Super-hard shanks can make new pointe shoes feel like bricks on your feet. That’s why dancers have come up with tons of clever ways to bend, cut, score and tape their shanks—adjustments that can significantly improve a shoe’s performance. It’s a highly personalized process, and often a complete game-changer. Here are a few of the […]
In a battle of East Coast vs. West Coast, who reigns supreme? For many Americans, the answer to this question came on February 1, when the New England Patriots (#teameast) defeated the Seattle Seahawks (#teamwest) in Superbowl XLIX. But the dancers among us were not so sure. Earlier this week, we raved about Pacific Northwest […]
We don’t generally think of ballet directors as “fun.” But Peter Boal, artistic director of Seattle’s Pacific Northwest Ballet, has broken the mold. In fact, a recent YouTube video proves that he is possibly the most fun, most good-spirited, most trash-talkiest AD out there. But I’m getting ahead of myself. And the award for Best […]
There’s a sort of old-world elegance about Boston Ballet’s Whitney Jensen. With her willowy frame and porcelain-doll face, she looks born to wear a tiara. And she is right at home in classical roles, like the regal Gamzatti in La Bayadère or The Nutcracker’s Sugar Plum Fairy, which showcase her exquisite épaulement and meticulous attention […]
On August 21, Boston Ballet embarked on one of the most epic #throwback’s we’ve ever seen. The company reenacted a photograph from the 1970s, showing Boston Ballet dancers posing on the Boston Public Garden’s famous swan boats. The 1970s version. (Photo via Boston Ballet) The photo shoot was staged for publicity surrounding BB’s new Swan […]
Boston Ballet’s new corps member, Hannah Bettes Photo by Nathan Sayers for DS (2012) At Dance Spirit, we’re clearly brimming with excitement about Whitney Jensen’s recent promotion to principal dancer at Boston Ballet. (You can read her amazing story here, and don’t forget to check out the behind-the-scenes video from our cover shoot!) But another […]
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Kathleen Breen Combes may be only 5′ 4″, but she looks like the tallest person onstage—an optical illusion created by her oversized jump and radiant charisma. Raised in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Combes had difficulty walking as a child because her leg muscles were underdeveloped. Hoping to strengthen Combes’ legs, her mother enrolled her in ballet […]