It was the kind of nightmare that haunts a dancer in their sleep. Joshua Shutkind, then a first-year corps member with Ballet West, stepped onto the stage in the coveted role of the Prince in The Nutcracker and completely forgot the steps. But Shutkind was not dreaming. “Dancers are aware of their strengths and one […]

In a surrealist and deeply emotional film directed by Sara Silkin, the dancers of “LOST MIND,” Hyosun Choi and JM Rodriguez of L.A. Contemporary Dance Company, grapple with the turmoil resulting from mental illness. Although Silkin’s inspiration stemmed from her personal relationship with her father, her message has become increasingly relatable following a year defined […]

Shorter days. Cooler temps. More time indoors. As winter approaches and the pandemic continues to leave many dancers isolated, the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder may also be starting to creep in. Many fear it could be worse this year, given how COVID-19 has turned artists’ regular routines upside down. “I think we’re going to […]

COVID-19 has meant canceled programs, postponed commissions, early retirements and cuts in budgets. Under­standably, overwhelming thoughts of loss and negativity abound. But, according to licensed social worker Josh Spell, this is precisely the time for self-inquiry. A former dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet and Kansas City Ballet, Spell works with several companies to provide coping […]

From dancers using their art to speak truth to power to theaters opening their doors to protesters, the dance community is mobilizing in our national reckoning with racial injustice. But what is the impact of confronting systemic racism in our dance organizations, especially for Black dancers? How does confronting racism and implicit bias regularly in […]

My name is Abi Stafford, and I have generalized anxiety disorder. I’ve had this “hook” in my mind for how I’d open an important essay my entire dance career, but I was never ready to talk about it, until now. I might be the only dancer to say this, but the best change to result […]

In partnership with the New York City Metro branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and producer HunterPark, dance filmmaker Ezra Hurwitz created “Inside & Outwards” to bring awareness to the mental health challenges of isolation caused by the pandemic. Narrated by Sarah Jessica Parker, with original music by Sufjan Stevens and choreography by […]

Physical stillness can be one of the hardest things to master in dance. But stillness in the bigger sense—like when your career and life are on hold—goes against every dancers’ natural instincts. “Dancers are less comfortable with stillness and change than most,” says TaraMarie Perri, founder and director of Perri Institute for Mind and Body […]