The Grace & Form Podcast

What is the advice that stays with you long after the curtain falls? In this Season 2 finale of the Grace & Form Podcast, we bring together the most powerful, honest, and unexpected pieces of wisdom from dancers, directors, and creative leaders across the ballet world. From Megan Fairchild, Ashton Edwards, Katherine Barkman, Tamara Rojo, Wendy Whelan and more, we revisit moments of advice that...

Former New York City Ballet Principal, choreographer, and creative force, Lauren Lovette has always felt most at home in the studio where curiosity, fear, and becoming collide. In this intimate conversation, Lauren reflects on starting ballet later than most, navigating performance anxiety, injury, identity, and the pressure of rising fast, and why the rehearsal room has always mattered more than...

Stories From the Stage brings together five extraordinary dancers: Mira Nadon, Alexa Maxwell, Naomi Corti, Christina Clark, and KJ Takahashi - for an honest, hilarious, and deeply human look at what really happens behind the curtain. Hosted by Indiana Woodward and Saskia Gregson-Williams, this special Grace & Form stories from the stage talks about moments dancers never forget: costume malfunc...

In this episode, Tamara Rojo reflects on a career shaped by courage, curiosity, and conviction. From navigating ballet as an outsider to leading major institutions from within, she shares how intentional leadership, creative risk, and respect for tradition can coexist. Tamara speaks openly about power and gender in ballet, building healthier cultures for dancers, and why repeating what’s worked be...

In this episode, we sit down with Taylor Stanley, principal dancer at New York City Ballet, for a deeply honest conversation about identity, self-acceptance, and what it means to take up space on stage and in life. Taylor reflects on growing up in ballet, navigating gender and fluidity within a highly traditional art form, and learning to trust an evolving sense of self. We talk about musicality a...

In this episode, we sit down with Gonzalo Garcia as he steps into a new chapter as Artistic Director of Miami City Ballet. Gonzalo reflects on the full-circle journey that brought him back to the very studio where his training began in Zaragoza, Spain, a return that now marks the start of his leadership role. We explore the moments that shaped him: early mentorship under María de Ávila, winning th...

In this episode, we sit down with the legendary Gillian Murphy to reflect on her extraordinary 29-year career at American Ballet Theatre. From joining the company at 17 to her unforgettable final bow as Odette, Gillian shares the moments that shaped her, the roles that changed her, and the mindset that carried her through nearly three decades onstage. A conversation about presence, artistry, fearl...

In part two of our injury series, we look at injury through connected angles: how company culture is shifting, the perspectives of those who care for dancers’ bodies, and the ways injuries can open the door to unexpected new chapters. You’ll hear from dancers and practitioners across the ballet world: Julie Kent on the emotional reality of injury at the highest level of the art form, and how her e...

In this intimate and expansive conversation, Patricia Delgado, Tony Award–winning choreographer, Juilliard faculty member, and proud Cuban-American artist opens up about the many chapters that shaped her: dancer, teacher, mother, collaborator, sister, and now, a choreographer discovering her own voice. Patricia shares what it means to build a classroom rooted in emotional awareness, how motherhood...

Gilbert Bolden III is a newly minted principal dancer with New York City Ballet, a designer, choreographer, and an artist who brings joy, fluidity, and individuality into everything he does. Earlier this year, he ruptured his Achilles mid Scotch Symphony- but instead of spiralling into crisis, Gilbert met the moment with calm, humour, and an almost shocking amount of perspective. In this episode,...

In this special episode of Grace & Form, we’re doing something a little different. This is Part One of our two-part deep dive into injury - a universal experience for dancers, yet one that’s rarely spoken about with honesty and care. In this episode, we hear voice notes and reflections from dancers around the world, each sharing what injury has meant in their lives and careers, from the first...

From Moscow to London, San Francisco to Copenhagen, Maria Kochetkova has built a career defined by courage, curiosity, and conviction. In this episode, she reflects on her early years at the Bolshoi Ballet School, leaving Russia to find artistic freedom, and the challenges of carving a path in an industry that often tries to box dancers in. Maria shares what it means to follow intuition over pract...

Craig Salstein-NYCB repertory director, longtime ABT soloist, teacher, and Broadway collaborator-shares grounded, generous advice for dancers navigating the hard parts: injury, casting politics, and self-comparison. With trademark humor and clarity, Craig makes a case for “dancing smart”: build technique like scaffolding, obsess over landings and communicate clearly and kindly. He talks about keep...

Misty Copeland joins Saskia Gregson-Williams and Indiana Woodward on the Grace & Form Podcast for an intimate, reflective conversation about stepping away, returning, and saying goodbye to ABT. After five years off stage, Misty shares the perspective she gained outside of ballet, the injuries and challenges that kept her away, and why she initially resisted the idea of a farewell. She talks ab...

In this episode of the Grace & Form podcast, we’re joined by New York City Ballet principal dancer and founder of Furlan Dancewear, Jovani Furlan. From his early training at the Bolshoi school in Brazil to dancing on some of the world’s biggest stages, Jovani shares the pivotal moments that shaped his path; including the risks he took, the pressure he’s learned to navigate, and the tools that...

In this special episode, co-founders Saskia Gregson-Williams and Indiana Woodward sit down for an honest conversation about friendship, creativity, and the leap from barre to business. From meeting through the ballet world to building Grace & Form from the ground up, they reflect on the highs, the hard bits, and how their bond has shaped everything along the way. Expect behind-the-scenes stori...

In this powerful and personal episode, New York City Ballet’s India Bradley opens up about what it means to be the “first”; the first Black Dewdrop, the first in many roles - and the complex weight that comes with it. From her early years in Detroit to finding her voice at Dance Theatre of Harlem and SAB, India shares the winding path to NYCB, the pressure to prove she belongs, and the lessons she...

In this intimate episode, Indiana turns the mic on her co-host and best friend, Saskia Gregson-Williams. Saskia’s journey as a ballet dancer, entrepreneur, and wellness creative has been anything but linear. Together they unpack the journey: homesickness, bullying, burnout, early independence, , injury, and the quiet courage it takes to start again, again and again. They talk about the pressure of...

From Guangzhou to New York, cramping on stage to commanding the spotlight, Chun Wai Chan shares the story of how grit, laughter, and letting go helped him become the first Chinese principal dancer at New York City Ballet. In this episode of Grace & Form, Chun opens up about the physical and mental battles behind the curtain: from writing a letter to his parents to convince them to let him danc...

From growing up between continents to rising through the ranks of New York City Ballet, your co-host Indiana Woodward shares her deeply personal journey with body image, identity, and learning to embrace herself fully. In this candid conversation, she opens up about the pressures of ballet, the impact of being told her body wasn’t “right,” and the long path toward self-love and acceptance. We also...

In this episode, Principal Dancer Sara Mearns joins us for a raw and wide-ranging conversation about how life onstage has shifted, and how she’s shifted with it. She shares the reality of living with hearing loss for over a decade, what it was like to finally hear her own solo again, and how that moment marked a turning point. We talk about burnout, boundaries, mental health, body maintenance, say...

Unity Phelan’s journey to becoming a principal with New York City Ballet wasn't linear, and in this episode, she opens up about the doubts, decisions, and quiet determination that got her there. From facing early rejection to finding her voice as both an artist and a person, Unity shares what it means to stay the course while still carving your own. We talk about building resilience and staying tr...

In this episode, we sit down with Skylar Brandt, principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, to explore how she's forged a path that’s uniquely her own. Skylar opens up about the challenges and triumphs of embracing her individuality in a traditional art form, the lessons she's learned along the way, and how self-expression has shaped her career both on and off the stage. Whether you're a dance...

In this powerful and heartfelt episode, we sit down with Payal Kadakia Puiji, founder of ClassPass and Sa Dance Company, to trace the incredible path from basement dance classes to boardrooms, sold-out performances, and building a billion-dollar business. Payal shares how her love of dance helped her navigate the pressures of academia, corporate life, and entrepreneurship, while staying deeply con...

In this episode, we sit down with Devon Teuscher, principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre, to explore the extraordinary journey behind the curtain. Devon shares how dance became her sanctuary through her childhood; offering her presence, purpose, and safety when so much felt uncertain. We talk about what it means to stay: in a company, in your body, in your truth — even when the path forward f...