Search results for: peter boal

When Sarah-Gabrielle Ryan was 5 years old, her mother took her to a Pennsylvania Ballet production of Swan Lake. “One day, you’ll be a ballerina,” her mother said. Ryan replied, “I already am one.” Even at that age, Ryan was confident about her future; with good reason, it turns out. Sixteen years later, she’s starting […]

Ezra Hurwitz‘s dance trailers are tailor-made for going viral. His fast-moving shorts highlight not only the glamour of dance but also the grit, with a stylish Millennial sensibility. The former Miami City Ballet corps member has been tapped by everyone from San Francisco Ballet to The Kennedy Center to Broadway’s Chicago. He’s also done commercials […]

Though you may not know it, June 8 is National Best Friends Day. Obviously this provides an opportunity to celebrate some of our favorite friendships in ballet, but maybe not the kind you’re thinking of. Instead of rounding up our favorite real-life besties (hi, ABT Cindies), we’re taking a look at some of ballet’s onstage […]

New York City Ballet is celebrating the Jerome Robbins Centennial with twenty (20!) ballets. The great American choreographer died in 1998, so very few of today’s dancers have actually worked with him. There are plenty of stories about how demanding (at times brutally so) he could be in rehearsal. But Peter Boal has written about […]

Efficient movement is easy to recognize—we all know when we see a dancer whose every action seems essential and unmannered. Understanding how to create this effect, however, is far more elusive. From a practical perspective, dancing with efficiency helps you to conserve your energy and minimize wear and tear on the body; from an artistic […]

Being a soloist has its perks, like bigger roles and a bigger paycheck. But it has a less glamorous side, too. Soloists take on corps roles, principal roles and everything in between. The rank comes with more pressure and a demanding schedule, which can take its toll mentally and physically. Though the promotion validates a […]

Right after Joseph Walsh joined San Francisco Ballet as a soloist, the company went on a grueling three week tour where they performed 20 ballets. Originally, Walsh was only cast in one. But he ended up dancing 10. A few months later, he was promoted to principal. Clearly, Walsh knows how to shine in difficult […]

In only two years, the Colburn Dance Academy in Los Angeles has surpassed expectations. Directed by former New York City Ballet stars Jenifer Ringer and James Fayette, the Academy has placed grads, either as trainees or full professionals, into Dance Theatre of Harlem, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Fayette and Ringer have […]