Common problems and how to correct them Boston Ballet in variations from “The Sleeping Beauty” prologue You have a student with nice facility and solid technique. She has a natural presence and can jump and turn, but something prevents her from looking polished—her hands. Instead of having long arms from shoulders to fingertips, giant claws […]
Though cross-training has become a necessity for aspiring dancers, it wasn’t always common for modern dance companies to embrace classical ballet training. “There was a big change in the ’70s when my generation joined the company, and we came in with ballet training,” says Peggy Lyman Hayes, former principal dancer with the Martha Graham Dance […]
How I teach a Graham contraction Marni Thomas with Fanny Gombert at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance Marni Thomas teaches the Graham technique with an unparalleled intensity and animation. As a master teacher at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York City, Thomas boasts more than 50 years of teaching […]