Some of ballet’s biggest stars have donated signed pointe shoes to raise money for victims of last April’s horrific earthquake in Nepal. The 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed over 9,000 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless. And while the disaster is no longer headline news, survivors are still desperate for help. From August 29 through […]
This story originally appeared in the June/July 2015 issue of Pointe. American Ballet Theatre principal Daniil Simkin has a lot on his plate. Not only has he been dancing in and rehearsing for ABT’s spring season, he’s also spearheading his own brand-new project, INTENSIO, which will premiere at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Becket, Massachusetts, […]
For the last week, New York City has been teeming with bunheads, here to compete for over $300,000 in scholarships at Youth America Grand Prix. Out of 7,000 dancers who competed in regional semi-finals, 350 were selected as NYC finalists, with over 70 moving forward to Wednesday night’s final round. The winners were announced publicly […]
Whether you’re or not planning a wedding, make sure to check out the October/November issue of Brides magazine for a seriously dance-inspired photo spread. The models? Six American Ballet Theatre dancers, all of who were engaged at the time of the shoot last spring (five have since gotten hitched). Isabella Boylston, Brittany DeGrofft, Cassandra Trenary, […]
Isabella Boylston and Daniil Simkin in Swan Lake. (Photo by Gene Schiavone) It’s official—this morning, American Ballet Theatre announced a handful of much-anticipated promotions. Not surprisingly, soloist Isabella Boylston has been named principal dancer. Boylston, who gave a critically heralded debut in the title role of Giselle two weeks ago, has been steadily […]
One evening in November, after a long day of Nutcracker rehearsals, I turned on the news to images of Typhoon Haiyan, which had just struck the Philippines. I found myself extremely upset by the devastation—the sight of the wreckage was heartbreaking. I wondered how many of my Filipino friends were missing family members and asked […]
To watch Irina Kolpakova coach Swan Lake is to witness a true artist at work. Although long retired from the stage, the American Ballet Theatre ballet mistress still possesses a commanding presence and an instinctive artistic spirit. “Don’t think about your shape when you first see Siegfried,” she tells principal Isabella Boylston during rehearsal for […]
Walks and runs may seem like the simplest moments you have onstage. But the way a dancer steps reveals so much about their interpretation of a role: what they’re thinking, what their motives are, what their backstory has dictated. It’s often the first impression a performer makes onstage and, many times, the last. Four dancers […]