TBT: Our Favorite “25 to Watch” Covers

January 23, 2025

To celebrate the 25th “25 to Watch” feature, here’s a look back at some of our favorite January covers since the list’s 2001 inception.

The January 2002 cover of Dance Magazine. Anita Pacylowski-Justo poses against a dark backdrop. She is captured midair, arms overhead and back arched as a length of fabric billows around her.
Anita Pacylowski-Justo, then a dancer with North Carolina Dance Theatre and today the co-director of DanceArts Greenville, in 2002. From the DM Archives.
The January 2004 issue of Dance Magazine. Stella Abrera is show from the hips up as she moves through passé, her hair loose around her shoulders, gaze downturned.
Then–American Ballet Theatre soloist Stella Abrera, who became ABT’s first Filipina American principal in 2015 and today is its Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School’s artistic director, in 2004. From the DM Archives.

The January 2006 cover of Dance Magazine. Aesha Ash poses in profile on pointe, one foot crossing over her standing leg's knee. Her back is lightly arched as she turns her gaze down and her arms arc overhead. She wears a flowing orange dress and pointe shoes pancaked to match her skin tone.
Aesha Ash appeared on the January 2006 cover while a dancer with Alonzo King LINES Ballet; today she’s head of artistic health and wellness at School of American Ballet. From the DM Archives.
The January 2010 cover of Dance Magazine. William Wingfield and Whitney Jensen counterbalance each other, Wingfield in street clothes and balancing on forced arch, Jensen in a classical tutu in an off center sous-sus.
Commercial dancer William B. Wingfield and Norwegian National Ballet principal Whitney Jensen (then with Boston Ballet’s corps) in 2010. From the DM Archives.

The January 2015 cover of Dance Magazine. The image is twice the width of a normal cover, and features five dancers posing in front of and inside a window well.
2015 featured the most “25 to Watch” artists we’ve put on a single cover: Silas Farley (then a New York City Ballet corps member), Ailey dancer turned photographer Danica Paulos, Boston Ballet principal Chyrstyn Fentroy (then with Dance Theatre of Harlem), tap artist Ryan P. Casey, and Keigwin + Company’s Jaclyn Walsh. From the DM Archives.

The cover of the January 2016 issue of Dance Magazine. Sterling Baca and Nayara Lopes pose together. Lopes is on pointe with her inside leg in a 180 degree side extension. Baca lunges behind her, supporting her waist as she leans off center.
Philadelphia Ballet principals Sterling Baca and Nayara Lopes posed together in 2016 when Baca was with American Ballet Theatre and Lopes with Dance Theatre of Harlem. From the DM Archives.
The January 2018 cover of Dance Magazine. Leal Zielińska poses barefoot in a deep lunge beside Erica Lall, whose front foot is propped on forced arch on pointe while her arms curve gently overhead.
2018’s cover stars Leal Zielińska, then with Sidra Bell Dance New York, and National Ballet of Canada corps member Erica Lall (then with ABT). From the DM Archives.

The January 2019 cover of Dance Magazine. Evan Ruggeiro smiles sunnily, a tap shoe clad foot raised toward the camera as he balances on his prosthetic leg.
The January 2019 cover featured Evan Ruggiero, a tap dancer and musical theater performer who’d made a splash off-off-Broadway in Bastard Jones. From the DM Archives.
The January 2020 cover of Dance Magazine. Gabrielle Hamilton grins at the camera as she hooks a heel over one knee. Her hands are at her waist, making her tank top that reads "Dream Baby Dream" pop.
2020’s cover star was Gabrielle Hamilton, who’d wowed Broadway audiences in John Heginbotham’s Oklahoma! dream ballet. From the DM Archives.