It’s easy to forget that while change is most commonly considered reactive, it can also be proactive.

At 6:30 am on a brisk day in September 2018, Christina Kotsopoulos found herself standing in an open-call audition line for Wicked on Broadway—wholly unprepared for what was about to happen. She had just spent the last four years at SUNY Purchase primarily studying concert dance. The training had taught her foolproof concert audition tips, […]

When Kaitlyn Gilliland was an apprentice with New York City Ballet in 2006, choreographer Eliot Feld created Étoile Polaire for her, a 12-minute solo that predicted the person and artist Gilliland would eventually become—a force transitioning gracefully through different realms with a powerful sense of self. After leaving NYCB, Gilliland went on to have a […]

When Evan Supple joined a small but internationally renowned ballet company in 2016, he was told that it was like a family. Dancers shared ownership of the work and rehearsal process and were close with the artistic director. But when Supple reported abuse he says he witnessed at a children’s rehearsal and was subsequently fired, […]

When I joined the New York City Ballet, I had a million questions. How soon before a performance should I get ready? When should I eat dinner—before or after the performance? How long should I wear my false eyelashes before I throw them out? Should I practice hard steps onstage before the curtain goes up […]

I don’t understand why I’ve lost my motivation to dance at 20 years old. My parents have always encouraged me to have a life plan and ask continuously how my pre-professional training program is going. I feel crushed by their expectations. I’m actually relieved when I get injured and can’t dance, even though I miss […]

I’ve never been happier! I have a steady dance gig, a boyfriend and a nice apartment. The only problem is I’m terrified of losing everything. Is this normal? —Chris, Queens, NY Of course it’s normal to want the things that make you happy to last. But it’s also common to worry about the scary “what […]

I always dreamed of being a lead dancer. But since reaching my goal, I feel stuck performing the same bravura roles year after year. I want to do more expressive parts, too. How can I expand my range? —Typecast, San Francisco, CA Casting often favors a dancer’s strengths. In your case, it sounds like you’re […]