At The Whole Dancer, building community is one of our big goals. Our ambassadors are an integral part of helping us build a vibrant and supportive community in the dance world. This post shares a bit about those inspiring humans and what it means to them to be a “Whole Dancer.”
For more from our ambassadors, follow The Whole Dancer and each of them on instagram.
Alessia Braggiato, Aspiring Pro Dancer
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I’m Alessia, I’m 21 and I currently live near Chicago pursuing my dance career at Ballet 5:8’s Second Company. Originally from Houston TX, I trained with Intempo Dance Ensemble and later moved to San Antonio and Joined Decruz Ballet PTD program before moving out of state. I mainly did a lot of ballet, contemporary, and jazz training, but contemporary has my heart.
Being part of The Whole Dancer community truly opens up your mind to a better mindset, and a better mindset leads to faster improvement, not just dance wise, but in terms of mental well-being as well. I believe the hardest part of one’s dance career is stepping their foot into that professional door, and finding a balance between who you are as a person, and who you are as a dancer.
My absolute favorite self-care activity would be making hot, herbal tea while playing relaxing music, and lifting my feet up on a wall, wearing a face mask.
Courtney Nitting, Boston Ballet
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About Courtney
Courtney started dancing at the age of 3 years old. She trained at the New Jersey School of Ballet for nine years before attending the School of American Ballet (SAB) for six years until she graduated. Throughout her training period she went to summer intensives including Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Boston Ballet.
After graduation at SAB, Nitting went on to freelance for a year in New York City. She danced with Eglevsky Ballet, Neglia Ballet and Tom Gold Dance. She then was hired as a part of Pennsylvania Ballet II in 2017. The following year Courtney received her first full company contract under Kansas City Ballet where she danced for five seasons.
She had many opportunities dancing coveted principal, soloist, and corp de ballet roles. For the 2023-2024 season, Nitting most recently made a career change and is now an artist with the Boston Ballet. Courtney hopes to continue her journey as a professional ballerina with the mindset of living a balanced life both on and off the stage.
Being a Whole Dancer to me means not only knowing the tools you need in order to help achieve goals you’d like to accomplish within the art form of dance and in life, but having the strength, confidence, vulnerability and security within oneself to put those helpful tools to use on a daily basis.
Life is a journey and how you enjoy the ride is up to you; I find this thought to be much more important than getting to the final destination. Feeling whole within oneself applies to many aspects deeper than what we see in the mirror at the studio everyday. It’s how we feel inside and how we make others feel around us. Being “whole” to me is something you constantly are developing, growing and learning more about each and every day. It is the perfect meaning to live life to its fullest but with the guidance and outline of what you personally found most helpful for you and your own personal journey.
My favorite self-care activity would have to be journaling. This is a habit I have now implemented into my weekly routine. As dancers, our minds are loaded with so many thoughts, feelings, ideas, and emotions. It is the nature of being an artist and even more so a human. However, sometimes all of this can be overwhelming. Once a week, to take the time and sit down in a cute coffee shop with a chai tea, journal about my week or whatever I might have going on in my mind is something that not only brings me peace but also allows for my brain to relax and stay clear. Sometimes I write less than other times, while certain weeks I may pull out my book and write more than once a week; it just depends. This habit though that I have now as a constant in my life makes me feel secure and strong within myself and helps to check in on me, and that is something we all need to be aware of. Journaling does all this plus much more. Hope you’ll give it a try.
Sarah Yoak, IU Ballet Theater
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I grew up in a small town in West Virginia dancing recreationally. At 16, I was offered a traineeship with Ballet Met and spent two years there, followed by a year in the Professional Level Program with Indianapolis Ballet before COVID sent us home. I then moved to Miami, FL and trained with Magaly Suarez at The Art of Classical Ballet and also spent time at Miami City Ballet School. Following that, I quit ballet for what I thought was an indefinite period of time to pursue academics, but I only ended up “quitting” for a little over a year. I moved back home and ended up taking ballet class for my heart which turned into a season with my home studio, and now I am a ballet major and full-time college student at Indiana University Ballet Theatre pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Ballet with an Outside Field in English and a Minor in Psychology.
In my commitment to being a Whole Dancer, I take the title as a promise to never let ballet take up 100% of my brain space. I know that sounds contradictory, but I had a teacher who I loved tell me that “ballet is life, but life is not ballet.” This is so true— Possessing the ability to enjoy and seriously pursue a professional ballet career without letting it wreck your self-worth, body, and mind is the secret to true happiness in a career built on analyzing your setbacks and flaws.
What a tall order, I know, but after quitting ballet and letting the constraints of it leave my mind for so long, I gained perspective on how little your worth as a dancer relates to your worth as a person. So many dancers, myself included, convolute the two and forget that we do ballet because we love it, not because we hate ourselves. In the love is where the wholeness resides.
My favorite self-care activity is journaling all of the “bad thoughts” out, taking a hot shower, calling a loved one, and watching my favorite movie with a snack and a glass of nice wine!
photography credits go to Nir Arieli
Abby Nyugen, Professional Dancer
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I’m originally from the Bay Area in California, where I grew up dancing at a small, local studio. After high school, I moved to New York City to attend The Ailey School and Fordham University. I’ll be graduating in May with a BFA in dance and psychology, and I’m excited to continue my dance journey post-grad!
To me, being a Whole Dancer means investing in all parts of myself and my health. As much as dance is physical, it is also mental, emotional, and spiritual. Putting energy and care into all of these elements makes you a better person and dancer, and it makes it easier to experience all the joy dance can bring! I’m super excited to be a Whole Dancer ambassador and share Jess’ work and message!
My favorite self-care activity is doing my hair and makeup in the morning. I put on some music, sit by my window, and have a moment for myself. It’s a fun way to start the day with something I enjoy, and it helps me feel more individual and confident in the studio!
Ken Shiozawa, Professional Dancer
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My name is Ken Shiozawa (they/them) and I am currently a company artist with Minnesota Dance Theater based in Minneapolis. I was born in Japan and grew up in Irvine, California where I trained at Maple Conservatory of Dance under the artistic direction of Charles Maple. I have also trained at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and received a BFA in Dance Performance from Butler University in 2020.
Previously, I have danced with Minnesota Ballet and have guested with various ballet companies throughout the US. I am also pursuing my Masters Degree in Guidance and Counseling in Clinical Mental Health from the University of Wisconsin.
To me, being a Whole Dancer is somebody who is able to not only do what is asked of them physically in the dance studio, but also be able to take care of themself mentally, emotionally and spiritually. How we treat our bodies and view our bodies plays just as much of an importance in our success as dancers and finding ways to optimize and promote our health and well-being provides us with the best chance of dancing and feeling our best.
My new found favorite self-care activity is meditation!
Tanya Chauhan, Dancer + Performer in India and NYC
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Hi, I’m Tanya Chauhan, a professional dancer born and raised in Delhi, India and currently residing in New York. I started dancing at the age of 15 in Delhi where I was training in Jazz, Ballet, Contemporary, India martial arts – Kalaripayattu and after I moved to New York I took ballet, jazz – theatre/precision, tap, modern seriously. I’ve been a professional dancer for over a decade now and I am thrilled to see my journey as a dance professional in New York City.
Being a Whole Dancer means so much beyond just being a dancer. For me it has everything to do with being a human first and then a dancer. I want to move from a position of self awareness and purity. To me, being a Whole Dancer means that I’m aware of myself and every day I’m trying to move my own needle forward positively by discovering more and more about myself so as to always move from a point of purity!
I love to start my day slow and I do journaling in the morning which is a big self care activity that I do everyday other than that I really enjoy sipping my tea at night which is a self care activity for me and CLEANING MY ROOM – I feel cleaning my room also organizes my thoughts to some level.
Sarah Westbrook, DBDT: Encore!
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Sarah Westbrook, originally from Virginia Beach, VA, began her dance training at a local studio in Hampton Roads and went on to study at the region’s performing arts high school, The Governor’s School for the Arts. From there, she attended The University of Oklahoma and received her BFA in Modern Dance Performance in 2022. It was there she was able to perform works by Rena Butler, While in school she also furthered her training with Oregon Ballet Theater, Parsons Dance, and Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company.
Currently, Sarah dances with Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s second company, DBDT: Encore! She has performed works by renowned choreographers such as Sidra Bell, Rena Butler, Gregory Dolbashian, Tommie Waheed-Evans, Christopher Huggins, Jiří Kylián, Joshua L. Peugh, Katarzyna Skarpetowska, and Take Ueyama. In addition to performing, she also teaches dance to children in a range of styles. She is currently on staff at Texas Ballet Theater School, Dallas Black Dance Academy, and Highland Park Dance Company.
To me, The Whole Dancer is all about helping dancers find balance. I know I’ve struggled with nutrition, body image, cross training, and stress management, especially as it relates to dance, and The Whole Dancer helps dancers to take a holistic approach to handling these issues. The content and resources that The Whole Dancer shares has really helped me take note of the mindset in which I am approaching my dancing, nutrition, etc, and that has helped me just as much as changing my actions. I am so thankful for this resource and so excited to share this brand with other dancers in my community.
Getting a massage or an epsom salt bath is my favorite self-care activity.
Colleen Underriner, Ailey/Fordham BFA Student
click here to follow Colleen on Instagram
Born in 2006 and raised in the Chicago area, I began dancing when I was 5 years old at the Wilmette Park District. Then from ages 7-11, under Krissie Odegard Geye at the Dance and Music Academy in Glenview, IL, I was introduced to and developed my love of performing, competitive dance, and musical theater. In 2018, I moved with my family to Charleston, SC. I continued my dance training at The Dance Conservatory of Charleston under Lindy Mandradjieff Fabyanic, Jenifer Ringer, and James Fayette where I was accepted into the pre-professional ballet program in 2020.
In addition to ballet, I also studied precision jazz, jazz, tap, contemporary, modern, and hip hop. In 2021, I began rehearsing and performing with The Palmetto City Ballet’s Broadway Company under Stephen Gabriel. In 2022, I returned to the theatrical stage with Charleston Academy of Musical Theater under Courtney Sarre and Diana Flaherty. And in the fall of 2023, I made the exciting move to New York City to continue my dance and theater training as a student in Steps on Broadway Conservatory’s Professional Training Program! My goal is to one day dance on a Broadway stage and/or as a Radio City Rockette!
To me, being a whole dancer means finding balance in all areas of my life: training, nutrition, social life, and overall health and wellness, so that I may live a full and well rounded life inside and outside the studio!
My favorite self care activity is taking a hot bath after long dance days! 
Marley DeRouen, Aspiring Pro Dancer
click here to follow Marley on Instagram
I started dancing when I was five years old doing various types of dance. At age nine, I decided to concentrate on ballet where I studied at a small studio and then later transferred to a pre-professional program at The Nutmeg Conservatory, where I study currently.
Being a Whole Dancer ambassador is really important to me as a young dancer since I believe it is crucial that we share our experiences with other dancers and for our voices to be heard.
In my free time, my favorite self-care activities would be shopping and relaxing.
Kaidence Vance, Collegiate Dancer, Aspiring Ballerina
click here to follow Kaidence on Instagram
Kaidence has been dancing since she was 2 years old. She grew up at Synergy Academy training as a competitive dancer in all styles. The last two years she has been the Captain of her High School Ballroom Team. She has attended multiple Summer Intensive Programs including Ballet West and the University of Utah. Kaidence is currently pursuing ballet pre-professionally at Utah Dance Institute. Next year she will be going to the University of Utah to pursue a degree in Ballet and Physical Therapy.
Being a Whole Dancer Ambassador gives me the opportunity to do something I love: share about dancer wellness! As both a student and teacher of dance, I have seen and felt a lack of resources to help with mental and physical health. The Whole Dancer is an amazing program, and it stands for everything I am passionate about!
Favorite self care activity: Epsom salt baths!!
The post Introducing the 2024 Ambassadors for The Whole Dancer appeared first on The Whole Dancer.