Sixteen years ago, a 10-year-old girl started to dream about one day dancing Swan Lake on the New York stage just as her idol, Natalia Makarova, had done in 1976. That 10-year-old girl was me. Little did I know that nine years later, my dream would come true, and on the exact same stage a… Read More >

Attending 13 dance concerts in seven days must be some kind of a record—and this on top of my L.A.-to-Lyon jet lag. But who’s counting when I’m in the city famous for the birth of film and where an enterprising young dance aficionado named Guy Darmet helped put Lyon on the terpsi… Read More >

While foiemaggedon is currently roiling California foodies (the law banning the delicacy officially took effect July 1), and I can get all the fatted goose liver dishes my little heart desires here, my main reason for coming to France’s second largest metropolitan city is its famed Lyon Danc… Read More >

When I first arrived in Copenhagen it seemed that everything I did was characterized as “so American.” I was caught off-guard because I didn’t understand what could possibly be wrong with being American. One day, after a few months of immersing myself in the Danish cultu… Read More >

The bell tower tolls as the peacock’s feathers unfurl. The show has begun. Welcome to the Pantomime Theater, a Chinese-style, open-air theater nestled near the entrance of Copenhagen’s beloved Tivoli Gardens. In other words, my home for the summer is a giant peacock. Twice a night her … Read More >

One of the most magical things about ballet is its ability to take you all over the world. You can watch a performance of Giselle and be transported to a little village in Central Europe during the grape harvest or you can land a job in Copenhagen and find yourself on a plane Denmark-boun… Read More >

It’s hot, crowded and very expensive. Indeed, if I were writing a travel book, I’d call it Venice on Five Euros A Minute. But seriously, there’s a reason hordes keep coming to this achingly beautiful town, and for me, it’s not only to walk through history, where th… Read More >

Sinatra’s sultry voice washed over Pittsburgh’s Benedum Center as the curtain rose for one last time. Despite the dim lighting, the faces of the performers visibly exuded a special radiance. Sunday night marked the final show of Come Fly Away’s National Tour and I was lu… Read More >

Known for its spectacular art, architecture, music, and the gently lapping waters of its famed canals, Venice has recently joined the ranks of cities playing host to edgy European dance festivals. The dance portion of the Venice Biennale—the grande dame of contemporary art exhibitions fo… Read More >

After an entire week in Seoul, Korea, we spent our last night in the most well-equipped theater on this tour: no sunlight, smells, people smoking backstage, pre-show speeches, or sharing the stage tonight. It was just TMP. The crushed rosin sounded like fall leaves being stepped on as it made a sp… Read More >

After dancing with five-inch fingernails in the Philippines and dodging scooters in Vietnam, Ashle… Read More >