In this special summer edition of At the Barre with Madison Ballet Special Projects, Director Chris Fahrenthold is joined by Lauren Thompson, company artist with Madison Ballet and one of the creative forces behind Summer Suite, a one-day fundraising event benefiting the School of Madison Ballet Scholarship Fund.

Lauren shares how a personal fundraiser for her cats unexpectedly became the inspiration for Summer Suite, offering listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the event, the upcoming performance, and why supporting dancers and dance education matters.

We also learn about Lauren's journey from Hawaii to Madison, the lessons that transformed her career, and what it takes to balance performing, teaching, and producing an event during the company's summer layoff.

About Lauren Thompson

Lauren Thompson grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii and began dancing at Ballet Hawaii. She continued her studies at Honolulu Classical Ballet, Ballet West Academy, and Nashville Ballet II.

In 2018 Lauren joined The BrayBallet in Oconomowoc, where she performed principal roles in Eddy Bray’s Dracula, Nutcracker, and Sinatra Suites. Since joining Madison Ballet in 2021, she has enjoyed performing in Gerald Arpino’s Birthday Variations and in Heinz Poll’s Eight By Benny.

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/lauren_thebus_thompson/

See SUMMER SUITE @ Wyso Center August 22, 2026

🎟️ https://www.madisonballetspecialprojects.com/summersuite

Bid in the silent auction: https://givebutter.com/c/summer-suite-uwrptk/auction

Join the conversation!

MBSP WEBSITE: https://www.madisonballetspecialprojects.com/

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/madisonballetspecialprojects

Questions/comments? Email us at hello@madisonballetspecialprojects.com

Credits

PODCAST COVER PHOTO: Matthew Ulrich

DANCER: Madison Ballet Company Artist Lauren Thompson

MUSIC: Capet String Quartet - Ravel (Col. D 15057-60) 1928