Stairway For Ballet

In this episode, my good old friend (15 years and counting) Tanvi Mavuri joins me for a enjoyable and honest chat. The last time she was with us was four years ago on this podcast. We discuss and delve into a variety of topics including ballet, university life, and their overlap.

In celebration of the holidays, the end of 2021, and a New Year 2022, we are going to be celebrating a few famous BIPOC ballet dancers. Featuring amazing dancers Alicia Alonso, Arthur Mitchell & Maria Tallchief!

In this episode, we explore something that is often overlooked in the ballet industry: sexism in ballet. Pay inequality in the ballet industry. We talk about how not a lot of ballets are choreographed women and questions: Why are there not more female choreographers and artistic directors? We also explore the pay inequality in the ballet industry and how female dancers are often paid less than the...

Ms. Stephanie Potreck is a former dancer turned doctor and sports nutritionist, and also a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of eating disorders, and challenges with self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-care. She has a unique insight into the challenges that dancers face these days, worldwide. She is the founder of AusDancersOverseas that was originally created to support Austra...

In this episode, we talk about power and abuse in the dance world and the core of the underlying issues. We explore recent events where people bravely spoke up about their experiences with sexual abuse in dance. We also question: Is the ballet and dance world ready to address sexual harassment and abuse? So is there a way to fix these issues in ballet?

Jeraldine Mendoza is a first-generation Filipina American who was born in San Francisco, California, and trained at City Ballet School of San Francisco since the age of five. At age 17, Mendoza was invited to graduate in the Russian course at the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow., and she later won First Place at the YAGP San Francisco Regional Semi-Finals in 2011. Now, she is currentl...

Puanani or Pua Brown is a former professional ballet dancer at American Ballet Theatre and a Harvard graduate with a degree in Environmental Science and Public Policy. After series of knee injuries, she decided to explore more of her passion of empowering marginalized communities through environmental protection, environmental justice and Indigenous rights.  In this episode, Pua talks ab...

Ellen Roberts attended UNCSA as a ballet major and Metropolitan School of the Arts as a Dance/Musical Theatre major. She has spent summers training at Bolshoi, The Washington Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and more. She spent this year training at The Nashville Ballet and will attend Boston Conservatory at Berklee next year to get her BFA in Musical Theatre. She is also...

We interviewed two of the four Co-Founders of Brown Ballerinas For Change: Shania Gordon & Ava Holloway! Shania Gordon  has been performing with Central Virginia Dance Academy since 2016. She desires to become a professional dancer with NYC Ballet; without any set limitations to achieving her goal. Shania wishes to inspire those that see her, encouraging them to “not be afraid of who...

Daphne Lee, a member of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, began her dance training at the Rahway Dance Theatre. Daphne has done community work through out the country via masterclasses and career readiness talks to the youth. She has assisted in raising over $5,000 in scholarship money in partnership with Brown Girls Do Ballet. She was a member of Ailey II, Lustig Dance Theatre, Zest Collecti...

In this episode, we talk about  how perfectionism is also a growing epidemic in the dance world. Unfortunately, the lack of help from the dance industry for dancers has led to dancers to be be influenced by depression, anxiety, anorexia, bulimia and even suicide. We consider why dancers are generally perfectionists in the first place. We also discuss the ways to fight back the idea of perfect...

In this episode, we talk about something that is rarely talked about in the dance world: LGBTQ+ and Non-Binary Inclusion in Dance. We explore how most ballet techniques and movements segregate itself into gender based categories. In addition, we discuss #BoysDanceToo (including how this was focused on hypermasculinity) and various examples of LGBTQ+ and Non-Binary dancers . Finally, we also discus...

Special Feature! Samantha Parr is a 17-year-old ballet dancer from San Francisco, California. She has danced since she was 3 years old, and has attended summer intensives at Pacific Northwest Ballet and Ballet West. In addition to ballet, Samantha loves to samba dance, run, and create Pinterest boards of just about everything! Samantha plans on attending a four-year university after high school an...

In this episode, we talk about body image roles and issues in the dance world. We discuss how one of greatest artistic demands in dance is physical shape, contributing to the desire of a thinner body and the continuous self-dissatisfaction state because of the standard of the supposed “perfect body.” We also examine ways to build a better body image and self-confidence and the importance of loving...

In this episode, we talk about the traditional gender roles and stereotypes in ballet. We explore stereotypes limit dancers to express themselves both physically and emotionally, especially the stereotype that women are dependent and men must always be strong and are never allowed to show emotion, both of which are no longer supported by modern society.

Tanvi Mavuri is a 15 year old student at the Canadian International School of Bangalore and she attends the Lewis Foundation of Classical Ballet. She shares a huge passion for ballet and it's been a part of her life ever since she was little for the past 12 years. When she leaves for university, she hopes to continue she studies in the medical field and she aspires to become a cardiothoracic surge...

Abi is 16 years old and has danced for about 11 years. She is currently a junior at Lake Orion High School and attends Valentina’s school of ballet. In her free time, she loves to hangout with her dog and family, especially her sister. Her sister, Elizabeth, is also a dancer and attends Butler University. Abi would love to make a career out of ballet, but also shares a love for science.  In t...

Nyla is 15 years old; she has danced for 11 years and recently started to focus more on ballet at Valentina’s School of Ballet. In her free time, she does school work and loves to hang out with her friends and her dog. When she is older, she aspires to work in the Physiology field or be a Cardiothoracic surgeon. Norah also loves to dance. She spends most of her time either working on online school...

Katie is a 15 year old student from Rochester, Michigan. For as long as she can remember, she has studied classical ballet and piano. While the work can often seem tedious, she has found that the performance at the end is always worth it. In the episode, Katie talks about how she started ballet, what she saw in competitions and summer programs and the one thing she would eat for the rest of her li...

Savannah Yopp is a sophomore attending Cranbrook Kingswood Upper school. She has been training classical ballet since she was 7 years old and she has always had great interest in the arts. Savannah talks about how she used to walk around in tippy toes when she was young, her favorite memory with a ballet company, and the power of teleportation.

Mr. Warren is a Detroit native, and a former Professional Dancer, having started dance at the age of 14. He is also a working musician in Detroit as a percussionist and harpist. In this episode, Mr. Warren provide invaluable tips about talent and ability for dancers, and also talks about the importance of just dancing and being one with the music. Mr. Warren dives into the core values and gives in...

Ms. Veronique studied and danced professionally in Europe for over 20 years, including 7 years with the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam and she currently is offering GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® training in which incorporates principles of movement she mastered during her dance career, as well as physiology and injury prevention principals she learned with massage therapy. In the episode, Ms. Ve...

In this episode, we are going to talk about how dancers can promote racial equality in the studio. We are going to explore the importance of navigating racism in the studio and what we can do if we experience and/or witness it- ultimately creating an environment where BIPOC dancers feel safe and inclusive in the studio setting.

In this episode, we are going to talk about racial stereotyping on stage in ballet. We dive into the historical background of the usage of racial stereotyping in ballet such as Blackface and Yellowface to the current controversies that surrounds them. We also discuss the meaning of traditions and if those traditions are unassailable when prioritizing diversity and inclusiveness in our world. 

In this episode, we talk about the systemic racism in ballet and the factors contributing to ballet's lack of diversity. We explore the demographics of the United States in terms of race and the hopeful outlook of progress in reaching equality and increasing diversity in ballet.