Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Ballet Help Desk
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| What College Admissions Officers Really Think About Your Ballet Training | 28 Oct 2026 | 01:07:02 | |
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:
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| Postgrad Ballet Training: Why You Need a Strategy | 21 Oct 2026 | 00:41:55 | |
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:
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| Ballet Myths, Busted: Body Types, Competitions and Big Donors | Part 2 | 14 Oct 2026 | 00:45:55 | |
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:
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| Ballet Myths, Busted: Blacklists, Pointe Pressure and Who Makes It | Part 1 | 07 Oct 2026 | 01:12:29 | |
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:
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| How Two Young Dancers Made Their Own Ballet Festival | 30 Sep 2026 | 01:24:15 | |
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:
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| Charlotte Ballet with Ayisha McMillan Cravotta & Alicia Delgadillo | 23 Sep 2026 | 01:10:50 | |
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:
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| Kathryn Morgan on Ballet Competitions & Pressure to Be Instafamous | Part 2 | 16 Sep 2026 | 00:53:07 | |
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:
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| Kathryn Morgan on Ballet Competitions & Pressure to Be Instafamous | Part 1 | 09 Sep 2026 | 01:04:37 | |
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:
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| Sending Your Dancer to Full-Time Ballet Training in Europe | Part 2 | 02 Sep 2026 | 01:08:34 | |
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:
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| Sending Your Dancer to Full-Time Ballet Training in Europe | Part 1 | 26 Aug 2026 | 00:58:39 | |
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:
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| The Life of a Freelance Ballet Dancer | 19 Aug 2026 | 01:09:06 | |
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:
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| #NoThirds: Does Ballet Etiquette Matter for Young Dancers? | 12 Aug 2026 | 01:06:06 | |
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:
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| Ballet West's Adam Sklute and Evelyn Cisneros-Legate on the Dancer Training Pipeline | 05 Aug 2026 | 01:12:23 | |
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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:
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| SMU's Carter Alexander on Training Versatile Dancers | 29 Jul 2026 | 01:24:30 | |
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:
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| The Business of Ballet: Shane Jewell, Oregon Ballet Theatre | 22 Jul 2026 | 01:29:33 | |
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:
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| Peter Stark: When Is It Time to Leave Your Local Studio? | 15 Jul 2026 | 01:18:12 | |
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:
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| What It's Really Like to Send Your Teen to Full-Time Ballet Training: Part 2 | 08 Jul 2026 | 00:56:46 | |
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:
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| What It's Really Like to Send Your Teen to Full-Time Ballet Training: Part 1 | 01 Jul 2026 | 01:01:39 | |
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:
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| Riley Weber on Ballet Influencers and Brand Ambassadorships | 24 Jun 2026 | 01:15:01 | |
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:
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| Francis Veyette: What The Heck Does Potential, Facility and Body Type REALLY Mean? A Rerelease | 17 Jun 2026 | 01:07:36 | |
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:
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| From the Royal Ballet to K-Ballet Academy: Kenta Kura on Training Japan's Next Generation | 10 Jun 2026 | 01:10:28 | |
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:
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| Your Ballet Dancer Wants to Go to College. Now What? | 03 Jun 2026 | 01:14:28 | |
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:
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| What Does "Elite Ballet Training" Actually Mean for College Admissions? | 27 May 2026 | 01:05:36 | |
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:
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| Making the Most of Ballet Summer Intensives: A Parent's Guide | 20 May 2026 | 01:03:04 | |
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:
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| American Repertory Ballet Gets Real About the Pipeline | 13 May 2026 | 01:10:01 | |
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:
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| The Mental Toll of "Be Grateful You're Here" | 06 May 2026 | 01:28:41 | |
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:
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| Ballet's Bottom Line: Finances, Contracts, and the Fight for Dancer Rights | 29 Apr 2026 | 01:42:49 | |
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:
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| Train in Germany, Dance in Europe: The Palucca Path to a Professional Ballet Career | 22 Apr 2026 | 01:45:15 | |
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:
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| What Happens When You Choose Harvard Over the Company Contract | 15 Apr 2026 | 01:15:44 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk What happens when a dancer who traded pre-professional ballet training at the John Cranko School and the Joffrey Ballet Studio Company for a Harvard degree? Or when a dancer who received offers from the training programs at Joffrey, Colorado Ballet, and Philadelphia Ballet decides that college was always the plan? We sat down with Clara Thiele and Melinda Wang, co-directors of the Harvard Ballet Company, to explore one very compelling way to keep ballet in your life without a professional contract and the decisions that brought them to Cambridge and what they found when they got there. We talk about the moment Clara knew she was done auditioning, the very real grief of walking away from something you've built your identity around, and why Melinda is still grappling with the what-ifs even as a junior. We also dig into what the Harvard Ballet Company actually is: a 60-to-80-person, audition-based, collegiate ballet company that brings in choreographers from NYCB and SF Ballet, performs on a 500-seat stage, stages Balanchine repertoire, and somehow manages to keep ballet feeling joyful again. We also discuss the Ivy Ballet Exchange and the Beyond the Barre mentorship initiative. Links:
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| Zurich Dance Academy's Jason Beechey on Pre-Pro Training and the Future of Ballet | 08 Apr 2026 | 01:31:46 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk Jason Beechey has spent his career shaping pre-professional ballet training. After 18 years as rector of Palucca University of Dance in Dresden, he now serves as Director of Zurich Dance Academy and Head of Dance at the Zurich University of the Arts. He walks us through how Zurich Dance Academy actually works: the rotating teacher model, the health team, and how mental resilience, nutrition, and career management are woven directly into the curriculum as graded work, not afterthoughts. He also talks honestly about what happens after graduation, and how the school is helping students reframe auditions, develop self-awareness, and think beyond the same five companies everyone else is chasing. The conversation also touches on the cultural shifts reshaping the profession, and what ballet parents should know about sending a child to train at a European ballet conservatory. Links:
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| College vs. Postgrad: What One Nevada Ballet Dancer's Path Can Teach Us | 01 Apr 2026 | 00:51:01 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk What happens when a dancer skips the postgrad route entirely and still lands a professional contract? Paityn Lauzon, now in her fourth season as a company artist with Nevada Ballet Theatre, did exactly that. She grew up at a small competition studio in Arizona, turned down a spot at Joffrey New York at 14, and later chose Indiana University so she could study astrophysics alongside ballet. She dropped out during COVID, moved back home to Arizona, and used the year to fall back in love with ballet before returning to finish her degree. In this conversation, Paityn gets brutally honest about audition season (she emailed 50 companies), the mental toll of never hearing back, what a $350-a-week apprentice contract actually looks like, and why she holds four or five jobs simultaneously to make it work. She also talks about the surprising calm of professional company life, what it was like to sit at the AGMA negotiating table, and why she thinks the transition from "fix your technique" to "just be an artist" catches so many young dancers off guard. Links:
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| Are Swan Lake, Giselle and Sleeping Beauty Still Relevant? Fran Makes the Case | 26 Mar 2026 | 01:09:15 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk Timothee Chalamet said no one cares about ballet anymore. Fran Veyette disagrees. He's back on #NoThirds, and this episode goes deep into one of the most debated questions in the ballet world right now: are the classical, full-length ballets still relevant? Swan Lake. Giselle. Sleeping Beauty. Romeo and Juliet. These are the stories that have filled theaters for over a century. But in a world where audiences have shorter attention spans and higher expectations, do they still have something to say? Fran, a former principal dancer, choreographer, and rehearsal director who has actually danced these roles, makes a passionate and detailed case for why these ballets are not just beautiful spectacles but stories with real symbolic depth. Giselle is not a ghost story. It is about forgiveness and redemption. Sleeping Beauty is not about a princess being rescued. It is about the danger of naivete and what it means to wake up to the world. Romeo and Juliet is not a love story. It is a story about the consequences of your actions. Swan Lake is not just about swans. It is about captivity, tyranny, and the power of choosing your own path. Fran has built backstories for these characters, wrestled with their motivations on stage, and performed them in front of thousands of people. The way he talks about them may make you see these ballets differently the next time you sit in a theater. We also dig into the bigger industry debate around classical ballet programming, new works, ticket sales, and what audiences actually want. Not everyone agrees, and this conversation does not pretend otherwise. These stories can be timeless in their symbolism and still feel out of step to a contemporary audience. Both things can be true. Fran's take is but one point of view, and we know there are lots of opinions out there. That is exactly what makes this conversation worth having. We would love to hear where you land on this. Find us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok at Ballet Help Desk, or leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Links:
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| Pre-Pro to Professional Ballet Training | Jen Sommers of Houston Ballet Academy | 25 Mar 2026 | 01:26:47 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk How long can your dancer stay home before it starts to matter? It's one of the most common questions ballet parents face, and one of the most consequential. Jen Sommers, Director of Houston Ballet Academy, joins us to talk through exactly that, along with everything else families need to understand about the road from pre-professional training to a professional dance career. Jen is refreshingly direct about how much a company-affiliated environment matters, and it goes well beyond technique. We talk about what dancers gain from being adjacent to a professional company every day, from learning to pick up repertoire quickly and navigate casting to understanding what it actually feels like to be a working company member before they ever sign a contract. Pas de deux training, performance volume, and learning to function as part of an ensemble are all pieces that are hard to replicate outside of that environment. She doesn't sugarcoat where the gaps tend to show up when dancers arrive later than they should have, and she gets honest about how often dancers coming from local or regional programs actually end up in HB2 and what that picture really looks like. We also get into how HBA is structured from its youngest students all the way through HB2, what short-term stays are and what they mean for families navigating the admissions process, and what the pipeline from Pro 2 to HB2 to company really looks like. Links:
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| Gavin Larsen: Infinite Steps and the Truth About Ballet Careers | 18 Mar 2026 | 01:12:33 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk 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, grew out of a collaboration with longtime ABT staff photographer Gene Schiavone, who wanted the dancers behind his archive of images to be truly known, not just catalogued. In this conversation, Gavin sits down with us to talk about what surprised her while interviewing 33 dancers across generations and companies, why she thinks the Plan B conversation puts unfair pressure on students, and what she believes is the real cost of a ballet career that doesn't get talked about nearly enough. Hint: it's not the blisters. She also shares her take on the job market then versus now, what parents consistently get wrong, and why she finds it genuinely hopeful that kids keep walking into plain rooms, leaving their phones outside, and putting their ballet shoes on. Infinite Steps is available now wherever books are sold. Links:
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| Dancer Stories: Charlotte Junge of Madison Ballet on Going Pro, Paying Rent, and Finding Yourself | 11 Mar 2026 | 01:21:48 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk 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 Boston Ballet School through the height of COVID, to landing her contract via an Instagram DM from Artistic Director Ja' Malik. But the conversation doesn't stop at the audition story. Charlotte gets refreshingly honest about the financial realities of dancing at a smaller non-union company, the side jobs it takes to make rent, and the performance anxiety that caught her completely off guard once she turned professional. She also talks about how becoming a certified Pilates instructor gave her a second career path, a deeper understanding of her own body, and something she didn't expect: a sense of identity outside the studio. Charlotte's story is a masterclass in resilience, self-awareness, and figuring it out one season at a time. Links:
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| Madison Ballet's Ja'Malik Is Done with the Old Way | 04 Mar 2026 | 01:25:35 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk 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 School, the Ailey school, and North Carolina Dance Theater before landing him in the director's chair in Wisconsin. He talks about what it was like to grow up in ballet without seeing anyone who looked like him on stage, what finally changed that, and why he's determined to make sure the next generation doesn't have the same experience. We also dig into the harder stuff: the culture of fear in the studio, what it means to actually lead with mental health in mind rather than just put it on a poster, the very real challenge of getting boys through the door, and why ballet companies cannot survive on the same loyal audience forever. Oh, and he's also running the school, the marketing, and the development. The man does not sleep. Links:
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| #NoThirds: Bullying in Ballet: The Lobby, the Queen Bee & You | 26 Feb 2026 | 01:37:51 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk 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. Lobby politics, ballet parents behaving badly, peer conflict between students, nepotism at the dance studio, and yes, that one kid who thinks the entire barre belongs to her. We also tackle some bigger questions: how do you know when a ballet training environment has turned toxic? What do you do when your dancer is being bullied by a classmate, a teacher's pet, or even another parent? And what does any of this have to do with your own stress and mental health? The conversation we didn't expect to have and couldn't stop having was about you, the ballet parent, and the stress that quietly leaks onto everyone around you without you even realizing it. If you're new here, start with Parts 1 through 3 first as this series builds on itself. Links:
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| Elena Kunikova on Teaching, Training, and the Art of Ballet | 25 Feb 2026 | 00:51:32 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk 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 generous enough to share it. In this episode, we talk about what serious Vaganova method training actually looks like from the inside, why character dance matters more than most ballet training programs realize, and how the pandemic turned her into one of the most sought-after online ballet coaches working today. We also get into the questions ballet parents of pre-professional dancers tend to lose sleep over: when to start thinking about a professional path, whether early specialization in one style helps or hurts, and what it actually means to teach a student how to work. Elena has been in ballet for, as she puts it, about 300 years. She has the stories to prove it. Interested in working with Elena? Learn more here. Links:
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| #NoThirds: Bullying in Ballet: Addressing Weight Comments and Abusive Language in Ballet Training | 19 Feb 2026 | 01:30:43 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk 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 educator Suzette Takei give parents the exact roadmap for addressing these issues at ballet schools and pre-professional programs. Kelsey, who specializes in eating disorders and works with Houston Ballet Academy, explains why pre-professional students should never be put on diets, what questions to ask about a studio's approach to body image, and how to tell the difference between giving corrections and promoting disordered eating. She shares specific language for approaching ballet teachers and administrators, starting with curiosity instead of accusations. We dig into the real fears ballet parents have about speaking up. Will your kid get blackballed from summer intensives or trainee programs? How do you know when to stay and when to run? Suzette and Kelsey walk through scenarios and discuss cultural and generational differences that can complicate conversations with non-native English speaking faculty. The episode covers handling abusive language from ballet instructors, including when teachers single out students in class. We talk about how bystander parents can step in even when it's not their kid being targeted, how to teach young dancers to set boundaries around body comments, and why building supportive lobby culture matters. Suzette and Kelsey also address why anxious, perfectionistic ballet students struggle to speak up and how therapy can help dancers build their mental toolkit before problems escalate. If you've ever felt paralyzed about confronting a problem at your ballet studio or pre-professional program, this episode gives you the questions to ask and the confidence to advocate for your child's physical and mental health. Links:
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| How Ballet Austin Built a Post-Grad Program That Actually Works | 18 Feb 2026 | 01:30:43 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk 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 company. Michelle doesn't sugarcoat anything. She talks about why Ballet Austin kept their academy as an after-school program instead of going the full-time route, how the rise of post-grad programs has changed the industry, and what families need to know when they're researching trainee programs. Spoiler: not all programs are created equal, and some are designed more as revenue drivers than genuine training opportunities. This interview gets into the practical stuff parents want to know. Do dancers really need full-time day programs in high school? What's the actual difference between Butler Fellows (focused on training) and Ballet Austin TWO (focused on performance)? How many dancers move up through each level, and where do they go if they don't? Michelle shares the numbers and the reality behind them. We also talk about things you don't usually hear artistic directors discuss openly: why they do phone interviews before auditions, what they're actually looking for when they cast, how to be a good understudy, and why normalizing different definitions of success matters. Plus, Michelle shares what Ballet Austin learned from a major Wallace Foundation grant about building audiences for contemporary work. Interested in auditioning for Ballet Austin? Ballet Austin recruits dancers for the Butler Fellowship Program through their online Company Audition portal and through our Summer Intensive Program. Ballet Austin recruits dancers for Ballet Austin TWO through their online Company Audition portal. Links:
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| Tights Under: Going Pro with LeeAnaca Moore and Natalie Bowman | 11 Feb 2026 | 01:04:40 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk LeeAnaca "Lee" Moore (Pacific Northwest Ballet) and Natalie Bowman (St. Louis Ballet) are the duo behind Tights Under, the popular social media account showcasing the realities of pre-professional and professional ballet life. In this episode, Lee and Natalie get candid about their journeys from training to landing their first professional contracts. They discuss the pivotal moments that shaped their careers, including their transformative (and humbling) experiences at PNB's Professional Division program — where pointe shoes at the barre at 8:30 AM became the new normal. The conversation covers the biggest adjustments from student to professional life, from navigating company class dynamics to finally having a "place" instead of constantly fighting for your spot. They're refreshingly honest about early career finances, the reality of needing parental support, and what it takes to make a dancer's salary work. Lee and Natalie also share the origin story of Tights Under — how boredom backstage during Swan Lake sparked what became a brand — and what it takes to maintain their content while dancing full-time. They offer practical advice for aspiring dancers interested in building their own social media presence, emphasizing authenticity over perfection. From memorable mentorship advice like "dance like you smell good" to their ballet Mount Rushmores, this conversation offers an honest look at what it really takes to go pro. Links:
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| Lynne Charles on English National Ballet School's GAP Programme | 04 Feb 2026 | 01:21:45 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk Lynne Charles, Artistic Director of English National Ballet School, discusses the school's new Graduate Artist Programme (GAP), a postgraduate program that combines performing with English National Ballet and continued education. Unlike traditional programs where students serve as "free labor," GAP dancers perform with the company while continuing ballet, repertoire, strength training, and audition prep. Lynne shares how ENBS prepares students for professional life, from teaching them to research companies and understand the difference between repertory and choreographer companies, to building sustainable careers through community over competition. She also discusses creating the 4 Pointe method, a holistic approach to pointe work that's reduced injuries by 48% at BYU, and her stance against early competition culture and starting pointe before age 12. Lynne offers refreshingly direct advice on honest teaching, helping dancers showcase their strengths in auditions, and finding companies where they'll thrive. Plus: the school's robust health and wellbeing protocols, the "no phones in the studio" policy, why repertoire class builds community better than variations class, and why being in the corps de ballet is a rite of passage, not a punishment. KEY TOPICS:
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| Encore: #NoThirds Mailbag with Fran Veyette (Extended Episode) | 29 Jan 2026 | 02:02:50 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk 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 when dancers date (and break up), the truth about dogs in the studio, how respect and awareness shape auditions, why community matters, and what young dancers should know about contracts and career readiness. We've combined Parts 1 and 2 into one LONG episode, so settle in for the full Fran experience. Interested in working with Fran at Veyette Virtual Ballet School? Check out our Back to Dance Guide for an exclusive discount. Links:
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| CiCi Houston Sudholt on Saint Louis Ballet's Career Pipeline | 28 Jan 2026 | 01:22:17 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk CiCi Houston-Sudholt, Rehearsal Director at Saint Louis Ballet, discusses the organization's unique approach to dance education that puts students at the center. From integrating all levels of training to tailoring performance opportunities based on individual goals, Saint Louis Ballet adapts to each dancer's needs and aspirations. In this conversation, CiCi explains the structure of the trainee program and how it prepares dancers for professional careers. We discuss what makes Saint Louis Ballet's second company unique: dancers are part of AGMA and receive full union protections, which sets this program apart from many other post-graduate options. CiCi also discusses how the school balances academics with intensive training, their evolving recruitment and audition processes, and what they look for in prospective students. We explore performance opportunities available to students, how the school encourages dancers to find their own balance between dance and other commitments, and the emphasis on communication and accountability throughout the training process. If you're trying to understand what post-graduate pathways look like or evaluating whether a student-centered training environment is right for your dancer, this conversation offers practical insight into how Saint Louis Ballet structures their programs. Links:
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| We Asked, You Answered: Survey Results and What's Changing | 22 Jan 2026 | 00:29:11 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk 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: what's working (our honest questioning, insider information, and ballet parent perspective), what we're fixing immediately (audio quality, ad transitions, and tighter editing), and what topics you want more of (younger dancers, international training, and financial transparency). We're also introducing new formats like Q&A episodes and expanding our content for parents of younger dancers just starting the journey. This is a transparent conversation about what we're doing well, what we're changing, and what's coming next. Thank you to everyone who participated. This podcast exists because of you, and we're committed to making it better. Links:
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| Dancer Story: Jayda Hazelett on the College Route to Pro Dancer | 21 Jan 2026 | 01:04:50 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk Jayda Hazelett didn't follow the traditional pre-professional boarding school path to a ballet company. The Ballet Hartford corps member grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, trained locally at Project Ballet, attended summer intensives, and chose to pursue college at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music before entering the professional world. In this Dancer Story, Jayda shares why she chose to stay home for training, how summer intensives supplemented her education, and what the college ballet experience gave her. We also discuss the challenges of pursuing a professional career, the importance of mentorship, pivotal moments that shaped her path, mental health in ballet, and her future aspirations including dreams of Broadway. After graduating in 2024, Jayda joined Ballet Hartford as an apprentice and was recently promoted to the corps for the 2025-2026 season. If you're wondering whether staying local or choosing the college route means giving up on a professional career, Jayda's story proves there's more than one path forward. Links:
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| Paulo Arrais on Ballet Training That Honors the Whole Dancer | 14 Jan 2026 | 01:20:18 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk What does it mean to train dancers without "training them out of being natural"? For Paulo Arrais, founder of Arrais Ballet School in Boston, that question shaped his entire approach to teaching. A former principal dancer with Boston Ballet, Paulo saw gaps in traditional ballet training: rigidity over artistry, pressure over presence. He decided to build a school that addressed them. In this episode, he walks us through his journey from student to performer to educator, the core values that define his school, and how he helps students navigate everything from technical growth to postgraduate ballet training decisions. We also dive into the unique challenges boys face in ballet, how independent schools fit into the larger training ecosystem, and what Paulo believes needs to change in ballet education. This is a candid, grounded conversation about preparing dancers for sustainable, meaningful careers. If you're exploring pre-professional ballet programs, preparing for ballet auditions, or curious about career pathways in classical ballet, this conversation offers insight into what thoughtful ballet education looks like today. Learn more about the 2026 Summer Intensive here.
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| Joshua Beamish & Crystal Costa: Ballet Vancouver | 07 Jan 2026 | 01:23:08 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk Joshua Beamish and Crystal Costa are building something new in the ballet world. Ballet Vancouver 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 company at just 17 years old and the 20-year journey that led him here. Crystal shares how she got involved and her work helping dancers understand the realities of a professional career through her workshop, Dance as a Profession. We cover their personal dance journeys, the hardest parts of their training, and the fork-in-the-road moments that shaped their paths. They also open up about what they'd change about ballet training if they could, and things they wish all ballet students knew about pursuing this career. Looking ahead, Joshua and Crystal reveal what will make Ballet Vancouver different from other companies, their plans for a summer intensive in 2026 and what they're looking for when hiring dancers. They also discuss their innovative structure combining guest artists, guest companies, and local performers and explain how they're funding this ambitious new venture. If you're curious about what it takes to start a ballet company from scratch, or you're a dancer wondering what artistic directors look for, this conversation offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at building the future of ballet. Links:
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| Peter Stark on the State of the Ballet Job Market: A Rerelease | 31 Dec 2025 | 01:09:37 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk 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 ballet auditions, what trainee programs look for, and how to stand out as you transition from ballet student to professional dancer. Links:
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| Jenny's Favorite Episode - Abbey's 1st Contract | 26 Dec 2025 | 00:16:34 | |
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk 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 Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. After a last-minute decision to attend the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Company Experience, Abbey's unexpected journey underscores the importance of seizing opportunities—you never know where they might lead! Learn more about Pittsburgh Ballet Theater on their website. Interested in following Abbey's career? You can find her on Instagram @abbeyahuang Links:
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