Episode
96. Penny Saunders on the Moment She Finally Called Herself a Choreographer
- Podcast
- The Brainy Ballerina Podcast
- Published
- Mar 30, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2312
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://zencastr.com/z/1Sn-m35c
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-brainy-ballerina-podcast-6926194/episodes/96-penny-saunders-on-the-moment-she-finally-called-herself-a-choreographer/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-brainy-ballerina-podcast-6926194/96-penny-saunders-on-the-moment-she-finally-called-herself-a-choreographer.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
Penny Saunders is an absolute force in the dance world and a choreographer every dancer dreams of working with. But before she was a choreographer, she was a dynamic performer dancing with companies including American Repertory Ballet, Ballet Arizona, MOMIX, Cedar Lake, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. She is now an acclaimed choreographer who has created works for companies including Grand Rapids Ballet, Hubbard Street, Cincinnati Ballet, Whim W'Him, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Parsons Dance, Oklahoma City Ballet, BalletX, Sacramento Ballet, The Royal New Zealand Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Diablo Ballet, Dayton Ballet, Eugene Ballet, ArtEmotion/Ballet West and Seattle Dance Collective, among others. In this episode, Penny shares how her early training shaped her independence, and what it really looked like to transition from a classical dancer into a contemporary artist. We also dive into her evolution as a choreographer, the moment she finally claimed that title, and how motherhood has influenced both her creative process and career. Key "Pointes" from this Episode: * Training at Harid Conservatory and how dance fostered independence at a young age. * Her transition into a professional career with her first job at American Repertory Ballet. * Navigating the transition from classical ballet to contemporary dance. * The story behind one of her favorite performance experiences and falling in love with her husband. * Taking the leap into choreography at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. * Overcoming imposter syndrome and growing into the identity of "choreographer". * Balancing motherhood with a demanding dance career and why it matters for children to see their parents pursuing fulfilling work. * Adapting choreography across different companies while staying true to her voice. *…