Language and Culture with Dr. J

In this special, uncensored episode, we step inside the world of the German National Youth Ballet, the BJB, an extraordinary ensemble comprised of nine professional dancers between the ages of 18 and 23, trained in both classical ballet and modern techniques.

One of the very special features of the BJB is that they perform not only on professional stages, but everywhere dance can forge a connection - in schools, museums, nursing homes, swimming pools, and even prisons. Their work demonstrates that dance speaks across generations, backgrounds, and life experiences, creating unity through shared artistic encounter.

This episode, made possible by the generous support of the Charlotte Uhse Stiftung, offers a candid look into the power of communication and collaboration at the heart of the BJB. It begins with a spirited conversation with Artistic and Pedagogical Director Kevin Haigen, one that starts with a small disagreement and unfolds into a passionate, thought-provoking exchange. It includes  contributions from all nine dancers of the BJB, who answer questions from young amateur dancers from Kansas City. And it concludes with Ballet Master Raymond Hilbert’s reflections on connecting with audiences, the question of how a dance style is understood, and some of the most sensitive issues faced by the dance world.

This episode promises to give you intimate insight into the philosophy, purpose, and daily reality of this remarkable ensemble.

Thank you Kevin Haigen, Raymond Hilbert, Bronte Barnett, Eleftherios Sarafis, Hannah McCloughan, Miguel Alves Oliveira, Oskar Weissel-Hetzel, Taissa Pache Pimentel, Kohanna Williams, Javier Martinez, and Zofia Jabłońska for the interviews.

bundesjugendballett.de
cultureum.com

An intimate chat with the woman who has paved the road for Third Culture Kid research and has influenced our views about multiculturalism and global mobility over the past 4 decades. It is with immense pleasure that I bring you this very personal interview that allows you to get to know the person behind the admired researcher and writer.

cultureum.com      cultureumdrj

Just a quick note – this is the last episode I am bringing out this year. I am taking a brief hiatus to gather creative energy and to rethink and restructure the podcast a bit. But, I will be back with new episodes sometime in the fall or winter of 2025.

Thank you for listening,
Dr. J

Die Geigerin, Orchesterleiterin, Autorin und Pädagogin Gesine Mielitz spricht mit mir über die Zusammenhänge zwischen Sprache und Musik, über das Spektrum, in dem sich Musik und Sprache bewegen, über die interessante Übersetzung, die beim Wechsel zwischen verschiedenen Kunstformen stattfindet, über die Auswirkung der Nationalkultur auf den Stil von Autoren und Musikern, sowie über die Doppelrolle des kreativen Schöpfers und Pädagogen aller, die als Künstler sowohl in der Musik als auch in der Literatur tätig sind. Ein sehr interessantes Interview, das es wagt, schwierige Fragen zu stellen, dessen Antworten jedoch für die zukünftige Entwicklung von Sprache und Musik sehr wichtig sind.

cultureum.com       @cultureumdrj

This is an interview with one of the leading experts on Shakespeare, Felicia Londré, who also happens to be a personal friend of Fernando Arrabal. In the interview, we tackle questions such as: Why do Shakespeare's plays still appeal to audiences today? Who actually wrote the plays? How has theater developed since Shakespeare? What are some of the problems with contemporary productions? What is the future of theater? At the end of the interview, Felicia tells us the story of how she met and got to know Fernando Arrabal, and how an initial regard for each other’s work developed into a life-long friendship.

cultureum.com @cultureumdrj

To the listeners, a quick reminder, this is one of the last episodes that I will bring out before my break. After this episode, I will bring you one more episode in German, with a brilliant musician and teacher, and then one more in English with an expert on Third Culture Kids. Afterwards, I will take a brief hiatus to concentrate on a few other projects, but I will be back with new episodes sometime in the fall or winter of 2025. As always, if you’d like to keep up with my activities, please visit my website: culturem.com or my instagram page @cultureumdrj.

Do you know what the difference is between Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and Cross Cultural Kids (CCKs)? How about the difference between flux culture and core culture, or ethnocentric and ethno-relevant views? Do you know where to draw the line between acting as a cultural ambassador and being guilty of cultural appropriation? Do you know what these terms refer to: passport culture, code switching, heart homes, shared identity, global citizenship, or cultural markers? Did you know that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives have of late added a B to the acronym DEIB – to also address issues of belonging? Well, all this is the topic of this episode, in which we “unpack belonging” and discuss the pressing cultural issues of today’s world.

Megan’s book: Megan Norton. Belonging Beyond Borders: How Adult Third Culture Kids Can Cultivate a Sense of Belonging.

cultureum.com       @cultureumdrj

An intimate chat with two brilliant musicians about the meaning and the development of contemporary music. Filled with personal anecdotes and examples, this episode brings you into the world of a composer and that of a conductor, and allows you to hear how they approach the art of communicating through music.  

Associate Professor at Georgetown University, Myriam Vukovic, helps me recap the episode originally recorded in German with the French Consul General to Northern Germany, Valérie Lübken, the fashion influencer, Britta Ahrens (@mrsmoin_hamburg) and the chef and restaurant owner, Sebastian Junge from the restaurant Wolfs Junge. This episode connects fashion, cuisine and diplomacy historically and in modern times by looking at how Louis XIV approached fashion, cuisine, and diplomacy, or how Chanel is more than just a luxury fashion brand, or how the fashion atelier MadeaufVeddel and the restaurant Wolfs Junge work out of the same principles.

cultureum.com         de.ambafrance.org/-Hambourg-Consulat-
wolfs-junge.de          mrsmoin.de

 

Wie ging Ludwig XIV. mit Mode, Küche und Diplomatie um? Inwiefern ist Chanel mehr als eine Luxusmodemarke? Was haben das Modeatelier MadeaufVeddel und das Restaurant Wolfs Junge gemeinsam? Findet heraus, wie die französische Generalkonsulin zu Norddeutschland, Valérie Lübken, diese und weitere Fragen beantwortet. Hört, wie sich die Diskussion entwickelt, wenn die Mode-Influencerin Britta Ahrens (@mrsmoin_hamburg) und Sebastian Junge, der Inhaber und Küchenchef des Restaurants Wolfs Junge, ihre Ansichten teilen. Diese Folge verbindet Mode, Küche und Diplomatie historisch und heute.

cultureum.com         de.ambafrance.org/-Hambourg-Consulat-
wolfs-junge.de          mrsmoin.de

The students from a private Catholic school in Hamburg, Germany speak about the role of culture in their every-day lives - from the food they eat to the languages they speak. Each stemming from a different cultural background, the students offer insight into what it means to be mono, bi, or multicultural.

cultureum.com
@cultureumdrj

sophie-barat-schule.de  

Recorded before a live audience at the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, this episode kicks off Season 5 of the podcast and starts a discussion about the many sociocultural aspects of multiculturalism. In this episode, I speak with Kyle Akins, the son of a US-American diplomat and a Japanese mother. Kyle has already lived in 8 countries around the world, although he is only 19 years old. The interview looks at how Kyle views his international upbringing, hones in on his social and individual development in this multicultural context, and explores his personal experiences in the various countries.  

cultureum.com          @cultureumdrj      Linkedin: Dr. Henriette J. Runte