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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 EP3: The Nutcracker Paradox: Nutcracker Through Her Eyes: Empowerment, Tradition, and Holiday Magic with Amy Seiwert
Jared Redick sits down with choreographer and artistic director Amy Seiwert of Smuin Contemporary Ballet to explore her approach to The Nutcracker and holiday storytelling in ballet. With a career spanning 19 years as a dancer and over a decade as a choreographer and artistic director, Amy reflects on her world-premiere Nutcracker at Sacramento Ballet, the only full-length Nutcracker created by a woman that season, and the importance of telling the story through a female perspective.
They discuss how she balances tradition with cultural competency, gives young protagonists agency and resilience, and creates meaningful moments that empower dancers and audiences alike. Amy also shares insights on the challenges and joys of Act I versus Act II, the impact of Nutcracker on ballet as both a cultural and financial cornerstone, and her work on Smuin’s Christmas Ballet, a holiday tradition blending classical, contemporary, and pop music.
Through behind-the-scenes stories and reflections on her artistic philosophy, Amy reveals how holiday classics like Nutcracker can remain beloved traditions while evolving to reflect modern audiences and values.