Partnering training is one of the most nuanced parts of dance education. And yet, so much of it is entirely focused on male students. Beyond the basic principles—like holding your core and avoiding slippery leotards—young women often have little direction other than performing steps they already know with the help of a male dancer. But […]

Melody Mennite’s first published review hurt like a punch in the gut. While dancing Clara’s solo in The Nutcracker, Mennite, then a teen, decided to sustain a balance for a few seconds. “I got greedy and held it too long and then fell flat on my face,” says Mennite, a principal dancer with Houston Ballet […]

What are the secrets of a long career? All dancers hope to perform for many years, digging deeper into their artistry with each new season. But often, their stage time gets cut short by injury, age-related loss of strength and flexibility, or simply burnout. We asked five longtime dancers what’s kept them going strong for so […]

Principal dancer with Houston Ballet I have always believed that things happen because it is written somewhere. Call it God, or destiny, but I think dance found me. I grew up in Caracas, Venezuela, and was 7 years old when my mother was asking people in the street for directions to folk-dancing classes for my […]

Leriche in Kyle Abraham’s Counterpoint. Photo by Todd Rosenberg, Courtesy HSDC. Emilie Leriche Both delicate and strong, Emilie Leriche can move with the softness of a cool puff of air or strike a pose worthy of the mythic huntress Diana. She crystallizes moments in time with the magic of a born performer. And she’s whip-smart—as […]

Could an intensive’s repertoire offerings be the key to your summer growth? Students of The School of Pennsylvania Ballet. Photo by Alexander Iziliaev, courtesy Pennsylvania Ballet. Ballet students live for “aha” moments, those little revelations that change the way you dance. And surprisingly often, those moments come outside of technique class, when you’re pushing yourself […]

Get Houston Ballet soloist Lauren Strongin’s eclectic look.   Jessica Collado of Houston Ballet has a layered, earthy look.

The Houston Ballet principal focuses on functional fitness.     Walsh in Forsythe’s The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude. Photo by Amitava Sarkar, Courtesy Houston Ballet.   Connor Walsh never used to cross-train. But a torn meniscus in February 2013 transformed his outlook. “It made me realize I needed to improve my ‘regular person’ strength, which […]