Talking Pointes

Today I have the immense privilege of speaking with Dr. Sue Mayes. She's the current director of the Australian Ballet's globally recognized artistic health team. Sue was born in Victoria, and like many physios who work with dancers, Sue learned classical ballet in her youth and studied full-time under the formidable Gailene stock. It was while she was completing her diploma of dance that Sue’s started to think about her future. Her love of dance combined with an interest in anatomy led her to physiotherapy, and as we say, the rest is history. In this most fascinating episode, Sue shares her journey in dance, and how she found her way to the Australian Ballet, where she began an esteemed career that has spanned 30 years developing the Australian Ballet's Injury Prevention Program. Sue's time as the head of the Australian Ballet's Wellness Team has now come to an end, and she begins her tenure as a senior lecturer at Latrobe University in Bundoora, Melbourne. If you'd like to find any of Sue's extensive research, all you need to do is Google her name and you can also find her injury prevention exercises on the Australian Ballet's YouTube channel. To continue to follow all of Sue's adventures, you'll find her on Instagram @suemayes8839. Today's episode was the final episode of Season four of Talking Pointes. But stay tuned. We'll be releasing lots of bonus episodes in the coming weeks. Talking Pointes is produced on the lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, to whom we pay our greatest respects.  This season of Talking Pointes is sponsored by Energetiks. Energetics, specialize in creating sustainable for the stars of tomorrow. Perform and feel your best at every stage of your dance journey in energetics, premium, high performance fabrics. Talking Pointes listeners receive a discount code of 20% to use on their extensive range online @ energetics.com au or for our US listeners, it's energetics.com, Ts and Cs apply.  Production dream team ✨ Hosted by @byclaudialawson [https://www.instagram.com/byclaudialawson/?hl=en] Produced by @fjordreview [https://www.instagram.com/fjordreview/] Additional Production @clinttopic [https://www.instagram.com/clinttopic/] Sound & Editing @outputmedia [https://www.instagram.com/outputmedia/] Studios @brightsidesydney [https://www.instagram.com/brightsidesydney/] @sawtoothstudios [https://www.instagram.com/sawtoothstudios/]

Today I have the immense privilege of speaking with Bangarra Dance Theatre’s James Boyd. James is a proud Aboriginal man with connections to the Kunja and Muruwari people of southwest Queensland. Born on Wiradjuri country in Orange, as a little boy, James wasn't quick to use his words, and had delayed speech. James's mum and dad then began to notice other things—James kept getting bruises. At just five years of age, James was diagnosed with Leukemia. In this most incredible episode, James shares his journey through cancer, the lows of hospital life, and also the highs when James was introduced to movement and music therapy as part of his recovery. And with that, he was introduced to dance. James then shares how he successfully auditioned for the Hunter School of the Performing Arts, and then how his world opened up at NAISDA Dance College. James then shares how, with his Leukemia is in remission, what it was like to receive a call from Frances Rings, the artistic director of Bangarra Dance Theatre. And then his decision to move to Sydney, which not only changed the course of his love life, but also defined his career. James continues to dance with Bangarra Dance Theatre, sharing the joy of dance across Australia and the world. For Bangarra performance times and tickets, head to bangarra.com.au and to follow all of James's adventures, you can find him on Instagram @jamesrossboyd. Talking Pointes is produced on the lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, to whom we pay our greatest respects.  This season of Talking Pointes is sponsored by Energetiks. Energetics, specialize in creating sustainable for the stars of tomorrow. Perform and feel your best at every stage of your dance journey in energetics, premium, high performance fabrics. Talking Pointes listeners receive a discount code of 20% to use on their extensive range online @ energetics.com au or for our US listeners, it's energetics.com, Ts and Cs apply.  Production dream team ✨ Hosted by @byclaudialawson [https://www.instagram.com/byclaudialawson/?hl=en] Produced by @fjordreview [https://www.instagram.com/fjordreview/] Additional Production @clinttopic [https://www.instagram.com/clinttopic/] Sound & Editing @outputmedia [https://www.instagram.com/outputmedia/] Studios @brightsidesydney [https://www.instagram.com/brightsidesydney/] @sawtoothstudios [https://www.instagram.com/sawtoothstudios/]

Today I have the immense privilege of speaking with Lucia Field. Lucia grew up with her family in Sydney, but with her dad, Anthony, as the original Blue Wiggle. It's not the childhood you might imagine. As the Wiggles became global superstars, Lucia didn't see her dad for nearly nine months a year. Instead, Lucia grew up alongside her mom, her brother, and her sister, dancing and dreaming of becoming a ballerina. And it was not just a dream. Lucia's star was already on the rise. And by 13, she was accepted into the Australian Ballet School. In this exceptionally beautiful and humbling conversation. Lucia talks candidly about her childhood, what it's like to know your dad through the television and the challenges that come with moving away from home so young. Lucia then bravely speaks about body image issues that still exist in ballet schools today, including her own experience of being told to lose weight. And with that, her decision to ultimately walk away from ballet altogether. We talk about the grief that comes from leaving something you love, the unexpected phone call in which she was asked to join The Wiggles, how she deals with social media and managing her mental health, and the joy that comes from getting to know your dad as a young adult. Lucia continues to work and tour with the Wiggles now wearing the Blue skivvy alongside her dad, but also the likes of Evie Ferris and Zaha Hawkins. For tour dates and tickets, head to the wiggles.com [http://wiggles.com], and to continue to follow all of Lucia's incredible adventures you can find her on Insta @luciawiggle. Talking Pointes is produced on the lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, to whom we pay our greatest respects.  This season of Talking Pointes is sponsored by Energetiks. Energetics, specialize in creating sustainable for the stars of tomorrow. Perform and feel your best at every stage of your dance journey in energetics, premium, high performance fabrics. Talking Pointes listeners receive a discount code of 20% to use on their extensive range online @ energetics.com au or for our US listeners, it's energetics.com, Ts and Cs apply.  Production dream team ✨ Hosted by @byclaudialawson [https://www.instagram.com/byclaudialawson/?hl=en] Produced by @fjordreview [https://www.instagram.com/fjordreview/] Additional Production @clinttopic [https://www.instagram.com/clinttopic/] Sound & Editing @outputmedia [https://www.instagram.com/outputmedia/] Studios @brightsidesydney [https://www.instagram.com/brightsidesydney/] @sawtoothstudios [https://www.instagram.com/sawtoothstudios/]

Today I have the immense privilege of speaking with Riley Lapham. Riley started dancing early in her home town of Wollongong, and by age 14, she had joined the Australian Ballet School. But from here, Riley's journey takes twists and turns. In her graduation year, Riley missed her final performance due to injury. But in a Center Stage-like moment, the then artistic director David McAllister offered her a contract with the company. In this brave and vulnerable conversation, Riley and I talk about what it's like to join a company while injured, and what it was like to deal with the worldwide shutdown that occurred in 2020 as a junior member of the company. Riley also speaks about a topic she's not yet discussed publicly—her journey with long Covid—what it was like to contract Covid just as she was nominated for Telstra Ballet Dancer of the Year, and then the unexpected journey of not getting better. We talk about the grief and the devastation that followed the acceptance of a slow recovery, her decision to move to France, and the journey back to the stage with the Australian Ballet. Riley continues to train and work with the Australian Ballet's rehabilitation team, while gaining her strength to make a return to the stage. To continue to follow all of Riley's wonderful adventures, you can find her on Instagram at @rileylapham. Talking Pointes is produced on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, to whom we pay our greatest respects.  Talking Pointes is produced on the lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, to whom we pay our greatest respects.  This season of Talking Pointes is sponsored by Energetiks. Energetics, specialize in creating sustainable for the stars of tomorrow. Perform and feel your best at every stage of your dance journey in energetics, premium, high performance fabrics. Talking Pointes listeners receive a discount code of 20% to use on their extensive range online @ energetics.com au or for our US listeners, it's energetics.com, Ts and Cs apply.  Production dream team ✨ Hosted by @byclaudialawson [https://www.instagram.com/byclaudialawson/?hl=en] Produced by @fjordreview [https://www.instagram.com/fjordreview/] Additional Production @clinttopic [https://www.instagram.com/clinttopic/] Sound & Editing @outputmedia [https://www.instagram.com/outputmedia/] Studios @brightsidesydney [https://www.instagram.com/brightsidesydney/] @sawtoothstudios [https://www.instagram.com/sawtoothstudios/]

Today we have the pleasure of speaking with former Australian Ballet dancer Brooke Cassen. On Season Three of Talking Pointes, I spoke with Brooke [https://fjordreview.com/blogs/all/brooke-cassen-different-dreams] on what became one of our most listened-to episodes of all time. Today, Brooke returns to the podcast to speak about the success of her episode, and we chat about how she opened up about promotions, and—often a taboo topic in dance—what it means if you don't get promoted and how you deal with that, which is the reality for most dancers in the industry. Because we are focusing on health this season, Brooke and I then discuss the injuries she suffered during her career, how she recovered both physically and mentally to return to the stage. We then discussed the Australian ballet's response to the media storm earlier this year when a Sydney Morning Herald review described dancers of the Australian Ballet as looking “unusually thin.” Brooke continues to direct and teach at her studio in Rose Bay in Sydney for class times. And to sign up, head to studio sixninesix.com au or you can find them on Instagram @studio696x [https://www.studio696.com.au/]. And you can follow all of Brooke's wonderful adventures on her Instagram @brookecassen [https://www.instagram.com/brookecassen/?hl=en]. Brooke and I recorded our conversation on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation to whom we pay our greatest respects. Your host and producer is me, Claudia Lawson, with additional production by Penelope Ford and Clint Topic. Sound production and editing is by Martin Peralta at Output Media. And for the latest in all things dance, head to fjordreview.com [https://fjordreview.com/]. Talking Pointes is produced on the lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, to whom we pay our greatest respects.  This season of Talking Pointes is sponsored by Energetiks. Energetics, specialize in creating sustainable for the stars of tomorrow. Perform and feel your best at every stage of your dance journey in energetics, premium, high performance fabrics. Talking Pointes listeners receive a discount code of 20% to use on their extensive range online @ energetics.com au or for our US listeners, it's energetics.com, Ts and Cs apply.  Production dream team ✨ Hosted by @byclaudialawson [https://www.instagram.com/byclaudialawson/?hl=en] Produced by @fjordreview [https://www.instagram.com/fjordreview/] Additional Production @clinttopic [https://www.instagram.com/clinttopic/] Sound & Editing @outputmedia [https://www.instagram.com/outputmedia/] Studios @brightsidesydney [https://www.instagram.com/brightsidesydney/] @sawtoothstudios [https://www.instagram.com/sawtoothstudios/]