Ballet Science

The Reality of Professional Ballet | Kathryn Morgan

Ballet Science

Show Notes

Kathryn Morgan is one of the most recognizable names in ballet education, but behind her successful career lies a story of resilience, advocacy, and overcoming a life-changing health diagnosis.

In this episode of the Ballet Science Podcast, Kathryn shares her journey from New York City Ballet to becoming one of the world's leading online ballet educators. We discuss how thyroid disease affected her professional career, body image, and identity as a dancer, along with the lessons she has learned about self-advocacy, sustainable training, perfectionism, and finding purpose beyond ballet.

As someone who also experienced thyroid cancer during my own ballet career, this conversation became especially meaningful as we reflected on how thyroid-related conditions can affect dancers in ways that are often overlooked.

Whether you're a dancer, teacher, parent, or healthcare professional, this episode offers valuable insights into dancer health, resilience, and building a long-term relationship with ballet.

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Hosted by Caroline Simpkins, Ph.D., the Ballet Science podcast brings science into the studio to help dancers of all ages and abilities give their best performances both onstage and off, and reveals how the science of ballet can benefit anyone who moves.

Each week, we explore the intersection of science and ballet... from injury prevention and biomechanics to nutrition, mindset, and everything in between. If you enjoyed this episode, please hit the subscribe button, leave a review, and share it with your friends and dance community. You can also follow Ballet Science on social media and visit our website for additional information.

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Logo photo: Richard Calmes

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