Turnout is the essential base of ballet. Not only is 180-degree rotation an aesthetic ideal—the goal that every student and professional continuously seeks—but it’s also the building block of technique. It’s a key element that, when mastered, can unlock the classical vocabulary. “Turnout gives a dancer the agility and swiftness to move […]
The warning signs were hard to miss. The student came to class looking pale and drawn. She was losing weight. She seemed listless. Before class began, she often boasted to friends about how long she’d exercised the night before. Elizabeth Shea, coordinator of the Indiana University Contemporary Dance Program, suspected that the student might suffer […]
We love giving out awards because it’s an opportunity to honor some of the greats in our field. Each of the recipients has made a contribution to dance that is both unique and outsized: Jason Samuels Smith, the hard-hitting tapper who cares about community; Allegra Kent, a legendary ballerina who now teaches, coaches, and writes; […]
Pyotr Pestov is one of ballet’s greatest men’s teachers. His illustrious alumni include dancers and artistic directors like Vladimir Malakhov, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, and Alexei Ratmansky. From 1963 until the mid-1990s, Pestov was a pillar of the faculty at Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet Academy. In 1996, he moved to Stuttgart Ballet’s John Cranko School, where he teaches […]
I just read your new book The Dancer’s Way (which I loved!) and finally learned how to prepare myself to dance by warming up and cooling down. But I don’t know any dance school or summer program that targets this area. How can world-class academies bypass this basic need? Danielle Cincinnati, OH Dance schools […]
For full versatility as a dancer, a strong upper body is key. When a teacher or choreographer throws you a high-impact lift, sustained handstand, or swooping inversion, you need to be prepared with enough power and stability to get through it. While hitting the weight machines at the gym is one way to get stronger, […]
Is caffeine bad for me? I’ve heard that it’s a diuretic, but dancers I work with also say it can weaken bones. I’m used to having three cups of coffee a day. Do I need to quit? Coffee Junkie Saratoga, NY Caffeine has gotten a bad rap. New research shows that it doesn’t leach calcium […]
A founding member of Twyla Tharp’s original group, Sara Rudner helped define the Tharp style. As a dancer, she had a sensuality and largesse shaped by a keen intelligence, and the look of utter spontaneity. She was mesmerizing to watch—and still is. Alastair Macaulay, chief dance critic of The New York Times, recently named her […]