A year or so ago, Dance Spirit associate editor Margaret Fuhrer came into the office raving about this ballerina she’d seen. We all tuned in as Margaret, our resident ballet guru, went on about Alys Shee. Lithe, lovely—and young, just 15 years old—Alys Shee, was dancing with American Ballet Theatre’s second company, ABT II, at the […]
Odds are, the first time you saw Alys Shee, she was doing fouettés. There’s a now-famous YouTube clip of her nailing dozens of them, peppering the string with musical triples and doubles. Oh, and that video was taken when Alys was 13. Yup: At an age when most dancers are still adjusting to pointe shoes, […]
A week from Friday, Birmingham Royal Ballet soloist Céline Gittens will dance Odette/Odile in the company’s production of Swan Lake. Gittens is a gorgeous dancer, lyrical and elegant—she’ll make a perfect swan. She’ll also make history, as the first black dancer to perform the ballerina role in the UK. There’s been a lot of discussion […]
Sure, Dusty Button looks like your typical pretty ballerina: She’s got a lovely face with big doe eyes, and she has a cute name to match. But when the South Carolina native slips into her pointe shoes and hits the stage, she proves she’s one to watch. Dusty has long, lean legs, sky-high extensions and […]