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All Episodes

The Brainy Ballerina Podcast — 107 episodes

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Title
1

103. The Reality of Raising a Professional Dancer with My Mom, Brenda Younker

2

102. The Evolution of a Ballet Career with Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch

3

101. Inside The Workshop: The Training Opportunity Professional Dancers Have Been Waiting For with Courtney Anderson

4

100. How the Decisions that Scared me Most Shaped my Dance Career

5

99. A Decade as Artistic Director of EMERGE125 with Tiffany Rea-Fisher

6

98. Ballet Shoes for the 21st Century with Seth & Sarah Orza

7

97. Riverdance 30: The New Generation with Anna Mai Fitzpatrick

8

96. Penny Saunders on the Moment She Finally Called Herself a Choreographer

9

95. Infinite Steps: Preserving a Dancer's Legacy with Gavin Larsen and Gene Schiavone

10

94. Life as a Pre-professional Dancer (and beyond!) with Tights Under

11

BONUS: Is Ballet a Dying Art Form?

12

93. What Dancers Can Learn from the 2026 Winter Olympics

13

92. What Dancers Need to Know Before Signing a Contract with Attorney Cielomar Puccio

14

91. Behind the Seams: The Art of Ballet Costuming with Florimund's Founder Janessa Urwin

15

90. Comedy Meets Classical Ballet with Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo's Felix Molinero Del Paso

16

89. Self-Care for Dancers That Actually Works

17

88. Autumn Eckman on Equally Loving Performance, Choreography, and Education

18

87. Leading Ballet Tucson Into a New Era with Artistic Director Margaret Mullin

19

86. What No One Tells You About Professional Ballet Company Auditions

20

85. Your Pointe Shoe Fairy Godmother: Finding the Right Fit with Josephine Lee

21

84. 2025 Year in Review and Being Where Your Feet Are in 2026

22

83. Fueled by Caffeine and Chaos with Ballet Trauma Club Founder Sharon Kung

23

82. The Birthday Episode: Caitlin Tells All

24

81. Building an Expansive, Dramatic & Curious Choreographic Career with Alexandra Light

25

80. Artists in Training Founder Robert Schultz on Preparing Dancers for Real-World Success

26

79. ENCORE: Nutcracker Survival Guide for Dancers

27

78. From Professional Ballerina to CEO: How Genevieve Custer Weeks Built Tutu School

28

77. Innovating Ballet Education: Elizabeth Troxler on Creating the Ballet Boost App

29

76. Love Your Body (or Don't) with Katrena Cohea

30

75. What Your Dance Teacher Wants You to Know

31

74. Pivot for Dancer's Kaylee Randall on Redefining Success Beyond the Stage

32

73. Under Pressure to Be Perfect with Rachael Dailey Goodwin and Ali Block

33

72. Behind the Curtain with Lauren Ostrander McArdle: The Psychology of Dance

34

71. Mr. Brainy Ballerina Unplugged: The Partner's POV of the Dance World with my Husband, Steve Sloan

35

70. Dream Big, Make It Happen: Hannah Martin's Journey from Rhythmic Gymnastics to the Birmingham Royal Ballet

36

69. Listening to your Body with "The Therapist who Moves You", Erica Hornthal

37

68. Fueling the Mind-Body Connection with Registered Sports Dietitian Lisa Rivera

38

67. My Program Launch Failed (So Let's Talk About Rejection)

39

66. The Future of Dance Education with Dance Device Lab Founder Brandon Cournay

40

65. Inside the Raising Leaders Program with Kerry Nicholls of San Francisco Ballet

41

64. Rewiring Ballet: Tim Lynch's Somatic Perspective on Dance Education

42

63. What I Wish I Understood as a Young Dancer (+ Special Announcement!)

43

62. The Truth About Being a Ballerina with Gavin Larsen

44

61. Understanding Hypermobility in Dancers with Dr. Linda Bluestein, MD

45

60. Building New Narratives: Autumn Klein's Unconventional Path Back to Ballet

46

59. From Insecurity to Inspiration: Navigating the Comparison Game in Dance

47

58. Plot Twists: Holly Dorger's Rise to Principal Ballerina of the Royal Danish Ballet

48

57. Longevity in Dance: Nancy Paradis Shares the Key to a Sustainable Dance Career

49

56. A New Chapter for Dance Kaleidoscope with Artistic Director Joshua Blake Carter

50

55. How to Get the Most Out of Your Summer Intensive

51

54. See & Be Seen: Creating Pathways from High School to College Dance

52

53. Ballet without Brutality: Tanya Trombly's Bulletproof Approach to a Dance Career

53

52. Say Yes to Yourself: Michelle Thompson on Creating Your Own Opportunities in a Dance Career

54

51. Balancing Art and Admin: Toby Lewellen's Transition from Dancer to Director of Development at Boca Ballet Theatre

55

50. Finding Opportunities for High School Dancers

56

49. The Power of Self-Compassion in a Dance Career with Bodhi Core Founder Ayça Anıl

57

48. Navigating the Freelance LA Dance Scene with Mizuki Sako

58

47. Becoming a Martha Graham Dancer: Ane Arrieta's Path to the Company

59

46. The 5 B's of Building Your Professional Dance Network

60

45. Optimizing Hormone Health for Dancers with Dr. Nicky Keay

61

44. The Art of Pivoting: Krystle Frey's Path from Professional Dancer to Podcaster

62

43. Finding Longevity & Wellness in Dance with the Nourished Dancer's Nicole Sabella

63

42. Living a Legacy: Lars Nelson on 15 years with New York City Ballet

64

41. The Business of Dance: How I Make Money Doing What I Love

65

40. Inside Dallas' Rising Contemporary Ballet Company with Diana Crowder

66

39. Ballet Through a Modern Lens: Emily Speed's Vision for AVID Dance

67

38. Learning to Advocate for Yourself in a Dance Career with Brittney Feit

68

37. Master Your Audition Mindset

69

36. Where are the Women? Addressing the Leadership Gap in Ballet with Anna Morgan

70

35. Cultivating Body Image Resilience with The Whole Dancer's Jess Spinner

71

34. Redefining Success in a Ballet Career with Ali Block

72

33. 2024 Year in Review and Embracing the Gray Area in 2025

73

32. Seeing the Big Picture in a Dance Career (and Beyond!) with Igor Burlak

74

31. Navigating Life After Ballet with Elise & Stuart Lauer

75

30. The Path to Artistic Fulfillment in a Dance Career with Michaela King

76

29. Artistry Meets Opportunity at Etoile Dance Competition with Carrie Euker

77

28. Nutcracker Survival Guide for Dancers

78

27. Teaching Ballet in the 21st Century with Deborah Engerman

79

26. Building a Values-Based Dance Career with Courtney Nitting

80

25. Nourishing Dancers: a Conversation on Nutrition, Body Image, and Eating Disorders with Registered Dietitian Monika Saigal

81

24. Your Burning Audition Questions Answered!

82

23. A Holistic Approach to Strength Training with Wendy Reinert

83

22. Unlocking Authentic Confidence with Mindset Coach Kirsten Kemp

84

21. Writing your Own Dance Story with Linnea Swarting

85

20. A Dancer's Guide to Dealing with Casting Disappointment

86

19. From Las Vegas to Artistic Director with Karen Mareck Grundy

87

18. A Dream and a Day Job with Kara Tatelbaum

88

17. Making it as a Freelance Dancer in NYC with Rian Wood

89

16. Realistic Time Management Strategies for Dancers

90

15. Fostering Mental Wellness Through Community with Danscend

91

BONUS: The Struggle for Dancer's Rights at Dallas Black Dance Theatre

92

14. The Truth about Making Money as a Nonprofit with Joanne Curry

93

13. Using Cross-Training to Elevate your Ballet Technique with Veronica K

94

12. Side Gigs I've Had as a Professional Dancer

95

11. Finding Your Voice in the Dance Industry with Ashley Tomaszewski

96

10. Embracing the Joy in Ballet with Camille Goldsborough

97

09. The Triumphs and Heartbreaking Losses of a Dance Career with Jacqueline Moscicke

98

08. From Ballet to Business: How My Dance Training Prepared Me for Entrepreneurship

99

07. Becoming a Mentally Tough Dancer with Dr. Chelsea Pierotti

100

BONUS: The Impact of the Ballet World's Obsession with Weight with Dr. Stephanie Potreck

101

06. Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable with Emily Baker

102

05. Building Strong, Happy Dancers with Jennifer Milner

103

04. From Dancer to 2x Published Author with Lucy Ashe

104

03. 5 Signs You Could Benefit From Working With a Dance Career Mentor

105

02. Overcoming a "Career Ending" Injury with Elise Mosbacher

106

01. My Story (Caitlin's Version)

107

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