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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 EP9: The Nutcracker Paradox- Building a City, Building a Dream with Christopher Wheeldon
In this episode of Company Secrets, Jared Redick is joined by choreographer and director Christopher Wheeldon for a deep dive into The Nutcracker as narrative, tradition, and opportunity for reinvention.
Wheeldon reflects on why The Nutcracker has become the definitive holiday ballet, from its concise storytelling and iconic Tchaikovsky score to its role as both a family introduction to ballet and a vital economic engine for companies. Drawing on his background in creating richly layered narrative worlds, he discusses why clarity of story and emotional access are essential to sustaining audience connection today.
The conversation centers on Wheeldon’s Chicago-set Nutcracker for Joffrey Ballet, reimagined on the eve of the World’s Fair. He explains how anchoring the ballet in the city’s history allowed for a more inclusive and socially conscious narrative, transforming Marie into a child of immigrant workers and reframing the second act through the international villages of the fair. From architectural inspiration and immersive lighting to puppetry, live theatrical illusion, and a redefined pas de deux, Wheeldon shares how design and storytelling worked hand in hand.
Wheeldon also speaks to the importance of narrative ballet as an entry point for audiences who may feel intimidated by the art form, arguing that accessible storytelling opens the door to deeper engagement with dance. The episode closes with a look ahead at his newly launched Toy Theater Productions and his vision for creating space for collaborative, story-driven work across theater, dance, and music.