Episode 27: Kathryn Morgan

Kathryn Morgan is in the studio this month! She is a trailblazing ballerina - or bunhead - as she described herself in this interview - who has redefined what a ballet career can look like beyond traditional company life. 

She began her professional career in 2006 with the New York City Ballet, rising to the rank of soloist before making the difficult decision to leave the company to focus on personal health challenges. She made a return to the stage with Miami City Ballet in 2019. In 2020, in the midst of pandemic shutdowns that challenged every industry — including the performing arts — she went to work to transform the ballet landscape by founding her brand, Kathryn Morgan & Friends. This is a community dedicated to celebrating dancers for who they are, beyond only their technical skills. Her platform offers online classes, workshops, and retreats, emphasizing the joy of dance and creating a supportive environment for adult ballet dancers in particular.

Through her online classes, YouTube channel, social media platform, and workshops, Kathryn continues to inspire and empower dancers at all levels, challenging traditional norms for ballet and advocating for a more inclusive culture within the art form. Her willingness to speak out against toxic ballet culture and instead create a welcoming environment in her classes has not only enriched ballet but has sparked meaningful conversations about what being a successful, healthy and well rounded dancer truly looks like.

This conversation discusses body image and health struggles particularly related to diet culture and weight, which can be a sensitive topic for some listeners. Those topics are throughout this conversation, so please be kind to yourself and fast forward if you hear something that’s difficult for you. There are two places where that discussion is particularly detailed — around minutes 4:00-11:00 and again during minutes 21:00-27:00. Check out what Kathryn had to say!

• Follow Kathryn on Instagram: @kathryn_morgan
• Visit Kathryn’s website: www.kathrynmorganonline.com
• Learn more about Kathryn Morgan & Friends: www.kmandfriends.com
• Subscribe to Kathryn’s YouTube channel: @kathryn_morgan
• Sign up for Kathryn’s upcoming adult ballet retreats: https://www.kmandfriends.com/retreats 

Music in this episode:

Waltz of the Flowers - Tchaikovsky

Barroom Ballet - Silent Film Light - Kevin MacLeod

Barroom Ballet - Silent Film Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100310

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

@eblosfield  | [e-mail]