Author, teacher, and former principal dancer Gavin Larsen has spent her post-performance life doing something she loves just as much as dancing: drawing stories out of other people. Her new book, Infinite Steps: 33 Dancers and Their Lives in Ballet,… click here to listen

What does it really take to go from pre-professional student to professional ballet dancer? Charlotte Junge, a company member with Madison Ballet, shares the unfiltered version of her journey from competition dance roots in Houston to training at… click here to listen

Madison Ballet’s Ja’Malik didn’t arrive to tinker around the edges. He came to change things, and four years in, it’s working. He shares a journey that started with Michael Jackson’s Thriller in his front yard and led him through the Joffrey Ballet… click here to listen

In the final episode of our four-part bullying series, we’re joined again by Kelsey Fyffe, a therapist who works with pre-professional dancers, and Suzette Takei, a veteran academic school administrator and educator, as we get into the messy stuff…. click here to listen

What does it actually feel like to train at the Vaganova Academy, the school that produced some of the greatest dancers in history, and then go on to perform at one of Russia’s most storied companies? Elena Kunikova has lived that story, and she’s… click here to listen

In part three of our bullying series, we tackle some of the toughest conversations ballet parents face: what to do when teachers make harmful comments about weight, body image, or use abusive language in class. Psychotherapist Kelsey Fyffe and… click here to listen

We sit down with Michelle Martin, Associate Artistic Director of Ballet Austin, for a refreshingly honest conversation about their complete training pipeline: the tuition-free Butler Fellowship program, Ballet Austin TWO, and the path into the main… click here to listen

LeeAnaca “Lee” Moore (Pacific Northwest Ballet) and Natalie Bowman (St. Louis Ballet) are the duo behind , the popular social media account showcasing the realities of pre-professional and professional ballet life. In this episode, Lee and Natalie… click here to listen

Lynne Charles, Artistic Director of , discusses the school’s new (GAP), a postgraduate program that combines performing with English National Ballet and continued education. Unlike traditional programs where students serve as “free labor,” GAP… click here to listen

Listeners asked, and Fran Veyette answers! We’re bringing back this fan-favorite #NoThirds “Fran’s Mailbag” episode, now combined into one extended conversation. Fran breaks down how casting really works, whether principals dance less, what happens… click here to listen

CiCi Houston-Sudholt, Rehearsal Director at Saint Louis Ballet, discusses their unique approach to dance education that puts students at the center. From integrating all levels of training to tailoring performance opportunities based on individual… click here to listen

We asked you to tell us what you love about the Ballet Help Desk Podcast, what needs to improve, and what topics you want us to cover. And you delivered honest, thoughtful, sometimes tough feedback. In this episode, we share what you told us:… click here to listen

Jayda Hazelett didn’t follow the traditional pre-professional boarding school path to a ballet company. The grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, trained locally at Project Ballet, attended summer intensives, and chose to pursue college at I before… click here to listen

What does it mean to train dancers without “training them out of being natural”? For , founder of in Boston, that question shaped his entire approach to teaching. A former principal dancer with Boston Ballet, Paulo saw gaps in traditional ballet… click here to listen

Joshua Beamish and Crystal Costa are building something new in the ballet world. is launching as a fresh company with a unique vision, and in this episode, they share the story of how it all came together. Joshua talks about starting his first… click here to listen

We’re rereleasing one of Ballet Help Desk’s most popular episodes! Peter Stark from The Rock School discusses the ballet job market, choosing post-graduate ballet programs, and audition strategies for pre-professional dancers. Learn how to approach… click here to listen

A rerelease: In our first episode of Dancer Stories, Jenny and her daughter Abbey share how Abbey got her first ballet contract. Tune in to hear how a meeting about dorm policy violations at a summer intensive turned into an apprenticeship offer with… click here to listen