# Roni Mahler — On Turning Down Joffrey, Swan Lake, and Disturbing Molecules | Pushing Over the Box

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/pushing-over-the-box-7552315/roni-mahler-on-turning-down-joffrey-swan-lake-and-disturbing-molecules-pushing-over-the-box
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/pushing-over-the-box-7552315/roni-mahler-on-turning-down-joffrey-swan-lake-and-disturbing-molecules-pushing-over-the-box.md
Podcast: [Pushing Over the Box](https://stenobird.com/podcast/pushing-over-the-box-7552315)
Published: 2026-07-15T14:30:00+00:00
Episode link: https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/83b2320e71bd9aa06474a5e3f604fec03e31054f679526b9ff4618ce66594054/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiJlZGQ0MjJiZi04MDk2LTQ1NjItYTZjNy0xYWJhOGQ0ZTQ2MzYiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiIyZjdkZjNkYi00ZmU4LTRlMzEtYjIxNi1iMGJkZTc3YjZlNWEiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2ODc1ODVkZjQzNGIxNDU2MGI0NWY1N2UiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE0Njc0NGZiNjVmODU2YmQ4NDIxY2JhL2phc21pbmUtamFpbnMtc3R1ZGlvLWNvbXBvc2VyLTIwMjYtNy0yX18xNi0yMy0xMS5tcDMifQ==.mp3
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Duration seconds: 1862

## Resource

Roni Mahler was three performances into her career at American Ballet Theatre when Cynthia Gregory sprained her ankle. She had 24 hours to learn Odette. In this episode of Pushing Over the Box, Jasmine Jain sits down with Roni Mahler — former corps dancer with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, principal dancer with the National Ballet of Washington, and soloist with American Ballet Theatre, celebrated teacher at Juilliard, the Alvin Ailey School, and Ballet Academy East, and author of the memoir Tomboy Ballerina: My Life from Baseball to American Ballet Theatre and Beyond. They talk about turning down Robert Joffrey to honor a commitment, dancing at the White House, what she learned from ten months on crutches, training the Cleveland Browns, and the one thing she has always tried to do on stage: disturb molecules. TIMESTAMPS: [13:40] Her Favorite Role and the Night She Danced Swan Lake on 24 Hours' Notice [19:01] What Ten Months of Injury Taught Her About Mistakes and Resilience [28:41] Disturbing Molecules — How She Defines Success ABOUT THE GUEST: Roni Mahler began her career in the corps de ballet of Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo before becoming a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Washington and a soloist with American Ballet Theatre. A celebrated teacher and artistic associate, she has taught at the Juilliard School, the Alvin Ailey School, Ballet Academy East, and Kansas State University, and served as artistic associate to Dennis Nahat at Cleveland Ballet — where she also trained the Cleveland Browns. Her memoir, Tomboy Ballerina, was published in 2022. 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…

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