Tag: ballet west

Master pointe shoe fitter Josephine Lee of the California-based The Pointe Shop touches base with Ballet West principal Beckanne Sisk to hear all about her pointe shoe hacks, from Jet Glue to her preference for extra tight elastics. Plus, what she wears instead of toe pads (hint: it’s paper towel).

Few people who are busier during the holidays than corps members of American ballet companies. December is officially Nutcracker season—a company’s chance to earn a huge chunk of their revenue for the year, and a dancer’s chance to go a little, ahem, nuts, waltzing and swallowing fake snow night after night for weeks on end. […]

There’s no question that life as a dancer can be difficult—long hours, rigorous rehearsals, and the risk of rejection and injury can take a toll. But dancing also gives us so much to be thankful for! In honor of Thanksgiving, we asked nine dancers to share what they’re most grateful for this year. From overcoming […]

Alexandra Terry didn’t always dream about pointe shoes and tutus. Though she took dance class as a child, it was competitive gymnastics that originally captured her interest. (She credits the powerful strength that undergirds her ballet technique to years of repetitive routines on beams and mats.) At 13, Terry started commuting an hour and a […]

One of the United States’ top hopes for medaling at the Olympics this month has a secret weapon: a serious ballet background. Figure skating champion Nathan Chen spent six years training at Ballet West as a kid. “The technique there was impeccable,” the 18-year-old said in a media teleconference last week. “To have had that […]

Ballet West’s Allison DeBona first became a major figure on the pop-culture scene with her stint on The CW series “Breaking Pointe.” Her ethereal grace and commanding stage presence have kept her there since. DeBona trained with the Parou Ballet Company (now New Castle Regional Ballet) in New Castle, PA, and the Pittsburgh Youth Ballet […]

Hey hey hey! What’s going on, TSwift nation? We’re guessing that, even six months out, you’re still obsessed with “Shake It Off.” Because who isn’t? It’s straight-up the Best Gym Song of All Time. (Seriously, it’s the perfect elliptical machine tempo—try it!) It also, of course, boasts one of the Best Crazy Dance Videos of […]

Brace yourselves, bunheads: Season 2 of “Breaking Pointe” premieres one week from today. ONE WEEK! Let the countdown begin! Actually, you don’t even have to wait those seven long days for your next peek at the Ballet West reality series, because it turns out “Entertainment Tonight” got their hands on some footage from the second […]