Ballet Help Desk

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk We're joined by Melonie Buchanan Murray, the Director of the School of Dance at the University of Utah. Our conversation covered a variety of areas, including the repertoire the dancers typically perform, admissions standards, the emphasis Ms. Murray puts on mental health awareness, how injuries affect grading...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk We're joined by Susan Stowe, Chair of the Department of Dance at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA. Ms. Stowe discusses the various tracks students can follow in the dance department, including degrees in ballet, jazz or modern dance and gives us a sneak peek at their latest initiative. Beginning Fall 202...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk Tune in to our latest episode featuring Phil Chan, co-founder of Final Bow for Yellowface, as we discuss the issue of Orientalism in ballet. Phil talks us through how his organization is actively combating stereotypes and Orientalist tropes within the art form. We also hear how major ballet companies are joinin...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk Join us as we explore Butler University's Department of Dance, with Larry Attaway, who serves as Chair and Executive Artistic Director. Consistently ranked as one of the top five collegiate ballet programs in the U.S., Mr. Attaway fills us in on its diverse study options—including a dedicated teaching track—as...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk In this episode, we sit down with Tim O'Keefe, Artistic Director of Texas Ballet Theater, for an insightful discussion on the company's repertoire and his approach to artistic direction. We also explore the Texas Ballet Theater Studio Training Company, which offers aspiring dancers a platform to hone their skil...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk Mavis Staines has been described as a visionary dance educator who has revolutionized the way dance is taught, performed, witnessed and shared across Canada and around the world. Over her 30-year tenure as Artistic Director of Canada's National Ballet School, she has cemented the School's reputation as the lead...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk Christopher Hird, Director of Education for Sarasota Ballet joins us to discuss post-graduate training programs. Hird brings a wealth of experience and insight to the conversation, having dedicated his career to shaping the next generation of ballet artists. From fostering technical proficiency to encouraging a...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk Ballet Help Desk sat down with Christopher Ruud, Second Company Manager and Rehearsal Director at Kansas City Ballet. This wide-ranging conversation covered everything from how the post-graduate levels are structured to performance opportunities to how students typically move through the ranks of the school. Ch...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk Jean-Yves Esquerre, Founder and Director of European School of Ballet ,  joins us to talk about his classical and contemporary trainee programs, the current state of the job market in Europe and why he thinks some schools need to rethink their post-graduate programs. Be sure to also listen for information on ES...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk Join us for a wide ranging chat with Racheal Nye, Director of the Yvonne Chouteau School and Studio Company at Oklahoma City Ballet. Ms. Nye covers everything you wanted to know about their trainee program and second company, including how they recruit, what they look for and what the path into the main company...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk Ballet Help Desk sat down with Lauren Richter, School Principal for the Tulsa Ballet Center For Dance Education to learn more about the school, its trainee program as well as the second company, known as TBII. She talked about how the programs recruit, the performance opportunities available, the best ways to a...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk Ballet Help Desk sat down with Vanessa Léonard, Director of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's Anna McCowan-Johnson Aspirant Program. She covered not only how the program is structured, but how dancers work with the main company, where dancers get jobs and also how students can audition to join the program. Ms. Léonar...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk Peter Stark, President and Director of The Rock School For Dance Education, talks with us about the current state of the job market and what he thinks about the growth of post-graduate ballet programs. He also provides valuable advice for any students who are hitting the audition circuit, including what to look...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk We talked with TaKiyah Wallace-McMillian, founder of Brown Girls Do Ballet, to learn about its evolution from a personal photography project to a major philanthropic force. She discussed the organization's impact on diversity in the arts, highlighting their advocacy work, scholarship and grant programs as well...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk Ballet Help Desk sat down with Maria Torija, Director of the Academy at BalletMet. Tune in to hear all about how the trainee program is structured, how the school recruits and how they work with BalletMet2. Dr. Torija also discusses how the school provides career support for its students as well where trainees...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk Maria Konrad sat down with Ballet Help Desk to share her experiences working with Nashville Ballet Two's trainees and dancers, preparing them for future ballet careers. Gain insights into the unique blend of training and performance opportunities that shape the dancers' journeys and get the inside scoop on this...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk We sat down with Alan Hineline, Director of the Pre-Professional Division & Resident Choreographer at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet to get his take on the growing world of post-graduate ballet programs. We asked him why so many programs seem to be popping up, how he helps his students figure out the best fi...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk Join us as we chat with former San Francisco Ballet Soloist, Julianne Spratlin. Julianne now runs Dance Training Center, San Francisco a pre-professional ballet program. We discussed the current state of ballet training and how she sees the role post-graduate or "bridge-level" training plays in a dancer's journ...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk "Becoming a professional ballet dancer in the United States requires years of training, dedication, and luck. With only a few thousand full-time jobs available, navigating a ballet career can be challenging and filled with uncertainty." These are the words that open the seminal report, the DataPointes Guide, de...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk We're rereleasing a podcast we aired back in the late spring. Tune in to hear everything you need to know on how your older teens can maximize success at their summer intensive. 

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk As a close-out to our Summer Intensive Boot Camp, we're releasing an episode that talks about getting ready to send your young dancer off to a ballet summer intensive.  Tune in for tips for making the most of your dancer's time away! Summer Intensive Boot Camp: https://ballethelpdesk.com/ summer-intensive-bootc...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk Tune in for our conversation with Deidre Byrne, Artistic Director of Maryland Youth Ballet. Deidre takes us through how they counsel students on how to choose which summer intensives to audition for and ultimately attend. She looks at it from the perspective of a student at a local school and discusses what the...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk We sat down with  Lauren Fadeley-Veyette to discuss how Kansas City Ballet School handles ballet summer intensive auditions. KC Ballet School is part of the National Summer Intensive Audition (NSIA) Tour and part of our conversation covered the pros and cons of the NSIA. We also covered a lot of ground on both...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk Join us as we chat with Kelly Myernick, Rehearsal Director and Principal Teacher for Houston Ballet Academy. Our conversation covered a broad range of topics related to ballet summer intensive auditions, including what she loves to see, what dancers shouldn't do, the pros and cons of submitting video auditions...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk Tune in for our chat with Emily Brunner, a professional dance photographer based in the Philadelphia metro area. Emily shares invaluable insights on camera positioning, perfect lighting techniques, and the secrets to capturing stunning audition photos and videos. Emily Brunner Photography: https://www.emilybrun...