{"podcast":{"title":"The Brainy Ballerina Podcast","slug":"the-brainy-ballerina-podcast-6926194","podcast_index_feed_id":6926194,"rss_url":"https://feeds.zencastr.com/f/8eetcbDq.rss","website_url":"https://thebrainyballerina.com","image_url":"https://media.zencastr.com/image-files/65e9ecbdad8337c985a311c2/c74b191a-d40c-4b25-88b6-e1e09731b3b9.png","author":"thebrainyballerina@gmail.com","episode_count":114,"summary":"The Brainy Ballerina Podcast is a podcast for aspiring professional ballet dancers who want to learn what it really takes to build a smart and sustainable career in the dance industry. Former professional ballerina turned Dance Educator and Career Mentor Caitlin Sloan peels back the curtain of the professional dance world with open and honest conversations about the realities of becoming a professional dancer. Along with sharing her industry knowledge, Caitlin interviews top dancers, educators and experts in the dance industry who share their stories to inform, motivate and inspire you to pursue your dance career with confidence. Tune in each week for actionable tips and advice to empower you with the tools and knowledge you need to succeed in a professional dance career on your terms.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-29T18:18:01.511393+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-brainy-ballerina-podcast-6926194"},"episode":{"title":"83. Fueled by Caffeine and Chaos with Ballet Trauma Club Founder Sharon Kung","slug":"83-fueled-by-caffeine-and-chaos-with-ballet-trauma-club-founder-sharon-kung","published_at":"2025-12-29T10:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-brainy-ballerina-podcast-6926194/83-fueled-by-caffeine-and-chaos-with-ballet-trauma-club-founder-sharon-kung","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-brainy-ballerina-podcast-6926194","url":"https://zencastr.com/z/p1tkjvOS","audio_url":"https://redirect.zencastr.com/r/episode/694eb23fb4c11246ab6b6632/size/62406312/audio-files/65e9ecbdad8337c985a311c2/f0903092-fab5-4227-9348-e991a64f3948.mp3","summary":"Professional dancer, choreographer, educator, and creative entrepreneur Sharon Kung is redefining what it means to build a sustainable and empowered life in dance. In this episode, Sharon shares her unconventional path through ballet, contemporary dance, higher education, and entrepreneurship, including the experiences that led her to found Ballet Trauma Club. We dive into honest conversations about dancer pay, burnout, artistic freedom, and the realities of building a long-term career in dance, along with how dancers can begin reshaping the industry from the inside out. Key Points in this Episode: * Sharon's early relationship with dance and her training in Hong Kong through the Royal Academy of Dance * Transitioning to the U.S. dance world and discovering contemporary dance at Juilliard * Double majoring in dance performance and economics at UC Irvine and what dancers should consider before taking that path * Her first professional contract with Thodos Dance Chicago and navigating cultural shifts in the industry * Differences between dance work in the U.S., Europe, and Asia * The inspiration behind Ballet Trauma Club and the conversations Sharon hopes to spark around sustainability, trauma, and pay equity in ballet * Systems Sharon uses to avoid burnout while building a creative business Connect with Sharon: Follow Ballet Trauma Club on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ballettraumaclub/ Shop Ballet Trauma Club's Website: https://ballettraumaclub.com/ (Use code BBBTC15 for 15% off your purchase!) Follow Sharon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/its.sharonkung/ Sharon's Personal Website: https://sharonkung.com/ Links and Resources: Get 20% off your first order of ALOHA protein bars: https://aloha.com/BRAINYBALLERINA Complimentary Career Mentoring Consultation:…","meta_description":"Professional dancer, choreographer, educator, and creative entrepreneur Sharon Kung is redefining what it means to build a sustainable and empowered life…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2600,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-brainy-ballerina-podcast-6926194/episodes/83-fueled-by-caffeine-and-chaos-with-ballet-trauma-club-founder-sharon-kung/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-brainy-ballerina-podcast-6926194/83-fueled-by-caffeine-and-chaos-with-ballet-trauma-club-founder-sharon-kung.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}