When I was 16, my best friend quit dance. She wanted to be a cheerleader and participate in student government—activities that our rigorous dance schedules didn’t allow time for. It was the right decision for her, but I was devastated. I couldn’t understand what could be more rewarding than dance or how anyone could survive without […]
Contemporary choreographer Jessica Lang has a flair for the dramatic. Whether she surrounds her dancers with large, realistic set pieces or places them in a more abstract stage world, her choreography is passionate and the performers’ emotions are almost tangible. Lang, a Julliard graduate who performed with Twyla Tharp’s company, explains, “It’s not that I […]
Über-Awesome Utah This past December, 10 young ballerinas’ dreams came true when they were cast as Clara in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Three of the chosen ones hail from Utah—two from the same dance studio! Alexia Meyer, who danced in the Nashville production, and Megan Skalla, who danced in the Chicago and St. Louis […]