The Adult Ballet Studio

Anne Easterling, founder and director of The Ballet Club, is in the studio this month! The Ballet Club is a New York–based school that Anne launched in 2011 with a mission to make ballet accessible to students of all ages.Anne brings decades of experience to her work as both a performer and educator. She began her professional dance career performing classical and modern repertoire across the United States and Europe, and she also trained as a competitive figure skater. Since then, she’s been teaching ballet and developing an approach to training that blends strong classical technique with creativity and individuality.She has an MFA in Dance from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and has taught at Broadway Dance Center, Ballet Hispánico, Peridance Center, and 92nd Street Y.At The Ballet Club, Anne has created a unique environment welcoming everyone from toddlers as young as 18 months to adult students well into their 70s. Her philosophy centers on the idea that ballet is not just for performance or for a select few, but a lifelong practice that supports both the body and the mind.In this episode, we talk about Anne’s journey into dance and how her experiences in both ballet and figure skating shaped her artistic path. We explore her teaching philosophy — including what she means when she says “ballet is for the brain” — and how she approaches working with adult beginners who might feel intimidated or unsure about starting later in life.We also dive into The Ballet Club’s curriculum, the importance of staying a student even as a teacher, and why performance opportunities can be transformative for dancers of all ages.For those who are curious about starting ballet as an adult, Anne shares insights into her on-demand course, All You Need to Know Before You Begin Ballet Class, designed to help beginners build confidence, understand the structure of class, and take those first steps in a supportive way. Check it out!Learn more about The Ballet Club: www.theballetclub.comCheck out The Ballet Club’s on-demand class for beginners, All You Need To Know Before You Begin Ballet Class: https://theballetclub.vhx.tv/Follow The Ballet Club on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBalletClubFollow The Ballet Club on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theballetclub/Subscribe to The Ballet Club on Youtube:  http://www.youtube.com/@TheBalletClubOnlineSubscribe to The Adult Ballet Studio on YouTube: @adultballetstudioMusic in this episode:Waltz of the Flowers - TchaikovskyBarroom Ballet - Silent Film Light - Kevin MacLeodBarroom Ballet - Silent Film Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100310Artist: http://incompetech.com/@eblosfield  | [email protected] this podcast on Patreon! https://patreon.com/TheAdultBalletStudio?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anabella Lenzu joined the studio this month! She is an internationally recognized dancer, choreographer, educator, and scholar whose career spans more than 35 years across the globe. She is the founder and artistic director of Anabella Lenzu/DanceDrama, a dance theatre company in New York City.Anabella brings together ballet, modern, tango, and dance theatre, and she’s taught in more than 50 institutions worldwide. She currently teaches at NYU and Peridance Center in New York City. In addition to her performance and teaching career, Anabella is also a published author and the president of the American Dance Guild.In this conversation, we explore her journey into dance and what led her to pursue it as a lifelong career, how her experiences across cultures have shaped her artistic voice and teaching philosophy, and what drew her to choreography as a means of expression.We also dive into her newest book, Teaching and Learning Dance Through Meaningful Gestures, and unpack ideas like active imagination, the role of gesture in movement, and why visual documentation can be such a powerful tool for dancers.She gives advice on how to approach dance with a sense of wholeness, how to navigate fear or self-doubt in the studio, and how to embrace your own body as a source of experience, history, and identity. Check it out!Learn more about Anabella: anabellalenzu.comFollow Anabella on Instagram: instagram.com/anabellalenzuPurchase her latest book: https://www.anabellalenzu.com/meaningful-gesturesDonate to Anabella Lenzu / DanceDrama: https://www.anabellalenzu.com/donateSubscribe to The Adult Ballet Studio on YouTube: @adultballetstudioMusic in this episode:Waltz of the Flowers - TchaikovskyBarroom Ballet - Silent Film Light - Kevin MacLeodBarroom Ballet - Silent Film Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100310Artist: http://incompetech.com/@eblosfield  | [email protected] this podcast on Patreon! https://patreon.com/TheAdultBalletStudio?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter Stathas, founder and artistic director of Peter Stathas Dance, and company dancer Lauren Twomley, are in the studio this month for a conversation that stretches across generations of New York dance history!Peter and Lauren talk about how embracing curiosity and risking the unexpected keeps dance fresh, meaningful, and connected across generations. Peter began his dance career at SUNY Purchase before performing with the José Limón Dance Company. Then, he spent 30 years as a physical therapist and entrepreneur before returning to choreography in 2016. He talks about how emotional the experience was for him of returning to dance and gives his advice for other dancers who are stepping back into the studio or back on stage after some time away. In 2018, the duet Assuage sparked the creation of his company, rooted in a mission to create dance that reflects the human experience while advocating for sustainability, collaboration, and equity in the field.In February of this year, Peter Stathas Dance Company presented its program, What We Hold, a cross-generational program at the Mark Morris Dance Center. The evening brought works from the 1980s back into the studio and onto the stage — not as a form of nostalgia, but as a living conversation across time, as the company describes it. These pieces were set on a new generation of dancers navigating today’s dance landscape.Born in Brooklyn and a graduate of SUNY Purchase with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Arts Management, Lauren is one of those dancers. She has worked with a range of choreographers and has performed masterworks by Martha Graham, José Limón, and Merce Cunningham. She joined the Limón Dance Company in 2019 and now serves not only as a dancer with Peter Stathas Dance, but also rehearsal coordinator and social media manager. She’s also a teaching artist with the José Limón Dance Foundation, where she explores the deconstruction of Limón Movement Principles to make the technique more accessible and approachable.In this interview, we talk about lineage, how dancers are constructing a moment in time and becoming part of history in the process, what it means to carry someone else’s artistic work in your own body, and how love, care, and devotion make a sustainable life in dance. Check it out!Learn more about Peter Stathas Dance: peterstathasdance.comSupport the company: https://peterstathasdance.com/support/Follow Peter Stathas Dance on Instagram: instagram.com/peterstathasdanceSubscribe to The Adult Ballet Studio on YouTube: @adultballetstudioMusic in this episode:Waltz of the Flowers - TchaikovskyBarroom Ballet - Silent Film Light - Kevin MacLeodBarroom Ballet - Silent Film Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100310Artist: http://incompetech.com/@eblosfield  | [email protected] this podcast on Patreon! https://patreon.com/TheAdultBalletStudio?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dance Data Project President and Founder Elizabeth Yntema is in the studio! Liza founded Dance Data Project in 2015 to shine a light on gender disparities in leadership, compensation, and programming in the dance industry, and since then, DDP has become a global force for accountability and change. Liza and her team are breaking down barriers in the dance field, revealing the data behind funding, leadership, and gender disparities, and showing how anyone — from dance fans to leaders of companies and boards of nonprofits — can use this information to create real change.At 60 years old, Liza faced rejection that almost meant DDP didn’t happen, but her relentless drive turned an idea into a powerful movement for equity and transparency in dance. In this episode, she shares the story of starting DDP from scratch and how its research exposes the gender gaps and systemic bias shaping the industry. She also shares a first look at a new project DDP is working on that will continue its work of empowering women, emerging artists, and companies to challenge the status quo and create new paths.We talk in this episode about strategies that dancers, donors, and arts advocates can use to support women-led initiatives and advocate for fair funding and inclusive leadership. We also talk about why data-driven advocacy is essential and how small actions, like thanking donors or getting to know the community, can ripple into meaningful industry-wide change. Check it out!Learn more about Dance Data Project: dancedataproject.comFollow Dance Data Project on Instagram: instagram.com/dancedataprojectDonate to Dance Data Project: https://dancedataproject.com/donation-page/Check out the latest episode of DDP’s Raising the Barre: https://dancedataproject.com/raising-the-barre/Subscribe to The Adult Ballet Studio on YouTube: @adultballetstudioMusic in this episode:Waltz of the Flowers - TchaikovskyBarroom Ballet - Silent Film Light - Kevin MacLeodBarroom Ballet - Silent Film Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100310Artist: http://incompetech.com/@eblosfield  | [email protected] this podcast on Patreon! https://patreon.com/TheAdultBalletStudio?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month’s episode is the first part of a two-part series of interviews with Dance Data Project! Dance Data Project is an organization that promotes gender equity in the dance industry, including in ballet companies, by providing metrics-based research that is free and accessible to the public. Through its research, programming, resources, and advocacy, DDP showcases and uplifts women throughout the dance industry and provides data to inform decisions on inclusivity and moving the industry forward. The organization was founded by Elizabeth Yntema, who will be joining the podcast later in February!For this episode, DDP’s external communications lead Nancy Dobbs Owen and senior research consultant and team training lead Junyla Silmon are in the studio!Junyla is a performer and choreographer whose career spans concert dance, immersive theater, and contemporary companies. She began with Dance Data Project as an intern and now leads research and training. As a performing artist, she has worked with Susan Marshall, Roderick George, and Kayla Farrish, among others. Junyla is also a company member of Company SBB//Stefanie Batten Bland. As a choreographer, her work was presented at the 2022 Upsurge Dance Festival.Nancy has decades of experience as a professional dancer, choreographer, educator, and arts administrator alongside a career in academia. She’s served as external communications lead for Dance Data Project since spring 2025. Her research focuses on how training, tradition, and embedded power systems intersect, affecting equity and accessibility in dance leadership. She currently serves as an assistant professor of dance at Southern Utah University and is a staff writer for LA Dance Chronicle. She’s danced with regional ballet, modern, and contemporary companies and has numerous theater credits, including the national tour of The Phantom of the Opera. She is also an award-winning choreographer for both stage and film, with award recognition from the Ovations, Stage Scene LA, and BroadwayWorld.com. Check out their interview!Learn about Dance Data Project: dancedataproject.comFollow Dance Data Project on Instagram: instagram.com/dancedataprojectDonate to Dance Data Project: https://dancedataproject.com/donation-page/Subscribe to The Adult Ballet Studio on YouTube: @adultballetstudioMusic in this episode:Waltz of the Flowers - TchaikovskyBarroom Ballet - Silent Film Light - Kevin MacLeodBarroom Ballet - Silent Film Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100310Artist: http://incompetech.com/@eblosfield  | [email protected] this podcast on Patreon! https://patreon.com/TheAdultBalletStudio?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.