Ballet Tucson at 40 | Margaret Mullin’s Journey from Student to Director

Margaret Mullin once cleaned the studios at Ballet Tucson as a work-scholarship student. Now she leads the organization where she trained—a full-circle story about opportunity, determination, and coming home to help others follow their dreams. In Episode 399 of Life Along the Streetcar, Tom Heath sits down with Ballet Tucson’s Artistic Director as the company celebrates its 40th anniversary. Margaret shares her journey from growing up in Tucson to dancing with Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, and explains how volunteering during the pandemic helped bring her back to the organization that gave her a start. Think ballet begins and ends with The Nutcracker? Margaret invites audiences to expect the unexpected. We explore the range of classical and contemporary work, why you don’t need a background in dance to enjoy a performance, and how a program of different pieces can introduce you to something you never knew you loved. The conversation also goes behind the scenes: the supportive culture Margaret works to build, what draws dancers to Tucson, and the care involved in curating an evening that respects an audience’s time and money. From performances at the Temple of Music and Art to The Nutcracker at Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, it’s a look at Ballet Tucson’s place in the cultural life of the urban core—and why its anniversary is about looking forward as well as looking back. EXPLORE MORE Ballet Tucson — performances and company information: BalletTucson.org Life Along the Streetcar — more Tucson conversations in audio and video: LifeAlongTheStreetcar.org Life Along the Streetcar explores the people, places, and stories shaping Tucson’s urban core—from Sentinel Peak to the University of Arizona. Listen Sundays at 11 AM on Downtown Radio Tucson, 99.1 FM, streaming at DowntownRadio.org. Subscribe for more conversations with the people shaping Tucson, and share in the comments: What performance changed the way you thought about an art form? CHAPTERS These chapter starts follow the supplied full-length transcript, including the podcast opening. 00:00 Welcome and meet Margaret Mullin 01:35 Ballet Tucson’s 40-year story 05:18 From Tucson to Pacific Northwest Ballet 06:22 Returning home and paying opportunity forward 08:07 From work-scholarship student to company leader 10:05 Ballet, film, and a lifelong love of dance 12:31 Expect the unexpected at Ballet Tucson 15:04 Ballet for newcomers — beyond The Nutcracker 17:17 Performing on Tucson’s downtown stages 17:46 Attracting dancers from Tucson and beyond 18:43 Why dancers choose Ballet Tucson 21:53 The 40th-anniversary season and what comes next 24:24 Curating a rewarding evening for the audience 26:12 Closing thoughts and credits #BalletTucson #MargaretMullin #TucsonArts #Ballet #LifeAlongTheStreetcar