Freedom as Practice. Movement as Choice.

In this episode of Why We Dance, Mia Tate welcomes Aaron Walton for a reflective and wide-ranging conversation about freedom—not as a destination, but as something lived, practiced, and earned through motion.

Aaron shares how growing up in a musically rich household shaped his earliest relationship to rhythm and expression, long before his career in advertising took shape. He reflects on formative professional experiences, including working alongside Michael Jackson, and how proximity to cultural icons taught him less about spectacle and more about discipline, trust, and creative rigor.

Rather than lingering in the spotlight, the conversation moves forward—through fashion, embodied learning, and spiritual curiosity. Aaron traces his path from Paris runways to the quiet intensity of the ballet studio, including his involvement with Alonzo King LINES Ballet, where structure, humility, and presence reshaped his relationship to movement.

The episode culminates in a deeply personal moment as Aaron reads a letter on why he dances—an intimate reflection on authenticity, gratitude, and the courage to remain open to change. This is a conversation about loosening definitions, honoring lineage, and discovering that true freedom is not found in stillness, but in motion.

Episode Timestamps:
[00:00] Embracing Curiosity and Growth
[01:22] Introducing Aaron Walton
[03:02] The Power of Dance and Movement
[06:36] Childhood and Early Influences
[08:36] Educational Journey and METCO Program
[12:03] Career Beginnings at Pepsi
[14:36] Michael Jackson’s Bad Tour Experience
[17:57] The Discipline Behind Creativity
[22:12] Fashion Week and Personal Growth
[29:17] Embracing Confidence and Body Awareness
[30:29] Joining the LINES Ballet Board
[32:05] Winning the Auction and Preparing to Dance
[33:46] The Joy of Ballet and Continuous Learning
[35:03] The Power of Movement and Creativity
[37:09] The Importance of Disruption and Curiosity
[45:11] Personal Truths and Coming Out
[47:08] Spiritual Connection to Movement
[49:19] Reflecting on Family and Upbringing
[54:25] Concluding Thoughts and Letter Reading

Links & Resources:
Mia Tate’s IMDb
Aaron Walton – Walton Isaacson
Alonzo King LINES Ballet}
Subscribe and Follow Why We Dance on Youtube, TikTok, and Instagram
Podcast Producer S.J. Nichols (Seannon Gonzalez)
Executive Producer Meredith Gooderham
Production Studio Caspian Studios
Camera Operator Kai Irvine
Assistant Camera Ben Drummond
Production also by Dark to Light Productions
Thank you to Davies Reid Rugs

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Movement as Meaning. Dance as Belonging.

In this episode of Why We Dance, Mia Tate welcomes Alice Sheppard for a powerful conversation about redefining dance through disability culture, collaboration, and lived experience.

Alice shares her unconventional path into dance, beginning in academia with music and medieval studies before movement reshaped how she understood her body and the world around her. A pivotal encounter with disabled dancer Homer Avila challenged long-held assumptions about who dance is for—and what it can communicate beyond traditional norms.

The conversation traces the founding and evolution of Kinetic Light, a disability-led arts company known for creating visually striking, culturally rich work rooted in disabled experience. Alice speaks candidly about collaboration as a creative practice, the responsibility of representation in the arts, and the essential role audiences play in meaning-making.

Together, Mia and Alice explore dance as both a deeply personal and collective act—one that holds space for resilience, interdependence, and universal human truths. This episode is a meditation on creativity, movement, and why dance remains one of our most honest forms of expression.

Episode Timestamps:
[00:00] Introduction and Initial Thoughts on Disability Representation
[00:52] Welcoming Alice Shepherd
[01:30] Alice Shepherd's Background and Description
[02:33] Introduction of Mia Tate
[03:41] Alice Shepherd's Artistic Journey
[04:43] Exploring the Concept of Movement
[08:02] Alice Shepherd's Early Life and Musical Background
[11:05] Transition to Medieval Studies and Dance
[17:01] The Influence of Homer Avila
[22:03] Challenges and Breakthroughs in Dance
[27:35] The Connection with the Audience
[29:45] Founding Kinetic Light
[30:41] Collaborating with Michael Mag
[31:32] Forming the Dance Company
[32:19] Creating Art Rooted in Disability Culture
[36:21] The Impact of the Performance Wired
[40:14] Responsibilities as an Artist and Audience
[44:49] The Collaborative Nature of Dance
[51:40] Processing and Preparing for Future Projects
[53:14] Reflections on Dance and Writing
[01:01:03] A Letter on Why I Dance

Links & Resources:
Mia Tate’s IMDb
Alice Sheppard Dance Magazine
Kinetic Light – Official Website

Subscribe and follow Why We Dance on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram @WhyWeDance

Podcast Producer: S.J. Nichols (Seannon Gonzalez)
Executive Producer: Meredith Gooderham
Production Studio: Caspian Studios
Camera Operator: Kai Irvine
Assistant Camera: Ben Drummond
Production also by: Dark to Light Productions
Thank you to: Davies Reid Rugs

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Movement as Courage. Dance as Truth.

In this powerful episode of Why We Dance, Mia Tate welcomes Mallika Sarabhai—world-renowned Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer, actress, author, and fearless activist—for a conversation that stretches far beyond the stage.

Mallika reflects on growing up in an extraordinary family deeply rooted in Mahatma Gandhi’s movement, her early resistance to becoming a dancer, and the intellectual path that initially pulled her away from the arts. She shares the pivotal “Eureka moment” that called her back to dance—and into partnership with her mother, the legendary Mrinalini Sarabhai.

Together, Mia and Mallika explore how dance became a shared language between mother and daughter, a vehicle for confronting injustice, and a lifelong tool for asking uncomfortable questions. Mallika speaks candidly about using art to challenge power, facing government opposition and hate mail, and why humor, discipline, and vulnerability are essential to survival—both onstage and off.

Their conversation weaves through themes of womanhood, courage, authenticity, and the radical power of movement to communicate what words cannot. This episode is a testament to living fully—embracing both light and darkness—and choosing truth, even when it costs something.

It’s a conversation about legacy, resistance, and why dance, at its best, is an act of profound honesty.

Episode Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction to Why We Dance
(00:57) Mallika Sarabhai: A Journey of Movement
(02:29) Early Life and Family Legacy
(04:01) Discovering Dance and Early Resistance
(05:01) The Eureka Moment: Choosing Dance
(06:14) Dancing with Her Mother and Building a Company
(11:30) Dance as a Language for Social Change
(23:09) Speaking Truth to Power and Government Opposition
(26:08) Purpose, Perseverance, and Personal Cost
(27:52) The Strength and Struggles of Women
(31:22) Responding to Hate with Compassion
(32:08) Vulnerability as a Source of Power
(38:54) Encouraging Critical Thinking Through Art
(45:58) Humor, Heartbreak, and Humanity in Dance
(51:37) Universal Truths and Living Authentically

Links & Resources:

• Mia Tate’s IMDb
• Mallika Sarabhai – Official Website
• Subscribe and Follow Why We Dance on Youtube, TikTok, and Instagram
• Podcast Producer S.J. Nichols (Seannon Gonzalez)
• Executive Producer Meredith Gooderham
• Production Studio Caspian Studios
• Camera Operator Kai Irvine
• Assistant Camera Ben Drummond
• Production also by Dark to Light Productions
• Thank you to Davies Reid Rugs

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lights, Camera, Dance!

In the premiere episode of Why We Dance, actress Musetta Vander interviews the show’s host, Mia Tate—not to talk about dance, but to uncover what dance has rescued, restored, and revealed in Mia’s life and why she created this show.

Mia opens up about the seasons that nearly broke her—divorce, health scares, and the slow, quiet unraveling that happens when you drift away from your own body. What began to pull her back was a return to movement in Cuba, where music, community, and the island’s heartbeat reignited a part of her that had long been dormant.

Their conversation moves through:

• How early sparks of inspiration shaped Mia’s desire to dance
• What her years in Hollywood gave her—and what they demanded
• How creating her documentary Campesino deepened her belief in art as a lifeline
• Why movement can heal in ways language never quite can

The episode concludes with Mia reading a raw, intimate letter about why she dances—a moment that sets the emotional pulse for the stories still to unfold in the series.

It’s a conversation about healing, memory, and the human need to move.

Episode Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction and Personal Struggles

(01:32) Welcome to Why We Dance

(04:02) Early Dance Memories

(05:34) Training and Breakthroughs

(08:50) Transition to Professional Dance

(13:19) From Dance to Documentary Filmmaking

(16:35) Healing Through Dance in Cuba

(21:57) The Universal Language of Dance

(30:11) Dancing with Kids and the Power of Music

(30:50) The Healing Power of Dance and Sound

(33:10) Reconnecting After a Long Time

(34:45) Memories from 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?'

(35:52) Audition Stories and Behind the Scenes

(44:10) The Concept of 'Why We Dance'

(53:24) Mia Tate's Letter: Why I Dance

Links & Resources:

• Mia Tate’s IMDb
• Musetta Vander’s IMDb
• Subscribe and Follow Why We Dance on Youtube, TikTok, and Instagram
• Podcast Producer S.J. Nichols (Seannon Gonzalez)
• Executive Producer Meredith Gooderham
• Production Studio Caspian Studios
• Camera Operator Kai Irvine
• Assistant Camera Ben Drummond
• Production also by Dark to Light Productions
• Thank you to Davies Reid Rugs

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.