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27 DECEMBER 2011

The Never-Ending Scandal of the Tutu


Cleaning out her closet, Ballet to the People unearthed these exquisite vintage tutus from the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. Their tags reveal that they were made by Grace Costumes and Barbara Matera, leading costumers for ballet, theatre, opera and film for over five decades, for renowned ballerinas including Cynthia …

6 DECEMBER 2011

Where do you go…?

  • To see how real people integrate ballet into their daily lives?
  • When you need a French ballet term demystified?
  • To get off-the-beaten-track suggestions for your ballet class playlist?
  • When you want to know which is the scariest scene in all of classical ballet?
  • To see an example of Italian fouettés
21 NOVEMBER 2011

Sexual Politics and the Sugar Plum Fairy

Another Christmas brings us “one more Nutcracker closer to death,” grumbled English dance critic Richard Buckle. Although it is a German story infused with Russian Christmas traditions, nowhere is The Nutcracker more eagerly recreated than in America. Jennifer Dunning writes that The Nutcracker “fits well into the category of made-to-order …

12 NOVEMBER 2011

Saluting the Sun God at Machu Picchu

Having just hiked four days through cold and rain, covering 49 kilometres of the Inca Trail from Cuzco through the Andean cloud forest to Machu Picchu, Leah celebrates her arrival at this sacred Inca site by stepping into an iconic pose from George Balanchine’s monumental ballet Apollo. With the …

6 OCTOBER 2011

Boléro for Steve Jobs: A Final Révérence

In ballet class the final movement is always an elegant, choreographed bow or curtsy acknowledging the maestro, or accompanist.

Today, fewer and fewer classes offer live piano accompaniment, with teachers relying more on the iPod to provide the necessary musical inspiration. While traditionalists decry the encroachment of technology into …