Jen Alden is in the studio this month! She is a choreographer, director, arts leader, and financial executive whose work spans professional performance, arts advocacy, nonprofit leadership, and community engagement.
She trained with the State Ballet of Oregon, Eugene Ballet, and the University of Oregon before performing as a soloist with the State Ballet of Oregon and dancing with contemporary companies in Portland. Along the way, she also developed a love for musical theater, choreographing her first production, West Side Story, at just 17 years old.
After moving to Tulsa, Jennifer co-founded what is now Oklahoma Movement, a nonprofit contemporary dance organization dedicated to using movement as a catalyst for conversation and change. Over the past 15 years, she's created more than 15 evening-length works exploring topics including mental health, addiction, social inequality, women's issues, and systemic racism. In 2020, the organization shifted its focus beyond performance to emphasize outreach, advocacy, and education, reflecting a belief that movement has the power to connect communities and inspire meaningful dialogue.
Jennifer's impact extends beyond the studio too! She's choreographed for Tulsa Opera, Theatre Tulsa, Tulsa Symphony, and numerous productions throughout the region, while also serving as chief financial and operating officer of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. There, she's helped secure funding to support one of Oklahoma's most important cultural institutions.
In this conversation, Jennifer challenges the idea that artists have to choose between creativity and practicality. We talk about balancing careers in both finance and the arts, building sustainable pathways for artists, creating welcoming spaces for adult dancers, and using dance to explore some of the most complex issues facing our communities. Check it out!
Music in this episode:
Waltz of the Flowers - Tchaikovsky
Barroom Ballet - Silent Film Light - Kevin MacLeod
Barroom Ballet - Silent Film Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100310
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
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