No one puts Baby in the corner: Raymond Rodriguez

Raymond Rodriguez, former principal dancer with the Cleveland/San Jose Ballet (and also Assistant Artistic Director and Managing Director), current Head of Studio Company and Trainee Program at the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago, describes what it's like to be "aged out" of a career before feeling ready. Do we ever feel ready to sit on the sidelines once we've built a life onstage, in performance? Luckily for the Studio Company and Trainees at the Joffrey, Raymond uses his experience to educate, inspire, and prepare young dancers and choreographers to advocate for themselves and mature in ways that weren't thought important in previous generations of dance training. Knowing full well the psychological and emotional toll of a life in the studio at the whim of choreographers and directors, Raymond is ensuring that his students have the knowledge and support to weather the storms as they come.