ThinkTV took notice of Veal’s dynamism when he presented at TedxDayton a decade ago. “At that point, I was recovering from a life-threatening illness, sarcoidosis. The piece was about how sometimes our life takes detours.” He soon became the host of “The Art Show” on Dayton’s PBS station. “The artists in Dayton get publicity, and I get to do this fun, challenging show. It’s a win-win.”
GREEN ACRES
“I grew up in the city of Dayton and at the end of sixth grade, moved to Jefferson Township. My parents decided they wanted farm life and a rural setting. So, it became a little bit like our version of ‘Green Acres’ — urban kid is now outside on a tractor trying to understand how he got here and finding his exit (laughs). How many people can actually say — ‘I can dance in a ballet, and I can hitch a plough?’”
ON SECOND CHANCES
Before his diagnosis, “I remember we had to do one test because of dramatic weight loss — they said it was a symptom of stage 4 cancer. A doctor is telling you to prepare for the worst. When I got the prognosis and treatment of sarcoidosis, it changed everything — I saw the world in a different way. Here’s this second chance.”
“I want to do more. I’ve got to choreograph, make art, write. What’s too much? I don’t understand that. I am not one to do one thing — I have to do multiple things.”
LOOK & LISTEN
“My day starts at 6 a.m., the quietist moment in the house. I take time to make a pot of coffee, look at emails. Then it’s going for a walk. I walk four days a week, 3-5 miles to get focused. It allows me to listen to a podcast, or music if I’ll be choreographing that day. My favorite is The Pivot Podcast with Scott Galloway and Kara Swisher. As I walk the streets of Dayton, I’m taking pictures of things I see laying on the street.”
PROFESSOR VEAL
“Then it’s full blast into meetings and work. I’m Career Community Coordinator for Sinclair Community College. I’m responsible for programming, events, and activities that are connected to the arts and liberal arts. I work from home and do a lot of Zoom meetings with my colleagues. That’s the bulk of my morning.”
INSPIRED BY
“I’m then prepping for the podcast, ‘Rodney Veal’s Inspired By’. I investigate who I’m gonna talk to, getting to know their background so we can have a fun conversation.”
EAT LOCAL
“I work at home, you’d think I’d make lunch, but I really focus in on cooking dinner. So, I will go and get lunch from my favorite spot, Ginger & Spice. Their vegetable fried rice with chicken is so delicious. It’s organic and there are no preservatives. I’m there all the time and they know me.”
DANCE PREP
“Usually from 1-3 I do prep because a lot of time I’m going to teach in the evening. I teach ballet and modern a couple days a week at Miami Valley Ballet Theatre, which has a studio in Hamilton. It’s a beautiful program run by Michelle Davis. Also, a couple days I teach jazz or modern at Sinclair.”
THE TALES WE WEAVE
“If I have a block of time, I’m in the art studio making work. My studio is on Schantz Avenue. I live in Wright-Dunbar so it’s not even a 5-minute drive. I recently, due to COVID , dove back into art. I got a museum exhibition and two gallery shows out of it. My work is made of found paper.” The paper is repurposed, sliced into strips and woven into a pattern.
HOST WITH THE MOST
“My schedule shifts when I tape the show. That becomes a two- to three-day adventure. We tape three to four episodes.”
JUST DO IT
In the evening, Veal may be found at a board meeting. “I’m on six boards: Homefull, Dayton Live, Dayton Performing Arts Alliance, Friends of Levitt Pavilion Dayton, Westcott House, and as president of OhioDance. I’m also on the Community Advisory Board for WYSO. Like I said, I just do.”
SLOW FOOD
For dinner, “if I am not in rehearsals, teaching, or meetings, I am usually cooking. I have a low-sodium dietary restriction, so making my own meals for dinner is pretty crucial. I’ve not had fast food in 10 years. Tonight, I am making a cheddar and spinach quiche so that I have leftovers for lunch the next day or dinner on the go.”
MAN ABOUT TOWN
“I try to fit in many art gallery shows and performances. Friday, we went to go see a screen presentation of a commission opera called ‘Fierce’ by the Cincinnati Opera. Next up on the schedule is ‘Ain’t Too Proud to Beg’, The Temptations Musical at the Schuster Center, ‘Indigo’ at the Human Race Theatre Company, and the Bold Moves Festival at Cincinnati Ballet.”
DECOMPRESS
“Because my days are filled with work and creating, I spend most of my evenings decompressing with film or television. Current favorite shows are ‘The Diplomat’ and ‘Queen Charlotte’ on Netflix. Last really great film was ‘Everything, Everywhere All at Once.’”
TAKE A BREATH
“My night time ritual includes a small stretching session followed by last minute emails, creating a list of activities for the next day and updating the calendar for future events. I have a serious stack of reading material next to the bed. Current reads are Rick Rubin’s ‘The Creative Act: A Way of Being” and ‘The Postcard’ by Anne Berest.”
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL
“I am usually in bed by 11. I do a round of glaucoma drops and blood pressure monitoring, which I have to record for my physician when I go in for check-ups. Aging is real.”
“My life is all about the arts, which is truly an understatement. That’s where the joy comes from. Life is beautiful. Joy isn’t blissful ignorance. It’s awareness.”
THE PARTICULARS
The Art Show, hosted by Rodney Veal, is broadcast Saturdays at 6 p.m. on CET and Sundays at 8.p.m. on CET Arts. More info at https://thinktv.org/theartshow/
Episodes of the podcast “Rodney Veal’s Inspired By” can be found at https://thinktv.org/rodney-veals-inspired-by/
Follow along on his instagram @rodveal2013
You can reach this writer at hannah.kasper@gmail.com.
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