Seth & Sarah Orza, Former PNB Principals — On Reinventing the Ballet Shoe | Pushing Over the Box

Seth and Sarah Orza danced at the top of their field — and then used everything they learned about the dancer's body to completely rethink the ballet flat. The story of how a plantar fascia injury and a Dr. Scholl's heel cup from Duane Reade turned into an entirely new ballet shoe company is one of the most unexpected and inspiring stories this podcast has told.

In this episode of Pushing Over the Box, Jasmine Jain sits down with Seth and Sarah Orza, former Principal Dancers at Pacific Northwest Ballet and founders of Orza Ballet Shoes. They discuss how a career-threatening injury sparked the idea for the shoe, the difference between the Orza Pro 1 and 2, and the advice they'd give their younger selves about enjoying every part of the journey.

TIMESTAMPS:

[06:18] The Origin Story of Orza Ballet Shoes

[11:07] The Difference Between Orza Pro 1 and 2

[17:09] Advice for Young Dancers

ABOUT THE GUESTS: Seth and Sarah Orza are former Principal Dancers at Pacific Northwest Ballet, where they each had careers spanning nearly 20 years. Prior to PNB, they both danced with New York City Ballet and trained at the School of American Ballet. They are the founders of Orza Ballet Shoes, a company dedicated to rethinking ballet shoe design to better support the needs of today's dancers.

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:

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Website: https://pushingoverthebox.com

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Topics discussed: ballet shoe innovation, ballet injury recovery, founding a ballet company, Pacific Northwest Ballet, advice for young dancers

Guests: Seth and Sarah Orza — Former Principal Dancers, Pacific Northwest Ballet; Founders, Orza Ballet Shoes

Pushing Over the Box is a ballet podcast about the dancer's mindset. Listen at pushingoverthebox.com