How 2 Ballerinas are Changing Los Angeles Ballet Culture with a Podcast
Interview by Veronica Viccora
3.13.24
Exclusive Interview with Amanda & Robbie of the Ballet Diaries Podcast
Amanda Beasley and Robbie Downey are some of the most hard working ballerinas you'll ever find. They manage to make balancing professional dance careers, starting their own companies, running their podcast, Ballet Diaries, and a million other things look easy, but isn't that just the ballet way?
Today we'll get a peek into what their lives are really like and chat about everything from releasing perfectionism, supporting small businesses, Dracula and so much more!
Hi Amanda & Robbie, nice to meet you! Can you tell us a little about yourselves?
Amanda: Hi! My name is Amanda, I am 23 years old and a professional ballerina living in Los Angeles. I grew up in Arizona and started ballet when I was 2! I trained with Ballet Arizona & Master Ballet Academy.
When I was 16, I moved to NYC to train with Forrest Academy of Ballet. I was 19 when I got my first company contract with State Street Ballet. I moved on to dance with several different companies- Columbia Classical Ballet, American Contemporary Ballet, Boulder Ballet and many others.
I am currently dancing with different companies throughout LA and also do content creation for a living :)
Robbie: Hi! I’m Robbie and I am 25 years old and currently based in Los Angeles, CA. I grew up in San Diego, CA, where I did most of my training. I decided to take ballet more seriously around the age of 10 and I switched over to a Vaganova based training program.
I eventually moved to New York at 16 to train at Ellison Ballet year-round and then I finished my training at Master Ballet Academy in Arizona. I then spent two seasons with Colorado Ballet and eventually made my way back to Southern California when the pandemic started in 2020.
In 2021 I started my own company, West Coast Ballet, and we have performed Dracula in the South Bay for the past two years and I look forward to bringing it back for a third year this fall. I have also been freelancing in LA for the past two years, which has been a great experience so far!
What first inspired you to start dancing?
Amanda: I originally fell in love with ballet when I was 9 years old when I saw La Bayadere for the first time. Ever since that moment I knew that’s what I wanted to do with my life is be a professional ballerina.
Robbie: My mom put me into ballet classes when I was around 4 years old but when I was about 10 I saw a music video of Polina Semionova on YouTube and I just became obsessed with ballet. That was the moment I knew I wanted to become a professional ballet dancer. I tried some other extracurricular activities like ice skating and acting classes, but nothing connected with me like ballet did.
What do you love most about ballet?
Amanda: There is never a reach of perfection and throughout your entire career there is always something to strive to improve on.
Robbie: Being able to perform and get on stage after months of working on your role is one of the most exciting yet nerve-racking things about ballet, but it's one of my favorite things about it.
I also love the discipline and focus ballet has taught me. I feel like it also helped me build a great work ethic. Ballet was not something that came easy for me. I was not naturally flexible, I never had great extensions, and my teachers always considered me a step behind my classmates. That only motivated me to work harder.
I also love that ballet is an art form but also a sport. Being able to come into the studio and escape from the outside world is something I am super grateful for.
What made you decide to start the Ballet Diaries podcast?
We wanted to create a platform where dancers and non dancers alike can have a safe space to feel supported in the ballet industry, to share our experiences and make the ballet world a better place one topic at a time!
What are some of the most notable moments of your ballet careers?
Amanda: Probably my most notable moment in my career thus far is getting the opportunity to perform Sugar Plum. [It's] such a challenging role and really pushed me so much as a dancer.
Robbie: When I was 18 I was accepted to the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. It’s basically like the Olympics of ballet, it only happens every 4 years.
One of the biggest highlights has to be starting my own company and putting on an entire production of Dracula two years in a row. I directed and choreographed most of it (had some assistance from my lovely cast at the time) and I performed the role of Lucy. I want to bring new and exciting performance opportunities and a positive ballet culture to Los Angeles.
What advice would you have for those in the adult ballet community?
Amanda: If you have a passion for ballet, GO FOR IT. Ballet is for everyone. Always remember it's ok to make mistakes and try again, perfection is not the end goal. Embrace the messy and the imperfections and love what you do!
Robbie: Have fun!! Ballet can be hard and overwhelming at times, but I think we all do it because we love it and have a passion for it. While class is often used to work on our technique, it should most definitely be a time that we enjoy.
It can be common for ballet dancers to be really hard on themselves since there are so many details that go into ballet, but don’t let that overpower you. Remember why you want to take class or get in the studio. I always try to remind myself that “it’s just ballet.”
Don’t compare yourself to others in the class or on social media especially. Everyone has a different path and everyone has something great to bring to the studio. If you get overwhelmed with working on multiple corrections, pick one main one to focus on at barre and then another one to focus on during center. Then pick two new ones for the next class.
Other than ballet and podcasting, what else are you into?
Amanda: I love sharing my life via content creation. It has been a way to express myself and also make a career out of (which is crazy). Another recent hobby is photography, I love shooting my friends and expressing myself through others. My recent passion project has been starting my own leotard brand. It has been something that is a work in progress but I can’t wait to share my love for fashion x ballet.
Robbie: love going to concerts and listening to live music! I love checking out the local flea markets and vintage/thrift stores. Goods On Orange in Long Beach is one of my favorite spots, lots of super cool vendors there.
I am also very into animal rescue and do help out some local animal rescues when my schedule allows. I will help pull dogs from the shelter and take them to their foster homes or take them to their vet appointments. I will also do my best to help network and share them through social media.
This is also why I love freelancing so much because it has allowed me the time to bring more of these activities into my life and to create more of a balance. I need that separation from ballet outside of the studio or I will become overwhelmed and not love ballet in the right ways.
What are you loving lately, ballet or otherwise?
Amanda: I’ve recently been loving the brand Boyish Beauty. Their locked eyebrow gel is incredible and I love supporting small business owners :)
Robbie: Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet. If you ever have the chance to see it live, I highly recommend it. It is truly such an incredible production.
I always love finding a new vegan spot to check out and Just What I Kneaded in Los Angeles is top-tier. They also have a cute little vegan wine bar next door that always has such a lovely energy to it. Their food is incredible so if you are in LA or ever visit I recommend checking them out and supporting a small business.
Any fun projects you'd like to share?
Amanda: I am currently collaborating with a DJ for a ballet x house music show this weekend in Echo Park so I am super excited to perform that! I am also getting ready to perform a fun pas de deux with a company here in Los Angeles at the end of April!
Robbie: I am currently getting ready to tour “The White Feather” to DC and NYC at the end of March. You can learn more about the production here.
I am also filming a music video with a couple of friends in a few weeks, so that will be coming out soon! I am also launching some adult beginner ballet courses through my app, Dance Pro App, soon. It has been in the works for a while but is finally about to launch!
Freelancing has opened the door for me to be a part of so many cool little projects, I have been having so much fun creating with other local artists. I am also always working behind the scenes for West Coast Ballet’s Dracula and I am planning to do a photoshoot with some of the cast soon for promo.
Where else can we find you both?
Feel free to check out westcoastballet.org to learn more about Robbie's company and her production of Dracula. To learn more about her courses you can visit danceproapp.com
For my links to Amanda's ballet resources you can check out www.amandarene.org
Follow Amanda:
TIKTOK - @amanda.rene
IG - @amanda.rene
YT - @amandareneb
Follow Robbie:
TIKTOK - @robbie.downey
YT - @mydancetv
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