Miami City Ballet Dancer : Rebecca King Ferraro

Rebecca King Ferraro is a former dancer with Miami City Ballet. After retiring from the stage in 2017, she started her own digital marketing agency working with businesses, nonprofits, and arts organizations to expand their digital footprint. Learn more about her work and services here.

I’m Rebecca King Ferraro and I’m a corps member with Miami City Ballet. I’m originally from Northern California and was trained at the Contra Costa Ballet Centre under the direction of former San Francisco Ballet School Director and ABT dancer Richard Cammack and former ABT and SFB dancer Zola Dishong.

I also trained at the San Francisco Ballet School under the direction of Gloria Govrin and The Rock School in Philadelphia.  After graduating high school, I moved to Miami to join the Miami City Ballet and have been with the company for a decade now!

This past summer, my friend and fellow dancer, Michael Sean Breeden, and I launched a podcast, Conversations on Dance.  We are proud to say that Conversations on Dance is currently the fastest growing podcast in the dance world.  I’m also a purveyor of a dance blog, Tendus Under A Palm Tree.
Since creating our podcast we have met many wonderful people along the way, one of which is Jess with The Whole Dancer.  She has been a great supporter of our vision and when I heard she was looking to bring people on board at The Whole Dancer, I was excited for the opportunity.

I’m sadly dealing with an injury at the moment, which has made me more aware of my career’s mortality, so I decided this would be a wonderful time to pursue my second passion: business and social media.

What I love about The Whole Dancer is the positivity!

As dancers, I don’t think any of us can use the term positive as it relates to our body image.  I am excited by the opportunity to work with Jess to help change the way a future generation of dancers view themselves and help them make positive decisions when it comes to food and weight.

I consider myself a “Whole Dancer” because like many dancers before me, and surely many after me, I have been told to lose weight.  I know what that has done to my mental state and my eating habits, and I like to think I’m constantly working to better myself in that area.

I don’t think you need to be perfect to be a “Whole Dancer,” I think you just have to be committed to be in constant pursuit.

Butler Ballet Dancer : Julia Guiheen

Hi, I’m Julia! I’m 20 years old and a dance major at Butler University. My life as a dance major is a mixture between a typical college student and a pre-professional dancer. I spend my days in the studio and my nights in the library.

One minute I’m cheering on the Bulldogs in March Madness and the next I’m rehearsing for our run of Giselle later this semester. A year from now, I plan on auditioning for ballet companies around the country and starting my professional career.

I live in Indianapolis most of the year while at school, but I’m originally from New Jersey. I started dancing at a small ballet school in my hometown at age 12. Because of my late start, I wasn’t able to pursue pre-professional training and at the end of high school I knew I needed more experience before broaching the professional world.

I also wanted to go to college for the chance to pursue academics. I love to write and I have a second major in communications. Studying dance in college has led me to a lot of great opportunities (like interning for The Whole Dancer!) both onstage and off.

I will also be interning at Pointe magazine this summer!

Besides ballet, I love musical theater and I love to sing. I like to swim and do hot yoga as cross-training because I find them both physically challenging but very relaxing. I also have a nerdy obsession with dance history; I had to read Apollo’s Angels for a class, but I secretly loved it. Some of my favorite ballets are Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes and The Dream by Frederick Ashton.

I am proud to be a part of The Whole Dancer because I love when dancers are working together with dancers. It makes our super-interconnected community stronger. I am excited about learning how to run an online business, connecting with all of you, and helping you achieve your dance goals in ways that are healthy and fulfilling.

To me, being a “whole dancer” means being a person first and a dancer second. I think our individual personalities and passions are what make us artists and the best dancers. I try to cultivate the outside things that give meaning to my life, like art and relationships, and bring them into the studio.

This helps me find a sense of balance, which in turn motivates me to have healthier habits. Being confident in my dancing has been one of my biggest challenges, and it’s something I’m definitely still working on. Lacking in confidence is tough because it affects me both mentally and physically, but having a sense of my identity outside of just dance really helps me to dance with heart and determination everyday.

Do you have a question for The Whole Dancer interns? Ask in the comments below!!

Photos of Rebecca by : Julian Duque and Patricia Reagan

The post Meet the Interns : Rebecca King Ferraro and Julia Guiheen appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

You start to really see yourself dancing the roles you’ve dreamed of next to the dancers who’ve inspired you. It’s actually coming true!

Hearing from clients about their most recent successes is truly one of my favorite things. When Jessica C. recently texted to tell me she had gotten her first official ballet company contract, I was beyond thrilled!

Jessica’s story is one you might relate to so I asked her if I could share. Here it is :

“I was in a pretty dark place emotionally when I found the The Dancer’s Best Body Program.  I was dancing with a company that had no regard for my well – being and didn’t seem to care when my peers or I tried to voice our concerns and fears about the position they were putting us in.

I was left doubting everything about myself- my talent, my professionalism, my overall self worth.  

This career is already so hard that having any ounce of uncertainty can completely derail, if not destroy, any chance of “making it”.  I have always loved to dance and always looked forward to being in the studio everyday, so when those feelings turned to dread every morning I knew I had to do something…

Joining The Dancer’s Best Body Program was that ‘something’.

A lot of the concepts in the program seem so simple until you really sit down and go through all of the worksheets.  Having to literally write down your thoughts opened me up to a lot of things that I didn’t consciously know I was feeling.

Jess is so amazing and I cannot say it enough – at first I was nervous to open myself up to a complete stranger but Jess creates such a safe place with absolutely no judgment.

Being in a situation where I wasn’t being used in the studio made me feel useless.  I felt like I was wasting a year of my life.

The program gave me a purpose, I felt accomplished.      

When I talk to friends considering The Dancer’s Best Body Program, I tell them that Jess is literally the best!

I think that this is a program for everyone.  I think even people who are happy and satisfied with where they are physically and emotionally can benefit from what The Dancer’s Best Body Program has to offer.

The program allows you to explore so many things:

You learn to listen to your body.

You get to play around with different food ideas to see what works best for you.

And you definitely do some serious ‘soul searching’.

But the thing that is most important is that throughout the whole process you never feel alone.  Jess is always there ready to tackle anything so that you get the most out of the course.

Because of my participation in The Dancer’s Best Body Program, I went into audition season feeling confident.  I got so much positive feedback that the company I was currently dancing with no longer mattered.

I was able to go into the studio knowing I wasn’t crazy, that I have what it takes.  It sounds silly but I was no longer the victim, I felt empowered.

As for my actual career, I was offered my first paying ballet company contract! There are still a few other potential jobs I am waiting to hear from but it is a huge relief to know I have an option!

After the program, I continue to look at food as a source of fuel as opposed to a “treat”.  I think that having that mind – set helps take the pressure off when trying to make food choices.

I am also still working with Jess! Being able to touch base for 30 minutes once or twice a month keeps me motivated and inspired. ”

Are you in need of similar support? Check out The Dancer’s Best Body Program!!

Photos of Jessica by Rachel Neville Photography

The post From The Dancer’s Best Body Program to Paid Company Contract appeared first on The Whole Dancer.