Ballet 58: "Pray, then plié!"
Was I in a Cult?
Liz Iacuzzi
4.5 • 3.5K Ratings
🗓️ 19 May 2024
⏱️ 58 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
SHOWNOTES:
"A ballet cult?" We asked the same thing. But today's brave guest, Summer Smith, shares what happens when the world of pliés and pirouettes meets dogmatic devotion. Raised in a strict religious family and molded by the intense world of competitive ballet, Summer's journey takes a surprising twist when she joins Ballet 58, a seemingly innocuous Christian ballet company in Chicago. Soon devotions blend with dance routines, and artistic discipline intertwines with cult-like control. As Summer navigates the thin line between dedication and manipulation, you'll be left questioning just how far the influence of a charismatic leader can reach.
LINKS:
- Follow Us: Instagram/Tik Tok: @wasiinacult
- Support Us: https://www.patreon.com/wasiinacult
- Have a story to share on our show? Email Us: info@wasiinacult.com
- Find Summer and all the ex Ballet 58'ers sub Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ex58/
- Watch In The Balance:
https://vimeo.com/535912792/7551d1ed90
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | So we would get to the studio around nine. |
| 0:06.6 | Culturally, Ballet is so far from Christianity, |
| 0:10.0 | but the Norma Ballet Five Eight was devotions. |
| 0:12.8 | And then we would have ballet class morning Bible study, Liz. |
| 0:16.5 | It's devoting your heart to God first thing in the morning. Welcome to was I in a cult? |
| 0:35.0 | Were you? |
| 0:36.0 | We've covered that. |
| 0:38.0 | I'm Tyler Meissom. |
| 0:40.0 | I'm Liz Iacuzzi. |
| 0:41.0 | You know and on this show we give those who are in cults and |
| 0:43.1 | cultic environments a chance to share their wonderful story and to take their power |
| 0:47.3 | back. And we try to cover a range of cults on this show. |
| 0:52.8 | Sure, we've covered Christian cults, sex cults, |
| 0:55.8 | MLMs, self-help cults. |
| 0:58.0 | Acting class cults, hults, |
| 1:00.3 | political cults, taco cults. |
| 1:03.0 | Taco cults. |
| 1:05.0 | That's not really a cult, but if it were, I would fully baptize. |
| 1:10.0 | I'd be in. |
| 1:11.0 | I love tacos. |
| 1:12.6 | tacos have really come of age, haven't they? |
| 1:14.4 | They have. They used to be just like meat and cheese. |
... |
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