by Kyra Laubacher | Dec 29, 2025 | Audition Advice, Pointe+, Summer Intensives, Summer Study, Technique, Training
At my first summer intensive audition, I was doing a développé à la seconde when my supporting leg suddenly felt like jelly. My foot rocked back and forth, I hopped, and my working leg came down. It was frustrating. I could do a stable développé in normal class! But...
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 Natalia Boesch | Jul 9, 2020 | Technique, Training
A string of piqué turns en dedans, says Erica Fischbach, director of Colorado Ballet Academy, should appear powerful yet effortless. “The effect you want to create is that you’re flying.” Here are her tips to achieve this as you whirl through...
by Amy Brandt | Apr 29, 2020 | Ask Amy, Training
My daughter is 14 and just started a different ballet school in France. She comes from a strong Russian technique and seems to be struggling between schools and keeps saying she is losing her placement. Do you have any advice on how she can keep her strengths of one...
by Sophie Robertson For Dance Spirit | Mar 3, 2020 | Technique, Training
As a teacher and choreographer, George Balanchine—founder of the School of American Ballet and New York City Ballet—finessed even the smallest details. And in his technique, extra-special attention is paid to the carriage of the head, which is both unique...
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 | Apr 9, 2019 | Health & Body, Wellness
You spend countless hours in fifth position. But there’s another position you might be just as familiar with: neck craned down, shoulders hunched and eyes on your phone. Researchers estimate that the average person spends two to four hours per day on smart...
by Rachel Hellwig | Aug 28, 2018 | Career, Profiles, Training, Trending
Ballet schools are back in session and dancers are preparing to be back in class with all of its exhilaration, magic, and, of course, struggle. Today, four dancers reveal what they found challenging as ballet students and how they now look at their technique as...