Mess is More with Anthony Alterio

In this episode of The Dance Maker Podcast, host Beth McKee Elliott chats and chuckles with choreographer and performer Anthony Alterio. They explore how his choreographic process has evolved, how he expands his students’ views of dancemaking, and the value of artistic wisdom that ripens with age. The two unpack Anthony’s work, Everything I Never Wore, presented in 2024 at the Small Plates Austin show. This solo, performed by Lainey Harbert, “reimagines queer longing through domestic objects and ’90s nostalgia.” Beth and Anthony take time to recall memories woven into clothing, belongings, and space. Life’s souvenirs become the architecture of our lives, and their spirits are tangled in the atmosphere of this deeply personal piece. Wrap yourself in your coziest crochet blanket to listen and laugh along. ABOUT THE ARTIST Anthony Alterio is on faculty at Ohio University. He works in the School of Dance and the School of Theatre as Assistant Professor of Instruction, Musical Theatre and Dance. His research explores how representations of identities in the LGBTQIA+ community in pop culture reflect in academic settings as part of a larger interest in how dancers present themselves. Anthony is a native of Pittsburgh, and he began his professional dance training at The University of Colorado-Boulder, where he received a BA double-majoring in Dance and Psychology and went on to attain an MFA in Dance from the University of Michigan. Upon graduation, he has won multiple choreography awards including the Maggie Allesee Choreography award and since has been showing work across the US. Alterio is a member of the Boulder Jazz Dance Company, (formerly Interweave Dance Theatre), the resident company of the Boulder Jazz Dance Workshop as well as Director of a summer dance intensive geared toward the LGBTQIA+ community called Excessive Realness. Anthony's website - www.anthonyalterio.com Pittsburgh Dance Workshop - www.pittsburghdanceworkshop.com The next Pittsburgh Dance Workshop and Pittsburgh Choreography Festival will be held June 7th-12th, 2027. Become an audience member at Small Plates in NYC at Judson Church to see Anthony's work on November 13th! Visit www.smallplatesdance.com⁠ for open applications, links to purchase tickets and to donate. Join our email list at https://tinyurl.com/spcfjoin to receive notices about new podcast episodes, application deadline reminders, and announcements about new shows and events.