2. Coping in Current Times II: A conversation with company artist Kate Maxted

·26 min·2 clips

Kate Maxted's heart skipped a beat when she saw the mountains on her descent into Boise, realizing she could find a home, not just a dance job.

This episode features Ballet Idaho Artistic Director Garrett Anderson in conversation with company artist Kate Maxted. They discuss Maxted's first season with the company and how the organization is navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. The dialogue centers on adaptation, community, and the evolving role of artists during a crisis. Maxted moved to Boise after six years dancing in San Antonio, Texas, and was drawn to Ballet Idaho by the mountain landscape and the community's tangible support for the arts. The company had to cancel its live performances of "Light Dark" but created and distributed a digital film of the program to ticket holders. A map showed the film reached viewers in distant locations like Alaska, Colorado, and Texas, expanding their audience. Maxted describes the personal challenge of shifting from daily physical contact in the studio to living and working alone in her apartment. To cope, she began teaching English online to children in China, which provided structure and a sense of connection. She also took advantage of free dance classes streamed online, including jazz from a Steps on Broadway teacher and ballet from friends teaching elsewhere. A surprising insight is Maxted's academic background in arts management, which she pursued due to frustration with administrators who lacked understanding of dancers' needs. She believes performers transitioning into management can be a major asset to arts organizations. Anderson emphasizes that the current crisis is a time for creatives to lead by finding new solutions, like the "Light Dark" film, rather than focusing on scarcity. Maxted finds it healing to laugh at herself while taking unfamiliar online dance classes, viewing them as vital for artistic refreshment. The company's Zoom classes became important not just for training but for social check-ins, like celebrating a birthday together virtually. The tone is reflective and conversational, with a strong undercurrent of mutual appreciation and optimism. The style is informal and interview-based, focusing on personal experience and organizational philosophy. Listeners interested in the inner workings of a ballet company or artists' personal adaptations during a global pause would enjoy this episode. Those seeking technical dance discussion or performance analysis might find it less engaging.

As heard by us

A steady, humane look at Ballet Idaho adapting under pressure.

Ballet Idaho Out Loud stays close to the work of making art under shelter-in-place conditions. It covers the canceled performance that fell apart on dress rehearsal day, the filmed version of Light/Dark, and the move to online classes.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want a grounded arts check-in from Ballet Idaho that stays human, not performative.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Ballet Idaho Out Loud