The Juilliard School: Inside the Dance Division with Melissa Toogood

Episode 3 of The Art Career’s New York season goes inside one of the world’s most influential training grounds for artists: The Juilliard School.What does it mean to train the next generation of dancers at a moment when the field—and the possibilities of a life in dance—continue to evolve?Melissa Toogood is the Dean and Director of Juilliard’s Dance Division, as well as an acclaimed dancer, educator, and former member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. Her career has moved between performance, collaboration, teaching, and artistic leadership, giving her a rare perspective on what it takes to build—and sustain—a life in dance.Emily sits down with Melissa at Juilliard to discuss the realities of a professional dance career, the role of rigorous training, how young dancers develop their own artistic voices, and what it means to lead one of the most respected dance programs in the world.Then, the episode moves from the classroom to the stage. Emily joins Juilliard’s dancers behind the scenes as they prepare to perform Les Élémens at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, featuring world-premiere choreography for Juilliard dancers by Pam Tanowitz.In this episode, Emily and Melissa discuss:What Juilliard is preparing young dancers for todayThe transition from student to working artistDeveloping individuality within rigorous technical trainingMelissa’s own path from performer to educator and institutional leaderWhat young artists need to understand about building sustainable creative careersThe discipline, collaboration, and work audiences rarely see behind a finished performanceRecorded at The Juilliard School in New York City, with behind-the-scenes access to Juilliard Dance at Carnegie Hall.The Juilliard Schoolhttps://www.juilliard.eduJuilliard Dance Divisionhttps://www.juilliard.edu/danceMelissa Toogoodhttps://www.juilliard.edu/dance/faculty/toogood-melissaCarnegie Hallhttps://www.carnegiehall.orgFeaturing Melissa Toogood, Dean and Director of the Dance Division at The Juilliard SchoolHosted by Emily McElwreathRecorded at The Juilliard School and Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York CityFeaturing behind-the-scenes access to Juilliard Dance and Juilliard in rehearsal for Les Élémens, featuring world-premiere choreography for Juilliard dancers by Pam TanowitzSpecial thanks to The Juilliard School, the Juilliard Dance Division, and Carnegie HallThe Art Career is produced by McElwreath Art Advisory.