Hello friends! We’re closing out the Master Ballet Academy trilogy and I could not be more proud. In this episode, I catch up with Atticus as he wraps up his final week in Scottsdale — and the kid who dragged himself through week one is a completely different dancer heading into the finish line. We talk about his physical and mental transformation, a surprise contemporary solo opportunity, what he’d tell his past self, and some real talk about the cost (and commitment) of intensive training.
🧠 The transformation — body and mind
Atticus reflects on where he started: not the most flexible dancer, having begun ballet at nine while many peers started as toddlers
By week three, he’s seeing real gains in flexibility and says the difference is “crazy”
Equally as big: the mental shift — he admits that when he doesn’t connect with a teacher, his face (and attitude) shows it, and MBA pushed him to work through that
His big takeaway: respecting your teachers, even when it’s hard, is a skill that pays off
💪 Tough love, MBA style
The teachers don’t ask if you’re okay — they ask if you can get up and dance
A memorable quote from the faculty: “We don’t want to train backup dancers. We want to train professionals.”
That line stung for Atticus at first — he clarified he’s not pursuing professional ballet but wants to dance commercially (think Tate McRae-style touring work) — and he realized “backup dancer” in their context meant recreational dancer
The distinction lit a fire under him
🌀 A surprise solo opportunity
In week three, a choreographer at MBA — a former student who now dances with another ballet company — approached Atticus about creating a contemporary solo
He’s planning to compete it through a Minnesota-based studio where he’s been taking classes and has an audition coming up in August
He posted a sneak peek on Instagram but is keeping the full piece under wraps (choreo theft is real, folks)
The piece is a big stylistic departure for him — more lyrical and expressive, leaning into his back flexibility rather than his legs
💡 Advice from Atticus to Atticus
If he could time-travel back three weeks he would tell himself: be ready for tough love — they’ll push you hard, even break you down a little, then build you back up
If you’re going to do a summer intensive, do as many weeks as you can — three weeks felt just long enough to finally hit a groove right as it ended
For families weighing the cost: it’s not cheap, but if you can make it work financially, more time = more growth; he also mentioned hearing (unofficially) that some tuition assistance may be available
🩹 The physical toll is real
A fellow dancer ended up in the ER in the final week with a hip injury, a sobering reminder of what this level of training demands on the body
Atticus himself notes he hasn’t danced at this intensity since leaving his previous studio
He’s been pushing hard but plans to ease up the final few days to avoid going home banged up
🗺️ What’s next
Brian picks Atticus up Sunday and the family heads back to Minnesota
Almost immediately after, it’s off to Massachusetts for the CLI Conservatory summer intensive
Thanks for following along on the Master Ballet Academy journey — all three parts! If you’ve been listening, you’ve watched Atticus grow in real time, and that’s kind of the whole point of this podcast. Find all the episodes and more at dadofadancer.com, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you don’t miss the CLI series coming up next. See you there! 🎉
