Liam Scarlett defies all the clichés about “genius at work” and “artistic temperament.” Constructing an intimate pas de deux for American Ballet Theatre’s Hee Seo and Marcelo Gomes last fall, he conceived quietly attentive lifts and intricate steps with the cool deliberation of a mason laying bricks. The dancers, joined by the second cast’s Isabella […]

Misty Copeland doesn’t typically spend her days balancing on demi-pointe in lace-up sneakers, wearing the briefest of running shorts and a T-shirt knotted jauntily above her hips. But Under Armour’s series of “I Will What I Want” ads presents a portrait of this artist as an athlete—in the brand’s athletic wear. And for the makers […]

Leriche in Kyle Abraham’s Counterpoint. Photo by Todd Rosenberg, Courtesy HSDC. Emilie Leriche Both delicate and strong, Emilie Leriche can move with the softness of a cool puff of air or strike a pose worthy of the mythic huntress Diana. She crystallizes moments in time with the magic of a born performer. And she’s whip-smart—as […]

On choreographing for the upcoming TV show “Flesh and Bone” and taking the Royal New Zealand Ballet on a U.S. tour   Photo by Evan Li, Courtesy RNZB Ethan Stiefel has always been a multitasker. He not only danced with American Ballet Theatre but also played Cooper Nielson in Center Stage, led the University of […]

Dancing with authority and poise, American Ballet Theatre soloist Sarah Lane has made her mark in roles that range from Aurora to Vera in Ashton’s A Month in the Country. She began ballet classes as a child in Memphis, and continued her studies with Timothy Draper at the Draper Center for Dance Education when her […]

We’ve Been Waiting for This ON TOUR:   When Akram Khan premiered DESH in England two years ago, our reviewer, Donald Hutera, wrote that “Khan’s stunning production feels like a culmination of everything this gifted British-Bangladeshi choreographer has been striving for.” Fascinating for his kathak-infused movement, whether helicopter-fast or mesmerizingly slow, Khan time-travels in this […]

In her early teens, Devon Teuscher performed the male jumping variation from Harald Lander’s Études for her home studio, Vermont Ballet Theater and School. Her teacher, Alexander Nagiba, hadn’t told her it was a men’s variation, and Teuscher launched into the jetés with gusto and dedication. That, in short, represents the essence of Teuscher’s spirit. […]

Seo as Tatiana in Cranko’s  Onegin at ABT. Photo by Nathan Sayers.     At the American Ballet Theatre studios in downtown Manhattan, Hee Seo explodes through the air in a jeté, eyes flashing, energy shooting through her luxuriously arched feet. Rippling her arms from her lithe back, her Odile gleefully seduces soloist Alexandre Hammoudi’s Prince Siegfried, […]