by Julia Guiheen | May 5, 2021 | TBT
With its fairytale magic and ludicrous stepsisters, Sir Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella is full of whimsy and charm. The choreography is also playfully challenging with quirky, intricate phrasing that illuminates Prokofiev’s score. Antoinette Sibley, a...
by Julia Guiheen | Feb 3, 2021 | TBT
The ballet Sylvia, which is based on a legend from Greek mythology, originally debuted in France in the late 19th century, but it soon slipped under the radar. However, the rich score by Léo Delibes inspired British choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton to recreate the...
by Gavin Larsen | Mar 12, 2020 | Instagram, Profiles, Technique
Sarasota Ballet was the first U.S. company to perform Sir Frederick Ashton’s Marguerite and Armand. Principal dancer Victoria Hulland dives deep into the dramatic title role. Iain Webb, our director, always educates us on the history of the ballets we’re...
by Jennifer Lu | Aug 12, 2019 | Career, Trending
While most ballet casts are 100 percent human, it’s not unheard of for live animals to appear onstage, providing everything from stage dressing to supporting roles. Michael Messerer’s production of Don Quixote features a horse and a donkey; American Ballet...
by Julia Guiheen | Jan 24, 2018 | Profiles, Viral Videos
There are few opportunities as rewarding for a dancer as having choreography created on you. Sir Anthony Dowell, former principal and then artistic director of The Royal Ballet, is one of those rare few who had the chance to originate many roles throughout his...
by Julia Guiheen | Sep 13, 2017 | Profiles, TBT
Summertime may be slipping away, but this clip from Sir Frederick Ashton’s The Dream will transport you to a warm, enchanted summer evening. In this clip from an American Ballet Theater performance from 2004, Alessandra Ferri and Ethan Stiefel play Titania and...
by Julia Guiheen | Aug 16, 2017 | Profiles, TBT
Sir Frederick Ashton first choreographed the Voices of Spring pas de deux on Royal Ballet stars Merle Park and Wayne Eagling in 1977 for a ball scene in Johann Strauss II’s operetta Die Fledermaus. The lively duet is a favorite in galas and mixed bills these...
by Julia Guiheen | Jul 26, 2017 | Profiles, TBT
We’ve all dreamt of it: dancing a romantic pas de deux with your real-life love interest. Alina Cojocaru and Johan Kobborg have done it countless times as one of ballet’s most beloved on- and offstage couples. In this immaculate 2003 performance with The...