Wonder what’s going on in ballet this week? We’ve rounded up some highlights. Astana Ballet Tours to the West Coast for the First Time Kazakhstan-based Astana Ballet makes its West Coast debut this week with MASTERPIECES. The company, which blends ballet, national and modern styles, is showcasing Kazakh folk dance The Heritage of the Great […]
The individual touches that ballerinas incorporate into well-known classical variations are a source of endless fascination for us bunheads. (The abundant “variation compilation” videos on YouTube is proof of our obsession!) Odette’s solo in Swan Lake‘s Act II is one that is particularly open to interpretation. The style is lyrical and introspective, giving dancers ample […]
It’s often said that the key ingredient in a successful partnership is trust. In this 1994 clip from a Dancers for Life benefit performance, Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Evelyn Hart and National Ballet of Canada’s Rex Harrington demonstrate trust in action as they perform Jiří Kylián’s Nuages. The two stars of Canadian ballet frequently danced together, […]
When ballerina Evelyn Hart retired in 2006 after a legendary 30-year career, it marked the end of an era. The longtime star of Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet relocated to Toronto and has been busy teaching and coaching since. (She even started her own summer intensive last year). But thanks to a growing creative relationship with […]
Ballet dancers never reveal the labor of their work. Whether onstage or in rehearsal, they hurdle through moments of exhaustion to preserve an effortless illusion. Even when a character calls for anger, sorrow or pain, a dancer can still move the audience with beauty. The Dying Swan, originally choreographed by Mikhail Fokine in 1905, breaks this quest […]
Traditionally, ballet costumes are made to have a life of 20 to 30 years. But they sometimes remain in use for much longer, being worn and altered to fit dozens of dancers. Multiple rows of hooks and bars show this progression, but it’s more apparent inside the costume, where numerous labels can be found bearing […]
When Miami City Ballet brought Giselle back into its repertoire recently, the company borrowed sets and costumes from American Ballet Theatre. MCB principal (and former ABT soloist) Simone Messmer would dance the lead after years of watching and performing alongside famous ballerinas in the title role. “I had so much attachment to that production, and […]
This is Pointe’s October/November 2017 Cover Story. You can subscribe to the magazine here, or click here to purchase this issue. At just 20 years old, Cesar Corrales has skyrocketed to principal at English National Ballet. English National Ballet was midway through a precise but polite performance of William Forsythe’s In the middle, somewhat elevated […]