The Brainy Ballerina Podcast

Audition season is here! And let’s be honest - it can be incredibly exhausting. The travel, expenses, strain on your body, constant scrutiny, and emotional toll of rejection can absolutely wear you down. It can also lead to your dream job and the career you’ve been working toward for years. So what’s the secret to getting to the other side of audition season (relatively) unscathed? Your mindset. A...

Anna Morgan is a teacher, creative, adjudicator and researcher. She directs her own teacher training program, Anna Morgan Dance, and has taught for institutions such as the Royal Ballet School, Performers College, and Bird College. She is currently studying for her Masters at Rambert School, with gender equity in Ballet as her research specialism. In this conversation, we dive into Anna's groundbr...

Jess Spinner is a former professional dancer turned multi-certified holistic health, nutrition, and lifestyle coach for dancers. She founded The Whole Dancer in 2015 to help dancers prioritize their well-being, find peace with their bodies, feel confident in their food choices, and put their health first. One of the many things I love about Jess is how open she is with her story dealing with body...

Ali Block danced professionally as Clara with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, as a Principal Dancer with Eglevsky Ballet, and as a dancer with Texas Ballet Theater and Eugene Ballet Company. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in psychology and is currently working as a psychology researcher at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Ali is incredibly transparent in this interview about the good, the b...

Caitlin here with a solo episode recapping 2024 and chatting about my hopes and dreams for 2025! Biggest takeaways from this episode: Your needs are not an inconvenience Your all-or-nothing thinking is keeping you stuck - progress happens in the gray areas Being able to “listen to your body” requires an insane amount of privilege Your personal life will impact your professional life You are allowe...

Igor Burlak danced professionally with Miami City Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Atlantic Southeast Ballet and as a principal with Minnesota Ballet. Since retiring from the stage, Igor has had an extensive career working as a Company Manager, Ballet Master, Choreographer, Instructor, Realtor and Photographer. We covered SO MUCH in this episode, from Igor’s training at the School of American Ballet to...

Elise & Stuart Lauer are former professional ballet dancers that have since left the dance world to work full time in their side gigs. We met when dancing with Ballet Tucson and Elise and Stuart really took me under their wing when I was beginning my professional career. In this episode, we chat all about how Elise and Stuart met at ballet boarding school and their transition into a profession...

Michaela King is a professional dancer with Madison Ballet. She has also danced with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Suzanne Farrell Ballet and in the musical, On the Town , as a guest artist with Capitol City Theatre. Michaela is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in political science at The University of Wisconsin Madison. In this episode, we chat about Michaela’s experience starting her career...

Carrie Euker has danced professionally with Milwaukee Ballet, David Taylor Dance Theatre, Seven Dancers and Missouri Contemporary Ballet. She is the Founding Artistic Director of Etoile Dance Competition and currently a full time faculty member at the Boston Ballet School. In this episode, Carrie gives us a sneak peek behind the scenes of Etoile Dance Competition, a concert dance competition focus...

Nutcracker season is here - and it’s a doozy! In this solo episode, I’m sharing my practical tips and heartfelt advice for dancers to not just survive but thrive during this iconic ballet season. Whether you're a student navigating school and rehearsals, a seasoned professional, or somewhere in between, this episode will help you approach the season with joy, balance, and intention. Links and Reso...

Deborah Engerman is a ballet teacher, coach, choreographer and published author of Let’s Talk About Fifth: Teaching Ballet in the 21st Century . For over three decades, her students have gone on to dance with professional companies including American Ballet Theatre, Universal Ballet, Vienna Opera Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Barcelona Ballet Theatre, Complexions Contemporary Ballet as well as on Broa...

Courtney Nitting is a professional dancer, currently dancing as  a second soloist with Boston Ballet. She previously danced with Kansas City Ballet and Pennsylvania Ballet’s second company after spending a year freelancing in NYC. Courtney has such a passion and reverence for the art of ballet that just oozes out of her. We dove deep into her training at SAB and all of her career shifts along...

Monika Saigal is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Eating Disorders Specialist, and former professional dancer. She specializes in dancer wellness and the prevention and treatment of eating disorders/disordered eating. She is also the author of the new book Nourishing Dance: An Essential Guide on Nutrition, Body Image, and Eating Disorders. From periods to carbs, Monika and I debunk s...

Caitlin here with a solo episode answering all your burning audition questions! Questions like: “Can you talk about any travel hack to save money when you travel to auditions?” “Is it always those who stand out that get hired?” “What is it like being cut during an audition?” And so much more! Tune in to get my pro insight into the behind-the-scenes of audition season. Links and Resources: The Audi...

Wendy Reinert is a retired professional dancer, aerialist, strength coach, life coach, world traveler, amateur rock climber and toddler mom. Wendy is the founder of Being a Dancer, a platform dedicated to helping dancers navigate the emotional challenges of the dance industry.  Her mission is to make the dance world easier and healthier AND to give dancers the tools they need to advocate for...

Kirsten Kemp is a former full-time professional ballet dancer turned High-Performance Mindset Coach for dancers, International Speaker, and Founder of The Confident Dancer specializing in helping dancers break through the mental blocks that have been holding them back and build a confident mindset that allows them to feel and perform their best consistently. Kirsten and I dive into all things conf...

Linnea Swarting is a professional ballerina currently dancing on tour with the Grand Kyiv Ballet. She previously danced with Los Angeles Ballet, Ballet Project OC, Nashville Ballet, and as a principal with Georgia Dance Theatre. She is also a contributing writer for Pointe Magazine and author of the Ballet Writer Blog. Linnea’s honesty is incredibly refreshing. She doesn’t shy away from talking ab...

You’ve been working for days, months, even years for the coveted role in your upcoming production. You’ve put in the extra time and effort, practicing every spare minute. You feel confident that this is your year . After waiting what seems like eons for casting to come out, you finally get the notification you’ve been waiting for. You anxiously open the email, scan the cast list…and a huge wave of...

Karen Mareck Grundy is the Artistic/Executive Director of Mareck Center for Dance. She performed extensively, including 11 years in Las Vegas, and her innovative style blends classical ballet and modern dance with influences from Las Vegas productions. In this episode, Karen pulls the curtain back, sharing stories from her days dancing in Las Vegas to her current role as Artistic Director. As Mare...

Kara Tatelbaum is a dancer, choreographer, teacher, coach and writer based in New York City. She earned her BFA in Dance from Tisch School of the Arts at NYU and MFA in Choreography from The Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase. Kara is the founder of professional company independentdancemaker and author of Putting My Heels Down - a memoir of having a dream and a day job. Kara’s memoir is to thi...

Rian Wood is a professional dancer based in New York City and currently performing in the Medora Musical in Medora, North Dakota. At just 25, Rian is wise and experienced beyond her years. We talk all about how Rian makes her freelance dance career work and how she’s finding artistic fulfillment and balance. We also chat about Rian’s experience in career mentorship and some of the hurdles she was...

One question I get a lot from dancers is “How do I manage my time more effectively?” . What they’re really asking is “How can I get more done?“ . Here’s the thing: most dancers I know don’t have a time management problem. They have an overscheduling problem. Tune in to this solo episode to learn the sneaky ways you might be overscheduling yourself without even realizing it. You’ll walk away with t...

Kristin Deiss and Michelle Loucadoux, the founders of Danscend, are on a mission to bring mental wellness to the forefront of dance training by providing a space for education, application, and community to dancers, educators, and professionals. In this episode, we talk allllll the things mental wellness. Everything from finding balance, to dealing with negative self talk and forging an identity o...

On this episode, I am joined by Antuan Byers, the Dancers Vice President of the American Guild of Musical Artists and Nile Ruff, a dancer with Dallas Black Dance Theatre to discuss recent events at DBDT that have rocked the dance world. Antuan and Nile give us an inside look into the events leading up to the sudden firing of an entire company of dancers. We discuss the impact this has had not just...

Joanne Curry is the Head of Client Success & Principal at Creative Fundraising Advisors. Rooted in her ballet training, Joanne is passionate about empowering nonprofit organizations to achieve their utmost potential. In this episode Joanne shares what brought her to the realization that a professional dance career wasn’t for her and how she pivoted into the world of nonprofit administration. A...