115: Beauty is Experience — Emmaly Wiederholt

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week on 5.6.7.EIGHT, Aleksandra speaks with Emmaly Wiederholt, Founder and Editor of</span> <a href="http://stanceondance.com/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Stance on Dance</span></a> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">— an online publication that interviews dancers who are members of marginalized groups.</span> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">Wiederholt, a veteran dancer, holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California. She is also a published author,</span> <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Experience-Dancing-50-Beyond/dp/0998247804"> <span style="font-weight: 400;">whose book</span></a> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">features the stories of dancers over the age of fifty. She’s currently working on her second book that focuses on dancers with disabilities.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Emmaly understands the value of gathering multiple perspectives in the arts and has dedicated her life to doing so. Emmaly knows that, often, those with the deepest, richest, longest and most complex life experiences are those who can bring the truest art to the stage. Yet, while this may be true, these stories often are overshadowed by others who claim the spotlight. On the podcast, Emmaly walks through each of her unique efforts to put these rich stories on full display and explains why this work is not only important but is critical to the art.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Moving Quotes:</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"If art is based off of experience, then the more life experience you have, the more powerful and rich your art practice becomes."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"In dance, this emphasis on youth is harmful — harmful from a mental health standpoint, but also harmful in terms of the artistry and richness of our field."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I benefit from dance, not only in terms of physically and emotionally. But also in terms of building community. I make