DiscoverThe Grace & Form PodcastIndia Bradley: Pointe Shoes, Pressure & Self-Belief
India Bradley: Pointe Shoes, Pressure & Self-Belief

India Bradley: Pointe Shoes, Pressure & Self-Belief

Update: 2025-06-09
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In this powerful and personal episode, New York City Ballet’s India Bradley opens up about what it means to be the “first”; the first Black Dewdrop, the first in many roles - and the complex weight that comes with it. From her early years in Detroit to finding her voice at Dance Theatre of Harlem and SAB, India shares the winding path to NYCB, the pressure to prove she belongs, and the lessons she’s still learning about self-worth, representation, and resilience.


We talk about dancing through doubt, the difference between strength and visibility, pointe shoe trials, and the ever-shifting balance between ambition and self-kindness. This one is raw, funny, and deeply honest - a backstage pass into what it really takes to find your place in ballet when the stage has never quite looked like you.


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India Bradley: Pointe Shoes, Pressure & Self-Belief

India Bradley: Pointe Shoes, Pressure & Self-Belief

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