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Company Secrets: Ballet Unfiltered
Pull back the curtain on the professional dance world.
Hosted by Jared Redick, Company Secrets features candid conversations with Artistic Directors and industry leaders who share the real stories behind auditions, casting, company life, and artistic vision.
From navigating contracts to embracing career pivots, this podcast offers insider knowledge for young dancers striving to thrive in the ballet world—and for anyone who loves the art form and wants to understand what really happens behind the scenes.
Whether you're a student, educator, emerging artist, or lifelong fan, Company Secrets is your backstage pass to the dance world’s most essential conversations.
🎧 Season One: New episodes every Tuesday beginning August 5th!
Company Secrets: Ballet Unfiltered
S2 EP1: Nutcracker Secrets: The Art and Pressure of The Nutcracker with Val Caniparoli
In the Season 2 premiere of Company Secrets: The Nutcracker Paradox, Jared Redick sits down with the fantastic choreographer Val Caniparoli, whose five different Nutcracker productions, created for companies across the U.S. and abroad, give him an unmatched perspective on ballet’s biggest holiday tradition.
With over 50 years at San Francisco Ballet and more than 200 ballets to his name, Val shares how he approaches reinventing a story that must remain both financially essential and artistically alive. He talks about the pressures of creating a production that returns year after year, the importance of community and tradition, and why Act I is the most challenging part of the ballet. Jared and Val also dive into the Christensen brothers’ historic legacy, the balance between innovation and audience expectations, and how subtle updates can keep Nutcracker relevant for today’s families.
Along the way, Val offers insight, humor, and a rare behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to make a holiday classic feel fresh, without breaking what already works.