Broche Banter | Adult ballet training, philosophy, & inspiration

Kelsey and Jessica, founders of the new Facet Dance Collective in Arkansas, join me on Broche Banter to talk about their exciting new project, why they created it, and their inspiring vision for the future. In this episode, we discuss what brought them together and how they embody the phrase 'be the change you want to see in the world,' creating incredible opportunities for adults to take the stag...

Kelsey and Jessica, founders of the new Facet Dance Collective in Arkansas, join me on Broche Banter to explore what performing means to us as adults. Beyond the choreography, we dive into the deeper significance of being on stage in adulthood. Keep listening with Part 2, out now! Stay in touch with Facet: - Facet Dance Collective - Instagram Learn about the International Adult Ballet Festival: -...

In this inspiring episode of Broche Banter, we chat with Jessica Maddox, the cover model of Broche Magazine Issue #2, about her lifelong journey in ballet. Jessica opens up about the highs and lows of maintaining a ballet practice and shares her best tips for keeping ballet a central part of life, no matter the obstacles. Her insights will motivate dancers of all levels to stay connected to their...

In this episode, I sit down with Chelsea from Dianne Dancewear to chat about all things dancewear for adults! We discuss the challenges of finding the right attire for the adult ballet body, tips for overcoming self-consciousness in the studio, and what it's like starting pointe work as an adult dancer. Chelsea shares her personal journey in ballet, as well as insights from her experience desi...

In this episode, we dive into safe practices for adult ballet dancers with special guest Veronica K, a certified personal trainer, former PT assistant, and professional dancer. Join us as we explore tips for injury prevention, building strength, and maintaining flexibility, tailored specifically for adult dancers. Whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience, Veronica shares valuab...

In today's episode, we chat with Susanne, a former yoga teacher and self-taught adult ballet dancer who brings wisdom, warmth, and kindness to our conversation. We dive into the philosophy of learning new things as an adult, explore the role of self-compassion in the pursuit of perfection, and reflect on the similarities of mastering challenging skills later in life. Whether you're a dance...

In this episode, we dive into what it really takes to sustain a lifelong ballet practice. From finding the motivation to keeping up the discipline, dealing with injuries, and managing the inevitable breaks and plateaus, we discuss the ups and downs of progress. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned dancer, we explore how to balance priorities, grant yourself permission to evolve, and maintai...

Learning jumps as an adult has a whole host of challenges, including building strength, coordination, power, and balance required to keep up in petite and grande allegro. Join me in Facet #9 of 10 on Season 2 of the Broche Banter Podcast to talk about all the things that go into mastering this facet of ballet. Happy dancing! :)Show Notes Links: Balance Study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/artic...

Learning turns as an adult is a very different process than learning as a kid. Whether you're dreaming of your first turn or working up to multiples, this episode will outline the principles of pirouettes to help you navigate the learning process. Find my teaching Broche Ballet on YouTube and online on Zoom at brocheballet.com Live the ballet dream and perform with with me in Miami iabf.dance...

We dive into questions ranging from curious about pointe to serious about pointe for adults. Everything from how long it takes to go en pointe, what it takes to be successful en pointe, does it hurt, and more. Join me to get ready for pointe in my Journey to Pointe for Adults program. *NOTE: Please don't purchase pointe shoes without approval from an instructor and supervised instruction. Broc...

What it is artistry? The je ne sais quoi of making something you can’t look away from. The magnetic presence of a performer; the expression, wearing your heart on your sleeve and sharing an incredible moment with the audience. In this episode, I break down why I believe adults learning ballet should begin learning this early on in their ballet journey along with my philosophy on how to work on it...

Do you have trouble focusing in class? Remembering combinations? Forgetting your technique? This episode discusses this important part of ballet training, especially for adults with many things competing for our attention.

Cross-training & conditioning are such buzz words and I’m going to break them down a little bit for you how I see them and think about them. As always in my world, what you do depends on you and your goals. You do not have to do anything. Everything is your choice, your prerogative, and based on what you want out of this life and out of ballet! We all start somewhere different. Injuries, pregn...

If you’ve been dancing for a while and wonder why your pirouettes aren’t working yet, or why your petite allegro isn’t getting quicker, or why your legs won’t stay turned out in the center or lift any higher, or why your port de bras still doesn’t look quite how you want, then this is the facet for you. This facet of ballet is where we work to master movements within the ballet paradigm, which inv...

This facet is the breadth of vocabulary in ballet and how we move our bodies from foot to foot across the floor and throughout space. Within this facet, we have 4 components: (1) Vocabulary - what the ballet steps are; (2) The grammar of how the steps fit together; (3) Picking combinations up quickly in class; (4) Memorizing an excerpt of choreography. In this episode, we dive into each of these f...

When we are training our bodies, we must also train our minds. In the journey to advancing in ballet, our mind needs to adapt and grow as much as our bodies, if not more. Here’s the thing, without a positive and powerful mindset, we won’t be able to stick around long enough in our ballet journey to see real progress. Without an open mind, we won’t be able to experiment and try the new things that...

Today on the show, we're going to lay out all of the different facets of your ballet training: - Breadth, this is the dancing - The depth, this is the technique - The performing and storytelling - Personal and body strength Join Julie on this episode as we dig into the different facets of training an adult to learn ballet.

Today, let’s dive into how adults are currently taught ballet. We’ll talk about adult open programs, which are how many of us learn ballet, we’ll talk about what to even teach adults, and how to structure a program for busy adult lives.

A little preview of what to look forward to in the season, plus a strong message about the power of classical ballet to transform lives and why we should open it to more people.

Today, I’ll be giving you a sneak peek of season 2 of Broche Banter. Season 2 will be a little different format, and I’ll be directly addressing fears, anxieties, questions, and concerns that we heard from dancers in season 1.  We’ll be focusing in on the question: How good can you really get when you started ballet late? Can you learn pointe? Pirouettes? Get more flexible? Get your extensions? Pe...

Today on the show, I chat with Julia, a ski instructor who recently began ballet as an adult. We talk a little bit about how she finally decided to pursue ballet, first getting started following along on YouTube and then joining my online studio soon after that. We also dive into the incredible similarities between skiing and ballet and how both need an incredible amount of control over rotating o...

Today on the show, I chat with India, who’s a professional ballerina and Floor Barre instructor living in France. We talk about what Floor Barre is, why we think adults should be taken seriously in their ballet education, and a little about the hierarchical system of professional ballet in France. It’s a fascinating conversation full of so many tidbits about ballet history, ballet itself, and insp...

Today on the show, I chat with Robin. She danced a little when she was young, and then returned to it as an adult, even getting en pointe for the first time as a grownup. We talk about the joy of the little wins in ballet, her experience on the board at her wonderful adult-only local ballet studio, and the interesting differences between home ballet and studio ballet. Robin has a wonderfully cereb...

Today on the show, I chat with Hannah, the creator of the Wonder of Ballet blog for recreational dancers. We talk about so many topics, about how to feel like you belong in the ballet world, getting en pointe as an adult, and how we hope the world of adult and recreational ballet will continue to change and grow. Enjoy

Today on the show, I chat with Marieke, who lives in the Netherlands and dances ballet. We talk about her winding journey as a ballet dancer, but also about mindfulness, ego, and how she has learned to quiet the judgemental mind and love to dance. I hope you love this episode as much as I do. Enjoy!