Best Balletdancers Podcasts (2025)

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Emily Pearson of State of Bodhi - 039 54:22

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5+ y ago54:22

54:22

As Emily Pearson turned to Yoga to wind down after a taxing day of rehearsals as a Principal Dancer with Ballet West, she realized just how much of her time was spent living out of yoga clothes. Totally relatable! With athleisure on the rise, we all know how functional & comfortable yoga clothes can be, however are our purchases for 'fast fashion' …

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Coping in Quarantine - 038 33:31

5+ y ago33:31

33:31

I know MANY of us are feeling this loss right now! Performances we were looking forward to, cancelled. Roles we were had been hoping to experience, no longer happening. Student showcases, senior performances both in high school and college.. It is loss and it is so disappointing. I understand this disappointment. And I know from experience it can e…

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Discussing A Dancer's Plan B with Claudia Suarez host of Beyond the Corps - 037 1:04:07

5+ y ago1:04:07

1:04:07

Today's show is really special as my friend Claudia Suarez, a beautiful young, Venezuelan born dancer, is an incredible entrepreneur in her own right Not only was I inspired by her when I found her on Instagram, but I was impressed by her, because I then learned how she not only is pursuing ballet with full vigor, but she is an avid writer on her o…

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Jordan Samuel Pacitti of Jordan Samuel Skin - 036 58:23

5+ y ago58:23

58:23

On today's show Jordan Samuel Pacitti shares how when he went on his own quest to learn how to clear his complexion, his passion for skincare turned into his post ballet career, as he founded his skincare company Jordan Samuel Skin. SHOWNOTES

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BONUS - How to Journal & Gain Clarity Amidst Confusion- 035 23:59

6y ago23:59

23:59

It's a difficult time in our world. Business as usual has been halted, theaters abandoned, performances cancelled, and a virus running rampant. And if you're feeling the loss, feeling disoriented and lonely, I understand. Through difficult seasons in my life I've turned to journaling and on today's episode I'll share with you 2 Journal Prompts to h…

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Elana Roberts - from farming to bookkeeping - 034 1:01:05

6y ago1:01:05

1:01:05

On today's show we have Elana Roberts with us, a San Francisco native who worked her way up through the San Francisco Ballet School from level one all the way to reaching the rank of soloist with the company. But it took leaving San Francisco to spend almost a year abroad studying in Italy, to truly help her see all the potential she had back at ho…

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Julianne Spratlin of Dance Training Center/SF - 033 1:47:09

6y ago1:47:09

1:47:09

After a full career of dancing principal roles with Atlanta Ballet and Joffrey Ballet, Julianne Spratlin moved to San Francisco to join SFB in 2007. And although she did move for ballet, she most certainly did not move with the expectation to stay and start her own ballet school! Hear how she did it on today's episode! "Just like the school I grew …

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Diana Albrecht of Apartment No. 3 - 032 1:15:23

6y ago1:15:23

1:15:23

Hear how an opportunity to compete in NYC opened the door for our guest Diana Albrecht to move from South America to the United States to pursue ballet professionally. And how now she gives back to her home country, Paraguay, by giving artisans from there an opportunity to have their products sold in the US through her home decor & accessories comp…

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From Surgery to the Stage - 031 44:58

6y ago44:58

44:58

Getting injured can be one of the most disappointing times for a dancer. As tough as this past year has been recovering from an extensive ankle surgery, I will say, had it not happened, I don't think this podcast would've been made possible. On today's episode, I'll be sharing how I came back to the stage for the first time in a year since my injur…

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Behind the Scenes of Podcasting - 030 45:50

6y ago45:50

45:50

My Oh My.. it's been a rough couple of weeks for me and I apologize for my delay in being able to produce an episode. I got the flu … and I could hardly believe it. Completely wiped me out and I'm just now starting to come out of hibernation. So thank you for your patience! Speaking of prouducing… and podcasting. This episode is a special one. I wa…

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Ashlyn Carter of Copywriting for Creatives - 029 1:00:53

6y ago1:00:53

1:00:53

Hear how Ashlyn's first love of telling stories through ballet and movement, later became her business, as she learned to tell compelling stories through her words & teaches others to do the same, by founding her business, Ashlyn Writes, Copywriting for Creatives. SHOWNOTES *with links to freebies like 'How to Find Your Brand Voice' and the 'How to…

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Josephine Lee of The Pointe Shop - 028 1:07:11

6y ago1:07:11

1:07:11

SHOWNOTES Growing up, Josephine watched her mom start multiple businesses including a successful dance retail store, so when she found herself opening her own store after college, she assumed she had it figured out by way of watching her mom. However, what she didn't realize, was that in 2011, brick and mortar stores were slowly beginning to become…

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Talia Bailes of Ballet and Books - 027 1:01:07

6y ago1:01:07

1:01:07

In the summer of 2016, our guest on todays show, Talia Bailes, assisted with emergent literacy research at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and was shocked to learn that if students are behind in academics by third grade, they will most likely continue to stay behind for the rest of their lives. So when Talia learned that being exposed…

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Kirsten Evans of Setting the Barre Blog - 026 1:32:47

6y ago1:32:47

1:32:47

How a surprising offer to become a Trainee with the company our guest, Kirsten Evans, had been admiring since she was 11 years old, was just the beginning to thread this beauty tapestry of sorts, where her passion for ballet as a dancer with Festival Ballet of Providence weaved in and out with her love of writing as she began her blog, Setting the …

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Kelsey Kemp: Career Coach behind The Called Career - 025 1:30:04

6y ago1:30:04

1:30:04

On today's show, Kelsey Kemp will be sharing her story of honestly wrestling with work; the meaning behind it and what she was meant to do with her life. After spending the bulk of her adolescence devoted to classical ballet, at 18 years old she decided to let go of the dream of becoming a professional due to repetitive injuries. So with her determ…

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Q&A with Ray : Part 2 - 024 41:06

6y ago41:06

41:06

1:10 What dancer has inspired you in your career? What teacher has inspired you in your career? 8:10 What is your biggest tip for partnering? For males & females? 13:55 What is your favorite ballet you've danced together? Or wish you had? 21:00 Girls always say guys in the ballet world have it easier (in terms of getting and keeping a job) Do you a…

1
Q&A with Ray : Part 1 - 023 53:48

6y ago53:48

53:48

11:30 What was it like growing up with brothers who dance? 16:00 How did you commit to staying to train at SF Ballet School? 21:00 How did you & Ray meet? 23:00 How did being a Trainee help you become a professional? 27:00 Did you feel ready to become a professional? What was your experience at SFB? 34:50 What is the dating word like in ballet? Wha…

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Benjamin Stewart of NameSong Project - 022 57:03

6y ago57:03

57:03

Benjamin Stewart will be sharing with us how throughout his journey through training at Julliard & dancing professionally with San Francisco Ballet, he'd find himself coming back to playing the piano time & time again, composing his own music, which eventually led to him creating the meaningful project he sustains today, the NameSong Project. SHOWN…

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Hannah Foster - Writer behind The Escritoire - 021 1:41:59

6y ago1:41:59

1:41:59

On this episode, Hannah Foster, will be sharing with us her story of how through the highs and lows of pursuing ballet, her love of writing remained a constant thread through it all. Which has led her to where she is today as a freelance arts and culture writer in New York City, with her work featured in publications such as Dance Magazine, Pointe,…

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Alison Stroming - Model & Founder of AS Dancewear-020 45:33

6y ago45:33

45:33

When Instagram emerged on the scene in October of 2010, none of us had a clue how a simple photo sharing app, would become such an opportunity generator! 9 years in, and we hear stories like Alison's, where her intention of just having 'fun' on the platform, began garnering her quite the following. And when she began receiving e-mails from big bran…

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Kristie Zurmehly - Brand & Web Designer - 019 55:55

6y ago55:55

55:55

In this episode, Kristie Zurmehly describes how she taught herself the ins and outs of brand + web design to help boost small businesses all around the country. What I love about this episode is how Kristie shares how her side hustle as a designer has actually positively influenced her life as a professional dancer with Ballet Met today! SHOWNOTES …

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Vanessa Woods of Vitality Ballet - 018 1:16:56

6y ago1:16:56

1:16:56

How Vanessa Woods used her background as a professional ballet dancer with St. Louis Ballet to create, Vitality Ballet, an artistic exercise program designed to share the benefits of ballet with the senior population. SHOWNOTES this episode is supported by: Jai Dee Dancewear : a sustainable leotard company celebrating the beauty, value, and wisdom …

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Oliver Endahl of Ballet Zaida - 017 1:25:31

6y ago1:25:31

1:25:31

It's hard to believe, but 9 years ago, in October of 2010, Instagram emerged onto the scene. Serendipitously, at the same time that Instagram was undergoing its development process, our guest on todays show, Oliver Endahl, was also developing ideas of his own surrounding ballet and photography. In early 2010, when Oliver was completing his final ye…

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Q&A Episode with Jordan Nicole - 016 43:38

6y ago43:38

43:38

Happy 3 Months of the Ballet to Business Podcast! We are taking a pause from the regular interview format this week and answering some of your questions! QUESTIONS: 3:10 - How do you handle when body image issues come up? How do you work through it? 10:20 - Do you have any advice for young dancer who doesn't know if they want to become a profession…

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Kirsten Kemp - Mindset Coach for Dancers - 015 1:25:59

6y ago1:25:59

1:25:59

From an outsiders perspective, you can't help but admire a dancer's grace and effortlessness. However, if only people knew what was actually going on in that dancer's mind... "That was horrible. I'm an awful turner. I'm never going to be good at that step." Many dancer's struggle with a negative mindset, and yet we fail to understand how these thou…

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Allison Parc of Brenne Whisky - 014 1:20:08

6y ago1:20:08

1:20:08

As a 23 year old woman living in New York City and freshly departed from ballet, Allison Parc began going out on dates. But on these dates, she found herself being extremely nervous because she didn't know how or what to drink. Thus, she began educating herself, going to tastings and art galleries around the city, learning more about wine, beer, an…

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Rachel Cossar of Choreography for Business - 013 1:01:26

6y ago1:01:26

1:01:26

When Rachel Cossar entered into working in major gift fundraising at Harvard University right after her career with Boston Ballet, she quickly realized not everyone in the corporate world had this awareness of their posture and body language that was so second nature to her as a ballet dancer. Thus, the spark for Choreography for Business was born.…

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Jordan Fry of Ballerina Baker - 012 59:29

6y ago59:29

59:29

When our guest on today's episode of Ballet to Business, Jordan Fry, revealed that one luxury wedding cake she had been working on took her 70 hours to complete in a week, my jaw was on the ground. Now the time it takes to create a stunning work of edible art also caught Jordan a bit off guard at the beginning. Once she became known as the 'baker' …

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Alexandra Newman of En Pointe Wines - 011 1:20:18

6y ago1:20:18

1:20:18

Dancing 'En Pointe' requires years of training in precision and excellence, strength paired with refinement, and superior technique matched with artistry. And according to our guest on today episode, Alexandra Newman, the balance of all these qualities is mirrored in wine making. The same effort it takes to perfect a tendu, is the same kind of effo…

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Grace Kraaijvanger - Founder of The Hivery - 010 58:29

6+ y ago58:29

58:29

Co-Working Spaces as we know them today, originated in non other than San Francisco in 2005. With that being said, it's no surprise that the energy was buzzing around the city for this new way of entrepreneurs to work independently but not be isolated at home while doing so. However, it wasn't until Grace Kraaijvanger was fulfilling a marketing job…

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Katherine Hartsell - Founder of Jai-Dee Dancewear -009 1:14:50

6+ y ago1:14:50

1:14:50

Inspiration is one of those mysteries that can't be planned or controlled or forced, it can only be experienced. And often inspiration comes in the unlikeliest of times and through the unlikeliest of conduits. When our guest, Katherine Hartsell, stepped away from dancing professionally with Boston Ballet, she decided to give herself some breathing …

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David Kim - Founder of Fire Leaf Extracts - 008 1:30:19

6+ y ago1:30:19

1:30:19

As graceful and effortless as ballet may appear, there's no denying that this art form takes a serious toll on the body. There have been many times, probably more than I'm proud of admitting, where I grabbed the bottle of advil that was being passed around the dressing room and said if only people knew, this performance tonight, was brought to them…

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Kelly Schmutte - Inventor of the PerfectFit Pointe Shoe Insert - 007 1:09:23

6+ y ago1:09:23

1:09:23

From dancing on pointe to inventing a pointe shoe insert worn by dancers around the globe. Meet Kelly Schmutte, Founder of PerfectFit Pointe Shoe Inserts! When Kelly first when on pointe as a young ballet dancer, she couldn't help but think, "There's got to be a better way to do this!" "Dancers feet and toes are as different as their faces". With t…

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Kathleen McGuire Gaines - Writer and Founder of Minding the Gap - 006 53:50

6+ y ago53:50

53:50

As a pre-professional, devoted ballet student, Kathleen McGuire Gaines left home at 14 years old to train in classical ballet. She moved further away from home at 17 to continue her training, only to undergo some of the hardest years of her life. A few years after that, she quit dancing. For years after Kathleen stopped, she believed she just wasn'…

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Carly Topazio - Photographer and Founder of The Rosin Box Project - 005 1:01:38

6+ y ago1:01:38

1:01:38

Growing up in Millis, Massachusetts, Carly grew a determination to pursue ballet from an early age. Training at Boston Ballet and overcoming a brutal achilles injury while at CPYB, Carly continued to persevere. She went on to attain her dream job, dancing as a professional Ballet Dancer with City Ballet of San Diego. 3 years in to being with the co…

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Jess Spinner - The Whole Dancer 004 1:02:25

6+ y ago1:02:25

1:02:25

East Coast native, Jess Spinner, trained extensively in classical ballet from a young age up until she left home for college to attend Butler University. Upon graduation, Jess went off to dance with Louisville Ballet. Her years there were challenging, finding herself navigating struggles surrounding food and body image that most all dancers face in…

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Molly Rooney - Director of the National Ballet Competition - 003 39:53

6+ y ago39:53

39:53

As a professional ballet dancer with First State Ballet Theater, Molly Rooney, did not expect this opportunity to come knocking at her door. But when she was offered the opportunity to be the Director of the first ever National Ballet Competition, she went for it! SHOW NOTES @nationalballetcompetition Join the B2B Team with your e-mail & receive ex…

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Chelsea & Heather of Luckyleo Dancewear - 002 54:21

6+ y ago54:21

54:21

Sisters Chelsea Early & Heather Walker trained extensively in classical ballet. After both sustaining injuries, they had to set their sites on a new dream. In 2015, they founded Luckyleo Dancewear & have become a beloved brand worn by dancers around the world! SHOW NOTES (learn more about Luckyleo on the blog) Join the B2B Team through e-mail Visit…

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Introduction to Ballet to Business - 001 33:15

6+ y ago33:15

33:15

Welcome to Ballet to Business! I'm Jordan Nicole & on this introduction episode I'll be sharing the inspiration behind the podcast, who Ballet to Business is for, and more of my story in training to become a professional ballet dancer. From meeting the most influential ballet teacher in an unlikely place, to moving to San Francisco at 16, getting h…