The Brainy Ballerina Podcast

There is no one right way to build a career as a professional dancer, and Ella Titus is a perfect example of that. After spending a decade with Miami City Ballet, Ella made the leap to New York City to pursue a freelance career, where she has since danced with Tom Gold Dance, BalletCollective, the New York Philharmonic, and more. We talk about her journey from becoming an apprentice with Miami City Ballet at just 16 and eventually joining the corps de ballet, as well as what inspired her to leave the company and start freelancing in NYC. Ella shares an honest look at the inconsistency of freelance life, how she structures her weeks, balancing ballet with teaching Pilates, marketing and influencer work, and how she landed a New York Fashion Week modeling opportunity simply by shooting her shot. We also have an important conversation about dancer health, chronic illness, trusting your intuition when something feels wrong, and why dancers need to stop convincing themselves that they are invincible. Key "Pointes" in this Episode: * Ella's decade-long career with Miami City Ballet and her favorite memories from the company * The impact of Teen Vogue's Strictly Ballet YouTube series on Ella's career and social media following * Getting started in the NYC freelance dance world without having a plan * How Ella's public relations degree has helped her build opportunities outside of dance * Why dancers often ignore warning signs and convince themselves they are invincible * Learning to trust your gut when something doesn't feel right with your health * The different paths available to dancers who want both a professional career and a college education Connect with Ella: Follow Ella on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellatitus/ Follow Ella on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ellatitus Links and Resources: Schedule a complimentary career consultation: https://www.thebrainyballerina.com/career-mentoring ETOILE: https://www.etoilecomp.com/brainy (save 10% with code BRAINY10) ORZA: www.orzabrand.com [http://www.orzabrand.com/] (use code BRAINYBALLERINA for 10% off) Let's connect! MY WEBSITE: thebrainyballerina.com [http://thebrainyballerina.com/] INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/thebrainyballerina [http://instagram.com/thebrainyballerina] Schedule your complimentary career consultation: https://www.thebrainyballerina.com/career-mentoring Questions/comments? Email me at [email protected]

What does it really look like to build a career with New York City Ballet? In this episode of The Brainy Ballerina Podcast, I'm joined by Laine Habony, a dancer in the corps de ballet at New York City Ballet, to talk about her journey from studying at the School of American Ballet to performing on one of the most prestigious stages in the ballet world. Laine shares what it was like to move to New York at just 13 and takes us behind the scenes of her transition from student to professional dancer, including how she received her apprenticeship with NYCB and navigated the demands of company life. We also discuss Laine's experiences exploring choreography and serving as an apprentice repertory director, what she has learned from working on the other side of the rehearsal room, and how her relationship with ballet has evolved throughout her career. Key "Pointes" in this episode: * Growing up studying multiple dance styles and how tap and musical theater influenced her approach to Balanchine * Moving to New York at 13 to train full-time at the School of American Ballet * The pivotal lessons she learned from her teachers at SAB * How Laine found out she had been offered an apprenticeship with New York City Ballet * The biggest adjustments she faced when transitioning from student to professional dancer * Her favorite ballets to perform, dream roles, and the joy of finding new ways to approach familiar choreography * Exploring choreography and creating work for fellow dancers * What she learned from serving as an apprentice repertory director * Developing a healthy relationship with ballet and cultivating interests outside the studio Connect with Laine INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/lainehabony/ Links & Resources Schedule a complimentary career consultation: https://www.thebrainyballerina.com/career-mentoring ETOILE: https://www.etoilecomp.com/brainy (save 10% with code BRAINY10) ORZA: www.orzabrand.com [http://www.orzabrand.com/] (use code BRAINYBALLERINA for 10% off) Let's connect! My WEBSITE: thebrainyballerina.com [http://thebrainyballerina.com/] INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/thebrainyballerina [http://instagram.com/thebrainyballerina] Questions/comments? Email me at [email protected]

What if the path to a professional ballet career doesn't look the way you think it "should"? In this solo episode, I'm sharing the unconventional choices I made as a pre-professional dancer that ultimately still led me to a career in ballet (and helped me stay in love with dance along the way). From staying at my home studio through high school to skipping summer intensives, scaling back my dance training during my senior year, choosing college over immediately pursuing a company contract, and even joining a college dance team, my path looked different from the traditional trajectory many young dancers are told they need to follow. But those choices gave me something I desperately needed: balance, perspective, and the ability to build a sustainable career without burning out. Key "pointes" in this episode: * Why I chose to stay at my home studio through high school instead of moving away to train * Choosing to spend my last two summers of high school working and being a "regular kid" instead of attending summer intensives * Recognizing burnout and scaling back my training during my senior year * Why taking a step back actually helped me become a stronger dancer * Choosing to major in dance in college instead of immediately pursuing a professional ballet company * What joining my college dance team taught me about performing outside of my comfort zone * How experiences outside of classical ballet gave me skills that later helped my professional career * Why there is no single "right" path to a professional dance career * Giving yourself permission to make choices based on what you need, not what you think you're supposed to do You don't need to follow someone else's path to have a successful dance career. Your career is going to be uniquely yours, and staying open to unexpected opportunities can lead you places you never imagined. Links & Resources: Schedule a complimentary career consultation: https://www.thebrainyballerina.com/career-mentoring ETOILE: https://www.etoilecomp.com/brainy (save 10% with code BRAINY10) ORZA: www.orzabrand.com [http://www.orzabrand.com/] (use code BRAINYBALLERINA for 10% off) Let's connect! My WEBSITE: thebrainyballerina.com [http://thebrainyballerina.com/] INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/thebrainyballerina [http://instagram.com/thebrainyballerina] Questions/comments? Email me at [email protected]

Khi'Shawn Robinson began dancing at 14 and initially set his sights on a career in classical ballet. After studying ballet at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, he unexpectedly took a professional job with Royal Caribbean, which opened the door to a completely different side of the dance industry. Today, Khi'Shawn is a performer and dance captain with the national tour of The Wiz. In this episode, he shares his journey to The Wiz (including auditioning multiple times before finally booking the show), proving that sometimes "no" really does mean "not right now." We also learn what a dance captain does, what a typical day on tour looks like for Khi'Shawn, and get some insight into the history of The Wiz! Key "Pointes" in this Episode * Starting dance at 14 and discovering a passion for ballet * What Khi'Shawn learned from earning his degree in Classical Ballet from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts * Why he decided to make the leap from classical ballet into musical theater * His first professional job with Royal Caribbean's Hairspray * The differences between performing on a cruise ship and touring with a national production * Auditioning for The Wiz multiple times before finally joining the cast * What The Wiz means as a celebration of African American culture and experience * What a typical day on tour looks like for Khi'Shawn * What it means to be a dance captain and how being a dance captain has changed the way he approaches his own dancing Connect with Khi'Shawn: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/khishawnrobinson Links & Resources: See The Wiz at the Overture Center in Madison, WI: https://www.overture.org/tickets-events/2026-27-season/the-wiz (head to The Brainy Ballerina IG [https://www.instagram.com/thebrainyballerina/] to enter to win two free tickets!) REGISTER FOR SEE AND BE SEEN: https://eisenhowerdance.org/beseen ORZA: www.orzabrand.com [http://www.orzabrand.com/] (use code BRAINYBALLERINA for 10% off) Let's connect! My WEBSITE: thebrainyballerina.com [http://thebrainyballerina.com/] INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/thebrainyballerina [http://instagram.com/thebrainyballerina] Questions/comments? Email me at [email protected]

In dance, feedback can shape much more than how you perform. It can influence how you see yourself, what you believe you're capable of, and even the choices you make in the studio and beyond. In this episode of The Brainy Ballerina Podcast, I'm joined by Kristin Deiss and Michelle Loucadoux, co-founders of Danscend, to talk about how feedback can affect a dancer's confidence, identity, and sense of self-worth. We discuss why dancers can be particularly vulnerable to internalizing what teachers say, how our own insecurities can change the way we receive feedback, and how to separate "I need to work on this" from "I'm not good enough." We also talk about processing conflicting corrections, deciding what feedback is actually useful, and giving yourself permission to let go of what doesn't serve you. For teachers, we dig into the other side of the equation: how to give feedback more intentionally, why dancers don't need every correction we notice, and how observation, trust, and giving dancers more agency can create a healthier learning environment. Key "Pointes" in this Episode * Why dancers can be especially vulnerable to internalizing feedback * How your own insecurities affect the way you receive feedback * Separating feedback from your identity * Practical strategies for processing difficult corrections * What to do when different teachers give conflicting feedback * Learning what feedback to keep and what to let go * Building self-worth beyond your abilities as a dancer Connect with Danscend WEBSITE: https://danscend.com/ INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/danscendofficial [http://instagram.com/danscendofficial] DANSCEND APP (IOS): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/danscend/id6759905827 DANSCEND APP (Android): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.danscend.school&hl=en_US Links & Resources: REGISTER FOR SEE AND BE SEEN: https://eisenhowerdance.org/beseen ORZA: www.orzabrand.com [http://www.orzabrand.com/] (use code BRAINYBALLERINA for 10% off) Let's connect! My WEBSITE: thebrainyballerina.com [http://thebrainyballerina.com/] INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/thebrainyballerina [http://instagram.com/thebrainyballerina] Questions/comments? Email me at [email protected]