Hannah Neeleman (age 34) runs the thriving Utah-based Ballerina Farm. She wears many hats: Mrs. America, professional ballerina, business owner, member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, wife, and mother. While the media has sometimes labeled her a “tradwife,” Neeleman doesn’t embrace this term.
“Tradwife” refers to a traditional wife who follows conventional gender roles within marriage. With over 9 million Instagram followers and millions more on TikTok and YouTube, Neeleman is a prominent social media influencer, familiar with public scrutiny.
A recent controversy erupted following a feature story by The Times, a British newspaper, which described Neeleman and her family. The piece sparked a debate on social media, with some portraying Neeleman as a victim.
However, this perspective overlooks her role as a business owner and active partner to her husband, Daniel Neeleman. Together, they homeschool their eight children, with Daniel notably handling all the laundry.
In the article published on July 20, Neeleman told reporter Megan Agnew that she doesn’t align with the “tradwife” label. She explained, “I don’t necessarily identify with it because we are traditional in the sense that it’s a man and a woman, we have children, but I do feel like we’re paving a lot of paths that haven’t been paved before.”
Neeleman’s business acumen sets her apart from the traditional stay-at-home mom archetype. She helps manage the farm and a successful enterprise leveraging her social media presence.
In addition to social media income, Ballerina Farm sells meat boxes from their cattle and various branded farm products, including sourdough starters, beeswax candles, and rock salt.
After the initial uproar, Agnew published a second article to provide more context about her visit to the 328-acre farm near Kamas, Utah. This follow-up piece offered deeper insight into Neeleman’s life and the dynamic at Ballerina Farm.
Ballerina Farm Article Sparks Social Media Debate
The Ballerina Farm article went viral, sparking a flurry of discussions and opinions on social media. Megan Agnew, the reporter from The Times, noted the intense reaction, saying, “Since we published the interview, we have had an enormous and impassioned response, a whirl of arguments and opinions whipping up speed on social media.”
Agnew suggested that the strong reactions stem from how the “trad life” makes women feel threatened by each other’s choices. She explained, “It is as if one lifestyle is going to inhibit the other. That our freedom — however we interpret ‘freedom’ — is being undermined by the existence of someone else’s.”
In her follow-up story, Agnew aimed to shed more light on why Hannah Neeleman chose her lifestyle. Neeleman shared, “Anything great requires sacrifice. You know what it took to get to where you’re at.”
One major controversy from the profile piece was whether Neeleman gave up her dream of being a professional dancer in New York City after studying at The Juilliard School, to follow her husband Daniel’s dream.
Agnew’s original article included lines like, “Daniel wanted to live in the great western wilds, so they did; he wanted to farm, so they do; he likes date nights once a week, so they go; he didn’t want nannies in the house, so there aren’t any.”
The article also mentioned that a small barn Neeleman intended to convert into a ballet studio ended up becoming the kids’ schoolroom.
While Neeleman hasn’t publicly commented on Agnew’s take on her lifestyle choices, her recent social media post suggests that she chose this life for herself.
Read Also: Who is Amy Tripp? Viral Astrologer Predicts Next US President After Prophesying Exact Date of Biden’s Exit
