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National Ballet of China Review: Raise the Red Lantern
February 13, 2019 National Ballet of China Raise the Red Lantern Washington D.C. Updated 02/16/19 As part of this year’s Lunar New Year Celebration at The Kennedy Center, National Ballet of China performs Raise the Red Lantern, a ballet last on stage at the Center’s 2005 Festival of China; it incorporates classical ballet with traditional Chinese theatre, opera,…
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American Ballet Theatre & Celebrity Cruises Form Partnership
American Ballet Theatre and Celebrity Cruises “are teaming up for a pas de deux” (Celebrity). This partnership will bring classical ballet to the oceans aboard Celebrity’s beautiful, modern fleet. This relationship will give cruising guests the opportunity to learn more about the world of ballet with one of the world’s most renowned companies. There will be…
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The National Ballet of Canada 2019-2020 Season
The National Ballet of Canada 2019-2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Artistic Director Karen Kain‘s time with the company. To celebrate, the season will culminate with her restaging of Swan Lake after Erik Bruhn’s version. New sets and costumes by Gabriela Týlešová along with lighting by Tony Award-winning designer Natasha Katz will complement Ms. Kain’s vision.…
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The Firebird Reimagined
This weekend at Symphony Hall in Phoenix, Ballet Arizona will perform the world premiere of Ib Anderson’s The Firebird accompanied by The Phoenix Symphony. Based on viewing the video below, this is to be a production of The Firebird unlike anything we’ve ever seen before. The costumes are couture and the set designs panoramic; it seems…
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Retirement from Ballet
Not long after hanging up my pointe shoes and cutting my hair to a chin-length bob, a friend asked me what it felt like having retired from ballet. Taking a few seconds to gather my thoughts, I responded, “It’s liberating. It’s liberating to not be defined by my job. I am no longer the ‘friend…
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Ballet West Swans Return to the Lake
Ballet West opens Artistic Director Adam Sklute’s Swan Lake tonight in Salt Lake City but as anyone in marketing knows, planning for a ballet starts way before it hits the stage. In a day and age when Photoshop seems to be every social media user’s best friend, it is so fantastic to see people actually making sacrifices…
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Royal Winnipeg Ballet Presents Romeo & Juliet
Royal Winnipeg Ballet will perform Rudi van Dantzig’s Romeo & Juliet after being in a moratorium for 5 years, accompanied by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra playing Serge Prokofiev’s score. The production includes students and apprentices from the company’s school bringing the cast to a total of almost 75 dancers. Romeo and Juliet was van Dantzig’s first full-length…
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Ballet Fan Practice
There are many props used in ballet, but one of the most iconic is the ballet fan used by Kitri in her third act variation in Don Quixote. Learning this variation is somewhat a rite of passage for budding ballerinas. During my years as a teacher, I have worked on Kitri’s famous solo numerous times,…
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American Ballet Theatre Review: Harlequinade is Vibrant by All Definitions of the Word
January 29, 2019 American Ballet Theatre Harlequinade Washington D.C. It’s hard to imagine a better Tuesday than seeing American Ballet Theatre performing at The Kennedy Center. The expectations are high this opening night…as they should be. We’re talking about America’s National Ballet Company® on the stage of the most prominent performing arts complex in the United…
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The White Crow: The Rudolf Nureyev Story
Even those who are not so verse in ballet are familiar with the name Rudolf Nureyev. In The White Crow, Ralph Fiennes (who is also plays his teacher Pushkin in the movie) directs dancer Oleg Ivenko as the title character, taking the audience on a journey of the life of the famed ballet star. Nureyev’s…