by Nicole Loeffler-Gladstone | Aug 24, 2015 | Company Life
Ballet training and all of its associated fees provide a serious barrier to entry for many aspiring dancers. Tuition, appropriate dancewear, pointe shoes and summer intensives add up, and up…and up. Nowadays, many students also compete and the cost to travel to...
by Kathleen McGuire | Jun 1, 2015 | Summer Study, Training
This story originally appeared in the June/July 2015 issue of Pointe. Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre corps member Caitlin Peabody was dancing famously at her small variety-dance school in Derry, New Hampshire, as a young student. She had so much potential that her...
by Laura Jacobs | Apr 1, 2015 | Career, Wellness
This story originally appeared in the April/May 2015 issue of Pointe. “It was perfect,” Nina says of her debut as Odette/Odile. It’s the last scene of the 2010 psychological thriller Black Swan and these are the last words this character, the...
by Amy Brandt | Feb 24, 2011 | Company Life
It seems as if all dancers at major companies have gone to a year-round company school like SAB. Do I have a chance of a successful career without going away? —Hayley Dancers take many different paths, so don’t get discouraged if leaving home isn’t an option. My...
by Amy Brandt | Apr 1, 2010 | Company Life
I’m going on a month-long vacation this summer, and I’m afraid I’m going to lose my technique. How can I stay in shape if I’m not taking class? —Clara, WI A month is a long time to go without taking class—I usually give myself a week or two after a heavy season to...
by Amy Brandt | Mar 31, 2010 | Company Life
Help! All of my friends are going to impressive summer intensives, but I didn’t get in anywhere fancy. I feel like a total loser because I’m just going to a small school. Any advice? —Heidi, TX I understand what you’re going through—I remember when a girl from my...
by Amy Brandt | Nov 19, 2009 | Company Life
Some teachers say you should “dance big” at auditions and others tell you to stick to technique. What’s your best bet? —Stephanie, Indiana It’s a combination of both—you want to show off your technique, but you also need to reveal some personality to stand out. A...
by Jennifer Heimlich | Nov 28, 2001 | Company Life
When you dance, do you do the movement, explore it or listen to how your body wants to perform it? This weekend I took a workshop with Nathan Trice, a former Complexions, MOMIX and Donald Byrd dancer who now runs his own troupe. His movement style is kind of a modern...