Ashley Tuttle was only 16 when she joined American Ballet Theatre at the invitation of Mikhail Baryshnikov. She danced with ABT for 17 seasons and made the rank of principal. In addition, she was a member of the Twyla Tharp Dance Company. Now, she continues to perform and teach in New York City. Here, she […]
The 2014 feature documentary, Mia, a dancer’s journey, recently won a Los Angeles Area Emmy Award for the category of arts and culture/history. The film chronicles the life and legacy of Croatian-born prima ballerina Mia Slavenska. Written, produced and directed by Slavenska’s daughter Maria Ramas, it pays tribute to one of history’s most beloved ballet […]
Seen and Heard at the Dance Teacher Summit As a longtime teacher on the convention circuit, Judy Rice works with ballet students of all ages and levels. Currently she also teaches master classes in Los Angeles, helping professional dancers solidify and maintain their technique. Here, she shares some advice for teaching a successful barre. Dance Teacher: How […]
Achieving this kind of in-sync port de bras is no easy feat! To confirm why a great corps makes a great ballet, look no further than this video from Pacific Northwest Ballet. The company’s Swan Lake opened last weekend, starring the stunning Carla Körbes in her final season before retirement. And as impossible as it is to take […]
A screen capture from Heatscape Vogue recently spotlighted this film, which previews Justin Peck’s new work, Heatscape, to be premiered by Miami City Ballet at end of the month. In the video, dancers—casual in jeans and Keds—explore the city’s mural-covered Wynwood Walls, which inspired the ballet. If you like that, be sure you’ve seen the music video for “Man […]
Rebel On Pointe: A Memoir of Ballet & Broadway by Lee Wilson University Press of Florida; 224 pages; $24.95 Follow Lee Wilson on her dance journey from American suburbia in the 1950s to Europe–where she danced for royalty–and finally to the Broadway stage. This is an inspiring story of teenage professional success you’ll want to […]
Your browser does not support the video tag. Nancy Bielski’s advanced intermediate professional class at Steps on Broadway is a favorite for many professional dancers. She even teaches company class at ABT on Saturdays. Here, she offers advice on mastering the tricky grand rond de jambe with a promenade in the center.
Martha Chapman, a former dancer with the New York City Opera Ballet, understands the importance of proper alignment for each individual’s body. In her Advanced Beginner Ballet class at Steps on Broadway, she emphasizes making ballet fit every body. Here, she teaches an attitude exercise at the barre. Your browser does not […]
We dance-lovers have known Misty Copeland is stunning and amazing for years, but the mainstream media is just catching on. This is good news for us, because it means more ballet on TV (her Under Armour ad that stopped the blogosphere in its tracks earlier this month), in books (her New York Times best-selling memoir, Life in Motion) and now, in movies. […]
Your browser does not support the video tag. Juan Carlos Peñuela is the ballet master of Ballet Hispanico. Here, he teaches entrechat trois, emphasizing the beating of the legs en l’air by beginning in second position.