Ashley Hannah Davis considered retiring from dance in 2021, after training and performing continuously since age 2.

But Machine Gun Kelly, the Prohibition-era gangster born (and later arrested) in Memphis, helped changed her mind — or at least his wife and partner-in-crime Kathryn Kelly did.

Davis is the interim director of the Tennessee Ballet Theater and the guest on this week’s “The Sidebar” podcast. I filled in for regular host Eric Barnes, who will return next week.

Back in 2021, TBT choreographer Alyssa Abbas offered Davis the chance to perform a tango as Kathryn Kelly with another dancer as Machine Gun Kelly.

Davis and I talked about this as the spark for her involvement in TBT and her “coming out of retirement” dance.

“I got to ham it up,” she said. “Because it is a really dramatic story that involves Memphis and people don’t realize that.”

TBT often performs in historic Memphis buildings like Annesdale Mansion, Earnestine & Hazel’s and the Medicine Factory, and it uses Memphis history as inspiration for pieces. Their next benefit performance continues this trend.

In the interview, Davis I talked about the “901Stories: Down on Beale” June 5-6 at the New Daisy Theater.

“901Stories: Down on Beale” will feature contemporary dance works and storytelling set to Memphis hits from artists Alex Chilton, Furry Lewis and Al Green. Noted Memphis vocalist Kortland Whalum will perform as well.

The event will benefit the TBT and its Frayser Dance Project, which we also learn more about in this episode. We talked about TBT’s connection to the Children’s Ballet Theater, known best for its annual performance of “Clara and the Nutcracker.”

We also discuss the price of pointe shoes, dance genre drama and something called “character bar” that I’d never heard of before. Davis offers up a fun, very surprising Memphis fact about 2010 film “Black Swan.”

“901Stories: Down on Beale” is on June 5 and June 6 at the New Daisy Theater at 220 Beale St. Tickets are $35; doors open at 6 p.m. (there’s a cash bar) and the show starts at 6:30 p.m. VIP tickets are $50. Purchase tickets on the Tennessee Ballet Theater’s website.

Listen in.

“The Sidebar” airs every Thursday at 11:30 a.m. on WYXR 91.7 FM and is also available as a podcast here on the website or wherever you get your podcasts.

Note: WYXR is a partnership between Crosstown Concourse, the University of Memphis and The Daily Memphian. As part of that partnership, Eric Barnes serves on the board of Crosstown Radio Partnership, which owns and oversees WYXR.