The Balanced Ballerinas Podcast

Todays guest is super cool! Sarah Kiely is a physiotherapist, pilates instructor, dance teacher and qualified dry needling practitioner. Sarah completed both her Bachelor of Exercise Science and a Masters of Physiotherapy at Griffith University on the Gold Coast. Which is why we run in the same circles (without realising it!) however as most connections these days I came across her incredible work and passion for helping dancers on the gram.
After many years of dance training, competing, performing professionally and continuing to teach dance herself, Sarah is super passionate about the treatment and management of developing young dancers, cheerleaders and gymnasts. Basically anyone whose bodies are subjected to the extreme flexibility, strength, fitness and endurance.
Sarah wishes to combine her personal experience and Physiotherapy knowledge to help these young people through the demands of their athletic training. She uses manual therapy, Pilates, injury management, strength and conditioning, pre-pointe assessments, safe flexibility programs and technique goals to achieve results.
This is why I thought Sarah would be a perfect guest on the podcast because as you’ll hear she’s extremely passionate about her work and could talk for days on the subject. She was so easy to interview and I feel like we could have talked for hours.
We sort of centred around an important theme; the theme of building your team. As we begin to start strategically looking at ourselves on a more holistic level, it’s becoming increasingly important to build an amazing, supportive team around you.
I’m sure you’ll enjoy my conversation with Sarah as much as I did! As always, come join us in the private Balanced Ballerinas group page on Facebook if you want to discuss any of the topics. I’m sure if you have a burning question, other balanced ballerinas will too… I’ll even see if Sarah can jump on and answer them.
Now, sit back or drive safe (depending on where you’re listening from) and enjoy my chat with Sarah…
www.balancedballerinas.com Instagram @balancedballerinas

Today’s lovely guest is Philippa Ziegenhardt, counsellor at The Australian Ballet School and creator of Stage Minded.
Philippa’s own dance background as a professional ballerina with the Hamburg Ballet makes her the perfect person for little ballerinas to confide in - because she knows exactly what they’re going through!
As Philippa mentions on the Stage Minded website, like many performers her identity was always wrapped up with being a good dancer. Philippa knows what it’s like to have a good day or a bad day in the studio and how thats often predicated by whether you feel fat or skinny in your leotard that day.
For over seven years, Philippa has been helping young dancers develop a strong mindset capable of tackling stage fright, self doubt and the ever popular inner critic. Because these days, it’s not good enough to just have strong legs and feet. You also need a strong mind!
The thing is, it’s always been this way. However nowadays there’s more of an emphasis around training the mind and developing tools to navigate all the emotions that come along with dance training, which is fantastic. The dance world is so fortunate to have leaders like Philippa. As you'll learn in our interview, Philippa is so incredibly passionate about helping the next generation develop mindset tools and radiates empathy and compassion for her clients. I really enjoyed our conversation and love meeting people who want to help dancers perform at their best and build resilience.
Through Philippa’s online program ‘Mindset School’ you can also be one of Philippa’s clients. So after you’ve listened to the podcast, jump on stageminded.com to explore Philippa’s amazing resources further.
Developing mindset amongst dancers is a massive topic to cover and as you begin exploring one area a whole set of sub-topics appear. For example, we honestly could have spent a whole episode just talking about ‘combatting stage anxiety’!
Instead of spending all our time on one topic, I asked Philippa if we could cover as many key topics as possible so it may inspire a conversation between a mother-daughter in the car or help someone identify a mindset weakness that needs some further attention.
I hope this episode helps and remember ballerinas, mindset is absolutely everything!
www.balancedballerinas.com Instagram @balancedballerinas

I am so excited to share this beautiful conversation with the even more beautiful Lina Kim - Soloist with Queensland Ballet.
Lina was awarded the Most Outstanding Dancer and Queensland Ballet Scholarship Winner back in 2007 upon joining the Queensland Dance School of Excellence. After her studies, Lina immediately landed a trainee contract with Queensland Ballet in 2010 before officially becoming a company artist in 2011.
As you’ll hear in our interview, Lina comments on her rather linear path from school to company being ‘boring’ - but in my opinion, it’s nothing short of amazing!
What a lot of people don’t understand is that most dancers dream of a contract in a company close to home. Contracts in your home town (especially in Australia!) are very sought after and if you don’t receive one you have to move overseas to pursue this extremely competitive career.
Most dancers don’t have the opportunity to come home to family and friends, let alone have them come to performances and see all their hard work on stage. Therefore Lina’s linear career path from school to company is a testament to her amazing work as not only an artist, but also a beautiful human being.
I heard Lina speak a couple of years ago at a Queensland Ballet event and I was blown away with how beautifully she articulated difficult truths within the industry and even more impressed when she told the audience she designs and makes handmade dance wear as a hobby.
Well, that hobby is now a budding young business that ships all over the world and when I see women walk into my adult ballet classes carrying her bags and children at workshops wearing her leotards - it makes me smile. You can see and purchase her beautiful pieces at Lina Dancewear here!
Ever since I started the podcast I had my sights set on interviewing this wonderful woman. I’ve been blown away by her performances many times and have always admired Lina’s ability to juggle a career as a Queensland Ballet Soloist with a successful side hustle.
So without further redo, enjoy this special episode with Lina Kim!
Instagram @balancedballerinas Website www.balancedballerinas.com

In this weeks solo episode I share three news headlines from the dance world that have me intrigued! We also break down the intricacies of starting your pointe journey...
Starting pointe work is an extremely exciting period for any young dancer or adult ballerina. However there are many steps before slipping on that first pair of pointe shoes and I thought it would be helpful to give parents and students an insight into this next step from the ballet teachers perspective – especially because students require our blessing before going anywhere near pointe shoes!
You can read the original article here > https://www.balancedballerinas.com/2019/06/13/a-must-read-before-you-go-en-pointe/

Todays guest is the gorgeous Kate Histon who owns a dance studio in beautiful Byron Bay called Dance Dynamics. For our overseas listeners who might not know where Byron Bay is, it’s home to some of the most beautiful beaches and holistic practises in the world!
Growing up, my family spent many Summers staying in the caravan park by the beach in Byron and it’s always held a special place in my heart. Now I come in contact with studio owners all the time, but the reason why I wanted to interview Kate is because I’ve followed her studios story on social media for a long time now…
I resonate with a lot of her teachings, practises and overall studio philosophy, so I selfishly set up this interview so I could meet this incredible woman. And Kate is INCREDIBLE. From the moment we met she poured her heart out and we connected as often studio owners do… because it’s a bit of a lonely job and after about an hour and a beautiful tour of Kate’s stunning studio, we sat down to record this very special episode.
I’d also like to thank Kate for being so beautifully honest about her own personal experiences as a young dancer, I know it takes guts, but it’s also important, because it’s how we learn.
www.balancedballerinas.com www.byrondancedynamics.com.au

A couple of weeks ago two of my favourite things collided - books and ballet! I’ve actually had a copy of Kerri Turners debut novel, ‘The Last Days of the Romanov Dancers’ sitting on my beside table for months. So when I heard Kerri would be in town, I thought it would be an opportune moment to not only take some time out for myself and actually read this incredible book, but also interview Kerri for the podcast.
When I sat down with Kerri I was half-way through the book and now that I’ve finished, I would like to say, ‘WOW!’ What a read. I thoroughly enjoyed this one guys and if you’re an adult ballerina this is a book you won’t want to put down.
Set in Petrograd in 1914, the novel is about two Imperial Russian Ballet dancers who fall in love during World War 1. Now if like myself, 'Petrograd' doesn’t ring a bell… it’s also known as Saint Petersburg, home of the Marinsky Theatre. The city has changed it’s name back and forth and during 1914 it was known as Petrograd. There you go, you learn something new every day - or at least I have!
I had an absolute ball reading this book as I learnt so many new things about the ballet world! I truly didn’t know, until now, just how luxurious and wealthy the life of a ballet dancer was back then. Very different to todays standards! And I had no idea that most Principle Ballerinas had what they called a ‘protector’ - someone that paid for their lifestyle and influenced the theatre and their roles in the company in exchange for sharing their bed. Kerri carefully uses actual famous ballerinas of this time mixed with fictional characters to share this side of the ballet world, so it truly is an incredible insight.
The book is definitely not for young children. I’d say it would be okay for the teenagers. But this is the precise reason why I think any adult ballerina will absolutely LOVE this read. So many books written about ballet are targeted at children, so it’s nice to have a little scandal and romance for the older age bracket of ballet lovers.
Kerri and I chat about her writing process, her own ballet journey (she now teaches adults!) and the wonderfully exciting world of ballet in the early days! I really enjoyed this conversation and I think you will too.

The word ‘dance Mum’ has been hijacked by awful shows like Dance Moms and poor behaviour from Mums at competitions with ‘dance Mum’ encrusted in rhinestones on their back… but its undeniable that a dance Mum is so much more than this stereotype.
It’s mothers day today and I want to celebrate the Mums who just want what’s best for their child, who know when to push and when to step back. The Mums who learn to sew ribbons on ballet shoes and the Mums who YouTube how to do the perfect ballet bun.
Today I want to celebrate the more balanced dance Mums and I couldn’t think of a more perfect role model in front of me, than my Mum.
What a lot of people don’t realise is that Mum is the other half of the Balanced Ballerinas brand. My Mum Sharron Canning is the quieter side of the brand. Whilst I’m always at the forefront of the content we produce, Mum is the one who orders our merchandise, organises for it to be printed, posts it off to interstate buyers, makes sure all our accounts are up to date and ensures I have enough money to live and keep doing what I do best, be creative.
Mum is also my business partner, the office manager at our studio and a loving Mother figure for over 200 little girls and boys!
www.balancedballerinas.com

Are you new to ballet? Or do you just need a gentle reminder about what's appropriate and what's not appropriate in a ballet class?
Entering a ballet class can be an interesting experience. You quickly learn there are so many unwritten rules!
Few sports or activities mimic the sanctity of a ballet studio. As a newbie you could be very overwhelmed as you quickly start learning the in’s and out’s of whats acceptable and unacceptable behaviour in a ballet class.
Do I enter the studio when I arrive? Should I ask before entering? Can I wear sneakers? Can I stand here on the barre? Can I ask the teacher a question? I don’t like that step, can I do a different one? Can I take a selfie during the exercises? Can I film that girl who seems to know what she’s doing so I can practise when I get home?
The list goes on… it can get confusing… you might be standing on someones toes without realising it…
This episode explains 10 important rules to follow during a ballet class! The rules help the flow of a class and ensure both teachers and students feel respected.
As always you can find the podcast on Instagram @balancedballerinas and I'd love to hear your thoughts...
For BB merchandise and other fun articles all about ballet, visit www.balancedballerinas.com

Rosina Andrews is the author of ‘Pirouette Surgery’ and ‘Leap Surgery’. But don’t let the titles fool you - there’s nothing clinical or too complicated about her approach.
Aimed at dance teachers and educated little dancers, these books break down the technicalities and process of executing perfect pirouettes with commentary and anecdotes from the world record holder for number of pirouettes and dancers in The Royal Ballet.
Besides being a published author, Rosina is also a coach, mentor and choreographer working in the UK. Her strength and passion lie in classes, intensives and workshops that inspire dancers to dance smarter and favour safe dance practices over trends and fads.
We sit down to discuss a range of topics from mindset to leading by example. We even talk about our mutual dislike of turning boards and dangerous stretching tools that make us cringe. In relation to this discussion you can find a list of great items to buy for a dancer on the blog here…
It was lovely connecting with Rosina and I hope you enjoy our little chat!
You can find all Rosina’s books and mentorship opportunities at rosinaandrews.co.uk
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@balancedballerinas @thebalancedballerina
www.balancedballerinas.com

Did you know that dancers are 12.4 times more likely to develop scoliosis? And that ballet dancers are at a higher risk of developing scoliosis than the general population? I had no idea.
A few weeks ago I received an interesting information package from my local Chiropractor. The facts and figures intrigued me so I decided to contact the clinic to see if Dr Michael would be willing to have a chat for the podcast, as I believe this information is really useful for young ballerinas and their parents.
I’d never met Michael before, but I’m so glad I now have! He’s passionate, enthusiastic and makes complex information more digestible. Since our meeting I’ve sent a few students his way for a check up and his feedback and understanding of dancers is impressive.
As a ballet teacher, you often pick up on parts of a students body that aren’t symmetrical that may need a second opinion or treatment. After all, we’re constantly trying to attain symmetry of the body and are starring at students in leotards all day!
Dr Michael and I touch on parents feeling shame for not ‘picking up on’ their child’s scapula abnormality or differing leg length or curvature of the spine. Parents, you have enough on your plate! Don’t feel ashamed for not picking up on a slight curve. As a ballet teacher, it’s literally my job to analyse your child’s body in a way that (unless you’ve studied ballet) simply don’t. So don’t feel ashamed! Just make sure you go have it checked out if your ballet teacher thinks something’s up.
In this episode we cover...

• Why are dancers 12.4 times more likely to develop scoliosis? I thought it was a hereditary condition…
• Also, why is scoliosis more prevalent in young girls?
• Do you have any exercises or habits that can prevent this?
• I have many adult ballerina clients; can you develop scoliosis as an adult?
• What does treatment look like for someone with scoliosis?
• As a ballet teacher, I often send students off to the chiropractor or physiotherapist who I suspect might have scoliosis. Whats some other tools I can use to help with early detection?
• Sometimes when I ask a parent to get their child's spine checked out, they don’t do it for several months or even years! What is the effects of putting off a diagnosis and treatment?

Do you suffer from scoliosis? Was this episode useful? Don't be afraid to send me a message via email or the Balanced Ballerinas instagram @balancedballerinas