The Turning: Room of Mirrors

By iHeartPodcasts and Rococo Punch

Personal Journals Society & Culture Philosophy

What's The Turning: Room of Mirrors about?

In every ballet studio, there is a wall of mirrors. It reflects the people within. They’re part of a closed, elite group that asks for sacrifice and devotion from its members. This insular community produces iconic artists. It’s founded on a strict power structure, often with one man at the top. By tracing the origins of this unusual lifestyle, starting with the legacy of choreographer George Balanchine and the intimate stories of young dancers, we expose the beauty of an artform and the complexity of ballet culture.

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Introducing: Dear Alana

08.30.2023

Simon travels to Boulder to meet Alana’s mother Joyce, and becomes determined to help her understand what happened to Alana. To hear more Dear Alana visit apple.co/dearalana or on the iHeartRadio app. For ad-free listening and exclusive content subscribe to ...

The Turning: Room of Mirrors episodes:

08.30.2023 Introducing: Dear Alana Simon travels to Boulder to meet Alana’s mother Joyce, and becomes determined to help her understand what happened to Alana. To hear more Dear Alana visit apple.co/dearalana or on the iHeartRadio app. For ad-free listening and exclusive content subscribe to ...
05.09.2023 S2 Ep Bonus - Behind the Scenes A grab-bag of stories and extras. For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
04.27.2023 S2: Ep Bonus - A Day in the Life of a Dancer The countdown to curtain begins. For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/turningtranscripts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
03.21.2023 S2:Ep 10 - Révérence PART TEN - "If it is going to stick with us forever, it matters that we get it right." For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/turningtranscripts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
03.14.2023 S2:Ep 9 - Pas de Deux PART NINE - "I remember thinking, am I the only one like me who's ever walked these halls?" For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/turningtranscripts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
03.07.2023 S2:Ep 8 - American Ballet PART EIGHT - "Blackness is a vehicle. It's a vehicle to get people where they need to go." For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/turningtranscripts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
02.28.2023 S2:Ep 7- The Line PART SEVEN - "Who decided this? ... Did the skies open up, and the ballet God said, 'This is how it has to be'? No, it's just what we've all been programmed." For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch ...
02.21.2023 S2:Ep 6 - A Golden Year PART SIX - "It feels like this hazy distant silhouette of a thing that doesn’t feel real, like a wild dream that I can’t fully recall." For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/turningtranscripts See omnystudio.com/listener for ...
02.14.2023 S2:Ep 5 - The Prince PART FIVE - "Gone unchecked, bad things can happen. And they did." For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/turningtranscripts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
02.07.2023 S2: Ep 4 - The Muses PART FOUR - "Balanchine was so fond of perfume that leaves the scent of that dancer behind, and it still permeates." For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/turningtranscripts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
01.31.2023 S2: Ep 3 - Risk All PART THREE - "There are no windows, because we don't need windows, because the outside world doesn't matter. He was God in the theater. Ever observing, ever present. Are you a patriot? Are you a citizen? Are you willing to ...
01.24.2023 S2: Ep 1 - Only I Can See You PART ONE - "He used to say, 'What are you looking at dear? You can't see you. Only I can see you.'" For more content, follow us on Instagram @RococoPunch TRANSCRIPT - https://www.rococopunch.com/turningtranscripts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
01.24.2023 S2: Ep 2 - Ritual Healing PART TWO - "I would experiment a little. I would go to the theater, and the lights would go down, and I would say, 'Okay, I'm going to give you my mood. I'm going to give you all these troubles, ...
01.17.2023 Introducing S2: The Turning: Room of Mirrors A closed, elite group asks for sacrifice and extreme devotion from its members. It produces elegant dancers, but at what cost? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
09.15.2021 S1: Ep Bonus - Bride of Christ BONUS - Jenna Cooper is a 36-year-old consecrated virgin who lives in Winona, Minnesota. She tells us what that means, what her life is like now, and what it’s like to feel called when you’re 12 years old. For additional ...
07.20.2021 S1: Ep 10 - Out There PART TEN - “I couldn’t come to any clarity unless I took off the habit and was seen.” For additional content and information, follow the show on Instagram @RococoPunch This series was inspired by Mary Johnson’s memoir, “An Unquenchable Thirst.” ...
07.13.2021 S1: Ep 9 - Highway of Broken Glass PART NINE - Is this a cult? How do you leave? For additional content and information, follow the show on Instagram @RococoPunch This series was inspired by Mary Johnson’s memoir, “An Unquenchable Thirst.” Find it HERE - https://amzn.to/3whsTeO TRANSCRIPT - ...
07.06.2021 S1: Ep 8 - Saint of Darkness PART EIGHT - "She used to tell us, ‘If ever I will be a saint, I will be the saint of darkness.’ ... And we didn't know what she meant." For additional content and information, follow the show on Instagram ...
06.29.2021 S1: Ep 7 - Silence PART SEVEN - This episode contains descriptions of alleged sexual abuse. Listener discretion is advised. We meet two former sisters who say they wanted more than anything to be part of the Missionaries of Charity. Along the road to taking ...
06.22.2021 S1: Ep Bonus - Kelli BONUS - You know Kelli Dunham from previous episodes. Kelli joined the Missionaries of Charity looking for a life that made sense. That’s not what she found. She had a painful exit from the MCs. But there’s so much more ...
06.15.2021 S1: Ep 6 - The Third Floor PART SIX - Siblings Joan and Sue both join the Missionaries of Charity, and they steal secret moments on the third floor — the only time they can be alone to talk. Like all MC sisters, they live by the ...
06.08.2021 S1: Ep 5 - Particular Friendship PART FIVE - MC sisters are forbidden from having “particular friendships.” They’re not supposed to get close to anyone. They’re supposed to detach from their human relationships so that they can focus on God. They live a vow of chastity ...
06.01.2021 S1: Ep 4 - The Devil's Advocates PART FOUR - The world’s most admired woman lived a life dedicated to helping the poor – but was it always in their best interest? After Mother Teresa became famous, controversial claims about her work began to emerge. Dangerous medical ...
05.25.2021 S1: Ep 3 - Mother PART THREE - She wasn’t always a saint. When Mother Teresa is 36 years old, she hears a mystical voice on a train. Then she has visions — visions she believes are sent by God to tell her to bring ...
05.18.2021 S1: Ep 2 - Love, To Be Real, Has To Hurt PART TWO - The sisters learn more about sacrificial love and what it means to be married to Jesus. Mother Teresa believed suffering brings you closer to Christ, so the sisters look for opportunities for sacrifice – including sacrifices Mary ...
05.18.2021 S1: Ep 1 - No Turning Back PART ONE - We enter a hidden world behind convent walls to learn what it’s like for a young sister to join the Missionaries of Charity. MC sisters take strict vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and wholehearted and free service ...
05.06.2021 Introducing S1: The Turning: The Sisters Who Left If you make a lifelong vow, what does it mean to break it? Can you truly give yourself to God or will your humanity get to you first? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.