There’s no shortage of dance-based nonfiction on seemingly endless topics, but fiction shelves have seen a recent influx of stories set in the studio and backstage. Whether you’re craving an escapist romance or a historical thriller, a dreamy fantasy or a piece of contemporary literary fiction, these novels keep one...
As I’ve been rediscovering as I return to dance, auditioning is an inherently vulnerable act. Even the most accomplished performers will tell you they hear “no” more often than they hear “yes.” When we get a callback or book a job, we are on top of the world. When we...
Bringing Disney’s animated classics to live-action life has taken more than a dusting of pixie dust over the years. The latest adaptation, The Little Mermaid, may be the most extravagant yet: It features a star-studded cast that includes Halle Bailey (Ariel), Daveed Diggs (Sebastian), and Melissa McCarthy (Ursula). But the...
How do we respond to recurring accounts of an acclaimed choreographer’s damaging relationships with dancers, especially women? Recent podcasts (Erika Lantz’s The Turning: Room of Mirrors) and books (Alice Robb’s Don’t Think, Dear) have contributed to a narrative that’s been emerging for decades: Throughout his career, George Balanchine employed power...
It’s my personal belief that at the center of every electrifying dance performance is a story. Even the works that are supposedly plotless have something evocative going on behind the eyes—in the way the body floats, jabs, crumples, and reaches. Sure, dancers tell their own tales from time to time,...
You may recognize freelance ballerina Madison Keesler from her former positions with San Francisco Ballet, English National Ballet, and Hamburg Ballet. But this Tuesday, April 11, at 9 pm EST, you may be surprised to see her on television as a guest star in the CBS police procedural “FBI: International.”...
The 2023 Academy Awards ceremony was a particularly memorable one—and not just because the iconic “red carpet” was, for the first time in decades, not red. With outstanding stage performances, history-making wins for talents of underrepresented communities and tight races across the board, last night’s broadcast kept viewers on the...
Disney lovers, this one’s for you. On December 15, Belle, Lumière, Mrs. Potts and the rest of the crew behind the 1991 classic returned to the screen in “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration,” filmed before a live audience and airing on ABC at 8/7c. The special, which blends...
Ballroom dance lessons make a perfect holiday gift because of the many benefits they can provide. Not only does dance help people to stay fit and healthy, but it also teaches them coordination, creativity and discipline. It’s a creative and out-of-the-box gift idea AND it’s a gift that keeps on...
Any ballroom dancer can tell you, there is no easy way to get amazing at any particular ballroom style in a short period of time. However, there are certainly best practices that smart dancers will use to ensure they get the most out of every moment spent practicing, performing, and...