Please Enjoy the Quarantine Genius of “Swan Lake Bath Ballet”

That old saying about limitations breeding creativity—hat tip to Orson Welles—has never felt more relevant than in these lockdown days. Here’s the latest brilliant dance project born (hatched?) of quarantine restrictions: “Swan Lake Bath Ballet,” a contemporary take on the classic featuring 27 A-list ballet dancers performing from their own bathtubs. The BBC commissioned the […]

What Does It Mean to Be a Ballet Company's "Scholar in Residence"?

A scholar of Russian literature and culture, Dr. Natalie Rouland works for the Kennan Institute, a DC think tank invested in building bridges between the United States and Russia. She also advises The Washington Ballet’s artistic director Julie Kent on staging classical ballets, serving as the company’s first scholar in residence. A native of Lexington, […]

Are We Too Precious With Classic Dance Works?

Choreographer Natascha Greenwalt loves the music of Swan Lake, but she has a few problems with the ballet itself. “I don’t see this love story,” Greenwalt says. “I see—there isn’t consent.” To her, Siegfried seems predatory, Odette seems far too apologetic, and the Odette/Odile duality reinforces toxic tropes about women who are either dangerously sexy […]

Paris Opéra Ballet Revokes Sergei Polunin's Invitation to Guest Star

Sergei Polunin, whose recent homophobic and sexist Instagram posts have sparked international outrage, will not be appearing with the Paris Opéra Ballet as previously announced. POB artistic director Aurélie Dupont sent an internal email to company staff and dancers on Sunday, explaining that she did not share Polunin’s values and that the Russian-based dancer would […]

What The World Needs Now Is Dance

“I’m sorry, but I just can’t possibly give you the amount of money you’re asking for.” My heart sinks at my director’s final response to my salary proposal. She insists it’s not me or my work, there is just no money in the budget. My disappointment grows when handed the calendar for Grand Rapids Ballet’s […]

Watch: Our 7 All-Time Favorite World Ballet Day Moments

When we heard rumors earlier this summer that World Ballet Day LIVE might get cancelled this year, we thought our hearts might break. But we needn’t have worried! The happy news came out yesterday that our favorite day of the year is back: World Ballet Day LIVE 2017 is officially scheduled for October 5. Clear […]