by Julia Guiheen | Sep 5, 2018 | Profiles, TBT
Back-to-school blues bumming you out? This minute-long clip of Ekaterina Krysanova dancing the first bridesmaid’s variation in Don Quixote is the perfect pick-me-up. The fiery Krysanova, who was promoted to principal at the Bolshoi Ballet in 2011, is a bright...
by Julia Guiheen | Aug 22, 2018 | Profiles, TBT
When Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn began dancing together in the early 1960s, they made an unexpected pair—he was a young, hot-tempered Soviet defector and she was a distinguished prima of The Royal Ballet, 19 years his senior. Yet their partnership (which lasted...
by Julia Guiheen | Jul 25, 2018 | Profiles, TBT
The story of Giselle has emotional power in the way it blurs the lines between good and evil. Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis, is often considered the villainess, but her character is far more complex than the bad guys in most ballets. A wounded spirit determined to...
by Julia Guiheen | Jul 11, 2018 | Profiles, TBT
Last summer, Mariinsky Ballet prima ballerina Uliana Lopatkina retired after more than 20 years as a principal. Adored in Russia and by audiences around the world, Lopatkina’s virtuosity, elegance and humble presence have been sorely missed. Although best known...
by Julia Guiheen | Jun 27, 2018 | Profiles, TBT
Last week American Ballet Theatre principal Gillian Murphy danced the iconic dual role of Odette/Odile as part of the company’s spring season. In preparation for the performance she posted an adorable photo from her childhood on Instagram of her posing in...
by Julia Guiheen | Mar 28, 2018 | Profiles, TBT
The 1980s were an exciting time at the Paris Opéra Ballet, with Rudolf Nureyev as its director and virtuosic étoiles, like Sylvie Guillem and Patrick Dupond, onstage. These two young stars made a dream team. With raw energy and sublime technique, Guillem...
by Julia Guiheen | Mar 14, 2018 | Profiles, TBT
Dancing with The Royal Ballet from 1992 until 2013, former principal Leanne Benjamin tackled just about every role in the classical gamut, from Juliet to Nikiya to Giselle. As the young and spirited Swanilda in this clip from Coppélia, Benjamin reveals that she...
by Amy Brandt | Mar 7, 2018 | Profiles, TBT
When you think of Egypt, you might not immediately associate it with ballet. But during the late 1950s and 1960s, the country worked hard to establish its own world-class ballet company. With the help of the Soviet Union, Egypt’s then minister of culture Dr....