In today's ep, Sarah and Courtney began a series about retirement; engaging in conversation with dancers who are going through or have transitioned out of being a professional dancer.  That transition looks different for everyone and in this part one episode, we interviewed Sadie Sommer, a former dancer with Nashville Ballet. She spoke to us about having a balanced life as a dancer and how that affected how she transitioned from the stage to working in a support role in the social research field. We also spoke about motherhood and what that has meant to her. She spoke honestly and candidly about her experiences and it was such an honor to witness. The transition can be hard, but with the help and support of loved ones and professionals, it can also be a beautiful one. This ep is super relatable for all the dancing mammas, professionals, and former dancers. Sadie would like to mention that if you have the opportunity to support local dancers in these times, please reach out to your local ballet company for donation opportunities to support dancers and staff. We would like to include that if you are in crisis, please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center, text MHA to 741741, call 911, or go to the nearest emergency room. Find a local MHA affiliate who can provide services and find a therapist by clicking here. Theme music is, "A Journey" by Kevin Hartnell It has been edited and reproduced under the Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0). Follow us on Instagram! Dance; Better Podcast @dancebetterpodcast Courtney @courtulrich Sarah @techballet Send in your questions or episode suggestions to [email protected] If you relate and found this episode helpful, please click follow/subscribe and leave us a review. (We might even read it on the next episode!) This helps to make our show more searchable, and will make it more accessible to more people...plus, we’d love to hear from you!