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After Class: The Adult Ballet Podcast

After Class: The Adult Ballet Podcast

By: The Busy Bunhead
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If you've ever cried in the car after ballet class, questioned whether you started too late, or wondered why your pirouettes still aren't cooperating, this is your podcast. After Class is for adult ballet dancers — the ones balancing real life, careers, and ballet dreams. Each week, host and fellow dancer Hannah covers technique, artistry, mindset, and the honest conversations that don't always happen in the studio. Whether you're brand new to the barre or a seasoned bunhead, you belong here.


© 2026 After Class: The Adult Ballet Podcast
Art Entertainment & Performing Arts
Episodes
  • Ep 120 - Ballet on a Budget: Practical Ways to Save Money as an Adult Dancer
    Jul 8 2026

    Saving money on ballet doesn't have to mean cutting corners on your training, and that's exactly what this episode is about. Where I live, the cost of everything has gone up, and ballet is no exception. Classes are more expensive, dancewear is more expensive, and don't even get me started on pointe shoes.

    I'm sharing all my favorite ways to save money as an adult dancer, how to use YouTube strategically, how to get more studio classes for less money, maximize private private lessons, ways to save on dancewear, how to make your shoes and tights last longer, and how building a simple budget can make your ballet needs (and wants) less overwhelming and more attainable.

    If the cost of training has been stressing you out, this episode is for you!

    💸 Buy & sell secondhand dancewear at Tutulist.com

    💌 Sign up for my monthly all-things-adult-ballet newsletter at thebusybunhead.com

    Follow Hannah on Instagram @thebusybunhead

    Explore blog posts, merchandise & resources for adult ballet dancers like you at thebusybunhead.com

    Podcast produced by Mission Bridge Media.
    www.MissionBridgeMedia.com

    Show More Show Less
    14 mins
  • Ep. 119 - Acting in Ballet: How to Overcome Self-Consciousness & Embody a Character, with Chelsea Weidmann
    Jul 1 2026

    You can have clean technique, beautiful lines, and perfect musicality and still leave an audience completely cold. The missing ingredient? Acting. And for most of us, it's the element of artistry we've spent the least amount of time developing.

    In this episode, I'm back with Chelsea Weidmann, The Geeky Ballerina, for the next installment in our ongoing series on the essential elements of artistry in ballet. Chelsea breaks down what acting in the context of ballet actually entails, why it's historically been neglected, and how to start developing this element of artistry, whether you're performing or just trying to bring more expressiveness to your class work!

    In this episode we cover:
    - How Chelsea defines acting in the context of ballet
    - The historical reason acting often gets left out of classical ballet training
    - The other layers of acting beyond the face: posture, gesture, weight placement, and more
    - Practical strategies for moving past self-consciousness
    - Tips for stepping into a character role
    - How to bring acting into your class work
    - What to do in the moment on stage to stay grounded and commit to the performance

    If you've ever felt like your dancing lacked depth or expressiveness (on stage or in the studio), this episode will give you tools to start exploring acting as an essential element of artistry. ✨

    CONNECT WITH CHELSEA 👇🏼
    Website & newsletter: www.geekyballerina.com
    Chelsea's Book | Artistry Inside Ballet Technique: https://amzn.to/3SUFjto (Amazon Affiliate link)

    EPISODE SPONSOR ✨
    O'Mara Sprung Floors
    A family-owned business building sprung floors for dancers for over 30 years. Featuring a Marley non-slip surface over a professionally engineered sprung floor with 70% shock absorption, they're designed to protect your body so you can dance safely from the comfort of home!
    Shop at sprungfloors.com | Use code AFTERCLASS10 for 10% off your ballet practice floor!

    Follow Hannah on Instagram @thebusybunhead

    Explore blog posts, merchandise & resources for adult ballet dancers like you at thebusybunhead.com

    Podcast produced by Mission Bridge Media.
    www.MissionBridgeMedia.com

    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
  • Ep. 118 - Making Time for Ballet When Your Life Is Already Full, with Rebecca Holden
    Jun 17 2026

    If you've ever felt like ballet is the first thing to get dropped when life gets busy, this episode is for you.

    I'm joined by Rebecca Holden, a fellow adult dancer who is also a wife, a mom to a son with autism, and a full-time manager and someone who has figured out how to make ballet a consistent, guilt-free part of her life. We get into the real, stuff: how she protects her training days when everything else is competing for that time, how she deals with burnout, and how she navigates taking breaks.

    Rebecca is also someone who dances at the same studio as her son who participates in an inclusive movement program there, and that part of the conversation is so special. 🥹

    In this episode:
    - The difference between balance and juggling and why it matters
    - How to plan your week so that class actually happens
    - Why lowering the barrier to show up is the key to consistency
    - How to protect your training time without guilt when you're a parent or caregiver
    - Communicating with your family so that your training feels supported
    - Why over-training can be just as much of a problem as under-training, and how to find your sustainable middle
    - The unexpected gift of dancing alongside your child

    If your life is full and ballet keeps getting pushed to the bottom of the list, Rebecca's perspective might be exactly what you need to hear. ☺️

    CONNECT WITH REBECCA 👇🏼
    Instagram: @rebeccavholden
    TikTok: @rebeccavholden

    Follow Hannah on Instagram @thebusybunhead

    Explore blog posts, merchandise & resources for adult ballet dancers like you at thebusybunhead.com

    Podcast produced by Mission Bridge Media.
    www.MissionBridgeMedia.com

    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
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