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Spotlight: Someone Once Told Ashley Murphy to Stay Where She's Comfortable. She Did the Opposite.

Ashley Murphy in Giselle at The Washington Ballet. Photo by Theo Kossenas

Ashley Murphy was the leading lady of Dance Theatre of Harlem for many of her 13 years there. But in 2016, she took a leap of faith, leaving her coveted place as reigning ballerina for a spot in The Washington Ballet.

"I wasn't really growing anymore—they didn't need to pay attention to me because they knew I would work on things on my own. I felt like I'd become everybody's mom," she told writer Gia Kourlas. "I need to be in a setting where I'm more equal with other people."

Two years later, she's found a home in D.C.—and has no regrets about her decision. We caught up with her for our "Spotlight" series:

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Dancers Trending

Spotlight: What Keeps Amar Ramasar From Slacking In the Studio

Amar Ramasar shows off his acting chops—and of course his dancing chops—in Carousel. PC Julieta Cervantes

Sure, lots of ballet dancers are doing stints in Broadway shows these days. But most of them aren't tackling roles like Jigger Craigin, Carousel's villainous whaler, who yes, dances, but is by no means a role traditionally played by a dancer, and who demands a careful blend of charm and danger, drunkenness and cunning. Yet this is the role that New York City Ballet star Amar Ramasar has taken on—and triumphantly, too. The New York Times called his Broadway debut "electric."

We caught up with him for our "Spotlight" series:

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Dancers Trending

Spotlight: Emma Portner On The Surprisingly Bad Advice She Once Received

Screenshot via YouTube

It's easy to feel whiplashed thinking about everything Emma Portner has achieved in such a short amount of time. Last fall, the 23-year-old was the youngest woman ever to choreograph a West End production (it was based on Meat Loaf's greatest hits). This was, of course, after she already choreographed and starred in Justin Bieber's viral hit "Life is Worth Living," and before she charmed major media outlets when she secretly married actress Ellen Page. Now, she's L.A. Dance Project's first-ever artist in residence, and she's working on a commission for Toronto's Fall for Dance North Festival.

We caught up with her for our "Spotlight" series:

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Dancers Trending

Spotlight: Why Rock Climbing Is Ideal Cross-Training For Dancers, According to Caleb Teicher

Caleb Teicher in "Variations." PC Sally Cohn, Courtesy Richard Kornberg & Associates

At age 24, dancer and choreographer Caleb Teicher already has accolades beyond his years. But this week, the Bessie Award–winning performer adds another impressive feat to his resumé: His company's Joyce Theater debut. Though tap is Teicher's focus, he masterfully combines everything from jazz to Lindy Hop to hip hop in his fresh, clever choreography.

We caught up with him for our "Spotlight" series:

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Dancers Trending

Spotlight: Ephrat Asherie Debunks the "Dancers Are Dumb" Stereotype

PC Christopher Duggan

Ephrat "Bounce" Asherie has a thing for breaking boundaries. A trained ballet dancer, Asherie fell in love with hip hop in college and soon became one of the most talked-about b-girls on the scene. Today, she brings house and breaking to concert stages with her celebrated choreography, and continues to cross genres as a dancer in works by artists like Michelle Dorrance.

We caught up with her for our "Spotlight" series:

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Dancers Trending

Spotlight: What Ailey's Hope Boykin Says to People Who Don't Think Dance Is A "Real Job"

PC Richard Calmes, Courtesy AAADT

It may be her eighteenth season with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, but Hope Boykin is showing no signs of slowing down. Not only is she one of the company's most striking performers, but she's proven that she's a choreographer with something to say. The company will dance her powerful 2016 work, r-Evolution, Dream. again during its New York City Center season, which begins tomorrow.

We caught up with her for our "Spotlight" series:

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Dancers Trending

Spotlight: Leta Biasucci Has Had Enough of Your Hair Advice

PC Lindsay Thomas

Leta Biasucci is one of those dancers whose presence seems to attract the audience's eye with magnetic force. The Pacific Northwest Ballet soloist's seemingly impossible buoyancy and fiery spark have carved her out a place in a wide spectrum of roles, uninhibited by her small stature and natural inclination towards the soubrette.

We caught up with her for our "Spotlight" series:

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Spotlight: This Graham Dancer Found Audition Success Post-Baby

NYC Dance Project

Martha Graham Dance Company leading lady PeiJu Chien-Pott has been turning heads ever since she joined the company in 2011. Nominated this year for the Outstanding Performer Bessie Award, Taiwanese Chien-Pott is known for her striking lines and visceral power in both Graham and contemporary works.

We caught up with her for our "Spotlight" series, and she told us the surprising story of how she earned her spot in the Graham Company:

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Dancers Trending

Spotlight: The Worst Advice SFB's Sarah Van Patten Ever Received

Van Patten in Romeo and Juliet. PC Erik Tomasson.

When we put San Francisco Ballet principal Sarah Van Patten on our cover in 2013, we couldn't stop gushing about how deeply she dives into every character she portrays. Since then, her characterizations have only grown, and she's taken on a new role—as a ballerina mom. We caught up with Van Patten for our "Spotlight" series:

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Dancers Trending

Spotlight: The Biggest Misconception About Dancers, According to Joy Womack

American ballet dancer Joy Womack made major news in 2012 when she joined the Bolshoi Ballet at the age of 18. And she did it again a few years later when she quit, claiming the company's corruption had driven her away.

But today, you wouldn't guess that Womack's early career was so tumultuous. A principal at Moscow's Kremlin Ballet, she's an avid vlogger, a regular on the international circuit and an entrepreneur. We caught up with her for our "Spotlight" series:

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Dancers Trending

In the Spotlight: Sterling Baca's Surprising (And Slightly Scary) Hobby

PC Alexander Iziliaev

In January of 2016, we put a promising American Ballet Theatre corps de ballet dancer named Sterling Baca on our cover as a "25 to Watch." Soon after, he shocked us by announcing he'd be leaving ABT to join Pennsylvania Ballet as a principal.

Since then, Baca's thrived at PAB, becoming one of their most talked about dancers and a face of Angel Corella's new vision for the company. We caught up with him for our "In the Spotlight" series, and he revealed a hobby that made our skin crawl. (No offense, Sterling!)

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Spotlight

In the Spotlight: What Nathalia Arja Would Be Doing If She Weren't A Dancer

PC Alexander Iziliaev

When Miami City Ballet's fiery principal soloist Nathalia Arja is onstage, it's impossible to look away. So it comes as little surprise that if Arja weren't a dancer, she'd probably want to be a comedian or an anchorwoman—both careers that demand the effortless charisma that Arja exudes onstage and off.

Her buoyant jump, playful attack and spirited stage presence have made her one of MCB's fastest-rising up-and-comers. But it hasn't gone to her head–Arja still revels in being "the clown of the group," and taking the challenges of the ballet world a day at a time.

We caught up with Arja for the first iteration of our new online series, "In the Spotlight."

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