Ballet Help Desk

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.

Listen in PodNod RSS feed Show website

194 episodes
Updated Wednesday

Episodes194

Newest first

Sue McCarroll, Pilates Instructor For The Rock School For Dance Education
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk This week, Ballet Help Desk chats with Sue McCarroll, the lead Pilates instructor for The Rock School For Dance Education. She provides advice on how Pilates can fit into a dancer's training regimen. Sue discusses not only how the practice can help with injury prevention but also with actual dance performance. Instagram: opal_wellness_studio Website: https://www.opalwellnessstudio.com/link-list Podcast: well2you https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/well2you-podcast/id1547156150
Aug 16, 2023 · 54 min
A Conversation With Aki Kawasaki, Head Strength Coach At Houston Ballet
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk Cross-training. What does it mean, should my dancer be doing it and how soon should they start? Tune in to hear advice from Aki Kawasaki, Head Strength Coach at Houston Ballet and Houston Ballet Academy. Aki provides advice not only on how to build physical strength but also on how to develop the right mindset around training. Instagram: akihirothegreatofficial TikTok: akihirothegreat
Aug 9, 2023 · 50 min
Questions To Ask When Choosing A Ballet School
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk Have a dancer who may want to get more serious about ballet? Wondering how to choose a local ballet school? We did too! Now that we've learned a few things, we've got all the questions you might want to ask when evaluating whether or not a local school is a good fit for your ballet dancer!
Jul 28, 2023 · 25 min
How Ballet Students Can Maintain Emotional Health While Injured
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk Dancers focus on cross-training as part of their overall ballet training regimen. But, often, they forget how much mental cross-training they need to do to maintain their emotional health. Elizabeth Sullivan, a ballet wellness coach, joins us to discuss how dancers can maintain their emotional health while dealing with the pressures of high level ballet training, especially when coming back from an injury. Elizabeth also spends some time discussing what she would like to see change with ballet schools as it relates to how ballet schools help students with rehab and retuning to class after an injury. For dancers who may be interested in working with Elizabeth, she partners not only with ballet schools, but also indivual dancers to help them build and maintain their mental toolkit so they can get the most out of their ballet training. Website: www.easullivan.com
Jul 26, 2023 · 1 hr 13 min
Three Important Questions to Ask Your Dancer
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk There are three important questions that will likely come up as your dancer starts to get more serious about ballet. They're also questions that should be asked throughout the course of the child's training. See more at www.ballethelpdesk.com
Jul 25, 2023 · 15 min
A Conversation With Jen Sommers, Director of Houston Ballet Academy
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk Today we are talking with Jennifer Sommers, the Director of the Houston Ballet Academy. Tune in to hear how students can audition to get into the academy, how scholarships work and what traits students need to possess in order to be successful in a residential ballet program. This episode also covers what life is like once dancers arrive for their time at the school. Houston Ballet Academy Ballet Help Desk Submit Year-Round Reviews Support Ballet Help Desk Instagram: @BalletHelpDesk
Jul 24, 2023 · 47 min
When Your Dancer Wants To Quit Ballet
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk It's not uncommon for dancers to reach a point where they want to stop serious ballet training, and that's perfectly fine! In this podcast, we discuss various reasons why students may choose to leave serious ballet training and provide tips for parents on how to support them through this decision.
Jul 21, 2023 · 14 min
What's Your Ballet Style?
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk Caught up in the ballet style rat race? This week we talk about favorite ballet brands and how long you'll have to do battle with your kids over the latest trends in leos and warm-ups!
Jul 18, 2023 · 24 min
Chatting With Mark Carlson and Sandra Kerr, Owners And Artistic Directors of International Ballet School
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk We had the pleasure of speaking with Mark Carlson and Sandra Kerr, the Co-Owners of International Ballet School in Denver, CO. Tune in to hear the perspectives of what it's like to train pre-professional dancers at a small ballet studio, launch them off to the upper levels of company affiliated programs and how things have changed since they were dancing. Website: https://internationalballetschool.net/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/internationalballetschool/
Jul 16, 2023 · 1 hr
Tips For Sending Your Young Dancer Off To Summer Ballet Intensives
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk It's summer ballet intensive time! Let's talk about what parents and dancers should expect when they head off for their ballet summer. This podcast is designed for parents of dancers aged 12-14.
Jul 11, 2023 · 24 min
Tips For Making The Most Of Summer Ballet Intensives For Your Older Teen
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk In this podcast we'll cover all you need to know about sending your older dancer off to summer ballet intensives. We'll cover why networking is so important, how your reputation can impact success and how to figure out if you want to stay at your summer program for year-round ballet training.
Jul 11, 2023 · 17 min
Friendships In The Studio
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk Ballet friends are the best friends! In this podcast we talk about how to manage friendships with the same people who are your fiercest competitors. We highlight times when dancers showed great kindness and we talk about how important it is to have friends who lift you up when things aren't going your way.
Jul 11, 2023 · 19 min
Ballet Help Desk Answers Listener Questions
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk Ballet Help Desk answers listener questions about all aspects of ballet training. This week we delve into questions about types of ballet training, figuring out if that training is any good, and also how to manage paying for ballet training on a fixed budget. See more at www.ballethelpdesk.com
Jul 10, 2023 · 25 min
What We Wish We Knew Then
Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk This week, the Ballet Help Desk answers questions about how we, as dance parents, would have done things differently had we known then what we know now. We also dig into questions about the age dancers start full-time training, how to handle declining an acceptance to summer programs, as well as questions around financing ballet training.
Jul 10, 2023 · 24 min

Ballet Help Desk

Sue McCarroll, Pilates Instructor For The Rock School For Dance Education

A Conversation With Aki Kawasaki, Head Strength Coach At Houston Ballet

Questions To Ask When Choosing A Ballet School

How Ballet Students Can Maintain Emotional Health While Injured

Three Important Questions to Ask Your Dancer

A Conversation With Jen Sommers, Director of Houston Ballet Academy

When Your Dancer Wants To Quit Ballet

What's Your Ballet Style?

Chatting With Mark Carlson and Sandra Kerr, Owners And Artistic Directors of International Ballet School

Tips For Sending Your Young Dancer Off To Summer Ballet Intensives

Tips For Making The Most Of Summer Ballet Intensives For Your Older Teen

Friendships In The Studio

Ballet Help Desk Answers Listener Questions

What We Wish We Knew Then