{"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":"96. Penny Saunders on the Moment She Finally Called Herself a Choreographer","slug":"96-penny-saunders-on-the-moment-she-finally-called-herself-a-choreographer","published_at":"2026-03-30T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-brainy-ballerina-podcast-6926194/96-penny-saunders-on-the-moment-she-finally-called-herself-a-choreographer","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-brainy-ballerina-podcast-6926194","url":"https://zencastr.com/z/1Sn-m35c","audio_url":"https://redirect.zencastr.com/r/episode/69bd51f0819e3731c6d244b6/size/55506434/audio-files/65e9ecbdad8337c985a311c2/1484cbe5-8f2f-43f1-b79d-7598c3b2df97.mp3","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. *…","meta_description":"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 wa…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2312,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"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","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-brainy-ballerina-podcast-6926194/96-penny-saunders-on-the-moment-she-finally-called-herself-a-choreographer.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}