Ballet Help Desk Jenny Huang and Brett Gardner

In this episode, we revisit one of our earliest topics: "What would you have done differently as dance parents?" Join us as we reflect on our journey, sharing the mistakes we made and the invaluable lessons we learned along the way. Tune in for honest insights and practical advice for every ballet parent.
We'll also tackle other listener questions such as:
At what age should dancers start full-time training? How to gracefully decline an acceptance to summer programs. Strategies for financing ballet training. Links:
Ballet Help Desk Ballet Help Desk Summer Intensive Essentials Guide Support Ballet Help Desk Instagram: @BalletHelpDesk  
Music: #Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future
License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

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:
Ballet Help Desk Ballet Help Desk Summer Intensive Essentials Guide Support Ballet Help Desk Instagram: @BalletHelpDesk  
Music: #Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future
License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI
 

We're talking with Robert Fulton and Camille Kellems, both professional dancers and also RAs at ballet summer intensives. Get ready for a mix of insider info that's helpful for parents as well as hilarious anecdotes as Robert and Camille let us in on what really goes on behind the scenes. From dorm antics to practice mishaps, they’ve seen it all—and they're here to spill the tea. Whether your dancer is gearing up for their first intensive or they've been around the block a few times, you won't want to miss this candid and entertaining chat!
Robert and Camille are also the founders of Ballet Scout. You can learn more about what they do on their website.
Links:
Ballet Help Desk Ballet Help Desk Summer Intensive Essentials Guide Support Ballet Help Desk Instagram: @BalletHelpDesk  
Music: #Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future
License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

Tune in as we chat with Adam McKinney who has just finished his first year as artistic director of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Hear about McKinney's own background to learn how it impacted his career as a male ballet dancer and how it informs his leadership at PBT. We also got a sneak peek at McKinney's plans for the coming years, both in terms of programming as well as policies he's putting in place to help improve the lives of company dancers.
You can learn more about Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre on their website.
Links:
Ballet Help Desk Support Ballet Help Desk Instagram: @BalletHelpDesk

Join us as we talk with Alicia Graf Mack, the first person of color and the youngest ever to head the Dance Department at Juilliard. Our conversation covered not only how the program is structured, but also the current state of the job market, what Juilliard dancers do once they graduate as well as the school's cross-over academic program that allows students to take some academic classes at Columbia University. Ms Graf Mack also talked about one of their newer programs tailored for dancers ages 10-18 called the Juilliard Dance Experience. This program will take place in late fall 2025 in New York and on tour in a yet to be announced location. 
Learn more on Juilliard's website.
 
Links:
Ballet Help Desk Support Ballet Help Desk Instagram: @BalletHelpDesk

We're joined by Melonie Buchanan Murray, the Director of the School of Dance at the University of Utah. Our conversation covered a variety of areas, including the repertoire the dancers typically perform, admissions standards, the emphasis Ms. Murray puts on mental health awareness, how injuries affect grading and how students can get a BFA in Ballet that includes a teaching emphasis. She also let us in on the joint training program that the University of Utah has with Ballet West! Learn more about the dance program at https://www.dance.utah.edu/
Links:
Ballet Help Desk Support Ballet Help Desk Instagram: @BalletHelpDesk