Bachelor of fine arts dance programs, whether housed in a conservatory or larger university setting, tend to give out letter grades like any other academic degree. But rather than exams and essays, the studio classes that make up the bulk of BFA programs are evaluating students on less tangible benchmarks like artistry, technique, and performance. How much weight are BFA programs really putting on grading—and how much do students’ grades matter during, and after, their time in college?

Cyrie Topete barely had time to move her tassel from right to left at her Juilliard graduation before bursting onto the professional scene. In July, the 2022 grad appeared in a dance film by Justin Peck for the running brand On. A month later, she was performing at Jacob’s­ Pillow as one of six new […]

Alicia Graf Mack, the dean and director of The Juilliard School’s dance division since 2018, utilizes a service-oriented approach to bolstering young dancers’ artistry.

Time to let your artistic skills blossom—but this time, we don’t mean on the dance floor. Dancer, choreographer and artist Amber Pickens has used her quarantine time to illustrate a coloring book that celebrates Black dance history. The Juilliard graduate, who recently made her choreographic debut, created Blooming in Motion as a fun, educational way […]

Early on in the rehearsal process of the upcoming film West Side Story, director Steven Spielberg turned to Patricia Delgado and asked her why the dancers weren’t in unison. “He was right,” remembers Delgado, who was serving as associate choreographer to her husband, choreographer Justin Peck. “I explained to him that it takes a lot […]

In a single performance by a mixed-rep company, you might see its shape-shifting dancers performing barefoot, in sneakers and in heels. While such a group may have “ballet” in its name and even a rack of tutus in storage, its current relationship to the art form can be tenuous at best. That disconnect grows wider […]

After months of living-room Zoom classes, most dancers are beyond eager to get back into wide-open studios. “I think I can speak for the entire dance community when I say that we are ready to propel ourselves through space again,” says The Juilliard School’s dance director, Alicia Graf Mack. But look before you leap—pacing yourself […]

It isn’t easy to stand out when you’re a newbie in a pack of fearless dancers. But Daisy Jacobson does, and effortlessly. Onstage with Benjamin Millepied’s L.A. Dance Project, she combines the refinement of her classical training with a soulful, infectious attack, making her impossible to miss. Jonathan Potter, Courtesy LADP Company: L.A. Dance Project […]