Team Blog Post – Mayumi Lashbrook for the ‘D’ Word Podcast

As the Creative Producer for the ‘D’ Word Podcast, I ask what is pulsating through the dance community? What conversations are arising regularly? What does our milieu need right now? And how does that interact with global needs and perspectives?

I, along with our majestic host, Aria Evans, built a season around these questions. Season 4 features four distinct and drastically different artists: Robin Lacambra, Aurora Matrix, Cassa Pancho, and Shannon Litzenberger. Their conversations range all the way from the creative process, to pancaking, from death drops, to death threats.

When I look at the dance landscape, I see growth and change. I see how the calls to action have brought about one major request: transformation. The evolution of self, shifting of social constructs and change to relationships within working models.

I found each of these leaders inspiring in their journeys for transformation. I’ve witnessed Robin healing relationships, and seeking transformational justice on an individual level. Her talks make me laugh cry – yes, both simultaneously. How does she do it? I haven’t a clue but get ready for some full spectrum feelings with her episode.

Aurora Matrix is an absolute icon. Having seen her on stage, on TV with Canada’s Drag Race, and now on our podcast, she knows how to delight your senses in her world of drag. Her star power is magnetic and enlivens inspiration of your own. For someone on such a heightened world stage with the global issues she aims to face through her drag, Aurora is approachable and humble. 

There are multiple quotes from Cassa Pancho’s episode that I carry with me. As a person of colour who felt the systemic issues around ballet growing up, it is incredibly healing to hear her speak about her creation of Ballet Black. There is so much possibility for transformation in ballet and her insights give me hope and excitement for the future.

What can dance offer an institution outside of the arts? Shannon Litzenberger rounds off the season, almost flipping dance inside out to expose itself! She takes the creative process and places it into a bank branch to see how it sparks connection and joy. Leave it to Shannon to bridge disparate worlds and show us time and again what dance can do for every body. 

The ‘D’ word podcast is available to listen to anytime. But the potency of these topics might be reflective of where you are at now. I hope season 4 is a transformational experience!