In today's episode, I sit down with Kathryn Morgan, former soloist at New York City Ballet, YouTube powerhouse, and CEO of Kathryn Morgan Inc., to talk about what it actually looks like when your body becomes the thing working against you in a career that is entirely dependent on it. Kathryn shares her journey from booking NYCB at 17 and being promoted to soloist at 21, to gaining 40 pounds while dancing 8–10 hours a day, being dismissed by nine doctors, and ultimately choosing to leave one of the most prestigious ballet companies in the world to save her health.
We also talk about starting her YouTube channel from a hospital chair during a four-hour blood test, building a platform that gave an entire generation of young dancers something they weren't getting anywhere else, and what her return to professional ballet at Miami City Ballet taught her about gratitude and perspective. Kathryn opens up about the body shaming culture still deeply embedded in ballet, why weight is always a byproduct and never the actual problem, and what directors need to stop doing immediately. If you're a dancer, a performer, or anyone who has ever had the thing you love most taken away from you, this one is going to hit.
Stay in the loop with me 👇🏼🤍
Instagram: @kickingitrealpod @potentiallygabby
TikTok: @potentiallygabby
Episode requests: [email protected]
Find Kathryn here 👇🏼
YouTube: Kathryn Morgan
IG: @kathryn_morgan
Website: kathrynmorganonline.com

This week I'm sitting down with Jason Pickett, dance educator, mentor, speaker, and the founder of No Starving Artists, to talk about the business side of dance that most people are too scared to touch.
Jason breaks down why the "starving artist" identity is quietly keeping dancers broke, what private equity is actually doing to the competitive dance world, and why transparency and consistency are the two things that will outlast any viral moment. We also get into comparison culture, the parents piece nobody talks about, and why the bravest thing you can do as a dancer is just say what you actually think.
If you've ever felt like being business-minded made you less of a "real" artist, this one's going to hit.
Stay in the loop with me 👇🏼🤍
Instagram: @kickingitrealpod @potentiallygabby
TikTok: @potentiallygabby
Episode requests: [email protected]
Find Jason here 👇🏼
IG: @heyitspickett
nsadance.com | heyitspickett.com

What if the thing holding you back isn't your technique, but something else entirely? This week I'm sitting down with Kirsten Kemp, high-performance mindset coach and founder of The Confident Dancer, to talk about the mental side of performance that almost no one in the dance world is actually teaching.

Kirsten breaks down the difference between a high-standards environment and a toxic one, why "just be confident" is the most useless advice you can give a dancer, and what confidence actually means, because it's not what most of us think. We also get into why your mind has a reason for everything it does, and why the first step to changing it is curiosity, not criticism.

If you've ever been told to work on your confidence and had absolutely no idea what to do with that, this one's for you.

Stay in the loop with me 👇🏼🤍
Instagram: @kickingitrealpod @potentiallygabby
TikTok: @potentiallygabby
Episode requests: [email protected]

Find Kirsten here 👇🏼
IG: @kirsten_theconfidentdancer
theconfidentdancer.com

This week, I am joined by Goldie Walberg, a former professional ballet dancer with BalletMet and Kansas City Ballet who is now a teacher, content creator, and the founder of the Lazy Ballerina Club, a platform redefining what it means to be a dancer beyond the stage. We talk about the reality of pursuing a professional ballet career, from the outside expectations to what it actually feels like inside a company. Goldie opens up about audition culture, comparison, and the pressure to constantly prove yourself while still trying to maintain a sense of identity outside of dance.
We also dive into what happens when your passion becomes your identity, and how disorienting it can feel to step away from something you have spent your entire life working toward. Goldie shares the moment she chose to leave her contract, the unexpected timing of COVID, and how that pause gave her the space to question what she truly wanted next. Through building the Lazy Ballerina Club, she took something she was once criticized for and turned it into a message that resonates with dancers everywhere. You are a human being first and a dancer second. We talk about therapy, people-pleasing, the unspoken dynamics inside dance companies, and the freedom that comes from choosing yourself.
This conversation is for anyone navigating a transition, questioning their identity, or realizing that success might look different than they once imagined.
Stay in the loop with me 👇🏼🤍
Instagram: @kickingitrealpod @potentiallygabby
TikTok: @potentiallygabby
Episode requests: [email protected]
Find Goldie here 👇🏼
IG: @lazyballerinaclub
TikTok: @lazyballerina

What does it actually take to build a career in this industry, the parts that never make it onto a resume? In today's episode, I sit down with Benji Rivera, Broadway performer and NYC-based photographer, to talk about what it actually takes. Benji is an original cast member of Moulin Rouge!, a show that won 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical, and he's on the Grammy-winning cast recording. He's also danced on Saturday Night Live, Netflix, and Fox. He introduced himself to me on his questionnaire as simply "dancer and photographer."
We get into his journey from a small town in Iowa to Broadway, including going in for the same show nine times, getting cut, and booking it three months later when he'd already moved on. Benji opens up about the mindset shift that changed everything for him, learning to stop chasing what he wasn't and leaning into exactly what he is, and the voice teacher who finally said what he needed to hear.
We also talk about burnout, what the pandemic cracked open about identity, and what happens when the job disappears and you have to ask who you are without it. Plus how building a photography business on the side gave him something performing never could. If you're a dancer, performer, or anyone chasing something that keeps saying no: this one is for you. And with Moulin Rouge! closing on Broadway on July 26th, 2026, this conversation hits different.
Stay in the loop with me 👇🏼🤍
Instagram: @kickingitrealpod @potentiallygabby
TikTok: @potentiallygabby
Episode requests: [email protected]
Find Benji here 👇🏼
IG: @benji_riv
Photography: @benjaminriveraphotography

In today's episode, I’m sitting down with Kelsey Lewinski, a former professional dancer turned Pilates studio owner, teacher, and choreographer. We talk about her journey from growing up in dance to performing professionally, and ultimately making the decision to step away from performing to pursue something that felt more aligned.
This conversation dives into identity, burnout, and what it looks like to redefine success on your own terms. Kelsey shares the realities of the dance industry, the transition out of it, and how her experience as a dancer shaped the way she built her business. We also talk about longevity in movement, the difference between performing and teaching, and why being a dancer doesn’t end when you stop performing.
If you’ve ever felt unsure about your next step or questioned a path you once wanted so badly, this episode is for you.
Stay in the loop with me 👇🏼🤍
Instagram: @kickingitrealpod @potentiallygabby
TikTok: @potentiallygabby
Episode requests: [email protected]
Find Kelsey here👇🏼
IG: @kelssleww & @studio_kore

This week’s episode is for the dancer preparing for a high-pressure audition, especially if you are heading into the Radio City Rockettes audition and feeling like everything is on the line. I share the four things I would focus on in the week leading up to a big audition, based on my experience auditioning for and becoming a Rockette.

I talk about why this is not the time to push harder, but instead to maintain what you have already built, how to choose classes that build confidence rather than break it down, and why your energy walking into the room matters just as much as your technique. I also walk you through how to visualize the audition day so you are mentally prepared for every moment, and how leading with gratitude can completely shift your experience.

If you are feeling the pressure, the nerves, or the weight of “what if,” this episode is here to ground you, refocus you, and remind you that you are more ready than you think.

Stay in the loop with me 👇🏼🤍
Instagram: @kickingitrealpod @potentiallygabby
TikTok: @potentiallygabby
Episode requests: [email protected]

In this episode, I’m sitting down with Gena Brady; a fellow WMU alum, freelance dancer, and aerialist who has truly built a career on her own terms. From dancing in Chicago to performing on cruise ships and now navigating freelance work, Gena shares what it actually looks like to create a sustainable life in dance without following just one path.
We talk about the transition out of college, the reality of cruise ship contracts (including what no one tells you), and how staying open to opportunities can completely change the direction of your career. Gena also shares how she found aerial, built a freelance network, and what it really takes to maintain consistency when you’re your own boss. This conversation gets into the business side of being a dancer too; advocating for yourself, understanding your worth, navigating contracts, and how to actually get booked. If you’ve ever felt like there’s only one “right” way to make it in dance, this episode will challenge that and open your perspective to what’s possible.
If you’re an aspiring professional dancer, navigating auditions, or figuring out your next step... this episode will give you both the mindset and the practical insight to move forward with more clarity.
Stay in the loop with me 👇🏼🤍
Instagram: @kickingitrealpod @potentiallygabby
TikTok: @potentiallygabby
Episode requests: [email protected]
Find Gena here👇🏼
IG/TT: @genabrady

This episode was inspired by one of my most talked-about posts, and probably one of my most controversial takes as a dancer. I’m diving deeper into what I actually mean when I say “put your eggs in one basket,” because it’s not about limiting yourself… it’s about being intentional. There’s a difference between being versatile and being unclear, and I think a lot of dancers get stuck right in the middle of that.

I talk through how to train with a clear end goal in mind, how to make smarter decisions with your time and energy, and why trying to be good at everything might actually be what’s holding you back. This is for the dancer who feels pulled in a million directions and is ready to finally lock in, get focused, and move with purpose toward the career they actually want.

Stay in the loop with me 👇🏼🤍
Instagram: @kickingitrealpod @potentiallygabby
TikTok: @potentiallygabby
Episode requests: [email protected]

In this episode of Kicking It Real, I’m sitting down with performer, choreographer, and educator Morgan DiFonzo. Morgan has performed in productions like Frozen, The Music Man, and Matilda, and now works as a freelance performer while also teaching and choreographing in Chicago.

We start by going all the way back to Morgan’s training and what it was like growing up in a very ballet-focused studio environment. We talk about the discipline ballet gives dancers, but also the darker side of that culture including comparison, body image struggles, and the pressure many dancers feel to fit a certain mold. Morgan shares the moment she decided she was done “living in the shadow” in class and how that mindset shift changed the way she approached dance. We also talk about navigating the industry as adults; from building a reputation in the dance and musical theatre world to learning how to advocate for yourself professionally while still maintaining relationships.

This conversation is honest, vulnerable, and a really important reminder that talent doesn’t come in just one shape or size.

Stay in the loop with me 👇🏼🤍
Instagram: @kickingitrealpod @potentiallygabby
TikTok: @potentiallygabby
Episode requests: [email protected]
Find Morgan here👇🏼
IG: @morgandifonzo