Podcasts about Royal New Zealand Ballet

The Scottish Ballet is sharing the stage with the Royal New Zealand Ballet, making its first visit to the South Pacific for performances in Wellington and Auckland. 

A former dancer with the prestigious Royal New Zealand Ballet during the 2010s, William started making stage costumes and today he's currently at Whitecliffe studying Sustainable Fashion. Here, William opens up about his creative journey, including having dreams fall apart, ghosting friends and finding his way back to dance. Keep an eye out for his own label Jung-Ying: @__jungying ⁠Asian in Aotearoa Instagram⁠ ⁠Asian in Aotearoa Substack⁠ Hosted by Jenna Wee & Produced by Marc Conaco. Recorded at Big Fan in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. This episode was made possible thanks to Foundation North and Creative New Zealand. ⁠asianinaotearoa.com⁠

Wellington City Council's controversial Reading Cinema deal survives an attempt to stop it. Transport Minister Simeon Brown has refused to commit to a walking and cycling connection in Wellington's second Mt Victoria tunnel after promising there would be one when he was in Opposition. And the Royal New Zealand Ballet has launched an appeal for donations to help restore Swan Lake costumes which are now almost 30 years old.

It's likely that every single one of our listeners knows the name Cooper Nielson. He briefly broke Jody Sawyer's heart in the cult ballet movie Center Stage, and yet today, we speak with the man who played that role, Ethan Stiefel, who is far more interesting than the notorious Cooper Nielson. Ethan was born in Pennsylvania, and his father was a prison warden, and like many men before him, he was introduced to ballet by watching his sister's dance class. But by age 15, he had been accepted into the School of American Ballet where he trained with the likes of Rudolph Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Upon graduation, he was accepted into the New York City Ballet, but the adventures didn't end there.In this wondrous conversation, Ethan talk so candidly about his life and career. We talk about his early years rising through the ranks at the New York City Ballet before defecting across the Lincoln Center Plaza to join American Ballet Theater as a principal, and Ethan and I cover so much more. We discuss what it's like for American men to grow up dancing in the US, how he became artistic director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet, managing a long distance relationship with his now wife, Gillian Murphy, and taking some time off for himself. Finally, we talk about playing Cooper Nielson and his new venture as the artistic director of the American Repertory Ballet.Ethan continues to live with his wife, Gillian Murphy, and their son in New Jersey in the US, while curating the new era of the American Repertory Ballet. For performance times and tickets, head to their website, arballet.org, or you can find them on Instagram, @arballet. While Ethan doesn't have Instagram, you can follow many of his adventures through his wife's Instagram. Gillian Murphy, also a principal dancer at ABT, @gillianemurphy. Ethan and I recorded our conversation remotely with Ethan dialing in from New Jersey on the East Coast of the US.We are thrilled to be sponsored by Energetiks. Energetiks specialise in creating sustainable, world class dancewear for the stars Energetiks is offering Talking Pointes listeners a 20% discount [available until the end of March 2024]. Listen for the code in the episode. Shop their extensive range online at energetiks.com.au or energetiks.com if you're listening from the US. T&Cs APPLY. @energetiks @energetiksusaTalking Points is produced on the lands of the Gadigal and the Wanegal peoples to whom we pay our greatest respects. Talking Points is produced by Fjord Review. Remember to subscribe to get the latest episodes as soon as they're released. If you like us, please leave a five-star review. On the next episode of Talking Points, you'll hear from Evie Ferris.Your host and producer is me, Claudia Lawson, with additional production by Penelope Ford and Clint Topic. Sound production and editing is by Martin Peralta at Output Media. For the latest in all things dance, head to fjordreview.com.

Internationally-acclaimed former principal dancer and artistic director of The Australian Ballet, David McAllister recently completed his tenure as acting artistic director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Throughout his career David has made numerous guest appearances worldwide, dancing with the Bolshoi Ballet. McAllister's book Ballet Confidential: A personal behind the-scenes guide lifts the curtain on a world of tutus, tulle and lycra, the pursuit of perfection, injuries and what it was like dancing for the Princess of Wales.

Gavin Sutherland is a conductor, composer and orchestrator who specials in dance—he's conducted for Northern Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Royal New Zealand Ballet,  Norwegian and Finnish National Ballet as well as English National Ballet where he is principal guest conductor. He and Emma discuss his career as a conductor that starting aged 18, his favourite joke to tell an orchestra and why certain music has the power to pull on our heartstrings.Holst's Jupiter conducted by Susanna Mälkki www.gavinsutherland.co.ukThe three questions...What piece of art changed everything?The Towpath a paint by Christopher Nevinson, has a personal reason as well as artistic for being your pick.What piece of art do you nor like, but respect? Not a (Mark) Rothko fan, but I understand its scale and complexity in so few elements of its construction. Give us a recommendation...The symphonies of Sir Arnold Bax 

Lucy Balfour was born and raised in Canterbury. She danced for 10 years with the Royal New Zealand Ballet before moving to London and joining the renowned dance company, Rambert in 2013.

This week it's curtains up for the Royal New Zealand Ballet's latest production of Romeo and Juliet. The epic tale of star-crossed lovers has been brought to life for the company by choreographer Andrea Schermoly. It's not the first time South African-born, LA-based Andrea has worked with the Royal New Zealand Ballet. She choreographed a piece for the 2018 suffrage celebratory work Strength and Grace and battled Covid-enforced distance to make Within, Without in 2020. This year's Romeo and Juliet, which will tour six cities around the motu, has been given the splendour of Renaissance-era Verona thanks to the set and costume creations of Oscar-winning designer James Acheson, known for The Last Emperor and Dangerous Liaisons. Andrea joins Kathryn to talk about her journey with this ballet.

Today, I'm speaking with The Australian Ballet's resident choreographer, Alice Topp. Alice was born and raised in Bendigo, a small town in regional Victoria. She started dancing at the age of four and was destined for a career as a ballerina. While Alice's career at The Australian Ballet is widely known, what many don't know is that Alice's journey to The Australian Ballet wasn't like most. She didn't train at The Australian Ballet School. Instead, she did a stint at The Royal New Zealand Ballet company. She broke her foot, and then worked in a Melbourne pub to continue her training. Even more incredibly, Alice never imagined she'd be a choreographer.In this wonderfully candid interview, Alice talks about her journey to becoming only the second female resident choreographer in the 60-year history of the Australian Ballet to now launching Project Animo, a huge creative and choreographic undertaking to bring the royalty of the Australian dance scene back to the stage.

A transcript of this episode is available here: thedanceedit.com/transcript-episode-141Visit/add to the Dance Media Events Calendar: dancemediacalendar.comPodcast listeners can save $5 on a Dance Magazine subscription. Claim the offer here: dancemagazine.com/offerLinks referenced in/relevant to episode 141:-Dance Magazine's 25 to Watch list: dancemagazine.com/25-to-watch-2023-Limelight coverage of Patricia Barker's departure from Royal New Zealand Ballet: limelightmagazine.com.au/news/david-mcallister-joins-royal-new-zealand-ballet-as-interim-artistic-director/-ArtsDesk 100 list: readartdesk.com/feature/the-artdesk-100-"White Noise" dance scene: youtube.com/watch?v=nJblPY5hVHI-New York Times coverage of Alexei Ratmansky's moves: nytimes.com/2022/12/22/arts/dance/alexei-ratmansky-american-ballet-theater.htmlnytimes.com/2023/01/05/arts/dance/alexei-ratmansky-new-york-city-ballet.html

The fashion industry is notoriously wasteful - for instance, cheap clothing that lasts months rather than years before ending up in landfills. But an expat now based in the US is leading by example, buying up unwanted garments made from quality fabrics and materials. She then unpicks and reworks them into high fashion clothes for the catwalk. Esther Lofely and her husband Robert Catalusci work together on her label, ELC. For well over a decade she worked for the Royal New Zealand Ballet company, and was Head Draper when she left in 2019 to work overseas before settling in Virginia. Lynn Freeman asks Esther why she become interested in creating garments from clothing destined for the tip.

Venus Rising, a collection of three celestial ballets, graced the stage of Wellington's St James Theatre last night. On display was the spirit of Venus - the brightest of stars and a sacred goddess of love, beauty and victory over adversity. And the programme's had its fair share of adversity in getting on stage after two years of postponements. Royal New Zealand Ballet's acting executive director Dame Kerry Prendergast is with us now...

A transcript of this episode is available here: https://thedanceedit.com/transcript-episode-133Visit/add to the Dance Media Events Calendar: https://dancemediacalendar.com/Get the latest dance news direct by subscribing to our free newsletters. Find the ones that match your interests: http://www.dancemagazine.com/subscribeLinks referenced in/relevant to episode 133:-New York Times story on gender discrimination suit against Paul Taylor Dance Company: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/03/arts/dance/paul-taylor-dance-company-lawsuit.html-The Times review of Jennifer Homans' "Mr. B": https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/mr-b-by-jennifer-homans-the-cruel-genius-of-george-balanchine-fd6dtrwd2-New York Times review of "Mr. B": https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/31/books/jennifer-homans-george-balanchine.html-NYU interview with Homans: https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2022/november/was-choreographer-george-balanchine-ahead-of-his-time-or-of-it-.html-Dance Data Project's study on artistic and executive director compensation: https://www.dancedataproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Artistic-Director_Executive-Director-Compensation-Data-Byte.pdf-Stuff coverage of the resignation of Royal New Zealand Ballet's executive director: https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/arts/130337207/royal-new-zealand-ballet-executive-director-lester-mcgrath-quits-Pointe interview with Mikhail Baryshnikov: https://pointemagazine.com/mikhail-baryshnikov/-The Guardian interview with Baryshnikov: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2022/nov/07/mikhail-baryshnikov-ballet-dancer

Dave and Caroline Armstrong took over the job of organising the biennial Upsurge Festival in the Bay of Islands just before Covid hit. It was cancelled last year, postponed in April this year - and will open for eight days from this Sunday. The challenges haven't been confined to Covid - Northland's recent floods made it tricky to get to four schools where students are participating in a show with the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Dave and Caroline join Kathryn to discuss the festival - which traverses a wide geographic and demographic space.

“Becoming a mother gave me this drive and confidence. I felt like I had a voice and that I felt ready to be that person that was at the front of the room, having those ideas, using my imagination, and attempting to communicate that to a whole room of dancers.” ~ Dani Rowe  Kaitlin talks with Choreographer and filmmaker, Dani Rowe about her transition to motherhood and how that impacted her career as a whole. Dani started out as a dancer from very early on in her life, with her first professional role at age 17. From 2001-2015, she was a Principal Dancer with the Australian Ballet and Houston Ballet, and also danced with the prestigious Nederlands Dans Theater. After her daughter was born, having moved to the States with her husband (also a dancer), Dani pursued choreography and became even more dedicated to dance, though in a different way. She has created works for San Francisco Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater's SWITCH program, and Royal New Zealand Ballet, to name a few.  During the pandemic, her work shifted to include filmmaking, which you can see on http://daniellerowe.net/ (her website). Dani and Kaitlin talk about: Dani's transition from dancer, to mother and choreographer. Before You Had a Name, a unique collaborative project between Dani, violinist and upcoming guest on this podcast Heather Powell, and dancer & choreographer Sarah van Patten. The unfavorable effect that pregnancy often has on female dancers' careers, an outrageous imbalance that inarguably stems from patriarchal bias, and one that the very foundation of Before You Had a Name challenged from the get go. The juggle between motherhood and Dani's choreography work. The concept of invisible work, how that resonates with Dani, and the importance and value of making space for creative ideas. Related resources: More about Before You Had a Name:https://www.daniellerowe.net/#/beforeyouhadaname/ (https://www.daniellerowe.net/#/beforeyouhadaname/) More about Violinist Heather Powell:https://www.heather-violin.com/bio (https://www.heather-violin.com/bio) More about Dancer Sarah Van Patten:https://www.sarahvanpatten.com/ (@sarah.vanpatten) To find out more about flow, read the book and research by https://g.co/kgs/SpLp6d (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi)   Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and give us a rating. This will help us reach more listeners like you who are navigating the joys and pitfalls of artistic and parenting identities. You can find Dani on her: Website:https://www.daniellerowe.net/ (https://www.daniellerowe.net/) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_danirowe_/ (_danirowe_)

Performing arts correspondent Lyne Pringle joins Kathryn to look at how live performances are getting rolling again, but it's not easy with ongoing winter illnesses. Footnote NZ Dance is about to tour the South Island with Dry Spell, the Royal New Zealand Ballet is kicking off their tour of Cinderella, the New Zealand Dance Company finally performed its Night Light season after cancelling performances and tours 5 times due to Covid-19, Atamira Dance Company launches Kaha - Triple Boost this week in Tamaki Makaurau and Permanent Distraction is performing in Otautahi this weekend - produced by tinyfest.org.

Wellington's historic St James Theatre reopens today after earthquake restrengthening that began three years ago. The Category One Heritage building in Courtenay Place was built in 1912 and houses the Royal New Zealand Ballet. It's a favourite theatre, and celebrations are planned to mark the reopening, beginning today with TEEKS and the Symphony Orchestra. Corin Dann spoke to Jill Day, chair of the Wellington City Council's arts and culture committee.

A transcript of this episode is available here: https://thedanceedit.com/transcript-episode-115Subscribe to The Dance Edit Extra: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dance-edit-extra/id1579075769Visit/add to the Dance Media Events Calendar: https://dancemediacalendar.com/Links referenced in/relevant to episode 115:-Stuff article on Royal New Zealand Ballet controversy: https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/arts/128549192/calls-for-royal-new-zealand-ballet-artistic-director-to-quit-after-complaints-New York Times piece on Abi Stafford Lillo controversy: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/03/arts/dance/abi-jonathan-stafford-city-ballet.html-The Cut feature on TikTok dance "cult" backstory: https://www.thecut.com/2022/05/wilking-sisters-7m-allegations.html-Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU new fellows announcement: https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2022/may/the-center-for-ballet-and-the-arts-at-nyu-announces-2022-23-fell.html-Russell Janzen's New York Times essay on pas de deux politics: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/04/arts/dance/gender-roles-ballet-russell-janzen.html-Rosie Herrera's Dance Magazine piece on social media and creativity: https://www.dancemagazine.com/reconsidering-social-media/

Nick Schlieper has designed lighting for all of the major performing companies in Australia and works regularly in Europe and the U.S.Recent engagements include Nick's debut at, and return to, the prestigious Salzburg Festival, designing the lighting for Aribert Reiman's Lear in the Felsen Reitschule, and for Cherubini's Medeé; as well as Mosquitos, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Real Thing, Still Point Turning, Harp in the South, A Cheery Soul, The Resistable Rise of Arturo UI, Chimerica, Three Sisters, All My Sons, Speed the Plow, A Flea in Her Ear and Switzerland for Sydney Theatre Company; Macbeth, Twelfth Night and Photograph 51 (also set design) for Melbourne Theatre Company; Packer and Sons, Ghosts and Twelfth Nightfor Company B Belvoir.Nick also returned to the National Theatre of Norway for Private Confessions, directed by Liv Ullman, and to New Zealand Opera for The Elixir of Love. He also lit Sydney Theatre Company's revival of The Present with Cate Blanchett on Broadway, and The Space Between the Notes (Emma Matthews' one woman show).Nick's work in Music Theatre includes First Wives Club The Musical at the Oriental Theatre, Chicago, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, The Musical in Australia, New York, Toronto, London, Sao Paolo and throughout Europe; Love Never Dies in Hamburg, Tokyo, Sydney and Melbourne for The Really Useful Company.His extensive work in opera in Australia includes Don Giovanni, Nabucco, Tannhäuser, Il Trovatore, L'elisir d'amore, Andrea Chenier, Freischütz, Falstaff and Seraglio for Opera Australia; Salome (and set design) and Parsifal for State Opera of South Australia; Flying Dutchman, Don Giovanni, and Ken Russell's Madam Butterfly for Victorian State Opera; Macbeth (and set design) for Opera New Zealand and Don Giovanni (and set design) for Opera Queensland. He was also lighting and associate set designer of the first Australian production of Wagner's Ring Cycle in Adelaide in 2004.Nick has also designed lighting for Scheherazade for the Australian Ballet, the acclaimed Cinderella for Royal New Zealand Ballet, and several pieces for Bangarra Dance Company, including Bush, Bennelong and Patyegarang.The year commences for Nick with lighting designs for productions of Wudjang: Not the Past (Bangarra Dance), North By Northwest (Kay & McLean Productions) and The Phantom of the Opera (Opera Australia) on Sydney Harbour. With such a full schedule it was a treat for STAGES to examine the art of Lighting Design with one of the country's most prolific and eloquent artists; Nick Schlieper.The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Whooshkaa, Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Recipient of Best New Podcast at 2019 Australian Podcast Awards. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au

Ever wandered what the creative process is behind the films, tv shows and theatre productions you watch? Well, Crew Chats is a podcast going behind the scenes and chatting to the crew that help make these productions. Episode 45's guest is Flo Foxwothy, Flo has only ever wanted one job, to make costumes. After leaving high school at the age of 16, her first job was working at a leather company, from there going on to work at places such as Royal New Zealand Ballet, costumes for burlesque dancers including the likes of Dita Von Teese to currently working at the world famous, Weta Workshop, where Flo is head of their soft costumes and textiles department. Flo has worked on the likes of ‘The Hobbit trilogy', ‘Ghost in the Shell', ‘Krampus' and ‘Avatar ' to name a few. Just a note we speak about covid and the situation referred to was the case at the time of recording. Flo's Reccomendations: -John Wick Films -Female Trouble -In the Mood for Love

Performing arts commentator Lyne Pringle joins Susie to talk about the challenges dance companies have faced, and decisions they've made, in the Delta outbreak with shows cancelled or postponed. Many companies, including Black Grace, have upped their online offerings, and she'll talk about how the Royal New Zealand Ballet's truncated season of A Midsummer Night's Dream can still be viewed by fans.

Javier De Frutos, Spanish Director, Choreographer and designer (born in Caracas, Venezuela in 1963) was named by the Evening Standard as one of 2016 most influential people in the UK. He is one of only three artists in the history of the Olivier Awards to have received nominations in all of the dance categories. His awards include the Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreography for Cabaret, The Evening Standard Award for The Most Incredible Thing in collaboration with Pet Shop Boys, Critics' Circle Awards for Milagros with Royal New Zealand Ballet and Elsa Canasta with Rambert and Scottish Ballet, The South Bank Show Award for Grass and The Time Out Award for Sour Milk with Candoco Dance Company. Further credits include the National Theatre production of London Road - winner of the Critics Circle Award for Best Musical and for which he received an Olivier nomination for the stage version and The 2017 Chita Rivera Award for best choreography in a feature film for the screen adaptation. His work Fiction for BalletBoyz was named Best of Dance by The Arts Desk and Top 10 by the Guardian in 2016.   From Here to Eternity, the Tim Rice musical which he premiered on the West End, was nominated for the WhatsOnStage award for Best Choreography and The Anatomy of a Passing Cloud for Royal New Zealand Ballet was nominated for both an Olivier Award and a National Dance Award.He has received further recognition in the field of music video with a nomination for best choreography in the UK music Video awards for his collaboration with Jake Nava in Delilah's Inside My Love and also received the Prix de Auteur in the 1996 Concours de Seine-Saint Denis in Paris.His work has been the subject of several documentaries. The South Bank Show in 1998 dedicated an hour king feature. Only a handful of Dance Artists have received that Honour.In 2011 the BBC broadcasted in prime time The Most Incredible Thing in collaboration with Pet Shop Boys, and the US premiere took place in Charlotte North Carolina in March 2018.He was invited by the McColl Center for Arts and Innovation to be the same years's Artist in Residence. Their first Choreographer and Director in their History.in 2000 De Frutos became one of the first Fellowship recipients The Arts Council of England, through which he studied extensively the works of Tennessee Williams for more than two years. He also represented Britain at the internationally prestigious Venice Biennale in 2006.

This episode is sponsored by MDM DancewearToday, I'm speaking with The Australian Ballet's resident choreographer, Alice Topp. Alice was born and raised in Bendigo, a small town in regional Victoria. She started dancing at the age of four and was destined for a career as a ballerina. While Alice's career at The Australian Ballet is widely known, what many don't know is that Alice's journey to The Australian Ballet wasn't like most. She didn't train at The Australian Ballet School. Instead, she did a stint at The Royal New Zealand Ballet company. She broke her foot, and then worked in a Melbourne pub to continue her training. Even more incredibly, Alice never imagined she'd be a choreographer.In this wonderfully candid interview, Alice talks about her journey to becoming only the second female resident choreographer in the 60-year history of the Australian Ballet to now launching Project Animo, a huge creative and choreographic undertaking to bring the royalty of the Australian dance scene back to the stage.

Today's guest is Tina Fehlandt. Tina Fehlandt was a founding member and integral part of the Mark Morris Dance Group for twenty years, performing in over 50 works choreographed by Mark Morris. With the Group she toured the world and appeared in several television specials, most notably as “Louise” in Mr. Morris' production of The Hard Nut. In Ballet Review, she was hailed as “one of the most beautiful dancers anywhere.” Tina has staged Mark Morris' work at San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Royal New Zealand Ballet, English National Ballet, Royal Ballet Covent Garden, Boston Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Houston Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, and many others. Tina is a full time Lecturer in Dance at Princeton University's Lewis Center for the Arts where she teaches all levels of Ballet and Modern Dance.  She continues her association with MMDG as an instructor in the Summer Intensives and as Faculty at The School teaching Professional/Advanced Ballet. For more on this podcast episode: Movers & Shapers: A Dance Podcast

During lockdown last year, the Royal New Zealand Ballet began posting videos of performances on their youtube channel. Almost overnight their views and subscribers skyrocketed. Building on the success of their Live In Your Living Room series, this weekend they will stream The Sleeping Beauty. We talk to RNZB Artistic Director Patricia Barker about how they take a production like this from the stage to the screen.

Among the notable arts winners from this week's budget announcement is the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. It's getting an extra $3.2 million to tide it over the next two years. The orchestra is also in the midst of changing the funding model it's had for years, ahead of celebrations for its 75th anniversary in 2022. The Royal New Zealand Ballet company also received more money in the budget, around $1.15 million. Both sums are on top of the government's lifeline post-Covid-19 lockdown funds. Lynn Freeman asks the NZSO's Chief Executive Peter Biggs if the budget allocation of extra funds is what they'd asked the government for.

When dancer Amy Hollingsworth was just 18, she suffered a potentially career-ending injury. Yet, she didn't just recover — she flourished. She's now the artistic director of the Australasian Dance Collective, which is about to make its return to the stage. Also, we hear a scene from Andrea James and Catherine Ryan's Australian gothic play Dogged now at Sydney's Griffin Theatre and we consider the journey of social dance, particularly hip-hop, from the streets and clubs to the theatre with Erin Brannigan.

When dancer Amy Hollingsworth was just 18, she suffered a potentially career-ending injury. Yet, she didn't just recover — she flourished. She's now the artistic director of the Australasian Dance Collective, which is about to make its return to the stage. Also, we hear a scene from Andrea James and Catherine Ryan's Australian gothic play Dogged now at Sydney's Griffin Theatre and we consider the journey of social dance, particularly hip-hop, from the streets and clubs to the theatre with Erin Brannigan.

When dancer Amy Hollingsworth was just 18, she suffered a potentially career-ending injury. Yet, she didn't just recover — she flourished. She's now the artistic director of the Australasian Dance Collective, which is about to make its return to the stage.Also, we hear a scene from Andrea James and Catherine Ryan's Australian gothic play Dogged now at Sydney's Griffin Theatre and we consider the journey of social dance, particularly hip-hop, from the streets and clubs to the theatre with Erin Brannigan.

This week DPDS connects with Professional Dancer - Katie Matthews Industry Insights connects with New Zealand born Katie Matthews. Katie talks about her career thus far and her early days of training to become a professional Ballerina before travelling and working in America. Katie began her career dancing for the ‘Royal New Zealand Ballet after studying at the International Ballet Academy in New Zealand. Having early success in her career Katie went on to star in the popular dance show ’So You Think You Can Dance’ where Katie was a top 10 finalist. Katie went on to have a successful career working for Carnival Cruise Line for over a decade where she workshopped and was part of the inaugural casts fro multiple shows. Katie is currently finding success in Las Vegas where she recently moved with her husband and has enjoyed success as a Dancer in shows lie ‘X Rocks’ and ‘Zombie Burlesque’. Katie also recently opened for ‘Metallica’ in Vegas. A real glimpse into life as a Ballerina before conquering the rest of the dance world. One of the nicest most talented individual you will ever meet and work with! Subscribe on Spotify, iTunes and other streaming platforms now! Follow on Facebook and Instagram https://fb.me/IndustryInsightswithDPDS https://www.instagram.com/industryinsightswith/ Follow Katie here; https://vmtiktok.com/ZMe1q8WfS/ https://www.instagram.com/katierosemnz https://facebook.com/katie.matthews.7359 https://youtube.com/channel/UCZzNraKhMXVjGLZbH6Ngj3g

The Royal New Zealand Ballet are about to open a free show for kids and families - at Te Papa in the school holidays - The Ugly Duckling. It plays April 19 and 20. What makes this performance interesting is that it's an all-male cast.

The Royal New Zealand Ballet are about to open a free show for kids and families - at Te Papa in the school holidays - The Ugly Duckling. It plays April 19 and 20. What makes this performance interesting is that it's an all-male cast.

(Originally aired in April 2021) Francesco Ventriglia is a dancer, choreographer and artistic director. Making his premiere at La Scala, he's performed with the Bolshoi Theatre, the Mariinsky Ballet, Grand Theatre du Geneve, the Venice Biennale. He became Europe's youngest artistic director in 2010 when he was appointed by the Florence Opera House, and was the artistic director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet during the middle of the last decade. He's now in Sydney as the co-founder and artistic director of the Sydney Choreographic Centre, which was launched in March, and has its premier performance this month at the Parramatta Riverside Theatres.

Turid Revfeim has spent her career on and around the stage. She joined the Royal New Zealand Ballet in 1980, leaving to spend four years with a company in Germany before rejoining in 1986. She rose to become a soloist, and after retiring from dancing in 1999 became an artistic co-ordinator with the RNZB and eventually its Ballet Mistress - a role she held for 11 years. Turid wrote a book about the history of the New Zealand School of Dance for its 50th anniversary; she herself is a graduate. But her most recent endeavour has been the formation of a new ballet company: BalletCollective Aotearoa. She joins Kathryn to talk about her career and the premiere last night of three new works by New Zealand choreographers, Subtle Dances.

Turid Revfeim has spent her career on and around the stage. She joined the Royal New Zealand Ballet in 1980, leaving to spend four years with a company in Germany before rejoining in 1986. She rose to become a soloist, and after retiring from dancing in 1999 became an artistic co-ordinator with the RNZB and eventually its Ballet Mistress - a role she held for 11 years. Turid wrote a book about the history of the New Zealand School of Dance for its 50th anniversary; she herself is a graduate. But her most recent endeavour has been the formation of a new ballet company: BalletCollective Aotearoa. She joins Kathryn to talk about her career and the premiere last night of three new works by New Zealand choreographers, Subtle Dances.

Danielle Rowe is the guest for episode four of  'A Body's Language'.Dani Rowe was born in Shepparton, Australia and trained at The Australian Ballet School. From 2001-2015 Dani was a Principal Dancer with the Australian Ballet and Houston Ballet, and also danced with the prestigious Nederlands Dans Theater. She now lives in San Francisco and works as a choreographer, film director and creator and writer. She is the former Associate Artistic Director of SFDanceworks.We speak about how during  the COVID-19 pandemic, Dani pivoted to film making. Her creations included Shelter, created, directed and choreographed with Garen Scribner and Alexander Reneff-Olson, Wilis in Corps-en-tine for The Australian Ballet, written, directed and choreographed with Garen Scribner, I Am Spartacus for The Australian Ballet, written, directed and choreographed with Garen Scribner and The Animals for Ballet Idaho. The films garnered positive attention from Vogue, The New Yorker, The Guardian and Dance Magazine.We also speak with Dani about her career as a choreographer and how she never imagined herself 'making dances'.  Dani has created works for San Francisco Ballet, most recently creating 'Wooden Dimes' for their digital season, Nederlands Dans Theater's SWITCH program, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Co.Lab Dance (featuring dancers from American Ballet Theater), Ballet Idaho, Grand Rapids Ballet, SFDanceworks, Diablo Ballet, Oakland Ballet and Berkeley Ballet Theater. She also choreographed for the award-winning dance film Sirens Tango (featuring principal dancers, Sasha de Sola and Luke Ingham of San Francisco Ballet), and we speak about her cross-disciplinary immersive theater production of FURY (a collaboration between San Francisco Ballet, Alonzo King LINES Ballet and indie-pop band YASSOU).Dani also reflects on her incredible dancing career.  She originated roles in creations by Paul Lightfoot/Sol Leon, Christopher Wheeldon, Wayne McGregor, Alexander Ekman, Crystal Pite, Marco Goecke and Medhi Walerski and worked with choreographers Mats Ek, Jiri Kylián, Hans van Manen, Alexei Ratmansky and Christopher Bruce. Rowe has also performed in works by Kenneth McMillan, Jerome Robbins, George Balanchine, Mark Morris and Nacho Duato as well as the title roles in Giselle, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Kitri in Don Quixote and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8PMw7NuaPM Link for Danielle Rowe as 'The Baroness' in Graeme Murphy's Swan Lake.The Australian BalletChoreography - Graeme MurphyThe Australian Opera and Ballet OrchestraConductor - Nicolette FraillonThe Sydney Opera House - 2008https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CISGInB-bagLink for 'Shoot the Moon' trailer. Music: Philip Glass: Movement II from Tirol Concerto for piano and orchestra © Dunvagen, New York / Albersen Verhuur B.V., 's-Gravenhage | Light: Tom Bevoort | Choreography, decor and costumes: Sol León and Paul Lightfoot.

Having a huge new show packed with big names cancelled by a pandemic doesn't come as a surprise to us now, but it did to Igor Stravinsky in 1918. Histoire du Soldat, or The Soldier's Tale, was setting off on its maiden tour when the Spanish Flu pandemic shut it down. The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Royal New Zealand Ballet are joining forces to take the work to cities and towns right around Aotearoa. The piece was designed to be played in small town and village halls. It has music, dancing, a narrator and a pact with the devil! Sara Brodie is the director of this production of The Soldier's Tale and she joins Kathryn to discuss staging a show from one pandemic in another, a century on.

Having a huge new show packed with big names cancelled by a pandemic doesn't come as a surprise to us now, but it did to Igor Stravinsky in 1918. Histoire du Soldat, or The Soldier's Tale, was setting off on its maiden tour when the Spanish Flu pandemic shut it down. The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the Royal New Zealand Ballet are joining forces to take the work to cities and towns right around Aotearoa. The piece was designed to be played in small town and village halls. It has music, dancing, a narrator and a pact with the devil! Sara Brodie is the director of this production of The Soldier's Tale and she joins Kathryn to discuss staging a show from one pandemic in another, a century on.

New Zealand's top orchestras and ballet company have been left floundering for talent after failing to secure visas for dancers and players from overseas. The number of people watching online performances by the Symphony Orchestra, the Auckland Philharmonic and the Royal New Zealand Ballet skyrocketed into the millions during the nationwide lockdown earlier this year. The organisations at the forefront of performing arts says foreign musicians and dancers must be considered as essential workers. Amy Williams filed this report.

Twyla Tharp, one of the world's greatest living choreographers, is due to bring her dance work "Waterbaby Bagatelles" to New Zealand stages for the first time. Waterbaby Bagatelles is a suite of dances set to seven short twentieth century compositions and features feature 27 dancers leaping and spinning their way across the stage. The strenuous and physically demanding work will be part of "Venus Rising", a national Royal New Zealand Ballet tour.

(http://www.advanceyourart.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/BarkerGala0117copy.jpg) MEET CASEY HERD Casey Herd was born in Salt Lake City, USA where he began his ballet training at The School for Ballet West. After graduating from The Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington D.C. he began his professional career with American Ballet Theatre in New York City. He later joined Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle where he quickly rose to the rank of principal dancer. While in Seattle Mr. Herd’s repertoire expanded dramatically to include leading roles in works by some of the great choreographers such as George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Jerome Robbins, and many more. Having previously been a guest artist with the Dutch National Ballet, he was invited in 2008 to join the company as a principal. In 2011, Dance Europe placed Mr. Herd nineteenth in their top 100 international dancers who have made outstanding achievements. In 2012 he received The Alexandra Radius Award. In the jury report, they credit him for being a “phenomenal partner and versatile in both the classical and contemporary repertoire” and has danced with many of the world’s most renowned ballerinas. Mr. Herd was twice invited as a principal guest artist with San Francisco Ballet, and has been invited to perform leading roles with many other prestigious ballet companies and Galas throughout the world, such as English National Ballet, The Royal New Zealand Ballet, The Lithuanian National Ballet, and was invited to go back and guest with Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle. He danced in the Prix Benois de la Danse Gala, 2009 in Vicenza, Italy and 2011 in Moscow, Russia, the Dance Open Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia, Prague Ballet Festival, the Gala de Ballet Despertares a gala of international ballet stars in Mexico City, Ballet Festival in Tokyo, Japan and Osaka, Japan, Fall For Dance Festival in New York City, Miami International Ballet Gala, Dance Across America at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and International Dance Festival in Havana, Cuba. He has also worked in independent projects in Seoul, Korea, and Copenhagen, Denmark. After leaving the Dutch National Ballet in 2016 he began a career as an international guest artist and teacher. In 2019 Mr. Herd was inspired to create a new initiative called Ballet Rising, deriving from his life-long passion for art, photography, history, sociology, and having extensively traveled much of the world. As Ballet Rising allows for his continued involvement and development of ballet, it also allows Mr. Herd to engage in a wide range of subjects, and with far more people around the world. CONTACT: www.balletrising.com (http://www.balletrising.com) https://twitter.com/BalletRising (https://twitter.com/BalletRising) https://www.instagram.com/balletrising/ (https://www.instagram.com/balletrising/) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3XCnuKU5zx1ZoLkA8ORR5Q (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3XCnuKU5zx1ZoLkA8ORR5Q) SUPPORT THE SHOW BECAUSE I LOVE PUPPIES! https://www.berglearning.com/ (https://www.berglearning.com/) Use coupon code:Yuri10 If you’re looking for a high-quality CBD Oil click on the link and try out zilis. I’ve been using them for a few weeks and I’m sleeping better and have less joint pain. Zilis CBD Oil (https://shop.zilis.com/#/shop/from/7143366) This podcast is brought to you by Audible. I have used Audible for years, and I love audiobooks. Click on the link to get a 30-day free trial, complete with a credit for a free audiobook download Audible.com (http://www.audibletrial.com/Yuri)

An in-depth conversation with musician, composer, arranger and producer Claire Cowan. She is the leader of the Blackbird Ensemble, she is writing a brand new score for the Royal New Zealand Ballet, she is a soundtrack composer for TV and film and is both a writer and performer (cello, piano, guitar, percussion). So we talked through her life and work and plugged the current Blackbird Ensemble Bjork shows.

An in-depth conversation with musician, composer, arranger and producer Claire Cowan. She is the leader of the Blackbird Ensemble, she is writing a brand new score for the Royal New Zealand Ballet, she is a soundtrack composer for TV and film and is both a writer and performer (cello, piano, guitar, percussion). So we talked through her life and work and plugged the current Blackbird Ensemble Bjork shows. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

  Robyn McLean is the Founder and Co-owner of the Hello Cup company where she handles the marketing and communications of the business. A quirky and out-of-the-box style is her specialty. She mentors startups in marketing and how to stand out from the crowd. Robyn has previously worked as the PR Manager for local government and the Royal New Zealand Ballet, as well as been a journalist for newspapers such as the Sunday Star Times, Dominion Post, and The Taranaki Daily News.    Robyn joins me today to share how an idea to try something turned into a business idea and a product that could change the world. Hello Cup was recently recognized as a 2018/2019 Top 5 New Zealand SheEO funded Venture.  She reveals how her passion for words and has helped craft the marketing message for the Hello Cup company and how social media is giving a voice to people who want to be an entrepreneur and start a company. Robyn also describes how the mindset of having faith in yourself and your idea is key to turning an idea into a product or service and starting a successful business.          “Especially in this day and age, it is not difficult to start a company and give your idea a go.” - Robyn McLean        This Week on Young Money:    How an idea to try something turned into creating something that could change the world.  Her experience of moving from journalism to a PR role and getting the message across as simply as possible.  How social media is helping small companies breakthrough and find a voice.  Why you need to have faith in yourself and have the confidence to try things out.  The key areas that businesses should be looking at when creating a business model.  How as a SheEO funded venture Hello Cup is working on the world’s to do list.  Why it is important to forge your path and follow your gut.          Key takeaways:    Have the courage and confidence to go with your idea.  Be bold.  Try to develop something you would like to have had when you were younger.  Make the world a better place.            Connect with Robyn McLean:    Hello Cup  Hello Cup on Facebook  Hello Cup on Instagram  Robyn McLean on LinkedIn  Email Hello Cup          Can I AFFORD it?  This episode is sponsored by the masterclass Can I Afford It? How to be certain of what you can and can’t afford in your business in 5 minutes or less every time. This training has been specifically designed for entrepreneurs with sales in the 6 to 7 figure range to provide the 5 Steps to Cash Flow Clarity.   If you are an entrepreneur with sales at these levels and want to make powerful money decisions, you do not want to miss this important masterclass. Head over to bissettfinancialfitness.com/afford to register now.  Stop asking yourself the question can I AFFORD it?    Rate, Share & Inspire Other Young Millionaires-in-the-Making     Thanks for tuning into the Young Money Podcast - the advice show for young millionaires-in-the-making! If you enjoyed this week’s episode, head over to Apple Podcasts and leave us a rating and review. Visit our website to learn how easy it is to leave a review on Apple Podcasts.    Don’t forget to share your favorite episodes on social media!     Subscribe to the Young Money Podcast on iTunes so you never miss an episode and reach out to us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, our LinkedIn Company Page, or by visiting our website.​ 

Garage Project’s Hāpi Festival and Symposium was held earlier this year in the lead-up to New Zealand’s hop harvest. The symposium and festival form the public-facing side of a hop-breeding initiative Garage Project has undertaken with New Zealand’s Freestyle Farms, and with backing from the country’s Ministry for Primary Industries. Over the course of a day in Wellington’s famous Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, speakers such as Alexandra Nowell from Three Weavers Brewing Company, Matt Brynildson from Firestone Walker Brewing Company, and Paul Jones from Cloudwater Brew Co. gave talks with a focus on hops. Good Beer Hunting was there to capture a slice of the discussion.   Afterwards, the invited breweries poured for a small festival of 1,000 people. It was a surreal situation: seeing world-renowned breweries like Trillium, Other Half, Hill Farmstead. Tired Hands and Cellarmaker serving beer in New Zealand’s national museum.  *** Out of Wellington, New Zealand, Garage Project was launched in 2011 by brothers Ian and Pete Gillespie and their friend Jos Ruffell. The trio first made their presence known with the brewery’s “24/24” series: 24 beers released in 24 weeks to an eager Wellington public.  Since then, Garage Project has made its name by continuing to push boundaries with unusual creations and projects, such as layered beer designed to imitate a flat white, making beers for the Royal New Zealand Ballet, and even releasing a series of natural wines spiked with Lactobacillus or aged on unusual oak. Over the next seven years, they will also be working on the Hāpi project for the benefit of New Zealand’s hop growing industry. I had the chance to take Jos aside, as the festival was in full swing, so he could share just what it was all about. Listen in.

Every Saturday morning, movie critic Francesca Rudkin joins Jack Tame to take a look at what is playing at the movies this weekendPet SemataryLouis Creed, his wife Rachel, and their two children, Gage and Ellie, move to a rural home where they are welcomed and enlightened about the eerie 'Pet Sematary' located nearby. After the tragedy of their cat being killed by a truck, Louis resorts to burying it in the mysterious pet cemetery, which is definitely not as it seems, as it proves to the Creeds that sometimes, dead is better.The Heart DancesThe Heart Dances tracks the creation of The Piano: the ballet, commissioned by the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Following its NZIFF 2018 screenings, The Heart Dances will have a general release commencing April 4, 2019. Last year was the 25th anniversary year of the release of the film from which the ballet draws its inspiration.Woman at WarMeet Halla, Icelandic superwoman in a woolly jumper. At 49 and single, she leads a full and satisfying life. She’s the popular conductor of an a capella choir, practices tai chi, swims laps, cycles everywhere – and unbeknownst to all bar a single tremulous accomplice, is saving the countryside from industrial pollution, one exploded pylon at a time. Dubbed the ‘Mountain Woman’ in the media, demonised as an economic spoiler by government spinners, she’s feeling the pressure when a letter arrives reminding her that four years earlier, supported by her twin sister, she applied to adopt a Ukrainian orphan.

It’s difficult to maintain a work-family balance when we are trying to get a new business off the ground. How can professional support help us? How does entering business awards help structure our business? How can we inspire our children to be entrepreneurs? In this episode, Stacey Morgan shares how she maintains her home life alongside her professional life, and explains how entering awards changed her perspective on her business. Some days I’m a really good business owner, some days I’m a really good mom, and some days I’m a mix of both—and that’s ok. -Stacey Morgan   3 Things We Learned From This Episode Don’t rely on support from your family only (04:57- 07:15) We often feel the need to put on the façade of ‘everything’s going great’ when speaking about our business to our family because we don’t want them to lose confidence in us. We need to have a community of professionals in the same position as us with whom we can speak openly and honestly about the challenges we face.   It’s not natural to be a 24-hour mom (7:17-9:30) We are inclined to think that if we don’t want to spend 24 hours a day with our children we are bad parents. This is not true to even previous eras of parenting. We need to balance the time we spend parenting and working to avoid feeling exhausted and resentful, and so that we can make the most of the time we have with our children.   Applying for awards helps you structure your business (13:41-15:35) As business owners we keep a lot of information in our heads and hardly ever communicate it to others. Entering business awards puts us on the spot in terms of all aspects of our business and it forces us to answer questions we have never considered. We stand to gain a well-rounded perspective of our business, see where we’re doing well and what we need to work on.   As mothers and business owners, we need to distinguish between our two roles whilst also recognizing where the positive overlaps are. Our family should not be our only source of support for our business, and we shouldn’t feel like we are neglecting them by not being there 24/7. We need a professional team and support structure so that we can take the time for our families. We must also make time for opportunities that can help our businesses grow, even when their value is not immediately evident. Entering awards is an extremely useful exercise as it makes us take a closer look at how our business is performing.   Guest Bio- Stacey Morgan, Founder and Principal of Port Macquarie Performing Arts (PMPA) and Podcast Host, is a passionate dance educator from Wauchope, NSW. She has received numerous awards at the Greater Port Macquarie Business Awards, namely, Excellence in Technology 2012, Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2014, 2015 and 2016, and Excellence in Innovation 2015. Stacey grew up dancing under the expert instruction of Francessca O’Donnell and gained her Associate Teaching Diploma from the British Ballet Association. She went on to dance professionally overseas and in Australian productions of musicals like Grease, Gypsy and 42nd Street. Stacey has a Bachelor of Creative Industries in Dance and a Bachelor of Education in Drama from the Queensland University of Technology, and she also has her Masters in Arts Education - majoring in Dance Teaching - from Deakin University. Prior to opening PMPA, she was Education Manager for the Royal New Zealand Ballet where she facilitated a nation-wide education program for dance. Stacey is the co-host of Miss Bossy Boots, a podcast inspiring leadership for Women in Business.   http://pmperformingarts.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceymorganpmpa/

This is part 1 of my interview with Stacey Morgan.  Stacey is the Principal of Port Macquarie Performing Arts in New South Wales. Her studio is committed to providing high-quality dance classes to enhance the overall development of the child. They provide a safe and child-centred environment to encourage her students to explore dance and the performing arts with qualified, nurturing teachers. Stacey’s Bio: Before opening PMPA, Stacey was teaching for the Royal New Zealand Ballet assuming the role of Education Manager, facilitating a nationwide education programme for dance. She grew up dancing in Wauchope under the instruction of Francessca O’Donnell with whom she gained her Associate teaching diploma from the British Ballet Organisation. Stacey then went on to dance professionally overseas and in Australian productions of musicals such as Grease, Gypsy and 42nd Street. In 2004 she graduated university with a Bachelor of Creative Industries in Dance and a Bachelor of Education in Drama from the Queensland University of Technology and since then has gone on to study her Masters in Arts Education through Deakin University majoring in Dance teaching. Over the years she has taught students of all ages through to professional dancers at the peak of their careers and along with teaching strong technique her core teaching values centre around fostering each child’s passion for dance. This interview will be broken up into 2 episodes. This episode is all about getting to know Stacey as well as tackling the discussion balancing running a studio while balancing motherhood. Next week we will continue the conversation with Stacey as she shares with us the benefits of entering local, state and national awards and how she has used winning awards to build customer loyalty and to create buzz around her business.

In this podcast, we talk to former (Royal) New Zealand Ballet dancer Matthew Lawrence about his journey from the southern tip of the world to the northern end of the Scottish Shetland isles, where he's created an important community dance school. The Shetland Community Ballet School is a great example of a local dance school providing opportunities for young and mature dancers in remote locations, where the demand for dance classes and training may just surprise you. Matthew's career has seen him starring on stage in in London and Europe, he's worked backstage, behind the scenes and in front of the studio. Listen to Matthew's journey and his tales of other great dancers past, of life in Covent Garden in the 1980s and moving to the Shetland isles. PRESS PLAY! https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/djwpodcasts/1wwwod/Matthew+Lawrence.mp3   Matthew Lawrence and Adrienne Arabian Nutcracker 1980 Matthew Lawrence and The Shetland Community Ballet School Matthew Lawrence

In this podcast, we talk to former (Royal) New Zealand Ballet dancer Matthew Lawrence about his journey from the southern tip of the world to the northern end of the Scottish Shetland isles, where he’s created an important community dance school. The Shetland Community Ballet School is a great example of a local dance school providing… The post Former Royal New Zealand Ballet dancer Matthew Lawrence on his move to the top of Scotland to create a dance school appeared first on

Lucy Balfour is a leading dancer at the world renowned contemporary dance company Ballet Rambert. Lucy trained at the International Ballet Academy in Christchurch, then spent ten years with the Royal New Zealand Ballet, before joining Rambert. In this episode, Lucy talks about the competitiveness of becoming a ballerina, the singular focus on realising her dream, with no back up plan. She talks about the pressure of selection and performing, maintaining self-identity throughout balanced by the privilege of being a dancer. Lucy is pregnant and gives an insight how Rambert have been supporting her to continue to rehearse and perform (Lucy performed on stage with Rambert up to 5 months pregnant) and now looks ahead with the question of whether she'll return to dance once she becomes a mum.   Show notes Lucy's journey into dance Decision ballet school or high school? First ballet contract with The Royal New Zealand ballet company Focus, rejection, perseverance and belief: developing resilience No plan B Dealing with rejection Advice for the 16 year old Lucy Balfour The day in a life for a dancer at the Rambert Dance Company Coping with the ups and downs of the selection/audition process Stay alert use rejection as a learning opportunity, learning from your peers without the pressure! Staying aware of your behaviour Getting in the right place for a new performance: preparing physically and mentally, writing down corrections in a training diary and not being afraid to ask lots of questions Late specialisation Pregnancy and performance Life after the birth Dancing whilst pregnant Facing the prospect of being a dancer and a mum Viewing ballet through a different set of eyes which will help in the future, learning more about the craft of ballet The length of a ballet career - it's not about age, it's about desire and physicality Dancer's Career Development - thinking ahead Wanting to inspire others, an ambassador for dance mamas and helping others to realise their potential at an earlier age Top tips for a career in the performing arts   Supporting Champions on Twitter www.twitter.com/support_champs Steve Ingham on Twitter www.twitter.com/ingham_steve Supporting Champions on Linkedin, www.linkedin.com/company/supporting-champions Instagram https://www.instagram.com/supportingchampions/ A reminder if you're keen to pre-register for the next wave of Graduate Membership enrolments then you can do so at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/membership/ If you're looking for some coaching support or some virtual team development help to support you to get to the next level in work, life or sport then take a look at https://supportingchampions.co.uk/coaching-mentoring/ or drop us a note at enquiries@supportingchampions.co.uk then you can sign up for a free consultation to explore which package is right for you.

Laurie McSherry-Gray is a half-soloist with The Royal Ballet of Flanders.  Laurie trained at The Royal Ballet School in London and then joined the Royal New Zealand Ballet, after which he spent some time with Angel Corella’s company, Corella Ballet, in Spain, where his repertoire included both traditional ballets and modern classics.  My previous guest Joshua McSherry-Gray is Laurie’s identical twin brother who has traveled much of the same journey into professional ballet. Both Josuha and Laurie are extremely close and bring a unique perspective on what it takes to make it the world of professional ballet.

Joshua McSheery-Gray grew up in Hull, England a small town near the Yorkshire Coast.  After finding his love of ballet and dance, Joshua and his identical twin brother made their way to London where they trained at the Central School of Ballet and the Royal Ballet Upper School.  Upon their graduation , both Joshua and his brother Laurie accepted their first professional position with the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Once in New Zealand, Joshua realized that his true dream was to dance with one of the major companies in his home country.  He made his way back to London where he auditioned and was accepted into the prestigious English National Ballet.  Joshua has been dancing with ENB since 2009 and absolutely loves his "job". Balancing Pointe website English National Ballet - Joshua McSherry-Gray Balancing Pointe Facebook

Born in Cincinnati, America Madison began dancing at the age of five.  She trained pre-professionally at a local studio, Ballet Tech of Ohio, under the direction of Claudia Rudolf Barrett.  At sixteen, Madison was accepted into University of North Carolina School of the Arts.  While attending UNCSA, Madison was awarded the Melissa Hayden Endowed Scholarship.  She was chosen to perform such leading roles as Sugar Plum, both Odette and Odile inSwan Lake, and in George Balanchine'sValse Fantaisiepas de deux.  Madison graduated from UNCSA in May 2012 and joined the Royal New Zealand Ballet in September for The TelstraClear Season of Giselle.