111. From Ballet to Broadway Tours with Ashley Talluto

In this episode of The Brainy Ballerina Podcast, I’m joined by professional dancer Ashley Talluto to talk about the realities of building a career in New York City.Ashley dives into how she transitioned from ballet into musical theater and how auditions, casting, and unions work in the musical theater world.She also shares what it’s like to tour with major productions like West Side Story, Flashdance, and An American in Paris and gives us invaluable insight into the life of a swing and dance captain.This episode is full of wisdom from a veteran dancer. If you’ve ever considered what it might be like to build a dancer career outside of the ballet company ecosystem, this is a must-listen!Key “Pointes” in this Episode: Why Ashley chose college and how the Boston Conservatory prepared her for professional dance life The realities of moving to New York City as a dancer (survival jobs, balancing auditions, and building a sustainable career) The differences between ballet and Broadway audition processes The pros and cons of joining Actors’ Equity Why performance quality matters just as much as technique in musical theater What life is actually like on national and international tours The intense responsibility of being a swing in a Broadway production What a dance captain does and why the role is so importantConnect with AshleyWEBSITE: Ashleytalluto.comINSTAGRAM: instagram.com/ashleytallutoLinks & Resources:SHOP MSeam Apparel: https://mseamapparel.com/ (use code BRAINY25 at checkout for 25% off all items)SHOP ORZA: www.orzabrand.com (use code BRAINYBALLERINA for 10% off)Let’s connect!My WEBSITE: thebrainyballerina.comINSTAGRAM: instagram.com/thebrainyballerinaQuestions/comments? Email me at [email protected]