Ballet Help Desk

Jenny Huang and Brett Gardner
  • 4.8 (113)
  • Performing Arts
  • Weekly

As parents, you play a crucial role in supporting your dancer's ballet path and we know navigating the world of ballet training can be challenging. The Ballet Help Desk podcast is here to help! Tune in for expert insights on supporting your student's ballet education. We cover key topics like summer intensives, ballet competitions, full-time and postgraduate training, health and wellness, boys in ballet and more. Hear valuable advice from leading professionals across the ballet world to help your dancer make the most informed decisions about their unique training path. Learn more at www.ballethelpdesk.com.

  1. 1d ago

    Does College Mean Giving Up Ballet? Columbia University's Student Ballet Company

    Get early access to ad-free episodes and exclusive panel discussions by joining our Patreon We sat down with Henry "Hank" Lichtmacher, Sreya Sathish-Kumar and JiaLi Deck, three members of the board of directors of the Columbia University Ballet Collective,   the school's oldest student-run ballet company, which is marking its 20th year. All came up through serious pre-professional training at places like Ellison Ballet, City Ballet San Francisco, ABT JKO and Houston Ballet II.  The three discussed how they raise most of a roughly $40,000 budget, rent theaters off campus and hire the choreographers who create new work for the company each semester.  Well-known choreographer, Justin Peck, staged one of his first works here. Off the stage, the company runs a free weekly class on campus, teaches ballet in New York City public schools and organizes the Ivy Ballet Exchange. We also talked about college applications. Most admissions readers don't know much about ballet, so how you describe your training, what goes in your dance supplement and who writes your recommendations all matter.They also shared how they handled the transition from full-time training to dancing as an extracurricular. JiaLi is now a dance major, while Hank and Sreya dance far less. Interestingly, all three told us that dance is more fun now than it was when they were in serious pre-pro training. CBC's fall gala is December 5 at the Ailey Citigroup Theater. Follow @columbia.ballet.collaborative for details. Links: Summer Intensive Boot Camp Submit Ballet Competition Reviews Read Our Ballet School Summer & Year-Round Reviews Instagram: @BalletHelpDesk Facebook: BalletHelpDesk TikTok: @BalletHelpDesk Chapters: 00:00:00 Meet Sreya, Hank and JiaLi 00:08:25 The dance major vs. extracurricular ballet 00:10:49 Why Sreya chose college over the pro route 00:15:42 Why Hank left Houston Ballet II for Columbia 00:21:38 What is the Columbia Ballet Collaborative? 00:24:21 Running a ballet company on a $40,000 budget 00:28:42 How CBC chooses choreographers 00:35:05 Who can join and how auditions work 00:37:50 The Ivy Ballet Exchange 00:40:14 Applying to college as a pre-pro dancer 00:41:54 Does elite training give you a leg up? 00:49:35 How did they have time for everything? 01:02:28 Leaving full-time training for college 01:10:57 Should you dial back ballet in high school? 01:12:32 Dance and identity in college 01:20:53 What they wish someone had told them 01:24:58 Columbia's other ballet companies 01:26:49 What stressed them out that seems silly now 01:32:49 Where to see CBC Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  2. 1d ago ·  Bonus

    You Might Like This Interview with Robert Greene: On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    Introducing Robert Greene: The Surprising Reason You Feel Unhappy Even When Life Is “Good” from On Purpose with Jay Shetty. Follow the show: On Purpose with Jay Shetty Bestselling author of The 48 Laws of Power and The Law of the Sublime, Robert Greene, joins Jay to explore why so many of us feel unfulfilled, even when we're achieving everything we thought we wanted. He opens up about the life-threatening stroke that changed his perspective and inspired his new book, and shares how reconnecting with our childhood interests can help us discover our true purpose. Robert also explains why boredom, struggle, and confronting our mortality can lead to a more meaningful life, how to turn envy into gratitude, and practical ways to navigate workplace politics, complicated relationships, and the feeling that life has become stagnant. With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can choose to bundle and save with the Personal Price Plan®. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there®. JAY'S DAILY WISDOM DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX Join 900,000+ readers discovering how small daily shifts create big life change with my free newsletter. Subscribe here: https://news.jayshetty.me/subscribe Check out our Apple subscription to unlock bonus content of On Purpose! https://lnk.to/JayShettyPodcast What I Discuss: 00:00 Introduction 02:18 Why We Feel Disconnected and Unfulfilled 06:27 Pursuing The Right Goals 11:32 Near-Death Experience And Writing The Sublime 13:13 Uncovering Your Authentic Self 19:51 The Looking-Glass Self 22:20 Overcoming Boredom Through Slow Disciplines 27:38 What is The Difference Between Happiness And Fulfillment? 32:15 Resisting Modern Culture And Embracing Difficulty 36:08 Building Confidence Through Small Steps 41:03 The Anxiety of Feeling Behind in Life 48:00 Connection To Others vs. Chasing Wealth 51:17 Turning Envy Into Gratitude 55:12 Real Fulfillment Beyond Financial Success 58:32 Money As Oxygen, Not Fulfillment 01:00:13 Workplace Politics And Power Dynamics 01:02:46 Why We’re Drawn to People Who Send Mixed Signals 01:04:53 Breaking Out of Repetitive Life Patterns 01:07:23 Confronting Mortality To Feel Alive 01:14:45 Transcendence, Evolution, And Spirituality 01:19:37 The Anti-Sublime Vs. the False Sublime 01:25:02 Robert On Final Five Episode Resources: Pre-order The Law of the Sublime https://sites.prh.com/lawofthesublime Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/robertgreeneofficial YouTube | https://youtube.com/@robertgreeneofficial Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

    You Might Like This Interview with Robert Greene: On Purpose with Jay Shetty

  3. Oct 28

    What College Admissions Officers Really Think About Your Ballet Training

    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: It's Summer Intensive Planning Time! Submit Ballet Competition Reviews Read Our Ballet School Summer & Year-Round Reviews Instagram: @BalletHelpDesk Facebook: BalletHelpDesk TikTok: @BalletHelpDesk Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  4. Oct 21

    Postgrad Ballet Training: Why You Need a Strategy

    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:   Pick Up a Year-Round Training Corrections Journal Ballet Competition Reviews Read Our Ballet School Summer & Year-Round Reviews Instagram: @BalletHelpDesk Facebook: BalletHelpDesk TikTok: @BalletHelpDesk Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  5. Oct 14

    Ballet Myths, Busted: Body Types, Competitions and Big Donors | Part 2

    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: Online Workshop: Your Dancer's First "Away" Summer Intensive Pick Up a Year-Round Training Corrections Journal Submit Ballet Competition Reviews Read Our Ballet School Summer & Year-Round Reviews Instagram: @BalletHelpDesk Facebook: BalletHelpDesk TikTok: @BalletHelpDesk Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  6. Oct 7

    Ballet Myths, Busted: Blacklists, Pointe Pressure and Who Makes It | Part 1

    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: Pick Up a Year-Round Training Corrections Journal Submit Ballet Competition Reviews Read Our Ballet School Summer & Year-Round Reviews Instagram: @BalletHelpDesk Facebook: BalletHelpDesk TikTok: @BalletHelpDesk Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  7. Sep 30

    How Two Young Dancers Made Their Own Ballet Festival

    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: Submit Ballet Competition Reviews Pick Up a Year-Round Training Corrections Journal Read Our Ballet School Summer & Year-Round Reviews Instagram: @BalletHelpDesk Facebook: BalletHelpDesk TikTok: @BalletHelpDesk Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

  8. Sep 23

    Charlotte Ballet with Ayisha McMillan Cravotta & Alicia Delgadillo

    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: NEW! Ballet Competition Reviews Read Our Ballet School Summer & Year-Round Reviews Support Ballet Help Desk Instagram: @BalletHelpDesk Facebook: BalletHelpDesk TikTok: @BalletHelpDesk Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI

See All (209)

4.8
out of 5
113 Ratings

About

As parents, you play a crucial role in supporting your dancer's ballet path and we know navigating the world of ballet training can be challenging. The Ballet Help Desk podcast is here to help! Tune in for expert insights on supporting your student's ballet education. We cover key topics like summer intensives, ballet competitions, full-time and postgraduate training, health and wellness, boys in ballet and more. Hear valuable advice from leading professionals across the ballet world to help your dancer make the most informed decisions about their unique training path. Learn more at www.ballethelpdesk.com.

Information

  • Creator
    Jenny Huang and Brett Gardner
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    209
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Ballet Help Desk and BalletHelpDesk.com.
  • Show Website
    Ballet Help Desk

You Might Also Like