Nicki Kennedy Voicecast: Conversations around voice, stories, sound and identity

The Inner World of Ballet: Three Dancers Talk About Art, Expression, Courage and Laughter

Send us a message [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2538616/fan_mail/new] Ballet can look like weightless beauty, but the lived reality is a daily blend of artistry, athletic demand, nerves, and identity. We sit down with three working ballet dancers to get under the surface of what audiences don’t see: the inner world behind the roles, the discipline behind the ease, and the emotional truth that movement can carry when words fall short.  We start with who they are as artists and how that changes over time, especially when you move from freelancing to a longer contract in a company. Their stories range from growing up in a dance family to finding ballet through a childhood love of classical art, to a life shaped by migration and the search for belonging. Along the way, we explore why theatre can feel like escapism and why it can also feel like the most honest place you’ve ever been.  From there we go into the hard stuff: injury, pain thresholds, and the blurred line between “normal sore” and “I need to stop”. We talk stigma, access to physiotherapy and rehab, and how coming back from injury often requires emotional rehabilitation as much as physical healing. We also dig into performance anxiety and stage presence, sharing practical strategies drawn from breathwork, values-based focus, reframing thoughts, and sports psychology style mental training that helps performers stay present under pressure.  If are interested in the performance mindset, or simply in learning how creative people manage fear and feedback, you’ll take something useful from this conversation. Subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find VoiceCast. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2538616/support] Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nkvoiceworks/ [https://www.instagram.com/nkvoiceworks/] LinkedIn  https://je.linkedin.com/in/nkvoiceworks [https://je.linkedin.com/in/nkvoiceworks]

Jazz, Storytelling and Voice, with Adria Godfrey

Send us a message [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2538616/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2538616/support] Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nkvoiceworks/ [https://www.instagram.com/nkvoiceworks/] LinkedIn  https://je.linkedin.com/in/nkvoiceworks [https://je.linkedin.com/in/nkvoiceworks]

Voice, and the Problems of Self Protection: with Jenevora Williams PART 2

Send us a message [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2538616/fan_mail/new] We continue the conversation we started in Part 1, and go on to talk about how fear, safety, and habit can shut down a healthy-looking voice and how to restore freedom with calm breath, gentle exposure, and compassion. Functional voice loss, hypersensitivity, and clear boundaries between coaching and therapy shape a humane approach to vocal change. • the guarded larynx and fear avoidance loop  • resilience as faster return to baseline  • hypersensitivity, globus and the close-cough cycle  • desensitising with calm breath and small wins  • functional neurological voice loss and conflict over speaking out  • a case of lost high range resolved through joyful sound  • ethics, scope of practice and supervision  • teamwork across clinic, coaching and therapy  • kindness over public shaming to unlock authentic sound Drop us a line, be in touch, and until we meet again, I hope that your voice finds the space it needs to be really heard Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2538616/support] Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nkvoiceworks/ [https://www.instagram.com/nkvoiceworks/] LinkedIn  https://je.linkedin.com/in/nkvoiceworks [https://je.linkedin.com/in/nkvoiceworks]

Voice, and the Problems of Self Protection: with Jenevora Williams PART 1

Send us a message [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2538616/fan_mail/new] We explore, in Part 1 of this fascinating conversation, the hidden voice difficulties when scopes are clear but a voice isn't working, and how guarding, fear, and judgement can lock a healthy system. Dr Jenevora Williams shares the 'guarded larynx concept', playful strategies to reset tension, and why deep listening often reveals the real story. • Muscle Tension Dysphonia as a limited descriptor • whole-person view of voice beyond folds and breath • ruling out neurological causes and red flags • guarding as a protective pattern applied to voice • triggers from criticism, stress and life events • compensations hardening into habits over time • playful sound-making to reduce judgement • variability for motor learning and expressive range • fear-avoidance model and building safety • boundaries and scope for non-clinical coaches • teasers for part two on hypersensitivity and psychogenic loss So drop us a line, be in touch, and until we meet again, I hope that your voice finds the space it needs to be really heard Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2538616/support] Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nkvoiceworks/ [https://www.instagram.com/nkvoiceworks/] LinkedIn  https://je.linkedin.com/in/nkvoiceworks [https://je.linkedin.com/in/nkvoiceworks]

Why Your Nervous System Isn’t A Master Switch And How Small, Values-Led Habits Stick

Send us a message [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2538616/fan_mail/new] We explore a potentially kinder path to wellbeing as we enter 2026, and a veering away from 'wellbeing overload', in what is ultimately just a gentle and very personal ramble through the thorny business of making a resolution and actually sticking to it.  There are no answers here, more just a pondering.  The episode is as errant and wandery as the vagus nerve itself, to be perfectly frank!  On the subject of that vagus nerve, we do have some fun questioning the current vagus nerve hype and polyvagal absolutism, while looking at building habits that honour values over perfection.  You'll find personal stories of cancer treatment, menopause challenges, and coaching ground a practical approach to stepping into discomfort to make change, finding discipline if you are a pleasure-seeker and veer towards the 'instant reward' button, and finally, the value that trumps them all: human connections and friendships. • reframing wellbeing from optimisation to sufficiency • what polyvagal theory explains and where it overreaches • why the vagus nerve is a lens not a master switch • nervous system as an ecosystem shaped by context • midlife health, hormone therapy and strength needs • breath work, meditation and nature as steady supports • friendship and social connection as top protective factors • the dopamine problem of immediate reward vs values • designing non‑negotiable anchors and micro‑breaks • choosing two practices and letting the rest be optional So drop us a line, be in touch, and until we meet again, I hope that your voice finds the space it needs to be really heard Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2538616/support] Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nkvoiceworks/ [https://www.instagram.com/nkvoiceworks/] LinkedIn  https://je.linkedin.com/in/nkvoiceworks [https://je.linkedin.com/in/nkvoiceworks]