While directing and choreographing the Paper Mill Playhouse production of the musical Bandstand, Andy Blankenbuehler found himself tied into knots. After the wild success of the juggernaut Broadway musical Hamilton, for which he would win the 2016 Tony Award for Best Choreography, he began comparing his unsatisfactory rehearsal rut to what he called “the best […]

Happy Halloween! If you’re still not in the spirit, who better to turn to for some spooky style inspiration than your fellow dancers? These pros’ costumes caught our eye (and made us laugh). 1. Recreating a Legend James Whiteside on Instagram: “Legendary Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, took to the stage today, for @abtofficial’s annual Halloween […]

Lately, when Daniil Simkin hasn’t been performing with American Ballet Theatre or flying off to dance in international galas, he’s been putting together his own project: INTENSIO. “I miss European contemporary dance,” explains Simkin, who grew up in Germany. “This is an outlet for me and my colleagues to experience that and approach the ever-looming […]

  Ballet Hispanico in Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Sombrerisimo. Photo by Paula Lobo, Courtesy Ballet Hispanico.   Anchored in the old, hungry for the new, contemporary ballet is a style that remains ambiguous. It allows the body to careen off balance and the stage relationships to shift. It’s less bent on creating masterworks, and more curious […]

What’s behind the recent comeback of narrative ballets?   The Royal Ballet’s Jonathan Howells and Sarah Lamb in Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Photo by Johan Persson, Courtesy Royal Opera House Everyone loves a good story. They drive our imaginations, teach us life lessons and entertain us. They also warn us not to hold grudges […]