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.
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.
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.
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.
Commercial dancer William B. Wingfield and Norwegian National Ballet principal Whitney Jensen (then with Boston Ballet’s corps) in 2010. From the DM Archives.
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.
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.
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 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.
2020’s cover star was Gabrielle Hamilton, who’d wowed Broadway audiences in John Heginbotham’s Oklahoma! dream ballet. From the DM Archives.