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Wonder what life is like these days for David Hallberg? The Chicago Sun Times' Hedy Weiss checks in with the Bolshoi and ABT star one year after he became the first American to join Moscow's beloved ballet company. He perform Giselle on Saturday night with ABT at Chicago's Auditorium Theatre.

On March 30, thousands of people around the world will stop what they're doing and dance. It will be noon in San Fancisco, 3 pm in New York, 4 pm in Buenos Aires, 9 pm in Cairo, 10 pm in Minsk—and everyone from cab drivers to businessmen to dogwalkers will simultaneously get their groove on. The event, called "dance anywhere" was started by San Francisco–based choreographer Beth Fein eight years ago. In addition to off-the-cuff improvs by people on the street, several dancers also take part with choreographed public performances—so keep your eyes open.

Want to get your Vaganova on this summer?

Most of the ballet world would agree that there’s a glut of fresh choreographic talent. That’s not to say there are no interesting artists making work; there’s just not enough of them. (Wheeldon and Ratmansky can only be stretched so thin.)

Collaborating with a composer is one of the great joys of choreographing. But it's a luxury that's usually reserved only for the most successful (or well-funded).

It sometimes seems like modern dancers have it easy. There are dozens of great college dance programs that can lead to successful contemporary careers. But for aspiring bunheads, the options are narrower, and the competition is tough. Indiana University at Bloomington's ballet department only takes about 10-20 dancers each year.

If you’ve ever been curious about ballet competitions, you need to check out First Position. The new documentary follows a handful of super-talented ballet students as they train for and compete in Youth America Grand Prix. All of them make it to the finals in New York, and (spoiler alert) most place in the top 12.

Istanbul may not be the first place you’d look for great ballet. But the Turkish city is an emerging arts capital, and one reason is the new International Istanbul Ballet Competition. The event brought in some heavyweight jury members in its first two editions, including Julio Bocca, Vladimir Malakhov, Irek Mukhamedov, Septime Webre and Yury Grigorovich. And this year, its offering an added bonus: Bolshoi ballet master Mikhail Lavrovsky will teach daily master classes open to any and all ballet students and professionals.

Craving some crunch? Put down the Pringles and reach for some kale. Or at least some kale chips. This leafy green superfood is having something of a moment right now, and it's a health food fad every dancer should follow. Why? Kale's vitamin A feeds bone formation, its B vitamins boost your metabolism and its vitamin C helps your body fight inflammation. That's not to mention the loads of fiber that keep your stomach from gumbling in the middle of rehearsal.

Attention DC dancers: The Joy of Motion Dance Center is offering a free Gaga technique master class this upcoming Sunday, February 12. Batsheva dancer Tom Weinberger will teach the class from 5:30 to 6:45, then host a short question and answer session. Any intermediate or advanced–level dancer is invited to attend—for free!