Pushing Over the Box

About Pushing Over the Box

Pushing Over the Box is a ballet podcast about the dancer's mindset — hosted by young dancer Jasmine Jain. Through candid ballet interviews with leading figures in the dance world — from principal dancers at American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet to choreographers, dance physiotherapists, and photographers — Jasmine explores the real stories behind the beauty: discipline, injury, recovery, resilience, artistry, and what it really takes to keep going. Past guests include Misty Copeland, Isabella LaFreniere, Cassandra Trenary, Skylar Brandt, and more. New episodes biweekly.

Publisher

Jasmine Jain

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

22 Oct 2025

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

25 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Oct 2026

   Theresa Ruth Howard, Founder of Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet | Pushing Over the Box

   In 2015, around the time Misty Copeland was promoted to principal at American Ballet Theatre, Theresa Ruth Howard wrote an article highlighting the long history of Black ballerinas who came before her: "The Misty-rious Case of the Vanishing Ballerinas of Color: Where Have All the Others Gone?" At the bottom, she asked readers to name every Black ballerina they knew in the comments. The response became the Roll Call — and the seed of what is now Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet. In this episode of Pushing Over the Box, Jasmine Jain sits down with Theresa Ruth Howard — former dancer with Dance Theatre of Harlem and Armitage Gone Dance, longtime ballet educator, writer, and curator, and founder of Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet (MoBBallet), a digital archive dedicated to preserving the stories of Black ballet artists. They talk about being discovered by Philadanco founder Joan Myers Brown at age three, seeing Dance Theatre of Harlem perform at eight years old and, for the first time, watching dancers who looked like her doing what she loved, the article that changed the conversation around race in ballet, and the advice she'd give her own 13-year-old self about trusting that it will all eventually make sense. TIMESTAMPS: [08:54] The Article That Started Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet [05:39] Seeing Dance Theatre of Harlem for the First Time at Age 8 [17:54] Advice to Her 13-Year-Old Self — "The Universe Will Give You a Pencil" ABOUT THE GUEST: Theresa Ruth Howard is a former dancer with Dance Theatre of Harlem and Armitage Gone Dance, and a longtime ballet educator, writer, and curator. She is the founder of Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet (MoBBallet), a digital archive and platform dedicated to preserving and sharing the stories of Black ballet artists, and a contributing writer for Dance Magazine. She trained at Philadanco under founder Joan Myers Brown before continuing at Pennsylvania Ballet. ABOUT PUSHING OVER THE BOX: Pushing Over the Box is a ballet podcast about the dancer's mindset, hosted by young dancer Jasmine Jain. Through interviews with leading ballet professionals, the podcast explores discipline, artistry, injury, resilience, and what it takes to pursue excellence. CONNECT: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pushingoverthebox/ (https://www.instagram.com/pushingoverthebox/) Website: https://pushingoverthebox.com (https://pushingoverthebox.com) Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1zHqK394AYtUjYxbB9FNZ1 (https://open.spotify.com/show/1zHqK394AYtUjYxbB9FNZ1) Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pushing-over-the-box/id1847970742 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pushing-over-the-box/id1847970742) #ballet #balletpodcast #balletmindset #dancepodcast #theresaruthhoward #mobballet #dancetheatreofharlem #blackballerinas #balletinterview #ballethistory Topics discussed: Theresa Ruth Howard interview, Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Black ballerinas history, representation in ballet, Misty Copeland, Philadanco, advice for young dancers Guest: Theresa Ruth Howard — Founder, Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet (MoBBallet) Pushing Over the Box is a ballet podcast about the dancer's mindset. Listen at pushingoverthebox.com

2. 

   23 Sept 2026

   Virginia Lensi, American Ballet Theatre Corps de Ballet — On Second Chances | Pushing Over the Box

   Virginia Lensi quit ballet at eight years old. Her teacher had gotten strict, the pressure felt like too much, and she wanted to just be a kid — so she tried gymnastics, ice skating, horseback riding, and tennis, pretty much everything except ballet. Then one summer, something pulled her back. It was too late to audition for La Scala that year, so she trained privately, then spent a year at another school in Milan before finally joining La Scala the following year. In this episode of Pushing Over the Box, Jasmine Jain sits down with Virginia Lensi — a member of the corps de ballet at American Ballet Theatre, originally from Milan, and co-founder of the ballet lifestyle brand Studio 8. They talk about walking away from ballet as a kid and finding her way back, moving to New York alone as a teenager to train at ABT's JKO School, the compressed few months between becoming an apprentice and joining the main company, and the brand she started with a friend to make ballet feel a little more fun. TIMESTAMPS: [01:07] Quitting Ballet at 8 and Finding Her Way Back [08:10] From Apprentice to Company Member in Three Months [21:26] Founding Studio 8 During a Canceled Tour ABOUT THE GUEST: Virginia Lensi is a member of the corps de ballet at American Ballet Theatre. Born and trained in Milan at La Scala Ballet School, she moved to New York to train at ABT's Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School on a full scholarship before joining ABT's Studio Company and later the main company. She is also the co-founder of Studio 8, a ballet lifestyle clothing brand. ABOUT PUSHING OVER THE BOX: Pushing Over the Box is a ballet podcast about the dancer's mindset, hosted by young dancer Jasmine Jain. Through interviews with leading ballet professionals, the podcast explores discipline, artistry, injury, resilience, and what it takes to pursue excellence. CONNECT: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pushingoverthebox/ (https://www.instagram.com/pushingoverthebox/) Website: https://pushingoverthebox.com (https://pushingoverthebox.com) Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1zHqK394AYtUjYxbB9FNZ1 (https://open.spotify.com/show/1zHqK394AYtUjYxbB9FNZ1) Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pushing-over-the-box/id1847970742 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pushing-over-the-box/id1847970742) #ballet #balletpodcast #balletmindset #dancepodcast #virginialensi #americanballettheatre #abt #lascala #balletinterview #corpsdeballet Topics discussed: Virginia Lensi interview, American Ballet Theatre, La Scala Ballet School, ballet career paths, quitting and returning to ballet, ballet entrepreneurship, advice for young dancers Guest: Virginia Lensi — Corps de Ballet, American Ballet Theatre Tagline: Pushing Over the Box is a ballet podcast about the dancer's mindset. Listen at pushingoverthebox.com (http://pushingoverthebox.com)

3. 

   9 Sept 2026

   Fangqi Li, American Ballet Theatre Soloist — On Confidence & Belonging | Pushing Over the Box

   Fangqi Li had just gone back to China after an injury during her first months in American Ballet Theatre's Studio Company, certain her time there was over, when her director asked for a Zoom call. She'd already started planning to find a new company at home. Instead, he told her she was being promoted into the main company. In this episode of Pushing Over the Box, Jasmine Jain sits down with Fangqi Li — soloist at American Ballet Theatre, originally from China, and one of only a few Chinese dancers to reach soloist rank at ABT. They talk about being discovered by Beijing Dance Academy at ten years old and turning them down before saying yes the second time, moving to New York with no English and no idea what to expect, an injury she danced through in China without even realizing it was a fracture, and the advice she'd give her younger self about comparison and finding her own voice. TIMESTAMPS: [10:06] The Zoom Call She Thought Would End Her Career [14:25] The Injury She Didn't Know She Had [22:17] Advice to Her 13-Year-Old Self ABOUT THE GUEST: Fangqi Li is a soloist with American Ballet Theatre. Born in China, she trained at the Beijing Dance Academy before advancing as a finalist at Prix de Lausanne. She joined ABT's Studio Company in 2017, moved into the main company as an apprentice in 2018, and was later promoted to soloist — becoming one of only a few Chinese dancers to hold that rank at ABT. She began teaching during the pandemic and is now exploring choreography as well. ABOUT PUSHING OVER THE BOX: Pushing Over the Box is a ballet podcast about the dancer's mindset, hosted by young dancer Jasmine Jain. Through interviews with leading ballet professionals, the podcast explores discipline, artistry, injury, resilience, and what it takes to pursue excellence. CONNECT: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pushingoverthebox/ (https://www.instagram.com/pushingoverthebox/) Website: https://pushingoverthebox.com (https://pushingoverthebox.com) Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1zHqK394AYtUjYxbB9FNZ1 (https://open.spotify.com/show/1zHqK394AYtUjYxbB9FNZ1) Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pushing-over-the-box/id1847970742 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pushing-over-the-box/id1847970742) #ballet #balletpodcast #balletmindset #dancepodcast #fangqili #americanballettheatre #abt #chineseballet #balletinterview #soloist Topics discussed: Fangqi Li interview, American Ballet Theatre, Chinese ballet dancers, ballet promotion story, ballet injury, confidence on stage, comparison and self-worth, advice for young dancers Guest: Fangqi Li — Soloist, American Ballet Theatre Pushing Over the Box is a ballet podcast about the dancer's mindset. Listen at pushingoverthebox.com (http://pushingoverthebox.com)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

7 ratings

Contact Pushing Over the Box

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Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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