#HASHTAG: ALLISON KURTZ VOLKERS

For the past 20 years, ALLISON KURTZ VOLKERS has been bringing her passion for performance to students at Dance Center Evanston, teaching ballet, modern, and jazz dance to everyone from toddlers to pre professional dancers. Volkers has also choreographed numerous pieces for the Evanston Dance Ensemble—the pre-professional company associated with Dance Center Evanston—since 2008 and recently stepped into the role of co-artistic director. This spring, Volkers is hard at work choreographing new pieces for Evanston Dance Ensemble’s upcoming show, “American Portrait,” happening March 14 to 17 at Northwestern University, which will showcase eight original works that explore what it means to be an American. When she’s not in the dance studio, Volkers loves spending time with her husband, Josh, and their two kids. Here, she shares where she gets her creative inspiration from.

#ON MY NIGHTSTAND

Welp. I don’t have a nightstand, but in a pile next to my bed are some education text books (I’m getting my master’s from Loyola this spring), a bunch of envelopes with lists and things scrawled on them, The Candy House by Jennifer Egan, an old McSweeney’s, a pair of hot pink headphones, and four to five copies of HGTV Magazine.

#ON MY MOBILE

I’m a Girl Scout troop leader, so right now the Digital Cookie app is playing a prominent role. Instagram. Various mail apps—I have five email accounts for all the different hats I wear. I’m usually a print gal, but I keep up with The New York Times arts section on my phone. Rotowire and Yahoo Sports are open more these days because we’re a month away from the fantasy baseball draft. VRBO is there for when I’m dreaming about a summertime weekend away. Spotify is my go-to for music—all my dance teaching playlists are there, and I’ve been on the hunt for great music to use in American Portrait.

#IN MY EARBUDS

Speaking of Spotify … my friend Erica Halverson’s podcast, Arts Educators Save the World, is a must-listen—famous actors, artists, singers, etc. interview the educators who inspired them. I also love the TED Radio Hour, This American Life, Sound Opinions, and Smartless. My kids and I listen to Story Pirates and Smash Boom Best in the car a lot. My musical tastes are all over the map, and I love discovering new music for choreography. I Shazam a lot of stuff and I keep a playlist called “Misc. Finds.” In the regular rotation right now are heavy doses of Andrew Bird, Stevie Wonder, Chris Thile, Jon Batiste, Kishi Bashi, The Claudettes, and Waxahatchee.