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Ballet Help Desk
PodcastKids & FamilyPerforming ArtsEnglish

Ballet Help Desk

by Jenny Huang and Brett Gardner

NewIndiana University's New Department of Dance with Sarah Wroth and Liz SheaNovember 11, 2026 · 1 h 27 min
Episodes
209
Released
weekly
Latest episode
Nov 11, 2026
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About the podcast

As parents, you play a crucial role in supporting your dancer's ballet path and we know navigating the world of ballet training can be challenging. The Ballet Help Desk podcast is here to help! Tune in for expert insights on supporting your student's ballet education. We cover key topics like summer intensives, ballet competitions, full-time and postgraduate training, health and wellness, boys in ballet and more. Hear valuable advice from leading professionals across the ballet world to help your dancer make the most informed decisions about their unique training path. Learn more at www.ballethelpdesk.com.

Episodes 209

  1. Indiana University's New Department of Dance with Sarah Wroth and Liz Shea

    1 h 27 min

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon In July 2025, a new Indiana law set minimum graduation numbers for degree programs at public universities. IU …

    Show notes

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon

    In July 2025, a new Indiana law set minimum graduation numbers for degree programs at public universities. IU responded by combining its ballet and contemporary dance programs into a single Department of Dance within the Jacobs School of Music, which launched this fall. Sarah Wroth and Liz Shea join us to explain how the new department is structured and what it means for students applying.

    Students can now earn a BFA with either a ballet or contemporary dance track, or a Bachelor of Science in music with an outside field. Sarah and Liz share admissions numbers for both programs, what faculty look for at auditions, and how about half of IU's dance majors pursue a double degree.

    They also discuss how high school dancers can prepare for college applications, from attending university summer intensives, which can double as a prescreen, to visiting campuses and taking class at college dance fairs.

    The conversation ends with career outcomes. Liz explains why a BFA is the typical path into contemporary dance and where IU graduates are working, and Sarah talks about the current ballet job market and how certifications and second degrees help dancers find work.

    Links:

    Chapters:

    00:00 How IU merged ballet and contemporary into one Department of Dance 02:55 The history of IU's contemporary dance program 05:37 Crossover between the ballet and contemporary programs 10:16 Incoming class sizes and admissions numbers 14:37 Can students switch between ballet and contemporary? 19:19 Where contemporary students train before college 21:51 Admission trends in ballet and contemporary 26:11 How high school dancers can prepare for college applications 34:03 How to get into IU's summer intensives 37:36 Are college dance fairs worth it? 42:45 Student life skills and communication after COVID 48:42 How to talk to a director about casting 55:39 Career preparation for dance majors 57:37 Where IU contemporary graduates work 1:01:18 Is college the standard route into contemporary dance? 1:03:00 The current job market for ballet dancers 1:05:51 Certifications and skills that help dancers get hired 1:08:18 Double degrees with a BFA in dance 1:13:07 College vs. the postgrad route 1:18:00 Advice for dancers considering a college program

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  2. Does College Mean Giving Up Ballet? Columbia University's Student Ballet Company

    1 h 39 min

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon We sat down with Henry "Hank" Lichtmacher, Sreya Sathish-Kumar and JiaLi Deck, three members of the board of directors …

    Show notes

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon

    We sat down with Henry "Hank" Lichtmacher, Sreya Sathish-Kumar and JiaLi Deck, three members of the board of directors of the Columbia University Ballet Collective, the school's oldest student-run ballet company, which is marking its 20th year. All came up through serious pre-professional training at places like Ellison Ballet, City Ballet San Francisco, ABT JKO and Houston Ballet II.

    The three discussed how they raise most of a roughly $40,000 budget, rent theaters off campus and hire the choreographers who create new work for the company each semester. Well-known choreographer, Justin Peck, staged one of his first works here. Off the stage, the company runs a free weekly class on campus, teaches ballet in New York City public schools and organizes the Ivy Ballet Exchange.

    We also talked about college applications. Most admissions readers don't know much about ballet, so how you describe your training, what goes in your dance supplement and who writes your recommendations all matter.They also shared how they handled the transition from full-time training to dancing as an extracurricular. JiaLi is now a dance major, while Hank and Sreya dance far less. Interestingly, all three told us that dance is more fun now than it was when they were in serious pre-pro training.

    CBC's fall gala is December 5 at the Ailey Citigroup Theater. Follow @columbia.ballet.collaborative for details.

    Links:

    Chapters:00:00:00 Meet Sreya, Hank and JiaLi 00:08:25 The dance major vs. extracurricular ballet 00:10:49 Why Sreya chose college over the pro route 00:15:42 Why Hank left Houston Ballet II for Columbia 00:21:38 What is the Columbia Ballet Collaborative? 00:24:21 Running a ballet company on a $40,000 budget 00:28:42 How CBC chooses choreographers 00:35:05 Who can join and how auditions work 00:37:50 The Ivy Ballet Exchange 00:40:14 Applying to college as a pre-pro dancer 00:41:54 Does elite training give you a leg up? 00:49:35 How did they have time for everything? 01:02:28 Leaving full-time training for college 01:10:57 Should you dial back ballet in high school? 01:12:32 Dance and identity in college 01:20:53 What they wish someone had told them 01:24:58 Columbia's other ballet companies 01:26:49 What stressed them out that seems silly now 01:32:49 Where to see CBC

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  3. What College Admissions Officers Really Think About Your Ballet Training

    1 h 7 min

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon Is your dancer hoping ballet will be their ticket into a top college? We sat down with Sandy Choe and Corinne Smith of …

    Show notes

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon

    Is your dancer hoping ballet will be their ticket into a top college? We sat down with Sandy Choe and Corinne Smith of Infinite Futures, a college advising company made up of former admissions officers and high school counselors, to have them walk us through what pre-professional dancers need to get into the most competitive colleges and universities.

    Corinne spent years reading applications at five highly selective schools, and she says grades and course rigor come first. At many top schools, a dancer's supplement won't even get looked at unless the student clears the academic bar. And that win at a big ballet competition? Most admissions officers know very little about ballet and can't tell one ballet competition from another.

    We also get into how full-time training fits with a college plan, how colleges view online high school and homeschooling, when to send a dance supplement, who should write recommendation letters, and why applying as a transfer student can work for dancers coming out of trainee programs and second companies. You can learn about everything Infinite Futures offers on their website.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  4. Postgrad Ballet Training: Why You Need a Strategy

    42 min

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon This week, it's just us! We're talking all things postgraduate ballet training. We spend some time going over our most …

    Show notes

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon

    This week, it's just us! We're talking all things postgraduate ballet training. We spend some time going over our most recent iteration of the Ballet Help Desk Postgrad Directory, including some trends we've observed over the last few years. There are some new pieces of data we've added for this year and we discuss why we think it's important that this information be included. Finally, we talk about why dancers need to think much more strategically during their high school years if they have aspirations to dance professionally.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  5. Ballet Myths, Busted: Body Types, Competitions and Big Donors | Part 2

    46 min

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon There's one body type for ballet. We asked Peter LeBreton Merz, artistic director of Eglevsky Ballet and former …

    Show notes

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon

    There's one body type for ballet. We asked Peter LeBreton Merz, artistic director of Eglevsky Ballet and former director of Ballet West Academy, and Racheal Nye, director of Oklahoma City Ballet's Yvonne Chouteau School and Studio Company, whether that's true. In Part 2, they also answer your questions about competitions: are they the only way to earn summer intensive scholarships or get into top schools, does training for them give you the best training, and does it matter if your dancer never places? Then Peter and Racheal weigh in on when it makes sense to send a dancer to school in Europe, whether big donations lead to better treatment, and whether Vaganova is the only method that works. At the end, each of them addresses a myth we didn't ask about.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  6. Ballet Myths, Busted: Blacklists, Pointe Pressure and Who Makes It | Part 1

    1 h 12 min

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon Turn down School of American Ballet once and you'll never get back in. Most ballet parents have heard some version of …

    Show notes

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon

    Turn down School of American Ballet once and you'll never get back in. Most ballet parents have heard some version of that, along with plenty of other myths. So we collected your questions and took them to Peter LeBreton Merz, artistic director of Eglevsky Ballet and former director of Ballet West Academy, as well as Racheal Nye, director of Oklahoma City Ballet's Yvonne Chouteau School and Studio Company. We talk about whether blacklists exist, the pressure to send 10-year-olds away for the summer, get them on pointe early and move them up a level fast, and what Peter and Racheal look for in a 12-year-old. They also get into why nearly every boy is on scholarship, how much seniority counts in casting, and what a school should be able to show before it calls itself pre-professional.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  7. How Two Young Dancers Made Their Own Ballet Festival

    1 h 24 min

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon Lily Peta and Emma Wheeler did everything the traditional ballet path asks of young dancers and still found themselves …

    Show notes

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon

    Lily Peta and Emma Wheeler did everything the traditional ballet path asks of young dancers and still found themselves waiting for the right job to come along. Then, they stopped waiting. This past summer they launched Midsommardans, an outdoor ballet festival on Grinda, an island in the Stockholm archipelago.

    Lily and Emma tell us how two dancers with no background in fundraising or production pulled it off, from convincing the archipelago foundation to take a chance on them to hand-building a sprung stage floor with their families. Along the way, making their own opportunity changed how they see the ballet job market. Be sure to listen to the end to hear the exciting news they have to share about the future of Midsommardans.

    You can find Midsommardans on Instagram at @midsommar.dans.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  8. Charlotte Ballet with Ayisha McMillan Cravotta & Alicia Delgadillo

    1 h 11 min

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon We sit down with Ayisha McMillan Cravotta and Alicia Delgadillo of Charlotte Ballet to talk about what the road from …

    Show notes

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon

    We sit down with Ayisha McMillan Cravotta and Alicia Delgadillo of Charlotte Ballet to talk about what the road from trainee to professional looks like there. Alicia recently became associate director of CB2, the second company.

    The pre-professional trainee program is small, capped at 30 dancers, and starts at age 15, though the group skews older. Charlotte Ballet doesn't provide housing, which Ayisha says helps shape who enrolls.

    Once dancers move up to CB2, the focus shifts to preparing them for the job itself. Alicia explains how she mentors this small group of dancers, and why half of this year's new hires come from college programs. Both guests talk plainly about the job market and how they help dancers plan for it.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  9. Kathryn Morgan on Ballet Competitions & Pressure to Be Instafamous | Part 2

    53 min

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon We're back with part 2 of our conversation with former New York City Ballet and Miami City Ballet soloist Kathryn …

    Show notes

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon

    We're back with part 2 of our conversation with former New York City Ballet and Miami City Ballet soloist Kathryn Morgan. This half covers what happens behind the scenes of judging, including why some score sheets come back without comments and what judges actually talk about when they're not watching dancers.

    Kathryn also talks about why most company directors steer clear of hiring dancers with a big social media following, and the toll that chasing a following and a certain body image can take on young dancers. She ends with her take on why ballet companies are struggling to hold onto talent and audiences, and why she doesn't think the repertoire is the problem.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  10. Kathryn Morgan on Ballet Competitions & Pressure to Be Instafamous | Part 1

    1 h 5 min

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon In part one of this two-part episode, we're joined by former New York City Ballet and Miami City Ballet soloist …

    Show notes

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon

    In part one of this two-part episode, we're joined by former New York City Ballet and Miami City Ballet soloist Kathryn Morgan for an honest conversation about what really goes on inside ballet competitions. She talks about how scoring and judging works, why she believes the real evaluation at YAGP finals comes from the scholarship classes rather than the stage, and how social media has reshaped what young dancers think a ballet career looks like.

    We also posed some of the questions parents keep asking us, including whether independent dancers are treated differently than school-affiliated ones, what people mean by "connected schools," and how much influence a school's relationship with a competition really carries. Kathryn answers honestly, including moments where she's clearly thinking it through in real time rather than giving a rehearsed take, and she's upfront about where she does and doesn't have a clear answer.

    As competition season is about to get into full swing, this conversation is worth a listen.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  11. Sending Your Dancer to Full-Time Ballet Training in Europe | Part 2

    1 h 9 min

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon We're back for part 2 of our parent panel. Stephanie Lombardo, Jen Petersen-Hull, and Lisa Lecamu get specific about …

    Show notes

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon

    We're back for part 2 of our parent panel. Stephanie Lombardo, Jen Petersen-Hull, and Lisa Lecamu get specific about what it's like sending your American kid abroad for full-time ballet training. Drop-off day was harder than any of them expected. Lisa now wishes she'd stayed a few extra days to help her son settle into independent living in London, and Stephanie wasn't able to make the trip at all, so she switched to German time by phone instead, making sure she was the first and last person her daughter talked to each day. Once the kids were settled, these parents heard a lot less from the schools than they would have in the US, and mid-year evaluations meant classmates could be cut without warning. The competition among students was intense, especially among the girls, and each mom navigated a different version of that pressure with her own kids.

    They also talk through the moments that made it worthwhile: an unplanned donor performance in Stuttgart, choreography training at Princesse Grace, lead roles at English National Ballet School. And they get real about the things they wish they'd known going in, from navigating local laws to figuring out how to actually talk to your kid once they're an ocean away.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  12. Sending Your Dancer to Full-Time Ballet Training in Europe | Part 1

    59 min

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon Did you ever wonder what it's like to send your dancer off to full-time training? Now, ask yourself what it's like to …

    Show notes

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon

    Did you ever wonder what it's like to send your dancer off to full-time training? Now, ask yourself what it's like to send them to another continent. In part one of this two-part series, we sat down with three parents who, collectively, had four kids attend ballet programs in Europe. One went to Academie Princesse Grace in Monaco. Two headed to London - one to the Royal Ballet School and the other to English National Ballet School. The fourth went to John Cranko in Germany.

    Tune in to hear how each family ultimately made the decision to send their child overseas, how the opportunities first presented themselves and what they each saw as some unexpected ups and downs during the time they were there.

    If you've been curious about the pros and cons of European ballet training, tune in!

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  13. The Life of a Freelance Ballet Dancer

    1 h 9 min

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon As we all know, the ballet job market is incredibly competitive. But, not all ballet careers involve signing a …

    Show notes

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon

    As we all know, the ballet job market is incredibly competitive. But, not all ballet careers involve signing a year-long contract with a company. Some dancers choose other paths and we sat down with Linnea Swarting to hear from a dancer who traded the security of a company contract to pursue a freelance career.

    She talked about how she made the decision to walk away from company life and how she got her first freelance gig. We also discussed what kinds of jobs are actually available to freelancers and then variety is pretty surprising! Think everything from corporate parties to full international tours performing Swan Lake.

    We also discussed what touring companies really are, how Linnea finds jobs, what she looks for in contracts and how to negotiate before agreeing to join the project.

    Interested in learning more about the freelance life? You can find Linnea on her website or Instagram at @lswarting.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  14. #NoThirds: Does Ballet Etiquette Matter for Young Dancers?

    1 h 6 min

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon Fran is back for a conversation about respect in the ballet studio. We get into the mechanics of a real ballet class …

    Show notes

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon

    Fran is back for a conversation about respect in the ballet studio.

    We get into the mechanics of a real ballet class. A teacher giving thirty corrections in ninety minutes doesn't have room to let one go unanswered, and Fran talks about why trying a correction immediately signals something different than thinking it over first. We also press him on how a teacher decides who earns individual attention in a crowded room, and how he tells the difference between a student asking a genuine question and a student who's simply refusing to try what they were asked. Fran turns some of that scrutiny on teachers too. He admits egos flare up at the front of the room as much as anywhere else, and draws a line between authority that's been earned and authority that's being misused.

    We also discuss how a dancer's reputation travels through what we know is a small industry, and why character can matter as much as talent when a director decides whom to hire again. We close the conversation with Fran making the case for why the studio itself deserves to be treated seriously, calling it "sacred ground."

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  15. Ballet West's Adam Sklute and Evelyn Cisneros-Legate on the Dancer Training Pipeline

    1 h 12 min

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon Ever wonder what it actually takes to move up through the ranks at a major ballet company's school, and what happens once your dancer gets there? We sat down with …

    Show notes

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon

    Ever wonder what it actually takes to move up through the ranks at a major ballet company's school, and what happens once your dancer gets there? We sat down with Adam Sklute, artistic director of Ballet West, and Evelyn Cisneros-Legate, who runs Ballet West Academy, to find out.

    They walk us through how the academy trains dancers from age three all the way up, and how the trainee program Sklute built actually works day to day. We also get into mentorship: how the school handles those honest, sometimes hard conversations with dancers about where they stand before contract decisions come down.

    Then the conversation opens up to the bigger picture. Ballet has a postgrad math problem: way more dancers than paid contracts. Sklute and Cisneros-Legate talk candidly about that gap, the idea of getting artistic directors more direct access to watch dancers across schools, and the case for rethinking what counts as success at the postgrad level.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  16. SMU's Carter Alexander on Training Versatile Dancers

    1 h 25 min

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk Podcast ad-free on Patreon We sit down with Carter Alexander, Chair of the Division of Dance at Southern Methodist University, to find out what sets the program apart from the more …

    Show notes

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk Podcast ad-free on Patreon

    We sit down with Carter Alexander, Chair of the Division of Dance at Southern Methodist University, to find out what sets the program apart from the more ballet-specific schools. Carter walks us through the conservatory-within-a-liberal-arts structure: required training in ballet, modern, and jazz, a newly added Afro modern component, and how the school's BFA program allows roughly 60% of students double major in fields like mechanical engineering, psychology, and business.

    We discuss admissions and auditions, how merit scholarships get awarded, and why the program has struggled to attract male dancers in recent years. Carter also weighs in on the trainee-versus-college debate, and how he sees the trade-offs given today's job market.

    Finally, he covers how SMU prepares these young adults for the job market by coaching all students on how to network effectively and explains how much SMU relies on their alumni mentorship network.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  17. The Business of Ballet: Shane Jewell, Oregon Ballet Theatre

    1 h 30 min

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon Shane Jewell, executive director of Oregon Ballet Theatre, was kind enough to sit down with us to explain how ballet companies actually run as businesses. He takes …

    Show notes

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon

    Shane Jewell, executive director of Oregon Ballet Theatre, was kind enough to sit down with us to explain how ballet companies actually run as businesses. He takes us through the nonprofit structure, including what makes up the primary revenue streams. We also discussed what goes into building a season budget and how that impacts dancer compensation, benefits and artistic programming. With funding for the arts being cut, Shane also addresses how OBT is handling these challenges through creative solutions like co-productions between companies as well as new ways of driving corporate sponsorships. The conversation closes with his advice for young dancers weighing a contract, including what to look for in a company's finances, culture, and promotion patterns before signing.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  18. Peter Stark: When Is It Time to Leave Your Local Studio?

    1 h 18 min

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon Peter Stark, president and director of The Rock School for Dance Education, has spent 26 years running ballet schools and knows the recruiting process from both …

    Show notes

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon

    Peter Stark, president and director of The Rock School for Dance Education, has spent 26 years running ballet schools and knows the recruiting process from both sides of the table.

    We talk with him about how he evaluates students for recruitment. We also cover how his approach has changed over the years, including how he now weighs student conduct and how his views on age and late starters have shifted. Stark discusses what full-time training requires of a teenager beyond technical preparation, including conversations about consent, hygiene, and roommate dynamics that families need to have before their dancer moves away from home.

    Stark also discusses what "fitting in" means at the corps de ballet level and why understudying matters at every stage of a dancer's career, not just early on.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  19. What It's Really Like to Send Your Teen to Full-Time Ballet Training: Part 2

    57 min

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon Our parent panel is back for part two, picking up right where we left off. In this half of the conversation, Erin, Sarah, and Sue cover the topics that come up most …

    Show notes

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon

    Our parent panel is back for part two, picking up right where we left off.

    In this half of the conversation, Erin, Sarah, and Sue cover the topics that come up most for families navigating full-time residential training: how a highly competitive environment can affect a dancer's confidence, how SAB, Houston Ballet Academy, and Canada's National Ballet School each approach annual cuts, and how the academic models differ across the three programs.

    The conversation also gets into the pressure dancers carry during audition season, the friendships that form in competitive training environments, and what it looks like to keep family life running when your dancer is living far from home.

    We close with the advice each parent would offer a family just starting this journey, and the one thing they would tell themselves on drop-off day.

    Learn more about full-time ballet training on our website.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  20. What It's Really Like to Send Your Teen to Full-Time Ballet Training: Part 1

    1 h 2 min

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon We are so excited to be publishing part 1 of this 2 part interview. It's something we've wanted to do for a long time. Three parents of dancers who attended some of …

    Show notes

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon

    We are so excited to be publishing part 1 of this 2 part interview. It's something we've wanted to do for a long time. Three parents of dancers who attended some of the largest full-time training programs in North America joined us for an in-depth and candid conversation about what it was like, from the family's perspective, to allow their teenagers to head off to full-time training while they were still in their teens.

    Erin Miller's son, Wesley, attended Canada's National Ballet School and now dances with Boston Ballet. Sarah Borden's daughter, Charlotte, went clear across the country from their home in Washington to attend the full-time program at the School of American Ballet. And Sue McCarroll's son, Owen, left home to attend Houston Ballet Academy, where he is currently in their professional training program.

    We went into so much depth that we're breaking this conversation into two parts. Across both episodes, we dig into how each family made the decision to send their dancer off, what factors ultimately drove that decision, what it was like to drop their child off, and how the adjustment went, not just for the dancer, but for the siblings and parents left at home. The conversation also covers the difference between training at a company-affiliated school versus a conservatory, and pushes back on the assumption that Balanchine-trained dancers are limited to a small handful of companies after graduation.

    Learn more about full-time ballet training on our website.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  21. Riley Weber on Ballet Influencers and Brand Ambassadorships

    1 h 15 min

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk Riley Weber is back on the podcast. Since leaving a corporate dance brand job, Riley has been speaking more openly about how …

    Show notes

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk

    Riley Weber is back on the podcast. Since leaving a corporate dance brand job, Riley has been speaking more openly about how the influencer side of the dance industry actually works. In this episode, we talk about how influencer income works, from per view payouts to brand collabs, and what actually happens behind the scenes of a sponsored post.

    We also talk about brand ambassadorships for dance students. What it means when a brand sends a 12 year old free leotards in exchange for content, who benefits from that arrangement, and what it can do to a child's sense of self worth when it gets tied to follower counts and engagement.

    If you have ever wondered whether your dancer should pursue a brand deal, or whether a large following actually helps with getting hired by a company, this episode covers it.

    Find Riley on socials: @rileythomasweber

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  22. Francis Veyette: What The Heck Does Potential, Facility and Body Type REALLY Mean? A Rerelease

    1 h 8 min

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk Jenny and I are taking a much needed vacation with our families so we're rereleasing one of our most popular episodes. We …

    Show notes

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk

    Jenny and I are taking a much needed vacation with our families so we're rereleasing one of our most popular episodes. We sat down with Francis Veyette, former principal dancer with Pennsylvania (now Philadelphia) Ballet, Co-Founder of the Veyette Virtual Ballet School and Rehearsal Director & Outreach Manager for Indianapolis Ballet. In this episode, Fran breaks down loaded terms like potential, facility, and body type, offering a practical understanding of what they mean. He also shares insights into the qualities dancers need to thrive in the ballet world. For anyone who has ever scratched their head when they heard people refer to potential or facility, this interview is a must-listen! You can learn more about Fran on his website.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  23. From the Royal Ballet to K-Ballet Academy: Kenta Kura on Training Japan's Next Generation

    1 h 10 min

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk If you've been paying attention, you've noticed: Japanese dancers are everywhere. Winning competitions, yes, but also …

    Show notes

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk

    If you've been paying attention, you've noticed: Japanese dancers are everywhere. Winning competitions, yes, but also filling the upper ranks of major ballet companies around the world. We've been wondering for a while now what is actually going on over there. Turns out, Kenta Kura has some answers.

    Kura spent nearly three decades inside the Royal Ballet, first as a soloist with the Royal Ballet, then as the first Japanese permanent teacher at the Royal Ballet School. In 2023, he came home to Japan with a clear mission: bring that world-class methodology to K-Ballet Academy, and change the equation for Japanese dancers who have long had to leave the country to access professional-level training.

    In this conversation, we dig into how ballet training is structured in Japan from the ground up, what the Kumakawa Method is and why it matters, and how K-Ballet Academy's Pre-Professional Course functions as a direct pipeline into K-Ballet Tokyo. We also explore what it takes for Japanese dancers to build careers abroad, the mental and emotional preparation that journey requires, and what it was like for Kura to be the only boy in his ballet school in a small Hokkaido village, until he stepped onto that international stage and felt, for the first time, like he truly belonged.

    His advice for young dancers is as simple as it is hard: allow yourself to make mistakes. Stay hungry. Stay curious. And believe in your own potential more than anyone else does.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  24. Your Ballet Dancer Wants to Go to College. Now What?

    1 h 14 min

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk Your dancer has decided to pursue the college path. But which program is the right fit? What's the real difference between a …

    Show notes

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk

    Your dancer has decided to pursue the college path. But which program is the right fit? What's the real difference between a BFA and a BA? What does a video pre-screen actually need to accomplish? And when tuition can tip into six figures, how do families make smart financial decisions?

    Francisco Gella and Julie Friedrich of Francisco Gella Dance Works are back for Part 2, and they get specific.

    We cover BFA vs. BA, which programs they think are doing strong work right now, how to approach video pre-screens, the three types of financial aid available to dancers, and what happens if your dancer gets a company offer after already committing to a school.

    The 2026 workshop schedule can be found here. Discounts are available to listeners of the Ballet Help Desk Podcast. Use code CollegePrep for a 20% discount on one or more of the workshops.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  25. What Does "Elite Ballet Training" Actually Mean for College Admissions?

    1 h 6 min

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk Does your dancer need elite training to have a shot at a top college? But what does elite actually mean? Is it competition …

    Show notes

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk

    Does your dancer need elite training to have a shot at a top college? But what does elite actually mean? Is it competition wins? A company-affiliated school? The right summer intensives? And does the answer look the same whether your dancer is pursuing a BFA or a non-dance degree?

    College and career specialists Francisco Gella and Julie Friedrich of Francisco Gella Dance Works have guided hundreds of dancers down both routes.

    This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation.

    In Part 1, we dig into the real differences between the BFA route and the academic route. We talk about why your school's college counselor may not understand this world and what "Olympic level" actually means when elite universities evaluate a dancer's background. We also look at why competition results carry less weight in academic admissions than many families expect, and a distinction that confuses a lot of families: the difference between a dance portfolio and a dance supplement, and what each one is actually for.

    The 2026 workshop schedule can be found here. Discounts are available to listeners of the Ballet Help Desk Podcast. Use code CollegePrep for a 20% discount on one or more of the workshops.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  26. Making the Most of Ballet Summer Intensives: A Parent's Guide

    1 h 3 min

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk In this host-only episode, we draw on our combined years of navigating ballet summer intensives to break down how to make …

    Show notes

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk

    In this host-only episode, we draw on our combined years of navigating ballet summer intensives to break down how to make the most of every program -- for your dancer and for you. We talk through what to do before your dancer leaves, how to handle drop-off day, and what to expect once they're there. We also get into the stuff nobody warns you about: what a scholarship really signals, how to handle the tap-on-the-shoulder conversation about year-round enrollment, navigating roommate issues, and what to do if your kid gets in trouble -- and yes, we are speaking from experience on that last one.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  27. American Repertory Ballet Gets Real About the Pipeline

    1 h 10 min

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk American Reportory Ballet Artistic Director Samantha Dunster and Executive Director Julie Diana Hench join us for a …

    Show notes

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk

    American Reportory Ballet Artistic Director Samantha Dunster and Executive Director Julie Diana Hench join us for a conversation that gets refreshingly honest about the post-graduate pipeline, the job market, and what it means to truly prepare dancers for professional life.

    We dig into the structure of Princeton Ballet School from youngest students through the trainee program, how the school and company function as a single organization, and what actionable feedback actually looks like in practice. We also get into ARB2, the tricky math of a large trainee cohort and a tight job market, and a genuinely moving conversation about hunger, artistry, and what it means to inspire an audience.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  28. The Mental Toll of "Be Grateful You're Here"

    1 h 29 min

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk The corrections never stop. The casting is always uncertain. And somewhere along the way, many dancers learn to keep all of …

    Show notes

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk

    The corrections never stop. The casting is always uncertain. And somewhere along the way, many dancers learn to keep all of it behind a smile, because showing weakness feels like handing someone a reason to replace you.

    Josh Spell, Kari Brunson Wright, and Rachel Coates have all been in that studio. As former professional dancers (Josh and Kari at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Rachel at Kansas City Ballet), they understand this from the inside. Now, as licensed therapists and coaches, they've built the ILUMN Collective, an app and platform designed to give dancers the kind of mental and emotional tools to help navigate the often stressful times that inevatably arise during ballet training.

    In this conversation, the three founders get specific about what's actually happening in the minds of pre-professional dancers: the perfectionism that hardens into an inner critic, the body image challenges that develop quietly, the disembodiment that can take years (sometimes decades) to recognize and reverse. They talk about why gratitude culture in ballet can become a mechanism of control, what it looks like when a wellness program is real versus when it's just a sign on a door, and why giving dancers mental health tools without also educating teachers and directors is a little like handing someone a TheraBand and calling it physical therapy.

    For parents, there's a lot here too. How do you talk to a kid who's been trained not to show struggle? What's your role when the school has the authority and you're just the ride home? And what does it actually mean to be part of the care team, not just a spectator?

    Intrested in trying the ILUMN Collective's app? Check out our Summer Intensive Essentials Guide for an exclusive discoount.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  29. Ballet's Bottom Line: Finances, Contracts, and the Fight for Dancer Rights

    1 h 43 min

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk Every ballet company's tax return is public record. Most dancers have never seen one. Liza Yntema, founder of the Dance Data …

    Show notes

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk

    Every ballet company's tax return is public record. Most dancers have never seen one.

    Liza Yntema, founder of the Dance Data Project, and Griff Braun, National Organizing Director at the American Guild of Musical Artists, walk us through what the numbers reveal. We start with the 990, how to read it, and what a company's revenue structure tells you about its priorities. From there we get into the funding landscape, leadership compensation, and why the gap between what artistic directors make and what dancers make is worth paying attention to.

    On the contract side, Griff breaks down what's in a collective bargaining agreement, what dancers should look for when they sign, and what generations of dancers have fought to put in those documents. We also get into the one-year contract cycle, the psychological weight it puts on dancers, and how the U.S. compares to countries that fund their arts institutions in a meaningful way.

    We also address the pay-to-play question directly: the trainee model, sponsored dancers, and the financial barriers that quietly shape who gets to have a professional ballet career.

    Plus: board governance, leadership training, and what would need to change for ballet companies to function differently.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  30. Train in Germany, Dance in Europe: The Palucca Path to a Professional Ballet Career

    1 h 45 min

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk What does ballet training look like when it's housed inside a 100-year-old university, with the Semperoper Ballet as your …

    Show notes

    Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk

    What does ballet training look like when it's housed inside a 100-year-old university, with the Semperoper Ballet as your next-door neighbor?

    We sat down with Rector Prof. Katharina Christl and Vice-Rector Prof. Juliana Sabino Wilhelm of Palucca University of Dance in Dresden, Germany, for a close look at one of Europe's most distinctive training models. Students can enter as young as 10, earn a bachelor's degree by 18, and perform side-by-side with professional dancers at Semperoper Ballet while still enrolled.

    We covered how ballet training works in Germany versus the U.S., what the BA program looks like day-to-day, how Palucca approaches student wellness and injury prevention, and what the European job market really looks like right now. Plus the audition process, what international students need to know before applying, and the one thing both professors want every ballet parent to hear.

    Links:

    Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

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