Talk:Progressing Ballet Technique

Request for expansion with independent sources — COI declared

Firstly, I am disclosing a conflict of interest: I work with Progressing Ballet Technique and am therefore not editing the article directly, per Wikipedia's COI guidelines. Instead, I am requesting that independent editors consider expanding this article using the reliable sources listed below.

The article currently consists of two sentences and has been flagged since December 2019 for (1) notability concerns and (2) over-reliance on affiliated sources. The sources below are all independent of PBT and should address both flags.

Suggested addition: Lead section

Proposed text (to replace or expand the current two-sentence lead):

Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) is a supplementary dance conditioning program developed by Australian ballet educator Marie Walton-Mahon OAM. The program uses resistance bands, stability balls, and progressive ballet-specific exercises to develop core stability, muscle memory, weight placement, and alignment in dancers. PBT was developed in the 1980s and formally established in 2005. It is now taught in over 40 countries by more than 6,000 certified teachers and is listed in Dance Australia's national Syllabus Guide alongside established methodologies such as the Royal Academy of Dance and Cecchetti syllabi.

Suggested addition: Development section

Proposed text:

Marie Walton-Mahon began developing the program in the 1980s after observing that students struggled with core strength and alignment despite ballet training. Drawing on physiotherapy, Pilates, and imagery techniques, she refined the methodology over two decades. In 2005, she began formally testing the program with students alongside traditional ballet classes, with participants going on to achieve results at international competitions including the Genée International Ballet Competition.

Suggested addition: Recognition section

Proposed text:

In 2021, Walton-Mahon was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Queen's Birthday Honours for "service to dance as a teacher". The program has been referenced in Dance Magazine's Pre-Professional Program Guide and mentioned in Pointe Magazine in the context of summer intensive offerings at American ballet schools. PBT is listed in Dance Australia's national Syllabus Guide.

Independent sources for editor review

The following reliable, independent sources support the above content and further expansion:

• Newcastle Herald (mainstream regional newspaper):
  • "Marie Walton-Mahon raises the barre":

  https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/456713/marie-walton-mahon-raises-the-barre/

• • "Nurturing dreams and talent":

  https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/3347674/nurturing-dreams-and-talent/

• • Queen's Birthday Honours coverage (2021):

  https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/7293144/queens-birthday-honours-for-citys-superb-citizens/

• Australian government honours record:
  • Governor-General of Australia, Australian Honours Lists:

  https://www.gg.gov.au/australian-honours-and-awards/australian-honours-lists

• Dance Australia (national industry authority):
  • Syllabus Guide entry:

  https://www.danceaustralia.com.au/syllabus-guide/progressing-ballet-technique

• • 50th Anniversary of National College of Dance:

  https://www.danceaustralia.com.au/news/national-college-of-dance-50th-anniversary

• Fjord Review (independent international ballet publication):
  • "Marie Walton Mahon's Personal Best":

  https://fjordreview.com/blogs/all/marie-walton-mahon

• Dance Informa Magazine Australia (independent):
  • "Marie Walton-Mahon talks Progressing Ballet Technique" (2025):

  https://dancemagazine.com.au/2025/08/progressing-ballet-technique-marie-walton-mahon/

• Dance Magazine US (leading trade publication):
  • 2022–23 Pre-Professional Program Guide:

  https://dancemagazine.com/guide/dance-magazines-2022-23-pre-professional-program-guide/

• Pointe Magazine (leading ballet publication):
  • Multiple references to PBT in summer intensive listings:

  https://pointemagazine.com/adult-ballet-students-2026-summer-intensives/

• The Library Aesthetic Dance Media (independent):
  • Marie Walton-Mahon profile:

  https://thelibraryaesthetic.com/marie-walton-mahon/

• In Touch Magazine Newcastle (regional publication):
  • "Newcastle's National College of Dance Marks Golden Anniversary":

  https://www.intouchmagazine.com.au/single-post/newcastle-s-national-college-of-dance-marks-golden-anniversary

• Ballet Gothenburg (independent blog, two-part interview series, 2021):
  • Part One:

  https://balletgothenburg.com/2021/02/08/a-sit-down-with-marie-walton-mahon-part-one/

• • Part Two:

  https://balletgothenburg.com/2021/04/05/a-sit-down-with-marie-walton-mahon-part-two/

• Muse Dance Media (independent dance publication):
  • https://musedancemedia.com/marie-walton-mahon/

I am happy to provide further sources or clarify any of the above on request. Thank you to any editors who are able to review this.

— Declared COI contributor, May 2026 ~2026-27159-07 (talk) 00:35, 5 May 2026 (UTC)

Some of these links do not mention the subject of this article, Progressing Ballet Technique, and some mention it only incidentally. musedeancemedia.com is a dead link. Do you perhaps want to try to provide a more focused, smaller set of changes and proposed links? Where, for example, does the 6,000 figure come from? Note that it would help to indicate which sources provide backing of which claims. Morwen (talk) 20:44, 6 May 2026 (UTC)