Clik here to view.
Why Some Companies Are Rethinking Pink Tights and Shoes for the Corps de Ballet
In 1974, Dance Theatre of Harlem women began wearing tights and shoes in customized shades of brown, presenting a beautiful continuity of line. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Houston Ballet...
View ArticleVideo: Staging Bournonville’s La Sylphide at Oregon Ballet Theatre
“See, understand, react,” Frank Andersen says to Oregon Ballet Theatre principal Charles-Louis Yoshiyama as they work through a scene of Danish choreographer August Bournonville’s 1836 ballet, La...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Carlos Acosta’s Vision for Birmingham Royal Ballet Is Big and Bold
Unlike the sprawling steel-and-glass buildings that often house American ballet companies, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s studios fill a red-brick warehouse down a narrow street next to the company’s home...
View ArticleClik here to view.
With Steady Growth, Ballet Arkansas Is Making Its Presence Known in Little...
With roots that can be traced back to 1966, Ballet Arkansas has had an off-and-on history as a professional dance company. During a period in the 1980s, the company had some paid dancers and an...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Making Space for Queer Stories on Ballet’s Main Stages
At the forefront of almost every narrative classical ballet, there’s a man and a woman. The ballerina dazzles us with her delicate pointework, while the male ballet dancer, in contrast, astounds us...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Smuin Contemporary Ballet Offers a Thriving Home for Creative, Collaborative...
Known for its expressive dancers, diverse repertoire, and festive annual Christmas Ballet, Smuin Contemporary Ballet has been a fixture in the San Francisco arts scene since the late Michael Smuin...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Women Leaders Offer Their Advice for Dancers Aspiring to Be Directors
As the number of female artistic directors leading ballet companies continues to rise, I’m curious: What skills does an aspiring leader need to realize her dream? Historically, most artistic...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Eating on Tour: How to Make Sure You’re Properly Nourished on the Road
Touring is both exciting and stressful. It’s an opportunity to travel to new places, and to perform in new theaters and for new audiences. But it can also be challenging when it comes to nutrition....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Saying Goodbye to a Role: Guillaume Côté Reflects on His Last Romeo
Over the course of a dancer’s career, ballets come and go as fleetingly as the effervescent nature of dance itself. So it’s a precious thing when an artist gets to perform a particular role time and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ballet Memphis Artistic Director Steven McMahon Looks for Dancers With...
When Dorothy Gunther Pugh founded Ballet Memphis in 1986 (then known as Memphis Concert Ballet), it was with two dancers and a budget of $75,000. A lot has changed since then. The company now employs...
View ArticleClik here to view.
At Ballet Hispánico, Dancers Are Considered Artists and Cultural Ambassadors
Dance may be a wordless art form, but Ballet Hispánico makes itself heard—with a unique artistic voice and an ever-expanding concept of Latinx/Latine culture. “We are a contemporary ballet company,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Louisville Ballet’s Road to Post-Pandemic Recovery
Three and a half years after the COVID-19 pandemic brought the performing arts to a halt, the sector is still on somewhat unstable footing. Regional theater is in crisis across the country, and ticket...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Is New York City Still Fertile Ground for Smaller Ballet Companies?
New York City is famous for being a place where one’s dreams come true. I relocated here in 2017 hoping to one day start my own contemporary ballet company. After several years researching the scene,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
With Busy Nutcracker Schedules, Dancers Create Their Own Thanksgiving Traditions
Each November, when most of the country is slowing down in preparation for Thanksgiving, ballet dancers are ramping up for their busiest time of the year: Nutcracker season. But with notoriously...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Two DTH Dancers Come Full-Circle Through Mentorship
The life of an aspiring ballet dancer can be confusing and isolating. Hours spent training often leave little time for socializing, and while bonds may form with special teachers or coaches, the path...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Stuttgart Ballet Channels the Past, Present and Future
The studio is abuzz with creative energy on a Friday afternoon at Stuttgart Ballet. Following the previous night’s triple-bill performance, which featured new works by up-and-coming choreographers...
View ArticleClik here to view.
For These Estonian National Ballet Dancers, Strong Friendships Are Key to...
When Estonian National Ballet dancers Abigail Mattox and Anthea Van Der Ham received their coveted break during the winter of 2020, they craved a change of scenery. Away from home and unable to travel...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Madison Ballet Comes Into Its Own Under Director Ja’ Malik
Madison Ballet’s long-term goal of becoming a full-time professional ballet company finally came to fruition in 2022 with the hiring of new artistic director Ja’ Malik. Founded in 1981 as Wisconsin...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Royal Danish Ballet Merges Past With Present
Midway through Harald Lander’s one-act ballet Etudes, part of the Royal Danish Ballet’s Giant Steps mixed-bill this season, a ballerina wearing a white, romantic tutu enters the Old Stage at the Royal...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Early-Career-Dancer’s Guide to Company Contracts
Landing your first-ever ballet company contract is cause for celebration. But a contract is more than just a ticket to living out your dreams as a professional ballet dancer. It’s a legal document...
View Article