Dancers of Instagram
One of my guilty pleasures went mainstream on Wednesday, when Gia Kourlas wrote a New York Times story about how ballet dancers use their Instagrams. It’s a subject I’m quite familiar with. Some people get lost in spirals of cat videos on YouTube; I get lost in dancer Instagram feeds. Kourlas writes about how Instagram is a way for dancers to present themselves to the public on their own terms and the relationship between these dancers and the companies they dance for, who may have concerns about how they are representing themselves. My interest in dancers’ Instagrams is not quite as thoughtful. Dancers and their dogs. Dancers at their weddings. Dancers who are super stylish. Whether its a corps de ballet dancer with only a few hundred followers or a celebrity ballerina like Julie Kent or Sara Mearns, I just love vicariously experiencing their sometimes completely normal, sometimes unfathomably fabulous lives. Here are some of our favorite dancer Instagram accounts — but I’ll warn you, you may want to have a few hours on your hands before you start looking.
Marcelo Gomes
Marcelo’s Instagram is great for comic relief. He dresses in drag, he does silly dances, and here, he and Patrick Ogle sing Rihanna as the two Von Rothbarths in ABT’s Swan Lake. (Click photo for link to full video).
Wendy Whelan
The former New York City Ballet principal, current freelancing/world-traveling superstar is editor in chief Jennifer Stahl’s pick for best ballerina account. Come for the artsy behind-the-scenes photos like the one below, stay for her “adorably fat” cat Charley Rose. She also bravely instagrammed through her injury last year when dealing with a labral tear in her hip.
Lauren Cuthbertson
The Royal Ballet’s Laura Cuthbertson is nothing less than a style icon, and her Instagram is basically a tour of the glamorous parts of London.
Quinn Wharton
Maybe it’s not fair to include Quinn on this list, as he’s a dancer-turned-professional photographer, but his photos from all over the world are breathtaking. Plus, he posts outtakes from Dance Magazine photo shoots!
Keenan Kampa
Since Keenan left the Mariinsky and starting acting, her Instagram has had a Hollywood glamour vibe. Her pencil sketches and carefully curated inspirational quotes add a lovely personal touch.
Kelsey Ivana Hellebuyck
Self-proclaimed fashionista and Pennsylvania Ballet dancer Kelsey Ivana Hellebuyck is Queen of the #ootd (outfit of the day). She posts collages of her eclectic wardrobe every morning, and provides all the fashion inspiration you could ever need.
