As a student at Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy, American Ballet Theatre corps member Erica Lall saw iconic former Houston Ballet principal Lauren Anderson on a regular basis. “I think I assumed her position as an African-American principal dancer was a one-time thing,” Lall says. “Lauren became a principal in 1990. Why aren’t there dozens […]
Misty Copeland. Her name is synonymous with exquisite artistry and outspoken advocacy. And her visibility has made a huge impact on the ballet world. Ballet’s relationship with race has always been strained at best, hostile at worst. But Copeland’s persistent message and star quality have finally forced the ballet industry to start talking about racial […]
You guys, the solution to “dad dancing” has been right under our noses all along: It’s to hire American Ballet Theater principal/face of Nike David Hallberg as dance coach to the masses! Earlier this week, Business Insider got the danseur of all danseurs (IMHO, at least) to get back to basics with their video producer […]
What word would you use to describe American Ballet Theatre principal/fashion icon James Whiteside‘s sense of style? Epic? Fabulous? How about…stellar? Our favorite danseur has teamed up with NYC-based sneaker brand KOIO for “Starstruck,” a new video that has a sneaker-clad Whiteside showing off his beautiful technique in a place “where the earth and the […]
For an aspiring ballerina, there’s no more exciting place to be than the ABT Studio Company, the pre-professional arm of American Ballet Theatre. The NYC-based troupe of 16- to 20-year-old dancers trains hard and performs harder, putting on multiple shows over the course of each season. We followed ensemble member Léa Fleytoux, a gifted 18-year-old […]
Matthew Bourne’s dramatic ballet The Red Shoes, which earned rave reviews in England last year, is heading stateside this month. Based on the Academy Award–winning 1948 movie of the same name, the show follows the passionate aspiring ballerina Victoria Page as she tries to dance her way to the top, but ultimately must choose between […]
Like many talented ballet students, Amir Shah hopes hard work and dedication to the art will lead to a bright future in the ballet world. Unlike most ballet hopefuls, Amir lives in a low-income neighborhood in Mumbai, India—which has almost no ballet scene. The 15-year-old, who has only been dancing for two years, was recently […]
It’s no secret that ballet in pop culture has sparked its fair share of controversy. Which is why this video from Refinery29, featuring ABT’s Isabella Boylston, is not only a super-fun watch, but a breath of fresh air. The series, called “Lucie For Hire,” follows R29 video editor and YouTuber Lucie Fink as she tries […]