Madison Ballet's Ja'Malik Is Done with the Old Way

About this episode

Ja'Malik discusses his journey in ballet and the changes he aims to bring to the industry.

Listen to Ballet Help Desk ad-free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BalletHelpDesk Madison Ballet's Ja'Malik didn't arrive to tinker around the edges. He came to change things, and four years in, it's working. He shares a journey that started with Michael Jackson's Thriller in his front yard and led him through the Joffrey Ballet School, the Ailey school, and North Carolina Dance Theater before landing him in the director's chair in Wisconsin. He talks about what it was like to grow up in ballet without seeing anyone who looked like him on stage, what finally changed that, and why he's determined to make sure the next generation doesn't have the same experience. We also dig into the harder stuff: the culture of fear in the studio, what it means to actually lead with mental health in mind rather than just put it on a poster, the very real challenge of getting boys through the door, and why ballet companies cannot survive on the same loyal audience forever. Oh, and he's also running the school, the marketing, and the development. The man does not sleep. Links: Read Our Ballet School Summer & Year-Round Reviews Buy Corrections Journals Support Ballet Help Desk Instagram: @…

People in this episode

Hosts: Jenny Huang, Brett Gardner

Guest: Ja'Malik

Topics covered

• ballet
• diversity in dance
• mental health
• leadership
• youth engagement
• cultural change

Keywords

• ballet
• diversity
• mental health
• leadership
• youth
• Madison Ballet
• Ja'Malik

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Madison Ballet, Joffrey Ballet School, Ailey school, North Carolina Dance Theater, Uppbeat

More episodes of Ballet Help Desk

• The Mental Toll of "Be Grateful You're Here" · May 6, 2026 · 1h 29m
• Ballet's Bottom Line: Finances, Contracts, and the Fight for Dancer Rights · April 29, 2026 · 1h 43m
• Train in Germany, Dance in Europe: The Palucca Path to a Professional Ballet Career · April 22, 2026 · 1h 45m
• What Happens When You Choose Harvard Over the Company Contract · April 15, 2026 · 1h 16m
• Zurich Dance Academy's Jason Beechey on Pre-Pro Training and the Future of Ballet · April 8, 2026 · 1h 32m
• College vs. Postgrad: What One Nevada Ballet Dancer's Path Can Teach Us · April 1, 2026 · 51 min