There are moments when a dancer and a role match up in a way that sends a shiver through the audience. During Chase Finlay’s first performances of George Balanchine’s Apollo last year, the similarities between the New York City Ballet dancer and the young god were arresting: Both were beautiful but rough-hewn, testing the limits […]
Since being named chief dance critic of The New York Times more than four years ago, Alastair Macaulay has become one of the most talked-about people in dance. His reviews, whether passionate or critical, generate instant buzz. Before his move to New York, Macaulay was chief theater critic for London’s Financial Times, and covered dance […]
Dancers go to the studio every day to polish their technique, to deepen their artistry. But all those hours spent in front of the mirror have just one goal: to create something captivating onstage. These 10 performances from the past year took audiences to new places, and made them see the dancers—and dance—in a whole […]
Blaine Hoven By Margaret Fuhrer ABT corps member Blaine Hoven moves with an understated grace that lends itself well to contemporary repertoire. It suits the fluid yet demanding roles the 25-year-old has created in ballets by Twyla Tharp and Benjamin Millepied. “I love experimenting with my body, which is a big part of contemporary work,” […]
Dancer: Shira Lanyi Company: Richmond Ballet Performance: Malcolm Burn’s Romeo & Juliet Shira Lanyi captured her audience’s heart as Juliet last February. She breathed the young heroine’s innocent ardor into every moment. Whether dancing or still, she revealed Juliet’s many facets: Holding hands with Romeo (Kirk Henning) before their first pas de deux, she displayed […]
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. His partner for the performance […]
Dancer: Sarah Van Patten Company: San Francisco Ballet Ballet: Marius Petipa’s Swan Lake San Francisco Ballet principal Sarah Van Patten always commands the stage in roles that call for dramatic depth and musicality. But because she is not usually thought of as a strong technician, she was a long shot to be cast as Odette/Odile […]
The Bolshoi seems hungry for Americans right now. In addition to the company’s high profile hiring of ABT principal David Hallberg, the Bolshoi Ballet Academy keeps finding new ways to open its doors to US students. The academy recently teamed up with the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. Up to 100 advanced students […]