Caitlin, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, holds a BFA in Dance Performance and a BA in Economics from Southern Methodist University. After graduation, she performed and taught in and around the Chicagoland area before the windchill drove her west. She currently lives in Los Angeles, California, where she is a company member with Seda Aybay’s Kybele Dance Theater. When not rehearsing, touring, and performing with Kybele, you can find her either teaching ballet and modern dance at several local studios, or battling traffic on the 405. She is deeply passionate about all facets of the art form of dance.
The Young Ballet Dancer's Dream: When is It Appropriate to Start Pointework?
To achieve the effortless look seen on stage, it is important to go en pointe at the right time and with the proper training. But every student is different, so here’s how to determine if a dancer is ready.
Has the Importance of Hydration Reached Fad Cult Status?
Are we overstating the importance of hydration on social media? When it comes to knowing how much water to drink, the answer is simple.
When Is Filming Dance Helping Us And When Is It Actually Hurting?
With the rise of technology, dance has become more accessible via film. For video feedback this is great, but what are things to be weary of?
Finding Your Identity: How I Embrace Motherhood as an Artist
When life-changing choices like becoming a mother are made, how do we navigate this new identity? Writer, Caitlin Heflin, shares her story.
So, What is Inflation and How Will it Impact the Dance Industry?
Take a deeper look into how the dance industry and financial wellbeing of artists will be affected by inflation.
Why Do We Dance? The Fine Line Between Artistry and Cool Dance Tricks
Dance as an art form is constantly evolving, with young dancers eager to learn the latest, new dance tricks. But is this at the expense of artistry?
No Pain? You Can Still Gain from Physical Therapy!
Don't wait until injury to receive physical therapy. See how you can build a preventative care routine to maintain your physical health.
Battling a Chronic Illness: Living with Long-Haul COVID-19 as a Dance Artist
For professional dancers, contracting long COVID can feel detrimental. This is how the dance community can provide support.
Beyond Just Steps: What Else Are Dance Teachers Responsible For?
Becoming a good teacher goes beyond just teaching dance steps. Learn how studios can ensure the best dance education with the right instructors.
The Worst Dance Audition Practices That Need to be Cut
Is auditioning for a dance job like a regular job interview? Here are some common audition practices that we should leave behind.
Your Body Might Change... And That’s Fine: How to Handle Body Dysmorphia
Changes in your body are inevitable. Here is how to approach and work through body dysmorphia and make self-love a constant practice.
Self-Care and the Healthy Diet: Who's Responsible for Teaching it?
Self-care and a healthy diet are rarely taught in school. Here's how dance studios can better support dancers with supplemental health classes.
The Team or the Studio: Which Dance Training is Better for High-Schoolers?
For teen dancers, many choose between continuing dance training with their studio or leaving to join the school dance team. Is one better than the other?
How To Budget As A Dancer And Advocate For Better Pay
Considering the precarious nature of finances for dance artists, here are some tips to help dancers learn how to budget more successfully.
The Rise of TikTok Dancers: Is It Based on Clout or Talent?
Is influencer success truly based on talent and merit, or is it something else? How do TikTok dancers and professional dancers compare?
Mr President, Here's Why You Can't Neglect Arts and Culture
Read an open letter to US President Joe Biden on why this country is past due for a Secretary of Arts and Culture in the presidential cabinet.
Can Dance be the Answer to Healing from Trauma?
Explore the benefits of dance therapy and how it could help individuals who are healing from trauma and coping with grief.
Beware These Fad Diets, They Can Be Harmful To Your Dancer Body
A dance health expert breaks down the flaws in various fad diets and presents a more sustainable healthy solution for dancers.
How Can We Benefit from Dance Teaching Standards?
A call to set universal dance teaching standards and why a certification-based system could be beneficial for dance students.
Mental Health: Should the Show Really Go on?
A discussion with dance science experts on how mental health can be better prioritized within the dance community.
Why Ballet is Not the Foundation of All Dance Arts and Culture
Understand the full historical context of arts and culture to see why it is sometimes inaccurate to say “Ballet is the foundation of dance”.
The United States' Economic Undervaluing of Arts and Culture
Learn why America economically undervalues arts and culture, and dig deeper to see how we can dismantle the idea of the "starving artist".
How 6 Summer Dance Programs Take on the Challenge to Go Virtual
Amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, these dance programs are creatively adapting to the less-than-desirable situation with a virtual format and online classes.
Realities of the Coronavirus Pandemic: How Will Artists Recover?
Read about the Coronavirus pandemic’s impact on the dance industry and how artists can recover from this crisis.