Deeper Dive: A Dance Critic on the Less Glamorous Aspects of Ballet

Ballet may look effortless and beautiful to audiences, but the experience for dancers can be quite different.

In this final episode of the season, host Lilit Sadoyan speaks with New York Times dance critic Gia Kourlas about Edgar Degas’s pastel Waiting. In a wide-ranging conversation, the two discuss dancers’ experiences behind the scenes, how Kourlas approaches writing, and what makes a great experience at the theater.

If you missed this week’s patience meditation inspired by Degas’s pastel, look for it on your podcast player or find it on our website.

You can watch this episode on YouTube here: https://gty.art/4wZysOS

Find images, a transcript, and more resources on our website: https://www.getty.edu/podcasts/ommm/deeper-dive-dance-critic-less-glamorous-ballet/

See the painting in person at the Norton Simon: https://www.nortonsimon.org/

This is the last episode in season 1! Subscribe to be sure you catch updates from us while we're on break.

Production team:

Host: Lilit Sadoyan

Producers: Zoe Goldman and Gideon Brower

Video Editor: Jeremy Rhodes

Mixer and Sound Designer: Jaime Roque