Jenna Jones, Founder and program director at Belamour Dance Leadership Academy in Lebanon, TN, has an extended back ground in the performing arts and classical ballet. She created her academy in 2022 and shares about the choices she has made in terms of leadership, management, and dance training to shape a unique program. We talk about difficult decisions, the dynamic pathways a career in dance and ministry can take, and committing to integrity at every step in the process without compromise. Le...
Sep 05, 2025•27 min•Season 6Ep. 6
Victoria Schneider is celebrating thirty years on the ballet faculty at Harid Conservatory. She began her ballet training with Fred Danieli at the School of the Garden State Ballet in New Jersey, performing with the Company while still in her teens and danced soloist roles in a number of Balanchine ballets. At Pennsylvania Ballet, she took on various jobs: dancer, teacher, administrator, and assistant to both company founder Barbara Weisberger and artistic director Benjamin Harkarvy. She moved t...
Aug 18, 2025•33 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Julianna Rubio Slager is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Ballet 5:8—a nationally recognized company based in Chicago. She trained with renowned mentors from the Ann Arbor Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, the Vaganova Academy, and the Puerto Rican National Ballet. Julianna also danced at Greater Lansing Ballet and Ballet Magnificat. In 2012, Julianna co-founded Ballet 5:8 with Amy Sanderson, aiming to elevate ballet as a medium for discussion of life and faith. With over two decades ...
Aug 01, 2025•29 min•Season 6Ep. 5
I speak with Dance educator and author Mary Bawden, founder of Dance Awareness: No Child Exploited (DA:NCE). Mary received a BA in modern dance from the University of California Riverside, a MA in worship (emphasis in dance) from Hope International University in Fullerton CA, and a California secondary teaching credential. In 2003, she founded Soul to Sole Choreography and released a book, Dance is Prayer in Motion , in 2016. Mary began to notice the culture around children’s dance moving toward...
Jul 25, 2025•32 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Today, I speak with Jenn Blessing, owner and founder of Makers Ekklesia Dance Company in Knoxville, TN. Jenn has been teaching for over 20 years. She danced while attending Texas A & M, and directed Company AbunDance, danced in Chara Dance Company, Talitha Dance Company and served as the Artistic Director for the Knoxville Dance Project after moving to TN in 2012. In our conversation she shares about saying yes to leadership, communicating with intention, and shaping a culture that is recogn...
Jul 18, 2025•20 min•Season 6Ep. 3
I speak with Sharyn Mahoney, Executive Director of Rejoice School of Ballet in Nashville, TN. A former professional dancer, Sharyn worked in various roles at Nashville Ballet for over thirty years where she developed a relationship with Rejoice School Ballet before assuming leadership as its founder retired. She shares about maintaining a people-first orientation, keeping big-picture focus, and the continual learning process of leadership. Learn more about Sharyn and Rejoice School of Ballet: ht...
Jul 11, 2025•28 min•Season 6Ep. 2
As part of the faith-based dance series, I speak with Christina Clark, a passionate minister of dance with 15 years experience as a worship leader, teacher and creator of worship garments and tools. She is a wife to Antoine for 17 years and mama to three amazing sons – Mason, Leo and Ethan. She founded Arise Dance Ministry which exists to share God through Dance, Outreach, and Teaching and is focused on helping people grow deeper in their relationship with God through movement. Based in the Rale...
Jun 27, 2025•32 min•Season 6Ep. 1
Today’s guest is Katherine Lawrence, Principal Faculty with Ballet West’s pre-professional training program. A native of Fairfield, Connecticut, she trained atConnecticut Dance School and The Harid Conservatory, where she graduated as Valedictorian in 1998. She performed with The Hartford Ballet for a year before joining Ballet Internationale in 1999. In 2004, she joined Ballet West, retiring as a Principal Artist in May 2021. She holds a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Ballet with a Teaching Emphasi...
Jun 03, 2025•28 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Today’s guest, Kati Hanlon Mayo, Academy Associate Director for Charlotte Ballet’s Upper School, trained at The Boston School of Ballet under the direction of E. Virginia Williams & Violette Verdy. At the age of 15, she became a member of Boston Ballet 2 before joining North Carolina Dance Theatre (now Charlotte Ballet) as a principal dancer. She also performed with Chautauqua Ballet Company under the direction of Jean Pierre Bonnefoux. Her students have gone on to professional careers with ...
May 22, 2025•25 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Melissa recaps conversations on summer dance programs from universities to conservatories and how the diversity of training helps you make decisions from an informed perspective while building your community of peers, colleagues, and mentors. Learn more about dance training and careers in dance: www.theballerinatist.com .
May 08, 2025•20 min•Season 5Ep. 5
Today’s guest, Grae Robinson, recruiter in the dance program at Texas A & M University shares about their summer dance intensive, planning for academics and artistic growth so you can know your options to reduce pressure or stress in making decisions. Texas A&M dance programs educate students in the art and science of dance by offering a personalized approach to dance training through hands-on, field-based experiences including technical production, dance science research and Pilates. Th...
Apr 04, 2025•29 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Today’s guest, Madeline Jazz Harvey, is an Associate Professor at Colorado State University, is a dance educator, choreographer, and performer specializing in classical and contemporary ballet. Her twenty-year performance career includes dancing with Charlotte Ballet , Carolina Ballet Theatre , and Impact Dance Company . She attended summer intensive programs on full scholarship at Chautauqua Institution , Complexions Contemporary Ballet , and The Juilliard School . Madeline holds a BA and Profe...
Mar 27, 2025•42 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Emily Kent, Education Director for Pilobolus, shares about the company’s summer offerings. She holds a BSEd in Dance Education from the University of Georgia and began working with Pilobolus in 1999, first as a dancer and collaborator and then Teaching Artist. She has created original works for high school and university dance companies for Pilobolus and as an individual artist. She has set classic Pilobolus repertoire on high school and university students. She has created new programs to share...
Mar 12, 2025•32 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Anamarie McGinn is the School Director for Central Florida Ballet. She has received training from prestigious schools all over the U.S. such as; American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and Joffrey Ballet School. She danced professionally with Orlando Ballet for 19 seasons, dancing under Fernando Bujones, Bruce Marks, Robert Hill, and Jorden Morris. In 2006, at the American Dance Competition, Anamarie was awarded the Gold Medal in the Senior Classical division as well as The Fe...
Feb 27, 2025•31 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Today we’re looking at shaping a personal statement as a dancer. As you progress through your artistic development, you’ll be asked to share for artistic philosophy, or perspective. Having a foundational awareness of one’s artistic identity offers a filter through which to make work, choose work, and represent yourself. That identity will continue to add layers, but it also gives you a self-accountability tool so you can center yourself, bring yourself into alignment, and move with confident pur...
Feb 04, 2025•27 min•Season 4Ep. 11
Melissa shares about Nutcracker traditions and how it can be such a defining experience for young dancers en pointe. Learn about the importance creating a strong foundation for pointe work so you (or your dancer) are prepared for pointe work. Understand: alignment, neuromuscular control, and the anatomy of a pointe shoe for an optimal experience. Check out the Prepared for Pointe Work course and more resources for pre-professional dancers and their parents: https://www.theballerinatist.com/...
Dec 17, 2024•37 min•Season 4Ep. 10
For young dancers in rigorous dance training programs, balancing dance with academics can be challenging. There is a range of options to find equilibrium. Learn about the timing of educational shifts and the differences between pre-professional training, a trainee or apprentice program, conservatories and universities so you and your dancer can make informed decisions every step (and jete) of the way. This episode covers the chapter on Academics in the Parenting for Dancers ebook: https://www.th...
Nov 08, 2024•35 min•Season 4Ep. 9
What do you do with feedback? Maybe you (or your dancer) is getting feedback that is unclear. The Feedback Filter in the Parenting for Dancers ebook is a great tool to get the most out of feedback to help your dancer grow with confidence. Get the book: https://www.theballerinatist.com/thingsdancersneed/p/parenting-for-dancers-how-dance-training-works-and-how-you-can-help-your-dancer-be-successful Schedule a coaching call: https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule/31df4fbb/appointment/29534329/ca...
Oct 10, 2024•42 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Michal Harvey is our final episode in our season engaging with artists based in Middle TN. Michal is a comprehensively trained Pilates instructor through Balanced Body, a ballet teacher, and a former professional ballet dancer. A Nashville native, Michal trained with The Centennial Youth Ballet. In 2010 she earned a B.A in Dance from Belhaven University. Michal pursued a number of dance performance opportunities with regional companies in Jackson, MS; Jerusalem, Israel; and Fort Worth, Texas, wh...
Sep 09, 2024•30 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Dancers all around the world are wrapping up their summer dance programs - which is kind of like the Olympics of dance. Celebrate but don’t forget to debrief your SDP experience - because it will help you confidently make decisions moving forward. Melissa shares things to cover; and the how and why of interpreting the highs and lows of an SDP. Learn more: www.emceemovement.com.
Jul 29, 2024•43 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Helping your dancer prepare to become the director of their path in dance is critical to their transitions through opportunities. Key pieces to this include: audition mindset, healthy boundaries, proactive communication, mentorship, financial literacy, accountability and transparency. Even though the majority of your dancer’s training and performing will take place in group settings, progression as a dancer is a solo role. So, understanding how to advocate for themselves based on their goals, va...
Apr 29, 2024•51 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Learn how to make the most out of teacher relationships - from communication to feedback and even becoming a teacher. Teaching is more than just telling people what to do. It is a craft and skill to be nurtured. This is an excerpt from the Parent for Dancers guide which can be found here . For more resources on dance training and career planning for dancers, visit emceemovement.com ....
Mar 18, 2024•52 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Get Melissa’s guide to Summer Dance Programs - Melissa worked for Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Boston Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet’s summer programs. She created an ebook for Parents with her tips and recommendations from her experiences in different cities with different companies so they can prepare their dancers to have a fun, meaningful experience at summer dance programs. Get the guide: https://hpdtn.com/thingsdancersneed/p/rockyoursummerdanceprogram Learn more ...
Mar 11, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Dancer-choreographers Brandon Masele and Laura Defretin shared about their work Rave Lucid which is being presented by Oz Arts Nashville February 29-March 2nd. Brandon, an Electro dancer and Laura, a hip hop dancer worked together in this piece to bring electro dance to the forefront as its own independent technique from hip hop dance. You’ll hear about their growth as creative partners and independent artists, their dedication to illuminating the nuances of their forms, and the process of findi...
Feb 29, 2024•27 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Matthew Robinson has a diverse background of movement experience in dance and martial arts. He performed with The West Virginia Dance Company and Roanoke Ballet Theatre while studying to receive his BFA from Radford University. In Cleveland, OH he performed with The Dancing Wheels Company. He also choreographed for and worked with The Cleveland Dance Project Company, performed with North Pointe Ballet and MorrisonDance. He currently dances with di Mossa and Nashville Dance Collective - for which...
Feb 26, 2024•29 min•Season 3Ep. 10
A Nashville based photographer specializing in dance and fine art photography, Martin O’Connor has worked with professional dance companies, studios, and collegiate dance programs to capture dance. He received the Dance Advocate Award from the TN Association of Dance in 2008 for his dedication and support of the dance community. In our conversation, Martin shares about the dynamics of creating meaningful images in dance, developing an eye for movement, and as a true member of the dance community...
Feb 06, 2024•31 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Today’s guest Kaitlyn McDermitt graduated from Southern Methodist University with a BFA in Dance Performance in 2012. She has performed with Roxey Ballet, Avant Chamber Ballet, Ballet North Texas and Bruce Wood Dance Project. Following her transition from performing, Kaitlyn saw a need for mindset training and personal development in the dance industry and created her coaching business Confidance. Her mission is to help dancers feel more confident in themselves in and out of the studio, find the...
Jan 10, 2024•40 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Melissa shares six Pro-tips for choosing a dance studio that will save you the time and frustration of feeling like you’re missing out on the best option for you and your dancer. Grab the free download and learn more about planning for a career in dance: emceemovement.com.
Dec 12, 2023•35 min•Season 4Ep. 3
If your dancer is serious about dance and in a pre-professional dance program, you're probably learning that being the best dancer isn't always enough. This episode covers timelines for pre-professional dance training and milestones for dancers planning for a professional career in dance. For more tools on planning for a career in dance: https://hpdtn.com/thingsdancersneed Timeline for Pre-Professional Dance Training Download...
Nov 27, 2023•38 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Melissa shares from her ebook, “Parenting for Dancers: learn how dance training works and how to help your dancer be successful.” This is a must-have guide for parents of dancers whether your child is about to start dance training or has been dancing for years. If you feel like you have no idea how to support your dancer or manage their dance training, this is a great place to start. Get the ebook: https://hpdtn.com/thingsdancersneed/p/parenting-for-dancers-how-dance-training-works-and-how-you-c...
Oct 26, 2023•25 min•Season 4Ep. 26
