What Fearlessness Makes Possible with John Lam

A career is rarely one fixed identity. It is a long evolution that asks us again and again who we are becoming next. In this episode of The Quiet Tension, host Dr. Sharon Chirban speaks with former Boston Ballet principal dancer John Lam about the responsibility of building new pathways for dancers after a lifetime of being shaped by the people who opened doors for him.Lam’s career has been spent performing at the highest levels of ballet, including two decades with the Boston Ballet. Today, through his work, both as a Associate Professor at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee (BOCO) and founder of Lam Dance Works, he is focused on shaping the next generation of dancers, building the kinds of opportunities that made his own career possible.Listeners will hear Lam talk about: (03:37) The mentors who shaped him(06:48) Being seen without being accepted(09:34) Fearlessness as a way of being(13:58) What made him John Lam(18:08) Life after the Boston Ballet(25:11) Shedding old skin(27:59) Building Lam Dance Works(32:18) Recovering the fearlessness(35:32) Defining success beyond the stage(39:10) When purpose becomes responsibilityNew episodes of The Quiet Tension are released every other week. If you’d like to stay updated, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen. To learn more about topics like today’s, follow Sharon on Substack or visit the show website.