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Ballet Help DeskAuthor: Jenny Huang and Brett Gardner
As parents, you play a crucial role in supporting your dancer's ballet path and we know navigating the world of ballet training can be challenging. The Ballet Help Desk podcast is here to help! Tune in for expert insights on supporting your student's ballet education. We cover key topics like summer intensives, ballet competitions, full-time and postgraduate training, health and wellness, boys in ballet and more. Hear valuable advice from leading professionals across the ballet world to help your dancer make the most informed decisions about their unique training path. Learn more at www.ballethelpdesk.com. Language: en Genres: Arts, Kids & Family, Parenting, Performing Arts Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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What Happens When You Choose Harvard Over the Company Contract
Episode 179
Wednesday, 15 April, 2026
What happens when a dancer who traded pre-professional ballet training at the John Cranko School and the Joffrey Ballet Studio Company for a Harvard degree? Or when a dancer who received offers from the training programs at Joffrey, Colorado Ballet, and Philadelphia Ballet decides that college was always the plan? We sat down with Clara Thiele and Melinda Wang, co-directors of the Harvard Ballet Company, to explore one very compelling way to keep ballet in your life without a professional contract and the decisions that brought them to Cambridge and what they found when they got there. We talk about the moment Clara knew she was done auditioning, the very real grief of walking away from something you've built your identity around, and why Melinda is still grappling with the what-ifs even as a junior. We also dig into what the Harvard Ballet Company actually is: a 60-to-80-person, audition-based, collegiate ballet company that brings in choreographers from NYCB and SF Ballet, performs on a 500-seat stage, stages Balanchine repertoire, and somehow manages to keep ballet feeling joyful again. We also discuss the Ivy Ballet Exchange and the Beyond the Barre mentorship initiative. Links: Summer Intensive Essentials Guide Buy Summer Corrections Journals Read Our Ballet School Summer & Year-Round Reviews Support Ballet Help Desk Instagram: @BalletHelpDesk Facebook: BalletHelpDesk TikTok: @BalletHelpDesk Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI
