by Katie Slattery | Sep 16, 2025 | Pointe+, Technique, Training
There’s a telling moment in John Cranko’s Onegin near the end of the Act III pas de deux. Onegin, who had broken Tatiana’s heart years earlier, falls at her feet, begging for forgiveness. “Tatiana married a good and loving man, but in her heart, Onegin was still her...
by Helen Hope | May 25, 2021 | Cross-Training, Health & Body
Some ballet dancers think yoga is boring, or just isn’t for them. Shelby Elsbree wants to convince you otherwise. “Yoga is an extraordinary physical and mental supplement to your dance training,” says the former Royal Danish Ballet and Boston Ballet...
by Natalia Boesch | Feb 27, 2020 | Technique, Training
“Port de bras creates colors,” says Larissa Ponomarenko, ballet mistress at Boston Ballet. “It gives vitality and vibrancy to dancing.” Here, she shares how she coaches her dancers towards strength, coordination and artistry in the use of their...
by Madeline Schrock | Jun 16, 2015 | Cross-Training, Health & Body, Technique
This story originally appeared in the June/July 2015 issue of Pointe. Just because the majority of ballet port de bras happens to the side or front of the body doesn’t mean your back isn’t working, too. In fact, a simple sweeping of the arms from en bas...
by Jen Peters | Mar 15, 2012 | Cross-Training, Health & Body
Ballet naturally creates strong legs. Arms, however, are another story. Many dancers are relatively weak in their upper bodies. They struggle with messy, floppy or stiff port de bras—or the dreaded “chicken wings.” The good news? Targeted cross-training...
by Jennifer Heimlich | Nov 28, 2001 | Company Life
Growing up, we were forbidden to wear nail polish at our studio. It was considered strictly taboo, as offensive as wearing a messy ponytail or a necklace to class. I remember I once had an audition just 3 hours before prom. I had to paint my nails in the car...
