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Remembering Raven Wilkinson, Trailblazing Ballerina

Raven Wilkinson in Les Sylphides. Photo Courtesy Wilkinson.

Ballerina Raven Wilkinson passed away on Monday at her home in New York City at age 83. Wilkinson is best known as the first African American woman to dance full-time with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and as a cherished mentor to Misty Copeland.

Raven Wilkinson presenting Misty Copeland with the Dance Magazine Award in 2014. Photo by Cherylynn Tsushima for Dance Magazine.

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Remembering Raven Wilkinson, Trailblazing Ballerina

Raven Wilkinson in Les Sylphides. Photo Courtesy Wilkinson.

Ballerina Raven Wilkinson passed away on Monday at her home in New York City at age 83. Wilkinson is best known as the first African American woman to dance full-time with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and as a cherished mentor to Misty Copeland.

Raven Wilkinson presenting Misty Copeland with the Dance Magazine Award in 2014. Photo by Cherylynn Tsushima for Dance Magazine.

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If you like us online, you'll love us in print!
Dance in Pop Culture

Misty Copeland's Pirelli Calendar Images Are in (And Obviously They're Stunning)

Albert Watson, courtesy of Pirelli Calendar

We were beyond excited to see the annual Pirelli Calendar when it was announced last summer that Misty Copeland was to be one of four women featured in the 2019 edition. And now, the wait is finally over.

Albert Watson, courtesy of Pirelli Calendar.

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Just for Fun

San Francisco Ballet & Athleta Just Created a Collection That's Perfect for Your Holiday Wish List

SFB corps de ballet dancer Miranda Silveira in Athleta. Photo Courtesy Athleta.

Just in time for Nutcracker season (and the cold weather that has us layering on our coziest warmups), fitness brand Athleta teamed up with San Francisco Ballet for their first Athleta Dance collection. Available beginning November 27, the capsule collection will include designs in women's and girl's sizes inspired by and created in collaboration with the dancers of SFB.

Of course, this isn't the first time a major athletic wear brand has teamed up with professional ballerinas. Under Armour has now launched two collections with American Ballet Theatre principal Misty Copeland, and most recently, Royal Ballet principal Francesca Hayward created limited-edition designs with Lululemon.

SFB's Miranda Silveira in the Athleta Dance En Pointe leotard, $79, available in black.

Photo via Athleta
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News

Misty Copeland On Rubbing Elbows With A-Listers on the Set of The Nutcracker & The Four Realms

Sergei Polunin and Misty Copeland lead a corps of 18 dancers in choreography by Liam Scarlett. Photo courtesy Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The wait for Disney's reimagining of The Nutcracker is over. Although The Nutcracker and The Four Realms is not a full-length ballet, woven into the plot is a five-minute performance by megastars Misty Copeland and Sergei Polunin alongside 18 supporting dancers, with a CGI Mouse King moved by jookin sensation Lil Buck (aka Charles Riley). Royal Ballet artist in residence Liam Scarlett led the film's choreography in his first major motion picture experience. "It was a call I didn't expect to get," says Scarlett. "I really am the biggest Disney fan, so I couldn't believe it!"

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Just for Fun

Misty Copeland On Rubbing Elbows With A-Listers on the Set of The Nutcracker & The Four Realms

Sergei Polunin and Misty Copeland lead a corps of 18 dancers in choreography by Liam Scarlett. Photo courtesy Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The wait for Disney's reimagining of The Nutcracker is over. Although The Nutcracker and The Four Realms is not a full-length ballet, woven into the plot is a five-minute performance by megastars Misty Copeland and Sergei Polunin alongside 18 supporting dancers, with a CGI Mouse King moved by jookin sensation Lil Buck (aka Charles Riley). Royal Ballet artist in residence Liam Scarlett led the film's choreography in his first major motion picture experience. "It was a call I didn't expect to get," says Scarlett. "I really am the biggest Disney fan, so I couldn't believe it!"

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Just for Fun

Disney's "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" Is Not Your Typical "Nut," But Here Are 4 Reasons Why Bunheads Will Like It Anyways

Mackenzie Foy as Clara and Keira Knightly as Sugar Plum star in this new Nutcracker spin-off. Photo by Laurie Sparham, Courtesy Disney Enterprises, Inc.

If there's one thing that dancers know well, it's The Nutcracker. From the minutiae of the plot to the choreography to Tchaikovsky's timeless score, we've got it down.

Disney's new holiday film, The Nutcracker and The Four Realms, released in theaters November 2, is not a retelling of the ballet's story, and it's not a dance movie. Nevertheless, we think there's plenty in it for bunheads to love (like Misty Copeland). Don't believe us? First, watch this featurette featuring Copeland, and then read on for four reasons why you might want to take a break from your Nut rehearsals to head to the movies.

Disney's The Nutcracker and The Four Realms - "On Set with Misty Copeland" Featurette www.youtube.com

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Just for Fun

Disney's "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" Is Not Your Typical "Nut," But Here Are 4 Reasons Why Bunheads Will Like It Anyways

Mackenzie Foy as Clara and Keira Knightly as Sugar Plum star in this new Nutcracker spin-off. Photo by Laurie Sparham, Courtesy Disney Enterprises, Inc.

If there's one thing that dancers know well, it's The Nutcracker. From the minutiae of the plot to the choreography to Tchaikovsky's timeless score, we've got it down.

Disney's new holiday film, The Nutcracker and The Four Realms, released in theaters November 2, is not a retelling of the ballet's story, and it's not a dance movie. Nevertheless, we think there's plenty in it for bunheads to love (like Misty Copeland). Don't believe us? First, watch this featurette featuring Copeland, and then read on for four reasons why you might want to take a break from your Nut rehearsals to head to the movies.

Disney's The Nutcracker and The Four Realms - "On Set with Misty Copeland" Featurette www.youtube.com

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Just for Fun

Disney's "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" Is Not Your Typical "Nut," But Here Are 4 Reasons Why Bunheads Will Like It Anyways

Mackenzie Foy as Clara and Keira Knightly as Sugar Plum star in this new Nutcracker spin-off. Photo by Laurie Sparham, Courtesy Disney Enterprises, Inc.

If there's one thing that dancers know well, it's The Nutcracker. From the minutiae of the plot to the choreography to Tchaikovsky's timeless score, we've got it down.

Disney's new holiday film, The Nutcracker and The Four Realms, released in theaters November 2, is not a retelling of the ballet's story, and it's not a dance movie. Nevertheless, we think there's plenty in it for bunheads to love (like Misty Copeland). Don't believe us? First, watch this featurette featuring Copeland, and then read on for four reasons why you might want to take a break from your Nut rehearsals to head to the movies.

Disney's The Nutcracker and The Four Realms - "On Set with Misty Copeland" Featurette www.youtube.com

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Just for Fun

See Every Look From Misty Copeland's Second Under Armour Collection

Misty Copeland models her fall collection for Under Armour. Photo courtesy of Under Armour.

Fall is fast approaching, and American Ballet Theatre principal Misty Copeland has your back-to-dance wardrobe (and beyond) covered. The Under Armour spokesmodel debuted her Fall 2018 Misty Copeland Signature Collection earlier this week, playing off her first collection with another set of looks that work just as well in the studio as they do hanging out with friends.

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Just for Fun

American Ballet Theatre's Rooftop Dance Video Is BEYOND

You could just drown in all the gorgeousness. Still via YouTube.

How is American Ballet Theatre gearing up for its fall season, October 17-28 at Lincoln Center? With an epic video featuring its dancers being their beautiful selves on a beautiful NYC rooftop, as you do.

Directed by dance-videographer-about-town Ezra Hurwitz, the vid features a slew of ABT standouts, including Misty Copeland, Isabella Boylston, Hee Seo, Calvin Royal III, and Catherine Hurlin, doing mind-bendingly beautiful things with the NYC skyline as a backdrop. They're living on the edge, quite literally—because nothing adds to the excitement of world-class ballet like a little bit of danger.

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Dance in Pop Culture

All the Dance Movies You'll Want to See in Theaters This Year

Misty Copeland on the set of The Nutcracker and The Four Realms. Photo courtesy Disney

Back in January, we took a look at Hollywood's 2018 dance card. While Red Sparrow and the Tiler Peck documentary Ballet Now have been released, several other films that piqued our curiosity are still in various stages of development. (And some have been radio silent, like the Carmen being helmed by Benjamin Millepied.) From Misty Copeland to Carlos Acosta, new trailers to first looks, here's the latest on the dancing we might just see on the big screen later this year.

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Breaking Stereotypes

Misty Copeland Is Calling for More Recognition for African-American Ballerinas

Misty Copeland in Dying Swan, photo by Karolina Kuras, via Instagram

Last night, Misty Copeland posted a call to action in a pair of Instagram posts, calling for her followers to share the names of African-American ballerinas.

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Just for Fun

This New Trailer Featuring Misty Copeland Has Us Counting Down the Days Till "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" Hits Theaters

Misty Copeland as the Ballerina Princess in The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. Photo Courtesy Disney.

It's August—the sun is shining, summer intensives are winding down, and Nutcracker seems very far away. But this new trailer for Disney's The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is already getting us in the holiday mood. While this modern take on classic holiday story, in theaters November 2, is not a dance film, it does include mega-stars Misty Copeland and Sergei Polunin as the Ballerina Princess and Nutcracker Prince.

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Dance in Pop Culture

Misty Copeland Adds a New Job Title To Her Resume: Fashion Designer

Misty Copeland in her Signature Bodysuit. Photo via Under Armour

Sometimes you have to wonder if Misty Copeland has secretly found an extra day in the week that the rest of us don't know about.

Yesterday, in the midst of gearing up for American Ballet Theatre's spring season, she celebrated the launch of her latest high-profile project: Under Armour's Misty Copeland Signature Collection.

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What Dancers Eat

These Photos of Ballerinas Eating Our Favorite Foods Are Making Us Hungry

Maria Kochetkova blatantly breaks the not-eating-in-your-Serenade-costume rules with a personal pint backstage. Photo via Instagram

One of the biggest myths about ballet dancers is that they don't eat. While we all know that, yes, there are those who do struggle with body image issues and eating disorders, most healthy dancers love food—and eat plenty of it to fuel their busy schedules.

Luckily for us, they're not afraid to show it:

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Dancers Trending

Misty Copeland Just Posted A Mean Tweet About Herself, And We Love Her So Much For It

Misty Copeland as Odette in Swan Lake. Photo by Gene Schiavone via ABT

Misty Copeland's Instagram feed is usually filled with gorgeous performance shots and inspirational images featuring the many young girls she's inspired.

So we were surprised this morning to see Copeland post two screenshots of a mean tweet about herself:

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In The Studio

The Best Behind-the-Scenes Moments From American Ballet Theatre's Tour (So Far)

ABT's Isabella Boylston, James Whiteside and Lauren Post serving up serious squad goals; via Instagram

American Ballet Theatre is officially on the road. Since kicking their national tour off at Washington D.C.'s John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts this past week, ABT has been keeping us up-to-date: From how many pointe shoes they need to pack (spoiler alert, it's a lot), to rehearsal silliness and even an onstage moment or two. We rounded up our favorite moments so far—including a Facebook Live where Isabella Boylston and James Whiteside finally explain the meaning behind their nickname, The Cindys. Next stop, Detroit!

Principals Isabella Boylston and James Whiteside and corps member Lauren Post make travel sweats look chic.

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If you like us online, you'll love us in print!
Breaking Stereotypes

New Children's Book Sheds Light on Trailblazing Black Ballerina Raven Wilkinson

Raven Wilkinson in "Les Sylphides" as illustrated by Leda Schubert. Photos Courtesy Wilkinson.

When children's book writer and illustrator Leda Schubert first reached out to Raven Wilkinson about writing a book on her life, Wilkinson had qualms. She was worried that the racism she experienced as an African American dancer touring the South with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in the 1960s might scare the intended audience of 6-9 year olds. With time, Wilkinson came to an understanding. "If we keep hiding everything from our children we'll never get these things solved," she told me in an interview. The result is a picture book, released earlier this month, titled Trailblazer: The Story of Ballerina Raven Wilkinson.

Trailblazer opens with a foreword by Misty Copeland, who has has often cited Wilkinson as a mentor. Copeland's words are accompanied by a photo of Wilkinson presenting her with a bouquet onstage after her Swan Lake debut with American Ballet Theatre. "Since learning about Raven, sharing her journey and those of the many black ballerinas who have paved the way has become part of my mission," writes Copeland. And indeed, Copeland's fame and success has pushed Wilkinson's story into the public eye.

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Dance in Pop Culture

From JLaw to Ralph Fiennes, Here Are the Danciest Movies in the Works for 2018

Oleg Ivenko and Ralph Fiennes on the set of The White Crow, an upcoming feature film dramatizing Rudolf Nureyev's defection. Photo via variety.com

Oh, Hollywood. In any given year, Tinseltown's use of dance in film veers from the woefully disappointing to the surprisingly delightful, but one thing's for certain: It's rarely boring. Here's our not-at-all-comprehensive and completely-subject-to-change list of the new dance-related movies coming soon to a theater (or laptop screen) near you.

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Rant & Rave

Op-Ed: A Radical Reimagining of Ballet for 2018

Is ballet ready for a redesign?

2017 felt like we were living the Upside Down of the popular Netflix series "Stranger Things." From Donald Trump becoming president, to the sexual harassment scandals that ricocheted into the ballet world, everything we thought we knew was turned on its head.

Yet while the deconstruction of institutional paradigms is frightening, it also presents an unprecedented opportunity for redesign.

Ballet, much like our political parties, seems to be stuck in an antiquated format that's long overdue for a makeover. With the world changing at lightning speed, if ballet wants to survive it will have to undergo a radical reimagining. But what would that look like?

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