Two Two Guys

Kealan McLaughlin

The Two Two Guys podcast will take you deep into the world of ballet through the lens of professional ballet dancers.  Each week, Kealan will interview a fellow dancer and bring you a relaxed yet informative discussion, and a coveted peek into this often secretive art form.  They will explore difficult topics, tell light-hearted stories, and sometimes get derailed and forget what they started talking about in the first place. If you're a dance professional, student, hobbyist, or simply interested in the behind-the-scenes of the world of ballet, this podcast is for you. Kealan has danced around the world, most recently as a principal dancer with the Estonian National Ballet.  You can find us on Instagram, and Facebook @twotwoguys. Contact us at twotwoguyspod@gmail.com.

  1. 28/11/2021

    Episode 32: Dancers as Athletes of Art w/ Joseph Gatti

    Have we got a real bumper of an episode for YOU! This week the man—the myth—the legend, Joseph Gatti stopped by the pod, and oh did he bring it!! Topics include (but are not limited to) that time he invented a new pirouette combination at the NY IBC, stories of working with the great Fernando Bujones, the key to making your feet look better (that I guarantee you've never heard before), what it takes to run a company and why he chose to start his company United Ballet Theatre in 2018! Plus we go deep into the Gatti Method and talk about the ways he and United Ballet Theatre are changing the ballet world forever. Joseph Gatti is the founder and director of United Ballet Theatre (UBT) and United Ballet Theatre Academy (UBTA) in Orlando, FL. He has been a soloist with Boston Ballet, a principal with Cincinnati Ballet and Corella Ballet, guest principal with Orlando Ballet, and has danced in galas across the world and won numerous ballet competitions. Host: Kealan McLaughlin Guest: Joseph Gatti @BalletGatti @UnitedBalletTheatre @UBT.academy https://www.athletesofart.org/ Two Two Guys can be reached at: Instagram and Facebook: @twotwoguys Email: twotwoguyspod@gmail.com Leave a review! Send us a message! Let us know what topics are important to you! And if you can, take a few moments over the next few days to train your body in a different way than you're used to. They say variety is the spice of life ;)

    49 min
  2. 10/10/2021

    Episode 28: Part 2 w/ Ballerina-turned-conductor Maria Seletskaja

    We present to you Part 2 of our conversations with ballerina-turned-conductor Maria Seletskaja. On the previous episode we talked about the unique career transition that took her from performing lead roles on stage to leading the orchestra in front of the stage and discussed her upcoming debut conducting Swan Lake for the Estonian National Ballet. On this episode we hear about the performance mere hours after the curtain has closed, share feedback directly from the dancers in the performance, and probe further into the psyche of a conductor in these high-pressure moments. Maria has made the remarkable journey from dancing as a soloist ballerina with some of the leading ballet theatres in Europe to conducting across the globe with companies like the National Ballet of Canada, Royal Danish Ballet, and now her home theatre of the Estonian National Ballet. Join us for 2 conversations, both rich with insight, and learn about the intersection between the dancers and the orchestra from an artist unparalleled in her qualification. And make sure to listen to Part 1 if you haven't already! Host: Kealan McLaughlin Guest: Maria Seletskaja @mariaseletskaja Two Two Guys can be reached at: Instagram and Facebook: @twotwoguys Email: twotwoguyspod@gmail.com Leave a review! Send us a message! Let us know what topics are important to you! And if you can, take a few moments over the next few days to celebrate a win, big or small. The greatest results can come from the smallest beginnings.

    40 min
  3. 06/10/2021

    Episode 27: Part 1 w/ Ballerina-turned-conductor Maria Seletskaja

    SPECIAL MID-WEEK BONUS POD! This week on the show we are joined by ballerina-turned-conductor Maria Seletskaja. Currently Conductor-in-Residence at the National Ballet of Canada, and simultaneously preparing for debuts with Royal Danish Ballet and Estonian National Ballet, she actually began as a ballet dancer. During her 15-year ballet career she danced for companies like Staatsoper Berlin, Estonian National Ballet, and Royal Ballet of Flanders; yet it wasn't until she lifted the baton in her first production as a conductor that she felt she was where she belonged. Maria joins us on the eve of an auspicious premiere, as she returns home to Estonian National to conduct Swan Lake for the first time, in the same theatre where she premiered the roles of Odette/Odile 11 years ago. In this episode we discuss the difference between performing on stage as a dancer and standing in front of the stage as a conductor. Further, Maria explains how she was able to make this difficult transition, dishes on the challenges of leading an orchestra, and tells us how preparations are coming for her upcoming Swan Lake premiere. Make sure to come back on the weekend for Part 2 when we check in post-premiere and see how it all went! Host: Kealan McLaughlin Guest: Maria Seletskaja @mariaseletskaja Two Two Guys can be reached at: Instagram and Facebook: @twotwoguys Email: twotwoguyspod@gmail.com Leave a review! Send us a message! Let us know what topics are important to you! And if you can, take a few moments over the next few days to try something new. You never know how you'll feel about something until you try it.

    44 min

Sobre

The Two Two Guys podcast will take you deep into the world of ballet through the lens of professional ballet dancers.  Each week, Kealan will interview a fellow dancer and bring you a relaxed yet informative discussion, and a coveted peek into this often secretive art form.  They will explore difficult topics, tell light-hearted stories, and sometimes get derailed and forget what they started talking about in the first place. If you're a dance professional, student, hobbyist, or simply interested in the behind-the-scenes of the world of ballet, this podcast is for you. Kealan has danced around the world, most recently as a principal dancer with the Estonian National Ballet.  You can find us on Instagram, and Facebook @twotwoguys. Contact us at twotwoguyspod@gmail.com.