Episode 144 | Beyond the Stage: How Bombshell Dance Project Reinvents Audience Connection

Knowbox dance
Aug 27
2 min read

#144: In this episode of Dance Behind the Screen, host Martheya chats with Emily Bernet and Taylor Rodman, co-artistic directors of Bombshell Dance Project, about breaking boundaries between performers and audiences. Discover how they fuse dance and theater to craft immersive, emotionally charged experiences, use technology to expand impact, and strategize for sustainability and growth. Tune in for fresh insights on creative risk-taking, audience engagement, and empowering female leadership in dance. (39:56)

Chapters

00:44 Introduction to Dance Behind the Screen Podcast

01:13 Meet Bombshell Dance Project

01:40 Creating Immersive Dance Experiences

02:33 Breaking Traditional Boundaries

03:33 Engaging Audiences in Unique Ways

05:00 Innovative Performances and Audience Interaction

12:46 The Role of Technology in Dance

15:41 Strategic Planning and Collaboration

20:11 Funding and Sustainability

26:41 Building a Community and Audience

31:15 Empowering Female Artists and Leadership

36:41 Final Thoughts and Flash Four Round

Actionable Takeaways with Practical Tips

Blend Disciplines for Deeper Impact
- “Our idea… was creating immersive, audience-engaging works so that people who maybe aren’t as comfortable going to a dance show can relate to it.” – Bombshell Dance Project
- Combine dance with theater and storytelling to build experiences that connect emotionally and invite diverse audiences.
Break the Performer-Audience Barrier
- “We want to make work that our dads will stay awake for.” – Emily & Taylor
- Challenge the traditional “sit and watch” model by using humor, shared experiences, and unconventional staging to draw audiences closer.

Bio

Emily Bernet is a native of Dallas, Texas and Co-Artistic Director of Bombshell Dance Project alongside Taylor Rodman. She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and was a founding member of Joshua Peugh’s Dark Circles Contemporary Dance USA. Emily’s work bridges dance and theater. As choreographer and movement director she has had the opportunity to create with several Dallas theaters including Theatre Three, Fair Assembly, Watering Hole Collective, and Cry Havoc Theatre Company.

Taylor Rodman is a Dallas native, and the Co- Artistic Director of Bombshell Dance Project alongside Emily Bernet. She began her formal training at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and later earned her BFA in contemporary performance at The Boston Conservatory with an emphasis in improvisation and choreography. Taylor joined Joshua Peugh’s Dark Circles Contemporary Dance for one season. Rodman was named a 2012 YoungArts Finalist and Presidential Scholar in the Arts in choreography. Today she is focused on bringing dance theater to unconventional spaces alongside Bernet and the Bombshell Dance Project team.