by Katie Slattery | Oct 18, 2024 | Pointe+, Technique, Training
Philip Neal was an 11-year-old student at Richmond Ballet School when a choreographer asked him to perform 16 brisés volés across the stage. “I hadn’t even learned how to do brisé, but I just tried it,” he says, laughing. Neal later became a principal dancer...
by Amy Brandt | Jul 17, 2024 | Pointe+, Technique, Training
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School faculty member Christopher Budzynski remembers the first time he saw dancers perform finger turns in Nutcracker as a child. “They did a lot, and it blew my mind that this was possible, and that they were doing it so easily.” Budzynski...
by Amy Brandt | Nov 21, 2022 | Pointe+, Technique, Training
There’s something uniquely exciting about coupé jeté en tournant. “I think it’s the combination of turning, jumping and traveling,” says Carlos Lopez, American Ballet Theatre’s director of repertoire and a former soloist with the company. “Usually you see it at the...
by Katie Slattery | Sep 27, 2022 | Technique
Gen Horiuchi, Saint Louis Ballet’s executive and artistic director, achieved the type of storied career many dancers dream of: After growing up in a ballet family in Japan (both of his parents were professional dancers), he won the Prix de Lausanne and was offered a...
by Sponsored by Harlequin Floors | Jun 27, 2021 | From Our Sponsors, Training
“Make sure you’re feeling the floor!” If you had a dollar for every time you’ve heard a teacher say that, you’d be able to buy a new pair of pointe shoes every single day for life. But what does it actually mean to “feel the...
by Katie Slattery | May 17, 2021 | Technique
As a professional dancer, LeeWei Chao excelled at allégro movement; now he shares his extensive knowledge with upper-level students at Oregon Ballet Theatre School, where he also teaches OBT2. Below, Chao breaks down sissonne fermé en avant to help you achieve a...
by Natalia Boesch | Nov 19, 2020 | Technique, Training, Videos
Développé écarté relevé “is in every class, every ballet,” says Lauren Anderson, former principal dancer and current program manager of education and community engagement at Houston Ballet. Below, she gives you the keys to success for this “light and...
by Amy Brandt | Mar 21, 2018 | Ask Amy, Technique
We do a lot of fast frappé combinations at barre, but my footwork is still a mess. Do you have any tips? —Anna I’ve always enjoyed frappés, so I’m glad you asked. I keep two main things in mind. The first is to isolate the striking action. Focus on...