American Ballet Theatre principal Stella Abrera isn’t just a breathtaking ballerina who rises to any occasion. The Filipino-American is also the founder of Steps Forward for the Philippines, a charitable partnership with Operation USA that raises funds for those who were affected by 2013’s Typhoon Haiyan. Raised in California, Abrera studied dance at the Pasadena […]
Whether she’s leading the pack in George Balanchine’s athletic Symphony in Three Movements or floating across the stage as the Sylph in August Bournonville’s La Sylphide, New York City Ballet principal Sterling Hyltin is the definition of classical. Hyltin grew up training at the Etgen-Atkinson School of Ballet in Dallas, TX. Once she arrived at […]
(Photo by Karlo Gomez, courtesy Danielle Marie Owens) Growing up in an unstable household in Southern California, Bobby Newberry couldn’t afford formal dance lessons. Nevertheless, he spent hours practicing on his own, learning and fine-tuning choreography from music videos and performing at local talent competitions, hoping for recognition. It worked: At age 14, Newberry received […]
As Juliet in Mark Morris’ Romeo and Juliet, On Motifs of Shakespeare (photo by Gene Schiavone, courtesy Mark Morris Dance Group) It takes a special dancer to perform Mark Morris’ rhythmically and spatially dynamic choreography. But Rita Donahue more than fits the bill: She moves with precise musicality and unabashed physicality, gliding through Morris’ challenging […]
(Photo by Mike Quain, courtesy Tony Testa) A former comp kid who grew up in Fort Collins, CO, Tony Testa has had what many would call a dream career. By the time he turned 21, Testa had choreographed for Janet Jackson and Britney Spears and performed in the film Dreamgirls. In 2009, he worked closely […]
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 […]
Meredith Webster (by RJ Muna) Alonzo King LINES Ballet veteran Meredith Webster has a presence that goes beyond movement, filling not only the stage but the entire room with an energy that starts deep inside her core. Whether delicate and fluid or strong and aggressive, Webster’s dancing has a sense of grounded security that captivates. […]
One of my favorite jobs at Dance Spirit is editing our “Letter to My Teenage Self” column. It’s awesome to hear the heartfelt (and often hilarious) advice a famous dancer has for his or her mini-me. But we also ask our letter writers to submit photos of themselves as kids. And that’s where things start […]
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