by Katherine Beard | Oct 8, 2024 | Career, Higher Ed, Pointe+, Training
Morgan Sanborn knew she wanted to join a ballet company. But it wasn’t until she attended a pedagogy lecture-demonstration at American Ballet Theatre’s Collegiate Summer Intensive that she realized that getting certified in ABT’s National Training Curriculum could...
by Gavin Larsen | May 31, 2024 | Pointe+, Training
Grace Li trained hard at her local studio all through high school, and by her senior year she was excited to take the next step towards a ballet career. But she and her parents knew higher education was also in her future. After Li applied to both colleges and trainee...
by Sierra Hitchcock | May 22, 2024 | Pointe+, Training
Many ballet students take the step of moving to a new country to continue their training. And while it’s not an uncommon story, like any new endeavor, it can have both its challenges and its highlights. Pointe spoke with three dancers about what their time training...
by Gavin Larsen | Dec 5, 2023 | Pointe+, Technique, Training
When Carolina Ballet Theatre dancer Marja’ Miller was 13, she hit a plateau. Although she’d always been super-motivated in class, she suddenly didn’t seem to be progressing as fast as she used to. Looking around, she saw her classmates advancing and getting more...
by Katie Slattery | Nov 22, 2023 | Everything Nutcracker, Pointe+, Training
As a 16-year-old student, Patrick Frenette was excited to dance his first pas de deux onstage in The Nutcracker. He had been preparing for the role of Sugarplum’s Cavalier for nearly a year. “I remember spending six days a week training in my garage, doing as many...
by Avichai Scher | Oct 16, 2023 | Pointe+, Training
When Matthew Fontana, 13, arrived at the School of American Ballet last summer, it was the first time he’d been in a class full of boys. During the school year, he trains at Rye Ballet Conservatory in New York State. The school has a growing program for young boys,...
by Stephanie Kramer | Sep 21, 2023 | Health & Body, Pointe+, Technique
Most dancers with hyperextended knees consider them a blessing—until something goes wrong. While hyperextension can create elegant lines, excessively mobile joints can be prone to injury. “They have to be handled with care,” says Adriana Wagenveld, a dancer with Grand...
by Katie Slattery | Aug 28, 2023 | Pointe+, Technique, Training
No ballet class is complete without a healthy dose of corrections. As dancers, we mostly crave them. Other times, they can make us feel put on the spot. Whether receiving the notes as a group or individually, it’s important to learn how to absorb them. What makes a...