Ballet Help Desk

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Ballet Help Desk Providing support and guidance to parents of serious ballet dancers.

10/15/2026

Yep, nailed it. Full Mythbusters episodes out now. Find part 1 and 2 wherever you get the Ballet Help Desk podcast or see links in bio.

There’s one body type for ballet. We asked Peter LeBreton Merz, artistic director of Eglevsky Ballet and former director...
10/14/2026

There’s one body type for ballet. We asked Peter LeBreton Merz, artistic director of Eglevsky Ballet and former director of Ballet West Academy, and Racheal Nye, director of Oklahoma City Ballet’s Yvonne Chouteau School and Studio Company, whether that’s true. In Part 2 of Ballet Myths, Busted, they also take your questions about competitions, training in Europe, whether big donations buy better treatment and whether Vaganova is the only method that works.

Find the full interview wherever you get the Ballet Help Desk Podcast or listen on our website.

10/14/2026

A big donation gets your dancer a better role. Myth or truth? Racheal Nye, director of Oklahoma City Ballet’s Yvonne Chouteau School and Studio Company, says it’s rarely that literal. But she does remember the one time a parent tried to sway her Nutcracker casting with ever increasingly nice offers of stuff. Tune is to hear more in part 2 of Myths Busted. Find the full interview wherever you get the Ballet Help Desk Podcast or see link in bio.

It's time! We're launching our competition reviews pages later this week and we are so excited to share it with everyone...
10/13/2026

It's time! We're launching our competition reviews pages later this week and we are so excited to share it with everyone. Before it does, we want to thank the families who already filled them out.

Each review provides a comprehensive view of things like stage size, master class quality, how the awards ceremony was run, warm-up space, event culture, and more. There is also space to talk about the best aspects (and the worst) of the event along with an opportunity to give the event an overall rating. You can see the overall ratings we have so far in the attached graphic.

Some competitions even went as far as to help us collect reviews from their own dancer families. For that, we thank them!

Haven’t added yours yet? There is still time before everything goes live! Link is on our website and in graphic.

10/13/2026

Is competing even worth it? We asked judges, directors, and coaches. It’s all on BalletHelpDesk.com.

Been to a competition this season? Was it worth it? Did you love it or not so much? We’re now taking anonymous reviews.

Link in bio.

10/12/2026

If your dancer’s teacher has started saying things like “you should think about a summer program away,” Sunday’s seminar is for you.

In 90 minutes, we’ll cover how to research programs, how to plan an audition schedule that doesn’t make you freak out when acceptances come in, and how to handle all the unexpected mishaps that go along with audition season. At the end, two professional dancers join to answer questions and look over your dancer’s audition photos.

We’re keeping it to 15 people so there’s time for everyone’s questions, and we’d love for one of those seats to be yours.

Sunday, Oct. 18, 3 to 4:30 p.m. PST, live online. Details and registration at the link in bio.

10/12/2026

Can you tell at 12 whether a dancer will make it? Racheal Nye, director of Oklahoma City Ballet’s Yvonne Chouteau School and Studio Company, says it’s easier to spot the obstacles than to pick the dancers who will succeed. Peter LeBreton Merz knows firsthand how unreliable those early calls can be. Long before he led Ballet West Academy and became artistic director of Eglevsky Ballet, he was told at 11 and 12 that ballet probably wasn’t for him.

From Part 1 of Ballet Myths, Busted. Find the full episode wherever you get the Ballet Help Desk Podcast or see link in comments.

Ballet competitions are often shrouded in mystery for those who haven’t done them. We want to make them less of a myster...
10/09/2026

Ballet competitions are often shrouded in mystery for those who haven’t done them. We want to make them less of a mystery! We know we have a lot of ballet teachers that follow us and we would love those teachers to help us gather more ballet competition reviews. Please consider sending our reviews link out to your students. Link in bio. Thank you so much to everyone who has already submitted. We are SO close to being ready to publish them!

10/08/2026

When our kids first wanted to go away for the summer, we were clueless. Ten years later, we’ve learned a few things! If you’re wondering just how the heck this whole summer thing works, join us!

We’re holding a seminar for families who have dancers heading away for the very first time. We’re keeping the group small so everyone gets their questions answered, and two professional dancers join at the end to answer questions and help you pick audition photos.

Sunday, Oct. 18, 3 to 4:30 p.m. PST, live online. Details and registration at the link in bio.

The first time your dancer goes away for a summer intensive, the questions start long before they pack. Which programs m...
10/07/2026

The first time your dancer goes away for a summer intensive, the questions start long before they pack. Which programs make sense at this age? When do you schedule auditions? What happens when the results come in?

We're hosting a small online seminar to walk through all of it. For the last part, two professional dancers (our kids, Sam and Abbey) will join to answer your questions and help you pick the strongest photos to submit.

Sunday, Oct. 18, 3 to 4:30 p.m. PST
Live online, $35, limited to 15 participants

You'll find a link to details and registration on the front page of Ballet Help Desk.

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