ABT Up Close

November 28, 2001

Getting to attend the annual Dance Magazine Awards is one of my favorite perks of this job. The caliber of artists you get to rub shoulders with each year is kind of amazing, if a bit overwhelming. The first time I went, as a Dance Magazine intern, I remember seeing Alessandra Ferri float up the aisle to accept her award with the exact same effortless fluidity she moves with onstage. (Full confession: I might have literally drooled in my seat.) A few years later, I brought my mom along with me, who to this day still brags about being able to go up to Christopher Wheeldon to tell him how much she loves his ballet Carousel (A Dance).

 

This year, the biggest treat for me was watching American Ballet Theatre principals Hee Seo and Cory Stearns perform Antony Tudor’s The Leaves Are Fading in honor of Julie Kent. Seo has been one of my favorite ABT dancers for years—when she’s on, her lines are simply breathtaking. Getting to see her dance just a few feet away from me was a rare treat. A clip of their performance just went up on dancemedia.com. I reccomend everyone take a break from Nutcracker madness and watch it here. It’s only a minute long, but it’s chock-full of gorgeousness.