Today we have the pleasure of speaking with former Australian Ballet dancer Brooke Cassen. On Season Three of Talking Pointes, I spoke with Brooke on what became one of our most listened-to episodes of all time. Today, Brooke returns to the podcast to speak about the success of her episode, and we chat about how she opened up about promotions, and—often a taboo topic in dance—what it means if you don't get promoted and how you deal with that, which is the reality for most dancers in the industry. Because we are focusing on health this season, Brooke and I then discuss the injuries she suffered during her career, how she recovered both physically and mentally to return to the stage. We then discussed the Australian ballet's response to the media storm earlier this year when a Sydney Morning Herald review described dancers of the Australian Ballet as looking “unusually thin.”

Brooke continues to direct and teach at her studio in Rose Bay in Sydney for class times. And to sign up, head to studio sixninesix.com au or you can find them on Instagram @studio696x. And you can follow all of Brooke's wonderful adventures on her Instagram @brookecassen.

Brooke and I recorded our conversation on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation to whom we pay our greatest respects. Your host and producer is me, Claudia Lawson, with additional production by Penelope Ford and Clint. Topic. Sound production and editing is by Martin Peralta at Output Media. And for the latest in all things dance, head to fjordreview.com.