“All of us have our own disability, addiction or personal skeleton that drags us down. It can pop up at any moment and put that cage on us.”

In Jane Weiner’s brilliantly creative mind, that cage is a gilded one, perched atop the head of a lone dancer, toddling around a bare stage. It’s the opening scene of one of my favorite pieces by this incredibly gifted choreographer who is all about connecting the dots between art and humanity. As I watched a recent performance of ‘s (a tale of possession) amidst an audience of excited elementary and middle school children, I kept thinking “I have to interview Jane for the podcast.” She gets it, and is passing “it” on to a generation of young people who will have to undo the mess we adults are making of this world. We should all be thankful for visionary artists, indeed visionary humans, who are using their passion and their gifts to move us toward a more compassionate, respectful society where we not only acknowledge, but also embrace our differences. Next time you have an opportunity, run, don’t walk, to immerse yourself in a Hope Stone dance performance. In the meantime, feast on our conversation and get a glimpse of how art can help us heal the wounds that divide us.