Sometimes great things really do come in small packages. In the ballet world, small companies are continually cropping up, giving choreographers and dancers more options for creative expression. Small troupes may struggle financially, but their size makes for close bonds among dancers and directors and often allows members greater opportunities to perform and grow as […]
Elite ballet competitions have become a fact of life. Considering the highly competitive job market these days, the Prix de Lausanne, Youth America Grand Prix and others like them provide access to apprenticeships, scholarships, exposure and, if nothing else, the opportunity to perform. Competitions have become a goal for which many students prepare—sometimes the whole […]
The 75th anniversary of San Francisco Ballet this year is a reminder of how much ballet has changed. This season alone, SFB company members are expected to dance a full-length Giselle, neoclassical works by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, and contemporary fare from Jorma Elo, Val Caniparoli and Mark Morris, among others. And SFB’s repertoire […]
What’s In A Pointe Shoe? Pointe shoes are made in a complex process requiring multiple steps and great expertise. Although each manufacturer uses some unique methods and designs, most pointe shoes share a basic structure and set of components. The uppers, or the body of the shoe, are sewn from several pieces of satin, often […]
Kirov Ballet second soloist Ekaterina Kondaurova’s dance bag reflects the many places she has traveled to perform. She bought the gum in Germany and the magnets and warming pads in Japan. The magnets are great, she says, “If you believe.” Just attach them to muscles that hurt and wear them until they fall off. And […]
Bootleg videos of Atlanta Ballet’s new hit big are circulating on YouTube as if the work was a sold-out rock concert. Actually, it kind of was. Lauri Stallings choreographed the hip-hop ballet, set to live music by Antwan “Big Boi” Patton of OutKast, for its première in April. She saw the project, which brought together […]
When Sascha Radetsky joined the Dutch National Ballet in 2008, after a fruitful 13-year career with American Ballet Theatre, he was looking forward to expanding his repertoire of principal roles. But though he was able to partially fulfill that dream—performing Albrecht in Giselle and Masetto in Don Giovanni with DNB—various obligations brought him back to […]
MaggioDanza in Florence, Italy, weaves current dance trends into its rich ballet tradition. What began in 1967 as a corps de ballet for the affiliated opera company has evolved into a group as polished as the city it calls home. Italy influences the company’s style, says Artistic Director Giorgio Mancini, because Italian dancers come together […]