Curtain Up

June 19, 2007

Some people are fated to be dancers, and Sarah Lane is one of them. At the Youth American Grand Prix finals in 2003, after the sound system was going in and out all evening, the moment it finally broke down was when Sarah Lane was onstage dancing alone. Another dancer might have asked to start again or forced herself through the steps half-heartedly. But Lane kept dancing her Paquita variation—exquisitely—in dead silence. It was not only her courage that stunned the audience, it was also her artistry. The classical demeanor, the beautiful port de bras, the generous épaulement—these things marked her as a ballerina at the age of 17. Read “Shine On” by Joseph Carman to find out how she trained, how she has coped with her less than ideal height, and how she is faring at American Ballet Theatre.

Jacob’s Pillow—that glorious haven for dance in the Berkshires—is celebrating its 75th anniversary this summer. The place has a special magic, from the little wood cabins named “Nora Kaye” and “Alicia Markova” to the hallowed Ted Shawn Theatre, to the bumpy backyard of Hunter House where everyone eats on picnic tables. Even if you spend just one day there, you may feel that fate has brought you into contact with great dancers of the past—and present. You are sure to discover new teachers, new choreographers, and new friends. Rather than try to summarize all that has happened at the Pillow, we offer a photo essay, “75 Years of Jacobs Pillow,” assembled with the help of Pillow archivist Norton Owen. Almost every major figure in American dance has appeared there—and many minor ones as wel.

Was it fate that brought ballet superstar Nina Ananiashvili back to her home city of Tiblisi, Georgia? The dynamic ballerina has spent two years nurturing the State Ballet of Georgia and shaping it into an internationally touring company with a huge repertoire. In “Georgia on Her Mind,” Dance Magazine’s senior advising editor Elizabeth Kendall reports on her visit to Tiblisi and the resurrection of this company. And, as chance (as opposed to fate) would have it, the State Ballet of Georgia will be performing at Jacob’s Pillow for its 75th-anniversary gala on June 16!



Wendy Perron


Editor in Chief

[email protected]