Tag: advice

Gender-Fluid Ballerina Chase Johnsey Writes a Letter to His Teenage Self

In June 2018, Chase Johnsey made history. He became the first male dancer in modern ballet history to perform as a part of the female ensemble at an international ballet company, dancing in the corps in English National Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty. Johnsey, who identifies as gender fluid but uses male pronouns, had previously been a […]

Dear Katie: How Can I Improve My Self-Confidence?

In our “Dear Katie” series, Miami City Ballet soloist Kathryn Morgan answers your pressing dance questions. Have something you want to ask Katie? Email dearkatie@dancespirit.com for a chance to be featured! Dear Katie, I have a huge problem with self-confidence, partly because I studied for too long with a teacher who was emotionally abusive. Now […]

Ballroom Star Hayley Erbert Writes a Letter to Her Teenage Self

Hayley Erbert’s star quality has dazzled television and stage audiences alike. Erbert competed on Season 10 of “So You Think You Can Dance,” landing a spot in the Top 6 before she even turned 20. After dancing alongside Julianne and Derek Hough on two of their tours, she entered the “Dancing with the Stars” universe, […]

Dear Katie: What Can I Do to Get More Flexible?

In our “Dear Katie” series, Miami City Ballet soloist Kathryn Morgan answers your pressing dance questions. Have something you want to ask Katie? Email dearkatie@dancespirit.com for a chance to be featured! Dear Katie, I’m a strong dancer, but I don’t have a lot of flexibility. I stretch every day, but it feels like I’m getting […]

Jamar Roberts Writes a Letter to His Teenage Self

Jamar Roberts is an Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater icon. He’s danced with the company for more than 15 years, and at 6′ 4″, he cuts a powerful and immediately recognizable figure onstage. As a choreographer, he is prolific, passionate, and political—his most recent, instantly iconic piece for Ailey, Ode, is a meditation on the […]

How to Kick Your Mirror-Gazing Habit (Because There's No Better Time to Do It)

It’s not hard to spot dancers who are too attached to the mirror. Onstage, they have vacant, unfocused eyes. In convention ballrooms, they lose confidence when they have to learn phrases fast, without the mirror’s help. In auditions, they keep anxiously checking out how they look instead of immersing themselves in the choreography. The mirror […]

Dear Katie: Will I Ever Be Good Enough to Make It As a Dancer?

In our “Dear Katie” series, Miami City Ballet soloist Kathryn Morgan answers your pressing dance questions. Have something you want to ask Katie? Email dearkatie@dancespirit.com for a chance to be featured! Dear Katie, I’ve been dancing seriously for 10 years. I work very hard, and my teachers have always said I have promise, but my […]

Boston Ballet Principal John Lam Writes a Letter to His Teenage Self

John Lam is everything you would expect from a leading man—powerful leaps, endless turns, effortless partnering, and a chivalrous sensibility befitting of the princes and kings he portrays. As a child, Lam trained with Marin Ballet through the support of an inner-city dance program that recognized his natural talent. At age 15, he began training […]