All Episodes
The Brainy Ballerina Podcast — 107 episodes
103. The Reality of Raising a Professional Dancer with My Mom, Brenda Younker
102. The Evolution of a Ballet Career with Houston Ballet Artistic Director Stanton Welch
101. Inside The Workshop: The Training Opportunity Professional Dancers Have Been Waiting For with Courtney Anderson
100. How the Decisions that Scared me Most Shaped my Dance Career
99. A Decade as Artistic Director of EMERGE125 with Tiffany Rea-Fisher
98. Ballet Shoes for the 21st Century with Seth & Sarah Orza
97. Riverdance 30: The New Generation with Anna Mai Fitzpatrick
96. Penny Saunders on the Moment She Finally Called Herself a Choreographer
95. Infinite Steps: Preserving a Dancer's Legacy with Gavin Larsen and Gene Schiavone
94. Life as a Pre-professional Dancer (and beyond!) with Tights Under
BONUS: Is Ballet a Dying Art Form?
93. What Dancers Can Learn from the 2026 Winter Olympics
92. What Dancers Need to Know Before Signing a Contract with Attorney Cielomar Puccio
91. Behind the Seams: The Art of Ballet Costuming with Florimund's Founder Janessa Urwin
90. Comedy Meets Classical Ballet with Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo's Felix Molinero Del Paso
89. Self-Care for Dancers That Actually Works
88. Autumn Eckman on Equally Loving Performance, Choreography, and Education
87. Leading Ballet Tucson Into a New Era with Artistic Director Margaret Mullin
86. What No One Tells You About Professional Ballet Company Auditions
85. Your Pointe Shoe Fairy Godmother: Finding the Right Fit with Josephine Lee
84. 2025 Year in Review and Being Where Your Feet Are in 2026
83. Fueled by Caffeine and Chaos with Ballet Trauma Club Founder Sharon Kung
82. The Birthday Episode: Caitlin Tells All
81. Building an Expansive, Dramatic & Curious Choreographic Career with Alexandra Light
80. Artists in Training Founder Robert Schultz on Preparing Dancers for Real-World Success
79. ENCORE: Nutcracker Survival Guide for Dancers
78. From Professional Ballerina to CEO: How Genevieve Custer Weeks Built Tutu School
77. Innovating Ballet Education: Elizabeth Troxler on Creating the Ballet Boost App
76. Love Your Body (or Don't) with Katrena Cohea
75. What Your Dance Teacher Wants You to Know
74. Pivot for Dancer's Kaylee Randall on Redefining Success Beyond the Stage
73. Under Pressure to Be Perfect with Rachael Dailey Goodwin and Ali Block
72. Behind the Curtain with Lauren Ostrander McArdle: The Psychology of Dance
71. Mr. Brainy Ballerina Unplugged: The Partner's POV of the Dance World with my Husband, Steve Sloan
70. Dream Big, Make It Happen: Hannah Martin's Journey from Rhythmic Gymnastics to the Birmingham Royal Ballet
69. Listening to your Body with "The Therapist who Moves You", Erica Hornthal
68. Fueling the Mind-Body Connection with Registered Sports Dietitian Lisa Rivera
67. My Program Launch Failed (So Let's Talk About Rejection)
66. The Future of Dance Education with Dance Device Lab Founder Brandon Cournay
65. Inside the Raising Leaders Program with Kerry Nicholls of San Francisco Ballet
64. Rewiring Ballet: Tim Lynch's Somatic Perspective on Dance Education
63. What I Wish I Understood as a Young Dancer (+ Special Announcement!)
62. The Truth About Being a Ballerina with Gavin Larsen
61. Understanding Hypermobility in Dancers with Dr. Linda Bluestein, MD
60. Building New Narratives: Autumn Klein's Unconventional Path Back to Ballet
59. From Insecurity to Inspiration: Navigating the Comparison Game in Dance
58. Plot Twists: Holly Dorger's Rise to Principal Ballerina of the Royal Danish Ballet
57. Longevity in Dance: Nancy Paradis Shares the Key to a Sustainable Dance Career
56. A New Chapter for Dance Kaleidoscope with Artistic Director Joshua Blake Carter
55. How to Get the Most Out of Your Summer Intensive
54. See & Be Seen: Creating Pathways from High School to College Dance
53. Ballet without Brutality: Tanya Trombly's Bulletproof Approach to a Dance Career
52. Say Yes to Yourself: Michelle Thompson on Creating Your Own Opportunities in a Dance Career
51. Balancing Art and Admin: Toby Lewellen's Transition from Dancer to Director of Development at Boca Ballet Theatre
50. Finding Opportunities for High School Dancers
49. The Power of Self-Compassion in a Dance Career with Bodhi Core Founder Ayça Anıl
48. Navigating the Freelance LA Dance Scene with Mizuki Sako
47. Becoming a Martha Graham Dancer: Ane Arrieta's Path to the Company
46. The 5 B's of Building Your Professional Dance Network
45. Optimizing Hormone Health for Dancers with Dr. Nicky Keay
44. The Art of Pivoting: Krystle Frey's Path from Professional Dancer to Podcaster
43. Finding Longevity & Wellness in Dance with the Nourished Dancer's Nicole Sabella
42. Living a Legacy: Lars Nelson on 15 years with New York City Ballet
41. The Business of Dance: How I Make Money Doing What I Love
40. Inside Dallas' Rising Contemporary Ballet Company with Diana Crowder
39. Ballet Through a Modern Lens: Emily Speed's Vision for AVID Dance
38. Learning to Advocate for Yourself in a Dance Career with Brittney Feit
37. Master Your Audition Mindset
36. Where are the Women? Addressing the Leadership Gap in Ballet with Anna Morgan
35. Cultivating Body Image Resilience with The Whole Dancer's Jess Spinner
34. Redefining Success in a Ballet Career with Ali Block
33. 2024 Year in Review and Embracing the Gray Area in 2025
32. Seeing the Big Picture in a Dance Career (and Beyond!) with Igor Burlak
31. Navigating Life After Ballet with Elise & Stuart Lauer
30. The Path to Artistic Fulfillment in a Dance Career with Michaela King
29. Artistry Meets Opportunity at Etoile Dance Competition with Carrie Euker
28. Nutcracker Survival Guide for Dancers
27. Teaching Ballet in the 21st Century with Deborah Engerman
26. Building a Values-Based Dance Career with Courtney Nitting
25. Nourishing Dancers: a Conversation on Nutrition, Body Image, and Eating Disorders with Registered Dietitian Monika Saigal
24. Your Burning Audition Questions Answered!
23. A Holistic Approach to Strength Training with Wendy Reinert
22. Unlocking Authentic Confidence with Mindset Coach Kirsten Kemp
21. Writing your Own Dance Story with Linnea Swarting
20. A Dancer's Guide to Dealing with Casting Disappointment
19. From Las Vegas to Artistic Director with Karen Mareck Grundy
18. A Dream and a Day Job with Kara Tatelbaum
17. Making it as a Freelance Dancer in NYC with Rian Wood
16. Realistic Time Management Strategies for Dancers
15. Fostering Mental Wellness Through Community with Danscend
BONUS: The Struggle for Dancer's Rights at Dallas Black Dance Theatre
14. The Truth about Making Money as a Nonprofit with Joanne Curry
13. Using Cross-Training to Elevate your Ballet Technique with Veronica K
12. Side Gigs I've Had as a Professional Dancer
11. Finding Your Voice in the Dance Industry with Ashley Tomaszewski
10. Embracing the Joy in Ballet with Camille Goldsborough
09. The Triumphs and Heartbreaking Losses of a Dance Career with Jacqueline Moscicke
08. From Ballet to Business: How My Dance Training Prepared Me for Entrepreneurship
07. Becoming a Mentally Tough Dancer with Dr. Chelsea Pierotti
BONUS: The Impact of the Ballet World's Obsession with Weight with Dr. Stephanie Potreck
06. Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable with Emily Baker
05. Building Strong, Happy Dancers with Jennifer Milner
04. From Dancer to 2x Published Author with Lucy Ashe
03. 5 Signs You Could Benefit From Working With a Dance Career Mentor
02. Overcoming a "Career Ending" Injury with Elise Mosbacher
01. My Story (Caitlin's Version)
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