Tony Williams is the founder of the Tony Williams Dance Center and Urban Nutcracker, and founder and artistic director of City Ballet of Boston. At age 16, after experiencing trouble as a street gang member, he discovered a pathway to success through an interest in gymnastics and then ballet.
With a scholarship from the Boston School of Ballet, Mr. Williams joined the Boston Ballet in 1964. After dancing for only three years, he worked his way up from the Corps de Ballet to Principal Dancer. He then danced soloist roles with the Joffrey Ballet and was a Principal Dancer with Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Gulbenkian Ballet of Portugal, and the Norwegian National Ballet.
Mr. Williams discusses the role of dance programs for children living in our inner cities, and shows excerpts from his annual production of the Urban Nutcracker. He also talks about how his 50+ years of daily practice of the TM technique have influenced his remarkable life.
Mr. Williams has been teaching in the New England area for 30 years. With this background, and as a father of three sons, he is sensitive to the needs of youth. Widely respected as a progressive dance educator, he has won the Dance Teacher Magazine Award and the Wheelock Family Theater’s Wheel Awards.
In this interview, Mr. Williams discusses the role of dance programs for children living in our inner cities, and shows excerpts from his annual production of the Urban Nutcracker. He also talks about how his 50+ years of daily practice of the TM technique have influenced his remarkable life.
Mario Orsatti, the host of TM Talks and Director of Advanced Techniques of the TM program for the United States, interviewed Mr. Williams on December 13, 2020. This popular episode was rebroadcast on December 24, 2023.
Watch the conversation with Tony Williams (45:52)
About TM Talks
TM Talks is a weekly series of LIVE webinars, on personal development and the growth of higher states of consciousness, every Sunday at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Connection details below.
If you can’t watch the livestream, visit TM Talks for videos of all broadcasts.
For a schedule of all upcoming online events, including TM Talks, visit TMEvents.org ►
How to Connect
For best results and video, download the Zoom app to your smartphone, tablet, or computer, then click on this link: https://zoom.us/j/177174913. You will be prompted to install Zoom if it isn’t already on your device. To join the meeting, enter your email address and name at the prompt.
If you prefer to call in for audio only, dial 929-205-6099 or 253-215-8782, then enter the Meeting ID 177-174-913#.
Comments
you may also like
Better Health
TM for the Whole Family | 50:37
Yolanda Lewis-Ragland, M.D., pediatrician at Children’s National Health System in Washington, D.C., and Asst. Prof. of Pediatrics at George Washington University, works with United Way, UNICEF, and U.S. agencies on public health initiatives. She discusses how the TM technique benefits families, communities, and our changing world.
The Arts
Promoting Self-Worth, Self-Acceptance, and Self-Love in Kids and Teens | 45:12
Maria Scrivan, award-winning syndicated cartoonist of Half Full and author of the New York Times best-selling graphic novel Nat Enough, talks about helping kids and teens overcome obstacles to personal growth and learn how to be true to themselves with the challenges of social media and trying to fit in.
The Arts
Making a Difference through Filmmaking | 46:26
Bill Duke is an actor, director, producer, and writer whose credits include Sister Act, Bird on a Wire, and X-Men 3. President Bill Clinton appointed him to the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Directors Guild of America gave him a Lifetime Achievement Tribute. He discusses the impact of his 40+ years of TM practice on his career and personal life. This encore episode first aired on July 29, 2020.
The Arts
The Calming Power of Music During Uncalm Times | 52:06
Jane Roman Pitt, award-winning singer-songwriter with six albums with some of the best folk, jazz, and country artists in the U.S., discusses music’s ability not only to stimulate but also to soothe us in times of stress. She talks about writing and recording music with a positive, calming influence, such as songs about meditation and consciousness.