Ballet Is Woman

George Balanchine used to say "ballet is woman." However, if ballet is woman, how come it doesn't always feel that way? 

Women are obviously at the forefront of the art form. Hence the famous quote from the founder of the New York City Ballet. George Balanchine himself always made the ballerina the star, and the men were placed there just to serve her. Also, most 'normal' people (aka non ballet dancers) visualize a ballerina as a woman in a tutu with her pointe shoes, not a male in tights. Let's also take note here, that there really isn't a name for a male ballet dancer in the English language. There is only the word 'ballerina,' and it is meant for the fairer sex. 

However, being that ballet is centered around the ballerina, how come there aren't a lot of females in leadership positions? Where are the female directors and female choreographers? The ballet world is mainly run by males. This issue is also more pronounced in the ballet world than in other forms of dance. Ballet is stuck in the past, and we need to push it forward into the 21st Century.

The discussion of gender is obviously a hot button issue nowadays. I already discussed the issue of gender within the ballet world with an earlier post about English National Ballet's first gender fluid ballerina. This was a discussion about gender fluidity. This current post is different. In this post, I would like to focus specifically on females and their leadership roles within the art form, or lack there of. The #MeToo movement brought the discussion of gender into our homes and also into our theaters. Now the ballet world needs to hold the mirror up to nature and needs to address their issues head on. And one of the biggest issues, is the lack of female choreographers. 

Who knows how we got here. Especially because back in the early days of ballet, there were influential females running the ballet world. For example, Catherine de Medici (wife of King Henry II of France) is credited with bringing ballet from Italy to France. If it wasn't for her influence and her generous patronage, King Henry XVI (The Sun King) would never have discovered the art form and it may have never developed into what it is today. 

Catherine de Medici

There were also multiple influential female choreographers in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. And that is saying a lot because women just earned their most basic civil rights in America in the 1920s. However, women were taken more seriously as choreographers then, than they are now in the 21st Century. 

Interesting right?

In the 1920s there was Bronislava Nijinska, who was a famous female choreographer with Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. Nijinska amongst the other greats from that era, like Balanchine, helped create the new movement that formed the neoclassical movement within the art form. 

Bronislava Nijinska

In Michael Cooper's article for The New York Times "Breaking the Glass Slipper: Where are the Female Choreographers?", he mentions other influential female choreographers like Ninette de Valois (pictured left) from the 1930s, and Agnes de Mille (pictured below) from the 1940s. Both created influential works that still exist today, especially Agnes de Mille. Her work Rodeo for American Ballet Theater is a pivotal work that is still performed by the company she created it on, and other companies throughout the world. 

Since the 1940s, there has been an overflow of male choreographers and barely any female choreographers following in the footsteps of their female predecessors. The hot new choreographers in the ballet world right now are Justin Peck, Alexei Ratmanksy, and Christopher Wheeldon. There are females trying to burst into the business but these three males have a stronghold and they are controlling the scene. Don't get me wrong, they all equally deserve the praise and attention because their choreography has proven to be fantastic and game-changing, but they have a monopoly that is preventing other females from earning the commissions. 

How do we fix that? Well there are three female choreographers that have made their mark, and I believe their new success is worth analyzing, to see if we can learn from them. 

• Crystal Pite: Crystal danced with Ballet Frankfurt while William Forsythe was the director, so obviously he must have been a big influence on her and her choreography. She made her first ballet in 2002 and created her most popular ballet Emergence for the National Ballet of Canada in 2009. This award winning ballet is so popular, that it has been danced by many other major ballet companies. 

Pacific Northwest Ballet performing Crystal Pite's Emergence

• Annabelle Lopez Ochoa: Annabelle has created works for 50 different major dance companies all over the world. Her most notable work is probably her first full-length ballet Streetcar that was both critically acclaimed and won awards as well. She is debatably, the most sought after female choreographer in the ballet world right now. 

Scottish Ballet performs Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's Streetcar

• Lauren Lovette: Lauren is worth mentioning because at the young age of 26 and all the while dancing full time as a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, she has already choreographed two major works at NYCB along with other notable works for schools and festivals. She is just starting out, but she is a force to reckon with. 

Lauren Lovette discusses being a choreographer

What all three of these women have in common, is that they were given a platform to explore their creativity. They were given a chance. They were nurtured by other choreographers. Also, some male choreographers actually used their male privilege to push their female protégés forward. We need to learn from this and we need to give more chances to other female choreographers. 

And you know what? Some companies are actually listening.  Several companies (hopefully it was for reasons other than good press) are starting their own choreographic initiatives that focus exclusively on female choreographers. 

American Ballet Theater announced in May that they plan to create The ABT Women's Movement which will support at least three new female choreographers each season. This grew out of an initiative that they already had which had already supported works by Lauren Lovette and other female choreographers. Even though this initiative is still in its early stages, it is promising. Especially since American Ballet Theater housed the famous Agnes de Mille, they needs to step it up and fill the void that she left behind with fresh new female talent. 

New York City Ballet is another company that started a female choreographer initiative after being panned in the press when their 2015 fall season featured five new choreographers that were all white and male. Since that wake up call, they developed a new initiative through their Choreographic Institute and The School of American Ballet. They are starting them young and nurturing the talent while the young women are still at the school, and still developing themselves as dancers and creative beings. 

It's a start but there is so much more to go. At least the dialogue has started. We also need to stop making excuses as for why there aren't many female choreographers. An article published in The New York Times by Gia Kourlas asked many leaders within the dance world both male and female why there is an absence of female choreographers and the answers were just one excuse after another. We need to stop pushing the blame onto others and take responsibility for our mistakes and push forward. 

Diversity of voices is key in any art form. Diversity of backgrounds and opinions can push any work of art to the next level. The female perspective is also important and should be valued in the ballet world. Because females are at the forefront of the art form they need to take charge of the narrative. It should be "ballet is woman" instead of "ballet is man's version of woman" as Pam Tonawitz (a female choreographer) has been quoted. 

Everybody can lend a helping hand to fix this issue. We can look to role models from the past like Catherine de Medici, Bronislava Nijinska, Ninette de Valois, and Agnes de Mille. We can look at the female choreographers from the 21st Century like Lauren Lovette, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Crystal Pite and follow their example. Male Choreographers like Justin Peck, Christopher Wheeldon, and Alexei Ratmansky can use their influence to nurture future talent. Directors of companies can take a chance on a female choreographers and dancers can treat them with the respect they deserve. 

All in all, I am happy the discussion has started. It means the change is starting. The most important thing is to keep the art form alive and to fill those seats with patrons every night. The art form needs to adapts to 21st Century audiences or it will die out when it's audience dies out. A way they can do that, is by incorporating diverse voices and diverse experiences on the stages every night, especially in New York. Everything on the New York stage needs to reflect the diversity of that great city. And right now, we are falling short. 

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. 

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.