Backstage with PYB

Join us Backstage with PYB for an interview with Olivia Quiros. Olivia is a current PYB advanced level student. She will be performing the role of Peter Pan in the upcoming spring production. You can find more information about Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and the Ballet Guild of the Lehigh Valley at bglv.org or on Instagram @pyb_bglv or Facebook @Ballet Guild of the Lehigh Valley/Pennsylvania Youth Ballet  For tickets and event information go to https://zoellner.cas.lehigh.edu/content/pennsylvania-youth-ballet-presents-peter-pan-0 including a special group rate for groups of 8 or more https://www.bglv.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Peter-Pan-Group-Tickets-Order-Form-2022.pdf

Join us Backstage with PYB for an interview with Diane Wittry and Karen Knerr. Ms. Wittry is the music director and conductor of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra. She discusses her education, career, and the upcoming Allentown Symphony Orchestra performance of Ravel's Mother Goose ballet and Bolero on March 12-13. You can learn more about Ms. Wittry at dianewittry.com. You can find more information and tickets for the Allentown Symphony at millersymphonyhall.org.

Join us Backstage with PYB for an interview with Julio Alegria. Julio tells us about his early dance training, performing, and teaching career. Julio has recently joined the PYB teaching staff! You can read more about Julio at https://www.bglv.org/about-us/teachers/bglv.org or @NEPAballet on Facebook.

Join us Backstage with PYB for an interview with Amy Browne Smith! Amy tells us about her dance history, career, and how she became a founding member of Tap Ties! Amy will be teaching all five weeks of PYB's summer intensive. To see more of Amy, visit her Facebook page @amybrownesmith. You can see more of Tap Ties and Amy here, and you can also find Tap Ties on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @tapties.

Join us Backstage with PYB for an interview with Mr. Tim Fox. Tim tells us about his dance education and training as well as his professional dancing and teaching career. He will be teaching during the last week of the PYB summer intensive. You can find him on instagram @timfox_dance or @danceindustry

Join us Backstage with PYB for an interview with Darren McIntyre. He tells us about his dance education and his career as a performer as well as a director and choreographer. He also discusses dealing with bullying, rejection, and body image issues. Darren will be teaching during the fourth week of the PYB summer intensive. To learn more about Darren go to www.darrenmcintyre.webs.com or find him on instagram @darren.c.mcintyre

Join us Backstage with PYB for an interview with Amy Brandt! Amy will be teaching during the first week of the PYB summer intensive. She danced professionally with Milwaukee Ballet and The Suzanne Farrell Ballet. She is currently the editor in chief of Pointe Magazine. She tells us about her dance education, professional dance career, and her writing and journalism career. For more information about Pointe Magazine, click here. To see Amy's column, Ask Amy, click here. You can also check out Pointe Magazine's Instagram @pointemagazineofficial.

Join us Backstage with PYB for an interview with Elisabeth Holowchuk Sollog. Elisabeth tells us about her dance training, her professional dance career, and education and career as an accountant. 

Join us Backstage with PYB for an interview with Madelyn Dundon! Madelyn is a PYB alumnus and a singer, dancer, and actress. She tells us about her dance education, career, and her other exciting upcoming projects. To see more of Madelyn, you can find her on Instagram @madeydundon. To check out Getting Grace, you can find the trailer here. To see a video of Madelyn performing in West Virginia University’s Modern Movement, Museum from Home, click here.

Join us Backstage with PYB for an interview with Jennifer Altemose! We discuss Jennifer’s background and family. She also gives us an inside look at the PYB performances and community outreach programs.

Join us Backstage with PYB for an interview with Lauren Fadeley! Lauren performed the role of Sugar Plum Fairy alongside her husband, Francis Veyette, in the PYB 2015 Nutcracker. In this interview, we discuss Lauren's dance career, her online ballet school, The Veyette Virtual Ballet School, and balancing being a mom and a dancer. You can find Lauren on Instagram @lfadeley. For more information about The Veyette Virtual Ballet School, you can visit their website at www.veyettevirtualballetschool.com or on Instagram @veyettevirtualballetschool.

Join us Backstage with PYB for an interview with Natalie Hedrick, a former PYB student. We discuss Natalie's dance training, options for dance and school after high school, and Natalie's favorite books and movies. Kristin Dundon returns for the "Ask Olivia" segment and asks us what our favorite podcasts are. To see more of Natalie, visit her Instagram @nat_hedrick98

Join us backstage with Pennsylvania Youth Ballet for an interview with Karen Knerr about summer intensives. Kelsey Bolash returns for the "Ask Olivia" segment. Pointe magazine article: https://www.pointemagazine.com/summer-intensive-auditions-2021-2649472486.html?rebelltitem=4#rebelltitem4  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Join us backstage with Pennsylvania Youth Ballet for an interview with Sterling Baca! Sterling Baca performed the role of the Cavalier in this year's Nutcracker at Zoellner! We discuss Sterling's dance career, teaching experience, and performance history. You can find Sterling on Instagram @sterlingbaca, or visit the PA Ballet website at https://paballet.org/. Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tschaikovsky, performed by George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, David Zinman, New York City Ballet Orchestra

In this Meet the Cast episode, we speak to Garritt McCabe. Garritt began his dance training in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania. At the age of 16 he moved to Boston to dance and study with Boston Ballet. From 2017-2019 he was a trainee at Boston Ballet School. He joined Pennsylvania Ballet second company for the 2019-2020 season. Garritt has performed with PYB on numerous occasions. He now returns as a featured guest dancer to perform the role of Snow King. You can find Garritt on Instagram @garritt.mccabe. Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tschaikovsky, performed by George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, David Zinman, New York City Ballet Orchestra

In this Meet the Cast episode, we speak to Tevin Johnson! Tevin began his dance training in Syracuse NY. He went on to earn his BFA in dance at Montclair State University. He now returns to PYB as a featured guest dancer. to reprise the roles of harlequin and candy cane lead. You can find Tevin on Instagram @tevinlamont. Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tschaikovsky, performed by George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, David Zinman, New York City Ballet Orchestra

In this Meet the cast Episode, we speak to Emma Kelly who plays the mouse king in this year’s Nutcracker! Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tschaikovsky, performed by George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, David Zinman, New York City Ballet Orchestra

In this Meet the Cast episode, we speak to Zeby, Nicky, and Manny Fraser.  Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tschaikovsky, performed by George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, David Zinman, New York City Ballet Orchestra

In this Meet the Cast Episode, we speak to Abby Altemose about her dance experience at PYB and her interests in musical theater. Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tschaikovsky, performed by George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, David Zinman, New York City Ballet Orchestra

In this Meet the Cast Episode, we speak to ten year old Kelsey Bolash about her experiences at PYB and the Nutcracker. Music by Pytor Ilyich Tschaikovsky, performed by George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, David Zinman, New York City Ballet Orchestra --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this Meet the Cast episode, we speak to Brianna Dougherty and Anna Yorgey. Brianna and Anna are pre-professional advanced level dancers at PYB. We discuss pointe shoes, Nutcracker, and their ballet training. Music by Pytor Ilyich Tschaikovsky, performed by George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, David Zinman, New York City Ballet Orchestra

In this episode we talk to Ava Baraket, who plays Clara in this year's Nutcracker. To see more of Ava, visit her on Instagram at @avabaraketofficial. Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tschaikovsky, performed by George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, David Zinman, New York City Ballet Orchestra

Join us backstage with Pennsylvania Youth Ballet for an interview with Kristin Dundon! Miss Kristin is PYB's costume Mistress, and we talk about her dance education, hobbies, and all about costumes! For our "Ask Olivia" Segment, Olivia tells us about her favorite costumes. For more information about Miss Kristin you can follow her on Instagram @kristy_dundon or @goldenagebackstage. To contact Miss Kristin, email her at kristy.dundon@gmail.com. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Join us backstage with Pennsylvania Youth Ballet for an interview with David Shively-Ertas. David discusses being a male dancer, his Nutcracker roles, and his college experience. For our "Ask Olivia" segment, Miss Carolyn returns to talk about pointe shoes and what a dancer can expect in their first pointe shoe fitting. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Join us backstage with Pennsylvania Youth Ballet for an interview with ballet teacher Carol Jolley Sarik. Miss Carolyn tells us about her dance training and her career performing and teaching. In the Ask Olivia segment, Olivia Lovell returns to tell us about the advanced level classes. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Join us backstage with Pennsylvania Youth Ballet for an interview with the jazz teacher at PYB, Erin Puskar. Miss Erin tells us about her dance training, education at Shenandoah University, career including working for Norwegian Cruise Lines, and her company ShowBizFit. In the "Ask Olivias" segment, Olivia Lovell comes back to talk about time management. For more information about Miss Erin, you can follow her on Instagram @erin.puskar and @showbizfit.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Join us Backstage with Pennsylvania Youth Ballet for an interview with Olivia Lovell! Olivia is a current student at PYB in the advanced level. We discuss Olivia's ballet training, performance history, and career plans. In "Ask Olivia," Olivia discusses traditions at PYB. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Join us backstage with Pennsylvania Youth Ballet for an interview with the artistic director, Karen Knerr. We discuss Miss Karen's ballet training, teaching, and creative process. In "Ask Olivia", Olivia tells everyone what's in her dance bag. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

A backstage look at the faculty, alumni, and students of Pennsylvania Youth Ballet in Bethlehem, PA.