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Did you ever wonder what it's like to send your dancer off to full-time training? Now, ask yourself what it's like to send them to another continent. In part one of this two-part series, we sat down with three parents who, collectively, had four kids attend ballet programs in Europe. One went to Academie Princesse Grace in Monaco. Two headed to London - one to the Royal Ballet School and the other to English National Ballet School. The fourth went to John Cranko in Germany.

Tune in to hear how each family ultimately made the decision to send their child overseas, how the opportunities first presented themselves and what they each saw as some unexpected ups and downs during the time they were there.

If you've been curious about the pros and cons of European ballet training, tune in!

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As we all know, the ballet job market is incredibly competitive. But, not all ballet careers involve signing a year-long contract with a company. Some dancers choose other paths and we sat down with Linnea Swarting to hear from a dancer who traded the security of a company contract to pursue a freelance career.

She talked about how she made the decision to walk away from company life and how she got her first freelance gig. We also discussed what kinds of jobs are actually available to freelancers and then variety is pretty surprising! Think everything from corporate parties to full international tours performing Swan Lake.

We also discussed what touring companies really are, how Linnea finds jobs, what she looks for in contracts and how to negotiate before agreeing to join the project.

Interested in learning more about the freelance life? You can find Linnea on her website or Instagram at @lswarting.

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Music from #Uppbeat:
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Fran is back for a conversation about respect in the ballet studio.

We get into the mechanics of a real ballet class. A teacher giving thirty corrections in ninety minutes doesn't have room to let one go unanswered, and Fran talks about why trying a correction immediately signals something different than thinking it over first. We also press him on how a teacher decides who earns individual attention in a crowded room, and how he tells the difference between a student asking a genuine question and a student who's simply refusing to try what they were asked. Fran turns some of that scrutiny on teachers too. He admits egos flare up at the front of the room as much as anywhere else, and draws a line between authority that's been earned and authority that's being misused.

We also discuss how a dancer's reputation travels through what we know is a small industry, and why character can matter as much as talent when a director decides whom to hire again. We close the conversation with Fran making the case for why the studio itself deserves to be treated seriously, calling it "sacred ground."

• Pick Up a Year-Round Training Corrections Journal
• Read Our Ballet School Summer & Year-Round Reviews
• Support Ballet Help Desk
• Instagram: @BalletHelpDesk
• Facebook: BalletHelpDesk
• TikTok: @BalletHelpDesk

Music from #Uppbeat:
https://uppbeat.io/t/ian-aisling/new-future
License code: MGAW5PAHYEYDQZCI