In our “Dear Katie” series, Miami City Ballet soloist Kathryn Morgan answers your pressing dance questions. Have something you want to ask Katie? Email [email protected] for a chance to be featured! Dear Katie, I’m a solid dancer and performer, but I’m not good at the traditionally impressive “tricks.” I’m not a crazy turner or jumper, […]
Renversé, with its dynamic combination of a grand rond de jambe and a luxuriously arched upper body, can be breathtakingly beautiful when done correctly. But many dancers struggle to find the right quality. Pop the relevé, and you lose the step’s smoothness. Drop the knee to attitude too quickly, and you miss that picture-perfect wraparound […]
If you want some serious practice-makes-perfect inspiration, look no further than American Ballet Theatre soloist Skylar Brandt’s Instagram (@skylarbrandt). In between gorgeous shots of the spirited ballerina onstage and goofy outtakes featuring her fellow ABT dancers, you’ll find post after post of Brandt in the studio, drilling the choreography in rehearsal. Now, you can catch […]
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 […]
As a teacher and choreographer, George Balanchine—founder of the School of American Ballet and New York City Ballet—finessed even the smallest details. And in his technique, extra-special attention is paid to the carriage of the head, which is both unique and transformational. Whether held forward or at a particular tilt, the “Balanchine head” forms a […]
Like many professional dancers, New York City Ballet’s Gilbert Bolden III is totally used to sharing pics and vids of his dancing on social media. But in the fall of 2018, the corps de ballet member hesitated before posting one particular clip. “I was extremely nervous the first time I posted a video of me […]
Maki Onuki has been with The Washington Ballet for a remarkable 14 seasons. She’s danced lead roles in almost every ballet in the company’s repertoire, from Serenade to Giselle, Swan Lake to Don Quixote, Le Corsaire to La Sylphide. This fall, Onuki was in rehearsal for TWB’s fall program, NEXTsteps, set to originate a role […]
In our Dear Katie series, Miami City Ballet soloist Kathryn Morgan answers your pressing dance questions. Have something you want to ask Katie? Email [email protected] for a chance to be featured! Dear Katie, I can do fouetté turns forever in flat shoes— but once I put my pointe shoes on, everything falls apart. How can […]