116. Inside Vanessa Mlyniec's First Season with New York City Ballet

What does it take to go from a competition dance studio to the stage of New York City Ballet? In this episode of The Brainy Ballerina Podcast, I'm joined by Vanessa Mlyniec, who recently completed her first season in the corps de ballet at New York City Ballet. Vanessa shares the path that led her from Rhode Island to the School of American Ballet, what drew her to Balanchine technique, and the whirlwind moment she unexpectedly learned she would be joining NYCB for The Nutcracker. We also dive into the realities of life inside one of the world's most prestigious ballet companies - from learning choreography at lightning speed and staying healthy through demanding performance schedules to finding artistry, overcoming perfectionism, and embracing the joy of performing. Key "Pointes" in this Episode: * Vanessa's journey from competition dance to classical ballet * Falling in love with Balanchine technique and the School of American Ballet * Moving to New York as a teenager to train full-time * The surprise moment she was offered an apprenticeship with New York City Ballet * Adjusting from student life to the fast pace of a professional company * What a typical day looks like during the NYCB season * Favorite memories from her first professional season * Life outside the studio, including baking, knitting, and exploring New York City Connect with Vanessa INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/vanessamlyniec [https://www.instagram.com/vanessamlyniec] Links & Resources: REGISTER FOR SEE AND BE SEEN: https://eisenhowerdance.org/beseen SHOP MSeam Apparel: https://mseamapparel.com/ (use code BRAINY25 at checkout for 25% off all items) Let's connect! My WEBSITE: thebrainyballerina.com [http://thebrainyballerina.com/] INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/thebrainyballerina [http://instagram.com/thebrainyballerina] Questions/comments? Email me at caitlin@thebrainyballerina.com