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The "Balanchine Head," and How to Master It—Including Spotting Front
As a teacher and choreographer, George Balanchine—founder of the School of American Ballet and New York City Ballet—finessed even the smallest details. And in his technique, extra-special attention is...
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Building Character: What Happened to the Popularity of Character Dance?
Most full-length classical ballets feature several character dances—troupes of dancing peasants, parades of visiting princesses. Today, those dances are often seen as “filler,” interludes to give the...
View ArticleWhat to Do When Your Dance Teacher Says You're Not Pointe Ready
Since the day you pulled on your first leotard, you have no doubt been dreaming of the day you would attend your first pointe shoe fitting. Going on pointe is a rite of passage as a ballet dancer, and...
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The “Uncheat-able” Turns: How to Master Pirouettes From Fifth
While pirouettes from fifth position are not the flashiest turns in the ballet toolbox (we see you, fouettés), they are still one of the most technical. Turning from a tighter base—fifth position as...
View ArticleWhich Nutcracker Sweet Are You?
Most everyone has a favorite scene from Act II of The Nutcracker. But there’s a difference between which variation you love and which Nutcracker sweet really captures your essence. Keep track of your...
View Article#BlackDanceHistoryIsHappeningNow: Maxfield Haynes
In celebration of Black History Month, Dance Spirit is saluting young Black artists who don’t just represent a bright future for the dance industry—they’re already making history of their own. First...
View Article5 of the Most Romantic Pas de Deux in Classical Ballet
Classical ballets may vary in style, setting and plot, but one theme unites the most famous ballets: love. These five lovely pas de deux—French for “step of two”—are the ballet equivalent of a lacy...
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#BlackDanceHistoryIsHappeningNow: Charlotte Nebres
In celebration of Black History Month, Dance Spirit is saluting young Black artists who don’t just represent a bright future for the dance industry—they’re already making history of their own....
View ArticleWhat Your Dance Skirt of Choice Says About You
What with strict and traditional dress codes, there are precious few opportunities to show your personal sense of style at the barre or in center. But one fun way dancerinas can express their...
View ArticlePointe Shoe Fitting 101—for Men
Josephine Lee, resident pointe shoe expert at The Pointe Shop in California, has found perfect pairs for quite a few men. Are you a male dancer hoping to try pointework? Here are Lee’s tips for your...
View ArticleBackstage Before Showtime
Jennifer Goodman, a seasoned member of The Joffrey Ballet, tells DS how she prepares for her role as Helena in The Dream 60 minutes before the curtain rises. 60 minutes: Physical Therapy Goodman,...
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Pointe Shoes 101
I slept in my first pair of pointe shoes. At least, I tried to sleep in them. I actually woke up in the middle of the night, ripped the Capezio Pavlovas off of my throbbing feet and threw them to the...
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On Balance: How to Nail Long Balances
Few things top that jaw-dropping moment when a ballerina hits a balance—and just stays. And when you’re over your leg and in control, balancing can look (and feel) so easy. But if you’re unsure of...
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Dancing Balanchine
New York City Ballet in George Balanchine’s Serenade (by Paul Kolnik) It’s a thrilling moment: My fellow corps members and I rise to our toes and begin hopping on pointe in time to a beautiful Bach...
View ArticleDear Katie: Is It Too Late to Improve My Turnout?
In our “Dear Katie” series, former NYCB soloist Kathryn Morgan answers your pressing dance questions. Have something you want to ask Katie? Email dearkatie@dancespirit.comfor a chance to be featured!...
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6 Ballerinas Share Their First Pointe Shoe Memories
The mark of a truly skilled ballerina is her ability to make the pointe shoe look like a part of her body, an extension of her beautifully S-curved leg. It’s hard to believe the shoe was ever foreign...
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The Life of a Pointe Shoe, from Factory to Stage
For professional ballet dancers, the search for the perfect pointe shoe is a lifelong quest. Even the smallest adjustment in manufacturing can make the difference between a shoe that allows a...
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Please Take a Moment to Silence Your Pointe Shoes
Few things ruin the magic of a performance faster than the sound of loud pointe shoes. “When an audience watches someone dancing, they don’t want to hear tap-tap-tap,” says Houston Ballet first...
View ArticleMiko Fogarty's New TEDx Talk is a Brave Account of Her Ballet Journey
Miko Fogarty is no stranger to the spotlight. But when the former comp star and Birmingham Royal Ballet dancer took the stage at University of California, Berkeley last month, it wasn’t in a tutu and...
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Boston Ballet Joins Twenty One Pilots and Tame Impala at Boston Calling Music...
Twenty One Pilots, Janelle Monáe, Tame Impala, Boston Ballet. One of these things is not like the others. This Memorial Day weekend, Boston’s hometown ballet company is joining a lineup of major music...
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This NYC Restaurant Created a "Whipped Cream" Ballet-Inspired Sundae, and We...
Alexei Ratmansky’s Whipped Cream, which American Ballet Theatre debuted in 2017, tells the story of a young boy who eats too many sweets, falls into a delirium, and is rescued by Princess Praline, who...
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A Mother's Mountain of Pointe Shoes Shows What It Takes to Become a...
On the morning of May 1, Miriam Barbosa posted a photo of her daughter, Itzkan, on Facebook. The image itself is striking—Itzkan stands smiling on pointe in front of Miami City Ballet, where she has...
View ArticleThis Short Film Will Transport You into a Parisian Midnight
Hey, want to take a quick trip to Paris for the weekend? No, we’re serious. There’s this brief but beautiful ballet flick called Until Midnight, it stars Brittany Cavaco (a freelance ballerina...
View ArticleMichaela DePrince Will Star in a New Film Bringing Together Animation and Ballet
Have we mentioned that we love ballet movies? Thankfully, Dutch National Ballet just gave us something new to look forward to. The company announced today that filming is now underway for Coppelia, a...
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ABT's Aran Bell and Joo Won Ahn Have Been Promoted to Soloist
Most years, American Ballet Theatre closes its spring Met season with a sweet surprise: company promotions. Artistic director Kevin McKenzie just announced that two members of the corps de ballet—Aran...
View ArticleWatch These Paris Opéra Ballet Dancers Give a Surprise In-Flight Performance
Just imagine: You’re settling in for a long international flight, when suddenly Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake starts playing on the intercom—and a group of feather-clad ballerinas bourrée down the aisle....
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The Secrets to Smooth—and Smack-Free—Partnered Pirouettes
In theory, partnered pirouettes should be easier than regular pirouettes, right? After all, there are not one, but two of you there to make lots of smooth, glorious rotations happen. But in practice,...
View ArticleA New "Romeo and Juliet" Ballet Movie Is Happening and We're Freaking Out
Ever wish that Kenneth MacMillan’s iconic ballet production of Romeo and Juliet could have a beautiful love child with the Leo DiCaprio/Claire Danes film version? Wish granted: Today, the trailer for...
View ArticleMeet the 10 Americans Going to the 2020 Prix de Lausanne
Though we haven’t even gotten to The Nutcracker yet, competition season is just around the corner. Yesterday, the Prix de Lausanne announced the names of the 84 young hopefuls who will be competing in...
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What It's Like to Take Ballet Class All Over the World
From Copenhagen, Denmark, to San Francisco, CA, a ballet student’s day starts the same way: with class. Ballet class is a given at schools around the world, but there is a myriad of differences—from...
View ArticleL.A.-Based Ballerinas, Listen Up: Lizzo Wants You
Last summer, Lizzo put out a call on Twitter asking her fans to make a ballet to her song “Truth Hurts,” and dancers everywhere responded (our favorites still might be Harper Watters and Erica Lall)....
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New Networking Group for L.A.-Based Ballerinas Hosts First IRL Event
Last October, Michelle Lebowski was watching her peers during an open class at Santa Monica’s famed Westside School of Ballet when a thought began to weigh on her mind: “I have a lot of beautiful...
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Why More and More Men Are Dancing on Pointe
Like many professional dancers, New York City Ballet’s Gilbert Bolden III is totally used to sharing pics and vids of his dancing on social media. But in the fall of 2018, the corps de ballet member...
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How First Soloist Harper Watters Creates Community at Houston Ballet
Naturally drawn to dance from a young age, Harper Watters also sought out a sense of community throughout his training. The only boy enrolled at his local studio in New Hampshire, Watters eventually...
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New York City Ballet Dancer Christina Clark Is Celebrating Every Stage
When Christina Clark saw her first Nutcracker performance at age 5, she didn’t immediately aspire to the roles of Sugarplum Fairy or Dewdrop—instead, she was fixated on the dozens of children in the...
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2024 YAGP Winners Announced, Capping 25th Anniversary Celebration
New York City’s midtown streets were abuzz with bunheads last week—it seemed everywhere you looked, you’d see large groups of young dancers, hair slicked and garment bags in tow, rushing to a studio...
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English National Ballet Dancer Vsevolod Maievskyi’s Journey to Loving Ballet
In 2018, Vsevolod Maievskyi achieved his dream of joining the Mariinsky Ballet. For four years, Maievskyi was onstage night after night, dancing everything from demanding corps parts to Prince...
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