Last year, Kensington MacMillen auditioned for summer programs away from home for the first time. A longtime Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet student, MacMillen had spent previous summers at her home studio, but now she was ready to branch out. After auditioning for three programs, her first response was a rejection from Miami City Ballet. “A […]

With her curly red tresses, Houston Ballet soloist Alyssa Springer may look like she stepped out of a Botticelli painting, making her a natural fit in classic story ballets. But watch her in contemporary work, and you see the great bones of her versatile technique. A favorite of visiting choreographers, Springer was promoted to demi-soloist […]

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 […]

“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 […]

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, […]