Ashley Hod was a 17-year-old student at the School of American Ballet when Hurricane Sandy shut New York City down — and in the middle of it, sitting at her grandmother's house with the power out, she got the phone call that changed her life: she was being made an apprentice with New York City Ballet, starting the following Tuesday.
In this episode of Pushing Over the Box, Jasmine Jain sits down with Ashley Hod — soloist with New York City Ballet and recipient of the 2018 Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists. They talk about the overnight jump from student to professional, the day she found out she'd been promoted to soloist alongside six of her closest friends, two ankle injuries and what they taught her about patience, and how fourteen years in the company have changed the way she defines success.
TIMESTAMPS:
[04:01] From SAB Student to NYCB Apprentice — The Hurricane Sandy Phone Call
[06:38] The Day She Found Out She Was Promoted to Soloist [19:25] Redefining Success — Why the Title Was Never the Point
ABOUT THE GUEST: Ashley Hod is a soloist with New York City Ballet. Born and raised in Great Neck, New York, she began dancing at age four and trained at the School of American Ballet starting in 2003. She became an NYCB apprentice in November 2012 and joined the corps de ballet in October 2013, before being promoted to soloist in January 2022. In 2018, she received the Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists. Her repertory includes Dewdrop and Sugar Plum Fairy in George Balanchine's The Nutcracker and the title role in Balanchine's Firebird.
ABOUT PUSHING OVER THE BOX: Pushing Over the Box is a ballet podcast about the dancer's mindset, hosted by young dancer Jasmine Jain. Through interviews with leading ballet professionals, the podcast explores discipline, artistry, injury, resilience, and what it takes to pursue excellence.
CONNECT:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pushingoverthebox/ Website: https://pushingoverthebox.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1zHqK394AYtUjYxbB9FNZ1 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pushing-over-the-box/id1847970742#ballet #balletpodcast #balletmindset
#dancepodcast #ashleyhod #newyorkcityballet #nycballet #lincolncenter #balletinterview #soloistTopics discussed:
Ashley Hod interview, New York City Ballet, Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists, ballet promotion story, ballet injury recovery, self-doubt and comparison, pandemic and ballet, redefining success
Guest: Ashley Hod — Soloist, New York City BalletPushing Over the Box is a ballet podcast about the dancer's mindset. Listen at pushingoverthebox.com
