No other ballet has shaped Paul Michael Bloodgood’s life as much as Light / The Holocaust & Humanity Project. He was a young dancer who’d recently joined Ballet Austin when he became part of the physical, educational and emotional process to create this singular work and community dialogue with artistic director and choreographer Stephen Mills and Holocaust survivor Naomi Warren—whose testimony is at the heart of the project.

Few people who are busier during the holidays than corps members of American ballet companies. December is officially Nutcracker season—a company’s chance to earn a huge chunk of their revenue for the year, and a dancer’s chance to go a little, ahem, nuts, waltzing and swallowing fake snow night after night for weeks on end. […]

From an indie rock collaboration to major anniversary celebrations to yet another retelling of the Orpheus myth, the fall performance season has fully hit its stride. Here are the six shows we have on our calendars. Orchestrating the Underworld Wayne McGregor and his company in rehearsal Camilla Greenwell, Courtesy McGregor LONDON Wayne McGregor will be […]

Despite what may be happening in the world or the cacophony of thoughts whirring through my head, I can step into the studio or onto the stage and escape. I’m not escaping from reality, but into a distinct layer of it. Dance is a moving meditation. I hear the music, I take in my environment, […]

In the past several years, ballet has been called out time and again for not fostering, presenting and commissioning the work of women. Recently, highlighting women ballet choreographers has become somewhat of a trend, with companies pioneering initiatives to try to close the gender gap, or presenting all-women programs. But numbers don’t lie, and unfortunately, […]

As much as audiences might flock to Swan Lake or The Nutcracker, ballet can’t only rely on old war horses if it wants to remain relevant. But building new full-lengths from scratch isn’t exactly cheap. So where can companies find the money? Ballet Austin’s biggest longtime donors, Dr. Ernest C. and Sarah G. Butler, have […]

One of the toughest moments in the ballet world is watching a life-changing performance—and then looking around to see that only half the seats were filled to witness it. The discussion about how ballet can stay relevant and build new audiences has been going on for decades. However, these debates often end in speculation about […]

Alison Roper, Paul DeStrooper, and Damian Drake of Oregon Ballet Theatre in Kudelka’s Almost Mozart. Photo by Blaine Truitt Covert, Courtesy Kennedy Center.   In the five years since the Kennedy Center launched its Ballet Across America celebration, the focus has shifted from larger companies to those smaller in size, but large in impact. In this […]