TuTu Thin: A Podcast for Dancers | Be a healthy dancer/athlete in mind, body and spirit.

Mia Mormino is more than just a pop star in the making. Look a little closer, past the Los Angeles native's massive pop anthems, tens of millions of streams and views, sold-out live shows, and you'll find what every artist hopes for but few ever achieve: authenticity. What cuts through most in Mia's impossibly catchy and heartfelt music is a singular message of self-empowerment. It&...

Ashley Anna Martinez, MFN, RDN, LD is a Chef, Dietitian, and 3 x Professional Cheerleader for the Cincinnati Bengals. Her food philosophy is simple, "All foods fit". She has helped many dancers and professional cheerleaders reach their highest performance potential by providing her expertise in culinary and nutrition. Ashley has been dancing since the age of 5 and cheerleading since the...

Roger Wright was morbidly obese his entire life, eventually reaching 325 lbs by his late  40s. Having failed at 100s of diets, food plans, nutritionists, etc and was one signed form away from having gastric bypass surgery, he came up with a completely unpredictable and "impossible" plan that shocked his wife, his friends and even himself.  Roger's father ran the Boston Marathon in 1...

Jamie Singleteary, is a Licensed Professional Counselor who loves to inspire and empower individuals on their journey to healthy purposeful living. She is a graduate of Ball State University with a B.A. in Telecommunications and Clark Atlanta University with a M.A. in Clinical Counseling Psychology. Jamie began her professional career in mental health in 2005 and has worked in multiple behavioral...

Lisa Lockwood danced with American Ballet Theatre for ten years, subsequently with Feld Ballet, and was an original cast member of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. A short list of the choreographers she worked with personally include Anthony Tudor, George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Natalia Makarova, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Glen Tetley, Eliot Feld and Sir Kenneth McMillan. Currently she teaches at Ballet Academy E...

Anita Johnston, Ph. D., is a Clinical Psychologist, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist, and author of Eating in the Light of the Moon: How Women Can Transform Their Relationships with Food Through Myths, Metaphors, and Storytelling, which has been published in seven languages.    She is the co-creator of the Light of the Moon Café, an online resource with interactive and self-study courses for w...

Colleen O'Callaghan has been a professional ballet dancer since the age of 16 and continues her remarkable journey at the age of 64. Her life's passion has been the art of ballet, where she has honed her skills and embodied the grace and discipline it demands. Today, Colleen's mission extends beyond the stage. Her goal is to share her knowledge and expertise with others, helping the...

The holidays are supposed to be a magical time of the year when you have the opportunity to spend time with loved ones and friend.s.  It can also be a very difficult time for those who struggle with eating disorders.  As a dancer, you may have had a long season of Nutcracker performances and then the anticipation of seeing family.  I have outlines some tips that I hope will be helpful to you durin...

   | In Mother, Men and Me: A Memoir of Anxiety, Anorexia and Affairs , Dawn Smith-Theodore unveils a potent saga of love, deceit, and resilience. Amid her personal battle with anorexia, convoluted romantic entanglements, and shocking family secrets, she finds refuge in dance. This memoir reveals the raw complexity of mother-daughter relationships, shedding light on how our familial bonds shape ou...

It is important for dancers to trust themselves and their body so having confidence and self acceptance is key in the recovery process. Surrounding yourself with community who knows your needs and how to support you. Dance is a passion so use it as a motivation to recover. Nourish your body as it houses your soul and it is your instrument. Using self care and  allow yourself to find balance in you...

 Kelly Murtagh is a mom, Louisiana-native, and an award-winning actor, writer, producer, singer and children’s book author who works in film, television and theatre. Kelly is also a certified sound healer and breath-work facilitator. She has received multiple awards including the Best Actress Award at Festival South, and the Best Actress Award at the 48 Independent Short Film Festival. Kelly produ...

Allie Papazian is from Los Angeles, CA. She trained at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan and was a member of the inaugural class in the Alonzo King LINES Ballet BFA at Dominican University of California, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2010. While in college she danced professionally with Mark Foehringer Dance Project SF, and performed with Zhukov Dance Theatre for their 2010 and 2011 se...

Michael Patterson is the Artistic Director of the Patterson School of Ballet located in Erie, PA and is a former professional danseur with the Pennsylvania Ballet, now known as the Philadelphia Ballet. While at the Pennsylvania Ballet, Mr. Patterson danced many roles in works by George Balanchine, including The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Slaughter on 10th Avenue, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deu...

It is my pleasure to welcome Jessica Wallis, Founder and Executive Director of Ballet in the City.  Jessica has produced and presented programming with dancers such as Ashley Bouder, Sonia Rodriguez, and Misty Copeland, at prestigious venues including The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She is a two-time honors graduate of The University of Akron, the founder of The Ballet in the C...

On this week's installment of the Tu Tu Thin Podcast, I have Sasha Gorrell, PhD joining me!  Sasha Gorrell is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. Her position is within the Eating Disorders Program where her clinical focus is in the treatment of adolescents with restrictive eating disorders, specificall...

Lamont Brown is a New York-based performer and choreographer. He is originally from Long Island and is a graduate of the Dance Theatre Conservatory at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Lamont’s performance career has taken him all over the globe. Recently seen in the 1st National Tour of “Mean Girls The Broadway Musical” as Martin J. and Understudied Aaron Samuels. He per...

I am thrilled to be airing the latest episode of the TuTu Thin Podcast because on this week's edition, Bob Schwarz will be joining me! Bob went from soccer coach to dancer dad.  While his 3 other boys were playing tennis, soccer, baseball and other sports, his third son discovered his passion for dance.  Bob shares his story of learning a new language…. DANCE and how he supported his son’s pa...

Nicole Farnsworth is a board-certified sports dietitian with the Female Athlete Program and Division of Sports Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital. She is a clinical dietitian for Laura Moretti Nutrition, a group nutrition practice specializing in performance nutrition and nutrition counseling for eating disorders. Nicole is additionally a NASM-certified personal trainer. She has served as a sp...

I feel honored to welcome Dr. Johanna O'Flaherty, PhD to the TuTu Thin Podcast. She is an expert in crisis management from a psychological perspective, and a renowned expert in the field of trauma, addiction and recovery. She was the Vice President of Treatment Services at the Betty Ford Center from 2006 to 2013 , and then served as the CEO of the Las Vegas Recovery Center, Senior Fellow of C...

Jennifer Milner is a ballet coach and certified Pilates trainer specializing in athletes, dancers and post-injury recoveries.  As a classical ballet dancer, Jennifer danced with several companies across the United  States before moving to New York to do musical theatre, most notably playing Meg Giry in The Phantom of the Opera .  After a knee injury ended a successful performing career, Jennifer b...

Let's give a big warm welcome to my latest podcast guest, Michelle Chaviano! Michelle began her dancing career in Miami at the Art of Classical Ballet and has since danced with the English National Ballet, Teatru De Ballet in Romania and more. She has now joined Charlottesville ballet for their 2023-2024 season.  In addition to her performing career, Michelle is GYROTONIC®  instructor and  is...

I am honored to welcome to the podcast, Carolyn Costin, my mentor.  Carolyn is a world renowned, sought-after eating disorder clinician, author, and international speaker.    Recovered herself, Carolyn recognized her calling after successfully treating her first eating disorder client in 1979. Carolyn was first to publicly say that people with eating disorders can become fully recovered.   After 1...

We welcome to the podcast, Erin Yen, who is a mixed-race professional dancer and choreographer currently residing in San Mateo, CA.  Erin holds a BFA with distinction in Dance from the Ohio State University.  She is fluent in Laban Movement Analysis, and she was the first to Labanotate work from acclaimed choreographer Doug Varone.  Erin has additionally performed works by artists such as Ohad Nah...

We welcome Robyn Goldberg, RDN to the TuTu Thin podcast. Robyn began her career at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles as the in-patient dietitian in the Department of Cardiology. Over the last twenty-five years she has developed her own private practice in Los Angeles, CA, where she specializes in medical conditions, disordered eating, eating disorders, Health at Every Size, pre-pregnancy...

We welcome  KIM MASELLI  to the Tu Tu Thin Podcast. She is the President & Artistic Director for the Pacific Festival Ballet received her early dance training from her mother, Joyce Hurley. At age 16, she was accepted to the Washington School of Ballet where she gained her first professional stage experience. She was awarded a full scholarship to the Joffrey Ballet in New York City where she t...