The Adult Ballet Studio

About The Adult Ballet Studio

The Adult Ballet Studio is a podcast featuring conversations with dancers who have returned to ballet or discovered it for the first time later in life, as well as anyone working to make the ballet industry more welcoming for dancers of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. This podcast celebrates the beauty of ballet with the aim of encouraging dancers to embrace individuality, challenge tradition, and advocate for an industry where age, ability, and background are not obstacles, but sources of strength and diversity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Elizabeth Blosfield

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Aug 2023

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

51 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Oct 2026

   Episode 49: Isabella Rubietta

   Isabella Rubietta, dancer, choreographer and founder of Minnesota Ballet Collective, is in the studio this month! Isabella began dancing at just three years old, exploring ballet, tap, jazz, and musical theater before dedicating herself to classical ballet at the age of ten. She went on to train at Ballet Royale of Minnesota, perform with Twin Cities Ballet, and attend summer programs including with American Ballet Theatre and Kansas City Ballet. Today, she is in her fourth season with Minnesota Ballet Collective, an organization that she founded in 2023. Minnesota Ballet Collective is committed to empowering advanced ballet dancers through creativity, collaboration, and artistic growth. The Collective also places a strong emphasis on building an inclusive and supportive community. Her story doesn’t stop with dance! She holds a degree in biology, has explored choreography through her work at the University of Minnesota, where she has begun law school. In our conversation, we talk about her journey from young dancer to artist, what she has learned from performing and choreographing, her experiences with Minnesota Ballet Collective, and the ways ballet has shaped how she thinks about public health, community, and advocacy. We also talk about the pressure and expectations that come with being a dancer, the importance of creating more inclusive spaces in ballet, and what it means to build a life that doesn’t fit neatly into just one career or identity. Check it out! Learn more about Minnesota Ballet Collective: mnballetcollective.org (https://mnballetcollective.org/) Follow Minnesota Ballet Collective on Instagram: @mnballetcollective (https://www.instagram.com/mnballetcollective) Donate to The Adult Ballet Studio’s 50th episode fundraiser for United Palace Theatre: https://kindest.com/872422-restore-unitedpalace-organ (https://kindest.com/872422-restore-unitedpalace-organ) Subscribe to The Adult Ballet Studio on YouTube: @adultballetstudio (https://www.youtube.com/@adultballetstudio) Music in this episode: Waltz of the Flowers - Tchaikovsky Barroom Ballet - Silent Film Light - Kevin MacLeod Barroom Ballet - Silent Film Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100310 (http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100310) Artist: http://incompetech.com/ (http://incompetech.com/) @eblosfield (https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/dashboard/episode/instagram.com/eblosfield) | theadultballetstudio@gmail.com The Adult Ballet Studio has merch! https://theadultballetstudio-shop.fourthwall.com/ (https://theadultballetstudio-shop.fourthwall.com/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   9 Sept 2026

   Episode 48: Maureen Footer

   Maureen Footer is an author and cultural historian whose work explores the ways artists, designers, and creators shape the culture around them, and she joined The Adult Ballet Studio this month! Maureen is the author of several acclaimed books on fashion, architecture and design, and her newest book takes her into the world of dance with Feel the Floor: Restoring the Life and Legacy of Jazz Choreographer Buddy Bradley, published by Beacon Press. The book tells the story of Buddy Bradley, a Black choreographer and teacher whose career began during the Harlem Renaissance and eventually took him from Broadway to London’s West End. There, his work helped transform theatrical dance. Bradley taught and influenced some of the biggest performers of his era, and his choreography drew from tap, jazz, ballroom, folk dance and mime. Bradley’s influence also extended into classical ballet. His work helped shape the movement vocabulary of many choreographers, including George Balanchine, and contributed to the development of what would become neoclassical ballet. Yet, despite the reach of his influence, Bradley’s name largely disappeared from mainstream dance history, especially in the U.S. Feel the Floor seeks to change that by restoring Bradley’s story. Maureen is also a lifelong ballet enthusiast and serves on the boards of New York City Ballet, the Jerome Robbins Dance Division of the New York Public Library, and the American Friends of the Paris Opera Ballet. We talk about Bradley’s remarkable legacy, the ways racism and cultural hierarchies have shaped what gets preserved in dance history, and what his story can teach us about influence, inclusion and belonging in the world of ballet. Check it out! Get a copy of Feel the Floor: https://www.amazon.com/Feel-Floor-Restoring-Choreographer-Bradley/dp/0807045241 (https://www.amazon.com/Feel-Floor-Restoring-Choreographer-Bradley/dp/0807045241) Follow Maureen on Instagram: @maureenfooter (https://www.instagram.com/maureenfooter) Learn more about Maureen’s work: www.maureenfooter.net (https://maureenfooter.net/) Subscribe to The Adult Ballet Studio on YouTube: @adultballetstudio (https://www.youtube.com/@adultballetstudio) Music in this episode: Waltz of the Flowers - Tchaikovsky Barroom Ballet - Silent Film Light - Kevin MacLeod Barroom Ballet - Silent Film Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100310 (http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100310) Artist: http://incompetech.com/ (http://incompetech.com/) @eblosfield (https://www.instagram.com/eblosfield) | theadultballetstudio@gmail.com (mailto:theadultballetstudio@gmail.com) The Adult Ballet Studio has merch! https://theadultballetstudio-shop.fourthwall.com/ (https://theadultballetstudio-shop.fourthwall.com/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   11 Aug 2026

   Episode 47: Jen Alden

   Jen Alden is in the studio this month! She is a choreographer, director, arts leader, and financial executive whose work spans professional performance, arts advocacy, nonprofit leadership, and community engagement. She trained with the State Ballet of Oregon, Eugene Ballet, and the University of Oregon before performing as a soloist with the State Ballet of Oregon and dancing with contemporary companies in Portland. Along the way, she also developed a love for musical theater, choreographing her first production, West Side Story, at just 17 years old. After moving to Tulsa, Jennifer co-founded what is now Oklahoma Movement, a nonprofit contemporary dance organization dedicated to using movement as a catalyst for conversation and change. Over the past 15 years, she's created more than 15 evening-length works exploring topics including mental health, addiction, social inequality, women's issues, and systemic racism. In 2020, the organization shifted its focus beyond performance to emphasize outreach, advocacy, and education, reflecting a belief that movement has the power to connect communities and inspire meaningful dialogue. Jennifer's impact extends beyond the studio too! She's choreographed for Tulsa Opera, Theatre Tulsa, Tulsa Symphony, and numerous productions throughout the region, while also serving as chief financial and operating officer of the Tulsa Performing Arts Center. There, she's helped secure funding to support one of Oklahoma's most important cultural institutions. In this conversation, Jennifer challenges the idea that artists have to choose between creativity and practicality. We talk about balancing careers in both finance and the arts, building sustainable pathways for artists, creating welcoming spaces for adult dancers, and using dance to explore some of the most complex issues facing our communities. Check it out! Learn more about Oklahoma Movement: oklahomamovement.org (http://oklahomamovement.org) Follow Oklahoma Movement on Instagram: @oklahoma_movement (https://www.instagram.com/oklahoma_movement) Learn more Tulsa PAC and find tix for Universal Theory: tulsapac.com (https://tulsapac.com/) Subscribe to The Adult Ballet Studio on YouTube: @adultballetstudio (https://www.youtube.com/@adultballetstudio) Music in this episode: Waltz of the Flowers - Tchaikovsky Barroom Ballet - Silent Film Light - Kevin MacLeod Barroom Ballet - Silent Film Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100310 (http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100310) Artist: http://incompetech.com/ (http://incompetech.com/) @eblosfield (https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/dashboard/episode/instagram.com/eblosfield) | theadultballetstudio@gmail.com The Adult Ballet Studio has merch! Shop here! (https://theadultballetstudio-shop.fourthwall.com/) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Reach and audience

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

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

15 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

13 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 50 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

72

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

71

Contact The Adult Ballet Studio

Guest appearances

Books guests

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

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