Tag: contemporary

Minimalist Magic: Dancewear That Lets You Focus on Your Technique

Understated classwear puts your technique front and center. Dance Spirit photographed Mikaela, Mio, and Zoe on Juilliard’s campus at the end of the 2016–17 school year. Mio Ishikawa and Mikaela Kelly in Discount Dance Suppy leotards. (Kenneth Edwards) (From Left) Mio Ishikawa is in Just For Kix leotard and So Danca skirt. Zoe Hollinshead is […]

"So You Think You Can Dance" Recap: 8 Become 7

The competition is officially heating up—meaning this week, the Top 8 danced not only with their respective All-Star partners, but also with each other! Yay! (The solos have been great and all, but additional duets are way more exciting.) But first… The Opening Number Did anyone else totally predict this was choreographed by Mark Kanemura […]

Acclaimed Dance Movie "Polina" Finally Hits Theaters

The French dance film that made waves at last year’s Venice Film Festival is now stateside: Polina opened in theaters on August 25th. The story follows a young Russian ballerina-in-the-making, played by dancer Anastasia Shevtsova, who’s performed with the Mariinsky Ballet. A still from Polina (Courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories) Polina is about to join the […]

How Going to College Abroad Could Take Your Dancing to the Next Level

When it comes to college, you’ve got countless options. University or conservatory? BA or BFA? East Coast or West? But there’s one potentially game-changing option you probably haven’t considered yet: U.S. or international? The perks of going global are hard to ignore. For one, international programs are often significantly cheaper than domestic ones. “The tuition […]

4 Prompts That Will Help You Beat Improv Block

We’ve all been there—smack in the middle of the improv portion of an audition, when suddenly our brain freezes over. All the creative movement born out of story telling and honest expression becomes the same right-battement over…and over…and over again. Yikes!🙅 Here are four prompts to help you break that dreaded right-battement cycle. Use them […]

Let's Have an Honest Conversation About Dancers and Mental Health

This story originally appeared on dancemagazine.com. “So why did you quit?” It’s a question I’ve been asked hundreds of times since I stopped dancing over a decade ago. My answer has changed over the years as my own understanding of what lead me to walk away from greatest love of my life has become clearer. […]

Sister, Sister: When Your Sibling Is Also a Dancer

Yes, the other dancers in your company or on your team often feel more like family than friends. But what if the girl next to you at the barre is actually your sister? These six sets of siblings gave Dance Spirit an inside look at what stage-ready sisterhood is all about. Jacalyn and Abby Tatro […]

This Contemporary-Hip Hop Fusion Video is All Kinds of Fierce

What do you get when a former rhythmic gymnast joins forces with a skilled hip-hop dancer/choreographer? A jaw-dropping performance that will have you hitting repeat. We’re in awe of this dance routine—performed by Nathalie Fauquette (the rhythmic gymnast) and Sofiane Tiet (the hip-hopper)—which merges hip-hop and contemporary in an effortlessly fresh fusion. And the cinematography […]