Stairway For Ballet

In this episode, we talk about a sensitive issue in the ballet industry: weight and how this is manifested in ballet training and professional ballet companies. Historically, ballet has been known for idealizing a thin body. We now delve into the historical roots to this idealization and a look into the future of promoting a healthy body image in the ballet world. 

In celebration of the holidays, the end of 2021, and a New Year 2022, we are going to be celebrating a few famous BIPOC ballet dancers. Featuring amazing dancers Alicia Alonso, Arthur Mitchell & Maria Tallchief!

In this episode, we explore something that is often overlooked in the ballet industry: sexism in ballet. Pay inequality in the ballet industry. We talk about how not a lot of ballets are choreographed women and questions: Why are there not more female choreographers and artistic directors? We also explore the pay inequality in the ballet industry and how female dancers are often paid less than their male counterparts. 

Ms. Stephanie Potreck is a former dancer turned doctor and sports nutritionist, and also a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of eating disorders, and challenges with self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-care. She has a unique insight into the challenges that dancers face these days, worldwide. She is the founder of AusDancersOverseas that was originally created to support Australian dancers and dance students when moving overseas; this platform has grown into an education and information hub for dancers and dance students worldwide.

In this episode, Ms. Stephanie Potreck talks about why she decided to become a doctor and sports nutritionist from a dancer, the mission of AusDancersOverseas and the funniest thing that happened to her recently.

In this episode, we talk about power and abuse in the dance world and the core of the underlying issues. We explore recent events where people bravely spoke up about their experiences with sexual abuse in dance. We also question: Is the ballet and dance world ready to address sexual harassment and abuse? So is there a way to fix these issues in ballet?

Jeraldine Mendoza is a first-generation Filipina American who was born in San Francisco, California, and trained at City Ballet School of San Francisco since the age of five. At age 17, Mendoza was invited to graduate in the Russian course at the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow., and she later won First Place at the YAGP San Francisco Regional Semi-Finals in 2011. Now, she is currently dancing at Joffery Ballet and have danced a lot of principal and lead roles.

In this episode, Jerry talks about overcoming comparing herself to other dancers, her experience in the lack of diversity in ballet, and what year she would travel to if she had a time machine.

Puanani or Pua Brown is a former professional ballet dancer at American Ballet Theatre and a Harvard graduate with a degree in Environmental Science and Public Policy. After series of knee injuries, she decided to explore more of her passion of empowering marginalized communities through environmental protection, environmental justice and Indigenous rights. 

In this episode, Pua talks about her experiences with various ballet companies, what she thinks need to change in the ballet world, and something that she thinks would be surprising if people knew about her.

Ellen Roberts attended UNCSA as a ballet major and Metropolitan School of the Arts as a Dance/Musical Theatre major. She has spent summers training at Bolshoi, The Washington Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and more. She spent this year training at The Nashville Ballet and will attend Boston Conservatory at Berklee next year to get her BFA in Musical Theatre. She is also the founder of Humans in Dance Project where she discusses issues in dance and emphasizes the real dancers and real humans in dance. 

In this episode, Ellen talks about why she started Humans in Dance Project, her hope for dancers to not have to suffer alone, and her hero: Oprah Winfrey. 

We interviewed two of the four Co-Founders of Brown Ballerinas For Change: Shania Gordon & Ava Holloway!

Shania Gordon has been performing with Central Virginia Dance Academy since 2016. She desires to become a professional dancer with NYC Ballet; without any set limitations to achieving her goal. Shania wishes to inspire those that see her, encouraging them to “not be afraid of who you really are and to work hard to be the best version of yourself”.

Ava Holloway has performed with Central Virginia Dance Academy since 2009 and is a member of Joni at St. Catherine’s School, where she served as Co-Captain and was awarded the Creative Crystal Dance Award. She enjoys hanging out with friends and making crazy dances and recently co-authored a book, My Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams.

In this episode, Shania and Ava talks about their goals and visions for BBFC, their reactions for being viral (being painted in a mural and being on the news?), and what they think will never get out of fashion. 

Daphne Lee, a member of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, began her dance training at the Rahway Dance Theatre. Daphne has done community work through out the country via masterclasses and career readiness talks to the youth. She has assisted in raising over $5,000 in scholarship money in partnership with Brown Girls Do Ballet. She was a member of Ailey II, Lustig Dance Theatre, Zest Collective, Oakland Ballet Company,and dance artist for UK artist Sydney Jo Jackson, and Collage Dance Collective, and she will continue her mission to inspire the youth through art. She was also the Miss Black USA in 2017.

In this episode, Daphne talks about whose voices should be amplified in ballet, why she never gave up hope, and what she likes to do in her free time (spoiler: self care & traveling!)

In this episode, we talk about  how perfectionism is also a growing epidemic in the dance world. Unfortunately, the lack of help from the dance industry for dancers has led to dancers to be be influenced by depression, anxiety, anorexia, bulimia and even suicide. We consider why dancers are generally perfectionists in the first place. We also discuss the ways to fight back the idea of perfectionism and develop productive coping skills– the only way to grow as an healthy artist is to accept your flaws and mistakes and learn from them rather than beating yourself up for it.

In this episode, we talk about something that is rarely talked about in the dance world: LGBTQ+ and Non-Binary Inclusion in Dance. We explore how most ballet techniques and movements segregate itself into gender based categories. In addition, we discuss #BoysDanceToo (including how this was focused on hypermasculinity) and various examples of LGBTQ+ and Non-Binary dancers . Finally, we also discuss ways to make dance studios more Inclusive for LGBTQ+ and Non-Binary Dancers. 

Special Feature!

Samantha Parr is a 17-year-old ballet dancer from San Francisco, California. She has danced since she was 3 years old, and has attended summer intensives at Pacific Northwest Ballet and Ballet West. In addition to ballet, Samantha loves to samba dance, run, and create Pinterest boards of just about everything! Samantha plans on attending a four-year university after high school and hopes to join a dance program to continue her passion.

In this episode, Samantha talks about what inspired her to start Dancer For Dancer, what she thinks about dancing unprofessional lyrics, and songs she would put in her playlist for life.

In this episode, we talk about body image roles and issues in the dance world. We discuss how one of greatest artistic demands in dance is physical shape, contributing to the desire of a thinner body and the continuous self-dissatisfaction state because of the standard of the supposed “perfect body.” We also examine ways to build a better body image and self-confidence and the importance of loving your body.  We also point out that loving your body is easier said than done, but it is definitely possible and achievable. 

In this episode, we talk about the traditional gender roles and stereotypes in ballet. We explore stereotypes limit dancers to express themselves both physically and emotionally, especially the stereotype that women are dependent and men must always be strong and are never allowed to show emotion, both of which are no longer supported by modern society.

Tanvi Mavuri is a 15 year old student at the Canadian International School of Bangalore and she attends the Lewis Foundation of Classical Ballet. She shares a huge passion for ballet and it's been a part of her life ever since she was little for the past 12 years. When she leaves for university, she hopes to continue she studies in the medical field and she aspires to become a cardiothoracic surgeon.

In this episode, Tanvi talks about what it felt like to get the lead role for a production, how she craves going back on stage right after she dances off-stage, and the weirdest food combination that she likes.

Abi is 16 years old and has danced for about 11 years. She is currently a junior at Lake Orion High School and attends Valentina’s school of ballet. In her free time, she loves to hangout with her dog and family, especially her sister. Her sister, Elizabeth, is also a dancer and attends Butler University. Abi would love to make a career out of ballet, but also shares a love for science. 

In the episode, Abi talks about what ballet classes gives her, her stage fright, and what she will call her autobiography and movie.

Nyla is 15 years old; she has danced for 11 years and recently started to focus more on ballet at Valentina’s School of Ballet. In her free time, she does school work and loves to hang out with her friends and her dog. When she is older, she aspires to work in the Physiology field or be a Cardiothoracic surgeon. Norah also loves to dance. She spends most of her time either working on online school or at dance- education is one of her top priorities along with dancing and her family. She is not quite sure what she wants to pursue when she becomes older, but she would like to be both a lawyer and a dancer, and she is sure that she will eventually have to pick one to focus on. 

In this episode, Nyla and Norah both talks about their experiences of discrimination in dance studios,what their favorite part of dance is, and whether they will travel to the past or the future that entails an unexpected reason.

Katie is a 15 year old student from Rochester, Michigan. For as long as she can remember, she has studied classical ballet and piano. While the work can often seem tedious, she has found that the performance at the end is always worth it. In the episode, Katie talks about how she started ballet, what she saw in competitions and summer programs and the one thing she would eat for the rest of her life.

Mr. Warren is a Detroit native, and a former Professional Dancer, having started dance at the age of 14. He is also a working musician in Detroit as a percussionist and harpist. In this episode, Mr. Warren provide invaluable tips about talent and ability for dancers, and also talks about the importance of just dancing and being one with the music. Mr. Warren dives into the core values and gives insightful advice that I know will inspire a lot of dancers and musicians.

Ms. Veronique studied and danced professionally in Europe for over 20 years, including 7 years with the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam and she currently is offering GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® training in which incorporates principles of movement she mastered during her dance career, as well as physiology and injury prevention principals she learned with massage therapy. In the episode, Ms. Veronique is incredibly open to her experiences in her dance journey and also shares tips and insight about how to move on from the embedded image and expectation of ballet.  Ms. Veronique is such an inspiring person and I am honored to share our conversation with you all. 

In this episode, we are going to talk about how dancers can promote racial equality in the studio. We are going to explore the importance of navigating racism in the studio and what we can do if we experience and/or witness it- ultimately creating an environment where BIPOC dancers feel safe and inclusive in the studio setting.

In this episode, we are going to talk about racial stereotyping on stage in ballet. We dive into the historical background of the usage of racial stereotyping in ballet such as Blackface and Yellowface to the current controversies that surrounds them. We also discuss the meaning of traditions and if those traditions are unassailable when prioritizing diversity and inclusiveness in our world. 

In this episode, we talk about the systemic racism in ballet and the factors contributing to ballet's lack of diversity. We explore the demographics of the United States in terms of race and the hopeful outlook of progress in reaching equality and increasing diversity in ballet.