{"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":"88. Autumn Eckman on Equally Loving Performance, Choreography, and Education","slug":"88-autumn-eckman-on-equally-loving-performance-choreography-and-education","published_at":"2026-02-02T10:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-brainy-ballerina-podcast-6926194/88-autumn-eckman-on-equally-loving-performance-choreography-and-education","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-brainy-ballerina-podcast-6926194","url":"https://zencastr.com/z/MKBYlJhx","audio_url":"https://redirect.zencastr.com/r/episode/697c25f54896b7ca2b7987f3/size/44565165/audio-files/65e9ecbdad8337c985a311c2/508a139b-9afb-4bb0-81e7-ac5c969fa2e0.mp3","summary":"In this episode of The Brainy Ballerina Podcast, I'm joined by choreographer, educator, and former professional dancer Autumn Eckman for a thoughtful conversation about building a long, sustainable career in dance. From leaving home at a young age to embracing leadership, choreography, and academia, Autumn shares how curiosity and collaboration have shaped her path, and why a dance career doesn't have to follow just one track to be successful. Key Points in this Episode: * Why Autumn shifted from Houston Ballet Academy toward contemporary and jazz-focused work * How Autumn transitioned into choreography, teaching, and artistic leadership while still performing * The impact collaborating with composers has had on her choreographic career * How preparation and openness coexist in the studio * What led Autumn to pursue her MFA later in her career, and how academia offers a new lens on dance, research, and creativity * Listening to inner cues and values when deciding to change direction Connect with Autumn: WEBSITE: https://www.autumneckman.com/ INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/autumn__eckman [http://instagram.com/autumn__eckman] Links and Resources: 1-1 Career Mentoring: book your complimentary career call [https://www.thebrainyballerina.com/career-mentoring] Let's connect! My WEBSITE: thebrainyballerina.com [http://thebrainyballerina.com/] INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/thebrainyballerina [http://instagram.com/thebrainyballerina] Questions/comments? Email me at caitlin@thebrainyballerina.com","meta_description":"In this episode of The Brainy Ballerina Podcast, I'm joined by choreographer, educator, and former professional dancer Autumn Eckman for a thoughtful conv…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1856,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-brainy-ballerina-podcast-6926194/episodes/88-autumn-eckman-on-equally-loving-performance-choreography-and-education/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-6926194/88-autumn-eckman-on-equally-loving-performance-choreography-and-education.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}