Razzle Dazzle: Podcast Transcripts
Gotta Move, Gotta Dance!
Wednesday, September 30, 2026Intro
[upbeat music plays]
CAROLYN KELEMEN:
Greetings from Columbia, Maryland, where we are recording Razzle Dazzle radio, a show brought to you by Howard Community College. I'm Carolyn Kelemen, and I'm here with my co-host, Judy Templeton. Well, what a show we have for you today. Isn't it fun to discover fresh, young, new talent in our own backyard? That's exactly what happens at the annual Howard County Arts gala held here at HCC's Horowitz Center for the Performing Arts.
It's on Saturday evening, October 24. There are seven, maybe eight, finalists who will perform for the $5,000 prize. The Boundless Basses, Lisa Choi, Samuel Hsu, Laurie Marguerite Iverson, Glory John, Junwen Liang, and Lydia Yoo. And each finalist will perform one piece at the benefit.
Following the performances, the audience, which includes over 500 artists, patrons, community members, and business and political leaders, cast their votes for the winner for the $5,000 Rising Star Performing Artist Award. Votes are tallied during the event, and the award winner is announced on stage. Additional winners may be given based on the amount of funding raised from the event.
So they're going to be tallied. We're going to be there. We get to vote. Everybody has one vote, and we'll find out who wins at the gala itself. But what's important is that we also celebrate those who teach, create, and support the arts. While we will leave some of the award winners to be announced at the gala, we are beaming with pride that our own Liz Higgins will be front and center to receive her Howie Award for artists. So let's meet her now.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Yeah, that would be outstanding artist, and she fits the bill. I'm so honored to finally see that you have gotten this award, Liz, because you surely do deserve it. She is absolutely an indomitable spirit that works so hard, is dedicated to her craft, and the reason that it all works is because she really teaches from her heart.
And so-- I love the feeling gives a healing, the healing gives a feeling, and she got it all if you see her dances. So Liz, talk to us a little bit just about your career here at HCC, which has led to this, and then maybe we'll go back into some more of your colorful past.
LIZ HIGGINS:
Thank you so much. I really appreciate all the kind words and for having me on the show. I'm really honored to be receiving the award, the Howie, for Outstanding Artists this year. It's been a journey. I came to Maryland 14 years ago and started working at HCC 13 years ago. And outside of my work at HCC, I've had the good fortune to collaborate with a lot of really talented people in Howard County, playwrights, musicians, composers, visual artists, of course, dancers and choreographers.
And then, I've met amazing people through my time working at Howard Community College. I adjuncted for one year, and then became a full time professor. It's been lovely just to have all of these communities come together, particularly for this Celebration of the Arts, because Howard Community College is hosting this event for the Howard County Arts Council. And I'm particularly excited because one of my students is one of the rising stars, Glory John, who I know we're going to get to talk to her in a little bit, but that makes me feel really, really proud.
So that makes the night extra special. I'd like to touch upon a project that's been very meaningful to me, that I've had the good fortune to collaborate with Judy Templeton on. Judy came to me last year and invited me to work on a collaboration with her, and it's been amazing. She does this incredible work at the Maryland Correctional Institute for Women in Jessup and does rehabilitative arts work with them through the IWISH program, a nonprofit.
And I feel very fortunate to be a part of that community now. And we are making this dance piece that we're going to present multiple times. The first time we're going to present it is at the Moving Forward Conference at the Women's prison, at MCIW. And the IWISH participants have a piece they're working on with Judy, so that's going to be presented along with the dance that we're making.
And then, we're going to present our piece again for the Maryland Dance Education Association Conference in October, which we're hosting at HCC on October 16. And then, we will proudly share this with our Howard Community College community on November 6 and 7 for our HCC dance showcase. We have three performances, the Friday night at 7:00 PM, and the Saturday at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM.
And we might actually have a special guest at our TalkBack that Friday night, along with Judy, all the other choreographers. We have student works on the program, faculty works, alumni works. We might actually have one of the IWISH participants who is getting out on parole join us for the TalkBack, which would be amazing if that's able to happen. So I just feel really grateful right now to have all this support. When I moved to Maryland, I wasn't sure how I would be received. It was a new community for me.
I did a lot of my artistic career up in New York, before that New Jersey. Along the way, I was down in Florida, and I wasn't sure how it would go once I moved to Maryland. But it has been amazing. From day one, people have opened their arms to me, inviting me to collaborate with them. I'm always so incredibly proud of my students at Howard Community College, and to be working with all of you lovely folks.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Well, we were just waiting for you to arrive, and then you appeared. So, Liz, the thing that I really want to make a point of though, is the depth of your creativity, and how you express so many themes, and many in social justice and healing, through dance. That's a special gift, and it's particularly fabulous the way your dance company embraces that and tells these stories.
So because I had seen so many of your concerts, you were the likely candidate for me to say, hey, do you think we can tell some stories of women lifer prisoners, women that have been in prison for 30 plus years?
Yes, they did do one wrong thing, but they've paid their debts, and they're doing fabulous things. They're being amazing people, and they could even come out and make the world a better place. Upon meeting them, my first response is, wow, these women are a lot nicer than a lot of people on the outside.
[laughter]
And so Liz brought her dancers to see that, and the rest is history. There was no more talking. It was just visualizing, creating, and doing. But that is a theme that you have steady brought to the college and the audiences that you have impacted along the way to, of course, gain you this award, which you well deserve. Now, let's talk about your student. So isn't that just perfect?
Somebody that knows what the process is, that has worked with Liz's creative genius. And I really loved getting to meet Glory because-- I got to meet her when I was looking for dancers for a version of Cats that I was doing at Elkridge Furnace Inn last summer. And what a cat she was. Wow! And what a dancer she is. So, around that time, I also found out she was applying. So tell us the story, Glory, of how you decided to apply, that we talked about earlier, and welcome to our show.
GLORY JOHN:
Hi. Thank you for having me. I'm really excited to be here. I've had a great experience so far with Howard County at HCC within the arts. I learned about the Howard County Arts talent show in Liz's class, actually, she told me about it. So I signed up to apply, and I signed up for my in-person audition to show off my original choreography.
And then, that week, I pulled a muscle in my neck, so I had to email them the day before the audition and ask to send in a recording. And they gave me until the end of that week, and they let me send in a recording for my audition. And then, maybe a week or two later, I got an email saying that I had gotten in, and I was really excited. So I told everyone. I texted my family, told Liz, Darion, and everybody at HCC.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
So that shows, as I told you, that's the show must go on in you. So you weren't going to quit with that injury. It wasn't going to hold you back. But you have great aspirations, and I love all that you want to do to make the world a better place. So let's talk about some of those too.
GLORY JOHN:
When it comes to dance, I want to dance professionally in a company. There's a whole bunch of different avenues I could see myself going, so I don't want to limit myself in that area too much. After I finish my dance career, I can definitely see myself going into the mental health dance field or physical therapy because I think dance and physical therapy should go hand in hand because the musicality is good for also preventing things like dementia.
So I think it's really important that people move to music, especially. I think dance is kind of just exercise that's fun. And a lot of people need that because lifting weights is good for you and all that kind of stuff, but sometimes when people need consistency, they need something that's going to bring them community. I think dance is that thing for a lot of people.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Yep and there it is, using dance again as a tool for healing. I mean, come on, I like to stay fit. I would much rather dance than lift weights. But that's such a great way to go. Carolyn.
CAROLYN KELEMEN:
Yes, Glory--
JUDY TEMPLETON:
I know you're dying to ask Glory something.
CAROLYN KELEMEN:
Well, I had the fortune of having been to pretty much all of the galas over the years. In fact, I was the one who encouraged Alicia Graf Mack to audition that year and-- because she had been injured and she wasn't dancing, but I said, come on back, you'll win. And she did. And we knew she would win by the first step that she went on stage. So I asked her, Glory, I said, what do you think the contestant needs to win? And she said, connect with the audience.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Oh, yes.
CAROLYN KELEMEN:
That was her first response. And don't panic on the questions they're going to ask you. Just be calm, and take a second, and think about it, and look at the audience and talk to them. That's what she said. So, I wish you luck.
GLORY JOHN:
Thank you very much. That's one of the first things I saw, that Alicia Graf Mack won this award in 2003. And Ailey is one of the companies that I really look up to, so thank you for telling me that. That's really wonderful.
CAROLYN KELEMEN:
Yeah
JUDY TEMPLETON:
And actually, Glory, because I have had the pleasure to work with you, you actually have that skill set innately. You have this connective presence. I think you do anyway, but when you dance, even more so. And I watched it, and I think you got that. And that is great words of wisdom there for sure too.
And we are just so proud that we have a rising star from our dance company at HCC. So tell us a little bit-- and both you and Liz can tell us-- what about some of the other dances we can see? Because we have talked, of course, about the one that tells the story of our prisoners, but what are some of the other dances that we'll be able to see that night as well?
LIZ HIGGINS:
On Celebration of the Arts? Or are we talking about the showcase?
JUDY TEMPLETON:
We're talking about the showcase.
LIZ HIGGINS:
Great OK. So I don't know about Celebration of the Arts, but I do know about the showcase.
[laughter]
JUDY TEMPLETON:
No, we're just going to watch Glory for that.
LIZ HIGGINS:
Exactly. So yeah, for our HCC dance showcase, again November 6 and 7. Mark your calendars. We have a wonderful show that we'll be presenting. It's going to have eight live performances, four of which are by faculty members or alumni. So there's the piece I'm working on with you, Judy.
There is-- and I want to mention that I invited all alumni of the HCC dance program to dance in that project, other than one guest artist, Ann-Marie Gover, who's amazing, who teaches with us from time to time. But everyone else who's dancing in the piece came through the HCC dance program and has successfully built a career in the arts and is still working in dance, which makes me feel very proud.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
I'm so glad you mentioned that. That's a biggie.
LIZ HIGGINS:
Yeah, and it's made the project that much more special, honestly. And then, my lovely colleague Darion Smith is creating a new work for the program that he's dancing in himself with his wife, Misei Daimaru Smith, beautiful dancer, Jacob Rice, who is the former artistic director of Central Maryland Youth Ballet and has had quite an extensive career as a ballet dancer, of course--
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Oh, yes.
LIZ HIGGINS:
--and Jenelle Figgins, who has danced with Darion's company before and is beautiful, beautiful dancer. So that's an exciting piece that I'm looking forward to seeing. I've seen it in progress, but I love to see these pieces come to their full glory. And then, Emily Fuller, who's dancing in my work, an alumni of the program, will be presenting a fun jazz duet that she's working on with her dance partner.
We also have four student works on the program, which are just kicking off this week. We had the audition a week ago, and now rehearsals are coming in full blast starting yesterday. So the students have some really interesting, diverse ideas as always, and I'll be mentoring them through that process. So I'll get to see how things evolve and watch their visions come to life.
We also have a dance film on the program, which is a collaboration between our music coordinator, Alex Armbruster, with one of our students, Christine Thalasinos. This is her second dance film. It's a new genre that she's discovered she really loves working in this format. And so they are working collaboratively. So I've seen that work in progress, and it's very exciting.
And finally, I want to mention Jill Vasbinder, who was teaching with us, but now took a full time position at UMBC. We're very excited for her, although we'll miss her, but she is still presenting a work as a guest artist on the program. And I believe it's a new work she is creating on four dancers, four or five. And yeah, it's going to be everything from A to Z.
You're going to have--
JUDY TEMPLETON:
An evening!
LIZ HIGGINS:
--fun, upbeat, physical, hip hop, jazz, contemporary, to some really meaningful social justice works like the piece we're working on, Judy. So I really do feel, as always, there's something for everyone. I try to serve our community and make sure everybody walks out feeling lifted, satisfied, engaged. So I highly encourage you to come out and see the show.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
And again, all those reasons why you have this award, and why it is well earned. So Glory, I'm dying to know what are you going to do for your performance, for the Celebration of the Arts?
GLORY JOHN:
For my performance of the Celebration of the Arts, I choreographed a piece to-- it's kind of exploring movement that's fast paced versus movement that's slow and controlled, so there's a lot of good metaphors for that, of what it could mean, and I really hope that people find meaning through it. I started choreographing maybe a week or two after I found out about the show and the competition. And yeah, the rest is history.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
And so what kind of dance are you going to be doing? Is it going to be a fusion, or is it going to be a specific genre?
GLORY JOHN:
It's more of a contemporary jazz, maybe. I haven't finished tweaking the things that I want to tweak, so maybe I'll add something that will spice it up or tone it down in some spots, but it's mainly contemporary.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
I absolutely can't wait to see it. And you will also be then in the dance concert at HCC as well, right?
GLORY JOHN:
This time around, I won't be able to be in the dance competition. I mean, the dance concert. I have other obligations that I need to attend to so I make sure I maintain my balance so that I can fully come into my role at the Howard County Arts Council competition, as well as another job that I have right now where I'll be performing in the Latinx Movement Festival in DC in October. So I have some other things on my plate.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
I'd say. And aren't you also an instructor of dance as well?
GLORY JOHN:
I have taught dance. I don't teach it on a consistent basis, but I do have experience teaching.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Yes, I remember you and I talking about that as well. Well, that was a smart idea for you not to overload your plate, which when you're in the arts, we all are guilty of. And Liz, one more thing just about the project that we've been working on, just to give the viewers an idea of the time that it takes to create. And so, this project actually has been going on, we've realized it, since last March when we started creating it, started talking about it, but there were so many tentacles to doing this.
And I publicly want to thank Liz for going along with all those tentacles, which nobody knows unless you're trying to do something in a prison. All right? There's nothing. Not anything is easy to do, and we forget the world we're in, where everything is technically easier and there is no tech allowed. So there's no music, there's no phones going in, there's no interviewing on your phone and bringing it back.
And so Liz and I had to get really creative in how to make that happen. So much so that we actually did, through a long process which I won't discuss now, got some voices of the prisoners. So they're going to be somewhat underscored in this very contemporary, interesting soundtrack that has been produced by a guy in New York. You want to talk about that for just a quick second, Liz?
LIZ HIGGINS:
Yes, as you--
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Give him credit here.
LIZ HIGGINS:
--mentioned, it was kind of a bit convoluted, but Judy is a problem solver, so it makes life a lot easier when people can think creatively. But we were able to actually capture the inmates, the incarcerated people who are part of the project, speaking their own stories that they wrote through prompts that Judy gave them in her IWISH program. Whether it's talking about a day in their life at the prison, or who they are, where they came from, where they want to go.
And we were able to record them in their own voices, speaking their stories. The quality of the sound may not be as high as we would like because, again, we weren't able to bring them to a sound studio, but we thought it was really important to have that authenticity. And we have engaged an amazing composer, Ricky Jefferson, who's currently living in New York City but used to serve as our music coordinator for the dance program.
And he has carefully taken parts of these recordings and stories and integrated them with compositions that he made on his own, musical compositions based on the themes and ideas that we discussed. And he's done an amazing job. And we've just finalized that recording. We are going to smooth out some of the sound issues, but otherwise it is fully composed.
And we actually have rehearsal tonight to roll it out in its full glory and integrate it with the movement, make all those adjustments that we'll need to make, but it's exciting to see it finally coming together as a long term project that's taken a lot of heart and soul.
So I'm really excited to see it come to the stage and to lift these women's voices up into our community and help us all remember that while people are incarcerated, they're still human beings, and they still have worth and stories to share and value in our society. And that's the most meaningful part of the project for me, has been getting to know them and getting to know their stories and helping them feel connected to the greater community outside of the prison.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
And that's why your choreography works because, like I said in the beginning of the show, it came from deep inside of you. And so, we have a lot to review here because-- everybody get your calendars out, there are so many things you want to make sure and have on them. So we are going to start, Liz, with talking about that conference that you said on the 16th. Is that open to the public, or is that something that only the dancers that the college can come to?
LIZ HIGGINS:
The Maryland Dance Education Association is an organization that's a branch of the National Dance Education Organization. Lots of acronyms, NDEO, MDEA.
[laughter]
And their purpose is to bring the dance community together. Students, faculty members, freelance artists, everyone, and have a day of workshops. And, actually we're performing the piece on the program at the beginning of the day for the conference, kicking it off. And people can share ideas. They can gain professional development opportunities, take classes together, network. It's a beautiful day. They do it every year, and they alternate which institution hosts it.
So this year, Howard Community College, we've hosted it before, a few years back. Sometimes it's at Towson or CCBC, et cetera, but this year we're serving as the host institution, and that's on October 16. If you go to their website, you can register. It's a very reasonable fee to be a part of the day, and it's very exciting. So if folks are interested in coming and dancing with us and gaining new information and skills, I would check that out. Yeah, that's on October 16.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Can you give us that website, please?
LIZ HIGGINS:
Maryland Dance Education Association.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
OK, great. So that's the first thing that you can do. I'm trying to go chronologically here. The next thing you can do is to come on October 24, the Celebration of the Arts and see Liz being recognized as outstanding educator of the year and see Glory John dance. That's right there. Oh my gosh, that's big. And I'm going to say Glory John, dance and win. Hey, we'll stay in the affirmative. And then, you're going to be so excited you'll want to come back on November 6. And that is one of four performances. Four or three performances, Liz?
LIZ HIGGINS:
Three. November 6 and two on November 7. Yes.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
- A matinee and an evening, so you can catch either one. You might love it so much on Friday night, you're going to want to come back for both on Saturday. That's what I'm going to say. So I'd love to invite you to the prison at the Moving Forward Conference, but unfortunately that's a closed event, so only for the dancers to express and show their stories to the prisoners that gave them the ideas. Carolyn.
CAROLYN KELEMEN:
Let me jump in and invite you all to be part of the Dancing For Divas part two. It's a benefit for scholarships for dance, theater, music at HCC. And it's happening Sunday, January 10. It's a ways.
LIZ HIGGINS:
We'll be talking more about that.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Yes!
CAROLYN KELEMEN:
Yeah, maybe we'll make Judy one of the divas, and you can dance. Liz, the company can dance for her. How about that? Yeah, good.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Oh, my.
[laughter]
LIZ HIGGINS:
Wow!
CAROLYN KELEMEN:
She's already a diva anyway.
JUDY TEMPLETON: Well, takes one to know one. Well, I guess it doesn't get any better than this right now. So, to quote Carolyn's old column back when, "gotta move, gotta dance". That's the theme. Keep dancing, and I'm so excited and proud, Liz Higgins and Glory John, and we will be seeing you at the Celebration of the Arts. Carolyn, thank you so much, and thank you both for coming on. Honored to know you.
LIZ HIGGINS:
Thank you. Have a wonderful day.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
We will.
GLORY JOHN:
Thank you guys.
JUDY TEMPLETON:
Razzle Dazzle until next time. Judy Templeton.
CAROLYN KELEMEN:
Carolyn Kelemen.
[upbeat music playing]
Outro
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Podcast Producer:
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Gotta Move, Gotta Dance!