Virginia Lensi, American Ballet Theatre Corps de Ballet — On Second Chances | Pushing Over the Box

Virginia Lensi quit ballet at eight years old. Her teacher had gotten strict, the pressure felt like too much, and she wanted to just be a kid — so she tried gymnastics, ice skating, horseback riding, and tennis, pretty much everything except ballet. Then one summer, something pulled her back. It was too late to audition for La Scala that year, so she trained privately, then spent a year at another school in Milan before finally joining La Scala the following year.In this episode of Pushing Over the Box, Jasmine Jain sits down with Virginia Lensi — a member of the corps de ballet at American Ballet Theatre, originally from Milan, and co-founder of the ballet lifestyle brand Studio 8. They talk about walking away from ballet as a kid and finding her way back, moving to New York alone as a teenager to train at ABT's JKO School, the compressed few months between becoming an apprentice and joining the main company, and the brand she started with a friend to make ballet feel a little more fun.TIMESTAMPS: [01:07] Quitting Ballet at 8 and Finding Her Way Back [08:10] From Apprentice to Company Member in Three Months [21:26] Founding Studio 8 During a Canceled TourABOUT THE GUEST: Virginia Lensi is a member of the corps de ballet at American Ballet Theatre. Born and trained in Milan at La Scala Ballet School, she moved to New York to train at ABT's Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School on a full scholarship before joining ABT's Studio Company and later the main company. She is also the co-founder of Studio 8, a ballet lifestyle clothing brand.ABOUT PUSHING OVER THE BOX: Pushing Over the Box is a ballet podcast about the dancer's mindset, hosted by young dancer Jasmine Jain. Through interviews with leading ballet professionals, the podcast explores discipline, artistry, injury, resilience, and what it takes to pursue excellence.CONNECT: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pushingoverthebox/ Website: https://pushingoverthebox.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1zHqK394AYtUjYxbB9FNZ1 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pushing-over-the-box/id1847970742#ballet #balletpodcast #balletmindset #dancepodcast #virginialensi #americanballettheatre #abt #lascala #balletinterview #corpsdeballetTopics discussed: Virginia Lensi interview, American Ballet Theatre, La Scala Ballet School, ballet career paths, quitting and returning to ballet, ballet entrepreneurship, advice for young dancersGuest: Virginia Lensi — Corps de Ballet, American Ballet TheatreTagline: Pushing Over the Box is a ballet podcast about the dancer's mindset. Listen at pushingoverthebox.com