Best Jim Sparrow Podcasts (2025)

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REPLAY: Nutcracker under the lights 19:04

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2d ago19:04

19:04

As we revisit this 2024 Nutcracker chat, we start with three of our dancers - Talbot Rue, Anna Orzulak, and Abby Zinsser, who tell us what dancing in The Nutcracker every year means to them, both artistically and nostalgically. Then, we join Jim and Karen for a discussion on bringing new elements to this staging of the Christmas classic. *Notice: T…

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Episode 69: Judith Ruselburger (Christian Climate Action), Cathy Cole (Parents for the Future), Cllr Paul Miller (PCC Councillor responsible for climate change) 36:39

8d ago36:39

36:39

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Episode 68: Kev Swailes (Ffynnon Community Resilience's worm king), Alberto San Andres (radical farming), Becky Brandwood-Cormac and Mia Sparrow (Coed-Lleol), Lee Hind, Angela Robinson (Walking the Path ... 38:31

8d ago38:31

38:31

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Episode 67: Angela Robinson (PCNPA), Cllr Josh Beynon (Pembrokeshire County Council, Faith (Peace Campaigner) 35:14

8d ago35:14

35:14

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Episode 66: Hugo Perks (Amnesty International Cymru), Henry Tuffnell MP, Clair Flynn (Pembrokeshire Coast National Park), Cllr Mike Stoddart (Pembrokeshire County Council) 43:12

8d ago43:12

43:12

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Episode 65: Rhys Morgan (PCC Decarbonisation Officer), Friend Wood (who makes cars out of wood), Sian Vaughn (talking about PCC Net Zero commitments) and the Walk the Path For Wellbeing 43:12

8d ago43:12

43:12

This is Podcast 65 and was first broadcast on Pure West Radio on Sunday 2nd November 2025. It features interviews with Pembrokeshire County Council's decarbonisation officer Rhys Morgan, Friend Wood, who makes cars out of wood, retired head teacher, Sian Vaughn who is coming on to talk about why it's important for Pembrokeshire County Council to no…

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Episode 64: Augusta Lewis (Carmarthenshire Food Partnership), Kelly Donate and Nick Rhodes (Sustain, the Australian Food Network), Enfys Lloyd (Teach the Future) 48:59

8d ago48:59

48:59

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REPLAY: Conversations of Nutcrackers Past 28:43

10d ago28:43

28:43

It's a Nutcracker Replay! We're sending you once again on this journey into Nutcracker past. Jim Sparrow hosts this introspective look back at past Kinetic Conversations, all about our favorite Holiday show. This episode originally released in November of 2023.By Jim Sparrow, John Dawkins

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A Season Begins 20:54

2M ago20:54

20:54

Fort Wayne Ballet welcomes you to its 69th season! Jim Sparrow and Karen Gibbons-Brown get down to it, filling us in on the ins and outs of the new season lineup: particularly the harrowing Halloween happenings of our Tales In the Dark performances.By Jim Sparrow, John Dawkins

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It's For the Kids 12:06

2M ago12:06

12:06

In this special episode, Jim sits down with Youth Company Director Raleigh Sparrow to discuss Fort Wayne Ballet's Family Series shows for the 2025-26 season. First up is Spooky Kooky, this Saturday!By Jim Sparrow, John Dawkins

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Episode 63: Ysgol Preseli GCSE Agriculture Students, Life Coach Zoe Cohen 50:04

3M ago50:04

50:04

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Episode 62: Hindu Climate Action, Paula Ratcliffe, Nolton and Roch Land Trust, Cleddau Project, Dirty Waters, Climate Anxiety 59:39

3M ago59:39

59:39

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Episode 61: Michael Switzer, Amanda Evans, Sam Evans, Glen Peters, Bishop Dorian Davies, Delyth Higgins and Philippa Gibson 1:03:21

4M ago1:03:21

1:03:21

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Répétiteur Repartee: Cameron Basden & Light Rain 14:28

7M ago14:28

14:28

Cameron Basden, Répétiteur for the Arpino Trust, joins us ahead of Fort Wayne Ballet's staging of Light Rain, as part of the Ballet Russe Reimagined series conclusion. Jim and Cameron discuss the evolution of our company over the years of performing Gerald Arpino's masterworks and the versatility and skill of Fort Wayne's dancers.…

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Serenade: Balanchine Finds Fort Wayne 29:35

8M ago29:35

29:35

For the first time in its history, Fort Wayne Ballet is performing a work by the great choreographer George Balanchine. As we anticipate the upcoming part two of our Ballet Russe Reimagined series, Jim Sparrow and Karen Gibbons-Brown discuss the iconic ballet Serenade. Fort Wayne Ballet’s second of a three-part series, Ballet Russe Reimagined, will…

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009 - how “the worst candidate ever” won her dream job 22:49

8M ago22:49

22:49

“it was either this job or no job.” today i’m sharing a crazy audition win story with you. in 2019, a cellist named maria reached out to me about her audition struggles. on paper, she was the “worst audition candidate ever” (her words). she had 2 small children, a full time teaching job, and hadn’t taken an audition in 4 years. she was also unable …

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Conversations with the Choreographer: David Ingram 22:11

9M ago22:11

22:11

David Ingram is Fort Wayne Ballet’s guest choreographer for Les Sylphides as part of the Ballet Russe Reimagined series. In this interview, Jim Sparrow asks David about his career and his inspiration for setting new movement to this classic piece. Fort Wayne Ballet’s first of a 3-part series, Ballet Russe Reimagined, will be performed on March 21 a…

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Ballet Russe in Review: An En Avant Supercut 26:04

9M ago26:04

26:04

The En Avant series, narrated by Fort Wayne Ballet Artistic Director Karen Gibbons-Brown, airs Saturdays on 89.1 WBOI during the Classical Connections Review. This episode of the Kinetic Conversations Podcast is a supercut of Karen’s six-part series on the history of the Ballet Russe, from its post-classical beginnings in Russia to its influence on…

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Conversations with the Choreographer: Mark Godden 25:18

10M ago25:18

25:18

On March 21, Fort Wayne Ballet is presenting Le Sacre du printemps, otherwise known as Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, as part of the Ballet Russe Reimagined series. It will be presented as a world premiere, with new choreography by famed choreographer, Mark Godden. Artistic Director Karen Gibbons-Brown sat down with Mark to discuss the process of cre…

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Bringing Home the Ballet Russe 30:14

10M ago30:14

30:14

Stravinsky's unnerving music meets backdrops by... Picasso? As we move into our Spring season, we look ahead to our three stagings of the Ballet Russe Reimagined. Jim and Karen sit down and discuss what the Ballet Russe means historically to ballet, and how our performances bring back the traditions of the roving dance company of the early 20th cen…

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En Avant: The Ballet Russe Part 6 5:07

10M ago5:07

5:07

After getting his start in the Ballet Russe, George Balanchine makes a name in New York.By Jim Sparrow, John Dawkins

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En Avant: The Ballet Russe Part 5 5:07

10M ago5:07

5:07

The Ballet Russe finds new life in America after Diaghilev's death.By Jim Sparrow, John Dawkins

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En Avant: The Ballet Russe Part 4 5:07

11M ago5:07

5:07

The Ballet's repertoire expands during a successful tour of South America.By Jim Sparrow, John Dawkins

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En Avant: The Ballet Russe Part 3 5:08

11M ago5:08

5:08

Diaghilev brings together the greatest artists, composers, and choreographers of the day to create innovative and sometimes controversial works.By Jim Sparrow, John Dawkins

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En Avant: The Ballet Russe Part 2 5:07

11M ago5:07

5:07

The Bolshevik revolution makes artistic expression a dangerous undertaking in Russia, and Diaghilev takes the Ballet to the West instead.By Jim Sparrow, John Dawkins

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En Avant: The Ballet Russe Part 1 5:07

11M ago5:07

5:07

Diaghilev takes the reigns and showcases Russian dance to the rest of the world.By Jim Sparrow, John Dawkins

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En Avant: Nutcracker: Lasting Traditions 5:06

11M ago5:06

5:06

Having found new life in America, the Nutcracker thrives as a holiday tradition.By Jim Sparrow, John Dawkins

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En Avant: Nutcracker: Composing with Tchaikovsky 5:09

11M ago5:09

5:09

Petipa works with the famed composer to establish the music for the famed holiday ballet.By Jim Sparrow, John Dawkins

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En Avant: Nutcracker: Dancing of the Sweets 5:08

11M ago5:08

5:08

We explore Petipa's inspiration for the dances in his NutcrackerBy Jim Sparrow, John Dawkins

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Nutcracker Under the Lights 18:52

1y ago18:52

18:52

Time to hear from the dancers! In this all-new Nutcracker chat, we start with three of our dancers - Talbot Rue, Anna Orzulak, and Abby Zinsser, who tell us what dancing in The Nutcracker every year means to them, both artistically and nostalgically. Then, we join Jim and Karen for a discussion on bringing new elements to this year's staging of the…

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En Avant: Petipa's Nutcracker 5:08

1y ago5:08

5:08

En Avant is a five minute ballet segment, hosted by Karen Gibbons-Brown, which airs during Rob Nylund's Classical Connection Review, every Saturday evening on Fort Wayne's 89.1 WBOI. This version has been modified from its broadcast edition to accommodate musical copyright. We know and love The Nutcracker, but was it always so popular? Marius Petip…

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En Avant: Marius Petipa & The Classical Era 5:08

1y ago5:08

5:08

En Avant is a five minute ballet segment, hosted by Karen Gibbons-Brown, which airs during Rob Nylund's Classical Connection Review, every Saturday evening on Fort Wayne's 89.1 WBOI. This version has been modified from its broadcast edition to accommodate musical copyright. In this segment, Karen overviews the career of famed choreographer Marius P…

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En Avant: The End of an Era - Saying Goodbye to the Romantic Ballet 4:14

1y ago4:14

4:14

En Avant is a five minute ballet segment, hosted by Karen Gibbons-Brown, which airs during Rob Nylund's Classical Connection Review, every Saturday evening on Fort Wayne's 89.1 WBOI. This version has been modified from its broadcast edition to accommodate musical copyright. In this segment, Karen notes the transition from the Romantic Ballet era in…

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REPLAY! Conversations of Nutcrackers Past 28:44

1y ago28:44

28:44

As we continue working on all-new podcast content, here's the best of the best! Jim Sparrow hosts this introspective look back at past Kinetic Conversations, all about our favorite Holiday show, The Nutcracker! This episode originally released in November of 2023.By Jim Sparrow, John Dawkins

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En Avant: The Stars of the Romantic Period 5:17

1y ago5:17

5:17

En Avant is a five minute ballet segment, hosted by Karen Gibbons-Brown, which airs during Rob Nylund's Classical Connection Review, every Saturday evening on Fort Wayne's 89.1 WBOI. This version has been modified from its broadcast edition to accommodate musical copyright. This episode notes the first rising stars of ballet - the ballerinas of the…

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En Avant: The Romantic Era 5:18

1y ago5:18

5:18

En Avant is a five minute ballet segment, hosted by Karen Gibbons-Brown, which airs during Rob Nylund's Classical Connection Review, every Saturday evening on Fort Wayne's 89.1 WBOI. This version has been modified from its broadcast edition to accommodate musical copyright. This episode first aired on October 26, 2024, and discusses the trademarks …

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En Avant: The Early Ballet 5:10

1y ago5:10

5:10

En Avant is a five minute ballet segment, hosted by Karen Gibbons-Brown, which airs during Rob Nylund's Classical Connection Review, every Saturday evening on Fort Wayne's 89.1 WBOI. This episode first aired on October 19, 2024, and discusses the early French roots of the ballet and its terminology.By Jim Sparrow, John Dawkins

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En Avant: A Continuing Look at Don Quixote 5:06

1y ago5:06

5:06

En Avant is a five minute ballet segment, hosted by Karen Gibbons-Brown, which airs during Rob Nylund's Classical Connection Review, every Saturday evening on Fort Wayne's 89.1 WBOI. This episode first aired on October 12, 2024, and continues the discussion on Fort Wayne Ballet's latest staging of Don Quixote.…

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Windmills for Giants: Ballet's Favorite Rom-Com 16:25

1y ago16:25

16:25

Jim Sparrow and Karen Gibbons-Brown discuss what they agree can be called Ballet's best-beloved romantic comedy, as Fort Wayne Ballet prepares to perform Don Quixote, this weekend at the brand new Pearl Street Arts. Jim and Karen review the characters and synopsis of the show and the challenges and opportunities of staging in a non-traditional new …

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En Avant: An Introduction to Don Quixote 5:08

1y ago5:08

5:08

En Avant is a five minute ballet segment, hosted by Karen Gibbons-Brown, which airs during Rob Nylund's Classical Connection Review, every Saturday evening on Fort Wayne's 89.1 WBOI. This episode first aired on October 5th, 2024, and introduces audiences to Don Quixote - described as ballet's favorite Rom-Com.…

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Ready or Not, Here Comes Season Sixty-Eight! 19:33

1y ago19:33

19:33

In this episode, Jim and Karen take a look at our exciting new season, complete with world premieres and brand-new venues. Welcome to Fort Wayne Ballet's sixty-eighth season!By Jim Sparrow, John Dawkins

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008 - 4 ways to get better audition comments 19:54

1y ago19:54

19:54

getting audition comments is incredibly frustrating. you’ll get an email from the personnel manager and it’ll say something like: Hi ___, A judge from your audition committee gave you this feedback: “some good things. voted no” I hope that is helpful for you. ok dude, great. now WHAT am i supposed to do with that?! audition comments are hard to get…

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007 - how i recorded the delécluse album 31:26

1y ago31:26

31:26

how would you actually prepare yourself to record an entire classical music album in one session? it’s been 10 years, but i still have the detailed, day-by-day practice schedule i used to prepare for the recording of my debut album, delécluse: douze études for snare drum. it was a funny time. it had been two years since winning my met opera auditio…

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006 - how to design an audition-winning lifestyle 28:46

1+ y ago28:46

28:46

my first day at interlochen summer camp, i was placed dead last in the lowest orchestra. BOOM. a gut punch, right at the beginning of camp. the great percussionists of the world had gone through interlochen. chris lamb. scott stevens. greg zuber. based on my orchestra placement, it was clear to me that i was NOT one of them. i was just an inexperie…

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S6E14: Pre-Professional Conversations Series, “Summer Intensive Part II” 17:26

1+ y ago17:26

17:26

Welcome to the Kinetic Conversations series on pre-professional dance programs, featuring the Fort Wayne Ballet Summer Intensive program. Over three episodes, Artistic Director Karen Gibbons-Brown sits down with professional dancers Talbot Rue, Jessica Humphrey, and Abby Zinsser, and graduating pre-professional GiGi McDowell to discuss this all-imp…

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S6E13: Pre-Professional Conversations Series, “Summer Intensive Part I” 18:39

1+ y ago18:39

18:39

Welcome to the Kinetic Conversations series on pre-professional dance programs, featuring the Fort Wayne Ballet Summer Intensive program. Over three episodes, Artistic Director Karen Gibbons-Brown sits down with professional dancers Talbot Rue, Jessica Humphrey, and Abby Zinsser, and graduating pre-professional GiGi McDowell to discuss this all-imp…

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S6E12: Pre-Professional Conversations Series, “Gotta Go Pro” 21:18

1+ y ago21:18

21:18

Welcome to the Kinetic Conversations series on pre-professional dance programs, featuring the Fort Wayne Ballet Summer Intensive program. Over three episodes, Artistic Director Karen Gibbons-Brown sits down with professional dancers Talbot Rue, Jessica Humphrey, and Abby Zinsser, and graduating pre-professional GiGi McDowell to discuss this all-imp…

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S6E11: We’re Off to Camp! 14:00

1+ y ago14:00

14:00

Artistic Director Karen Gibbons-Brown hosts this special episode of Kinetic Conversations, as she pulls in Academy instructors Avalou Burns and Schuyler Kechely, to discuss the fun and magic that is Fort Wayne Ballet’s summer camps. Register now for our July camps! No dance experience necessary for ages 3-10. Register online at fortwayneballet.org …

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S6E10: Romeo and Juliet Part 3, A Chat with the Star-Crossed Lovers 22:59

1+ y ago22:59

22:59

In our final Romeo & Juliet podcast, Jim Sparrow sits down with our own Romeo and Juliet, as Thomas Caleb Roberts and Brittany Focht tell us of their individual journeys in developing their characters for the stage. Along the way, we discuss a dancer’s quest to maintain good physical and mental health and the joys of performing with a live orchestr…

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S6E9: Romeo & Juliet Part 2: Pillow Dances and a Clash of Swords 21:10

1+ y ago21:10

21:10

In part two of our discussion of Fort Wayne Ballet’s upcoming production of Romeo & Juliet, Jim Sparrow sits down with two former Romeos to discuss what is often thought of as a “man’s ballet.” Choreographers Robert La Fosse and David Ingram break down strenuous male roles that include multiple pas de deux and sword fighting. Meanwhile, Jim continu…