Talking Pointes
48 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 3 ratingsThe podcast that shines a light on life in the performing arts. Talking Pointes explores the lives and careers of superstar dancers, artistic directors and choreographers, discussing everything from confidence and body image, to auditions, sexuality, bullying and navigating retirement.
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Episodes
David Hallberg, One Year On
March 11, 2024 16:00 - 23 minutes - 21.2 MBFor our bonus episode this season, we’re catching up with the Australian Ballet’s Artistic Director David Hallberg. Last season, David and I spoke about his life growing up in South Dakota, being bullied, training at the Paris Opera, becoming principal at American Ballet Theatre, and being the first American to be invited to dance with the Bolshoi Ballet in Russia. We talked about climbing back from his epic injury, his head space at that time, before taking over the Artistic Directorship of...
Paul Mercurio, A life lived in fear is a life half lived
March 04, 2024 16:00 - 39 minutes - 36.5 MB30 years ago this year, a small independent film, by a first time director, and an unknown cast, hit our screens. That film was Strictly Ballroom. And so, for our final episode of Season 2 of Talking Pointes, I’m speaking with the legendary Paul Mercurio. Paul was born in Swan Hill in regional Victoria and started dancing after he saw his elder sister in a local dance class. With dad off the scene early, the family moved to Perth where Paul continued to train at the John Curtin Senior High S...
Jenna Caley, Born to Dance
February 27, 2024 16:00 - 45 minutes - 42 MBToday I’m speaking with the divine Jenna Roberts. Jenna grew up in Newcastle and started dancing only because a local ballet studio set up shop on the same street as her family home. But as fortune would have it, that local studio happened to be the Marie Walton Mahon Dance Academy, as it was known back then. And so Jenna, and little sister Callie, started dancing. For any outsider, it was clear the Robert’s sisters were born to dance—with high arches and long, lean legs, genetics almost pr...
Beau Dean Riley Smith, Stories to Tell
February 12, 2024 16:00 - 39 minutes - 36.1 MBToday I’m speaking with Beau Dean Riley Smith. Beau was born on Wiradjuri Country in Dubbo, Western NSW. But as a little kid the family moved to Culburra on the NSW South Coast where Beau spent his childhood surrounded by siblings, love and chaos while growing up at the beach. Beau didn’t learn to dance as a kid, instead he studied drama in high school, before being accepted into the performance program at WAPPA—the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in Perth. It was a transformat...
Mary Li's Last Dance
February 05, 2024 16:00 - 28 minutes - 26.5 MBToday I’m speaking with Mary Li, ballet mistress and principal répétiteur at the Queensland Ballet. Mary's story to the stage is an unlikely one—one of eight children, Mary grew up in a small town in Central Queensland called Rockhampton. She was the first person in her family to try ballet, but by the age of 16—the day after completing her Solo Seal exam—she flew to London after being accepted into Royal Ballet School. Her star continued to rise, on graduation Mary was accepted into London ...
Summer Series: Steven McRae, Full Throttle
January 29, 2024 16:00 - 39 minutes - 36.1 MBToday I am speaking with Steven McRae, Principal Dancer with the Royal Ballet, London. Steven grew up in Western Sydney, in a suburb called Plumpton, 45kms West of Sydney. His Dad was a drag car racer, and no one in the family had ever learnt to dance. But somehow, dance found Steven, And at the age of 7, he asked his Mum and Dad if he could start dance lessons and he enrolled in a local studio around the corner from home. It was a life changing decision. By 17, he had not only won the Genée...
Summer Series: Lucinda Dunn's Key to Success
January 22, 2024 16:00 - 32 minutes - 29.6 MBToday I am speaking with the Artistic Director of the Tanya Pearson Academy, Lucinda Dunn. Lucinda started her life in dance destined for London’s West End - where her Mum had been a performer, but a chance meeting with a ballet teacher named Tanya Pearson saw a change of direction, and at 15 she flew to Tokyo to compete in the Prix de Lausanne - and Lucinda’s life changed. In our conversation Lucinda shares her life story - how she joined the Royal Ballet School, broke her back, before bein...
Summer Series: Dancing with Dana Stephensen
January 15, 2024 16:00 - 43 minutes - 40.2 MBToday I am speaking with the divine Dana Stephensen. Dana grew up in Brisbane learning tap, jazz and singing, and never dreamed of being a ballerina. But ballet had a way of finding her. And strangely enough, it was a rejection letter from the Australian Ballet School and the disappointment that followed that awakened her passion and changed the trajectory of her life. In this beautifully courageous and candid interview, Dana speaks about her career with the Australian Ballet, managing her t...
Reflections with Deborah Brown
January 08, 2024 16:00 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBToday I am speaking with the divine Deborah Brown. Deborah is a descendant of the Wakaid Clan of Badu Island, the Meriam people of Murray Island, and also has Scottish heritage. Deborah grew up in Brisbane, learning jazz, ballet and tap at her local dance school, while also dancing around the family home learning cultural dance. It was an eye opener to a world she never dreamt could be her career. But after finishing school, Deborah moved to Sydney, and while working as an usher at the Lyric...
Summer Series - Rafael Bonachela Revisited
December 25, 2023 16:00 - 45 minutes - 41.5 MBToday I am speaking with the Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company, Rafael Bonachela. Rafael grew up in the small town of La Garriga near Barcelona in Spain, the eldest of four brothers. With no dance school in the town, the young Rafael would instead create dances for himself and his classmates, before at 15, being allowed to take the train to Barcelona to take his first dance class. It was a pivotal moment - both a star and a passion was born. By 17 he was offered a professional contr...
Amy Harris, Another Fine Day
November 28, 2023 16:00 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBToday we're am speaking with the magnificent Amy Harris, Principal Dancer with the Australian Ballet. Amy, grew up in the small town of Ararat in rural Victoria, and along with her two sisters, learnt tap, ballet and jazz at her local hall. From there it was the dream run—at 15, Amy was accepted into the Australian Ballet School, before being offered a contract with the Australian Ballet Company on graduation—by the newly appointed director David McAllister no less. For many aspiring dancers...
Dana Stephensen, Bonus Chapter
November 20, 2023 16:00 - 54 minutes - 49.6 MBFor our Season Three bonus episode, we speak again with the divine Dana Stephensen. Dana and I initially spoke about 18 months ago, and in that conversation we covered Dana’s journey into the Australian Ballet, managing her hyperthyroidism and weight gain. We talked about promotions, meeting her now husband Lachie becoming a mom and returning to the stage. This time I speak to the newly retired Dana Stephensen, who after 19 years dancing with the Australian Ballet finally gave a farewell per...
John Lam in Motion
November 13, 2023 16:00 - 42 minutes - 38.6 MBThis week we head to Boston, where I'm speaking with Boston Ballet's legendary principal dancer, John Lam. John has the most incredible story: His Vietnamese parents were refugees who settled in the US and John, together with his brother and sister grew up in relative poverty in California. Traditional family values meant education was key in John's family, but he accidentally found dance as a young boy when his daycare offered it as an extra activity. And from there, the love affair began. ...
Evie Ferris, Finding her Voice
November 06, 2023 16:00 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBToday we’re speaking with the quite incredible Evie Ferris. Evie was born in Cairns in far north Queensland, and she's a proud Taribelang and Djabugay woman. Growing up, Evie danced alongside her sister, a talent so bright that by the age of 12, her family, including two of her five siblings were moving south to Melbourne. She joined the Australian Ballet School, and on graduation was accepted straight into the company. She's only the second Indigenous Australian to ever join the Australian ...
Ethan Stiefel, Center Stage
October 30, 2023 16:00 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MBIt’s likely that every single one of our listeners knows the name Cooper Nielson. He briefly broke Jody Sawyer's heart in the cult ballet movie Center Stage, and yet today, we speak with the man who played that role, Ethan Stiefel, who is far more interesting than the notorious Cooper Nielson. Ethan was born in Pennsylvania, and his father was a prison warden, and like many men before him, he was introduced to ballet by watching his sister's dance class. But by age 15, he had been accepted...
Brooke Cassen: Different Dreams
October 23, 2023 16:00 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MBToday we are speaking with the divine Brooke Casson. Brooke Lockett, as she was known throughout her career, grew up in Ballarat and had a dream run to the stage. She was accepted into the Australian Ballet School by the age of 14, and then straight into the company on graduation. In this beautiful and brave interview, Brooke speaks about her career at the Australian Ballet. We speak about promotions, about being the face of the company, the perception of rank and about hard conversations, b...
Shaun Parker, King
October 16, 2023 16:00 - 38 minutes - 34.8 MBToday we’re speaking with the phenomenal Shaun Parker. Shaun’s path to artistic director and choreographer of an internationally renowned contemporary dance company is totally unexpected. Shaun grew up on a farm in Mildura in regional Victoria, but he had a double life in dance, theatre and singing. After finishing high school, Shaun went on to study science at Monash University in Melbourne until a sliding doors moment— Shaun saw a dance rehearsal in a university lecture room, and the rest ...
Shaun Parker, King-maker
October 16, 2023 16:00 - 38 minutes - 34.8 MBToday we’re speaking with the phenomenal Shaun Parker. Shaun’s path to artistic director and choreographer of an internationally renowned contemporary dance company is totally unexpected. Shaun grew up on a farm in Mildura in regional Victoria, but he had a double life in dance, theatre and singing. After finishing high school, Shaun went on to study science at Monash University in Melbourne until a sliding doors moment— Shaun saw a dance rehearsal in a university lecture room, and the rest ...
Danielle Rowe, New Frontiers
October 09, 2023 16:00 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MBToday we're speaking with the divine Danielle Rowe. Dani grew up in South Australia, and by 14 she had moved interstate to train [in ballet] under Marie Walton Mann. Within a year of that, she'd been accepted into the Australian Ballet School, and on graduation, she was offered a position with the company, but the accolades didn't stop. Dani rose to principal artist, won the Telstra Ballet Dancer award twice, and represented the Australian Ballet company around the world from London to China...
Adam Bull, Man in the Mirror
October 02, 2023 16:00 - 29 minutes - 26.9 MBOn our first episode of season three, I'm speaking with the former principal dancer of the Australian Ballet, the much loved Adam Bull. Adam grew up in outer Melbourne and by a stroke of luck, his primary school teacher at his local school suggested he try dance. He did, and it became a love affair that has lasted a lifetime. By the time he was a teenager, he was training under Brian Nolan at Dance World 3 0 1 before joining the Australian Ballet School and then being accepted straight into ...
Man in the Mirror
October 02, 2023 16:00 - 29 minutes - 26.9 MBOn our first episode of season three, I'm speaking with the former principal dancer of the Australian Ballet, the much loved Adam Bull. Adam grew up in outer Melbourne and by a stroke of luck, his primary school teacher at his local school suggested he try dance. He did, and it became a love affair that has lasted a lifetime. By the time he was a teenager, he was training under Brian Nolan at Dance World 3 0 1 before joining the Australian Ballet School and then being accepted straight into ...
Talking Pointes Season Three
September 25, 2023 17:00 - 52 seconds - 823 KBTalking Pointes returns for an epic third season. On this season, we're speaking with some of the biggest dance superstars in Australia. We're chatting about their lives and careers, navigating everything from promotion, pregnancy, and making principal. But we are also going overseas, speaking to Australian dancers and international artists who've made their careers around the globe. We're heading to London and to America. From Portland, Oregon on the West coast to New York City. There are l...
Dana Stephensen's Final Bow
July 11, 2023 18:00 - 44 minutes - 40.7 MBA rejection letter from the Australian Ballet School changed the trajectory of Dana Stephensen's life. This episode revisits Dana's incredible story as she announces her retirement from the Australian Ballet. Hosted by Claudia Lawson Dana grew up in Brisbane learning tap, jazz and singing, and never dreamed of being a ballerina. But ballet had a way of finding her. And strangely enough, it was a rejection letter from the Australian Ballet School and the disappointment that followed that awa...
Signing and Dancing with Emma Memma
March 06, 2023 16:00 - 39 minutes - 36.1 MBFor our summer season bonus episode, we’re catching up with the divine Emma Watkins. In season one, Emma and I spoke about her life growing up in Sydney. We spoke about her early dance years, about injuries and auditions, and then being selected to be the first ever female Wiggle. We spoke about Emma’s passion for Auslan, her PhD, and we also spoke about love, surviving endometriosis, and fertility. To hear that conversation, just scroll back to episode six of season one. Today, nearly 18 m...
Alice Topp's Lucky Break
February 05, 2023 16:00 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MBToday I'm speaking with The Australian Ballet's resident choreographer, Alice Topp. Alice was born and raised in Bendigo, a small town in regional Victoria. She started dancing at the age of four and was destined for a career as a ballerina. While Alice's career at The Australian Ballet is widely known, what many don't know is that Alice's journey to The Australian Ballet wasn't like most. She didn't train at The Australian Ballet School. Instead, she did a stint at The Royal New Zealand Bal...
Daniel Riley leads Australian Dance Theatre
January 29, 2023 13:00 - 30 minutes - 28 MBDaniel Riley is the newly appointed artistic director of Australian Dance Theatre. Daniel is a proud Wiradjuri man of Western New South Wales. He grew up around Canberra, inspired by the Tap Dogs, learning contemporary dance, ballet, and tap. But it was a chance encounter with ADTs founder, Elizabeth Cameron Dalman, which changed the direction of Daniel's life to one of pursuing dance as a career. He ultimately headed north to study dance at Queensland University of Technology and following ...
Mao's Last Dancer Speaks Auslan
January 08, 2023 13:00 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MBLi Cunxin, artistic director of the Queensland Ballet, joins us today on Talking Pointes. Most of you will know Li from his early life. He is Mao's Last Dancer. Li was born into complete poverty in rural China, where he was plucked from obscurity to join the Beijing Dance Academy. He was put through years of brutal training, up to 16 hours a day, to become a dancer. However, his life was meant to be one of twists and turns. He was chosen to undergo an exchange to the United States to dance w...
Marie Walton Mahon's Personal Best
January 02, 2023 13:00 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBMarie Walton Mahon has taught and trained literally thousands of dancers here in Australia and around the globe. A dance prodigy in her own right, she was selected as a teenager to train in France with the great Rosella Hightower, and then danced professionally in Marseille, under the artistic directorship of the late, great, Roland Petit. However, her career was unexpectedly cut short and she returned home to Australia. With no career to fall back on she started a tiny dance school with jus...
Lana Jones Gives Back
December 31, 2022 13:00 - 26 minutes - 23.8 MBLana Jones' journey in ballet seems like the dream run for many aspiring youngsters. As a teenager, she won the silver medal at the international ballet competition, the Genée Awards in London, was accepted into the Australian Ballet School, graduated dux and was accepted straight into the Australian Ballet Company. From there, the dream continued. She rose through the ranks, won the Telstra Ballet Dancer of the Year Award, married a fellow dancer and was promoted to Principal. Known for he...
Season One re-release
December 25, 2022 13:00 - 51 seconds - 801 KBCongratulations to Talking Pointes, bronze medal winner of Best Arts & Culture podcast for the Australian Podcast Awards. To celebrate, we are revisiting conversations with our guests from Season One. Production dream team ✨ Hosted by @byclaudialawson Produced by @fjordreview Additional Production @clinttopic Sound & Editing @outputmedia Studios @brightsidesydney @sawtoothstudios
Show Reel
November 30, 2022 13:00 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MBOur show reel for Talking Pointes! All the best bits and a taste of what's to come.Production dream team ✨ Hosted by @byclaudialawson Produced by @fjordreview Additional Production @clinttopic Sound & Editing @outputmedia Studios @brightsidesydney @sawtoothstudios
Paul Mercurio, A life lived in fear is a live half lived
October 17, 2022 13:00 - 40 minutes - 37 MB30 years ago this year, a small independent film, by a first time director, and an unknown cast, hit our screens. That film was Strictly Ballroom. And so, for our final episode of Season 2 of Talking Pointes, I’m speaking with the legendary Paul Mercurio. Paul was born in Swan Hill in regional Victoria and started dancing after he saw his elder sister in a local dance class. With dad off the scene early, the family moved to Perth where Paul continued to train at the John Curtin Senior High S...
Mary's Last Dance
September 26, 2022 14:00 - 29 minutes - 27 MBToday I’m speaking with Mary Li, ballet mistress and principal répétiteur at the Queensland Ballet. Mary's story to the stage is an unlikely one—one of eight children, Mary grew up in a small town in Central Queensland called Rockhampton. She was the first person in her family to try ballet, but by the age of 16—the day after completing her Solo Seal exam—she flew to London after being accepted into Royal Ballet School. Her star continued to rise, on graduation Mary was accepted into London ...
Lucinda Dunn's Key to Success
September 19, 2022 14:00 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBToday I am speaking with the Artistic Director of the Tanya Pearson Academy, Lucinda Dunn. Lucinda started her life in dance destined for London’s West End - where her Mum had been a performer, but a chance meeting with a ballet teacher named Tanya Pearson saw a change of direction, and at 15 she flew to Tokyo to compete in the Prix de Lausanne - and Lucinda’s life changed. In our conversation Lucinda shares her life story - how she joined the Royal Ballet School, broke her back, before bein...
Steven McRae, Full Throttle
September 12, 2022 14:00 - 39 minutes - 36.6 MBToday I am speaking with Steven McRae, Principal Dancer with the Royal Ballet, London. Steven grew up in Western Sydney, in a suburb called Plumpton, 45kms West of Sydney. His Dad was a drag car racer, and no one in the family had ever learnt to dance. But somehow, dance found Steven, And at the age of 7, he asked his Mum and Dad if he could start dance lessons and he enrolled in a local studio around the corner from home. It was a life changing decision. By 17, he had not only won the Genée...
Dana Stephensen's Triple Bill
September 05, 2022 14:05 - 44 minutes - 40.7 MBToday I am speaking with the divine Dana Stephensen. Dana grew up in Brisbane learning tap, jazz and singing, and never dreamed of being a ballerina. But ballet had a way of finding her. And strangely enough, it was a rejection letter from the Australian Ballet School and the disappointment that followed that awakened her passion and changed the trajectory of her life. In this beautifully courageous and candid interview, Dana speaks about her career with the Australian Ballet, managing her t...
Reflections of Culture: Deborah Brown
August 29, 2022 14:00 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MBToday I am speaking with the divine Deborah Brown. Deborah is a descendant of the Wakaid Clan of Badu Island, the Meriam people of Murray Island, and also has Scottish heritage. Deborah grew up in Brisbane, learning jazz, ballet and tap at her local dance school, while also dancing around the family home learning cultural dance. It was an eye opener to a world she never dreamt could be her career. But after finishing school, Deborah moved to Sydney, and while working as an usher at the Lyric...
Fame! Rafael Bonachela
August 29, 2022 14:00 - 45 minutes - 41.9 MBToday I am speaking with the Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company, Rafael Bonachela. Rafael grew up in the small town of La Garriga near Barcelona in Spain, the eldest of 4 brothers. With no dance school in the town, the young Rafael would instead create dances for himself and his classmates, before at 15, being allowed to take the train to Barcelona to take his first dance class. It was a pivotal moment - both a star and a passion was born. By 17 he was offered a professional contract...
Amy Harris, One Fine Day
August 29, 2022 14:00 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBToday we're am speaking with the magnificent Amy Harris, Principal Dancer with the Australian Ballet. Amy, grew up in the small town of Ararat in rural Victoria, and along with her two sisters, learnt tap, ballet and jazz at her local hall. From there it was the dream run—at 15, Amy was accepted into the Australian Ballet School, before being offered a contract with the Australian Ballet Company on graduation—by the newly appointed director David McAllister no less. For many aspiring dancers...
Talking Pointes Season Two
August 27, 2022 14:00 - 55 seconds - 869 KBAfter the success of Season 1, Talking Pointes is back for another season, another 10 beautiful conversations about a life in dance —I’m your host Claudia Lawson. On Season 2 I speak with the most incredible guests—from Sydney Dance Company's Rafael Bonachela, the Australian Ballet’s Amy Harris and Dana Stephensen, Bangarra’s Deborah Brown, the Royal Ballet’s Steven McRae and Strictly Ballroom’s Paul Mercurio. There are life highs, career lows, and we chat through everything from bullying a...
David Hallberg, Wild at Heart
September 20, 2021 14:05 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBToday I'm speaking with David Hallberg. We actually started this season with David McAllister who had just stepped down as Artistic Director of the Australian Ballet. We are now speaking with David Hallberg, the brand new Artistic Director of the Australian Ballet. David was born in a small American town called Rapid City in South Dakota. He started dancing at nine years old, after seeing Fred Astaire on the television. And he only started ballet when he was 13. But by 17, he was selected to...
ADT's New Director Daniel Riley
September 06, 2021 14:00 - 30 minutes - 27.8 MBDaniel Riley is the newly appointed artistic director of Australian Dance Theatre. Daniel is a proud Wiradjuri man of Western New South Wales. He grew up around Canberra, inspired by the Tap Dogs, learning contemporary dance, ballet, and tap. But it was a chance encounter with ADTs founder, Elizabeth Cameron Dalman, which changed the direction of Daniel's life to one of pursuing dance as a career. He ultimately headed north to study dance at Queensland University of Technology and following ...
Daniel Riley Makes Tracks
September 06, 2021 14:00 - 30 minutes - 27.8 MBDaniel Riley is the newly appointed artistic director of Australian Dance Theatre. Daniel is a proud Wiradjuri man of Western New South Wales. He grew up around Canberra, inspired by the Tap Dogs, learning contemporary dance, ballet, and tap. But it was a chance encounter with ADTs founder, Elizabeth Cameron Dalman, which changed the direction of Daniel's life to one of pursuing dance as a career. He ultimately headed north to study dance at Queensland University of Technology and following ...
The Rise of Frances Rings
August 30, 2021 14:05 - 42 minutes - 39.2 MBThe incredible Frances Rings, Bangarra's Associate Artistic Director, joins us on this episode of Talking Pointes. A descendant of the Kokatha people, Frances was born in Adelaide and spent her childhood traveling, dancing, and living all around Australia while her father worked on the railways. However, it was a teacher at her boarding school in Queensland that spotted her talent, and encouraged her to audition for NAISDA, the National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association....
Becoming Emma Wiggle
August 23, 2021 21:39 - 42 minutes - 38.5 MBMany of you will know Emma Watkins as the supremely talented Emma Wiggle. Emma grew up like many aspiring dancers, dreaming of becoming a ballerina, but her dreams took an unexpected change after sustaining an injury as a teenager. Her dreams changed direction and she embarked on a different path, one that led her to university, film editing, and to ultimately becoming the iconic Yellow Wiggle. In this wonderfully generous and personal interview, Emma talks about her years of ballet training...
Adam Blanch, the Real Billy Elliot
August 02, 2021 14:00 - 32 minutes - 30 MBToday, I'm speaking with my lifelong friend, Adam Blanch. Adam's story has often been compared with Billy Elliot. He grew up in a tiny town in regional Australia called Weston. It's about an hours drive west of Newcastle. In this tiny town everyone can always remember that Adam was dancing. And so, at the age of six, Adam's mum and dad enrolled him in the local ballet class, held in a local hall. He was the only boy. And so, his life in dance began. In this very candid and courageous intervi...
David McAllister's Finnish Odyssey
August 02, 2021 14:00 - 26 minutes - 23.9 MBDavid McAllister is probably the most well-known face of dance in Australia. He was born in Perth and he was accepted into the Australian Ballet School as a 17-year-old. He graduated and joined the company directly, wowing crowds across the globe. His final performance was in “Giselle” in 2001. And then, three months later, he was named Artistic Director of that same company. During his tenure, he led the company from strength to strength, staging brand new works, touring the company around...
Talking Pointes
July 19, 2021 14:00 - 1 minute - 1.54 MBTalking Pointes is a ballet and contemporary dance podcast that interviews some of the most extraordinary and famous dancers, artistic directors and choreographers. In our 2021 season we’re bringing together ten beautiful interviews to explore not just the inspiration and careers of our guests, but all the other stuff that surrounds dance - inspiration, regrets, bullying, body image, sexuality, retirement, lifelong friendships and even how to start a new career when the curtains finally clos...