Ballet Uncovered ~ Balancing Pointe Podcast: Recent Episodes
Kimberly Falker/Podcaster
Uncover the world of Ballet and Dance with Balancing Pointe Podcast! Host Kimberly Falker interviews the world's top success stories in Ballet and Dance. From dancers, choreographers, writers, photographers and anyone who has "made it" in the world of Ballet and Dance, Kimberly shares their journey to the top and uncover's the secrets to their success. www.BalancingPointe.com
Balancing Pointe Podcast's new mini series is called "Where are they now?". On this series some of the earliest and most popular guests to were asked to send an update on what is gong on in their lives right now.
On this episode of "Where are they now?", previous Balancing Pointe guest Maggie Kudirka, otherwise known as the Bald Ballerina shares with us her amazing life updates. Maggie was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer when she was only 23. At that time, the statistics were not in her favor as the life expectancy of a person with her diagnosis was only three years. We are all so thrilled to learn that Maggie recently celebrated her 3 year anniversary of survival after her difficult diagnosis. Maggie's passion for dance, education and spreading the word about metastatic is inspirational to all! Maggie certainly is an example on living life to the fullest! If you would like to show your support for Maggie, please stop by her website at: Bald Ballerina
For more episodes and more dance related shows, visit the Premier Dance Network:
Premier Dance Network
Today's show was sponsored by:
Bodywrappers
Balancing Pointe Podcast's new mini series is called "Where are they now?". On this series some of the earliest and most popular guests to were asked to send an update on what is gong on in their lives right now.
On this episode of "Where are they now?", previous Balancing Pointe guest AND Premier Dance Network host Lauren Fadeley Veyette shares with us some updates in her life as a Principal dancer with Miami City Ballet. Following her update, you will her the original interview with Lauren and her husband Francis. This was such a vibrant interview and one filled with golden nuggets of advice!
For more episodes and more dance related shows, visit the Premier Dance Network:
Premier Dance Network
Today's show was sponsored by:
Bodywrappers
Balancing Pointe Podcast's new mini series is called "Where are they now?". On this series some of the earliest and most popular guests to were asked to send an update on what is gong on in their lives right now. On today's episode we catch up with Jenelle Figgins.
Since we last spoke with Jenelle, she has not only won the Princess Grace award but was also featured in numerous magazines. Jenelle has also made a shift from Dance Theatre of Harlem, leaving the city of NYC to now dance with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, where she lives and dances with nature.
For more episodes and more dance related shows, visit the Premier Dance Network:
Premier Dance Network
Today's show was sponsored by:
Bodywrappers
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet
JENELLE FIGGINS: TRANSITION
Balancing Pointe Podcast's new mini series is called "Where are they now?". On this series some of the earliest and most popular guests to were asked to send an update on what is gong on in their lives right now. Today, Balancing Pointe is so excited to bring you the VERY FIRST guest on Balancing Pointe podcast from December 2013! Balancing Pointe's first guest is Dylan Gutierrez with the Joffrey Ballet. Dylan still holds such a special place with the podcast as he literally kicked off the the launch of the show. Kimberly admits to being VERY nervous! But as you’ll hear in the interview – Dylan was incredible.
For more episodes and more dance related shows, visit the Premier Dance Network:
Premier Dance Network
Today's show was sponsored by:
Bodywrappers
On this mini series, host Kimberly Falker provides an update on some of her most popular Balancing Pointe guests. On today's episode, she shares New York City Ballet corps member Alexa Maxwell's latest life update and then re-publishes Lexi's amazingly inspirational interview from three years ago.
For more episodes and more dance related shows, visit the Premier Dance Network:
Premier Dance Network
Today's show was sponsored by:
Bodywrappers
Today Kimberly interviews Jess Spinner of The Whole Dancer Program. The interview comes LIVE from Boston. Jess shares with us her journey in dance and how body image struggles led her to becoming a professional in nutrition and ultimately creating The Whole Dancer program to help coach and empower dancers to find their best health both nutritionally but also physically. You can find more information about Jess' program here:
The Whole Dancer
Premier Dance Network
In Honor of the Celebration of Balancing Pointe's 200th Episode, host Kimberly Falker takes us on her almost 3 years as a podcaster. You'll hear some never been shared stories on how her early days in the creation of the podcast as well as the biggest lesson learned as a parent of an aspiring professional dancer. In this episode Kimberly also dives in deep on the background of the Premier Dance Network which she launched in January 2016 as well as some unique perspective on each of the 8 shows currently featured on Premier Dance Network. And finally, Kimberly tells us about the launch of her Patreon Campaign which is an incredible way for you, as a listener to show the support for both the Balancing Pointe Podcast as well as the other shows on the Premier Dance Network by becoming an official PDN Patron. To find out more about the Patreon Campaign and to learn about the many rewards being offered to each patron, click on the links below.
Patreon Campaign
Support Premier Dance Network
On today's episode Kimberly interviews Ashley Ellis LIVE in a quaint garden in South Boston, adjacent to the Boston Ballet studios. Ashley is not only a Principal dancer with the Boston Ballet, but the founder of Rubia Wear leg warmers, one of the hottest items for every dancer these days. Be sure to check out Ashley's trendy and stylish leg warmers here:
Rubia Wear
Ashley Ellis website
Premier Dance Network
Boston Ballet
On this episode Kimberly chats with Gina Pero who will be The Premier Dance Network's newest host to join her network of amazingly talented hosts.
Gina Pero has turned her pain from obstacles such as a brain injury, scoliosis, and reverse bullying into her purpose. Going behind the curtain to learn about her and others personal experiences, influences, and triumphs will empower you to take action on the life you really want. The Gina Pero show will feature dialogue from family, professional colleagues, industry experts and performing artists, as she goes beyond one’s achievements and into the journey each individual took to arrive at their current destination.
The Premier Dance Network
Balancing Pointe website
Today's episode comes to you LIVE from the lobby of Sarah's hotel lobby. Sarah was in town with Alvin Ailey''s ballet company to perform in Minneapolis. We met in the lobby and had a great conversation covering topics from tattoos to life on the road and meditation. It was great to reconnect with Sarah.
Sarah Daley (South Elgin, IL) began her training at the Faubourg School of Ballet in Illinois under the direction of Watmora Casey and Tatyana Mazur. She is a 2009 graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program in Dance. Ms. Daley has trained at institutions such as the Kirov Academy, National Ballet School of Canada, The San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and intensives at Ballet Camp Illinois and Ballet Adriatico in Italy. She is a recipient of a Youth America Grand Prix Award and an ARTS Foundation Award. She was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2011.
Rebecca King was born and raised in Northern California. She received her ballet training from former San Francisco Ballet School Director and ABT dancer Richard Cammack, former ABT and SFB dancer Zola Dishong, former NYCB dancer Charles Anderson and former Royal Swedish Ballet dancer Katarina Wester at Contra Costa Ballet Centre in Walnut Creek, Calif. King spent two summers studying at San Francisco Ballet School under the direction of Gloria Govrin. Her senior year in high school, she attended The Rock School in Philadelphia. After graduating in 2006, she moved to Miami to train at Miami City Ballet School.
King joined Miami City Ballet in 2007 as a company apprentice and was promoted to corps de ballet in 2008. I n 2010, she founded a dance blog, TendusUnderAPalmTree.com, which has enabled her to reach out to dancers and audience members from around the globe.
Omar's first connection with visual storytelling through the art of mime theatre. Omar had the privilege of studying under the tutelage of Marcel Marceau at L’École Internationale de Mimodrame de Paris Marcel Marceau. Later, when he went to college to acquire his B.A in Communications and Arts, he discovered in photography a new way of telling stories without words. With photography he could immortalize the moments for a little longer. He has since explored as many areas of photography as he possibly can. Among these, Omar has found a unique way to photograph dancers athleticism and grit while maintaining their beauty and grace - all while immersed in an urban setting.
Omar Z Robles Photography
Balancing Pointe Website
Follow BP on Twitter
On today's episode of Balancing Pointe Podcast the Host, Kimberly Falker is in the HOT seat! Melissa Klapper is the host and asks Kimberly all of the questions you may not know. On this episode she is not uncovering Ballet, but uncovering HER journey in life, in podcasting and in her struggles as a mother of an aspiring ballerina.
Melissa Klapper is a History professor at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey and asked Kimberly to provide her some information as research for the book she is in the process of researching and writing, Ballet Class: An American History which is a scholarly book that will explore the twentieth-century growth of ballet class as a central part of American childhood. Melissa is currently on sabbatical and is devoting herself full time to the research and completion of this book. This will me Dr. Klapper's fourth scholarly book but her first book focusing on Ballet.
Melissa's other books are; Small Strangers: The Experiences of Immigrant Children in America, 1880-1925 (American Childhoods Series), Jewish Girls Coming of Age in America, 1860-1920 and Ballots, Babies, and Banners of Peace: American Jewish Women's Activism, 1890-1940.
Dr. Klapper reached out to Kimberly to interview her as research for her book. From this they came up with the idea to record the interview and use it as its own episode on Balancing Pointe Podcast. As you will hear, Kimberly provides a detailed history into her life and experiences as well as providing authentic thoughts on the hardships, frustrations and confusion she feels raising a daughter who is pursuing a life in Ballet.
Balancing Pointe Website
Follow BP on Twitter
On each episode Megan answers YOUR questions each and every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Today’s question come from:
CRUSHED who wrote in saying "Hi Megan, I am 17 years old and in the middle of Summer Intensive Auditions. Each year since I was 13 years old I have gotten into some very reputable programs (including SAB) and have always received at least one full scholarship. This year not only have I not received ANY scholarship but I have not really received many acceptances. I am SO upset because I work so hard and now I feel this Th is the ballet world telling me I am not good enough after all. Do you have an opinion on what might be happening and how I can feel more confident." Signed, Crushed.
Megan provides some solid and straightforward advice - you almost feel as if you took one of her classes!
Find Megan Fairchild ~
website/Twitter/Instagram
Do you have a question about Ballet?
YOU can be a part of the show by sending us your questions by clicking HERE:
BalancingPointe.com
Twitter/Instagram
Please leave Rate and Review this show
On each episode Megan answers YOUR questions each and every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Today’s question come from:
Amy who is a Ballet Instructor. She recalls many lessons learned from teachers she had as a young aspiring dancer. She wonders what are Megan's most important pieces of advice she tries to pass on to her student's when she teaches.
Megan provides some solid and straightforward advice - you almost feel as if you took one of her classes!
Find Megan Fairchild ~
website/Twitter/Instagram
Do you have a question about Ballet?
YOU can be a part of the show by sending us your questions by clicking HERE:
BalancingPointe.com
Twitter/Instagram
Please leave Rate and Review this show
Originally from Brussels, Belgium, Olivier Wevers is the founder and Artistic Director of Seattle’s critically acclaimed contemporary dance company Whim W’Him. In 2012 Wevers was honored with the City of Seattle’s Mayor’s Arts Award and in 2011 he received the Princess Grace Choreographic Fellowship. In both 2011 and 2010 Wevers’ work took home the grand prize award at the Annual Dance Under the Stars Choreography Festival in California and he has also been named by Dance Magazine as one of their 25 to watch.
Wevers first began exploring choreography in 2002 while still a Principal Dancer at Seattle’s Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB). In 2009 he founded Whim W’Him to create a “platform, centered around choreography and dance, for artists to explore their craft through innovation and collaboration.” In 2011 Whim W’Him was named the resident dance company of Intiman Theatre.
This episode features two of my previous guests Nel Shelby and Margaret Mullin who are working together on a very special project; a full length documentary called "No Dominion", a film Celebrating the life of the late Ian Horvath, champion for the art of dance and AIDS awareness.
The film is the brain child and passion project of Margaret Mullin who is a soloist with Pacific Northwest Ballet. As you will learn in this interview, this has been in Margaret's thoughts since she first saw Ian's work when she was in the 7th grade.
As Margaret's vision began to take shape into reality, it was suggested she reach out the acclaimed film maker, Nel Shelby. Together they are creating something amazing. Together they are sharing with the world a beautiful story and showing that a vision and dream can become a reality when hard work is coupled with a good purpose.
If you would like to contribute to this film, please click on the link below.
Contribute here:
Make a donation here.
No Dominion Film
On each episode Megan answers YOUR questions each and every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Today a listener brought Megan a brand new challenge and asked to hear from a Royal Ballet dancer.
As you will hear, NO listener challenge is too great for Megan Fairchild as she brings us an exclusive interview with Leanne Cope from Royal Ballet!
Find Megan Fairchild ~
website/Twitter/Instagram
Do you have a question about Ballet?
YOU can be a part of the show by sending us your questions by clicking HERE:
BalancingPointe.com
Twitter/Instagram
Please leave Rate and Review this show
Today’s guest is a break from my usual – my guest today is Doctor Linda Stirrup who is a dentist as well as an author of a children’s book series featuring a young girl named Natalie Jean. Up on My Tippy Toes, beautifully illustrated by Reginald William Butler, is the story of a young girl whose resolve to take up ballet begins to crumble when she finds her first class challenging. Will she gain the resolve to return?
Maggie Kudirka was a member of the Joffrey Concert Group in NYC when she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer in June 2014. She was only 23 years old and had no risk factors for breast cancer other than being female. Results from a subsequent genetics screening showed that she did not carry the genes linked to breast cancer.
Maggie had a large, aggressive tumor that grew very quickly and spread to her bones and lymph nodes. She moved back home to be with her family and began treatment at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
Fortunately, her type of breast cancer (positive for Her2, ER & PR) responds very well to the drug Herceptin. Maggie's tumor began shrinking after her first chemo treatment on 7/1/14 and continued to shrink until it was completely gone. The pathology report following her double mastectomy on 12/26/14 found no cancer in either breast or lymph nodes. She had a pathological complete response. Six days after surgery, Maggie was back in the studio working to regain my strength, stamina, and technique. Maggie hopes to return to dance in NYC again.
Once breast cancer metastasizes to another body part, it is very difficult to know if all the cancer has really left the body after treatment. Tiny, undetectable cancer cells could be lurking dormant in the body. If these cells come to life, the cancer will return. That is why metastatic (stage 4) breast cancer is considered incurable. To keep the cancer cells dormant, Maggie will remain on medications for the rest of her life or until a cure is found. The cost of these medications is enormous: $4,000 to $9,000 per dose, per drug. She receives two drugs every 3 weeks, and a 3rd drug every 4 weeks. Maggie is hoping to join a clinical trial testing a treatment that will keep her cancer from returning.
Since the day of her diagnosis, Maggie began spreading the word about metastatic cancer by starting the "Bald Ballerina" campaign. She now travels the country speaking and teaching to help educate and inspire young dancers. The costs of battling cancer are enormous even with health insurance which does not cover all expenses. Maggie greatly appreciates donations in any amount for her medical expenses. If you would like to help, tax deductible donations can be made at:
http://www.theyoungandbrave.com/warriors/maggie-k/#sthash.NoVcxbRI.dpuf
Bald Ballerina Website
BalancingPointe.com
Twitter/Instagram
Please leave Rate and Review this show
Margaret Mullin is from Tucson, Arizona. She studied on scholarship at Ballet Arts Tucson with Mary-Beth Cabana and at Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and attended summer courses at Ballet Tucson, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School.
Margaret was the recipient of a Thurber Scholarship Award in 2003 and 2004, the 2007 Founding Director Scholarship Award from Angela Whitehill of Burklyn Ballet, and a 2011 Princess Grace Award recipient.
Margaret joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 2008. She was promoted to corps de ballet in 2009 and soloist in 2014.
Margaret has choreographed works for Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Choreographers’ Showcase and Next Step performances. In 2012, she choreographed her first ballet, Lost in Light, for the Company. She has also choreographed works, performed as a guest artist, and served as guest teacher for Ballet Tucson and Ballet Arts School in Tucson.
Margaret has recently teamed up with Balancing Pointe's previous guest Nel Shelby to produce an amazing film called "No Dominion" which will celebrate the remarkable life the late Ian Horvath, dance champion and AIDS activist.
No Dominion kickstarter campaign link
Pacific Northwest Ballet website
Margaret Mullin instagram
Margaret Mullin twitter
Balancing Pointe Facebook Page
Twitter - Balancing Pointe
Balancing Pointe instagram
My guest is Rebecca King who a soloist with the Finnish National Ballet. Rebecca is also the daughter of Shelly King who was the Director of Operations for the Youth American Grand Prix. For those you unfamiliar with the Youth American grand prix – or YAGP, it is the largest global network of dance and probably the most popular and well known ballet competitions in the world. Sadly Shelly recently passed away after dedicating the past 12 years of her life to becoming a "ballet mom" to thousands of young dancers all over the world through her dedicated work with YAGP program. I know she has made a difference in lives throughout the globe and will continue to be greatly missed.
I caught up with Rebecca in Tampa, Florida during the YAGP Regional Competition. At the time of our interview, Rebecca was finishing up her contract with the National Theater Prague and was just about to start her new contract with the Finnish National Ballet.
Rebecca flew in from the Czech Republic for YAGP Regionals to serve the as a judge in the competitions as well as to perform in the YAGP Gala, partnering with Amar Ramasar, who is a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet.
We met in the hotel lobby near the theater and had a such an enriching conversation. Rebecca shares with us her journey in ballet and the fact that the YAGP program is truly the reason she is so successful today.
The interview was filled with great advice and information about the benefits of YAGP and the opportunities it can provide aspiring dancers who participate.
Finnish National Ballet website
YAGP website
Balancing Pointe website
You Tube performance from Prague State Opera and Ballet
Step inside the halls of five NYC public schools and celebrate dance! Hosted by veteran TV journalist Paula Zahn, PS DANCE! is the new documentary that captures what happens when students have dance in their curriculum. The journey is one of imagination, curiosity, hard work and discipline. In these studios, dance is for every child.
PS DANCE!, two years in the making, interviews 16 kids and captures more than 100 students, who joyfully share the influence of dance on their daily learning. Created by today's guests; award-winning dance filmmaker Nel Shelby, dance ambassador Jody Gottfried Arnhold, and dance education consultant Joan Finkelstein, PS DANCE! shows that dance can be viewed as core curriculum at all levels PreK-12. Currently, there are close to 400 dance teachers serving New York City's 1,800 public schools, 192 of whom hold a New York State dance teacher license. With a significant new education budget allocation to support arts in schools, this is a definitive moment in New York City arts education history. Dance teachers are now listed as a high-need subject area, and this film shows us why!
PS Dance! website
PS Dance! Movie Trailer
PBS special
New York Post Article
Barry Kerollis was born in Philadelphia, PA. He began his training at the Chester Valley Dance Academy and continued on scholarship at the Kirov Academy of Ballet and the School of American Ballet. Mr. Kerollis began his professional career in 2003 with the Houston Ballet. The following season Barry joined Pacific Northwest Ballet, where he danced leading and featured roles for seven seasons. He currently works as a Choreographer, Principal Guest Artist, and Instructor based out of Philadelphia.
Barry is also an award-winning choreographer. He was selected out of over 60 applicants to choreograph at the 2014 National Choreographers Initiative in Irvine, CA. In 2015, Barry was selected as a finalist in both the McCallum Theatre’s 18th annual Choreography Festival and the Visions Choreographic Competition. Mr. Kerollis has also received an Outstanding Choreographer award at the Youth America Grand Prix. Beyond these achievement, Barry has created works for the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Seattle’s “Men in Dance” festival, Alaska Dance Theatre (in collaboration with the Alaska Native Heritage Center), Pulse Dance Company, and four works for Pacific Northwest Ballet’s annual Next Step choreographers showcase. Currently, Barry is developing “Core-ography: A Global Dance Storytelling Project.” This mini-documentary style film project shares 12 professional dancer’s life-defining stories through revealing interviews and movement. These interviews can be viewed on Core-ography’s Youtube channel.
Barry Kerollis website
You Tube Channel
Barry's Blog
Balancing Pointe Facebook Page
Twitter - Balancing Pointe
ASK MEGAN is a weekly show hosted by New York City Ballet's Principal Dancer Megan Fairchild and brought to you by Balancing Pointe Podcast.
On each episode Megan answers YOUR questions each and every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Each episode will feature an actual question submitted from someone like you!
Today's question come from:
Cosette who wants to know how to balance her Academic goals with her goal to pursue a career in professional Ballet.
Megan reflects on some of her struggles with her personal experiences taking college courses at Fordham.
Do you have a question about Ballet?
YOU can be a part of the show by sending us your questions ~ it is EASY! Simply go to BalancingPointe.com and click on the "Leave Your Question Here" tab on the side of the page. From there follow the directions and you are all set.
If you like the show, please take a moment to stop by ITunes and leave us a rating and review. And be sure to stop by:
Contribute to my Indiegogo Campaign here!
Balancing Pointe Website - SUBMIT your questions here!
Megan Fairchild's website
NYCB Website with Megan's Bio
Balancing Pointe Facebook Page
Twitter - Balancing Pointe
Twitter - Megan Fairchild
ASK MEGAN is a weekly show hosted by New York City Ballet's Principal Dancer Megan Fairchild and brought to you by Balancing Pointe Podcast.
On each episode Megan answers YOUR questions each and every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Each episode will feature an actual question submitted from someone like you!
Today's question come from:
Stephanie who wants to what Megan's favorite role is to dance.
Megan really gives us great insight into her personal experience with this role.
Do you have a question about Ballet?
YOU can be a part of the show by sending us your questions ~ it is EASY! Simply go to BalancingPointe.com and click on the "Leave Your Question Here" tab on the side of the page. From there follow the directions and you are all set.
If you like the show, please take a moment to stop by ITunes and leave us a rating and review. And be sure to stop by:
Contribute to my Indiegogo Campaign here!
Balancing Pointe Website - SUBMIT your questions here!
Megan Fairchild's website
NYCB Website with Megan's Bio
Balancing Pointe Facebook Page
Twitter - Balancing Pointe
Twitter - Megan Fairchild
My guest Ksenia Ovsyanick is a Soloist with the English National Ballet. She is from Tihvin, Russia and began her training at received her training at the Belarus State Ballet College. After competing in the Prix de Lausanne, Ksenia was offered the opportunity to move to London to train with the English National Ballet. In 2013 she became First Artist and then in 2014 she was promoted to Soloist. Ksenia received ‘Outstanding Female Performance’ (Classical) at the Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards 2012 and in 2014 was nominated for the Company’s Emerging Dancer Award.
Ksenia provides thoughtful insight and compelling advice to aspiring dancers. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Ksenia and feel blessed to have her as a guest on my show.
Contribute to my Indiegogo Campaign here!
Balancing Pointe Facebook Page
Twitter - Balancing Pointe
Ksenia Facebook page
Ksenia Twitter
In this episode, host Kimberly Falker reflects on the life lessons she learned from 100 episodes and makes an exciting announcement at the end.
Colby Damon has spent his entire life exploring various types of movement. Born and raised in Richmond VA, Colby was active in various sports as a young child, including snow skiing and sailing, but he found his true calling in the arts, and began formal classical ballet training at age 7 at the Richmond Ballet. At age 15, he left home to attend the Virginia School of the Arts in Lynchburg, VA, a pre-professional boarding high school for dancers, and spent his summers training at the Boston Ballet. Upon graduation, Colby joined the Sacramento Ballet, where for five years he performed soloist and principal roles. While living in California, Colby also began studying Qi Gong and Chen style Tai Ji Quan with renowned Grandmaster Bing Fan YeYoung, and eventually received certification to teach. In 2007, Colby relocated to Brooklyn, NY, in order to explore life's options, and to pursue a career as a freelance artist. While living in New York, Colby also began studying other forms of Chinese Martial arts, including Ba Gua Zhuang, and also embarked on a personal study of Yoga. In 2008, Colby joined BalletX in Philadelphia, PA. As a company member, Colby has been featured in over 20 world premieres. As a choreographer, Colby's style blends an inevitable fluidity with a sense of classical line and virtuosity. He began his choreographic explorations while dancing with the Sacramento Ballet, where he produced a total of five works on fellow company members, including the piece 3 to 1, which was performed for the Sacramento Ballet's annual contemporary repertoire program, Modern Masters, in 2004. After focusing primarily on performing for a number of years, Colby began choreographing again in 2012, when he created the structured improvisational piece, Run Barefoot Down the Mountain, for Pennsylvania Ballet's annual
Ida Praetorius, a soloist with Royal Danish Ballet has become one Denmark's upcoming stars. In 2012 she was named" best female dancer" by the prestigous Erik Bruhn COmpetition in Toronto. Since that time she has continued to rise through the ranks at Royal Danish Ballet, most recently being promoted to soloist.
Ida is humble and sweet and appreciative of being able to live her dream as a ballerina.
Balancing Pointe's website
Balancing Pointe's twitter
Pointe Magazine article on Ida
Ida's Twitter
Ida's Instagram
Ida's vimeo of Swan Lake
Matthew Neenan began his dance training at the Boston Ballet School. He later attended the LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts and the School of American Ballet in New York. From 1994-2007, Matthew danced with the Pennsylvania Ballet and 2007, Matthew was named Choreographer in Residenceat the Pennsylvania Ballet.
Matthew’s choreography has been featured and performed by the Pennsylvania Ballet, BalletX, The Washington Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Ballet West, Ballet Memphis, Milwaukee Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Tulsa Ballet, Ballet Met, Oklahoma City Ballet, Juilliard Dance, New York City Ballet’s Choreographic Institute, Sacramento Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theatre, Indiana University, Opera Philadelphia, and LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts (NYC), among others. In 2005, Matthew co-founded BalletX with fellow dancer Christine Cox. BalletX had its world premiere at the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival in September 2005 and is now the resident dance company at the prestigious Wilma Theatre. BalletX has toured and performed Neenan’s choreography in New York City at The Joyce Theater, The Skirball Center, Symphony Space and Central Park Summerstage, Vail International Dance Festival, Jacob’s Pillow, The Cerritos Center, Laguna Dance Festival, Spring to Dance Festival in St.Louis, and internationally in Cali, Colombia and Seoul, Korea. In 2010, Matthew became a trustee member for DanceUSA. His ballet The Last Glass was praised in the New York Times as the “The Top 10” of 2013.
Matthew Neenan's website
BalletX Website
New York Times Article mentioned in introduction
Balancing Pointe's website
This week Megan takes over as the host of the show and interviews New York City Principal Dancer Sara Mearns. Perhaps a first ever experience.
Megan and Sara are not only dancers but very great friends, so this episode feels like you are sitting with them in their home or over coffee.
Megan asks great questions that really help give an authentic peak into the life of a professional dancer. Sara shares her favorite roles, as well as how deeply recently deceased Albert Evans' death has affected her on a daily basis. The interview is authentic and dives in deep into Sara Mearn's journey in ballet.
Sara's vibrant energy keeps things light hearted and fun.
Today's question come from:
- Natalie who is 12 years old and lives in Hong Kong. Her favorite dancers are Sara Mearns and Megan Fairchild so she was hoping Sara could come on to the show.
Do you have a question about Ballet?
You can be a part of the show by sending us your questions ~ it is EASY. Simply go to BalancingPointe.com and click on the "Leave Your Question Here" tab on the side of the page. From there follow the directions and you are all set.
If you like the show, please take a moment to stop by ITunes and leave us a rating and review. And be sure to stop by:
Balancing Pointe Website - SUBMIT your questions here!
Megan Fairchild's website
NYCB Website with Megan's Bio
NYCB Website with Sara's bio
Balancing Pointe Facebook Page
Twitter - Balancing Pointe
Twitter - Megan Fairchild
Cassie Mayo is the Founder and Head Coach of OST. She has trained for the past 12 years under Boston Ballet & Alvin Ailey Professional and 30 year Studio Owner Karen Brown. She has been dancing since she was 6 years old, and helping out with classes since she was 8 years old. She taught her first class in 2010 and has been teaching for 5 years, coaching for 3 years, and running OST for the second year in a row. Cassie was training with the hopes of a pre-professional career until she was diagnosed with RSD/CRPS. She has been battling that for the past 5 years in 80% of her body. She has overcome all the odds, but because of all the injuries and treatments, she was not able to continue with her career. This past year was quite a year. Thankfully she started coaching and is using her knowledge and continuing to grow in the field of Dance Medicine and Exercise Science. She also runs RSD/CRPS 4 a Cure, which she founded in 2012. Cassie is a public speaker and goes around to schools and churches sharing her story, and raising awareness for this commonly unknown disease.
Off Season Training
Audition for Off Season Training
RSD/CRPS 4 a Cure
Cassie's Vlog
Balancing Pointe website
Balancing Pointe website
Balancing Pointe Facebook
Twitter - Balancing Pointe
This week Megan answers two of our listener's questions. ASK MEGAN is a weekly show hosted by New York City Ballet's Principal Dancer Megan Fairchild. On each episode of this show Megan will be answering YOUR questions each and every Monday. Each episode will feature an actual question submitted from someone like you!
Today's questions come from:
- Bethany who asks Megan about how she can use her Broadway experience to bring a fresh perspective to ballet;
- Florrie who asks Megan how she maintains a healthy balance in life in her busy life as a Broadway star.
Megan provides very thoughtful and personal answers to these questions.
Do you have a question about Ballet?
You can be a part of the show by sending us your questions ~ it is EASY. Simply go to BalancingPointe.com and click on the "Leave Your Question Here" tab on the side of the page. From there follow the directions and you are all set.
If you like the show, please take a moment to stop by ITunes and leave us a rating and review. And be sure to stop by:
Balancing Pointe Website - SUBMIT your questions here!
Megan Fairchild's website
NYCB Website with Megan's Bio
Balancing Pointe Facebook Page
Twitter - Balancing Pointe
Twitter - Megan Fairchild
Today's guest is Lara O'Brien Muñoz who is a Principal dancer with Carolina Ballet in Raleigh, North Carolina. Laura began her journey in Ballet in Chicago training with the School of Ballet Chicago. At aget 17 she spent two years studying at the School of American Ballet in NYC as well as being chosen as a Dance American National Cultural Exchange scholarship student and was chosen to train at the Royal Danish Ballet for two months. In 2001 Lara joined Carolina Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet. In 2011 Lara was promoted to Principal. Lara has now joined the ranks of Entrepreneurs as she recentl opened her own Ballet studio "Tutu Dance Raleigh" which focuses on teaching children age-appropriate motor skills and the fundamental principles of ballet while exposing them to the world of classical music and enchanting stories of famous ballets.
Balancing Pointe website
Balancing Pointe Facebook
Twitter - Balancing Pointe
Carolina Ballet - Lara Bio
Tutu School
Tutu School - Facebook
Twitter - Lara O'Brien
Carolina Ballet - Facebook
Lara O'Brien - Facebook
Laurie McSherry-Gray is a half-soloist with The Royal Ballet of Flanders. Laurie trained at The Royal Ballet School in London and then joined the Royal New Zealand Ballet, after which he spent some time with Angel Corella’s company, Corella Ballet, in Spain, where his repertoire included both traditional ballets and modern classics. My previous guest Joshua McSherry-Gray is Laurie’s identical twin brother who has traveled much of the same journey into professional ballet. Both Josuha and Laurie are extremely close and bring a unique perspective on what it takes to make it the world of professional ballet.
Joshua McSheery-Gray grew up in Hull, England a small town near the Yorkshire Coast. After finding his love of ballet and dance, Joshua and his identical twin brother made their way to London where they trained at the Central School of Ballet and the Royal Ballet Upper School. Upon their graduation , both Joshua and his brother Laurie accepted their first professional position with the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Once in New Zealand, Joshua realized that his true dream was to dance with one of the major companies in his home country. He made his way back to London where he auditioned and was accepted into the prestigious English National Ballet. Joshua has been dancing with ENB since 2009 and absolutely loves his "job".
Balancing Pointe website
English National Ballet - Joshua McSherry-Gray
Balancing Pointe Facebook
Jenelle Figgins began her training at the historic Jones-Haywood School of Ballet and Duke Ellington School of the Arts. While training, she received scholarships to attend Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Kennedy Center Residency and Summer Intensive. Ms. Figgins went on to attend SUNY Purchase New York on partial scholarship and in 2011 received her B.F.A. with honors in dance. Following her graduation she accepted a full scholarship to attend Springboard Danse Montreal. In 2013 Jenelle began dancing with the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
Reid Bartelme is truly one of the most diversely talented and comprehensively successful guests I have yet to interview. Reid grew up in SoHo surrounded by music and the arts. When he was nine years old Reid moved to New Jersey to study voice at The American Boychoir School in NJ whicch is one of only two boychoir boarding schools in the U.S. In high school Reid was accepted to the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy where he continued his vocal training. When he was 16 years old Reid discovered his interest and talent in dance after taking a general dance class with Jack Ferver. Reid wound up double majoring in Dance and Music at Interlochen. After this, Reid attended SUNY Purchase for college to continue his pursuit of dance. Reid also continued his vocal training on the weekends with a private teacher in NYC. Shortly into his time at Purchase College, Reid realized he wanted to pursue a career in dance rather than just dabble in it on the side. Because of this he left college to pursue this path. From there Reid wound up being accepted as a trainee with one of the top Ballet Companies in the country; Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) located in Seattle. Reid trained and often performed with the company for two years before receiving a Corps de Ballet contract with BalletMet in Columbus Ohio. After three years at BalletMet, Reid moved to Calgary to dance with the Alberta Ballet for another three years. At this time in his life, Reid realized he really wanted to get back to NYC so he auditioned and danced with the Shen Wei Company for two years. While a member of the the company Reid auditioned and was given the opportunity to dance for Lar Lubovitch. Reid danced with Lar Lubovitch for three years. Incredibly during this time Reid once again changed directions and embarked upon a new journey into design. As Reid explains, he was not feeling the same passion for dance as he had in the past, so after doing the exercises in Julia Cameron’s instructional book “The Artists Way” Reid’s new journey took him into the world of Fashion and Design. But just as Reid had done throughout his life, he did not embark into this new career path in a halfhearted manner; instead he applied and was accepted into the acclaimed Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. As Reid shares in his interview, he had always created amazing Halloween costumes so he used these as the bulk of his portfolio when applying to the school. Since then Reid has quickly climbed through the ranks of top designers for Ballet Companies and Choreographers worldwide. Reid and his design partner, Harriet have been commissioned for such prestigious companies as New York City Ballet, Miami Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet to name a few. He has worked with choreographer Emery LeCrone, Justin Peck and Christopher Weeldon among many others. Reid’s influence in Dance has taken a turn into a different direction and is influencing dancers in a way he may never have thought possible.
Today's interview comes LIVE from School of American Balley with Kaitlyn Gilliland.
Kaitlyn's journey in Ballet began before birth. She was born into a most prestigious legacy of ballerinas. Her grandmother is renowned choreographer and founder of Minnesota Dance Theater and and "Loyce Houlton's Nutcracker Fantasy" which just celebrated its 50th anniversary and is Minnesota's longest running Nutcracker. Kaitlyn's mother, Lise Houlton danced with American Ballet Theater and Stuttgart Ballet and took over the leadership of MDT in 1995. Kaitlyn began her training at the Minnesota Dance Theatre before moving to New York at age 16 to train with the School of American Ballet. She attended full-time for one year and in 2004 received the school’s Mae L. Wien Award for outstanding promise. From 2006 to 2011, Ms. Gilliland danced with the New York City Ballet, performing corps, soloist, and principal roles. Due to an injury, Kaitlyn retired from NYCB in 2011 and pursuing an equally grueling goal as a pre-med student at Columbia University. Today, she is a graduating senior with a degree in psychology. Along her academic journey, Katilyn re-discovered her passion for dance when she was coaxed into the studio by then budding choreographer Emery LeCrone (also a previous Balancing Pointe guest). After this Kaitlyn began working with the Columbia Ballet Collaborative. Since that moment, Kaitlyn's renewed dance career is skyrocketing.
Today's interview comes LIVE from Lincoln Center Plaza in NYC with Kaitlyn Gilliland.
Kaitlyn's journey in Ballet began before birth. She was born into a most prestigious legacy of ballerinas. Her grandmother is renowned choreographer and founder of Minnesota Dance Theater and and "Loyce Houlton's Nutcracker Fantasy" which just celebrated its 50th anniversary and is Minnesota's longest running Nutcracker. Kaitlyn's mother, Lise Houlton danced with American Ballet Theater and Stuttgart Ballet and took over the leadership of MDT in 1995. Kaitlyn began her training at the Minnesota Dance Theatre before moving to New York at age 16 to train with the School of American Ballet. She attended full-time for one year and in 2004 received the school’s Mae L. Wien Award for outstanding promise. From 2006 to 2011, Ms. Gilliland danced with the New York City Ballet, performing corps, soloist, and principal roles. Due to an injury, Kaitlyn retired from NYCB in 2011 and pursuing an equally grueling goal as a pre-med student at Columbia University. Today, she is a graduating senior with a degree in psychology. Along her academic journey, Katilyn re-discovered her passion for dance when she was coaxed into the studio by then budding choreographer Emery LeCrone (also a previous Balancing Pointe guest). After this Kaitlyn began working with the Columbia Ballet Collaborative. Since that moment, Kaitlyn's renewed dance career is skyrocketing.
In fact, Kaitlyn is becoming an icon for freelance dancers worldwide as she is not only making a name for herself; but she is purposefully designing her path along the way ~ a feat few dancers are able to accomplish.
Balancing Pointe website
Kaitlyn Gilliland's website
Dance Magazine: "Why I Dance" by, Kaitlyn Gilliland
New York Times article
Dance Magazine: "On Her Own" by, Joseph Carmen
In this episode I share with you one of my pre-show chats with guest Nel Shelby. You will hear us discuss Ballet, our kids and how we are so impressed by Wendy Whelan. This is your chance to get to know my guest in a much more personal level.
Balancing Pointe Website
Nel Shelby's website
PS Dancer! website
Wendy Whelan's "Restless Creature"
Nel Shelby Productions is New York City’s premier source for dance videography, editing promotional films and live-streaming performance.
Now, Nel Shelby Productions has grown from a one-woman show to a thriving operation with an excellent team of creative videographers, editors, marketing minds, client relations and project managers. Nel’s company is deeply dedicated to the preservation of dance through documentation of live performances, while also focusing on digital marketing and promotion with fully edited marketing reels, documentaries and dance films.
Nel’s company has filmed more than 700 dance events and performances in traditional theaters, outdoor plazas and gallery spaces.She also works as Festival Videographer for the internationally celebrated Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in the Berkshires and as Resident Videographer at the Vail International Dance Festival in Colorado. Be sure to check out her half-hour documentary (link below) on Vail’s festival, The Altitude of Dance, debuted on Rocky Mountain PBS in May 2013.Nel has also created four short films for Wendy Whelan’s Restless Creature project, and “Folie a Deux,”. Nel’s short dance film made in collaboration with Adam Barruch Dance, was selected and screened at the Dance on Camera Festival in New York City and the San Francisco Dance Film Festival. She recently edited a dance documentary titled Where Women Don’t Dance, featuring Nejla Y. Yatkin and filmed during a month-long tour in Central America.Her latest project, PS Dance! which is a documentary about dance education in public schools hosted by TV journalist Paula Zahn. (link below)
BalancingPointe.com
http://www.psdancenyc.com/
http://www.nelshelby.com/dance-video-portfolio/#.VUz1Yo5VhBc
http://www.nelshelby.com/dance-video-portfolio/#.VUz1jY5VhBc
Born in Yorkshire, England, Iain started ballet at the age of 14 and moved to London at 16, where he trained for two years with The Rambert School of Ballet, a year at The Royal Ballet School and a further year as an apprentice with The Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet where he was offered a full time position.
In 1989 he transferred to The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden. In 1996, Iain Webb retired from The Royal Ballet, but was invited back as a guest artist to give three farewell performances. After retiring as a dancer, he was invited by Matthew Bourne to be Rehearsal Director for The West End, L.A. and Broadway seasons of Swan Lake. He continued to work with Bourne on his production of Cinderella.
In 1999, Iain was asked by Tetsuya Kumakawa to join his newly formed K-Ballet Company in Japan as Ballet Master. Two years later was appointed Assistant Director.
In July 2007, Webb took over the directorship of The Sarasota Ballet and during the last four seasons the company has performed 102 ballets & divertissements which include 16 world premieres, 55 Sarasota premieres, 4 new productions and 27 American premieres.
Iain's interview not only inspires but provides valuable tips and words of wisdom for anyone interested in a career in dance.
http://balancing-pointe.com/
http://www.sarasotaballet.org/
http://www.yourobserver.com/article/leaping-page
Emmy Award winning Tyce Diorio is first and foremost a dancer but most famously known for his work as a choreographer and guest judge for Fox T.V. Network So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD). His work on this show has helped to promote and elevate dance to a much greater and main stream level.
Before becoming a choreographer Tyce began as a dancer. He grew up in NYC and wound up in LA after competing on Star Search.
Tyce has danced on tour with Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson and Ricky Martin as well as performing on Broadway in the show Fosee and Chicago. Most recently Tyce choreographed taylor swift’s “red as tour as well as her “1989” world tour.
www.BalancingPointe.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1wr42lSuo8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNBSCdbJ6EM
Ballet 422 Producer Ellen Bar is the wife of Director Jody Lee Lupas and shares with Balancing Pointe more about her experience in producing this most amazing documentary that made its world debut at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2014 and is now being presented in movie houses all over the U.S.
In 2011, after 13 years as a professional ballerina, Ellen became the Director of Media Projects at NYCB, where she is responsible for developing and producing the company's film and video content. In less than two years, she has worked with some of the best young filmmakers in New York to produce and/or direct over 30 short documentary films for the company. BALLET 422 is her first feature-length documentary.
From first rehearsal to world premiere, BALLET 422 takes us backstage at New York City Ballet as Justin Peck, a young up-and-coming choreographer, crafts a new work. With unprecedented access to an elite world, BALLET 422 illuminates the process behind the creation of a single ballet.
Ballet 422 Producer Ellen Bar is the wife of Director Jody Lee Lupas and shares with Balancing Pointe more about her experience in producing this most amazing documentary that made its world debut at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2014 and is now being presented in movie houses all over the U.S.
In 2011, after 13 years as a professional ballerina, Ellen became the Director of Media Projects at NYCB, where she is responsible for developing and producing the company's film and video content. In less than two years, she has worked with some of the best young filmmakers in New York to produce and/or direct over 30 short documentary films for the company. BALLET 422 is her first feature-length documentary.
From first rehearsal to world premiere, BALLET 422 takes us backstage at New York City Ballet as Justin Peck, a young up-and-coming choreographer, crafts a new work. With unprecedented access to an elite world, BALLET 422 illuminates the process behind the creation of a single ballet.
Today I continue with Part Two of my interview with Lauren and Francis as we dive deeper into turning hurdles or disappointments into opportunities to learn and grow. As you will hear, Francis leaves the interview to meet with a friend ~ Matthew Neenan who will be a guest in an upcoming episode. Before he leaves, however, he shares with us his words of wisdom for aspiring dancers. Lauren and I continue our discussion as she shares with me what it was really like to to dance in the hit movie, "Black Swan". (she still received royalty checks from that experience) Be sure to take a look at their Shownotes page where you will see some fantastic footage of their photo shoot with award winning photographer (and Balancing Pointe's previous guest), Jordan Matter.
You can find their show notes page at BalancingPointe.com under Podcast.
Today I am bringing to you another husband & wife team, Lauren and Francis Veyette. You may recognize the last name from a few of my previous interviews and this is because Francis is Andy Veyette’s brother. This also means that Megan Fairchild, Robbie Fairchild and Tiler Peck are all intertwined not only through ballet but also through marriage. You’ll hear today that they spend most of their holidays together and the six of them are extremely close. I truly loved this interview for so many reasons – one because of the most unique journey taken by Lauren in dance. She was interestly quite fast tracked into the New York City Ballet, while still in high school, but then chose a different path – one that was more of a perfect fit for her. Lauren actually left her professional career to pursue college and then went back to dance and is now a Principal dancer with Pennsylvania ballet. And her husband, Francis….one of the four Veyette brothers shares a ton about his life growing up in California and the amazing sacrifices his parents made to help him pursue his career in ballet. Francis is also a principal dancer with Pennsylvania Ballet and has recently received a promotion and is now the director of Pennsylvania Ballet 2 which is their second company.
Grier began ballet lessons at age five and left home at fourteen to study at the School of American Ballet in New York. She has performed on three out of seven continents with companies such as San Francisco Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet, totaling more than thirty years of experience as a dancer, teacher and performer.
Her work has been praised as “poignant and honest” with “emotional hooks that penetrate deeply.” She writes and blogs about dance in the San Francisco Bay Area and has interviewed and photographed a diverse collection dancers and performers including Clive Owen, Nicole Kidman, Glen Allen Sims and Jessica Sutta. She is the author of Build a Ballerina Body and The Daily Book of Photography.
Grier, who touts herself as “a writer in a dancer’s body” just released her debut novel WISH, which is book one in a three part series for young adults. The series features Indigo Stevens, an aspiring ballet dancer who hopes to have what it takes to become a professional. Grier impressively uses her personal life as a professional to paint a perfect portrayal of a teenager striving for success in the world of professional dance.
Laura Mead grew up in Austin, Texas and Berkeley, California. She received her BFA from Juilliard, where she performed the works of Paul Taylor, Mark Morris, Ron K. Brown and Eliot Feld, among others. Upon graduation, she joined American Repertory Ballet. She traveled North America with the tour of Twyla Tharp's Movin' Out. Laura originated the principal role of Betsy in Ms. Tharp's Broadway musical Come Fly Away, for which she received an Astaire Award nomination. Jessica Lang Dance (JLD) is a New York City-based dance company dedicated to creating and performing the work of Jessica Lang. JLD enriches and inspires global audiences by immersing them in the beauty of movement and music
Precious Adams began her training in Ballet in Michigan at the Academy of Russian Ballet. When Precious was just 11 and 12 years old, she moved to Toronto, Canada where she trained at the National Ballet School. From there she moved to Monte Carlo and trained at the Princess Grace Academy in Monaco. This was not her last stop as Precious wound up moving to Moscow, Russia to train at the elite Bolshoi Ballet school where she also specialized in the Russian Language. While at the Bolshio, Precious entered and won two awards at the prestigious Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland. Today, Precious is a professional ballerina with the English National Ballet.
http://balancing-pointe.com/
Today my guest is Megan Fairchild, a Principal dancer with the New York City Ballet (NYCB) and now a lead on Broadway. Megan recently embarked upon a journey in dance that is WAY outside her typical day-to-day comfort zone. Megan has temporarily traded the illustrious stage at the David Koch Theater where she dances as a principal ballerina with the NYCB and has moved to Broadway - 42nd street to be exact and is not only dancing, but singing and acting as a lead one of this season's hottest shows - the revival of Jerome Robbins "On the Town"!
Today, I am honored to share with you an exclusive "behind the scenes" look at the audition process, the rehearsal process and all that goes into the opening of a Broadway musical.
http://balancing-pointe.com/
https://www.facebook.com/balancingpointe?ref=hl
https://twitter.com/BalancingPointe
Ellen Bar attended the School of American Ballet for eight years before she was asked to join the New York City Ballet as a corps member in 1998 and promoted to Soloist in 2006.
In 2005, Ellen danced in the stage revival of Jerome Robbins’ NY Export: Opus Jazz, during which she and fellow soloist Sean Suozzi developed the idea to re-imagine the ballet for film, shot on location in present-day New York City.
Together, they developed and produced the feature-length 35mm film adaptation NY EXPORT: OPUS JAZZ and the accompanying documentary A BALLET IN SNEAKERS, which premiered at South by Southwest 2010, where it won an Audience Award, and aired on PBS’ Great Performances.
In 2011, Ellen retired from dancing and is now the Director of Media Projects for New York City Ballet, where she develops, produces and directs film and video content for the company.
Most recently Ellen produced her first feature length documentary, BALLET 422, directed by Jody Lee Lipes (and now her husband) and featuring NYC Ballet. BALLET 422 premiered in competition at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival and has been acquired by Magnolia Pictures.
Ellen Bar attended the School of American Ballet for eight years before she was asked to join the New York City Ballet as a corps member in 1998 and promoted to Soloist in 2006.
In 2005, Ellen danced in the stage revival of Jerome Robbins’ NY Export: Opus Jazz, during which she and fellow soloist Sean Suozzi developed the idea to re-imagine the ballet for film, shot on location in present-day New York City.
Together, they developed and produced the feature-length 35mm film adaptation NY EXPORT: OPUS JAZZ and the accompanying documentary A BALLET IN SNEAKERS, which premiered at South by Southwest 2010, where it won an Audience Award, and aired on PBS’ Great Performances.
In 2011, Ellen retired from dancing and is now the Director of Media Projects for New York City Ballet, where she develops, produces and directs film and video content for the company.
Most recently Ellen produced her first feature length documentary, BALLET 422, directed by Jody Lee Lipes (and now her husband) and featuring NYC Ballet. BALLET 422 premiered in competition at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival and has been acquired by Magnolia Pictures.
Born in Fairfield, Connecticut, James Whiteside began his training at age nine at the D’Valda & Sirico Dance and Music Centre, where guest faculty included Charles Kelley, Franco De Vita and Raymond Lukens. He continued his training at the Virginia School of the Arts for one year under the direction of Petrus Bosman and David Keener. In 2002, Whiteside joined Boston Ballet II, where he continued to train under the tutelage of its director Raymond Lukens, now director of ABT’s National Training Curriculum. Whiteside joined the corps de ballet of Boston Ballet in 2003 and became a second soloist in 2006. He was promoted to first soloist in 2008 and to principal dancer with Boston Ballet in 2009.
Whiteside joined American Ballet Theatre as a Soloist in September 2012 and was named a Principal Dancer in October 2013.
http://www.jameswhiteside.org/
https://www.facebook.com/jamesbrucewhiteside
https://twitter.com/JamesBruceWhite
http://instagram.com/jamesbrucewhite
Kathryn Morgan began studying ballet at age three at Mobile Ballet in her hometown of Mobile, Alabama. She attended the summer program at the School of American Ballet in 2004 and enrolled as a full time student that fall. Kathryn joined New York City Ballet as an apprentice in June of 2006 and became a member of the corps de ballet of the Company in February of 2007. In October 2009, Kathryn was promoted to soloist.
In August of 2012 Kathryn left NYCB due to a long-term struggle with hypothyroidism (an under-functioning thyroid). The condition is difficult for anyone to deal with, but it’s especially devastating for dancers—it robs you of energy and causes weight gain.
Since then, along with focusing on getting her medical condition stabilized, Kathryn has been actively dancing with the Mobile Ballet. Kathryn has also used her background in ballet to create a You Tube channel providing make up tips for the stage as well as other advice for aspiring dancers. Kathryn is now healthy, strong and ready to re-enter the dance world.
http://ifthepointeshoefits.com/
https://twitter.com/KMorganBallet
http://facebook.com/KathrynEMorgan https://www.youtube.com/user/Tutugirlkem
Nao Kusuzaki was born in Ehime, Japan and grew up in Japan, Washington D.C., and Boston. In Japan, Ms. Kusuzaki trained at the Yatsuzuka Ballet. In the United States she trained with Mary Day and Patricia Berrend at the Washington School of Ballet and with Tatiana Legat, Laura Young, and Sydney Leonard at the Boston Ballet School. Ms. Kusuzaki has danced professionally with Boston Ballet for five seasons. In 2004 Nao joined Houston Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet. In 2008 she was promoted to Soloist.
Sarah Daley(South Elgin, IL) began her training at the Faubourg School of Ballet in Illinois under the direction of Watmora Casey and Tatyana Mazur. She is a 2009 graduate of the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program in Dance. Ms. Daley has trained at institutions such as The Kirov Academy, National Ballet School of Canada, The San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and intensives such as Ballet Camp Illinois and Ballet Adriatico in Italy. She is a recipient of a Youth America Grand Prix Award and an ARTS Foundation Award. She was a member of Ailey II and joined the Company in 2011.
Today I continue my interivew with Tiler and Robbie. In this episode they share more about dancing with the New York City Ballet, offer advice to aspiring dancers and share a bit about their upcoming wedding.
Tiler Peck was born in Bakersfield, California. She began her dance training at the age of seven, studying privately with former Bolshoi Ballet Principal Dancer Alla Khaniashvili in Hollywood. At the age of 11 she began studying at Conjunctive Point in Culver City, California, with former New York City Ballet dancers Colleen and Patricia Neary. During this time she also studied with former NYCB Principal Yvonne Mounsey at Westside School of Ballet in Santa Monica. At the age of 12, Ms. Peck entered the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, for most of the 2000-2001 Winter Term. She returned to SAB during the summers of 2002 and 2003, and that fall began as a full time student. In September 2004, Ms. Peck became an apprentice with New York City Ballet. In February 2005 she joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet and was promoted to soloist in December 2006 and principal dancer in October 2009.
Robert Fairchild was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and began his dance training at Dance Concepts at the age of four with Rebecca Bateman and Kaelynne Oliphant. His formal ballet training began at the age of ten at the Ballet West Conservatory with Sharee Lane. Other various teachers include: Laura King, Trey Barber, Brooke Healy, and Jaqueline and Heather College of Utah Regional Ballet.
Mr. Fairchild attended the 2002 and 2003 summer courses at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, and enrolled as a full time student in the fall of 2003. In June 2005, Mr. Fairchild became an apprentice with NYCB, and the following June, he joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet. He was promoted to soloist in May 2007, and in October 2009 was promoted to principal dancer.
Today I continue with my interview with Danish born Ask la Cour who is a Principal dancer with NYCB. He began his training at the Royal Danish Ballet before coming to the U.S. in 2002 where he has danced with NYCB ever since.
Today Ask shares with us how difficult it was to move through a severe injury as well as how exciting it was to be a part of the tribute to 911 on the roof top of one in the early morning.
Ask finishes his interview with some great advice - applicable to everyone.
Ask la Cour was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and began his dance training at the age of nine at the Royal Danish Ballet School, where he studied with Niels Balle, Adam Lüders, and Colleen Neary. He joined the Royal Danish Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2000. Mr. la Cour joined New York City Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in the fall of 2002, was promoted to the rank of soloist in May 2005, and became a principal in February 2013.
Lauren Lovette was born in Thousand Oaks, California and began studying ballet at the age of 11 at the Cary Ballet Conservatory in Cary, North Carolina. She attended summer courses at the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, during the summers of 2004 and 2005 and enrolled at SAB as a full time student in 2006. In October 2009, Ms. Lovette became an apprentice with NYCB and joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in September 2010 and was promoted to soloist in February 2013.
My recent guest NYCB apprentice Isabella Lafreniere shares with Balancing Pointe some really great news. Tune in to hear first hand exactly what is so exciting!
Today’s guest Lexi Maxwell is a Corps de Ballet member of the NYCB. She shares with us some of her ups and downs and how grateful she is to be dancing with NYCB as it is truly a dream come true for her.
Lexi grew up in Minnesota where she started her ballet training at Minnesota Dance Theatre (MDT). When she was 14 years old, Lexi moved to Pennsylvania where she spent three years training at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (CPYB). When she was 17, Lexi spent the summer at SAB and was asked to stay for their winter term during the last hour of the last week of the program.
She moved to NYC and only a few months later received the invitation to become an apprentice. One year later, she received a contract with NYCB as a member of the Corps de Ballet.
Isabella is a graduating high school senior who is also dancing professionally as an apprentice with NYCB a prestigious honor provided to few. Isabella grew up living in many states but wound up for many years living in Illinois in a suburb outside of Chicago. She would travel 1 1/2 hours each way into the city to train at the Joffrey Ballet. When Isabella was entering into her 9th grade year she auditioned for the School of American Ballet (SAB) winter term and was accepted. SAB which is the official training academy of the New York City Ballet.
After the SAB Workshop performances in her 11th grade year, Isabella was asked to be an Apprentice. During her senior year of high school Isabella has been juggling a full load of school and dancing professionally with the NYCB company. Today we learn more about what it is like to be an apprentice in one of the top companies in the world.
Nearly all of the current members of New York City Ballet received training at the School of American Ballet and entered the Company through the Apprentice Program, which is jointly administered by NYCB and SAB. Only students enrolled at the School are eligible for apprenticeships. NYCB does not hold auditions.
Each year, NYCB Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins invites a small number of advanced students, usually ranging in age from 16 to 18, to become apprentices, providing the first stage of their professional careers. Apprentices take class and rehearse with the Company six days a week at NYCB’s Lincoln Center facilities.
Today I am talking with Daniela Aldrich who from Carlisle Pennsylvania and who now dances as an apprentice with NYCB. Daniela spent two years at the School of American ballet before being asked to be an apprentice.
Nearly all of the current members of New York City Ballet received training at the School of American Ballet and entered the Company through the Apprentice Program, which is jointly administered by NYCB and SAB. Only students enrolled at the School are eligible for apprenticeships. NYCB does not hold auditions.
Each year, NYCB Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins invites a small number of advanced students, usually ranging in age from 16 to 18, to become apprentices, providing the first stage of their professional careers. Apprentices take class and rehearse with the Company six days a week at NYCB’s Lincoln Center facilities.
Apprentices learn roles in a wide array of works from NYCB’s vast repertory and may perform in up to eight ballets per season in addition to the full five-week season of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker.
Mikayla Lambert high school senior and a student of the School of American Ballet which is the official training academy of the New York City Ballet, which was established in 1934 by legendary choreographer George Balanchine and philanthropist Lincoln Kirstein as the first and most essential step in their quest to create an American classical ballet company. SAB, located at New York City's Lincoln Center, is today the premier ballet academy in the United States, training more students who go on to become professional dancers than any other school. SAB's former students fill the ranks of the New York City Ballet and other leading U.S. and international ballet companies.
Students who train year round first attend a five-week Summer Course at SAB. Acceptance into the Summer course is by audition only. SAB accepts only 200 ballet students from around the world.
As soon as the Summer Course classes commence, SAB’s faculty begin to closely assess summer students’ potential for year-round training at SAB. By the end of the five weeks, a very select few dancers are invited to stay and train with the school for their winter term.
In any given year, approximately 15 percent of summer students are invited to continue at SAB as Winter Term students.
Today I am chatting with a super sweet and vivacious soloist Jordana Dumec. Jordana grew up in NYC but wound up moving to Toronto when she was in 10th grade to train year round. Her journey in dance reflects a true LOVE and passion for what she does every day.
Jordana Daumec was born in New York City and trained at Studio Maestro in New York City and Canada’s National Ballet School. She joined The National Ballet of Canada as an Apprentice in 2003 and was promoted to Second Soloist in 2010.
In this episode I talk with Trygve Cumpston who was born in Des Moines, Iowa. He trained at the School of Classical Ballet and Dance, Orlando Ballet School and San Francisco Ballet School. Mr. Cumpston joined The National Ballet of Canada as a RBC Apprentice in 2012 and joined the Corps de Ballet in 2013.
Recently, Mr. Cumpston danced in the Canadian premiere of Nijinsky by John Neumeier as well as The Nutcracker and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Also in this episode I share with you my first ever giveaway - and your chance to win. My previous guest and "Curtain Call" dance photographer Kent Becker has graciously offered to send a large print to one lucky listener. Go to his website at notmydayjobphotography.com to browse through the photos and then send me your request at BalancingPointe@gmail.com. Drawing will be held June 6th - so best of luck and keep listening!
My guest today is Melissa Lineberg, who dances with the MOVEIUS Contemporary Ballet Company located in Washington DC. MOVEIUS Contemporary Ballet was founded in 2010 to catalyze the creation and public presentation of innovative, accessible, and thoughtful contemporary ballet. Melissa not only shares with us some of MOVEIUS's exciting upcoming performances and the mission of MOVEIUS, but also of her personal journey in dance. As a trained classical ballerina, Melissa originally had her sights set on joining a classical ballet company. Upon graduation from college, Melissa embarked on almost a year of auditioning for a ballet company before she auditioned and was hired as a dancer for this amazing company ~ and has not looked back since.
Nichelle Strzepek is the founder of Dance Advantage, an all inclusive dance website providing blogs, dance links, and information for all stages of dance life. Dance Advantage provides solotuions, inspiration, motivation and tips on dance trainingand teaching. If you would like to connect with Nichelle and Dance Advantage, you can follow her at DanceAdvantage.net.
Amy Seiwert is a choreographer and Artistic Director of im'ij-re a contemporary dance company. Amy moved to San Francisco in 1999, the same year she won the Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur Choreography Competition in Quebec, after a nineteen year performing career (Smuin Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, LA Chamber Ballet). Amy is currently the Choreographer in Residence at Smuin Ballet. Her work is also in the repertory of Ballet Austin, Sacramento, Colorado, Oklahoma City, Carolina and American Repertory Ballets as well as Robert Moses KIN and Ballet Nouveau Colorado. Amy was named one of "25 to Watch" by Dance Magazine and one of "Hot 20 under 40", she was also awarded the Gerbode Emerging Choreographers Grant in 2006. She has twice been invited to participate in the NY Choreography Institute by Peter Martins, having the opportunity to create on dancers from NYCB.
Today's guests are NYCB Principal dancer, Ask La Cour and Choreographer,David Fernandez who are working tirelessly, co-producing a most amazing event coming up on the night of April 28 in NYC ~ Some Dance Company - Encore!
The event will feature 8 pieces choreographed by David Fernandez, performed by over 40 of NYC's finest dancers from some of the most prestigious dance companies. The event will raise money for "Career Transition for Dancers", which helps recently retired dancers with assistance in re-defining and re-designing the next chapter of their lives.
Important to know is that each of the dancers performing for the event will be donating their talent and time solely to help raise money for the Career Transition for Dancers project.
If you would like to donate to Some Dance Company's Kickstarter campaign, please click on the link:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2108768239/some-dance-company-encore-2014
And be sure to follow Some Dance Company and their latest updates on Facebook and on Twitter @SomeDanceCo.
Born in Cincinnati, America Madison began dancing at the age of five. She trained pre-professionally at a local studio, Ballet Tech of Ohio, under the direction of Claudia Rudolf Barrett. At sixteen, Madison was accepted into University of North Carolina School of the Arts. While attending UNCSA, Madison was awarded the Melissa Hayden Endowed Scholarship. She was chosen to perform such leading roles as Sugar Plum, both Odette and Odile inSwan Lake, and in George Balanchine'sValse Fantaisiepas de deux. Madison graduated from UNCSA in May 2012 and joined the Royal New Zealand Ballet in September for The TelstraClear Season of Giselle.
Kent Becker is a ballet fan who lives in in New York City. Years ago he began to blend his passion for photography with his love for ballet when he began taking photographs of dancers during their Curtain Calls. These amazing photos capture the myriad of emotions dancers display during this moment. From elation to gratitude and every emotion in between, Kent has a gift of capturing a magical moment in these dancer's lives. You can find Kent's work at www.notmydayjobphotography.com.
Jillian Vanstone was born in Nanaimo, British Columbia where at age six she began ballet studies at the Kirkwood Academy of Performing Arts. Within two years she had already determined that dance was her life’s calling. In 1994 she passed the rigorous audition process to be accepted into Canada’s prestigious National Ballet School in Toronto where she later earned two coveted awards.
Following her graduation Vanstone entered the National Ballet of Canada in 1999, was promoted to second soloist in 2003, to first soloist three years later before being appointed a principal in 2011.
Gabrielle Lamb is a native of Savannah, Georgia and was trained at the Boston Ballet School. She joined Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal in 2000 and was promoted to soloist in 2003. In 2009 moved to New York City and began working with choreographer Pontus Lidberg, as well as Morphoses, then under the direction of Christopher Wheeldon.
Her repertoire as a performer also includes principal roles in works by George Balanchine, Jiri Kylian, Mats Ek, Ohad Naharin, Nacho Duato, Luca Veggetti and Shen Wei.
She won the 2009 National Choreographic Competition of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and in 2013 won first prizes in both Milwaukee Ballet's International Choreographic Competition and Western Michigan University's National Choreographic Competition. During the 2013-2014 season her work will be performed by BalletX, Milwaukee Ballet, Ballet Memphis, and Ballet Austin.
Ms. Lamb is also a self-taught video artist and animator, and her dance films have been presented by Dance on Camera at Lincoln Center, the American Dance Festival, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, and Dance Theatre of Harlem, among others.
In this Part Two interview with Helen Pickett, she shares more about her journey into choreography and some of the amazing experiences she has had along the way.
Helen Pickett, born in San Diego, California, studied dance at The San Francisco Ballet School under the direction of Lew Christensen and Michael Smuin, and later, Helgi Tomasson.
In 2005, Mikko Nissinen, director of the Boston Ballet, offered Helen her first choreographic commission,Etesian. The New York Choreographic Institute awarded her a Fellowship Initiative Grant in 2006. In the same year and through 2008, Helen choreographed for Boston Ballet, Washington Ballet, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Louisville Ballet and Ballet X. In 2007, Dance magazine named Helen one of "25 to Watch". She received a Choreographic Residency from Jacob's Pillow in 2008. From 2009 through 2011, Helen created new ballets for Royal Ballet of Flanders, Ballet West, Boston Ballet, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, and Dance Theatre of Harlem. In 2012 and 2013, her commissions include Atlanta Ballet, Semper Oper/Dresden Ballet, Vienna State Opera, Scottish Ballet and Smuin Ballet. Helen was one of the first choreographers to receive the Jerome Robbins Foundation’s New Essential Works Grant.
For over a decade Helen performed with William Forsythe's Ballet Frankfurt. During her last season with Ballet Frankfurt, Helen simultaneously performed with The Wooster Group, director, Elizabeth Le Compte. She acted with the Group for five non-consecutive years in the OBIE award winning House/Lights,North Atlantic. In 2005, Helen returned to the role, as a guest artist with The Royal Ballet of Flanders, in William Forsythe Impressing the Czar. In 2009, Impressing the Czar received the Laurence Olivier Award and in 2012, the Prix de la Critique award for outstanding performance of the year.
Helen collaborates, as an actress and choreographer, with installation video artists and filmmakers including Eve Sussman, Toni Dove and Laurie Simmons. Helen, a founding member of Eve Sussman The Rufus Corporation, created the role of the Queen in 89 Seconds at Alcazar, which was shown at the 2004 Whitney Biennial, and now is in the permanent collection at Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 2007, Helen acted in Sussman feature length film, The Rape of the Sabine Women. She played Sally Rand in Toni Dove's video installation and feature film, Spectropia.
Helen teaches Forsythe-based improvisation and her motivational creative workshop entitled The Expansive Artist throughout Europe and the United States. Dance Europe published Helen's article, Considering Cezanne,in 2006.
In 2011, Helen earned a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from Hollins University.
Since the premiere of her first ballet in 2006, Emery LeCrone has choreographed more than fifty dance pieces and her highly acclaimed choreography has attracted numerous grants and new commissions across the country.
Ms. LeCrone has premiered new ballets for The Juilliard School’s annual New Dances program, the New York City Ballet’s renowned New York Choreographic Institute, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim’s iconic Works & Process performing arts series. She has also worked with many esteemed regional dance companies including Oregon Ballet Theatre, Colorado Ballet, Minnesota Dance Theatre, and North Carolina Dance Theatre among many others.
In addition to participating in several prestigious choreography competitions, Ms. LeCrone has previously served as resident choreographer for Miro Magloire’s New Chamber Ballet. She is also a founding member and former resident choreographer of Columbia University’s Columbia Ballet Collaborative. Ms. LeCrone has worked at renowned university dance departments including University of North Carolina School of The Arts, Hartt University, Barnard University, and Goucher College. Currently Ms. LeCrone resides in New York and continues to teach, choreograph, and perform.
Since the premiere of her first ballet in 2006, Emery LeCrone has choreographed more than fifty dance pieces and her highly acclaimed choreography has attracted numerous grants and new commissions across the country.
Ms. LeCrone has premiered new ballets for The Juilliard School’s annual New Dances program, the New York City Ballet’s renowned New York Choreographic Institute, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim’s iconic Works & Process performing arts series. She has also worked with many esteemed regional dance companies including Oregon Ballet Theatre, Colorado Ballet, Minnesota Dance Theatre, and North Carolina Dance Theatre among many others.
In addition to participating in several prestigious choreography competitions, Ms. LeCrone has previously served as resident choreographer for Miro Magloire’s New Chamber Ballet. She is also a founding member and former resident choreographer of Columbia University’s Columbia Ballet Collaborative. Ms. LeCrone has worked at renowned university dance departments including University of North Carolina School of The Arts, Hartt University, Barnard University, and Goucher College. Currently Ms. LeCrone resides in New York and continues to teach, choreograph, and perform.
Founded in 2011, Jessica Lang Dance (JLD) is a New York City-based dance company dedicated to creating and performing the work of Jessica Lang. JLD enriches and inspires global audiences by immersing them in the beauty of movement and music. Hailed as "a master of visual composition" by Dance Magazine, Lang seamlessly incorporates striking design elements and transforms classical ballet language into artfully crafted, emotionally engaging contemporary works.
Since the company's inception, marked by Lang's receipt of a Joyce Theater Artist Residency supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, JLD has garnered significant attention and acclaim, thrilling audiences at major venues throughout the country including two consecutive seasons at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival where JLD made its full company debut in 2012, The Joyce Theater, New York City Center and most recently at the Winspear Opera House in Dallas where the company's performance was chosen as the best dance event of 2013.
In February 2014, JLD will perform a week-long engagement at the Joyce Theater, followed by tours to Park City, Cleveland, Guatemala and Beverly Hills where the company will close the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts' inaugural season. In May 2014, JLD will make its Washington, D.C. debut with the premiere of a new work commissioned by the Kennedy Center, choreographed by Lang and accompanied live by the National Symphony Orchestra as part of NEW MOVES: Symphony + Dance festival.
Jessica Lang has attained rare levels of success as a female choreographer continuously working with ballet companies across the U.S. and abroad since 1999. She is noted for her artfully crafted, emotionally engaging work and has been described as having "established a reputation for concocting ingenious choreographic interactions between dancing bodies and the movements of striking set and costume pieces." Kansas City Star. Lang has created more than 80 works on companies.
Lang has received numerous grants for her work on ballet companies from organizations including the Jerome Robbins Foundation, the NEA, and the Choo San Goh Foundation. Her receipt of a 2010 Joyce Theater Artist Residency, supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, helped launch her own company, Jessica Lang Dance (JLD). Since its inception in 2011, JLD has garnered significant attention and acclaim, thrilling audiences at prestigious venues and festivals throughout the country,
Lang, a graduate of The Juilliard School under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy, is a former member of Twyla Tharp's company, THARP!
Amy Brandt was born in Libertyville, Illinois, where she received her initial dance training at Dancenter North, the Ruth Page Foundation and the Milwaukee Ballet School. She later joined the Milwaukee Ballet, where she danced featured roles in works by Antony Tudor, George Balanchine, Simon Dow, Jean Paul Comelin and Alonzo King,among others. She joined The Suzanne Farrell Ballet in 2003, where her repertoire included featured roles in Balanchine Agon, Pas de Dix, Diamonds, La Valse,Divertimento No. 15. In 2005, she performed in honor of Ms. Farrell at the nationally televised Kennedy Center Honors. Ms. Brandt has also freelanced extensively in New York City, dancing leading roles with Dances Patrelle, Ad Hoc Ballet, New Chamber Ballet, and Ballet NY. She is a contributing writer and advice columnist for Pointe magazine, and has also written for Dance, Dance Spirit, and Dance Retailer News. She is now associate editor for Dance Teacher magazine.
Brooke Lockett began dancing at the age of three in her home town of Ballarat, studying classical ballet with Trudy and Lisa Harris. At the age of 13 she was accepted into The Australian Ballet School Junior Program; in 2002 she was accepted into the School's full-time program and moved to Melbourne to pursue her training. In 2004 and 2005, Brooke participated in The Dancers Company tour around regional Australia before joining The Australian Ballet in 2006. Since then she has had many on-stage highlights and has enjoyed many international tours with the company, including those to the UK, Auckland, Shanghai, Tokyo, Paris and New York. In 2008 she was awarded the Khirtercs scholarship, which enabled her to experience the world of ballet on an international scale and develop herself as an artist. In 2012 Brooke was promoted to coryphée.
Today's guest is Sarah Steele, a 19 year old member of the Tulsa Ballet Company who was born in New York and began her ballet training at Nunnbetter Dance Theater in Bergenfield NJ under the direction of Leath Nunn. At 16 Sarah began professional level training and coaching with Valentina Kozlova at Valentina Kozlova's Dance Conservatory of New York (VKDCNY). While attending VKDCNY, Sarah also completed High School at Professional Children's School in NYC. She is the recipient of a gold medal from the Tanzolmp International Ballet Competition in Berlin, Germany and a silver medal from the Boston International Ballet Competition in Boston, Massachusetts. In today's interview Sarah provides inside information not only on audition tips and advice, but also the benefits of participating in ballet competitions. And finally, Sarah will share a bit about her new life as a professional ballerina.
In Part Two of the interview, Melanie Atkins Varga talks about auditions. As a frequent Summer Intensive Adjudicator, she provides us with a "behind the scenes" look into what the adjudicators look for in the auditioning dancers. Melanie provides insight and advice on how to prepare and approach auditions and also shares with us the best outlook on auditions in general. Her sage advice and inside look into auditions is a valuable tool for dancers and their parents at any stage of their dance career.
Melanie Atkins Varga is a full time faculty member at the Boston Ballet School as well as the company's Childrens Ballet Mistress. Melanie's teaches dancers from the pre-professional division all the way through to the trainees. Melanie trained at Walnut Hill School of the Arts after her family moved from England to Massachusetts. After graduating high school Melanie trained at the School of American Ballet in New York City before being chosen by Suzanne Farrell and Paul Mejia to join Mejia's company in Fort Worth Texas. After a few years of training and performing under this acclaimed master teacher, Melanie joined the Miami City Ballet where she quickly moved through the ranks to Principal. After many successful years with Miami City Ballet, Melanie moved to Alberta Canada to join Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen Within a few days of moving to Canada, Melanie learned that Mikko Nissinen was moving to Boston Ballet as their new Artistic Director. Mr. Nissinen asked Melanie to join him in Boston. While in Alberta Melanie met her husband Sabi Varga who was a soloist with the company. Fortunately for both of them, Mikko asked Sabi to join him in his move to Boston as well. After their move, Melanie enjoyed a successful ten years with Boston Ballet. After the birth of Sabi and Melanie's daughter, Melanie chose to retire from the rigors of being a company member and joined Boston Ballet as a full time Ballet Mistress for the Pre-Professional and Trainee program.
Sixteen year old Miko was born in London in 1997 and moved to the US when she was two years old. Currently she trains with Tatiana Pali and Alyona Yakovleva-Randall at the Indiana Ballet Conservatory, and Kaoru Jinushi in Japan. Between 2008-2010 she returned to London three times to train at the Royal Ballet School's International Summer Program where she danced solo in the final performances and received the Commendation Award each year she attended.
Miko was listed as one of The Most Influential People of 2011 in the Dance Spirit Magazine and has received worldwide recognition for her dancing. She was Gold Medalist twice at the World Ballet Competition in Florida (2009 and 2011), and won Bronze the New York Finals of the Youth America Grand Prix (2010). As a selected participant in the Varna International Ballet Competition in Bulgaria (2012), she was awarded the Distinction Diploma and won the Bronze Medal.
Miko was invited to perform on the YAGP's 2011 Ballet Grand Prix Tour and danced with accomplished artists: Igor Kolb, Oksana Skorik, Elisa Carrillo Cabrera and Mikhail Kaniskin.
Miko is known the world over among aspiring ballerinas as she was one of just six dancers featured in "First Position", the award-winning documentary film about preparing for the Youth American Grand Prix ballet competition.
In 2013 Miko won Best Swiss Dancer in the 41st Prix de Lausanne, and was offered full-year scholarships from 5 European ballet schools as well as two schools from the US. To crown the year, she won the Gold Medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition.
Miko is currently training for another busy year filled with competitions and gala guest appearances.
Jessica Wallis is the founding director and and inspiration behind Ballet in Cleveland, a non-profit classical ballet presentation company specifically committed to the presentation and promotion of classical ballet. Ballet in Cleveland hosts professional ballerinas and dancers to discuss classical ballet and its unique attributes as an art form, offering master classes to dancers from far and wide, thereby promoting and fostering appreciation for the art. By keeping its focus on classical ballet, Ballet in Cleveland can direct efforts solely to the presentation of professional classical ballet artists and ballet advocates of the highest quality and level of professionalism. Ballet in Cleveland highlights the unique, elegant and powerful qualities of ballet, thus cultivating its culture in the city, the results of which carry nationwide. Through the presentation of performances by professional ballet companies, ballet master classes and programming with nationally recognized dancers, Ballet in Cleveland is revolutionizing ballet. Since its inception, Ballet in Cleveland has hosted names such as Ashley Bouder (principal dancer with the NYCB), Allison DeBona (Breaking Pointe star and soloist with Ballet West), Matthew Dibble (formerly of the Royal Ballet) and many others. They are constantly working to bring in the greatest of talent from all over the world.
Jessica Wallis has enjoyed life in the arts. An original company member of Children's Ballet Theatre and a scholarship recipient of The Dance Institute of The University of Akron Jessica went on to teach dance and elementary education. Jessica's passion for the arts and for promoting classical ballet is evident in all she does. Her energy, business acumen not to mention her innovative approach to the arts will ensure Ballet in Cleveland will make its mark not only in Cleveland but throughout the country.
The Barre Story
In 2010, professional ballet dancers Julia Erickson and Aaron Ingley set out to create Barre Food, a health-minded snack bar that provides exceptional nutritional fortification specifically for the elite athleticism and precision artistry of a dancer. As all professional dancers do, they experienced physically demanding rehearsals coupled with little time to eat. Dissatisfied with the energy bars on the market, Julia retreated to her own kitchen and developed an easy-to-consume, highly nutritious and great tasting bar. Marketing her creations to colleagues in the studio and students at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, they quickly developed a following. Julia knew she could fulfill a need in the market and enlisted the talent of her friend and business partner Aaron. Today, Barre produces and distributes health-minded snacks and performance products specially formulated to live up to the rigors of such a demanding artist-athlete lifestyle.
Barre is proud to donate a portion of its proceeds to arts education programs, to help increase access to art across all levels of society and give back to that which has been such an important part of their lives.
We think there are many parallels. Don't people say that ballet is the best training for, well, almost anything?! Hard work, faith in oneself, dedication, a hunger to fulfill one’s potential…these are all things required for success in both careers.
Julia Erickson
Julia Erickson, originally from Seattle, is a Principal Dancer with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. She is also the creator and co-owner of Barre-Real Food Bars, alongside Aaron Ingley. You may also recognize Julia from Gaynor Minden pointe shoe ads.
Julia began her training at age seven in Level 1 at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. She continued training on scholarship at PNBS and later at San Francisco Ballet School. She toured to Europe and Asia with PNB and danced with the Fort Worth Dallas Ballet for two seasons, prior to joining Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in 2001.
As creator of Barre, Julia has a second career with partner and co-owner Aaron Ingley. Stemming from a rigorous rehearsal schedule for Swan Lake in Spring 2010, Julia sought a better in-between rehearsal snack. At home in her kitchen, she created just that. She shared them with other dancers receiving rave reviews. Soon she and Aaron found themselves in the role of entrepreneurs with a growing snack bar business. Barre is available nationally in Whole Foods Stores as well as online.
Hear more from Julia and Aaron about Barre-Real Food Bar in Part Two of their interview on January 17, 2014.
Aaron Ingley
Originally from Tallahassee, Florida, Aaron studied musical theater at Young Actors Theater before beginning ballet training at age 13 with Southern Academy of Ballet Arts and Tallahassee Ballet. Aaron completed his professional training at Pacific Northwest Ballet School in Seattle, where he performed with that company at the 1999 Edinburgh Festival and the 2000 Hong Kong Festival. He was also featured as Tom Snout in PNB's production of George Balanchine A Midsummer Night's Dream produced for television by the BBC.
Aaron performed professionally with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre for nine seasons. A versatile dancer, Aaron was featured in numerous classical and contemporary roles and served as the company's Principal Character Artist during that time.
In addition to performing and teaching ballet, Aaron is a professional actor and recently completed degrees in History and Management at University of Pittsburgh. A consummate innovator, Aaron pushes the boundaries, helping expand the ways in which art is conceptualized and defined.
Aaron is an avid cyclist and as co-owner of Barre, enjoys creating delicious, healthy snacks in the kitchen with Julia.
Szabolcs (Sabi) Varga received his training at the Hungarian Dance Academy in Budapest, Hungary. In 1997 he was named Best Young Dancer at the International Rudolf Nureyev Competition. Upon graduation he joined Alberta Ballet under the direction of Mikko Nissinen. There he performed principal roles in works by George Balanchine, Helgi Tomasson, and Christopher Wheeldon. In 2002 Nissinen invited Varga to join Boston Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet. He was promoted to second soloist in 2004 and to soloist in 2006. Varga is married to former Boston Ballet soloist Melanie Atkins, who is currently Children's Ballet Mistress and faculty member with Boston Ballet School.
Szabolcs (Sabi) Varga received his training at the Hungarian Dance Academy in Budapest, Hungary. In 1997 he was named Best Young Dancer at the International Rudolf Nureyev Competition. Upon graduation he joined Alberta Ballet under the direction of Mikko Nissinen. There he performed principal roles in works by George Balanchine, Helgi Tomasson, and Christopher Wheeldon. In 2002 Nissinen invited Varga to join Boston Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet. He was promoted to second soloist in 2004 and to soloist in 2006. Varga is married to former Boston Ballet soloist Melanie Atkins, who is currently Children's Ballet Mistress and faculty member with Boston Ballet School.
Guillaume and Heather joined the National Ballet of Canada around the same time – in the late nineties, becoming Principal dancers in 2004 and 2005. And although they knew each other for years, it was not until many years later that they began dating.
They discovered a chemistry between each other when they were paired together but did not act on this discovery for quite some time.
Their chemistry was strong on stage, so Heather and Guilluame were paired for many lead roles and the audience loved what they saw.
Today, the couple look forward to spending time with family and enjoying each other in the studio. Their friendship and energy as a couple is infectious and their interview together purely inspirational (not to mention fun).
Today's special episode of Balancing Pointe Podcast celebrates the holiday of Love as I interview one of ballet's most famous married couples, Megan Fairchild and Andy Veyette, both principal dancers with the New York City Ballet.
Megan and Andy met when they were both rising stars at the New York City Ballet and were married in July 24, 2011 in the backyard of Crabtree’s Kittle House, in Chappaqua, N.Y.
When Andy first met Megan, he began to pursue her, but she knew of his “bad boy” reputation and did not immediately fall for him.
Eventually, however, his efforts paid off and now the couple are happily married living and working together as principal dancers with NYCB.
Their laughter filled interview make it apparent they are a perfect match!
Ekaterina Shchelkanova, a former soloist of American Ballet Theatre and Kirov Ballet, established the Open World Dance Foundation in 2010 after recognizing that the art form she loves could help the many orphans in her hometown of St. Petersburg, Russia. Through Open World Foundation, she also runs a successful summer intensive program, presenting students a rare opportunity to train with master teachers with a direct connection to Vaganova Ballet Academy.
Ekaterina, or Katya, began her journey in St. Petersburg, Russia. From the time she was a little girl, she dreamed of becoming a dancer. In 1988, she graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy,;in the class of Professor Ludmila Safronova, one of Agrippina Vaganova's last students. She was invited to the Kirov, now Mariinsky Theater, and started her career with the company as a soloist.
After performing the Kirov rep for several years, Katya decided to uproot and move to New York. In a class with beloved teacher David Howard, she had a chance meeting with Mikhail Baryshnikov. After explaining that she was not dancing with a company at the time, he encouraged her to keep dancing. With his words of encouragement, she built her confidence and in January 1995, Ekaterina joined the American Ballet Theatre (ABT). There she worked with choreographers Twyla Tharp and Mark Morris, dancing solo and leading parts in the broad repertoire of American Ballet Theatre and travelling extensively with the company.
In 2001, Ekaterina left ABT to work with Twyla Tharp in creating "Moving Out", the Broadway musical by Billy Joel. Just one year later, she debuted in the Oscar award winning film, Chicago, in the role of Hunyak. She and the other principal actors received a Screen Actors Guild Award. Then in 2004, Ekaterina produced and starred in The End of Silence,a film by Anita Doron.
Later, in 2005, Ekaterina served as Artistic Director of Berlin Children's Art Festival and began her teaching and coaching career at Royal Ballet of Canadian and Les Grands Ballet Canadiens de Montreal.
In her heart, Katya knew she needed to reach out to children in a more meaningful way. She began to reflect on the difficult life of a ballet dancer and her gratitude for her much needed family's support. She then started to wonder about those who don't have parents.
These thoughts lead Ekaterina to research orphans in Russia, a country that has the highest number of orphans anywhere in the world. Russian orphanages are numbered rather than named; there are 120 in St. Petersburg alone. Ekaterina knew she had to get involved, and when she mentioned the idea to her friend, Baryshnikov, he encouraged her to follow her instinct.
The Open World Dance Foundation Summer Intensive is now in its third year and will be held in Riga, Latvia, birthplace of Mikhail Baryshnikov, Maris Liepa, and Alexandr Godunov. dancers. Auditions in America are held in five different locations throughout January or can be submitted via DVD. The intensive presents a rare opportunity to train with master teachers with a direct connection to Vaganova Ballet Academy of St Petersburg, Russia receiving coaching from the world's most elite instructors.
Open World Dance Foundation will also be offering their first teachers program and conference for ballet instructors, coaches, and studio owners lead by Professors of Vaganova Academy Irina Trofimova and Ludmila Safronova who were both students of Agrippina Vaganova. These amazing women will provide lectures on Vaganova methods by level which will be followed immediately with observation of their teaching reinforcing those approaches as they are used in the studios of the summer intensive program. Special pricing available for those attending with students.
Ekaterina Shchelkanova, a former soloist of American Ballet Theatre and Kirov Ballet, established the Open World Dance Foundation in 2010 after recognizing that the art form she loves could help the many orphans in her hometown of St. Petersburg, Russia. Through Open World Foundation, she also runs a successful summer intensive program, presenting students a rare opportunity to train with master teachers with a direct connection to Vaganova Ballet Academy.
Ekaterina, or Katya, began her journey in St. Petersburg, Russia. From the time she was a little girl, she dreamed of becoming a dancer. In 1988, she graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy,;in the class of Professor Ludmila Safronova, one of Agrippina Vaganova's last students. She was invited to the Kirov, now Mariinsky Theater, and started her career with the company as a soloist.
After performing the Kirov rep for several years, Katya decided to uproot and move to New York. In a class with beloved teacher David Howard, she had a chance meeting with Mikhail Baryshnikov. After explaining that she was not dancing with a company at the time, he encouraged her to keep dancing. With his words of encouragement, she built her confidence and in January 1995, Ekaterina joined the American Ballet Theatre (ABT). There she worked with choreographers Twyla Tharp and Mark Morris, dancing solo and leading parts in the broad repertoire of American Ballet Theatre and travelling extensively with the company.
In 2001, Ekaterina left ABT to work with Twyla Tharp in creating "Moving Out", the Broadway musical by Billy Joel. Just one year later, she debuted in the Oscar award winning film, Chicago, in the role of Hunyak. She and the other principal actors received a Screen Actors Guild Award. Then in 2004, Ekaterina produced and starred in The End of Silence,a film by Anita Doron.
Later, in 2005, Ekaterina served as Artistic Director of Berlin Children's Art Festival and began her teaching and coaching career at Royal Ballet of Canadian and Les Grands Ballet Canadiens de Montreal.
In her heart, Katya knew she needed to reach out to children in a more meaningful way. She began to reflect on the difficult life of a ballet dancer and her gratitude for her much needed family's support. She then started to wonder about those who don't have parents.
These thoughts lead Ekaterina to research orphans in Russia, a country that has the highest number of orphans anywhere in the world. Russian orphanages are numbered rather than named; there are 120 in St. Petersburg alone. Ekaterina knew she had to get involved, and when she mentioned the idea to her friend, Baryshnikov, he encouraged her to follow her instinct.
The Open World Dance Foundation Summer Intensive is now in its third year and will be held in Riga, Latvia, birthplace of Mikhail Baryshnikov, Maris Liepa, and Alexandr Godunov. dancers. Auditions in America are held in five different locations throughout January or can be submitted via DVD. The intensive presents a rare opportunity to train with master teachers with a direct connection to Vaganova Ballet Academy of St Petersburg, Russia receiving coaching from the world's most elite instructors.
Open World Dance Foundation will also be offering their first teachers program and conference for ballet instructors, coaches, and studio owners lead by Professors of Vaganova Academy Irina Trofimova and Ludmila Safronova who were both students of Agrippina Vaganova. These amazing women will provide lectures on Vaganova methods by level which will be followed immediately with observation of their teaching reinforcing those approaches as they are used in the studios of the summer intensive program. Special pricing available for those attending with students.
Laurel Keen was a Principal dancer for nearly a decade with Alonzo King LINES, a contemporary ballet company based in San Francisco. In her years with the company, Laurel originated 21 roles, was featured on the cover of Pointe Magazine and earned the prestigious Princess Grace Award. In describing what makes her an exceptional artist, Alonzo King once said,"Her clarity is like calligraphy carved in steel...her faultless honesty and sincerity... her ability to be rather than do."
Laurel grew up in Minneapolis where she began her training at Minnesota Dance Theatre, studying there from the age of seven until she reached high school. During this time, she also received training from the School of American Ballet, Dance Aspen, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School (PNBS). She moved to Seattle and continued with PNBS as a professional division student. Laurel was able to perform and tour with the company, dancing in several Balanchine works.
Upon completing her training with PNBS, Laurel returned to Minneapolis and to the Minnesota Dance Theater as a company member. In 2002, she joined Alonzo King LINES Ballet in San Francisco.
In 2006, her fifth season with LINES, Laurel received a Princess Grace Award, one of only six dancers that year to receive the award. As an additional honor, the Dance Panel voted to recognize Laurel with the Princess Grace Foundation-USA's Chris Hellman Dance Award. This award, endowed by Prima Ballerina Chris Hellman and her husband, F. Warren Hellman, represents the panel's high regard for a dancer's work and dedication to dance.
Originally from Dover, New Hampshire, Harper Watters trained at Portsmouth School of Ballet, Walnut Hill School for the Performing arts Arts, Washington Ballet and Houston Ballet Summer intensives. Watters was a member of Houston Ballet II from 2009 - 2011. In 2011, Watters competed at the Prix de Lausanne Ballet Competition where he won 6th overall as well as the contemporary dance award. Watters joined Houston Ballet as an apprentice in 2011. In 2012 Watters became a member of Houston Ballet's Corps de Ballet
Jordan Matter is a photographer in New York City and the photographer/author of the stunning book Dancers Among Us, A Celebration of Joy in the Everyday. It is evident in all that we know of Jordan that he truly does celebrate joy in the everyday. He loves his life, his family, and his job.
Photography was not always his passion; baseball and acting took those spots earlier in his life. That began to change for him however, after viewing an exhibit by photojournalist Henri Cartier-Bresson. Moved by the stories of humanity the images portrayed, he picked up the camera first as a hobby, then as a passion. Later, looking through a friend's routine and mundane headshots (from another photographer)he was inspired to grab his camera and photograph her. Soon, his career as a portrait and headshot photographer boomed.
His idea for "Dancers Among Us" came from watching his three-year old son play with a toy bus and figurines. Watching his son's imagination at work he thought about creating photographs that would show the world as if through his eyes. The people in the images would be alive and in the moment, celebrating all aspects and emotions of everyday life. Soon after, he attended a dance performance and knew immediately his subjects. When Jordan began work on "Dancers Among Us", he had no dance photography experience. Anyone who is either a dancer or involved with dance knows that it is not easy to capture a dancer in motion for a photo that conveys the true movement, which makes this work just that much more amazing. As he was formulating the idea for the book, Jordan was hired by Jeffrey Smith of the Paul Taylor Dance Company to photograph his headshots. He told him about his idea of photographing dancers in everyday situations. Jeffrey Smith loved the idea and convinced ten company members to collaborate with Jordan. The book eventually involved 200 dancers photographed around the United States. It was three years in the making and at one point almost a goner until Workman Publishing took a chance on it.
Their gamble paid off. "Dancers Among Us" reached the New York Times extended Best Sellers list in its first week, selling out on Amazon within 24 hours. The book is filled with images of dancers in everyday life experiences, augmented by thoughtful quotes and text.
Galit Adani, a professional dancer and educator, is the Founder and Executive Director of Dance to Unite, Inc. in New City, New York. Dance to Unite, Inc. is a non-profit organization that offers free dance classes with the mission to teach about different cultures in order to achieve unity and world peace.
In October 2009, after years of extensive experience with youth and upon the encouragement of her students and their parents, Galit felt inspired to create Dance To Unite, a program that would combine education and dance for the purpose of future peace.
The mission of Dance to Unite, Inc. is to use dance as a vehicle to teach and to celebrate cultural diversity. The organization is committed to creating positive experiences for children to develop understanding, acceptance, respect and compassion for all cultures culminating in unity and peace.
The classes are complemented periodically with special guest artists who conduct workshops to promote the organization's mission. In 2012, Dance To Unite welcomed Nicole Tongue, former ballerina at England's Birmingham Royal Ballet,Nadine Kochuyt, Artistic Director at Dance Connection International Centre for Modern Dance in Belgium, and an internationally touring dancer, singer and choreographer, Laconja, one of Flamenco's most versatile artists. Additionally, guest artists have included Martial Arts with Kyoshi Pam Roberts and The Art of Henna with Atif Toor.
Olivia Boisson is a member of New York City Ballet's corps de ballet. She was born in Queens, New York, and began her dance training at the age of six at The Ballet Arts School of Forest Hills. She later studied at the Dance Theatre of Harlem in 2000 before enrolling as a full time student at the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, during the fall of 2004. In August 2012, Ms. Boisson became an apprentice with NYCB, and the following December, she joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet.
Christine Shevchenko was born in Odessa, Ukraine where she was chosen to train in rhythmic gymnastics and ballet at an Olympic School. At the age of eight, she moved to the United States and trained for nine years at Pennsylvania Ballet's Rock School. In 2002 she was invited to perform with International Ballet Theatre Company's "Stars of Kirov, Bolshoi and Ukrainian Ballet" in Annapolis, Maryland. In 2003, Shevchenko became the youngest recipient of the Princess Grace Award. Other awards include the Bronze Medal in the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, 2005 Gold Medal and Title of Laureate at the Moscow International Ballet Competition. She joined American Ballet Theatre as an apprentice in December 2007 and the corps de ballet in June 2008.
Born and raised in France, Fabrice Calmels began ballet training at age 3, following in the steps of his younger sister. In 1991, Mr. Calmels entered the Paris Opera School, under the direction of Claude Bessy. In 1998, Mr. Calmels was spotted by John Meehan, director of American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company, and moved to New York. He furthered his training by joining The Rock School, and danced with the Pennsylvania Ballet. After September 11, 2001, not able to acquire his visa to re-enter the United States, Fabrice returned home to France and joined Paris’s most famous cabaret, LIDO de Paris. In 2002 , Fabrice finally settled in Chicago with the Joffrey Ballet, under the direction of company co-founder Gerald Arpino, again being exposed to another style of dance. In 2004 and age 23, Fabrice became a lead dancer at the Joffrey Ballet, notably through his principal role as Apollo.
Brazilian by birth, Renata Pavum is a photographer based in New York City and known for her work based on the backstage life of ballet. Renata is a former ballerina with the American Ballet Theatre where she worked for 12 years and where she developed her passion for photography. Renata started her training in Brazil with the great Cuban ballerina Ofelia Gonzalez and later at the Jeune Ballet de France in Paris, winning medals at several international dance competitions before joining ABT. Ultimately injuries took their toll on Renata and in July of 2013 she was forced to retire from dance at which point she began to pursue her passion for photography full time.
A principal dancer with Birmingham Royal Ballet in England, Chi Cao is undoubtedly driven and focused on striving for the best. A beautiful, precise dancer with jumps akin to Baryshnikov, he is described on the Birmingham Royal Ballet's website a virtuoso classical dancer. Born and raised in communist china Chi came from an amazing dance history. You will learn that his dad was chosen to move from a small village to Beijing to train as a professional until the cultural revolution disbanded all arts. From this rich and amazing past, Chi has brought a rich sense of discipline and drive propelling him to the top. American audiences may be most familiar with Chi Cao's work on the big screen. He portrays Li Cunxin in the motion picture Mao's Last Dancer which is a true story of a boy from china who trained in Beijing and later defected from China.
Allison DeBona is a Soloist with Ballet West of Salt Lake City, Utah and a featured cast member on CW's hit reality television series Breaking Pointe. By design, her role as the latter has catapulted her dancing and her life as a ballerina into public prominence. After witnessing declining ticket sales and slashed budgets at Ballet West, (as well as other companies world-wide) she readily participated in the reality series in hopes of bringing ballet to a more mainstream and modern audience. As such, she has successfully created a social media audience of more than ten thousand followers. Among them, naturally, are thousands of aspiring dancers of every genre looking up to her, watching her, and wondering how they could be her. So, given how her goals meshed with those of our podcast, naturally we wanted to tell her story.
It may surprise some that Allison's journey has not been typical for a dancer. In fact, Allison quit dancing at 13 and did not start again until she was 16. Later she decided to pursue the college route before becoming an apprentice to Ballet West in her early 20s. Forthright and determined, Allison succeeded in getting a start with Ballet West and is now a soloist dancing great roles and great choreography.
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she trained with The Parou Ballet Company under Debbie Parou, followed by the Pittsburgh Youth Ballet under Jean Gedeon. Allison then earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Ballet from Indiana University.
She joined Ballet West in 2007 and was promoted to Demi-Soloist in 2011. The success of the television show has translated to success for ballet, bringing larger audiences for Ballet West at home and abroad. The popularity of the series can also be seen as the inspiration for other reality based productions about ballet companies around the world.
Rhee Gold is a motivational powerhouse and entrepreneur. He is dedicated to inspiring dance teachers to provide positive instruction and curriculum amidst the sometimes negative edge of the growing world of the competition dance circuit. We came to know him a few years ago through his Facebook page. Positive Dance Moms (and Dads) created in response to the popular but controversial Lifetime Television program Dance Moms. The page, updated daily with inspirational posts, reminds us all of the positive role we do and can play in our children’s lives as dancers.
When we discovered Rhee, little did we know the extent of his true force of inspiration. He is the publisher of Dance Studio Life magazine, the producer of DanceLifeTV.com, the founder and director of DanceLife Teacher Conference, DanceLife Retreat Center and Project Motivate.
As the dance field's first motivational speaker, he has traveled the world presenting motivational and business seminars, as well as keynote addresses for conferences and conventions. His philosophies for the classroom, inspiring students, successful studio ownership and respect for all dance teachers, along with his unmatched passion for dance education have changed the way thousands of teachers and school owners perceive and approach their profession.
Ben Davis is a soloist with The Australian Ballet. His interview is light hearted, fun-loving and filled with good humor. At the same time Ben is humble and appreciative of living a life of ballet and working at the Sydney Opera House. Generous with his talents, he often guest teaches with various programs throughout Australia, motivating students to be their best. He expands upon his onstage artistic creativity by also working as a freelance professional make-up artist.
Born in Melbourne in 1982, Ben Davis used to tag along to his sister's jazz ballet classes and copy the routines from the back of the studio before he started attending his own classes at age seven. In May of 2010, he good humoredly admits,I didn't really like ballet at first: I just saw a bunch of girls standing around, not doing much and listening to some kind of clunky music. I liked musical theatre, but I found out I couldn't sing, so that got shot out of the way.
Ben trained with Leeanne Rutherford of Ballet Theatre Australia. He was 18 before he really decided that a career in ballet was a possibility. In another interview, Ben tells us "My teacher used to call me flash in the pan boy, totally gung-ho one minute and not so much the next. Then at 20 I really knuckled down and crammed as much training as humanly possible into the following two years."
Claire Kretzschmar is a member of New York City Ballet's corps de ballet. Claire began her dance training at the Academy of Dance Arts in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She later studied at the Wake Forest Community Ballet and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Ms. Kretzschmar began studying at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, during the summers of 2006 through 2009, and enrolled as a full time student in 2009. In November 2010 she became an apprentice with NYCB and joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in August 2011. Since joining NYCB Claire has danced featured roles in George Balanchine's Nutcracker as well as originated featured roles in Peter Martins: Mes Oiseaux and Justin Peck: Paz de la Jolla.
Rainesford Alexandra is a writer, college student, and former classically trained ballet dancer. On the path to pursuing professional ballet, Rainesford suffered a career-ending injury at the age of sixteen. Still in love with the art she lends another talent, her writing, to keeping ballet vibrant and alive. Purposeful and articulate, Rainesford projects an intelligence beyond her years. As an active contributor to The Huffington Post Arts section and author of her own blog Dressing Room Writers, Rainesford is passionate and determined to bring ballet to a higher awareness and larger audience.
Dressing Room Writers is an alternative dance media website which seeks to publicize dancers doing innovative things in the ballet world. Through Dressing Room Writers, Rainesford has had the opportunity to talk to some of the most prestigious professionals and up-and-coming young dancers. After writing an article about New York City Ballet principal Sara Mearns video blog for The Huffington Post, Rainesford was invited to attend Dance Theatre of Harlem's opening night at Jazz at Lincoln Center in Spring 2013 by Simone Cooper Public Relations.
Tiit Helimets is a principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet and Artistic Director of Tiit Helimets and Co. Tall, blond, and good looking, Tiit has a sweet, quiet manner. Onstage, he has been described as an elegant classical dancer and a superb partner.
Tiit was born in Estonia and trained at the Tallinn Ballet school. He began his career as a soloist with the Estonian National Ballet and was promoted to principal only 6 months later, making Estonian dance history when he danced the role of Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake at the age of 18. In 1999 he joined Birmingham Royal Ballet in London moving up the ranks with this company. In 2005 he joined SFB where he is still dancing today as a principal.
Megan Fairchild is a principal dancer with New York City Ballet. She seemingly catapulted through the ranks into the role of Principal with one of the most prestigious companies in the world in just a few short years. Despite her star appeal, Megan is humble and appreciative of her life and those who have helped her along the way. She began her dance training at the age of four, and then studied ballet at the Ballet West Conservatory in Salt Lake City. While at the Ballet West Conservatory, Ms. Fairchild was also a Ballet West trainee.
At the age of 16, Ms. Fairchild moved to NYC to study at the School of American Ballet (SAB) in the fall of 2000. Her rise to principal dancer has been notably fast. She became an apprentice with New York City Ballet in November of 2001. In October 2002, she joined the NYCB company as a member of the corps de ballet. Two years later, Ms. Fairchild was promoted to the rank of soloist in February 2004, and in January 2005, at the age of 20 she was promoted to principal dancer.
Megan thoughtfully shares her story with us, openly and honestly. We learn of her triumphs along her journey, from the studio to the stage and her recent marriage. She also shares with us her very real and challenging moments as a dancer.
Henry St. Clair is the Artistic Director of Crystal Ballet, a digitally minded ballet company in London creating new works developed specifically for downloadable film. A former classical ballet dancer with years of live stage performance, it seems somehow contrary that Henry has joined forces with Managing Director, Mark Handford to use a modern medium for the company's premier that appeals to a new and digitally minded audience. Yet, his gregarious enthusiasm, and artistic determination for his company and for the art, leave no one doubting that Crystal Ballet will soon be appearing regularly on portable devices and television screens across the globe. Standing on the frontline of the digital dance revolution, Henry's story is sure to inspire us.
Once upon a time in the southwest, there was a cutting-edge, multi-disciplinary company named ARCOS Dance. Born in Santa Fe and living in Austin, this small but vibrant touring company plays with cutting-edge choreography, evocative sound design, interactive video, and theatrical elements to create a wholly unique contemporary performance. Executive and Associate Artistic Director, choreographer, and dancer, Erica Gionfriddo tells us of her journey of formal training that began at age sixteen, of obtaining a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from Winchester Conservatory, and of touring and performing internationally. Erica inspires us with her stories of the creative process of choreographing in collaboration with interactive media to engage today’s modern audience.
Dylan Gutierrez tells us his personal story of his journey into the world of professional ballet,from beginning his training with his mother Andrea Paris-Gutierrez at the Los Angeles Ballet Academy, until joining his current company The Joffrey Ballet in 2009. Dylan tells us of his experience competing in the Youth American Grand Prix finals in New York, attending the The Royal Ballet School in London, and making his professional debut at age 18 as one of two apprentices with the San Francisco Ballet in 2008. Dylan offers advice to young dancers when he answers a question from an aspiring professional from our audience.
In this first episode of Balancing Pointe the Podcast host Kimberly Falker shares what the subscriber can expect from the podcast, information about the producers, and the inspiration behind creating this podcast. Kimberly shares the mission of the podcast to educate, motivate, inspire and ultimately provide tips on how to succeed not only in dance, but also in life. Hear about the enlightening interviews to come that will provide the listener with perspectives from different viewpoints along the journey. From aspiring ballet apprentices to principals, choreographers, writers, film makers and photographers, these personal stories of these amazingly hard working professionals reflect how perseverance coupled with passion can be applied to everyone to create success in life.