEA Choreography Fellowship recipient - National Endowment for the Arts
• TCU Professor of Dance Studies - Texas Christian University School for Classical & Contemporary Dance
• Former UCLA faculty - Department of World Arts and Cultures
• Former NYU faculty - Experimental Theatre Wing
• Board President of Marfa Live Arts - Dance Ranch Marfa workshops
• Lower Left Performance Collective - Artist member focused on cooperative inquiry
• International touring artist - Teaching and performing across Europe, Asia, Canada, and the US

Revolutionary Methodologies:

• Ensemble Thinking - Clarification and advancement of improvisation as performance form
• ReWire Movement States - Therapeutic application of creative practice
• Contact Improvisation practice - Veteran practitioner and teacher
• 50 years of embodied research - Applied dance and spontaneous movement

Learn More:

• act/re/act Podcast Archive: https://www.danielburkholder.com/actreact-podcast
• Lower Left Performance Collective: www.lowerleft.org
• Marfa Live Arts - Dance Ranch Marfa workshops and programming
• TCU School for Classical & Contemporary Dance

Keywords: #NinaMartin #EnsembleThinking #ReWireMovementStates #TCUDance #NEAFellowship #ContactImprovisation #LowerLeftCollective #MarfaLiveArts #DanceRanchMarfa #DanceTherapy #SomaticPractice #SpontaneousMovement #EmbodiedResearch #ContemporaryImprovisation #DancePedagogy #PerceptionComposition #ActReActPodcast

Jonathan Morris Conversation: DC Composer on "Resonance: Time + Wood + Steel" & 25-Hour Duet Performance | act/re/act Podcast

Hartt School Graduate | DC Improvisers Collective | Low End String Quartet

Join accomplished composer and musician Jonathan Morris (Matis) in this reflective conversation about improvisation, collaboration, and his latest solo album "Resonance: Time + Wood + Steel" on Ramble Records. Host Daniel Burkholder reconnects with his longtime collaborator to explore their decade-long artistic partnership, including their legendary 25-hour duet performance "Unmapped".

Featured Artist: Jonathan Morris Bio Highlights

Jonathan Morris (Matis) is a Washington, DC-based composer and performer who has been professionally creating music since 1993. His innovative approach to combining improvisation and composition led him to founding and performing with numerous music ensembles.

Performance Venues & Recognition:

• Kennedy Center - National performing arts venue
• CBGB's - Legendary New York music club
• National touring artist - Coast-to-coast performance experience
• Hartt School of Music graduate training in composition and improvisation

Musical Projects & Leadership:

• DC Improvisers Collective - Founder and leader
• Low End String Quartet - Ensemble leadership
• Boat Burning - Member of instrumental rock guitar choir
• "Resonance: Time + Wood + Steel" - Latest commercial release on Ramble Records

Collaborative History:

• 10+ year artistic partnership with host Daniel Burkholder
• Evening-length dance works composition
• Improv Arts non-profit co-founder and operator
• "Unmapped" 25-hour duet performance - Epic endurance collaboration

Conversation Deep Dives:

• Improvisation meets composition - Bridging spontaneous and structured music
• "Resonance: Time + Wood + Steel" - Ambient guitar music creation process
• 25-hour performance endurance - "Unmapped" duet experience and insights
• Improv Arts non-profit - Building community arts organizations
• DC music scene leadership - Improvisers Collective impact
• Dance and music collaboration - 10+ years of interdisciplinary partnership
• Kennedy Center to CBGB's - Performing across diverse venues and audiences
• Hartt School methodology - Academic training in experimental music
• Ramble Records release - Independent music publishing and distribution

This intimate conversation reveals how a composer has spent three decades pushing boundaries between improvisation and composition. From founding the DC Improvisers Collective to creating ambient soundscapes, discover how Morris has built bridges between experimental music, dance collaboration, and community arts organizing.

Artistic Innovation: Morris represents a unique approach to contemporary composition, seamlessly blending academic training with experimental practice, solo artistry with collaborative leadership, and intimate recordings with epic durational performances.

Historical Documentation: This episode provides rare insight into the behind-the-scenes development of a decade-long artistic partnership that produced both intimate collaborations and large-scale community initiatives.

Host: Daniel Burkholder - Milwaukee-based dance artist and longtime collaborator

Listen & Learn More:

• act/re/act Podcast Archive: https://www.danielburkholder.com/actreact-podcast
• "Resonance: Time + Wood + Steel" - Available on Ramble Records
• DC Improvisers Collective - Washington area experimental music community

Keywords: #JonathanMorris #JonathanMatis #DCImprovisersCollective #KennedyCenter #HarttSchool #ResonanceTimeWoodSteel #RambleRecords #BoatBurning #LowEndStringQuartet #Unmapped25Hour #ImprovArts #AmbientGuitar #WashingtonDCMusic #CBGBs #ImprovisationComposition #ActReActPodcast