The Turning - Seasons 1, 2 & 3 - Podcast Rankings and reviews

Listening to Wilhelmina, Stephanie and Katherine’s stories helped me get closer to coming to terms with my s
personal journey. I’m a male, former classical ballet dancer from a major NYC company and I too have experienced some of the issues discussed, though from a different POV. Thank you for bringing our unique experiences to light.

In it’s breadth and humanity, historical scope and emotional impact, it’s a beautifully done, rigorously researched and well-crafted piece that I’m surprised I hadn’t heard of. Definitely give it a listen.

I would give the first season 5 stars. Incredible look inside Mother Theresa’s world. They talked to many different people to get a variety of perspectives but they’re all part of that world. Really fascinating, and so different from how most of us see her and her world.

The second season looks at some really important issues in the ballet world and does it in very interesting and personal ways: firsthand accounts of sexual misconduct, homophobia, sexism, racism, body image, etc.

But it has a couple of problems. First, while each episode stands well on its own, the season as a whole is confusing: Is it about Balanchine? Or is it about the New York City Ballet? Is it about ballet in general?

Second, it’s very difficult to do a podcast about an art form that is mainly visual. When it comes to choreography and the movements, a picture or video are worth far more than a thousand words. After listening to the words, I tried to Google how Balanchine’s arabesque is different because I wanted to see it and not just hear a description of it. If I could rate the seasons separately, I’d give the second season 4 stars.

As someone who danced ballet as a girl and has loved it ever since, I was riveted by season 2. Fascinating, thought-provoking, and just as nuanced as season 1. I wasn’t prepared for this but episode 6 made me cry, it brought back so many feelings and memories. Thank you.