The Dance Maker Podcast

The Dance Maker Podcast is presented by Small Plates Choreography Festival. In this series, we engage in inspiring conversations with choreographers from the Small Plates network whose work has been showcased in our performances.

Small Plates Choreography Festival is an artist-centric dance performance platform designed for dance makers at all stages of their choreographic careers. We expertly curate and produce concert dance through an open application process, highlighting distinct, uncommon, and relevant short dance works in performances in several different US cities each year. Our goal is to be a platform for Dance Makers, to amplify their voices and reach, and to create a lively interface between artists and audiences, exploring the creative process and the intent behind each dance.


This podcast serves as a vehicle for conversations with dance makers about their inspiration, experiences, processes, and the deeper purpose behind their creations. We will hear from the talented choreographers of **Small Plates** about what draws them to dance, their creative processes, and their artistic journeys.

Join us as we discover how choreographic work comes to life through the eyes of the Artists of Small Plates, and learn where you can engage further with them and with their performances.

Pasarawayun with Audrey Baran – The Dance Maker Podcast

In this episode of The Dance Maker Podcast, host Beth McKee Elliott speaks with choreographer and performer Audrey Baran about collaboration, Filipino culture, and connections between traditional and contemporary dance. They sift through the details of Baran Dance's work 'Bad Kids', performed in 2025 at the annual Small Plates Duck show. This duet, performed with Jherrymiah Go, brings a contemporary lens to the traditional Binasuan dance and comments on the expectations placed on Filipino women and girls. Audrey shares how her practicing relationship to her cultural heritage alongside her collaborative process shaped the piece. Though the work is rooted in deep conversations, bespoke music, spoken word, and rap, the unspoken elements are what leave a ringing in the ears.Tune in soon to hear Audrey Baran hosting interviews for the Dance Maker Podcast!Audrey Baran (she/her) is a Filipina-American dance maker, performer, and educator based in Charlotte, North Carolina. She holds an MFA in Dance from Hollins Univ as well as a Graduate Certificate in Anti-Racism in Urban Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. As the founder and artistic director of nonprofit contemporary dance company Baran Dance, she is dedicated to expanding definitions and representation in contemporary dance throughout the Southeast by presenting collaborative, multimedia performances and mentorship programs for emerging and evolving dance artists. Baran is also a 500-hour Registered Yoga Teacher and MUNZ FLOOR® coach and thrives on sharing her research on the intersection of movement and mindfulness among diverse bodies in action. Baran Dance Website – https://www.baran.danceBaran Dance Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/barandance/ Sign up for Company Class with Baran Dance – https://app.ubindi.com/Audrey.BaranDerrick J. Hines music – https://bandcamp.com/derrickjhines Ruby Ibarra music – https://www.rubyibarra.com/ ————————–Visit https://smallplatesdance.com/ ⁠for open applications, links to purchase tickets, and to donate. Join our email list at https://smallplatesdance.newsletter to receive notices about new podcast episodes, application deadline reminders, and announcements about new shows and events.
  1. Pasarawayun with Audrey Baran
  2. Anatomy of Art with Alexandra Beller
  3. Trailer
  4. Season Two Finale: Beth McKee Elliott Reflects on Gratitude and What’s Next | Ep 26
  5. Disrupting Flow: Meghan Frederick on Movement, Motherhood, and Meaning | Ep 25
  6. Dance, Connection, and Rediscovery with Emily Green | Ep 24
  7. Body, Birth, and Becoming: Judy Kurjan-Frank on Dance as Healing | Ep 23
  8. Creating Through Impasse: Meredith Barnes on Dance, Friendship, and Healing | Ep 22
  9. Tales of War and of Waste: Diversity and Accessibility | E 21
  10. Spore: Vulnerability, Nature & the Creative Process | Ep 20
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