Bob Reeder, a well-traveled folk singer known for his penchant for Irish ballads and limericks, has a story to tell. Bob, you see, has been to the other side and back. For going on four decades, Reeder has been a weekend fixture at O’Malley’s Pub in Weston, the picturesque river town north of Kansas City.

“What have you learned today?” That’s how esteemed ballerina Karen Brown, now assistant professor of dance at UMKC Conservatory, ends her classes. She not only teaches technique, she teaches empowerment — training dancers to assess their progress internally, to extend their awareness of their bodies and to take control of their progress and careers.