Dana Stephensen's Final Bow

A rejection letter from the Australian Ballet School changed the trajectory of Dana Stephensen's life. This episode revisits Dana's incredible story as she announces her retirement from the Australian Ballet. Hosted by Claudia Lawson

Dana grew up in Brisbane learning tap, jazz and singing, and never dreamed of being a ballerina. But ballet had a way of finding her. And strangely enough, it was a rejection letter from the Australian Ballet School and the disappointment that followed that awakened her passion and changed the trajectory of her life. In this beautifully courageous and candid interview, Dana speaks about her career with the Australian Ballet, managing her thyroid condition and the affect that had on her body image, and being promoted to senior artist after becoming a mum. But more than that, Dana opens up about the birth of her twin girls, navigating the loneliness of motherhood in a pandemic, the pressures of parenting with a public figure, and wondrously re-emerging and returning to the stage.

Dana continues to perform as a senior artist with the Australian Ballet, all the while juggling life with her son Jasper, her fiancé Lachlan Gillespie, and their twin girls Lulu and Lottie. To continue to follow all of Dana’s adventures, you can find her on Instagram @dana_stephensen

For support for peri and postpartum depression in Australia, you can find support through the Gidget foundation or PANDA’s support line, their details are in the show notes, or for further aboard, please contact your local services.

Dana and I recorded remotely, with Dana dialling in from Sydney on the land of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, to which we pay our greatest respects.

Production dream team ✨

Hosted by @byclaudialawson

Produced by @fjordreview

Additional Production @clinttopic

Sound & Editing @outputmedia

Studios @brightsidesydney, @sawtoothstudios

Talking Pointes is produced on the lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, to whom we pay our greatest respects. 

Production dream team ✨

Hosted by @byclaudialawson

Produced by @fjordreview

Additional Production @clinttopic

Sound & Editing @outputmedia

Studios @brightsidesydney

@sawtoothstudios