After dying for the last time on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House, body limp on a cold slab of marble beside her Romeo, Julie Kent rose as she had countless times before to receive the audience’s acclaim. As she stood there, surrounded by tearful colleagues and looking impossibly young in Juliet’s wispy sheath, […]

Melody Mennite’s first published review hurt like a punch in the gut. While dancing Clara’s solo in The Nutcracker, Mennite, then a teen, decided to sustain a balance for a few seconds. “I got greedy and held it too long and then fell flat on my face,” says Mennite, a principal dancer with Houston Ballet […]

What should you eat before a performance? It can be challenging to find foods that give you the right amount of energy without weighing you down. But what’s perfect for one person won’t necessarily work for another. Every dancer has to experiment to find their own ideal pre-performance menu. Lauren Grant Dancer, Mark Morris Dance […]

Sarah Lane and Herman Cornejo in Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty. Photo by Rosalie O’Connor. Every time I step into the Metropolitan Opera House, I have this wild daydream about how great it would be to run past security and snoop around backstage. Well, lucky me—and you! The Wall Street Journal‘s new virtual reality series is […]

Last night, ballet died. Well, at least that’s what Misty Copeland jokingly said after she tried teaching Jimmy Kimmel how to dance. The segment was part of Kimmel’s return to New York (he’s a native Brooklynite), and all week, he’ll be broadcasting his show from the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Monday night’s episode included a video short in which Copeland […]

Loving the leo, Isabella. (Photo by Kathryn Wirsing, via marieclaire.com.) American Ballet Theatre fans are eagerly awaiting an exciting season, with Misty Copeland and Stella Abrera taking on their first, long-awaited performances as principal dancers. But let’s not forget about another one of ABT’s newer principals, Isabella Boylston. Last year was her first in the […]

What happens to companies when their stars retire? Paloma Herrera will dance her final performance with ABT on May 27. Photo by Rosalie O’Connor, Courtesy ABT. Shouts of “Brava!” will accompany a number of ballerinas when they take their final bows this summer. American Ballet Theatre’s Paloma Herrera, Xiomara Reyes and Julie Kent will soon […]

A street dancer at the “SYTYCD” NYC audition. Photo by Jeffrey Neira, Courtesy FOX.   “SYTYCD” Shake-Up Major changes are in store for Season 12. Another installment of FOX’s “So You Think You Can Dance” will premiere on June 1, and the show is promising a departure from former seasons. In its new “Stage vs. […]