Dance podcast that is on pointe

Claudia Lawson wears many hats: a doctor, a former legal and business negotiator for ABC TV, and a classical and contemporary-trained dancer. During the COVID lockdowns, Claudia was asked by Fjord Review to host Talking Pointes – a podcast that explores the real behind-the-scenes of a life in dance.

Each season of Talking Pointes is a collection of 10 interviews in which Claudia speaks with some of the industry’s biggest superstars, from the world’s top dancers, to artistic directors and choreographers.

“The podcast looks at life behind dance; we talk about the career highs and lows, but we also explore mental health, confidence, bullying, and the constant striving for perfection. Our guests discuss everything from sexuality and body image, to postnatal depression, inspiration and navigating retirement”.

When the series first launched last year, the response was overwhelming;  Talking Pointes was featured by Apple Podcast and Spotify, and had over 9,000 individual downloads.

When asked why the podcast has been so popular in the competitive podcast realm Lawson replied, “I think it’s because Talking Pointes is not only about dance; it’s about people’s lives. We discuss issues that many of us go through, regardless of our careers”.

Season 2 of Talking Pointes launched this week, and guests include the Artistic Director of Sydney Dance Company, Rafael Bonachela, the Australian Ballet’s Dana Stephensen and Amy Harris; Bangarra’s Deborah Brown, and Strictly Ballroom’s Paul Mercurio.

Stand-out interviews include Emma Wiggle; David Hallberg; Steven McCrae (who’s Instagram is worth a look), Paul Mercurio, and Rafael Bonachela – who courageously discusses coming-out in the ’80’s during the HIV epidemic.

Talking Pointes bravely holds a magnifying glass over the glitz and glamour of professional dancing to discuss confronting themes that are generally thought to be best left unspoken. By bringing these topics to the fore, Lawson, and the Talking Pointes team hope to inspire positive change in an industry notorious for effortless perfection.

You can catch the Talking Pointes Podcast by following these links:

Apple Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/talking-pointes/id1577375533?i=1000577700610

Spotify:

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/talking-pointes/id1577375533?i=1000577566712