A Tale of Love Between Two Companies

Two ballet companies, both alike in dignity,

In fair New York City where we lay our scene,

...a pair of star-cross'd lovers meet and fall in love. 

Photo of Lincoln Center in New York City including The David H. Koch Theater (left) and The Metropolitan Opera House (right).

Please excuse the butchering of the prologue of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (with certain modifications by me), but the following story is a tale of two ballet dancers from rival New York based ballet companies and their love story. I promise this one has a happy ending! (Well so far, at least.) 

Once upon a time, there was a man who danced in American Ballet Theater. Let's call him "J." He was thirty years old, devastatingly handsome, charming, and not to mention a great ballet dancer. He had recently returned to the stage after an injury that almost ended his dance career prematurely. He made a full recovery and was back to his glory on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House in Lincoln Center. 

Enter a woman, a brand new dancer with the New York City Ballet. Let's call her "K." She had big eyes that soaked up her new environment like a sponge. She was only twenty years old and had her whole career in front of her at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater. Little did she know that the love of her life was just across the plaza. 

K and J finally met one fateful night on the roof of a friend's apartment building. They were introduced by a mutual friend. They flirted a little but to no end, because K was intimidated by J's status, and J didn't want to get involved with a younger girl at that point in his life.

However, fate kept bringing them together. They continued to casually bump into each other at the neighborhood dancer hangout, until one night they exchanged numbers. Then they kept bumping into each other on purpose, while still playing it cool (of course). 

In January of 2010, K invited J to her friend's 21st birthday party. It was an innocent invitation, or so K thought. J however, thought she extended the invite because she wanted him there as her romantic interest. All in all, by the end of the night they decided to go on their first date. 

After their first date they couldn't get enough of each other. They shared a lot of interests. Obviously their love for ballet being one, and they enjoyed debating about different ballet styles and techniques into the wee hours of the night. It was exciting, because it was somewhat of a forbidden love. 

Cross company dating barely happens. The reason is that the two companies have completely different performance schedules and every spring ABT and NYCB compete in Lincoln Center. Both ballet companies perform every spring in Lincoln Center right across the plaza from each other. They share the same audience members and every night it is a competition to see who sells the most tickets, and who has the best show. 

It was difficult at first. They had to learn how to mesh their friend groups from both companies. They also had to learn how to balance their work schedules, so they could schedule date nights. But they loved each other, and always found time for each other. K and J discovered that they actually had the best of both worlds. They shared the same experiences of company life, but they didn't have to work together. They could keep their work lives separate, but they each understood the sacrifices necessary to work for a major professional ballet company. It was the perfect match. 

Eventually J retired and K supported him through his career transition. The relationship has continued happily for eight years. Finally (said all of their friends and family) in April 2018, J asked K for her hand in marriage. And they lived happily ever after!

Vale Jewelry 

The key to their success you ask? They claim it is because they both have a passion for ballet and understand the stresses of working in a major ballet company, but they never worked together. They have the luxury of sharing in the same crazy ballet world, but they always left their personal lives at home, instead of dragging it into the office everyday. 

The moral of this story is DO NOT DATE WITHIN YOUR OWN DANCE COMPANY. Just don't do it. It barely ever works out. I have seen many a work relationship crumble in front of my eyes. They get sick of each other, because they spend all day, every day, together. I believe it is important in a relationship to be your own self. To have to have your own interests and your own passions. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. That saying was developed for a reason.

I realize the temptation is almost too hard to resist. You are kept in close quarters with other company members all day long. There is touching and emotions are always running high. It is also super convenient to date somebody you work with, because you don't have to put yourself out there on your one night off, and you don't have to arrange your schedule to make time for them. 

However, if you learn anything from this, my true love story, learn that it is possible to find love outside of the company. It doesn't have to be a dancer from another company it could be somebody in finance or a rockstar. Either way, just please don't dip your pen into the company ink. It isn't worth the pain and heartbreak. And remember if you break up, you still have to dance alongside that person every day. 

Make the extra effort to find the person that is right for you. It is possible to have it all!  

Where to Find New York City Ballet Dancers this Summer

It's summer, which means most professional dancers are on break, aka laid off from their yearly contracts. I'm not kidding. Dancers are typically laid off from their jobs during the summer without pay, due to lack of work. Most New Yorker socialites are either off in the Hamptons or on a vacation somewhere fancy and therefore not attending the ballet. 

When dancers are laid off, they either go on vacation and collect unemployment, or look for paying gigs. Don't worry though, most dancers do well and some of these gigs are pretty fabulous. And if you (my lovely audience) are in the right place at the right time, you might be able to catch some incredible dancers on an intimate stage. Here is a guide as to where to find New York City Ballet dancers this summer:

• Ballet Collective: Ballet Collective was started by choreographer and soloist with the New York City Ballet, Troy Schumacher. This is their fourth year at their Telluride, CO residency. They are performing there July 23rd-28th. Dancers include soloist Sean Souzzi and also corps de ballet members Chris Grant and Mimi Staker, just to name a few. They are also headed to the Museo Guggenheim Bilbao on August 21st and 22nd for the museum's Works and Process program.

Ballet Collective Dancers in performance. 

• Nantucket Atheneum Dance Festival : This is a fantastic gig coordinated by the one and only Tyler Angle, a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. The events and performances began on July 23th and end on July 28th. You will find huge names here and fantastic repertoire. Superstars from NYCB like Sara Mearns, Jared Angle and Maria Kowroski will be there, as well as soloists Lauren King and Sara Adams, and corps de ballet members Meagan Mann, Lydia Wellington, Ralph Ippolito, Andrew Scordato, Daniel Applebaum, Devin Alberda, and Meaghan Dutton-O'Hara. Dancers from other dance companies will also be in attendance. If you are in Nantucket this is a MUST SEE performance. 

Dancers Sara Mearns and Tyler Angle/

• Vail Dance Festival: This dance festival takes place in Vail, CO and is curated by Damian Woetzel and his wife, Heather Watts. Both of whom are former principal dancers with the New York City Ballet. This festival begins July 28th and extends through August 11th. Tiler Peck is always in attendance here, as well as Lauren Lovette, Jared Angle, Miriam Miller, Daniel Applebaum, Preston Chamblee, Roman Mejia, and Unity Phelan. These are the only New York City Ballet dancers that they listed on their website, but I am sure others will be in attendance as well. Not to mention, that the biggest ballet superstars tend to gather here every summer. 

Lauren Lovette featured in a Vail Dance Festival advertisement.

• New York City Ballet in Copenhagen: Part of the company goes on tour to our European home in Copenhagen, Denmark. We will be performing all of our best rep from the classics to the new stuff, and all that goes in between. We are only performing at the Tivoli Garden Theater between August 15th-19th. If you are in the area during that time, buy the tickets now because they are almost sold out!

Tivoli Gardens at dusk. 

• Guild Hall: The Guild Hall Theater is located in East Hampton, NY and hosts a one night only performance exclusively featuring New York City Ballet Dancers. This year they are celebrating Jerome Robbins and his legacy. I don't know who is on the roster as of yet, but the show is curated by Jared Angle, and he has fantastic taste in dancers and repertoire. The show is taking place on Friday, August 24th at 8pm. 

Dancers Tiler Peck, Sara Mearns, and Brittany Pollack in Jerome Robbins' Dances at a Gathering.

• Stars of American Ballet at Jacob's Pillow: Stars of American Ballet is Daniel Ulbricht's touring gig company. They have shows all over the US during NYCB layoffs and are headed to Jacob's Pillow August 22nd-26th. These performances will also honor Jerome Robbin's legacy, and will feature some of New York City Ballet's best and brightest. Interplay is one of the ballets that will be performed there and it features the rising stars of the corps de ballet and soloists. And guess what? I'll be there too! 

Photo of Interplay featuring yours truly, in yellow. 

These are just a few of the most prominent gigs featuring more than one New York City Ballet dancer at each event. There are other gigs happening, but they tend to just feature one NYCB principal among other ballet stars. For example, I know Ashley Bouder is in Lake Tahoe right now at their dance festival, but I believe she is the only one bearing the NYCB title. If you want to get the most NYCB bang for your buck, head to the suggestions listed above. 

I realize that some of these places are extravagant, but it is summer. Live a little! If you happen to be in the area, treat yourself to one of these performances. I promise you will not be disappointed. 

The Future of Ballet As Told By Center Stage

When the movie Center Stage premiered, I was an eleven year old budding ballerina. Little did I know at that time, that I would be on my way to the school that inspired the film, the School of American Ballet. 

This poster brings back so many good memories!

By the time I was sixteen, the film was a cult classic in the ballet world. We would watch the movie on loop in the dorms, because the dancers in the film were superstars in the ballet world, dancers like Ethan Stiefel, Sascha Radetsky, and Julie Kent. Also recognizable in the background were New York City Ballet dancers Janie Taylor, Jared Angle, Craig Hall, Rebecca Krohn and Jonathan Stafford. We simply couldn't get enough of their younger selves personified on the big screen. 

Now as a corps de ballet member with the New York City Ballet, I've had the pleasure of meeting some of these superstar dancers both from ABT and NYCB. Not going to lie, I maybe freaked out a little the first time I met some of them. After speaking with them about the movie (because I just had to bring it up), I became aware that this film only speaks to a certain generation (Millennials). The Gen X dancers were either in the film or already involved in their own careers to appreciate it. And the Gen Z dancers are streaming dance documentaries with the click of an Apple TV remote. 

So why does this movie speak only to Millennials? Well for starters it is because of the reason I listed above, massive principal dancer star power. Second, as a former student of the School of American Ballet, it feels like I actually lived it. While I was a student, a principal dancer was secretly dating a student just like in the movie, and a mom of an advanced student was working on the administrative side of the artistic staff just like in the movie. Crazy right? Third, there were common themes like anorexia, bulimia, the stresses of preparing for the Workshop, wondering if you were going to get a spot in the company, dating for the first time, and experiencing life as a teenager in the city. This movie spoke to us as Millennial teenagers going through this process, and while reminiscing, I couldn't be happier that we found something to relate to in this crazy world. 

After reflecting fondly on this movie, I decided to watch it again this summer. I followed my own advice from a former post, Summer Ballet Fix, and watched a silly movie with some of my closest friends while we shared a house on tour in Saratoga Springs. 

Well let me tell you, this movie is better now than it was when I first watched it! You want to know why? Well, I noticed that three out of the four members of the New York City Ballet interim team are in the movie. Yes, you heard me right. Three out of four of my current bosses are dancers in the background of my favorite film, and it was a hoot to watch them as innocent young dancers, with no idea of what's to come. 

Jonathan Stafford, Rebecca Krohn, and Craig Hall (Justin Peck is a Millenial so therefore not in the film) the current members of the New York City Ballet interim leadership team, were semi featured in the film. Jonathan, the leader of the team, is memorable for marking (step touch, step touch, pas de bourrée, double pirouette) in the back of Cooper Nielson's new ballet for the student workshop. Rebecca Krohn was in the background of all the ballet classes and performances as we as Craig Hall. 

This got me thinking. Does Center Stage tell the future of ballet? Was the film wise beyond it's years? Did the casting agents realize the true potential of some of these dancers? There are so many future professional dancers in that film just starting out, that grow up to be superstars. Not to mention the three members of the interim team that are currently now leading the New York City Ballet. Who would have thought?

Since Center Stage, no other ballet film had that much star power from different ballet companies all over the United States. Who knows if it was the film, or if at that time there was a burst in talent in the ballet world. Either way the film showed us the future and we didn't even realize it. The "students" in Center Stage are now leading professional ballet companies. The future of ballet was right there on the silver screen and we had no idea!

Thank you for indulging my love of Center Stage and also my crazy conspiracy theories about how the film was foreshadowing the future of ballet while also acting as a guide for my young teenage self. Needless to say, I still recommend it to every budding ballerina and male dancer. You can learn a lot about this crazy world, while also watching some ballet superstars in their awkward teenage years. It's the perfect package. 

How To Bang Your Pointe Shoes Properly

Pointe Shoes. They are every little ballerina's dream, but every foot's worst nightmare. Sometimes it seems like they were made just to torture those little piggies. Luckily, tricks of the trade have been passed down by generations of ballerinas to help us break them in, so they submit to our will. 

One trick that I learned when I joined the New York City Ballet was how to bang my shoes. THIS IS MAYBE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ANY BALLERINA CAN LEARN! I cannot stress that enough. Ballet is a silent art form, it should be seen and not heard. The audience should only hear the gorgeous music from the orchestra pit, not the clunky sound of pointe shoes. 

I believe that the sound of pointe shoes on the "Marley" floor, ruins a performance. It ruins the magic. Ballerinas should be weightless and without effort. Sounds  from their pointe shoes just makes them sound heavy. I mentioned this issue previously in my review of ABT's New Harlequinade. Sarah Lane's gorgeous performance was ruined for me, because of her loud shoes. This is something that can be easily prevented, and this post will help show you how. It may seem like a simple task, but there is some technique to it, so you can achieve the desired results. 

Step 1: 
Prepare your pointe shoes. Sew them, add extra glue to the tip (if needed), determine which one is left and which one is right, and try them on so you can hear the sound on the floor. If you add extra glue, make sure to add it in before you bang them. If added after banging, the box may feel warped when you put them back on. 

These are the pair I chose before my performance the other night, prepped and ready to bang. 

Step 2:

Choose desired wall or floor surface. This is an important step. In order to bang your shoes properly, you have to find a surface that is harder than the shoes. You would think that a normal wall would do the trick, but drywall (the material used for walls in a house or apartment) is actually pretty soft and the force of the shoe can end up ruining your walls. I like to use a cement wall or floor. I prefer a wall to a floor because you can get more power, but sometimes a cement floor is the only thing available (like a sidewalk for example). 

Helpful Hint: Make sure to ask for permission from the stage manager before you bang your shoes against the walls! 

I picked this lovely grey colored concrete brick wall in the Saratoga Performing Arts Center this past week before an evening performance. This type of wall is easy to find in a theater but not so easy to find in a studio or residence. 

Step 3:

Analyze the shoes. Look at the box and observe the sharp edges. The part of the shoe that hits the floor is the bottom edge and the bottom corners of the box. You want to make sure to bang only those parts. You can weaken the structure of the box if you hit the shoe closer to the front or on top. 

Using a photo of my shoe, I highlighted the areas of the box you want to focus on. Your goal is to soften those edges so they aren't as sharp, slippery and loud. 

Step 4:

Bang your shoes against that wall! Make sure to listen intermittently between hits so that you don't soften them too much. Also make sure to focus evenly on the parts of the shoe mentioned above. Brace yourself and really go at it. You have to really hit them against that wall.

Here is a video of me banging my shoes before a performance. Notice how I keep rotating the shoe in my hand to make sure I hit all of the bottom edges. Also notice that this is a strenuous task. You really have to hit that wall!

Step 5:

Check out the finished product. Look at the box and see if the edges are softened. Bang the shoes very lightly against the wall and listen to see if they are indeed quieter than before. Try them on and feel the difference. Use your senses here. 

The photo on the left is the finished product. Some of the grey paint ended up on my shoe which is great, because you can see where I banged them against the wall. 

The photo on the right illustrates the newly rounded edges. Now the box is softer and I am able to feel the floor better. 








Step 6:
Enjoy your sound free pointe shoes. Float on the surface of the "marley" without a sound!

I understand that this may seem like a simple task. However, you have to mold this process to suit you. For example, if you dance more on your front toe then maybe you should focus on only banging the pinky toe and bottom edge of the shoe and not the big toe side. If the shoe is warped than you can use the wall to shape the shoe better to your needs depending on fit. Once you have the basics down then you can personalize the process to suit you. 

WARNING: Many people do not like the sound of this process. It is very annoying and disruptive. Make sure to be conscious of those around you. Never ever bang your shoes during a performance. Stick to intermissions and pre-performance time. 

Now that you have all the tools comment below and share your process. Is there anything you do differently? Share some videos, I would love to see them. Let's make shoe banging go viral! 

Bessie Awards Nominees

Thanks to Sara Mearns and her Instagram account (@saramearns), we just found out that The Bessies nominees were recently announced for 2018. In case you didn't know, The Bessies are basically New York's version of the Benois de la Danse awards, that I mentioned a few weeks ago in a post titled Ballet Oscars. To break it down further, The Bessies are a little more regional than the Ballet Oscars, and a little less Russian. 

Sara Mearns, a star in the New York dance world for some time now and also principal dancer with New York City Ballet, was nominated for Outstanding Performer. Below, I included all of the categories and nominations to help you stay up to date with your ballet gossip. So far, only the award for breakout choreographer has been given out. Not sure when the other winners will be announced. Or even if there are winners? I asked around and people have no idea whether being nominated is the award or if they actually pick a winner from each category. I also checked out their website (The Bessies) and it seems to me that being nominated is the award. But, if anybody knows for sure, please feel free to comment below. 

OUTSTANDING PERFORMER:

• Courtney cook
• Sustained achievement with Urban Bush Women, Maria Bauman, and Marguerite Hemmings
• DUANE CYRUS
• For his performance in Virago-Man Dem
• Choreographer: Cynthia Oliver
• BAM Fisher
• JULIAN BARNETT
• For Darkness Odyssey Pt 2:1 or Hallucination
• Choreographer: Kota Yamasaki
• Baryshnikov Arts Center
• SHAMAR WATT
• Sustained achievement with Nora Chipaumire
• WILLIAM ROBERSON
• For Indumba
• Choreographer: Fana Tshabalala
• BAM Fisher
• GERMAINE ACOGNY
• For Mon élue noire (My Black Chosen One): Sacre #2
• Choreographer: Olivier Dubois
• BAM Fisher
• ELIZABETH DEMENT
• 17CChoreographer: Big Dance Theater
• BAM Harvey
• KANEZA SCHAAL
• Petra 
• Choreographer: Dean Moss
• Performance Space New York
• LAUREL ATWELL
• ANTHEM
• Choreographer: Milka Djordjevich
• The Chocolate Factory
• SARA MEARNS
• For sustained achievement with New York City Ballet, and various artists
• JACQUELINE GREEN
• For sustained achievement with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
• ZOEY ANDERSON 
• For sustained achievement with Parsons Dance 

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION:

• Geoff Sobelle
• HOME
• BAM Harvey
• Hofesh Sheather
• Grand Finale
• BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
• Matthew Bourne 
• The Red Shoes
• New York City Center
• Bouchra Ouizguen
• Corbeaux (Crows)
• Brooklyn Museum CLF
• David Thomson 
• he his own mythical beast
• Performance Space New York
• Marjani Forté-Saunders
• Memoirs of a... Unicorn
• Collapsable Hole; Co-presenter: New York Live Arts
• Kota Yamazaki
• Darkness Odyssey Part 2:1 or Hallucination 
• Baryshnikov Arts Center
• Jonathan Gonzalez 
• ZERO
• Danspace Project
• Gillian Walsh
• Moon Fate Sin
• Danspace Project; Co-presenter: PERFORMA 17
• Jimmy Robert 
• Imitation of Lives
• The Glass House; Co-commission: PERFORMA 17
• Nami Yamamoto
• Headless Wolf
• Roulette 

2018 OUTSTANDING REVIVAL NOMINEES

• Early Shaker Spirituals
• The Wooster Group
• Performing Garage
• 40th Anniversary Retrospective
• Jane Comfort and Company 
• Ellen Stewart Theatre at La MaMa
• Rite of Spring
• Pina Bausch 
• BAM Howard Gilman Opera House

OUTSTANDING NY DANCE AND PERFORMANCE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING “BREAKOUT” CHOREOGRAPHER (*INDICATES AWARD RECIPIENT)

Hadar Ahuvia
Hadar Ahuvia bravely interrogates the complex and fraught history of Israeli folk dance’s past and present through innovative, contemporary techniques that integrate dance, video, text and the audience. “Everything You Have is Yours” is startling, very funny, beautiful, and starkly moving.

Lauren Lovette
Lauren Lovette is an inspired, theatrical, boundary breaking choreographer who has created acclaimed ballets for New York City Ballet and The Vail Dance Festival. In her creations she is reimagining movement within the classical ballet structure.

Kyle Marshall
Kyle Marshall’s choreography works between dance forms and their many value systems to engage contemporary issues of identity on the concert stage. His use of rhythm and timing, a compelling, tight, visceral use of vocabulary, energy, and group work transports his dancers into different relationships and realities.

Mariana Valencia*
For seamlessly blending ethnography, memoir, and observation of cross-cultural identities in choreography that engages from start to finish. For a unique vision that uses humor and sadness, reality and imagination, to push dance and performance into new territory.

2018 JURIED BESSIE AWARD 

Kyle Marshall

OUTSTANDING VISUAL DESIGN:

• Black Kirby (John Jennings and Stacey Robinson) and John Boesche 
• Virago-Man Dem
• Choreographer: Cynthia Oliver
• BAM Fisher
• Wade Kavanaugh and Stephen B. Nguyen
• Keen (No. 2)
• Choreographer: Ivy Baldwin
• Abrons Art Center
• Mimi Lien, Peiyi Wong, Tuçe Yasak, and Richard Forté
• Memoirs of a... Unicorn
• Choreographer: Marjani Forté-Saunders
• Collapsible Hole; Co-presenter New York Live Arts
• Let Brotherston, Duncan McLean, and Paul Constable
• The Red Shoes
• Choreographer: Matthew Bourne
• New York City Center

2018 OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION / SOUND DESIGN NOMINEES

• Jeremy Toussaint-Baptiste
• Sustained achievement in music composition with choreographers Jaamil Olowale Kosoko, André M. Zachery/Renegade Performance Group, and Will Rawls
• Zen Jefferson
• Let 'im Move Your: This Is a Success and Let 'Im Move You: A Study
• Choreographers: jumatatu m. poè and Donte Beacham
• Abrons Art Center
• Alim Qasimov, Johnny Gandelsman, and Colin Jacobsen
• Layla & Majnun
• Choreographer: Mark Morris
• Rose Theater at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
• Ryan Seaton 
• What will we be like when we get there
• Choreographer: Joanna Kotze
• New York Live Arts

Let's watch the Bessies closely to see if there is actually an award ceremony. If there is, I would love to browse through the photos of all the ballerinas in designer dresses. If the nominees are indeed the winners as well, that is fantastic news. There are numerous incredible works performed in New York each year, I imagine it is hard to pick just one. I will keep you posted as soon as I find something out. Congratulations to all of the nominees and especially Mariana Valencia as Outstanding "Breakout" Choreographer. 

Interview with Michael Sean Breeden from Conversations on Dance

It seems like podcasts are all the rage these days in the ballet world. I think dancers tend to prefer that medium for expression instead of blogging, because it involves more of a performance than a blog. And, you know we love a good performance. Another reason is that podcasts involve a little less editing, which is helpful, especially after a long day in the studio. Whatever a dancer's reason may be, many have been starting their own podcasts and some of them are actually informative and fun to listen to. 

Following yesterday's post about my favorite blog, today I would like to tell you all about my favorite podcast, Conversations on Dance. This podcast was started by Rebecca King Ferraro and Michael Sean Breeden, both ex-dancers from Miami City Ballet. They use their platform to give a little insight into this crazy and beautiful world of ballet. They have interviewed everybody from principal dancers to choreographers on the rise. 

I emailed them a few days ago because I thought it would be fun to interview one of them for Bullet Pointes. Since they interview others all the time, I thought we could turn the tables and interview them for a change. To my surprise, Michael Sean Breeden responded right away and graciously took time out of his day to answer a few of my questions. Here is the full interview below. 

Bullet Pointes: First of all, whose idea was it to start Conversations on Dance? What prompted you to take on such an endeavor?

Michael: My co-host, Rebecca Ferraro, came up with the idea. She was cruising through iTunes one day, looking for a dance related podcast to listen to and realized that options were very thin. Rebecca and I had been hosting some of Miami City Ballet's pre-performance talks with the audience, discussing the ballets on the program and our role as performers in them. Rebecca realized that we could take that format to the podcasting world and hopefully bring some insight to our experience as dancers to those who might be interested. 

Rebecca King Ferraro and Michael Sean Breeden from Conversations on Dance 

Bullet Pointes: How did you build this podcast into what it is today? What did it look like at the start compared to what it is now? 

Michael: It mostly built pretty organically. For our early episodes, we asked friends of ours with prominence in the dance world to come talk about their experiences, like James Whiteside and Justin Peck. I think the interest surrounding these figures helped build some buzz about the podcast itself, and eventually we built a small but loyal following. 

I think what propelled us into what we are today is the generosity of one of our guests, Heather Watts. She had a positive experience on the podcast, and thought that we would be an asset for the Vail Dance Festival, in which she plays a major role curating and coaching. This laid the groundwork for future engagements with the Kennedy Center and San Francisco Ballet that have continued to bring exciting content to our listeners. We are extremely grateful to Heather for believing in us. 

Heather Watts in the Winter Section of Jerome Robbins' The Four Seasons

Bullet Pointes: What would you like to achieve with this platform?

Michael: One major hope Rebecca and I have is that through our podcast we are able to help aspiring dancers, and their parents, navigate through some of the more difficult or upsetting moments that a career in dance can present. If, through relaying my personal experiences as a corps member who was not handed an easy or simple path, I can help even one young dancer understand themselves a little better, or give them hope that persevering through their trials will be worth it in the end, then I'll consider the podcast a success.

Bullet Pointes: What is the process behind preparing for these interviews? 

Michael: Rebecca and I generally do research before, skimming through old articles or books that have been published about our subjects. Then, we will brainstorm together about questions that we personally might want answered. One thing that is unique about our podcast is that we are dancers ourselves, so we really lean into questions that make us tick, but ones that a typical writer might ignore.

Bullet Pointes: Who was the first person you interviewed? 

Michael: Leigh Witchel. He is a wonderful writer, with a great mind, and a long time friend of mine. I'm so glad he was our first guest. 

Leigh Witchel

Bullet Pointes: Which episode is your favorite and why? (You can list multiple episodes if you want.) 

Michael: Heather Watts, and not just because she has been so generous to us. She opened in a way that was brutally honest, almost shocking, and completely disarming. Rebecca and I were in tears. If someone who has never heard the podcast asks us for an episode to start with, we always say Heather.

Click this link for Heather Watts' episode from Conversations on Dance (Her episode made me cry too!)

Bullet Pointes: I might know the answer to this question, but who is your dream interviewee, dead or alive? 

Michael: George Balanchine. I think he's the greatest choreographer of all time, and dancing his ballets has given me the greatest joy of my life. I don't even know where I would begin. 

George Balanchine (By the way, I knew Michael would say him!)

Bullet Pointes: Can you tell us something you learned about the world of professional ballet that you didn’t already know? 

Michael: Maybe just that no one has an easy path? It's very easy to imagine that those at the top have never dealt with any of the same issues that corps de ballet members confront. So many major principals have told us of early rejections, major setbacks they had to push through in order to become who they are. 

Bullet Pointes: How did you spread the word about your podcast?

Michael: We knew that with zero budget our best chance to spread the word was to drum up positive word of mouth, so we simply focused on putting out the best product possible. We've been very lucky that the fans of the podcast have been vocally supportive of our show to others that would be interested as well. 

Bullet Pointes: Is there any advice you can give others trying to start a blog or podcast? 

Michael: I would say to focus on delivering the best content you can and be true to yourself. If you are trying to achieve a level of success, you'll only be distracted. People will respond to your genuine passion about the subject you are covering.

Michael and Rebecca definitely deliver fantastic content that speaks to dancers everywhere, from professionals to those just starting out in ballet. Seriously, head over to their website and listen to their podcast. This is not an ad! I just genuinely believe every dancer should be tuning in to hear this magic.