Observing ABT dancers in company class on Wednesday, what struck me the most was not the 180-degree turn-out (ubiquitous), nor the extensions (extravagant), nor the pirouettes (I lost count), nor the men’s hands grazing the ceiling light fixtures every time they launched into an assemblé or grand jeté (we’re talking …
Arabesque à terre in the eye of a storm
It’s called petit allegro – the swift and agile footwork that enables ballerinas to dodge falling debris during a hurricane.
Ignoring Mayor Bloomberg’s order to stay indoors and watch SYTYCD reruns this weekend, Becky, visiting from England, decides not to let a little hurricane spoil her trip to New York. …
Houston, We Have Lift-Off
A ballet dancer is constantly renegotiating her relationship with gravity; we rise on pointe as an expression of our desire to fly. Joie Brown’s beautiful watercolor triptych illustrates two important aspects of a dancer’s technique:
Well-developed arches of the feet, coupled with the ankle mobility needed to position the ankle …
Burning Man Survival Guide for Dancers
Will there be ballet at Burning Man this year? Ballet to the People interviewed some veterans who passed on these survival tips for dancers:
Dancing in that low humidity can be lethal: hydrate well. Coconut water is the fashionable hydrating drink right now, very high in potassium, but you lose …