Dance was inescapable in my childhood. My parents are dance teachers and ran a school out of our New Jersey home for more than 40 years. When I was old enough to answer the phone, instead of “Blackstone residence,” I was instructed to say “STUDIO!” Photos from an early ’90s family trip reveal my dad proudly wearing a T-shirt that says “Dance or Die—New York City.” I remember feeling embarrassed that he was wearing something that so loudly proclaimed his love of dance to all the other “normal” families.

Many dancers marry within the industry, finding common ground through similar triumphs and struggles, and sometimes even sharing the stage together. But there’s also something special about building a life with someone whose career is one step removed: having a spouse who’s dance adjacent, who works within the arts, yet is not fully immersed in professional dance culture.

There’s much more to stillness than simply the absence of movement. For dancers used to near-constant motion, being still can be a physical, mental and emotional challenge.

Al Blackstone was sitting on his couch in Queens, New York, when he found out he’d been nominated for an Emmy. Hot, sweaty and exhausted from shooting the first ever dance video he’s both choreographed and directed, he was telling his partner about his day when a barrage of texts came pouring in to congratulate […]

Karen Azenberg, a past president of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, stumbled on something peculiar before the union’s 2015 move to new offices: a 52-year-old sealed envelope with a handwritten note attached. It was from Agnes de Mille, the groundbreaking choreographer of Oklahoma! and Rodeo. De Mille, a founding member of SDC, had sealed […]

Every year, as soon as the Emmy Award nominations are announced, the first thing I do is scroll down (way, way, way down) to find the nominees for Best Choreography. Last week’s announcement was no different, and it was a delightful surprise to see tap queen Chloe Arnold become a first-time nominee for her work […]

These days, everyone tells you how important it is to be versatile. But what if you’re convinced there’s just one style that’s right for you? It can be tough to balance a deep interest in a single specialty and still meet many choreographers’ expectations. Luckily, you don’t have to choose between all in or all […]