Houston Ballet will present an exciting new program starting tonight and running through Sunday, March 24: Come In, by Aszure Barton, and Dream Time, by Jiří Kylián, both company premieres, and Reflections by phenom Justin Peck. We caught up with HB first soloist Oliver Halkowich to get the scoop on what it was like in […]
According to the new documentary DANSEUR, 85% of males who study dance in the United States are bullied or harassed. A quote in the film from Dr. Doug Risner, faculty member at Wayne State University, states, “If this scope of bullying occurred in any activity other than dance, it would be considered a public health […]
Let’s face it. Dancers just do things differently. We can never walk down a grocery aisle—we have to tap. We can never simply pick something up we’ve dropped—without going into a penché. But it’s not a bad thing. We love all the ways that dance bleeds into our daily lives. Turns out the pros aren’t […]
As a student at Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy, American Ballet Theatre corps member Erica Lall saw iconic former Houston Ballet principal Lauren Anderson on a regular basis. “I think I assumed her position as an African-American principal dancer was a one-time thing,” Lall says. “Lauren became a principal in 1990. Why aren’t there dozens […]
Harper Watters is a ballet dancer for today’s generation. A social media maestro and a charismatic performer, the Houston Ballet soloist is equally at home in front of the camera hosting his hit YouTube series, “The Pre Show”; interacting with fans on his crazy-popular Instagram account; or showing off his beautiful classical technique onstage. It’s […]
A lot of ballet men play around a little in pointe shoes—to get a feel for what their partners are experiencing, or just because they’re curious. But Houston Ballet’s Hayden Stark, Derek Dunn, and Daniel Durrett aren’t playing. They’re SLAYING. SO. HARD. Houston Ballet just finished a run of La Bayadère, which is renowned for […]
In 2015, Mishay Petronelli was one of nine dancers to book a spot on Janet Jackson’s Unbreakable world tour. After a grueling audition process, the group learned iconic choreography, traveled and performed with one of the greatest pop divas of all time. “It was my dream job,” says Petronelli. “Not only was it crazy to […]
Six ballerinas discuss why they love their pointe shoes. Kajiya in Ben Stevenson’s The Nutcracker (Photo by Amitava Sarkar, courtesy Houston Ballet) Yuriko Kajiya, Principal, Houston Ballet Foot type: Wide and flat, with long toes Shoe: Capezio Tiffany Customizations: “I like my heels and sides to be lower than those of the stock shoes. One of […]