Share about your story in dance:

My name is Julia Cinquemani. I am in my third season as a professional ballerina with Miami City Ballet. Being a part of this world class company has allowed me to live out my dream to perform an extensive repertoire on some of the largest stages in America. Formerly, I was a Principal Dancer with Los Angeles Ballet. Altogether, this will be my tenth year as a professional ballerina and my eighth year as a business owner of my dancewear line, Jule Dancewear.

I started ballet when I was four years old. I grew up in Dallas, Texas and trained at Dallas Ballet Center and concurrently at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. I spent my summers training at The School of American Ballet summer intensive for 5 consecutive summers in New York City. I left home at age 16 to train two years with the Professional Division at Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, Washington before landing my first contract with Los Angeles Ballet.

I danced with Los Angeles Ballet for seven years and rose through the ranks achieving Principal Dancer at age 23. Throughout my career I have danced many dream roles such as “Odette/Odile” in Swan Lake, and “Aurora” in The Sleeping Beauty, “Giselle”, “Kitri” in Don Quixote, and “Juliet” in Sir Frederick Ashton’s Romeo and Juliet at Los Angeles Ballet. Most recently, I performed “Hippolyta” in A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Miami City Ballet.

What inspired you to start Jule Dancewear?

Even though ballet is first and foremost in my life, I have always had entrepreneurial interests and a love for fashion. I started designing, sewing and selling wrap skirts at my hometown dancewear store in Dallas at age 14.

After I made enough money with that small business, I decided to invest in more ideas I had for creating better fitting dancewear. I started Jule Dancewear in 2011 with a goal as a young professional dancer and female entrepreneur to “reshape dancewear”.

My mission is to design and produce dancewear that offers support, conforms to all body types, is high quality, and incorporates the latest in fashion with a commitment to made in the USA.

Your line is all about promoting confidence and dancewear that flatters the dancers figure, love that! Why are those ideals your focus? Have you had any struggles with confidence or body image?

When I created Jule Dancewear I was in my teenage years and my body was going through a lot of changes. I found the need to create a leotard that offered coverage and support for dancers with curves. I hated that my ill-fitting leotards were making me self conscious in a profession where confidence is key.

I wondered, are there any leotards on the market that cater to this need, and that are understood and designed by a dancer? That is when I asked a pattern maker  to incorporate the support of a sports bra into a leotard.

As a result, we are known for reshaping the dancewear mold to support all body types. I now design all types of dancewear I see a need for. Every detail of each design is carefully tailored to function and flatter all body types.

I test and choose the highest quality fabrics and incorporate the latest in fashion. All products made in the USA where quality is high and our standards are met. I believe in the importance of doing my part to sustain my local community of garment manufacturers in my hometown of Dallas, TX. 

What do you hope dancer’s will feel when wearing a Jule leotard?

I hope dancers feel confident and beautiful when wearing Jule! It’s about being able to showcase and express who they are as a dancer without worrying about what they are wearing. Dancewear should work as hard as we do! It brings me so much joy to see my designs come to life on my peers at Miami City Ballet.

In this industry self love and confidence is very important. If I can help someone feel good about themselves with something as simple as what they are wearing, then I feel like I have done my job. Every dancer should have the confidence they deserve!

How do you balance Jule and your dance career?

It is not easy running a business and dancing full time with a major ballet company. It takes lots of structure and planning ahead. At Miami City Ballet we have a 2 month period off in the summer. During that time I return to home to Dallas, TX to work with my pattern maker and knock out all of my designs for the year. I am so grateful to have such an awesome team in Dallas that keep up with the daily work that is required.

Thank you Julia, for creating such an incredible line of dancewear with a truly beautiful mission! Would you like to WIN a Jule leotard for yourself? Here’s how:

1. Follow @juledancewear
2. Follow @thewholedancer
3. “Like” the giveaway post
4. Comment and tag 2 friends on the post
5. Comment as many times as you want 2 new friends each time (no celebs, brands, or giveaway accounts allowed)

WIN : the new Jule Dancewear Velvet Royalette leotard in your choice of Dust or Peach

The post Jule Dancewear Feature + Giveaway!! appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

Leanna Rinaldi

Where do you dance?

I started my career at Miami City Ballet and danced there for six years and I am excited to start dancing with Ballet Austin for the 19/20 season!

Share a bit about your journey in dance…

I began dance classes at the age of 2 and a half. I started getting serious about dance when I was about 13 while training at Chamberlain Performing Arts in Plano, TX. As a teenager, I attended summer courses at The School of American Ballet and Miami City Ballet School.

My path was pretty much chosen for me because I didn’t get into the college I wanted but I received a scholarship to train at the Miami City Ballet School year round. And I’m so glad I went. In the school I began dancing with the company and after two years of that I was hired as a company apprentice. The next year I was hired into the corps de ballet and got to perform many wonderful ballets in many amazing places!

What’s a challenge you’ve faced in pursuing dance professionally? How did you overcome it?

The dance world has never been easy for me. I don’t have a typical “ballerina body” which I hate saying because there shouldn’t be one body that defines a ballet dancer. But I don’t have super hyperextended legs or whacked out feet and I was always self conscious about my thighs.

To offset this, I use my strengths like jumping, turning and performance in my face and port de bras. I have been body shamed in my career and emotionally abused but I overcame it by staying true to my values and telling myself that I am worth more.

One person’s opinion does not define you as a dancer. And through this challenging time in my life I was questioning my love for dance. I had to remind myself that I became a professional dancer for a reason and I reached outside of my messed up mentality to find my love for dance again.

My love for dance never left, I just had to switch my perspective and have an attitude of gratitude for what I get to do everyday!

What does it mean to you to be a “whole” dancer?

Being a whole dancer for me is having a balanced life. You can’t be ALL ballet ALL the time or you will burn out. By that I mean you have to get out of the studio and find things in life that fulfill you and bring you joy, while also working hard in the studio. Go outside. Go on adventures. Visit family. Go on a walk. Anything that you enjoy that is not dance related, do it.

Do you have any special self-care rituals that help you feel balanced?

I always try to have a nourishing breakfast every morning. I also try to journal and write down things I’m grateful for. By starting my day on a good note I find more often than not that I have a better day. I also meditate to calm my mind, reflect, and re-center. After a really hard day I light some candles and take an epsom salt bath.

What role does cross-training play in your life?

I do a lot of different kinds of cross training. I love to do yoga when I want to have a good sweat and stretch out my body. I also love to do different physical therapy exercises in the morning before class to get my blood flowing and prepare for the day.

I usually incorporate some Gyrotonics into my exercises. Whenever I have a long break I spend some time on the elliptical to keep my stamina up. On Mondays, which is usually our day off, I take an intense pilates class with an instructor that used to dance with MCB!

How do you keep a positive relationship with food and your body in the face of aesthetic pressure in dance?

It’s really hard. I’m not going to sugar coat it. Having a positive relationship with food and your body is hard especially when you have to stare at your body in the mirror everyday and pick at what is wrong.

I try to keep it positive by telling myself that I am wonderfully made, a beautiful creation, and my worth is not dependent on how I look. Food is fuel and nourishment but also meant to be enjoyed. It is possible to have a balanced life as a dancer.

Do you have a favorite healthy recipe?

Lentil Coconut Curry with Sweet Potatoes and Kale

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. coconut oil
1 can Coconut milk
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup lentils (any kind but I use red lentils)
1 sweet potato diced
1 bunch kale chopped
1 yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 can chick peas (optional)
2 tbl fresh cilantro chopped
2 tbl curry
1 tsp tumeric
Dash of cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Heat on medium-high 1 tbsp. of coconut oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the sweet potato and garlic and coat with the curry, turmeric, and cinnamon. Sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in lentils for 1 minute. Pour the coconut milk and vegetable broth in the saucepan, bring to a boil and stir. Add chickpeas if desired and the kale, salt and pepper and let simmer on low until the sweet potatoes are soft and the lentils are cooked. This will be about 12-15 minutes. Add cilantro at the end and enjoy as a soup or over quinoa or rice. Enjoy!

The post Leanna Rinaldi – Healthy Dancer Feature appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

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.