education

Q&A with Shane Wuerthner

Shane’s dance journey began at The Kirov Academy of Ballet, where he graduated top of his class in 2004! His exceptional skill and artistry were recognised by several prestigious companies, including San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet, and Vienna State Ballet. Wuerthner accepted the offer from Vienna State Ballet and joined as a corps de ballet memberin 2005. In 2012, he made a significant move to The San Francisco Ballet as a soloist. In 2014, Wuerthner joined Queensland Ballet as a Soloist, and his unwavering commitment and consistent performances led to his promotion to Principal in 2015.

Having retired from ballet in 2017 to begin a career as a personal trainer. His knowledge of dancer conditioning and passion for fitness quickly made him a sought-after figure in this field. Notably, he was named Personal Trainer of the Year before he had even completed a year as a trainer. Wuerthner's experience in fitness led him to establish Athletistry Personal Training, a venture that focused on adult ballet coaching and holistic movement practices. Building on the success of this venture, he launched Athletistry Studio, which marked his return to the ballet world in an administrative capacity.

In 3 words what does ballet mean to you?

My life’s passion

What would be your favourite ballet to dance?

My favourite ballet I ever danced was Anna Karenina by Boris Eifman. I had the opportunity to dance both the corps de ballet and Vronsky. It was an incredibly challenging ballet in which no one had the same choreography. I remember when people would get sick or injured in the corps, it would often take 4 people just to replace 1 person, and if any of the 3 principals went off they would replace the entire principal cast.

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

I think it has become more accessible in recent years, but it still has a long way to go. Other forms of commercial dance have opened a gateway to ballet being more widely accepted, but it still sits in an elite space that still is out of reach for many. The cost of performances and ballet training can be extremely high which places ballet in a higher socio-economic bracket. Efforts that have made ballet more accessible have included outreach programs, scholarships for talented dancers from underprivileged backgrounds, and the incorporation of contemporary themes and music to attract a younger and more diverse audience. Digital platforms have also played a crucial role in making ballet more accessible both through performances and in a training capacity as is the case with what I offer through Athletistry. Despite these efforts, the challenge remains to fully democratise ballet and make it truly accessible to all, regardless of socio-economic status, background, or geography. This requires not only addressing the financial barriers but also challenging the cultural perceptions that frame ballet as anexclusive art form. By continuing to innovate and open doors to diverse audiences and talents, I believe ballet will evolve to be more inclusive, reflecting a broader spectrum of society's narratives and experiences.

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

That it is all pink tutus and fairies. Ballet is incredibly powerful in it’s ability to portray complex societal narratives and emotions. Especially through much of the choreography done in the mid to late 20th century we see a development towards unique stories being told with deeply touching story lines that weren’t evident in the classical and romantic era of ballet. I also think ballet is seen as something only for women. As a man in ballet, the training I experienced was intense, challenging and very masculine in it’s design. I had a male Ukrainian teacher and our classes would run for 4-5 hours 6 days per week. Jumps, turns, athleticism and power were all emphasised and prioritised.

What are you reading right now?

The Book on Mental Toughness by Andy Frisella and The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene

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

My first dream in life was to be a musical theatre artist on broadway. I actually didn’t like ballet very much as a child until I had the opportunity to train with a male ballet teacher named Mikko Nissinen who is now Artistic director of Boston Ballet.

Why is the work BWB do so important?

It is bridging the accessibility gap for those who would otherwise never be exposed to the incredible art of ballet. This is so essential as it is how the art form will be maintained into the future. By sharing ballet with children we build the possibility that they will become lifelong lovers of ballet if not performers or teachers who become it’s future custodians.

Favourite ballet to watch?

La Bayadere

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

Speak up. I was always very quiet, and not a great advocate for myself. As a result I often ended up being a push over and this lead to me feeling unvalued. So many of the misunderstandings I had in my career could have been avoided had I communicated how I felt earlier.

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

Teach it to dance.

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.


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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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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Ballet in an Elite Bubble-What Future are we Creating

On Sunday the 11th of December I had the opportunity and pleasure of presenting at the RAD Conference which was part of the Genee Competition 2016 held in Sydney, Australia this year.

Below is my speech. I received a wonderful response with plenty of support on the day! It was really moving to see so many people wanting to make a difference with me. 

 "Today I wanted to start a dialogue about the importance of creating new pathways and support models in order to enable children from low socio economic areas to participate in ballet education.  What does this mean for the future of ballet? And why should we care?

Ballet is a gift. Underneath all the frustration, and many sacrifices there is something which keeps us coming back. Some kind of connection we have for this unique and demanding art form. I don’t know what this magic is for you but when I dance I feel free.

 Imagine that you are in the studio, it’s a lovely day, you are wearing your favourite leotard, beautiful music is playing, you land a clean double  and time stands still in that moment whilst you are turning, it’s like you are flying and when you pull it off, but does it not just feel amazing.

The joy that I get from ballet is pure freedom and happiness and in that moment of suspension it is happiness in its pure form, not reliant on money, power, or anything else actually that is going on in my life.  

But really apart from that moment of freedom that magic has, unfortunately, everything to do with money and accessibility.  Very few have the chance to experience what we experience as a participant or spectator.

 Children from low socio economic backgrounds don’t get to have this gift. For me, a child who doesn’t have the opportunity to experience ballet is like a child who’ve never heard music. 

But why do I care about this? My story began in 1993 when I migrated to Australia from the Ukraine and in a magnificent fall from grace my mother and I found ourselves poor, in a country whose language we didn’t understand. While my mother was retraining to become a doctor and we lived all over the place, from state to state and various places in those states ballet was something for which there was no money, no time and no encouragement

 It wasn’t until I was 30 and financially independent that I decided to go back to ballet and sit my RAD exam. Me and the 14 year olds.  The doors of ballet opened before me.  And I really saw how closed those doors really are for most people.

 Ballet is in an elite bubble, its audience and dancers have changed about as much as a pair of pointe shoes in the last 200 years. Today I put to you that it is not just about equity but also the future of ballet for all of us. This is an elite art form and I can’t see how it can be more accessible both for participants and spectators. Unless something changes. And that is why I founded BWB.  

I wanted to define elitism, given that it’s in the title of my talk. Two definitions.

The people who have the most wealth and status in a society’
Consciousness of or pride in belonging to a select or favoured group’

 I think that the second definition is quite lovely and can be a positive message. However it is more often than not associated with the first definition, a direct correlation established between wealth and belonging to something special.   

Let me share some statistics with you, bearing in mind that not a lot of research has been done on this and so what I am providing to you today is the information that has been disclosed through various channels including publications, websites and interviews that I have done. And even if the information is not complete, I think the message is strong and clear.

 So how much does it cost to become a ballet dancer?

Raising a Ballerina Will Cost You a minimum of $150,000

 For those who are international-That’s 100K US.

I am guessing by looking around the room that some of you are wondering if this is a lot.  Some of you may be thinking of the sacrifices you or your parents have had to make for the art of ballet. But we can make those sacrifices – we and those who have supported us have the choice to make those sacrifices. This is the elite bubble. Most people in the areas that I am about to discuss, cannot comprehend this money, can’t make these choices and don’t even know that the choices exist. This is not their world. Are we happy with that?  

So here are some numbers from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. I apologise in advance for our international guests but I think that you will get the picture.

The median household income in Sydney’s low socio economic areas is between $300-600 a week.

That’s a yearly wage of anywhere between $15000 and $35000 a year.

And here is a chart showing our year on year costs of raising a pre-professional.  

The cost of pointe shoes ( $115 dollars at Bloch for those of us who haven’t bought a pair in a while), practice tutus , foam rollers, dance slippers, competition tutus, leotards, stockings, skirts, hairnets, foot stretchers, Pilates balls, not to mention the most expensive cost, the classes themselves, along with private tuition and coaching that is often required. 

By the time a child is 14 and wishes to dance more seriously, they are needing between 3-6 classes a week and a pair of pointe shoes at least once a month.

 Competitions cost money to enter (even for a scholarship place), performance tutus are anywhere between 600-1000 dollars each, international summer schools. And this is an even bigger problem in in Australia, being located so far away from other international cities that we are talking about tens of thousands of dollars to travel to get to a competition.  

And it’s not just the money. The best schools are often located in affluent areas. Physically getting to training at these locations, let alone the fees associated with doing so is completely out of reach for a lot of families, it’s not even on their radar.

 11 out of 15 of the Australian Ballet’s principal and senior dancers were trained in schools that are both centrally based in their hometown and with a good reputation, often run by successful ex-dancers. Many of them also attended the Australian Ballet School which means that they had to have been local or boarded from interstate. There is only one Indigenous dancer in the company. 

And if you are wondering who the other 4 out of the 15 are … they are from overseas. That means 11 out of 11 local dancers had the pathways and opportunities. In other words they came from within the bubble.

This is not to discredit the years of dedication, hard work and sacrifices that these dancers have had to make to become successful. The point that I think is important to note here is that they had the opportunity and the pathways to reach their potential. 

There are many talented dancers who have not had the opportunity, the pathways, the finances to realise their skills. Some great dancers, haven’t even been to a dance class.

There is no way from Twinkletots Princesses ballet school in Fairfield East (considered to be one of the lowest socio economic areas in Sydney) to the Australian Ballet – maybe there once was – but not anymore. As Australia has become more unequal in terms of spread of wealth – so has, inevitably, ballet.  The studio is there, the pathway to the Australian ballet is not. That’s what BWB is about

 Ballet without Borders is about creating those pathways. It’s about ensuring that children from low socio economic areas have a chance to participate in ballet education and to support those children with talent and passion to be able to pursue this art form.

We are working towards setting up a school/s which will be subsidised through philanthropy, organisational support and grant funding that will give children and their communities the opportunity to dance ballet.

 This is not unique. There is someone who is doing this already. And I, along with you all can make plenty of jokes about my country, but we have created a culture to ensure that we have the best dancers in the world. Because there is access. Anyone can try out. And once you’re in, it’s free. What if we could have the Bolshoi? Or the Mariinsky.

So why ballet? 

I heard David McAllister’s speech on Friday night at the RAD cocktail function and what I am about to say is almost a paraphrasing of what I heard. I thought he had stolen my speech!

Ballet is more than just a sport. It requires the learning of listening skills and following directions, discipline, pride in one’s presentation, to work together an alone, to understand ones strength and weakness and how to work with them, the ability to work hard and preserve. These skills go beyond ballet, they are a necessity in today’s world for success. These are life skills.   

A paper published in 2015 in the European Journal of Sport Science, showed that recreational dancers were more relaxed and had a better mood after class and in a paper from Plos One published in 2015 it was written that ‘Dance is an activity that promotes fitness and improves aerobic and physical working capacity [1, 2]. Furthermore, there is much evidence to support the benefits of dancing including improvements in psycho-logical wellbeing [3, 4], increased self-esteem [5], and anxiety reduction [6].  

But it’s more than that. Ballet is learning parts of another language, its musicality, arts, culture, and the ability to listen and take direction, to gain confidence through discipline and hard work. It is particularly in these areas, where children are disadvantaged from the day they are born, in a world that is increasingly competitive and leaving people behind that skills such as these are crucial and need to be combined with a sense of self-worth and pride for a child to be healthy, both physically and psychologically.  

Australia has a large sports culture and there are support networks provided by some major organisations to support this.

Macquarie Bank has several community programs and scholarship opportunities. It’s most current 9 scholarships were all awarded to sports athletes, not dancers. National Australian Bank is a similar story. We need to look at how we can ensure that the arts such as ballet and all dance is properly represented in Australian culture. We, as teachers, students, dancers, lovers of ballet need to pave the way for this change.  

Why would we open up more pathways into a world that is already full of competition and dancers often having to take jobs overseas, or even worse, very low paying jobs overseas with little or no prospects? The more people we get involved in ballet, the more audience there is, the better the standards we have and if we want the Australian ballet to be a force, like the Bolshoi, the ABT or Mariinsky, then we need to be able to be able to sustain it through more dancers, which means more audience and more funding. We are not going to get there in the bubble that we have today.  

We cannot change Australia's view of ballet overnight.

How can we promote pathways and equality so that ballet education has the diversity that reflects the diversity that Australia has? How can we seek to provide scholarships, supported study places and discounted programs for children who need it most and how can we promote ballet as an art form that is available to all regardless of their background. 

 Ballet without Borders has a plan of action, a direction and purpose to try and make pathways and opportunities for anyone and everyone.

We are looking to work with local schools to provide free ballet classes during sports education or other periods. This will need to those interested to attend the local dance schools with further opportunities for those with talent and drive to attend better schools further away. This network will be based on volunteers, local community groups and partnerships with other organisations.

 This is a complex issue and I am not claiming to have all the answers. I want to start a dialogue and a call to action because I am passionate about ballet and believe that everyone should have the opportunity to participate regardless of their economic and social status.

 I am urging you to think about the future, and work with me to ensure that ballet education is an open door for everyone.

 Ballet without Borders benefits us all. "