Dana Stephensen's guest appearances

Dana Stephensen

Meet Me At The Barre

Talking Pointes

The Art of Being a Mum

Alex Williams

Amy Harris

Rebecca Smith

Kevin Jackson

David McAllister

John Anderson

Alice Topp

Nicolette Fraillon

Ako Kondo

Chengwu Guo

David Hallberg

Graeme Murphy

Benedicte Bemet

Jake Mangakahia

Nathan Brook

OwlTail

A rejection letter from the Australian Ballet School changed the trajectory of Dana Stephensen's life. This episode revisits Dana's incredible story as she announces her retirement from the Australian Ballet. Hosted by Claudia LawsonDana grew up in Brisbane learning tap, jazz and singing, and never dreamed of being a ballerina. But ballet had a way of finding her. And strangely enough, it was a rejection letter from the Australian Ballet School and the disappointment that followed that awakened her passion and changed the trajectory of her life. In this beautifully courageous and candid interview, Dana speaks about her career with the Australian Ballet, managing her thyroid condition and the affect that had on her body image, and being promoted to senior artist after becoming a mum. But more than that, Dana opens up about the birth of her twin girls, navigating the loneliness of motherhood in a pandemic, the pressures of parenting with a public figure, and wondrously re-emerging and returning to the stage.Dana continues to perform as a senior artist with the Australian Ballet, all the while juggling life with her son Jasper, her fiancé Lachlan Gillespie, and their twin girls Lulu and Lottie. To continue to follow all of Dana’s adventures, you can find her on Instagram @dana_stephensenFor support for peri and postpartum depression in Australia, you can find support through the Gidget foundation or PANDA’s support line, their details are in the show notes, or for further aboard, please contact your local services.Dana and I recorded remotely, with Dana dialling in from Sydney on the land of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, to which we pay our greatest respects.Production dream team ✨Hosted by @byclaudialawsonProduced by @fjordreviewAdditional Production @clinttopicSound &amp; Editing @outputmediaStudios @brightsidesydney, @sawtoothstudios

A rejection letter from the Australian Ballet School changed the trajectory of Dana Stephensen's life. This episode revisits Dana's incredible story as she announces her retirement from the Australian Ballet. Hosted by <a href="www.instagram.com/byclaudialawson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Claudia Lawson</a>Dana grew up in Brisbane learning tap, jazz and singing, and never dreamed of being a ballerina. But ballet had a way of finding her. And strangely enough, it was a rejection letter from the Australian Ballet School and the disappointment that followed that awakened her passion and changed the trajectory of her life. In this beautifully courageous and candid interview, Dana speaks about her career with the Australian Ballet, managing her thyroid condition and the affect that had on her body image, and being promoted to senior artist after becoming a mum. But more than that, Dana opens up about the birth of her twin girls, navigating the loneliness of motherhood in a pandemic, the pressures of parenting with a public figure, and wondrously re-emerging and returning to the stage.Dana continues to perform as a senior artist with the <a href="https://australianballet.com.au/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Australian Ballet</a>, all the while juggling life with her son Jasper, her fiancé Lachlan Gillespie, and their twin girls Lulu and Lottie. To continue to follow all of Dana’s adventures, you can find her on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dana_stephensen/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@dana_stephensen</a>For support for peri and postpartum depression in Australia, you can find support through the Gidget foundation or PANDA’s support line, their details are in the show notes, or for further aboard, please contact your local services.Dana and I recorded remotely, with Dana dialling in from Sydney on the land of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, to which we pay our greatest respects.Production dream team ✨Hosted by <a href="www.instagram.com/byclaudialawson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@byclaudialawson</a>Produced by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fjordreview/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@fjordreview</a>Additional Production <a href="https://www.instagram.com/clinttopic/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@clinttopic</a>Sound &amp; Editing <a href="https://www.instagram.com/outputmedia/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@outputmedia</a>Studios <a href="https://www.instagram.com/brightsidesydney/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@brightsidesydney, </a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/sawtoothstudios/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@sawtoothstudios</a>

Dana Stephensen's Final Bow

Today I am speaking with the divine Dana Stephensen. Dana grew up in Brisbane learning tap, jazz and singing, and never dreamed of being a ballerina. But ballet had a way of finding her. And strangely enough, it was a rejection letter from the Australian Ballet School and the disappointment that followed that awakened her passion and changed the trajectory of her life. In this beautifully courageous and candid interview, Dana speaks about her career with the Australian Ballet, managing her thyroid condition and the affect that had on her body image, and being promoted to senior artist after becoming a mum. But more than that, Dana opens up about the birth of her twin girls, navigating the loneliness of motherhood in a pandemic, the pressures of parenting with a public figure, and wondrously re-emerging and returning to the stage.Dana continues to perform as a senior artist with the Australian Ballet, all the while juggling life with her son Jasper, her fiancé Lachlan Gillespie, and their twin girls Lulu and Lottie. To continue to follow all of Dana’s adventures, you can find her on Instagram @dana_stephensenFor support for peri and postpartum depression in Australia, you can find support through the Gidget foundation or PANDA’s support line, their details are in the show notes, or for further aboard, please contact your local services.Dana and I recorded remotely, with Dana dialling in from Sydney on the land of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, to which we pay our greatest respects. Production dream team ✨Hosted by @byclaudialawsonProduced by @fjordreviewAdditional Production @clinttopicSound &amp; Editing @outputmediaStudios @brightsidesydney@sawtoothstudios

Today I am speaking with the divine Dana Stephensen. Dana grew up in Brisbane learning tap, jazz and singing, and never dreamed of being a ballerina. But ballet had a way of finding her. And strangely enough, it was a rejection letter from the Australian Ballet School and the disappointment that followed that awakened her passion and changed the trajectory of her life. In this beautifully courageous and candid interview, Dana speaks about her career with the Australian Ballet, managing her thyroid condition and the affect that had on her body image, and being promoted to senior artist after becoming a mum. But more than that, Dana opens up about the birth of her twin girls, navigating the loneliness of motherhood in a pandemic, the pressures of parenting with a public figure, and wondrously re-emerging and returning to the stage.Dana continues to perform as a senior artist with the <a href="https://australianballet.com.au/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Australian Ballet</a>, all the while juggling life with her son Jasper, her fiancé Lachlan Gillespie, and their twin girls Lulu and Lottie. To continue to follow all of Dana’s adventures, you can find her on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dana_stephensen/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@dana_stephensen</a>For support for peri and postpartum depression in Australia, you can find support through the Gidget foundation or PANDA’s support line, their details are in the show notes, or for further aboard, please contact your local services.Dana and I recorded remotely, with Dana dialling in from Sydney on the land of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, to which we pay our greatest respects. Production dream team ✨Hosted by @byclaudialawsonProduced by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fjordreview/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@fjordreview</a>Additional Production <a href="https://www.instagram.com/clinttopic/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@clinttopic</a>Sound &amp; Editing <a href="https://www.instagram.com/outputmedia/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@outputmedia</a>Studios <a href="https://www.instagram.com/brightsidesydney/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@brightsidesydney</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/sawtoothstudios/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@sawtoothstudios</a>

Dana Stephensen's Triple Bill

My guest today is Dana Stephensen, Senior Artist with the Australian Ballet Company and a mother of 3 children, including twin girls, At the age of three Dana began her dance training with Davidia Lind in jazz, tap, ballet and singing in her hometown of Brisbane. She later trained with Mary Heath and Sandra Ashley before studying with the Queensland Dance School of Excellence in 2001, obtaining her Royal Academy of Dance Solo Seal. Dana joined The Australian Ballet School in 2002. In her graduating year she was seconded to The Australian Ballet to perform in various seasons before joining the company full-time in 2005. She has since enjoyed international tours to Los Angeles, New York, UK, Auckland, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Paris. At the end of 2008, Dana was awarded the Khitercs Hirai Scholarship, which enabled her to gain invaluable experience training with numerous ballet companies in Europe. Dana was promoted to coryphée (a leading dancer in a corps) in 2010 and went on to win the Telstra Ballet Dancer Award later that year. She was promoted to soloist in 2014 and to senior artist in 2018. In 2020 Dana took what she thought was to be her final dance with the company, at that stage 11 weeks pregnant with her twin girls with fiancé Lachy Gillespie AKA the Purple Wiggle. Today Dana shares her story of her experience with post natal depression and anxiety, and how she used her ballet as therapy to aid in her recovery. I also indulge my own curiosity of the ballet world so we talk a lot about ballet! **This episode contains discussion around post natal depression and anxiety** Read more about Dana and follow her on instagram Dana would love you to visit : www.cope.com.au www.panda.com.au www.gigetfoundation.org.au .. Upcoming Australian ballet Shows Read and listen to the part of Swan Lake I was trying to describe Read the Sydney Morning Herald article Read about Wayne McGregor and Dyad 1929 Connect with the podcast Music used in this episode is in the public domain and therefore not subject to copyright, and is taken from the ballets Swan Lake, Peter and the Wolf, The Nutcracker and Giselle. Photo by Jeff Busby of Dana performing in the ballet The Sleeping Beauty

My guest today is Dana Stephensen, Senior Artist with the Australian Ballet Company and a mother of 3 children, including twin girls, At the age of three Dana began her dance training with <a href="https://dldc.com.au/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Davidia Lind</a> in jazz, tap, ballet and singing in her hometown of Brisbane. She later trained with Mary Heath and Sandra Ashley before studying with the Queensland Dance School of Excellence in 2001, obtaining her Royal Academy of Dance Solo Seal. Dana joined The Australian Ballet School in 2002. In her graduating year she was seconded to The Australian Ballet to perform in various seasons before joining the company full-time in 2005. She has since enjoyed international tours to Los Angeles, New York, UK, Auckland, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Paris. At the end of 2008, Dana was awarded the Khitercs Hirai Scholarship, which enabled her to gain invaluable experience training with numerous ballet companies in Europe. Dana was promoted to coryphée (a leading dancer in a corps) in 2010 and went on to win the Telstra Ballet Dancer Award later that year. She was promoted to soloist in 2014 and to senior artist in 2018. In 2020 Dana took what she thought was to be her final dance with the company, at that stage 11 weeks pregnant with her twin girls with fiancé <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lachlan_Gillespie" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lachy Gillespie AKA the Purple Wiggle</a>. Today Dana shares her story of her experience with post natal depression and anxiety, and how she used her ballet as therapy to aid in her recovery. I also indulge my own curiosity of the ballet world so we talk a lot about ballet! **This episode contains discussion around post natal depression and anxiety** Read more about <a href="https://australianballet.com.au/artist/dana-stephensen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dana </a>and follow her on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dana_stephensen/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">instagram</a> Dana would love you to visit : <a href="https://www.cope.org.au/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.cope.com.au</a> <a href="https://panda.org.au/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.panda.com.au</a> <a href="https://www.gidgetfoundation.org.au/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.gigetfoundation.org.au</a> .. <a href="https://australianballet.com.au/the-ballets" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Upcoming Australian ballet Shows</a> <a href="https://thelistenersclub.com/2020/11/13/tchaikovskys-swan-lake-finale-the-spell-is-broken/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Read and listen to the part of Swan Lake I was trying to describe</a> <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/dance/the-ballet-dancer-the-purple-wiggle-and-the-family-juggling-act-20211209-p59g4c.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Read the Sydney Morning Herald article</a> Read about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_McGregor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wayne McGregor</a> and<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-eoeeaqUko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Dyad 1929</a> Connect with the <a href="https://www.alisonnewman.net/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcast</a> Music used in this episode is in the public domain and therefore not subject to copyright, and is taken from the ballets Swan Lake, Peter and the Wolf, The Nutcracker and Giselle. Photo by Jeff Busby of Dana performing in the ballet The Sleeping Beauty

Senior Artist Dana Stephensen never considered herself a ‘ballet girl’. As a highly spirited and boisterous child, she didn’t think she was quite elegant enough, but couldn’t help falling in love with the stage. In this episode, Dana shares her vulnerability as she tells us about becoming a mother, living with an autoimmune disease and juggling a demanding career, all while keeping her passion for performing alive.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senior Artist Dana Stephensen never considered herself a ‘ballet girl’. As a highly spirited and boisterous child, she didn’t think she was quite elegant enough, but couldn’t help falling in love with the stage. In this episode, Dana shares her vulnerability as she tells us about becoming a mother, living with an autoimmune disease and juggling a demanding career, all while keeping her passion for performing alive.   See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.