Ballet Help Desk

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk Why do we claim to have zero tolerance for bullying when it remains pervasive in society? In this episode, we sit down with Jennifer Fraser to discuss the profound impact of bullying on the human brain. Jennifer uses scientific evidence to illustrate how bullying hurts not just youths' self-esteem and emotions,...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk Join us for a candid conversation with Shane Wuerthner, former professional ballet dancer and current master trainer and teacher to hear him talk about how wellness programs in ballet schools have evolved since he was in training. Shane also weighs in on what he thinks of coded language, the power imbalance that...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk We're joined this week by Chloe Angyal, author of the widely regarded ballet book, Turning Pointe. Chloe addresses such issues as the "ballet brain" and how if affects dancers' willingness to accept problematic practices in the ballet world. We also discuss why she thinks ballet is in crisis, including how we te...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk Intimacy direction in dance . What the heck is it, why is it important and how can these practices be brought into ballet training? Our guests, Nicole Perry and Sarah Lozoff, respected intimacy coordinators who have consulted with RudduR Dance as well as American Ballet Theater, share their expertise on how effe...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk In this episode, we revisit one of our earliest topics: "What would you have done differently as dance parents?" Join us as we reflect on our journey, sharing the mistakes we made and the invaluable lessons we learned along the way. Tune in for honest insights and practical advice for every ballet parent. We'll...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk In our first episode of Dancer Stories, Jenny and her daughter Abbey share how Abbey got her first ballet contract. Tune in to hear how a meeting about dorm policy violations at a summer intensive turned into an apprenticeship offer with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. After a last-minute decision to attend the Pitt...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk We're talking with Robert Fulton and Camille Kellems, both professional dancers and also RAs at ballet summer intensives. Get ready for a mix of insider info that's helpful for parents as well as hilarious anecdotes as Robert and Camille let us in on what really goes on behind the scenes. From dorm antics to pr...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk Tune in as we chat with Adam McKinney who has just finished his first year as artistic director of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Hear about McKinney's own background to learn how it impacted his career as a male ballet dancer and how it informs his leadership at PBT. We also got a sneak peek at McKinney's plans fo...

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/ BalletHelpDesk Join us as we talk with Alicia Graf Mack, the first person of color and the youngest ever to head the Dance Department at Juilliard. Our conversation covered not only how the program is structured, but also the current state of the job market, what Juilliard dancers do once they graduate as well as the school's...

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...