Should Dance Students Get to Choose Their Own Variations?

Do students get a say in choosing their competition variations? It depends on the coach’s philosophy: Always: Stephanie and Bo Spassoff of The Rock School Stephanie Spassoff, PC Catherine Park “We ask dancers to look at different variations and let us know what they feel they can handle,” says Stephanie. “The coach and student then […]

Why Are We Still So Bad At Addressing Dancers' Mental Health?

“So why did you quit?” It’s a question I’ve been asked hundreds of times since I stopped dancing over a decade ago. My answer has changed over the years as my own understanding of what lead me to walk away from greatest love of my life has become clearer. “I had some injuries,” I would […]

Two American Directors Are Moving to Major International Companies

By the end of the summer, two major international ballet companies will have new artistic directors. And they’ll both be American. Today, The Royal New Zealand Ballet announced that current Grand Rapids Ballet artistic director Patricia Barker will take over the company later this month. The former Pacific Northwest Ballet star will succeed Francesco Ventriglia, […]