Ballet

Q&A with The Whole Dancer

Jess Spinner is a former professional dancer and now a multi-certified holistic health, nutrition, and lifestyle coach for dancers through her company The Whole Dancer. She supports dancers to find a balanced approach to food, their bodies, dance, and life. Through coaching, dancers are able to prioritize their well-being and at the same time achieve their highest dance goals–paid jobs, professional school enrollment, exciting dance roles, and so much more.

1. In 3 words what does ballet mean to you?

Joy, freedom, pain.

These days it’s mostly got positive associations however, it used to bring me a lot of pain, struggle and turmoil. So, I have to include that as well. 

2. What would be your favourite ballet to dance?

I missed out on Swan Lake due to an injury and it’s always been a favorite of mine. It would absolutely be a dream to perform and I’m not even interested in the leads. I’d just love to be a part of the swan corps!

3. Do you believe that ballet is a readily accessible art-form?

No. There are still a lot of barriers. That’s just the reality. Tickets to see ballet performances are at times totally out of reach for people. Many schools take dancers who all look the same and that leaves people feeling very left out. 

There are some simple ways to change but it does require that the heads of companies and schools take a good look at themselves and get really honest about where their biases lie. This takes really hard work. I actually wrote an article on unconscious bias in dance teaching for Dance Teacher Magazine online. You can check it out here: 

https://dance-teacher.com/unconscious-biases-dance-teaching-practice/

4.  What do you believe is a typical misconception about ballet that you would like to set straight?  

I think there’s still a pretty extreme misconception among young dancers and dance parents that only the smallest bodied dancers can succeed. This misconception exists in the public as well wherein people think they can’t dance unless they’re thin or a certain size.

All bodies can dance. That openness does need to be communicated in order for the art form to become more accessible. 

5. What are you reading right now?

I’m currently reading How to Be, Do, or Have Anything: A practical guide to creative empowerment by Laurence G. Boldt. It’s a great book and I highly recommend it. It’s very actionable, which I love. 

6. 1 thing that most people don’t know about you?

I’m a pretty open book. I share a lot about myself and my experience online, especially about my dance journey. Maybe, most people don’t know that I’m an Aquarius and I’m actually very into astrology. That’s something I don’t talk about all that much. I can often guess what zodiac sign my clients are based on our conversations. 

7.  Why is the work BWB does so important?

This work is essential. There are very real barriers to ballet being accessible. It’s something that can be enjoyed by many, even if they never go on to pursue it professionally. Dance students are the future patrons, donors, and supporters of the arts. If we want ballet to go on and to thrive into a changing future, we need to find ways to make it a more accessible, comfortable, and kind place. 

8. Favourite ballet to watch?

It’s back to Swan Lake for me! I particularly like Boston Ballet’s version. It’s pretty magical. 

9. If you could go back to a point in time in your life, what advice would you give yourself?

I would go back to my early teen years. That’s the time I started to fixate on my body shape and size and to worry that my body wasn’t right for ballet. I wasn’t even able to acknowledge the physical attributes that were considered helpful for dance. It was also at this time that I started down a path of disordered eating patterns that lasted for over a decade of my life. I would tell myself that my body was fine. That I needed to allow it to go through the normal hormonal changes and maturation that were healthy and expected. I would let myself know that fueling adequately was what would yield the best dancing AND what would allow me to feel best in my own skin. I would share some of the amazing things I’ve learned and the ways I support dancers now through The Whole Dancer. 

10. You have been given an elephant! You cannot sell it or give it away, what do you do?

Hmm, my first impulse is to find a way to return it to the wild or to create some sort of sanctuary for it. I suppose if I can’t give it away I’d seek out donors to provide funds to build it a sanctuary. My goal would certainly be to find a way to make the elephant as happy as possible and to create a life for it that’s as close to its natural habitat.

Q & A with Vito Bernasconi

We had the pleasure of interviewing Vito, current soloist with The Queensland Ballet.

1. In 3 words what does ballet mean to you?

Passion, Courage, Creativity

2. What would be your favourite ballet to dance?

Sir Kenneth Macmillan’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’. While I’ve performed Tybalt, Mercutio, Lord Capulet and Lead Mandolin, I’ve never performed Romeo and hopefully one day I can experience the role.

3. Do you believe that ballet is a readily accessible art-form?

I believe that ballet is a readily accessible art-form to watch and perform in metropolitan areas, and the more outreach we can undertake as a community, the more possibility there is to affect many more future dancers and performers in wider reaching areas of this country and the world. 

4.  What do you believe is a typical misconception about ballet that you would like to set straight?  

I have a few:

Ballet is not just for girls, it is for anyone and everyone. Ballet does not define your sexuality. MYTH: Ballet is easy. FACT: Anyone who does ballet requires a high level of physical, mental, psychological and emotional fortitude. It is an art form for the strong, focussed and determined. 

5. What are you reading right now?

I have just finished ‘What Doesn’t Kill Us’ by Scott Carney, and am excited to have begun reading ‘Mr. Einstein’s Secretary’ by Matthew Reilly. He’s one of my favourite authors. 

6. 1 thing that most people don't know about you?

I hate sand out of context. Unless I’m having a beach day and able to rinse it off, it really annoys me. 

7.  Why is the work BWB does so important? 

Everyone needs art in their lives and I believe that everyone deserves to express themselves creatively and passionately in any way they wish. With the mission of bringing ballet to as many people as possible, BWB is ensuring that more people have the possibility to have ballet enriching and enhancing their lives. 

8. Favourite ballet to watch?

I have always admired After The Rain by Christopher Wheeldon. The music, Spiegel I’m Spiegel by Arvo Pärt, and choreography have an incredible symbiotic connection and it has been a dream of mine to one day perform the main Pas De Deux.

9. If you could go back to a point in time in your life, what advice would you give yourself?

I would go back to any time that I’ve had a big decision to make and remind myself, ‘Trust your instincts and follow your heart’. 

10. You have been given an elephant! You cannot sell it or give it away, what do you do?

I would call it Dumbo, Trunks or Stampy and wonder how I was going to get it up to, and fit in, my apartment! I would also be obligated to come into any awkward conversation to comprehensively and effectively express, ‘the elephant in the room’.

Q & A with Chloe Angyal

Meet Chloe Angyal, the author of Turning Pointe-How a new generation of dancers is saving ballet from itself. Turning Pointe is a book about the future of ballet, and a reckoning with all the forces – racism, sexism, elitism, and more – that endanger that future.

Chloe originally hails from Sydney and is now based in Iowa in the US.

In 3 words what does ballet mean to you?

Tradition, progress, potential.

What would be your favourite ballet to dance?

I'd want to be a Wili! The corps work in the second act of Giselle is so intense and beautiful, and who doesn't want to belong to a sorority of vengeful ghost brides?

Do you believe that ballet is a readily accessible art-form?

No. It's exclusive in so many ways: it's expensive to train and to watch, it's unaccepting of those who fall outside of a strict gender binary, and it's generally a hostile environment for dancers of colour, especially Black dancers and most especially Black girls and women.

What do you believe is a typical misconception about ballet that you would like to set straight?

Inside the ballet world, I think there's a misconception that ballet cannot and does not change, and that's simply untrue. The history of ballet is a history of radical change; it's what has allowed the artform to survive as the world around it changes. Those inside the ballet world are too willing to call stagnation or oppression "tradition," and that threatens the future of the art form.

What are you reading right now?

Heartbreaker, by Sarah MacLean. I love a good romance novel.

Ballet without Borders aims to allow children from disadvantaged backgrounds to experience ballet- if you had ultimate power for a day what would you do to make this happen?

Strip tuition down to what's actually essential to pay teachers well and make sure kids get a safe and fulfilling experience. Put teachers of colour in every dance school, regardless of the racial makeup of the students, so that all ballet students grow up seeing people of colour as dance leaders and as sources of knowledge about the art form. Commission dozens of new story ballets that tell new stories from around the world, not the same old European fairy tales ballet has been rehashing for the last two centuries. Design and bring to market a safe, affordable, durable pointe shoe in as many skin tones as possible.

Favourite ballet to watch?

After the Rain, by Christopher Wheeldon.

If you could go back to a point in time in your life, what advice would you give yourself?

I'd go back to age 12, when I was told that my body wasn't right for ballet, and when I started believing that made me a failure. I'd tell myself that ballet technique has no moral valence, and that being good at ballet doesn't make you a good person. It just makes you good at ballet.

You have been given an elephant! You cannot sell it or give it away, what do you do?

In exchange for food and care at a sanctuary, I'd lend it for stud services, so that we can rebuild elephant populations in the wild.


Q&A with Callum Linnane

c. Jeff Busby

This month we had the pleasure of interviewing the recently promoted principal artist of The Australian Ballet, Callum Linnane. Callum was accepted into The Australian Ballet School in 2008 and graduated dux with honours. He joined The Australian Ballet in 2015; he was promoted to coryphée in 2017, to soloist in 2018, to senior artist in 2021, and to principal artist in 2022. Callum was recognised as Telstra’s dancer of the year in 2016 and has delivered incredible performances as The Prince in Alexei Ratmansky's Cinderella and Vaslav Nijinsky in John Neumeier's Nijinsky amongst many others.

In 3 words, what does dance mean to you?

Necessity, expression, truth.

 Favourite ballet to dance?

My favourite ballet to dance is probably John Neumeier's Nijinsky. It holds a special place in my heart as it was the first full-length principal role I performed. I loved the movement vocabulary and having the opportunity to dive into Vaslav's psyche.

Do you believe that ballet is a readily accessible art-form?

I believe there is still work to be done in this area. For example, if you grow up in a remote area, there may not be a ballet school close enough to attend a class. And even if you do, ballet class can be very expensive for families considering the class cost, uniform, shoes etc. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as the exposure to sports one gets at school. You can send your child to school, and at lunchtime, they can kick a footy around, they can play some basketball, or they can pick up a pen and paper and draw something. I wish it were a little easier to access ballet in everyday life. The one positive is that it's easy to watch ballet online and through social media.

What is a typical misconception about ballet that you would like to set straight?  

That it's entirely feminine. Ballet requires strength and discipline. Moving your body to music has nothing to do with femininity or masculinity - it's just expressing oneself however that may be for the person.

What are you reading right now?

"Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris.

1 thing that most people don't know about you?

I love listening to ASMR. It’s so calming.

Ballet Without Borders aims to allow children from disadvantaged backgrounds to experience ballet- if you had ultimate power for a day what would you do to make this happen?  

I would arrange for every single child to experience a ballet performance. So in every little town, everywhere, there is a world-class ballet performance that is free to go and watch. Maybe that will inspire the next generation of dancers who may never have even crossed paths with ballet.

Favourite ballet to watch?

This changes all the time. But right now I would happily watch The Lady of the Camellias by John Neumeier or Shoot the Moon by Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon.

If you could go back to a point in time in your life, what advice would you give yourself?

I would tell my 12 year old self to stretch more! No, I would also tell my teenage self to go lightly. Don't get so emotional about things. If you take the emotion out of things, you can approach things with a clearer mind and not get so upset and angry. This applies to life in the ballet studio and outside of the studio. And one more thing, stop worrying about what other people think.

You have been given an elephant! You cannot sell it or give it away, what do you do?

I care for this elephant, this elephant and I become the best of friends and live a happy life together.

Q&A with Vicki Attard

This month we have an interview with Vicki Attard. Vicki has had an amazing professional career including former principal artist with The Australian Ballet and having had the role of Interim Director of the Houston Ballet Academy. Vicki has been instructing at many major Sydney institutions over the past 21 years and has produced her own unique pointe programs, entitled ‘My Beginner Pointe’ and ‘My Pointe’, which are all- encompassing programs specifically designed for young dancers and dance teachers alike, covering the safe dance practices and aesthetic components involved in the instruction of pointe work.

In 3 words what does ballet mean to you?

My whole world!


Favourite ballet to dance?

Romeo and Juliet (Cranko), In the Middle Somewhat Elevated (Forsythe), Madam Butterfly (Welch), Jardi Tancat (Nacho Duato). It's impossible to choose just one favourite and I may just give you different answers tomorrow!

Do you believe that ballet is a readily accessible art-form?

Yes, I believe ballet is a readily accessible art-form, because in the true sense of those two words, it is 'within reach' or 'easy to get to'. Is it affordable? No, it most certainly is not. Going to the ballet is an expensive venture, however from a different perspective, running a large ballet company involves a grand scale of exorbitant costs, which must be considered in relation to the ticket cost. There is the company's extensive payroll as well as visiting artists for each ballet requiring remuneration as well as lodgings and per diem for the length of contract required. Not to mention Theatre rental, marketing, promotion and associated touring costs.


What is a typical misconception about ballet that you would like to set straight?

That if you work hard enough, you can achieve your dream of dancing professionally. There are simply too many variables involved to think that this can be a steadfast reality. Simply wanting it and working hard for it, is just the start, a very important start, but unfortunately just the fundamental beginning of becoming a professional dancer.

5. What are you reading right now?

The Opposite of Fate.

A thing that most people don't know about you?

I left school and accepted an administrative job with Mackay City Council working in a Typing Pool for 2 years, before undertaking an offer from the Australian Ballet School for its three-year diploma course.

Ballet Without Borders aims to allow children from disadvantaged backgrounds to experience ballet- if you had ultimate power for a day what would you do to make this happen?

I think it would be most gratifying to organise 'a typical day in the life of' with their favourite dancer lasting from sunrise to sunset. This would obviously include participating in general company class mid-morning, watching rehearsals & playing dress-ups.

Favourite ballet to watch?

Romeo and Juliet. The music and story both lend themselves to the most tragic of all stories to be expressed through dance.


If you could go back to a point in time in your life, what advice would you give yourself?

I would remind myself to focus on the big picture, enjoy the moment, stop worrying about what could happen, remember every precious moment, and to keep a detailed diary so that when you get older you can remember it time and time again.

You have been given an elephant! You cannot sell it or give it away, what do you do?

I would sell my Sydney home, ship the elephant back to its original home and resettle with it. Elephants are highly intelligent with an impressive range of emotions that humans can connect with. They should be treated with the utmost of respect.

Q&A - Alice Topp-Australian Ballet's resident choreographer

In 3 words what does dance mean to you?

Soul in motion.

2. Favourite ballet to dance?

William Forsythe’s In The Middle Somewhat Elevated and Wayne McGregor’s Infra, and Jiri Kylian’s Petit Mort...and...and.. I just can’t pick one!

3. Do you believe that ballet is a readily accessible art-form?

I believe that dance is a universal language. People all over the world dance when they feel joy or when celebrating and it’s a universal way of connecting with others. Body language a big way of expressing oneself. Ballet can sometimes be trickier for people to relate to and understand but I believe most of the time it’s just that ballet is misunderstood as a form of art just to be appreciated by an elite group of people. Most ballets speak of common themes relating to the human condition - love, loss, joy, tragedy, passion - something everyone will experience in life and can connect with. And most people have a love for music! So I think it’s just about dispelling the theory that ballet is only tiaras and tulle!

4. What is a typical misconception about ballet that you would like to set straight?

I think when people think of ballet they believe there’s so much focus on the aesthetics - being a particular height, weight and look and having certain physical attributes and facility, like highly arched feet etc. Being a ballet dancer is SO MUCH MORE than that! You are not just a sum of your parts! To be a ballet dancer you are first and foremost an artist, a storyteller. You also require incredible mental strength to deal with the pressure of demanding schedules, relentless touring, injury and retaining countless counts and repertoire! Being a dancer requires great athleticism, strength and endurance as a performer as well as discipline, determination and commitment to get to that level. It’s so much more than “the look.”

5. What are you reading right now?

The Resilience Project by Hugh Van Cuylenburg

6. 1 thing that most people dont know about you?

That I’m a big country kid and if I’m not in pointe shoes, I’m in Blundstones.

7. Ballet without Borders aims to allow children from disadvantaged backgrounds to experience ballet- if you had ultimate power for a day what would you do to make this happen

I would make sure every child had the opportunity to see a live performance at a venue for free. We’d fill theatres around the globe with children who’d never experienced ballet. It would be 24 hours of shows and we’d make sure children from all regional and rural areas were able to travel to their nearest venue to witness a show and meet the performers. If I had ultimate power beyond a day, I’d make sure they had access to free classes and dance education forever more!

8. Favourite ballet to watch?

Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room

9. If you could go back to a point in time in your life, what advice would you give yourself?

I would tell myself not to be afraid to take up space. Not to be afraid to be different, unique and imperfect. To have courage to be seen and heard and to be unapologetically honest as an artist and human. As perfectionists, we are always spending so much of our careers self-critiquing and comparing our journey to others, but it’s all over so quickly, and you want to enjoy the short time you have! Don’t spend it wishing you were this or that but celebrate you and your unique gifts. No one else has that to offer!

10. You have been given an elephant! You cannot sell it or give it away, what do you do?

Sadly I think it would be too big for my apartment!! I’d have to find it some land which I might turn into a wildlife conservation where we could educate people from a young age to appreciate the world and all it’s inhabitants and cultivate compassion and empathy for other living things.

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Q&A with David Hallberg-Meet the Australian Ballet's new Artist Director

Last year, we connected with the Australian Ballet’s newly appointed Artistic Director, David Hallberg. David boasts an incredible ballet career including being a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre and Bolshoi Ballet, and as a guest artist with the Royal Ballet.

Check out the Q&A below and discover David’s favourite ballet to watch and dance plus his hot tips for upcoming dancers.


How old are you? 38.

What companies have you performed with? American Ballet Theatre, Guest with the Australian Ballet, Former Principal with the Bolshoi.

When you’re not touring with a company, how do you stay in shape and what is your jet lag remedy? Jet lag remedy is Melatonin! And not thinking about the previous time zone.

We already know shaving is part of the ritual of getting performance-ready, any others? Nap. Eat well. Focus the mind!

A surprising thing people don’t know about you? I love a cold beer with my manager after a show in my dressing room.

A ballet you enjoy watching rather than dancing? Almost all of New York City Ballet repertoire.

Have you ever taught adult ballet before? Would you? I have not, and don’t find myself the best teacher.

When you are in the moment and it’s effortless and perfect, what word would you use to describe that feeling for yourself? As close to euphoria as possible.

What was the last gift you received and from who? Love and care. From my boyfriend.

What was the biggest mistake you have made during a performance? Not risked enough. Worried too much.

Do you have a tip that improves flexibility? Know your limits. Warm up properly. And flexibility doesn’t make a good dancer.

You are given an elephant. You cannot sell it or give it away. What do you do? Love it. Learn from it.


To keep up with David’s journey, check out his social media platform here. Learn more about Ballet Without Borders and our 2020 impact here. Subscribe to our newsletter to get exclusive access to future Q&As and regular updates on our growth. Ballet Without Borders: helping all children experience the joy of ballet.

Story of one of our sponsored children-Daniel

Hello Readers,

During our Penrith workshop in April this year, we spotted a talented young boy and had the opportunity to sponsor him to go to his local ballet school, Glenbrook Ballet Academy.

Daniel loves ballet. He loved our workshop so much that he tried to teach his sister some moves! He has since sat his first Royal Academy of Dance primary ballet exam.

‘'I was so excited to hear that Daniel had won a scholarship from you. He came back from the class he took so inspired and ready to take on the ballet world.

Since then he has gone from strength to strength and has been working so hard for his Primary ballet exam. He really is such a talented young boy with so much promise and potential. He has incredibly strong legs and feet and beautiful turnout and he loves to jump, all the traits for a ballet master in the making.”

-Miss Ilona, Daniel’s teacher at Glenbrook Ballet Academy

We are so proud to have been able to support Daniel in his love of ballet and look forward to following Daniel’s ballet journey.

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Winter School Holiday Workshops

During the winter school holidays BWB ran 2 more workshops in Liverpool and Penrith in collaboration with PCYC. 

We had a wonderful response including 6 boys at our Liverpool workshop! There were many laughs and many plies. The participants enjoyed themselves, learned ballet terminology, steps and choreography as well as fun facts about ballet and nutrition. 

More workshops and locations will be announced soon!

Workshop Success-Penrith

Hello lovely readers,

I am pleased to announce that our first ballet workshop in Penrith was a success with another one to be run in conjunction with PCYC during the winter school holidays in July. 

Our lovely students learned ballet basics such as common ballet positions, turns, jumps and interesting ballet facts. We also ran a nutrition session sponsored by Harris Farm and had some lovely goody bags to hand out at the end of class. 

Thank you to all the students and my two wonderful teachers, Mitch and Sharyn for making this day so wonderful!
xx

Katia

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