The Grace & Form Podcast

Former New York City Ballet Principal, choreographer, and creative force, Lauren Lovette has always felt most at home in the studio where curiosity, fear, and becoming collide. In this intimate conversation, Lauren reflects on starting ballet later than most, navigating performance anxiety, injury, identity, and the pressure of rising fast, and why the rehearsal room has always mattered more than the spotlight. She speaks candidly about motherhood, creativity after the stage, ADHD, self-trust, and what it means to build a life and an artistic voice without a final version. This episode is about the quiet work, the unfinished process, and the courage it takes to keep becoming. --- Take class with one of our incredible Grace & Form teachers, here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Train with the best ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Try 7 Days Free and Download our App:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Launch the app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In part two of our injury series, we look at injury through connected angles: how company culture is shifting, the perspectives of those who care for dancers’ bodies, and the ways injuries can open the door to unexpected new chapters. You’ll hear from dancers and practitioners across the ballet world: Julie Kent on the emotional reality of injury at the highest level of the art form, and how her experiences now inform the way she nurtures dancers in her leadership roles. Harrison Coll (soloist, New York City Ballet) on how company culture around rest, recovery and ambition is finally changing. Zimmi Coker (American Ballet Theatre) on navigating a major injury with support, building a “toolbox” for her body, and redefining sustainability on and offstage. Maria Kowroski (Artistic Director, New Jersey Ballet) on how her own injuries deepened her artistry and now shape how she supports dancers from the other side of the studio. Cameron Gomez, Dr. David Williams & Caroline Krumm on the science of overuse, stress fractures, tendinopathy and periodisation, and why sleep and rest are non-negotiable training tools. Miko Fogarty on the injury that quietly planted the seed for her pivot from international ballet star to foot and ankle surgery resident and how she now helps dancers protect the careers she once dreamed of. Saskia and Indiana also share their own stories: the messy middle of long-term injury, comments that cut deep, and the unexpected gifts that appear when dance is no longer the only definition of who you are. This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt left behind by their body, stood on the edge of “Is this over?” or wondered what might exist on the other side of an interrupted dream. It’s about culture, care, and the surprising possibilities that open when you start listening to your body and to yourself. Take class with one of our incredible Grace & Form teachers, here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Train with the best ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Try 7 Days Free and Download our App:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Launch the app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this special episode of Grace & Form, we’re doing something a little different. This is Part One of our two-part deep dive into injury - a universal experience for dancers, yet one that’s rarely spoken about with honesty and care. In this episode, we hear voice notes and reflections from dancers around the world, each sharing what injury has meant in their lives and careers, from the first moment it happened to the long journey of recovery that followed. Featuring: Alexa Maxwell - New York City Ballet soloist Craig Hall - former NYCB soloist and current repertory director Sara Mearns - NYCB principal dancer whose career has redefined resilience and artistry Isabella LaFreniere - NYCB principal dancer Thomas Forster - American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Cameron Gomez - physiotherapist trusted by some of the world’s leading dancers, including those at New York City Ballet Indiana Woodward, Grace & Form co-founder and principal dancer with New York City Ballet, also shares her personal story — a look into what it truly means to recover, rebuild, and return to the art form you love. Stay tuned for Part Two, where co-founder Saskia Gregson-Williams will share her own experience, and we’ll explore the culture of injury through the eyes of directors, physiotherapists, and other leading voices shaping dance today. This episode is a reminder that even in stillness, artistry continues, and that sometimes, the body’s greatest lessons come in the pause. -- Take class with one of our incredible Grace & Form teachers, here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Train with the best ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Try 7 Days Free and Download our App:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Launch the app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Craig Salstein-NYCB repertory director, longtime ABT soloist, teacher, and Broadway collaborator-shares grounded, generous advice for dancers navigating the hard parts: injury, casting politics, and self-comparison. With trademark humor and clarity, Craig makes a case for “dancing smart”: build technique like scaffolding, obsess over landings and communicate clearly and kindly. He talks about keeping class light without losing discipline, how to turn professional envy into fuel, and why presence beats perfection. We also dig into his work with Justin Peck (from Carousel and West Side Story to Maestro), teaching everyone from company principals to total beginners, and the mindset that sustains a long career-onstage and off. If you need perspective, a plan for rehab, or just permission to breathe and keep going, this one’s a balm. You’ll learn: Practical steps for dancing through injury and returning smarter How to stay focused when you’re not first cast (and why it matters) Turning comparison into craft, not crisis Making the studio lighter while keeping standards high The “iterate” mindset for longevity in dance Take class with Craig, here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Train with the best ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Try 7 Days Free and Download our App:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Launch the app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this intimate episode, Indiana turns the mic on her co-host and best friend, Saskia Gregson-Williams. Saskia’s journey as a ballet dancer, entrepreneur, and wellness creative has been anything but linear. Together they unpack the journey: homesickness, bullying, burnout, early independence, , injury, and the quiet courage it takes to start again, again and again. They talk about the pressure of being “the best,” the cost of chasing external validation, and how Saskia found strength not in perfection, but in surrendering control. This is an honest and hopeful conversation about identity, reinvention, and the power of patience. Take class with Saskia or one of our incredible Grace & Form teachers, here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Train with the best ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Try 7 Days Free and Download our App:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Launch the app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Shop our Discount Dance edit here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DD EDIT⁠⁠