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Balletcore is also a subject of passionate debate among dancers. Many cringe at simplistic representations of the tools of their trade and, especially, at the use of models who appear to lack any ballet experience. Others think it’s a harmless or even potentially beneficial sign of admiration and respect for their art form.

However dancers feel about it, the renewed obsession with balletic fashion has the potential to affect both ballet’s place in today’s culture and the public perception of what ballet is.

A Trend With Deep Roots

Patricia Mears, deputy director at New York City’s The Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) and a lifelong ballet fan, curated the museum’s 2020 exhibit, “Ballerina: Fashion’s Modern Muse.” She says the invigoration of ballet culture in the West during the 1920s and ’30s sparked a fascination with ballet dancers themselves, leading to an early version of balletcore.

“The ballerina became much more respected in society, and, therefore, what she looked like was also more respected,” Mears says. “Women designers in particular began using class and rehearsal wear as a foundation for easy, knitted separates. It was a fascinating phenomenon.”

Something similar may be happening now, thanks in large part to social media. Dancers’ presence on various platforms gives the general public glimpses into the dancers’ offstage (albeit highly curated) lives—including what they wear when not in costume.

Joffrey Ballet dancer Jeraldine Mendoza thinks seeing dancers as individuals this way fuels a sense of intrigue, fascination, and also relatability. “Now that ballet dancers are becoming visible as ‘real people’ online, more people see what we do on a daily basis,” Mendoza says. “And even though it might seem unreachable, they still want to touch it somehow.” Fashion offers an attainable way to emulate an aspirational lifestyle.

Mears agrees, adding that other current fashion trends are also making balletcore a natural fit for the times. “There’s a movement towards more relaxed clothing and individual styles with no rules,” she says. “I also see an undercurrent of interest, especially in young people, of searching for things that are true and beautiful. And ballet is one of those things.”

Ballet Fantasy Versus Ballet Reality

Balletcore is not, of course, supposed to be an exact reproduction of what dancers actually wear to work. Even so, the fashion world’s take on the ballet aesthetic frequently skews generic and somewhat outdated, favoring girlish balletic tropes like pastel colors, tulle, ribbons, and bows. As the ballet world makes strides towards inclusivity, could this disconnect between reality and what’s being sold to the public have negative repercussions for the ballet world, despite the benefits of the popularity boost?

Houston Ballet first soloist Harper Watters sees it both ways. “I have spent the majority of my career trying to shift people’s perception of what a ballet dancer looks like, who they are, and what interests them,” he says. “So when it comes to this cookie-cutter idea of ballet being pink, it’s frustrating since we all know there is so much more complexity and dimension to our world, and to our fashion.”

Watters also points out, though, that the influential fashion industry’s attention could be a very good thing. “I very much believe that visibility is currency, and there’s power in people talking about ballet and popularizing it,” he says. “Ballet has been a marginalized art form, so when fashion houses are tapping into it, I see it as an opportunity for the dance community to respond to it and shift people’s perspectives.”

Touching a Nerve

Dancers tend to have strong reactions to representations of ballet in any mainstream context, from movies to TV shows to books. But fashion’s take on ballet has provoked especially visceral responses.

The risk that balletcore is devaluing the concept of what it means to be a dancer is real, says Katie Malia, who with Suzanne Jolie founded the popular Instagram account @modelsdoingballet. Malia and Jolie post examples of fashion brands featuring nondancers modeling ballet-inspired outfits (often including pointe shoes), resulting in ads that can be both hilarious and horrifying.

“I’m not a purist—tutus don’t have to only belong in the theater,” Malia says. “But there’s a lack of education, understanding, and respect of the art form. We need more people to take the craft seriously. Or else ballet becomes satire.”

Others aren’t as worried. While acknowledging that most balletcore pieces are nothing like what she or her colleagues wear, Mendoza still feels positive about the widening interest in a balletic aesthetic. “I think it’s flattering,” she says. “Yes, the clothes are a little stereotypical, but people want to be part of our world, and if wearing the clothes makes you feel good, that’s amazing.”

Fashion trends tend to come and go, but balletcore has proved remarkably durable. “There is a certain energy that putting on the uniform of a dancer gives you,” says Watters. “I wouldn’t be surprised if people feel ready to take on something, ready for a performance, by dressing like a dancer and emulating ballet in their fashion.”

Balletcore Done Right

Not all ballet-inspired fashion trades in stereotypical pink satin and ruffles. Some designers are collaborating with dance artists and companies, helping the consuming public connect the styles they admire with the dancers who inspired them.

➛ In addition to documenting egregious balletcore missteps, Katie Malia and Suzanne Jolie’s Instagram account
@modelsdoingballet highlights good ballet-inspired fashion. Some of their favorite collaborations are Christian Dior’s work with choreographers Imre and Marne van Opstal, J. Crew’s with New York City Ballet, and Chanel’s with the Paris Opéra Ballet. “I’d love to see the obsession with balletcore turn into more students and audiences for ballet,” adds Malia.

➛ Watters, who’s known both inside and outside the dance world for his fashion sense, was tapped to create dance videos while wearing Betsey Johnson pieces for the designer’s Pride Month events. “I’m not going to put on something I don’t feel or look good in, and I felt really good about those pieces—you could definitely wear them for class or a performance opportunity,” he says. “I really appreciate anyone trying to dive into the mind of a dancer. I think it’s a powerful thing to tap into the dancers themselves and ask our opinion.”

The post What Real Dancers Think of Balletcore appeared first on Dance Magazine.

We’re still rooting for a “Best Choreography” category as dance continues to be an integral part to each year’s nominated films. But until then, we still enjoy seeing our beloved artform on the Dolby Theater stage.

“Wahzhazhe” from Killers of the Flower Moon

Eight Osage Nation dancers joined Scott George and the Osage Tribal Singers in a historic performance of “Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” from Killers of the Flower Moon. George made Oscars history as the first Native American to receive a nomination for best original song with “Wahzhazhe.” He is also the first member of the Osage Nation to be nominated by the Academy. 

As the dancers and singers followed the drum against a sunset backdrop, they invited the international audience to witness a simultaneously intimate and boundless celebration. A groundbreaking performance, it marked the first time members of the Osage Nation, or of any indigenous community, has danced on the Oscars stage.

“I’m Just Ken” from Barbie

It’s safe to say that the Oscars felt the “Kenergy” after Ryan Gosling and his ensemble of Kens took to the stage with Barbie’s tongue-in-cheek power ballad, “I’m Just Ken,” which was also nominated for best original song. The number, choreographed by Mandy Moore, featured several members from the film’s original cast, including Simu Liu and Kingsley Ben-Adir, and was complete with a kickline, unapologetic melodrama, cardboard cutout–ography, and on-the-nose references to Jack Cole’s choreography for “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend.” Oh, and Slash.

Best Actress winner Emma Stone later pointed to the performance as the culprit behind her tearing her dress. (Don’t worry, Emma, we were dancing too.)

The “In Memoriam” Segment

A welcome surprise for some and an irritating visual distraction for others, this year’s “In Memoriam” tribute featured an ensemble of dancers that accompanied Andrea and Matteo Bocelli as they sang the former’s hit “Time to Say Goodbye.” This was not the first time dance has appeared in the segment; in 1996, Savion Glover tapped to “Singin’ in the Rain” in a tribute to the late Gene Kelly, who passed away that year. This year’s performance included a subtle and touching moment for the late Chita Rivera, who died on January 30—a simple weight shift and slow-motion hip sway, facing Rivera’s photo on the projection screen. 

While the dancers brought stunning synchronicity and reverent artistry to Moore’s second choreographed work of the night, the performance has earned pushback from audience members who found them and the Bocellis distracting. 

The post The Most Memorable Dance Moments From the 2024 Academy Awards appeared first on Dance Magazine.

The Oscars and dancemakers don’t have the easiest relationship. Although many of the films nominated inevitably include dancing, there’s no award for choreography. The past year has shown what may be the first signs of change: In March of 2023, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which presents the Academy Awards, created a new Production and Technology branch, which will house choreographers admitted to the Academy. (That number, however, remains very small—with last year’s addition of Fatima Robinson, it’s not even at double digits.) In 2025, the Academy will add an Oscar for casting, a development that could set a precedent for choreographers. And as of last month, IMDb started recognizing “choreographer” as a primary profession.

Hopefully, dancemakers will soon be able to chassé onto the Dolby Theatre stage to collect a golden statuette of their own. In the meantime, we’ll recognize their work here.

Barbie, Choreographed by Jennifer White

In an interview, director Greta Gerwig said that she fought hard to keep the “I’m Just Ken” dream ballet in Barbie. “I was like, ‘If people could follow that in Singin’ in the Rain, I think we’ll be fine,’ ” Gerwig reportedly said.

Gerwig has a good dance track record: For her 2019 film Little Women, she turned to choreographer Monica Bill Barnes. For Barbie, she broughton London–based choreographer and movement director Jennifer White, with associate choreographer Lisa Welham. White, who has a long list of film, music video, and stage credits, strikes the perfect balance of wittiness and whimsy in Barbie’s dream ballet and its earlier “Dance the Night” number.

Barbie is nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Ryan Gosling), and Best Supporting Actress (America Ferrera). It is available to stream on Max, and to rent or buy on Amazon’s Prime Video and Apple TV.

The Color Purple, Choreographed by Fatima Robinson

The Color Purple is a full-fledged movie musical: Its choreography, by Fatima Robinson, isn’t relegated to just one or two scenes. Based on the stage musical, which in turn is based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize–winning 1982 novel, the film follows Celie, a Black woman living in the rural American South in the early 1900s. Her long journey to empowerment is driven by strong female friendships and her bond with her sister. (The book was first adapted for film in 1985 by Steven Spielberg.)

Dance is everywhere in this movie: on the walk to church, in a crowded street, at a juke joint. Throughout, Robinson’s years of experience choreographing for major musical artists—Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Rihanna among them—shine through. The dancing is a blend of social dances from the film’s era, African forms, hip hop, and musical-theater–style movement. 

The Color Purple is nominated for Best Supporting Actress (Danielle Brooks). It is available to stream on Max and to stream or buy on Amazon’s Prime Video and Apple TV.

Maestro, Choreographed by Justin Peck

Leonard Bernstein’s collaboration with Jerome Robbins is the stuff of legend: It produced West Side Story, On the Town, and works for New York City Ballet, including Fancy Free and Dybbuk. So it’s only fitting that Maestro, the Bernstein biopic starring and directed by Bradley Cooper, includes dance.

In a dreamlike dance scene choreographed by Justin Peck (with Craig Salstein as associate choreographer), Cooper and Carey Mulligan, playing Bernstein’s wife-to-be, Felicia Montealegre, watch a version of Fancy Free onstage that melts into an original dance number, which they become a part of. The list of dancers includes NYCB’s Harrison Coll and Sebastián Villarini Vélez, and freelancers Gaby Diaz, Benjamin Freemantle, and Jeanette Delgado. Peck is often called a creative descendent of Robbins; after choreographing 2021’s West Side Story, this feels like a natural progression.

Maestro is nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Cooper), and Best Actress (Mulligan). It is available to stream on Netflix.

Poor Things, Choreographed by Constanza Macras

Poor Things, director Yorgos Lanthimos’ feminist abstraction of Frankenstein,stars Emma Stone as Bella Baxter, a grown woman reborn with the mind of a child. In a Victorian-era restaurant, Stone (who honed her dancing chops in La La Land and Broadway’s Cabaret) finds herself drawn to the music and takes to the dance floor. Rather than imitate the couples around her, she finds her own, intuitive movement style. For a while she’s joined by her lover, played by Mark Ruffalo, but, ultimately, she wants to dance on her own—a choice that helps further the film’s plot.

The scene is choreographed by Constanza Macras, a Berlin-based dancemaker who runs the dance and theater company DorkyPark and recently staged a production of Carmen for Switzerland’s Theater Basel. She first worked with Lanthimos on his 2018 The Favourite, whose dance scene also delightfully defies convention.

Poor Things is nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress (Stone), and Best Director (Lanthimos). It will be available to stream on Hulu starting on March 7.

The post The Best Dance in This Year’s Oscar-Nominated Films appeared first on Dance Magazine.

Originally published in 2009 for the Nintendo Wii console, Just Dance has since sold 80 million copies and engaged more than 140 million players all over the world. And while the game, which released its 2024 edition at the end of October, aims to make dance fun and accessible for anyone who picks up a remote, there are dozens of professional dancers and choreographers who help to make it happen.

Real Dancers, Really Dancing

For every Just Dance song and its attendant choreography, players follow along with at least one “coach,” digital avatars with unique character design. You might assume these coaches are computer generated, but the routines that unfold in each Just Dance “map” start out as videos of dancers performing the choreography in full costume and makeup on a green screen. Though animation is added in postproduction, what you’re watching in the final game are real dancers, really dancing. The 2024 edition worked with 38 dancers and 17 choreographers, 7 of whom performed their own routines as coaches, to create the 40 new maps.         

Finding the Right Choreographer

Estelle Manas, Just Dance’s director of choreography, began working at Ubisoft four years ago after over 20 years as a professional dancer in France’s commercial and musical theater scenes. She’s one of the creative leads involved in the process of creating each map from inception. “My role is to make the bridge between all the production needs and the artists,” she says.

Once the number of characters, mood, and story for a given song are determined, Manas puts together a brief with that information, as well as the planned difficulty (easy, medium, hard, or extreme), whether there are any accessories or props to be integrated, and an initial storyboard breakdown with the music. She then references Just Dance’s go-to list of freelance choreographers and finds the best fit. The selected choreographer goes into the studio with Manas and her assistant to create and film a prototype of the choreography.

Unique Choreographic Constraints

The choreography for a Just Dance map has to work within unique constraints. Because the console remote, which tracks the players’ movements to produce their final score, is held in the right hand, the choreography has to ensure that the right hand is always visible and actively involved in the dance. The movement has to be oriented to the front and be easily legible; keeping players facing the screen makes it easier for them to mirror the 2-D avatar’s moves, and makes for clearer pictograms, which scroll across the bottom of the screen in time with the choreography to cue players on which positions and motions are being scored for accuracy. Player ease is also why the choreography unfolds in relatively straightforward patterns: lots of repetition, fairly square musicality. Adjustments to accommodate the needs of other departments—from costume design to video artists to level design—also have to be seamlessly incorporated into the final version.

Casting “Coaches”      

Just Dance has a roster of dancers primarily found through periodic open-call auditions. Manas and her team consider the style of dance and the personality and look of the “coach” when deciding who to tap. Across the board, the dancers have to be not just good, clean technicians but also excellent at emoting, projecting energy, and conveying a story in a three-minute routine. Most important to the rehearsal process: “We need the dancer to have a really good memory, because we change the steps, the energy, the eye contact, all the time,” Manas says. They have, at most, four three-hour rehearsals in which to master the choreography as it’s being workshopped to accommodate notes from other departments.

What’s New in 2024

One new feature that will be beta-tested this winter is camera scoring, which will allow players to set up their smartphone to track them as they perform the routines from 15 tracks and score them based on their full body movement, rather than tracking just the remote in their right hand. (This gets at an early criticism of Just Dance: Couldn’t you just sit on the couch and wave your right arm around, rather than attempting the choreography?) The grading for this mode is based on an artificial-intelligence model trained on team members performing the choreography.

Another first for the 2024 edition: Collaborating with Baroque-dance expert Pierre-François Dollé for a new map set at the Palace of Versailles. Brought about thanks to the Cultural Olympiad program ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, “A Night in the Château de Versailles” celebrates a location that looms large not just in the popular imagination (Marie Antoinette, anyone?) but also in the history of Western classical dance. (Remember Louis XIV and Ballet de la Nuit from dance history class?) When Manas interviewed Dollé at the start of the collaboration, she was surprised to learn that Baroque dances like the minuet were not unlike the Macarena or Cupid Shuffle of their time, albeit for courtiers: “It was a really fun and sharing space, like: ‘I’ve heard this song, I know this choreography, let’s go!’ ”

The final result, set to a remix integrating a pair of contemporaneous compositions, evolves from a fairly straightforward homage to paired Baroque dances into a syncopated, hip-hop–inspired riff on the genre as the onscreen coaches move through the grounds and halls of the opulent palace. And the new Versailles map is a tidy encapsulation of what Just Dance is all about: taking something that might seem elite and out of reach—a Baroque dance performed by aristocrats, or, more broadly, dance as an art form—and transforming it into a contemporary, accessible, fun experience.

The post Real Dancers, Really Dancing: The Making of Just Dance 2024 appeared first on Dance Magazine.

Nocturne by Alyssa Wees

Set in 1930s Chicago, this darkly romantic fantasy follows Grace Dragotta, an orphan who rises to become the prima ballerina of the fictional Near North Ballet. Her world takes a turn for the uncanny when the troupe’s new, mysterious patron takes an interest in her career, and the fairy tales and folklore of the ballets she dances are revealed to hold more than a sliver of truth in reality. Pitched as Phantom of the Opera meets Beauty and the Beast, Alyssa Wees’ lyrical second novel explores grief, friendship, and the power of art to soothe, heal, and build a path forward in the wake of life’s inevitable tragedies.

Dances by Nicole Cuffy

At a fictionalized New York City Ballet, 22-year-old Cece Cordell is catapulted to a new level of visibility when she becomes the first Black ballerina promoted to principal in the company’s history. From the outside, she seems to be at the pinnacle of everything she’s ever wanted, but her interior life reveals a more complex landscape: nagging perfectionism, a constant questioning of whether she truly belongs, the daily physical negotiations of life in ballet, the shifting nuances of her relationships—in particular, her memories of her older brother, who had encouraged her interest in dance as a child but vanished from her life shortly after she landed her apprenticeship. At turns lyrical and raw, grounded and ephemeral, Nicole Cuffy’s debut novel offers a finely etched character study of a dancer learning to embody her whole self.

Pas de Don’t by Chloe Angyal

Chloe Angyal, author of the incisive Turning Pointe: How a New Generation of Dancers Is Saving Ballet From Itself, brings her deep knowledge of the ballet world to a romantic comedy set at two fictional elite companies. When her onstage partner and fiancé is caught cheating with a young corps member, New York Ballet principal Heather Hays takes a guesting gig at Australian National Ballet—the only company willing to hire her without her “American ballet royalty” ex—and meets Marcus Campbell, a soloist working his way back after a horrific onstage injury. Sparks fly as Marcus shows her around Sydney, but there’s one problem: Pas de Don’t, the nickname for the company’s strict no internal fraternization policy. Like many of the best works in the genre, Pas de Don’t uses romance to explore a broader range of experiences— grief, healing from emotionally abusive relationships—while also celebrating the power of dance and unpacking pervasive issues in ballet culture, including unhealthy power dynamics, sexual harassment, and sexist double standards.

The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

Marion Brooks risks estrangement from her father, sister, and soon-to-be fiancé when she bucks expectations of what a pretty young woman in the 1950s should do with her life and accepts a gig as a Rockette. But when the infamous “Big Apple Bomber” targets Radio City Music Hall, Marion is drawn into the investigation alongside psychologist Dr. Peter Griggs, placing her exhilarating and exhausting new life as a Rockette at risk as they race to unravel the bomber’s identity. Inspired by the real-life “Mad Bomber” case and steeped in the storied history of the Rockettes, Fiona Davis’ intricately woven thriller is, at its core, a love letter to Radio City Music Hall and the families found and made backstage. 

The post Beach Reads: 4 Recently Released Novels Set in the Dance World appeared first on Dance Magazine.

Director Rob Marshall tasked choreographer Joey Pizzi and co-choreographer Tara Nicole Hughes with creating movement for sea creatures and humans alike. Hughes—who’s also made her mark on the dance-forward films Chicago, Burlesque, and Mary Poppins Returns—talked about the process of bringing The Little Mermaid’s dancing into the deep end.

When did you come onboard The Little Mermaid?
I joined the creative team in May of 2019. Our first task was to discover which marine animals would best lend themselves to movement, specifically for the film’s biggest number, “Under the Sea.” We went through an entire casting process to choose our main sea creatures. They ended up including feather stars, ribbon eels, sea turtles, and even a mimic octopus.

What else inspired your choreography?
The original film’s Caribbean setting and music were definitely driving forces, as well as observing the sea creatures’ natural movement. For instance, when they’re swimming, feather stars look like showgirls, so that’s what they became in “Under the Sea,” dancing around Halle. The underwater world is already dancing—we just don’t normally see it.

How did that then translate to animation?
Rob had the brilliant idea to bring 16 dancers from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater to set “Under the Sea.” We used multiple 360-degree cameras to capture every angle of the dancers’ movement. That became the framework for the visual-effects artists to use for the sea creatures.

What was the approach to scenes that took place in or under water?
If a water scene involved anything above the waterline, we shot it in the water as normal. We shot all of the underwater scenes with a technique called “dry for wet,” which is a full blue-screen environment. Every single frame had to be choreographed or staged—not just the dance sequences. The actors used different kinds of rigs to simulate swimming, which required an entire stunt team to operate. Everyone had to know exactly what was supposed to happen on each count of music. We had to rehearse everything almost as much as a stage show, because there couldn’t be any surprises on filming day.

How did the cast handle those challenges?
Halle has such a natural grace about her and she was great in the water. It was more about building strength, learning the choreography, and getting used to the rigs. And Melissa, she’s fearless. She wanted to slide down Ursula’s clamshell right away and swim all over her lair. Everybody had to put in work, of course, but the whole cast was so naturally skilled that it made our jobs easier.

You’ve worked with Rob Marshall for a long time. How has that relationship evolved?
Joey, Rob, and I have worked together since my first project in 1996, which is hard to believe. Because of our history, we understand each other. Rob always has a clear vision, and he’s a master communicator, so we just follow his beacon of light. He also has a way of attracting the very best casts.

What were your biggest takeaways from this project?
With such huge technical challenges, you just have to stay the course. Every frame had blood, sweat, and tears poured into it, but all you see onscreen is joy, elegance, and love, which means we did our jobs well.

The post Tara Nicole Hughes on How <i>The Little Mermaid</i> Brings Dance Under the Sea appeared first on Dance Magazine.

In reality, there’s little reason to be surprised. The principal guest artist, who struck out on her own last June to begin a freelance career in New York City, has always loved acting (she trained at American Conservatory Theater during her time in San Francisco) and has already made strides onscreen. She had a speaking role in the feature film TEST (2013), appeared in a music video for musician Julian Lennon, and has danced in several video projects for SFB, the BBC, and filmmaker Henry Thong. A self-proclaimed “tech geek,” Keesler has also gained experience directing and filming as a co-founder of FreelyMad, a small dance film company she leads with Benjamin Freemantle. Now, with newfound flexibility thanks to her freelancing schedule, she’s been enjoying the chance to pursue additional film opportunities while continuing her ballet career.

Keesler will appear in episode 217 of “FBI: International,” titled “Jealous Mistress,” in which she plays a beloved American prima ballerina, Nicolette Clarke. In the episode, Clarke becomes subject to a violent acid attack on the eve of her principal premiere in Vienna and finds herself in the center of an international criminal investigation led by the show’s core FBI International Fly Team. Viewers can tune in on the CBS channel or stream it on Paramount+—but if you’re not caught up on the show, says Keesler, there’s no need to worry, as the episode is self-contained.

We spoke with Keesler to learn more about her TV debut experience, what she’s gained from her work in acting, and more.

How did you land this role?

This was the universe giving me a reminder that community is very important! A few months ago, I met up with my friend Courtney Lavine, who’s a dancer with American Ballet Theatre, and mentioned how I was looking for agents. I’d finished several programs through the acting school I’ve been going to, T. Schreiber Studio, and felt like I was ready to do more auditions. She suggested the agency CESD, who she’d worked with before. I emailed them immediately after lunch on Thursday, and they responded on Friday saying that there was a unique opportunity—and that if I was available and interested, the self-tape audition was due on Monday.

I jumped on it, and it turned out to be this episode. I immediately had a feeling it would be a good fit. These shows are cast so last-minute, so to have an actual trained professional dancer who’s available is a rare thing. I submitted the audition and heard back right away. By that next Saturday, I was on a plane to Europe!

That’s so exciting! What was it like to film on set for TV?
It was fantastic! These shows are well-oiled machines, and I was treated so well. I was there for about 17 days in total and loved meeting the cast members, because of course, I’d started watching the show right away! It was also really nice meeting the other guest stars. We got to explore Vienna, and since we were there during Valentine’s Day and away from our sweethearts, the six of us had our own celebration. It was a great bonding moment!

There were a lot of similarities with ballet. I realized on set how familiar it felt in the sense that you have a big team surrounding you, and everyone has the same common goal. It’s very similar to being in the theater and how everyone becomes a team, whether they’re the ones you see onscreen, onstage, or behind the scenes. So in that way, it felt like I was stepping into a mini company.

I’ve always been a dancer who’s gravitated towards acting roles. When I was 16, I remember wondering if I should move to Los Angeles and act or if I should dance. So that question has always been in the back of my mind, and I’m grateful for these opportunities where I’ve been able to marry the two.

What were some of the challenges you faced?

It was a challenge reminding myself to stay in the present and not overthink. It was easy to have impostor syndrome and say, “Do you know what you’re doing?” I had to trust my training. And I really did feel prepared, which is a testament to all the classes and teachers I’ve worked with here in New York so far.

I also had to say some German words and speak in a Viennese accent! I have lived in Hamburg, which helped, but I’m also American, and we’re historically bad with languages. [Laughs.] But they did provide a session with a dialect coach, which was great.

How did you approach the role of Nicolette Clarke?

I wanted to go with my instincts. For the audition, I basically shut myself away for those couple of days and dove through Nicolette’s background—and, honestly, a lot of it could easily align with my own life. My acting teachers have said, especially at the beginning, not to be afraid of that or to overact. So a lot of the process was diving into my own history.

But there are definitely some pure Nicolette twists. She’s a rising U.S. ballerina who’s even caught the attention of the First Lady. She has lots of fans in Vienna and is a big deal, which was fun to play! She also forms a pretty close bond with [Fly Team member Cameron] Vo. They find a common ground over similar histories, Vo’s being a passion for piano and Nicolette’s being ballet. The scenes delving into their relationship were probably my favorite to film.

Are you excited to watch the show?

I’ve only seen bits and pieces of scenes where we had to refilm dialogue, so now I’m even more excited to see the rest! The whole experience has been exciting—there was a lot of jumping up and down when I got the call from my agent. I’ve been trying to soak up every moment!

What are your future plans or goals for your career?

I want to do everything! I definitely still want to continue dancing as a classical ballet dancer. I’m not retired, just freelancing in a way that gives me space and time for other opportunities. New York City is a great place for that.

We can’t dance forever, so long-term I’d love to keep acting and share different stories. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for future TV shows and films, and I’m dipping my toes into musical theater—I’ve been working on my singing voice! I find humans and the brain so fascinating, and I think there are endless stories we can tell.

The post Ballerina Onscreen: Madison Keesler Guest-Stars in “FBI: International” appeared first on Dance Magazine.

As for us dance enthusiasts, we especially awaited the performance of “Naatu Naatu,” the exceedingly catchy track from the Telegu film RRR that later that evening would make history as the first Indian film song to win an Oscar, claiming the award in the Best Original Song category. The anticipation for this performance was noticeable throughout the night, even well before the ceremony began—during the preshow broadcast, ABC news reporter Chris Connelly shared that he had worn his suspenders in anticipation of dancing along with the ensemble, and during a preshow interview, “Naatu Naatu” star Ram Charan got anchors Linsey Davis and Whit Johnson moving with a bit of the viral choreography. 

The evening’s first onstage dance moment was both hilarious and unexpected. To wrap up his opening monologue, ceremony host Jimmy Kimmel joked that if any awardee’s speech went on too long, rather than being played offstage with the typical music, they would instead be danced off by a group of “Naatu Naatu” performers. The audience burst into laughter as six of the dancers surrounded Kimmel doing the hallmark hook step, enthusiastically edging him off to kick off the awards. 

Next was the weirdly wonderful performance of best picture winner Everything Everywhere All at Once’s track “This Is a Life,” which was nominated for best original song alongside “Naatu Naatu.” An ensemble of dancers in white costumes reminiscent of martial arts uniforms joined the band Son Lux, singer/songwriter David Byrne and best supporting actress nominee (and former Broadway performer) Stephanie Hsu in their delightful and wacky performance of the song, complete with an onscreen cameo from EEAAO digital star Raccacoonie. In a quirky number studded with extraordinary martial-arts–esque feats, slow-motion moments and an ending contraction held for an impressively long time, the dancers of “This Is a Life” took the multiverse track to the next level.

About an hour and a half into the ceremony came the much-awaited performance of “Naatu Naatu,” featuring Prem Rakshith’s film choreography. Expectations were high for this anti-colonial “banger,” as described by presenter Deepika Padukone, but the cast—which included a surprisingly low number of South Asian performers—exceeded nearly all with its rip-roaring Technicolor performance fit for the Broadway stage (RRR: The Musical, anyone?). The dancers’ infectious energy and powerful execution of the iconic choreography added to the list of the evening’s triumphs—for film, song, South Asian representation and, inarguably, dance.

The Oscars may historically be all about the little gold man, but after nights like last night it is clear to us the power that strong performances make. While we’ll still wonder why there isn’t a category for best choreography yet, the dance world has a lot to be proud of from this year’s crown jewel film event. 

The post Most Memorable Dance Moments: The 2023 Academy Awards appeared first on Dance Magazine.

One of the creative forces bringing this project to life is Jamal Sims, the much-lauded choreographer behind the Step Up movies, 2011’s Footloose, Netflix’s 13: The Musical, Miley Cyrus’ Wonder World Tour and so much more. With Jon M. Chu (the director of the In the Heights film and Crazy Rich Asians) executive producing, the anniversary celebration features an absolutely start-studded cast: H.E.R. and Josh Groban will play the titular roles with Martin Short as Lumière, Shania Twain as Mrs. Potts, Broadway sensation Joshua Henry as Gaston and David Alan Grier as Cogsworth. And, saving the best for last, Rita Moreno (who appeared in both the 1961 and 2021 West Side Story films) will serve as the narrator. Dance Magazine chatted with Sims to find out all about his Beauty and the Beast nostalgia, his vision for the project and what it was like working with a cast of such luminaries.

How did you get involved in this project?

Jon Chu, our executive producer and a dear friend of mine, gave me a call earlier this year and asked if I would be interested in jumping in on the project. Of course it was a big YES!

Does Beauty and the Beast hold any special significance for you?

I was a teenager when the film came out, and it reminds me of babysitting my younger sisters. We would watch it together, and I feel like I loved it more than they did. 

Were there parts in particular that you had an immediate vision for or were most excited to work on? 

I was so excited to work on Gaston. The opportunity to have a different take on the number that has been done so many different ways was challenging yet exciting.

What does an animated and live-action blended project entail, and what does that mean for you as the choreographer?

It entails careful planning on our part. Figuring out transitions and to make sure we are continuously surprising the audience. The difference between Broadway and television is with television we are able to use more space to create our world.

What was it like working with such a star-studded cast? Were any of them particularly suited to dancing? 

Working with this star-studded cast was a dream. I was a huge fan of them all individually, so it was amazing bringing them together as a team. Rita Moreno is a dance legend, and it was such a humbling experience just to know we had her on set. I was surprised how game the whole cast was to step outside of their comfort zones. We really pushed them to dig deeper. 

What in particular should dance lovers watching be on the lookout for? 

There are so many beautiful dance moments. Dance lovers should be looking for numbers that have never been told through dance are now being interpreted by a skilled cast of dancers.

Why do you think it’s important to breathe fresh life into classics like Beauty and the Beast? 

I think the new audiences deserve their own version of Beauty and the Beast while being educated on the process of what it took to create the original.

Are you working on any new projects? 

I directed and choreographed “Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl” which will also be on Disney+ at the end of the month. I choreographed the new “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies” where I also directed an episode. Life has been busy, but so much fun!

The post Jamal Sims on Working On “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration” appeared first on Dance Magazine.

As the director of entertainment for the Bananas, Frongillo is responsible for ensuring crowds don’t just see a baseball game, but a variety show that includes every­thing from a 65-and-up line-dance squad (the Banana Nanas) to a batter walking up to the plate on stilts—and, yes, dancing first-base coaches, which has become something of a tradition for the team.

“Everything that’s normal, we do the opposite” is the Bana­nas’­ mantra, Frongillo says. His viral moment was the result of him subbing in for Maceo Harrison, a dancer whose resumé includes music videos and who replaces the cryptic hand signals you’d normally see from a first-base coach with freestyle hip hop. 

“It’s becoming this giant show because it’s making baseball fun, and dancing is a big part of that.”  Zachary Frongillo 

Frongillo’s “Waltz of the Flowers” clip was seen by Savannah Ballet Theatre artistic director Suzanna Braddy, who recruited him to join the company as a guest artist. Now, he’s back to taking class three times a week, and planning to incorporate more dance into baseball games for the Bananas’ 2022 season. 

The post Dance Finds a Place in Baseball With the Savannah Bananas appeared first on Dance Magazine.

TikTok has definitely evolved since it first launched in 2016—and living through quarantine brought droves to the platform out of pure boredom. But what’s remained true from the start is the popularity of dance-challenge videos. These “challenges” are less of a social competition to determine who is the best dancer, but serve as more of a call to the TikTok community to join in on the fun by recreating the movements they see. They typically follow a fairly standard format of simple, front-facing choreography, mostly consisting of upper-body movements that are usually fit for any beginner to learn.

Although the dance challenge “aesthetic” has undoubtedly fed the app’s popularity, there’s more going on in the dance world of TikTok. Some artists and choreographers are creating more than just viral challenges that turn with the wind. They are making works that aren’t meant to be duplicated (or, in proper TikTok terms, “duet”-ed), but instead stand alone as their own pieces of art, made specifically for the platform and to be appreciated as they are.

Lea Tucker & Emry Wride, aka “El Choreography”

(@elchoreography) 51k TikTok followers

Lea Tucker and Emry Wride are two sisters who have mastered the art of creating a theater-like dance experience to be witnessed via your phone screen. Their dancers are often in full costume to give viewers the complete concept as it was visualized in their minds. With pure intention and emotion, they’ve showcased dancers—sometimes as soloists, other times in a small group—passionately bringing the lyrics from the soundtrack of the “Bridgerton” Netflix series to life through choreography that effortlessly communicates the message of each song.

When they joined: “We started using TikTok in January 2021. What drew us was definitely the #BridgertonMusical trend started by two extremely talented songwriters, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear. We fell in love with the music, and it inspired us to start creating content on the app. In the beginning, the content was all ‘Bridgerton’-focused. Today, we’re branching out.”

The pros and cons: “The pros are how vast the audience range can be, and how quickly content can spread. People are very interactive, and creators are very collaborative on TikTok. The cons are how apparent view count is, and how the app values and rewards it. It can add unnecessary pressure to constantly produce viral videos.”

The inspiration: “During the pandemic, live performances stopped and TikTok provided a way for people to enjoy dance and theater safely. We were inspired to provide a theatrical experience through a screen and retell a story that so many people loved (‘Bridgerton’) through movement. We loved the Netflix series. After we heard one of Barlow and Bear’s songs, ‘Ocean Away,’ we knew that we had to choreograph to it. After we posted the first TikTok, the songwriters reached out, and from there we continued to collaborate through the app.”

The creative process: “First, we conceptualize and plan details, like dancers, costumes, etc. Then, we choreograph on the spot when the dancers are in the studio, which can take three to four hours. Right after learning the choreography, we begin the filming process.”

The payoff: “We’ve been able to connect with people all over the world, and also have been fortunate enough to have been interviewed and featured by a multitude of renowned media outlets.”

Jose Ramos, aka “Hollywood”

(@ayhollywoood) 57k TikTok followers

Known for working with names like Rihanna, Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez, hip-hop choreographer Hollywood has found his niche on TikTok, which he likes to call “organized chaos.” As the creator of the viral #LightFlexChallenge, there’s no doubt that he can produce fun, easy-to-learn choreo. But what sets him apart on the app are the videos in which he films himself performing his choreography, along with eight or more other dancers, while seamlessly flowing in and out of frame, creating a full artistic experience specifically for a phone screen.

When he joined: “I started using TikTok two years ago once I saw where social media was heading. I was mostly drawn in by the dance challenges at first.”

The pros and cons: “Unlike Instagram, you can easily gain a new audience and cultivate a following outside of your friends, mutuals and colleagues. You can also upgrade your brand by experimenting with different content strategies to find and connect with people from so many different regions. A con is definitely that trends become repetitive, and it can be hard to find ‘your thing’ without feeling like you’re selling yourself short.”

His creation process: “What inspired me was the already-established concept of framework that you see in dance videos on TikTok. I felt really inclined to up the ante by adding unique transitions, more choreography to fill the camera frame, and create ins and outs that are appealing to the eye. Each dancer is a student of mine, so we set up a date to meet and rehearse, and in exchange, I give them free classes. We take about two and half hours each rehearsal to prep everyone for a constantly moving routine. Whatever comes out in the moment while choreographing is what I piece together for the world to see on TikTok.”

What he hopes to gain: “I have definitely pitched the concept to some artists and brands, and I’m crossing my fingers that one day, some major brand(s) will pay us good money.”

Jack Ferver, aka “Little Lad”

(@thereallittlelad) 2.1M TikTok followers

If you hear the phrase “berries and cream” and think of the Starburst commercial that went viral during the early 2000s, then you’ll immediately envision­ one of the most memorable characters to ever grace your TV screen. (If not, a quick YouTube search will get you up to speed.) But what most viewers probably never would’ve guessed was that the actor playing the “little lad” was actually an experimental choreographer in real life. Jack Ferver is now bringing the Little Lad character back into the limelight more than a decade later—serving eerily humorous performance art on TikTok that is simply unrepeatable and just as viral, if not more, as the commercial that started it all.

Life as the Little Lad: “When I did that Starburst commercial, I was just starting to make my own dance work. I would have some of my students saying ‘Oh my gosh, you were in that commercial!’ which I loved. (What I didn’t love was people just saying ‘Do the dance!’) I always appreciate when art slows me down, and I feel that freedom and pleasure with playfulness when I am creating as the Little Lad.”

What made them want to join: “It wasn’t until this past summer that my friend Reid Bartelme, who I used to do the Dance and Stuff podcast with, started sending me things that people were making on TikTok about the Little Lad character. Reid said, ‘Well, what are you going to do?’ And initially I said ‘Nothing,’ but eventually I saw one that I felt was making fun of the Little Lad, and I thought ‘Well, the Little Lad should appear themselves and take up their own space.’ So, one day I went to this wig store on 14th Street in New York City, held up the photo from the commercial, and said, ‘I need something that looks like this.’ ”

TikTok opportunities: “I’ve gotten requests for everything from appearing at a child’s birthday to making a cameo to cheer up someone that was going through a breakup. I also had a doctor reach out who wrote an incredibly kind note expressing their team’s fatigue during COVID, and how sharing one of my videos created a positive impact for them. Humor creates so much ventilation, and we all need to just breathe a lot more.”

What they love most: “I love how interactive it can be. Early on, I would open the app and just chat into people’s livestreams. I really love seeing the younger generation pushing forward important issues on the app, and I’ve likewise really enjoyed getting to see people of all ages express themselves or show us some new aspects of life. I also love that the app has some sense of mental-health check-in so that people don’t just fall into doom scrolling. And, of course, I appreciate that TikTok has a Creator Fund, which puts money back towards the people who are creating the amazing content that we get to experience.”

Their number-one goal when creating content: “As a queer kid who grew up in rural Wisconsin, an important part of my practice as an artist is questioning, ‘How do I get through to the child who suffers?’ Especially having a character like the Little Lad, I try to think, ‘Where could kids who might feel like they’re an outlier feel like they have a mirror, someone to play with, or someone to feel less alone with?’ My main goal is to make people feel less alone.”

The post Beyond Dance Challenges: 4 Choreographers Share Their Unique Approaches to TikTok appeared first on Dance Magazine.

How did you begin choreographing for figure skating?

Figure skating is not my background. I was able to move on ice with skates, but just for fun. Seven years ago, I was introduced to the sport through my ballet teacher, who was already coaching athletes at the Ice Academy of Montreal. It was one of the first years that hip hop was used. The owner of the school asked me if I wanted to play with their skaters, and they loved the job that I did.

What was your dance background?

I was trained in contemporary, jazz, musical theater and hip hop. I was not a master of any of them, but I was a good chameleon for any type of show. That was very helpful when I started to choreograph for ice skating, synchronized swimming and gymnastics. Working with Cirque du Soleil touched all of those dance styles.

What was it like helping Nathan Chen move from a more balletic style to hip hop on ice?

This guy is a genius, he’s just so brilliant. For sure, we wanted to bring the party vibe out of this program. It’s the Olympics—you want to make people feel something. When you know your competitors, if you want to stand out, you need to think differently.

What is your process like?

We always start with a bunch of choreo and mapping it to the music. Once we have a big enough chunk of moves, we go and play on the ice. When I started, I had the tendency of wanting to put dance breaks everywhere, but it was just cutting the flow. I realized that what looked the best in figure skating is that speed and glide.

Do you find choreographing for figure skating challenging?

There are so many rules. The biggest challenge is making sure we can score the notes and then elevate the dance to another level. So, they can dance the technique and not look like they’re trying to replicate a dance, but really dance it. That is one of our strengths. I feel like the Russians are very strong technically, but when you take a look at their programs, the way the choreography is made, it’s more based on the technical side of it.

How do you help skaters develop their artistry?

It’s really the work of making them understand the weight transfer and being grounded. How can you feel your rib cage, your core, and use it so we don’t look too straight or stiff? The more you dance, the more you sell your program and the more you sell it, the more you can polish your technique.

What is it like to choreograph for skaters who are competing against each other?

That’s really hard for me because I want to give myself 100 percent to all of the couples. But it’s up to them what they’re going to do with the material I give them. It’s fun to see my moves, but then it’s fun to see how they digest it and make it their own.

What are some of your favorite programs you’ve choreographed?

Moulin Rouge for Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir has a special place in my heart because it was my first Olympic program and we won gold. One of the coolest to create was the Chock/Bates free program. Another was the Janet Jackson one. The Great Britain one to The Lion King was very fun to choreograph to a Broadway vibe, and then there’s Gabby/Guillaume with the waacking.

How did you also start choreographing for the Canadian synchronized swimming team?

The Olympic and sports world is a small world. I knew nothing about synchronized swimming, but I watched a lot of videos, and even if I’m not physically able to do it, I can have a big enough imagination. We work on formations and cleanliness of the arms. At the Olympic Stadium in Montreal where they train, if you go down a couple of stairs, there’s a window underneath the pool, so I get to see underwater.

What are you working on now?

We’re still with our teams that are not at the Olympics but are going to Worlds and we are also prepping the junior teams. I booked a Disney movie as a choreographer—it’s going to be a Christmas movie. I also booked a Cirque show in Montreal. The most exciting thing recently is I’ve been hired to be the main choreographer of a full season for a TV show in Japan. They also asked me to be the artistic director, which is my first time being an artistic director. I’m so excited and nervous but also ready to jump into the challenge.

Any advice for dancers?

Don’t limit yourself. Dance can be used in many different ways and many different artforms. Figure skating is not the lane I thought my life would go, and it turns out by just being open, it brought things into my life I never thought would be possible.

The post Meet Sam Chouinard, Choreographer for Olympic Gold Medalist Figure Skaters appeared first on Dance Magazine.

At the Beijing Winter Olympics, which opened today, technical content will again be key to determining podium placement. Yet there is one man you won’t want to miss, regardless of his ultimate ranking: Jason Brown, the American wonder who treats the ice like a dance stage and will no doubt go down as one of the sport’s greatest and most versatile performers.

Brown broke through in 2014, and not just because he earned a bronze medal in the team event at the Sochi Olympics: His exhilarating “Riverdance” free skate went viral in a way few skating programs do, garnering millions of views. A perfect match of choreography and performer, it built anticipation exquisitely, from the elegant opening arm movements to the effervescent, Irish-dance–inspired footwork sequences that start around the two-minute mark. (The standing ovation at the U.S. Championships began before Brown had even hit the final note.)

While he won the U.S. national title the next year, the quadruple-jump race heated up internationally post-Sochi. More and more skaters brought multiple “quads” to the table, leaving Brown—who has occasionally included one in his programs, but never achieved consistency with them—in a difficult position.

Still, while he has no individual world or Olympic medals, he has consistently placed in the top 10 internationally. “Artistry” doesn’t fully capture the quality of Brown’s work. Outside ofjumps, his technical skills are widely recognized as some of the finest in figure skating. His spins, for instance, are lightning-fast and perfectly centered. (And they include gorgeous flourishes: Just watch the free arm in some of them, with the balletic placement of the fingers and curved lines complementing the legs.)

Brown also scores very high program component scores (PCS), which count toward a skater’s total along with technical elements—a reward for the speed, flow, effortless transitions and performance quality he brings to the table. Yet under the current system, PCSs don’t differentiate enough between skaters to compensate for a lack of quadruple jumps; in fact, they even tend to rise along with the technical content.

That seemingly unavoidable ceiling nearly led Brown to retire in 2018, after he failed to make the last Olympic team. “I really didn’t see a future for me in this sport, unless I could do quads,” he told NBC last year. Instead, he moved to Toronto to train with the renowned Tracy Wilson and Brian Orser, whose long list of protégés includes two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu (one of the top medal prospects in Beijing) and the 2018 bronze medalist Javier Fernández.

And figure skating should be very grateful that this fan favorite stuck around. Over the past four years, Brown ditched his trademark ponytail and achieved new levels of artistic maturity. In 2019, he came back with “Love Is a Bitch,” a slow-burning short program subtly tailored to Two Feet’s sensual song. As always, Brown doesn’t merely cross the ice to get to the next big element: Every step is three-dimensional, with quick changes of direction, head tilts and développés all perfectly timed to either the melody or the bass line. (Imagine doing all of this not on marley but on actual ice.)

Again in black, at the Winter Olympics this year he will skate to Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman”—another fully realized piece that has earned Brown renewed standing ovations. Just watch the recurring hand motifs, from the jazzy start to claps matching the song, or his expressive use of the torso in the extremely fast step sequences. Also, the casual over-split jump (a Brown trademark) to over-split développé. And the arm briefly coming up to his heart in the final spin. The list of details goes on, and speaks to the level of finesse that goes into his work.

As with “Riverdance,” the choreography is by Rohene Ward, Brown’s longtime choreographer. A former skater himself, Ward also learned tap, hip hop and ballet from a young age. Since Brown’s move to Toronto, Ward has choreographed only his short programs, with David Wilson taking over the longer free ones: after Simon & Garfunkel and “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” programs, Brown brings “Schindler’s List” to Beijing. It’s a more traditional choice for figure skating, but Brown, who is Jewish, said he waited until he “felt capable of conveying that story.”

The 27-year-old, who came out as gay last year, is without a doubt the total package at this point in his career. He has persevered in a sport that doesn’t really reward artistic excellence with medals, putting huge amounts of energy into the quality of his programs where others might have held back a little to focus on nailing quads. (He is also fun and fabulous in exhibitions, as this carefree Justin Timberlake number suggests.) Brown has been called a skaters’ skater; he is also arguably the ultimate dancers’ skater. Whatever happens in Beijing, an artist will have graced the Olympic ice once more.

The post Jason Brown Is the Ultimate Dancers’ Skater at the Winter Olympics appeared first on Dance Magazine.

We’ve all had those same hushed thoughts before, but this past year, Goodwin has brought them out into the open. Through short videos on his Instagram account—usually a close-up of him acting out two sides of an awkward conversation—he riffs on real-life dance situations and uses humor to offer relatable takes on auditions, creative processes and more. With a career spanning from Sleep No More to Broadway’s Fiddler on the Roof and Netflix’s Tick, Tick… Boom!, the Juilliard-trained dancer certainly knows the ins and outs of the industry. And thousands of likes, shares and comments later, the laughs he provides have sparked important conversations and united the community in a much deeper purpose.

What was your personal inspiration to make these videos?

I think we’re in such a strange, wonderful and sometimes kind of awful industry that people don’t really understand. And I thought a way to help people understand, and also to help other dancers connect about the personal things we hold on to, was to make everyone laugh at it.

But there’s a larger conversation happening too, and I think the pandemic has allowed dancers to sit back and really look at their experiences and see the way we’re often treated. A lot of us have had our jobs literally ripped away from us, and if we’re freelancers, we’re left with no protection. I don’t always want to be hypercritical of the dance industry because I’m obviously a part of that community and it’s a community I love and have great respect for. But I think we’ve had an opportunity to look at the systems that are not working. And to look at our experiences with choreographers, with schools, with bodies…to see the way we fit ourselves into this mold that really is not healthy in some ways. It can be a relief to feel like “Oh, my god. I’ve done that. I’ve been there. That’s happened to me or that’s happened to someone that I know.”

In your ideal world, what changes do you hope these videos could bring about?

I hope people can start asking for things that would allow someone who pursues dance as a career to really have a livelihood without holding multiple jobs at the same time. We want to be able to start families and buy homes and pay off our student loans. I hope to have more support from the government, from each other. I want dancers to not be afraid to ask for what they deserve. What they really deserve. I think we so often dismiss it all because we really want the job. But you can want the job and also ask for the things you deserve as a human being.

For example, I hope to have a dialogue about dancers generating material and recognizing the creative contributions that they’re not given credit for. How can companies look at that process and pay their dancers accordingly? And if those pieces are then remounted elsewhere, how can royalties be implemented? Even if it’s just a small royalty. It’s still the act of doing it that shows care and respect.

Whenever I watch your videos, I can’t help but wonder what else is going on in the room around you at that moment.

It’s usually just my partner, Paul, sitting in the kitchen, watching me go off on a tangent.

But sometimes he’s the cameraman, and we often have to start over because he’ll just laugh hysterically to the point where we both end up in fits, unable to move on.

But that must be so therapeutic for you!

Oh, that’s a huge part of why I do it. Some of the videos are based on things I’ve really been through, and being able to find humor in them has been fun but also incredibly healing.

So how can humor help us stay grounded during difficult times?

Right now it’s scary. It’s emotional. Everyone is carrying around a lot of anxiety. There’s political turmoil, environmental distress. And everyone is having their own personal awakening, whether they’re talking about it or not. In this pandemic, we’ve been forced to look at ourselves straight on, and I think humor allows us to do that and to unite with other people in the process. Everything is funny in some way. It helps. It keeps us in check. Humor brings empathy. And at the end of the day, if you can find a way to laugh at it, you can get through it.

Check out a few of Austin’s greatest hits:

Dance process

Dance Auditions

Dance Auditions pt.2

When a dancer sees a doctor for a cold

Dancer interviews for a tech job

The post Austin Goodwin Uses Humor to Tell It Like It Is appeared first on Dance Magazine.

The Dancing That Made Gymnast Nia Dennis Famous

UCLA gymnast Nia Dennis was popping up all over social media in January with a floor routine that incorporated stepping and iconic social-dance moves like the Soulja Boy and the woah. Editor in chief Jennifer Stahl interviewed both Dennis and the team’s choreographer, BJ Das, about how it came together. Later in the year we looked into what was behind the overall trend of college gymnasts going viral because of their dance moves.

Our 2021 “25 to Watch”

Our annual “25 to Watch” feature, highlighting up-and-comers we believe are on the verge of breakthrough, is always a favorite, and this year was no different. After publishing the list on January 1, we spent the year watching these artists make waves throughout the field.

The Dancer Who Holds a Surprising Guinness World Record

One of our more unexpected breakout hits of 2021 was a profile of a dancer with an unexpected story: Sarah Louis-Jean took home a Guinness World Record for the most boleadoras taps made in one minute (385, if you’re curious). Our intern at the time, Breanna Mitchell (who’s now, for obvious reasons, on our roster of regular writers), wrote about how the Black Canadian woman became a master in the Argentine folk dance that’s traditionally performed by men.

A Look at What Makes a TikTok Dance Challenge Catch On

At the start of 2021, TikTok was already a major destination for dance, and it’s only grown over the course of the year. Writer Siobhan Burke looked into the unparalleled appeal of the platform, and why dance is such a natural fit for it.

Boston Dynamics’ Robot Choreographer

Who’s behind those viral music videos of robots dancing? Writer Sydney Skybetter did some investigating to track down the choreographer of Boston Dynamics’ then-latest film, “Do You Love Me?”: Monica Thomas. She shared with us the inside scoop on a creative process like no other.

The History of the Temple Dancers Who Inspired La Bayadère

Few ballet lovers these days would be surprised to hear that Petipa took, ahem, certain liberties with the cultures that inspired his famous ballets. But journalist Sarah McKenna Barry’s deep dive into the real lives of the actual women whom Nikiya is supposed to represent will make you see La Bayadère in a whole new way.

Edward Watson’s Cover Story

Just before Edward Watson retired from The Royal Ballet this fall, Laura Cappelle took a look at how he carved out a new space in ballet for male dancers who don’t fit the traditional “prince” mold.

“30 Over 30”

During a year in which time seemed to both stand still and fly by all at once, Dance Magazine decided to push back against the narrative that only the young can have dance careers. Putting our spin on the traditional power list, we choose “30 Over 30,” highlighting people who prove success can happen at any age.

The post Dance Magazine’s Top 8 Stories of 2021 appeared first on Dance Magazine.

But, to the surprise of many, he didn’t stay in show business, despite winning a Tony for Best Actor in a Musical, along with his two fellow Billys. Instead, he disappeared from view, finished high school and then joined the army. “I wanted to be part of something bigger than myself,” he said recently of his decision to join up. “It was, no doubt, the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” He still wears his dog tags. Though he didn’t see combat, he says that the experience—the physical and mental training—changed him.

In 2015, at 20, he briefly resurfaced as a swing in the Broadway revival of On the Town. Only to disappear once again, this time winding up at Case Western University, where he majored in philosophy.

The post From Billy Elliot to Bernardo: David Alvarez’s Journey to “West Side Story” appeared first on Dance Magazine.

Apartment No. 3 Lucky Charms Notebook, $20

A dance journal can be a helpful tool for keeping track of corrections, setting goals and staying inspired. The Lucky Charms Notebook is the perfect space for this with a mix of daily task pages, lined sheets for notes and art pages filled with words of encouragement. The notebook comes from Apartment No. 3, a home decor and accessories company that was founded by Diana Albrecht, a former professional dancer with The Washington Ballet and Boston Ballet. You can feel good about your purchase knowing that the company works directly with artisans around the world, focusing on ethical sourcing and sustainable practices.

RolflexPRO, $69.95

An upgrade from your average foam roller, the RolflexPRO utilizes leverage (instead of gravity) to roll out sore muscles more easily and with more control over the pressure used. The lightweight and portable design is small enough to store in a dance bag. And because it’s adjustable, you can use it to massage your hips as easily as your calves and feet. With a yellow foam roller on one side and double rollers on the opposite side, the device allows you to roll over joints without causing pain while deeply massaging the muscles.

Moondance Sculpture by Gina Klawitter, $320–$450

Fine artist Gina Klawitter combined sculpting and painting to develop her Figures In Fabric Sculptures technique. For her piece entitled Moondance, Klawitter worked with Philadelphia Ballet dancer Fernanda Oliveira as her model, molding fabric to capture her posed feet. Now, she’s offering smaller sculpture reproductions, in resin and perma-stone, that can be displayed on your wall or coffee table.

The post 12 Holiday Gift Ideas for Your Favorite Dancer appeared first on Dance Magazine.

Yes, stereotypes and tokenism remain an issue. But burlesque performers often find an outlet they never imagined in formal dance studios. “It really fills my cup,” says Marcy Richardson, who marries aerial dance, opera and pole dancing in her nightlife act, and also performs with the burlesque troupe Company XIV. “I get to be my most authentic self and let go of any expectations that people have.”

Burlesque’s history in the U.S. has deeper roots than modern dance or even ballet. It grew out of Victorian music hall, Victorian burlesque and minstrel shows in the second half of the 19th century. Today’s version of burlesque best resembles that of the early 1900s, when vaudeville reigned supreme. The form flourished during prohibition, and, pushed partially underground, the striptease took center stage. A wave of censorship shut down shows in the late ’30s, but burlesque came roaring back in the ’40s and ’50s, thanks to female trailblazers like Lili St. Cyr and Tempest Storm.

An entrepreneurial spirit remains firmly embedded in 21st-century burlesque. Like concert-dance choreographers, burlesquers often wear many hats: dancemaker, costume designer, self-promoter, makeup artist. “Generally, we’re independent artists,” says Jeez Loueez, a New Orleans–based burlesque performer who started out in musical theater. “It’s up to you to seek out the jobs—and get your own rehearsal space, edit your own music and design your own costumes.”

One of the most rewarding differences from a formal dance career is how often you get to perform, says burlesquer Dirty Martini. Burlesque acts translate well to myriad venues with the capacity to pull together a show quickly. “When you’re rehearsing for a contemporary-dance work, it takes, what, six months to get a concert together, and maybe you can perform for one weekend,” says Martini. “In nightlife, there are shows four or five times a week. You can take an idea you have, and in a week it’s onstage.”

The need to constantly market yourself in order to generate an audience and a loyal following feels similarly exhausting to the hustle demanded of independent contemporary choreographers, however. For most of Loueez’s burlesque career, she’s had to get enough butts in seats to turn a profit for herself. “Say there’s a bar that wants to have a burlesque show,” she says. “You might reach out to a producer, who’ll say, ‘Great. It’ll cost me $2,000 to produce this event.’ Now you have to sell tickets and match that cost before getting a cut of the door.” Loueez likes to joke that if she worked at Walgreens, she wouldn’t need to constantly post on social media that everyone should come visit her at a certain time. “I wish I could just go to work without having to shout about it every day on social media.”

Despite burlesque’s hustle culture, the transition into nightlife for most dancers-turned-burlesque-performers feels like taking a big gulp of fresh air. “Before burlesque, I would go to auditions, and I could see that I was a better dancer, but I wasn’t getting the job because I looked a certain way or I wasn’t the right height,” says Michelle L’amour, known colloquially as The Most Naked Woman. While she was dancing for an industrial glam-rock band, the front man, whom she was dating, asked her if she’d like to create a burlesque show as an opening act. L’amour said yes (“even though I had no idea what that was,” she says with a laugh). When she did her first striptease, she knew this was going to be her life. (And that front man is now her husband.)

For Zelia Rose, a burlesque performer who is also a swing in Australia’s production of Hamilton, the absence of needing to look or perform better than someone else is a big draw. “Sure, there’s always going to be competition,” she says, “but there’s never a sense of ‘Oh, I’m comparing myself to this person, the way my body looks.’ There’s more of a celebration of coming together.”

Burlesque offers a particular performance haven for plus-size women, who are weary of concert-dance companies that seem to uniformly hire a highly specific body type: thin. When she graduated from Purchase College—a program she says she entered on weight probation—Martini knew the odds of finding a contemporary-dance gig were small. “I auditioned for everyone, and I knew no one was going to hire me, because I was a size 14 or 16,” she says.

Carving a space for herself and helping to shape the nascent burlesque scene in New York City in the 1990s was thrilling. “It’s exciting for me to present a body that people get excited about,” says Martini, a past winner of burlesque’s version of the Olympics, the Miss Exotic World pageant. “It’s not just men being excited because it’s titillating—the majority are women who are so excited to see a body that’s not reflected in magazines or in television or the movies. They’re like, ‘Oh, thank God! Somebody’s representing the majority of women in the U.S. who are over a size 12.’ “

Of course, stereotyping still exists. “When you look at the ways shows are cast, it might be five thin white girls and a brown girl and a fat girl,” says Jezebel Express, a burlesque dancer who recently began performing out of a specially outfitted school bus. “You still see some idea that people are welcome, but only if they’re achieving at a super-high level.” It’s common for plus-size performers to feel relegated to comedic routines, Express says: “They expect to have to deflect their sexuality.”

Burlesque, like nearly every performance field, still has work to do when it comes to moving beyond tokenism and successfully integrating performers of color. “I get pigeonholed into always being the representation card,” says Rose. “I’ll often be the only POC visible in shows.”

It’s an audience-diversity issue, too, says Loueez. “Producers will ask me, ‘How do I get my audience to be more diverse?’ ” she says. “Well, you booked 10 skinny white ladies! If you’re not seeing yourself reflected onstage, you’re not going to go to those shows.”

Loueez, who 10 years ago founded Jeezy’s Juke Joint, a Black Burly Q Revue, as a way to shine a light on Black burlesque performers, uses her teaching career as a tool for change. “I started teaching because I was tired of seeing appropriation,” she says. “A lot of people were using it for comedic effect: ‘How hilarious is it that I’m white and I’m trying to twerk!’ But if a Black burlesque performer did the same act, it would be too stripper-y or raunchy. I have to remind myself that burlesque is not a sparkly bubble where racism and ableism and classicism don’t exist.”

It is a space, performers argue, that offers a wider range of self-expression than its concert-dance counterpart—and seems more ready to tackle the problematic issues that need fixing. “We live in a culture that created a hierarchy of bodies that serve the patriarchy,” says Express. “But people are slowly hopping off the train, one at a time. And I get to help them off the train—with burlesque.”

The post Why Some Dancers Are Finding an Outlet in Burlesque appeared first on Dance Magazine.

In what seems to be the genesis of the TikTok trend, Ballet de l’Opéra national du Rhin dancer and choreographer Pierre-Emile Lemieux-Venne, known on the platform for re-creating popular movie and music video sequences, posted a clip of himself dancing The Aloof from “Rich Man’s Frug.” He’d been asked to “make this the next TikTok dance,” a request we fully support.

The post Our Favorite #FosseChallenge TikToks appeared first on Dance Magazine.

JaQuel Knight is facing this question today in his journey to copyright his iconic choreographic work with artists like Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion. Thanks to U.S. copyright law, the process has not been easy. Through a partnership with the Dance Notation Bureau, Knight has been working with Lynne Weber to put his work into Labanotation. On July 9, 2020, he received an approved registered copyright for his “Single Ladies” choreography, making him the first commercial choreographer in pop music to succeed in copyrighting his work.

Understanding the challenges in making this happen requires a close look at the history of U.S. copyright law. Here’s what dancemakers should know about the background of copyright, how they can register their work and what more could be done to legally protect dance.

The post What Copyright Protections Do Choreographers Have Over Their Work? appeared first on Dance Magazine.

She started out by improvising, as she often does when choreographing for TikTok. Between popular moves like the Woah and the Wave, she mimed releasing a basketball into the air and dribbling it between her legs, picking up on themes in the sound (which samples the 2002 Lil Bow Wow song “Basketball”). “Then I cleaned up the moves,” she says, “because I was like, ‘I don’t want to make this too hard.’ ”

Though she didn’t know it yet, Cannella, 22, had struck a perfect balance for TikTok dance virality: something eye-catching and rhythmically satisfying but still accessible, not outside the reach of amateur dancers. She filmed the dance in her bathroom and posted it with a call to “try it and tag me.” By the next morning, to her surprise, the video had already received 10,000 likes, and soon the dance was all over TikTok. Among those who tried it was the 16-year-old dancer Charli D’Amelio, the app’s most-followed user, who posted it for her then-95 million followers.

The post What Makes a TikTok Dance Go Viral? appeared first on Dance Magazine.

But even when they were kids, they had a glimmer of their future star power, giving a glimpse of what was to come. Thankfully for Instagram, we’ve got the pictures and home videos to prove it.

Robbie and Megan Fairchild

Now:
Talk about talent running in the family. Sister Megan is now a principal at New York City Ballet, while her brother Robbie has since departed NYCB, delving in to Broadway and film, including the much-anticipated Cats film.

Then:
The sibling duo was putting on their own shows at home, with Megan lending her old costume to her Robbie. Mid-performance, Robbie even gets snot rubbed off his face.

Diana Vishneva

Now:
Full-on ballet royalty, at 43, she’s still performing with the Mariinsky and runs her contemporary dance festival, CONTEXT.

Then:
Back in 1994, 18-year-old Vishneva gave a welcome address to kick off the new school year at the Vaganova Ballet Academy. It was an honor awarded to the program’s most promising senior student.

Natalia Arja and Renan Cerdeiro

Now:
The longtime friends are colleagues at Miami City Ballet, where Arja is a principal soloist and Cerdeiro is a principal.

Then:
Back home in their native Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the pair was chummy, seizing the opportunity to dance together even outside of class.

James Whiteside

Now:
Whiteside
is his own brand of triple threat: a principal at American Ballet Theatre, pop performer JbDubs and a choreographer.

Then:
He was a regular teen who admittedly loved dancing to Britney Spears. We can’t say we’re surprised.

Daniil Simkin

Now:
An international ballet superstar—currently a principal at Staatsballett Berlin and American Ballet Theatre—known for his bounding jumps and sailing turns

Then:
A promising young dancer, known for his bounding jumps and sailing turns. Some things never change.

Catherine Hurlin

Now:
A captivating soloist who’s scooping up roles at American Ballet Theatre, Hurlin is also known by her nickname, Hurricane.

Then:
At age 3, Hurlin seemed to be channeling Isadorables vibes, posing in a flowing vintage dress.

Kathryn Morgan

Now:
Morgan
leaps back into company life this season as a soloist at Miami City Ballet.

Then:
From a young age, she was cheesing it up and already feeling at home in a mess of tulle and sequins.

Kyle Abraham

Now:
The busy MacArthur “genius” choreographer is creating work this season for his own company, A.I.M, plus Misty Copeland, Paul Taylor Dance Company and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.

Then:
Abraham was that cool kid in high school who was also deeply intellectual. A longtime music lover, he played cello as a teen.

Maria Kochetkova

Now:
Though the ballet maverick has struck out on her own, leaving traditional company life behind, Kochetkova continues to perform around the world.

Then:
While most ballet students dance in a Nutcracker growing up, very few can say their first was at the Bolshoi Ballet School. Welcome to the life of Kochetkova.

Ryan Heffington

Now:
Heffington has molded a career out of making the awkward enticingly cool, whether he’s choreographing for Sia or crafting the central “five movements” for Netflix’s “The OA.”

Then:
He was a spiffy dance student who appeared several times on “Star Search.”

Karina González

Now:
A longtime principal at Houston Ballet, the audience favorite also became a mother last year.

Then:
As a kid in Venezuela, González was literally bending over backwards to dance. After showing up at the wrong address for dance lessons, we’re extremely glad she was swiftly redirected to the right school.

Sutton Foster

Now:
Foster is preparing to strike Broadway gold once again for the 2020 revival of The Music Man, in which she’ll star opposite Hugh Jackman.

Then:
Based on this early tap routine, Sutton was clearly destined for Broadway.

The post 12 Childhood Pics and Videos That Prove These Stars Were Born to Dance appeared first on Dance Magazine.

If you’ve ever wanted to master the iconic jazz-class combo from Center Stage, now’s your chance.

In celebration of the movie’s 20th anniversary, choreographer Susan Stroman is teaming up with Broadway Dance Center and Open Jar Studios to lead a tutorial on the infectious “Higher Ground” routine for the first time ever.

The post Learn Center Stage's Iconic Jazz Choreo From Susan Stroman Herself appeared first on Dance Magazine.

The actress and dancer was auditioning for the University of Memphis dance team. A full scholarship was on the line, and without it, she couldn’t afford the university. Evans spent hours practicing on the concrete floor of her basement, cherry-picking tips from friends who had ballet and jazz training, and she learned tricks from her younger brother, who practiced karate. On Mother’s Day, she skipped church and went to campus, where she was among hundreds of girls going out for the squad.

“I think I was flat-footed, but I went around three times and I spotted,” she recalls, speaking recently from her home in Los Angeles. She was the only Black woman to make the varsity dance team. “I’ll always be proud of that moment,” Evans says.

Today, Evans has spun her way into the national dance spotlight, although not in a way that the churchgoing girl from Memphis, Tennessee, ever anticipated. On the critically hailed Starz network show “P-Valley,” Evans plays Mercedes, the star pole dancer at a Southern strip club who longs to retire and launch her own dance studio for teenage girls. Not everyone in the town thinks that’s an appropriate second act for a dancer who performs in rhinestone thongs. (As you might guess, the “P” in “P-Valley” is a slang term for female anatomy; the show may not be appropriate for younger viewers.) The finale airs on September 6.

“25 is the retirement age for strippers,” Mercedes says in the pilot episode, when she gives notice to the gender-fluid strip club owner Uncle Clifford, played by veteran director and choreographer Nicco Annan.

Mercedes is not really 25, and Evans declines to give her own age. But she acknowledges that “P-Valley” came along just as she was attempting to retire from dance-centric roles.

After college, Evans became a high school English teacher who coached dance teams and danced for the Memphis Grizzlies on the side. But she spent her summers in Los Angeles, always striving to become a better dancer herself. Five years into this dual career, a choreographer spotted her in dance class, and the next thing Evans knew she was on Lil Wayne’s bus writing her resignation letter to the school she was teaching at.

That was 11 years ago. Gigs with the likes of Katy Perry, Snoop Dogg and Alicia Keys came and went. She was hired—and then fired—as a dance director for the Miami Heat. (The team thought her approach was “too tough,” Evans says.) She whipped teen dancers into shape on the Oprah Winfrey Network’s short-lived show “Dance Crash.” And when her mother’s multiple sclerosis became more advanced, Evans began teaching more “Hip Hop in Heels” classes in part to help pay rehabilitation-center bills.

By 2016, Evans had become a full-time caregiver for her mother, who also has Alzheimer’s. She needed to slow down, and told her agent “no more dance roles.” She booked gigs on “Lethal Weapon” on Fox, two BET miniseries and more. But when the script for “P-Valley” came along, Evans put her plans to “retire” from dancing on hold. Between her audition and her callback, that same determined dancer who turned a triple pirouette to pay for college signed up for pole-dance classes.

“It was like auditioning for the University of Memphis again, and telling myself, ‘You’re going to get this,’ ” Evans says.

Of the four actresses who play pole dancers on “P-Valley,” Evans is the only one performing most of her own stunts. In fact, she’d like to try more, but due to safety concerns, Starz has declared some moves off-limits. (Many are performed by her double, Spyda.) That didn’t stop her from sneaking into Tyler Perry Studios to practice late one night once filming got underway, with Annan there cheering her on until 3 am. Before the director called “action” the next day, Evans looked at the lead cameraman and said, “I’m going to the top.”

You can see the results on the first episode, when Evans mounts the pole upside down, pulling herself up by her abs. Halfway up she extends her legs and leans back to execute an “A layout,” throwing in a few sit-ups for good measure. It’s awe-inspiring, and yet Evans watches final cut and sees feet that should have been pointed, even in Mercedes’ red platform stilettos.

“The dancer in me really wanted another take,” she says.

After the pilot, Katori Hall, the playwright who created the series, specifically told the actresses not to lose weight—she liked their bodies as is. “That’s unlike any other job I’ve ever had,” Evans says. Not worrying about how her body looks to her has been freeing, and inspiring.

“I’m actually doing this for me now,” she says. “It feels good.”

Starz announced late last month that “P-Valley” will be renewed for Season 2, though the pandemic has delayed production. In the meantime, Evans has been rotating through a series of online cardio dance and strength classes, and occasionally leading workouts for her followers on a private Facebook group.

“I’m preparing my body now,” she says. “Everybody knows that flexibility does not come back overnight.”

Chief among her concerns: doing splits, maintaining core and back strength. There’s no pole at her house, but just like that teenage girl who didn’t have a ballet barre in her basement, Evans is setting her goals high, and grateful for a chance to achieve them.

The post “P-Valley” Star Brandee Evans Brings Legit Dance Chops to the Show appeared first on Dance Magazine.

The post These Two New Dance-Filled Flicks Are Getting Us Into the Holiday Spirit appeared first on Dance Magazine.

Today this kind of story seems unsurprising. But even a decade ago, it wasn’t as easy to capture photos and videos of dance at our fingertips, to share them with our friends, or to look up footage of the dancers we love online.

And while it’s true that you’re more likely to see people sneaking their phones out in the theater these days, this has arguably had the greatest impact on dance in public spaces—the types of performances where audiences are allowed, and sometimes even encouraged, to engage with the work through their phones.

Especially in the last 10 years, it’s become increasingly common to see public dance works gracing our social media feeds. You can find dance in museum galleries, in parks or outside famous buildings. In 2018, Times Square Arts partnered with Danspace Project to present three site-specific works in the heart of one of the busiest intersections in the world. Before last year’s official opening of The Shed, a new performance venue in Manhattan, the space built excitement with a free outdoor preview festival, which included a reimagined William Forsythe pas de deux and a program by flex artist Reggie “Regg Roc” Gray, among others—taking advantage of passersby’s subsequent social posts to promote the opening.

Amidst all of this, how is the work itself faring? Social media is often credited with increasing exposure for dance, or helping to engage younger audience. But is it also changing how we watch site-specific dance, or affecting what gets programmed in the first place?

It’s not unusual for notions of how audiences should behave to evolve over time, says choreographer and speaker Sydney Skybetter, who often looks at the intersection between dance and technology. And with an influx of content on social platforms, like people filming themselves dancing for TikTok, the internet has broadened the dance community and made it possible to be a performer or an audience member in many different ways.

“This is maybe another opportunity to think really carefully about what a ‘dance community’ is constituted of,” Skybetter says. “Is it constituted of institutions, or is it a constellation of creators and audiences, curators and retweeters?”

In the case of site-specific dance, that community has to choose the experience they want to have. “Whether somebody’s yelling to put the phone down or somebody can’t wait to pick the phone up, this is about meaning-making,” Skybetter says. Some studies suggest that we’re more likely to forget about an experience we’ve photographed, but there can also be joy in reliving an experience by looking through photos later. “It’s making the decision for yourself as an audience member. Which kind of experience do you want to foreground: the one in the present or the one in the future?”

Limor Tomer, general manager of MetLiveArts, has programmed artists such as Silas Farley, Andrea Miller and Monica Bill Barnes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She admits that it can be annoying to watch people viewing a performance through their screens, but she also understands the impulse to take ownership over an experience.

“It’s a little bit like ‘I was there, this is my mark, this is my version of it. It’s a personal exchange between me and the dancers,’ ” she says. “It’s the same thing that makes people sign their name on a monument.”

Koplowitz, who has been creating site-specific dance since the 1980s, first started noticing a difference when audiences began bringing small digital cameras or basic camera phones to performances. With the release of the first iPhone in 2007, the number of people viewing performances through a lens exploded.

“Sometimes I feel people are distracted or not experiencing the work as fully as possible because they’re so busy recording it or taking photographs,” he says.

Still, he points out that the unpredictability of the audience has always been part of site-specific work. “As a site artist, you have to allow what happens with an audience to happen, and you have to accept it,” he says. “On some level you want people to be standing or sitting there in rapt attention. On the other hand, we’re in the middle of Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street.”

Presenting dance in a public space automatically has a different set of guidelines than a traditional theater would, argues Lili Chopra, curator of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council’s River to River Festival, a free summer arts festival in New York City. “You know that you need to create a different type of environment, and that the work needs to let go of the necessity of a real formality that you find in the context of a theater.” she says. “So in a sense, I don’t feel that seeing people engaging with the work in different ways is a distraction. I think it’s about being able to open up the doors to so many more potential audience members, and welcoming different behaviors.”

Whether those new potential audience members will go on to buy tickets to future dance performances, Chopra isn’t sure. To her, it’s more important that social media can help dance become part of a larger conversation. “The cumulative effect of having 15,000 people post photos—that’s important,” adds Tomer. “That’s going to change the field in a good way, and it changes the way people think about dance.”

The work also takes on a life of its own online. We’re often used to thinking of dance as an ephemeral, of-the-moment art form, but in the online world, in a way, a dance performance never really ends. “Performance happens in the moment, but then it has this long tail of consumption and resharing, possible virality,” Skybetter says. “The performance happens again and again, and it doesn’t necessarily ever go away.”

This can be a good thing, in terms of spreading the work to more people, but it can also add new challenges. “There’s a lot of competition for eyeballs,” Koplowitz says. “There’s been a real democratization in terms of how people have access to it, and in a sense, the bar is higher for people to get noticed.”

Though she’s well aware of the tendency among museums to program dance with the hope of bringing in more young people, Tomer doesn’t choose work based on how it will look on Instagram. “The point of doing a performance in a gallery is not to use the gallery as a beautiful, expensive backdrop,” she says. “It’s to somehow move the scholarship forward on both the choreography and the work of art, so if that’s not happening, then it doesn’t need to happen in a gallery. It should happen at The Joyce, where you can control for lighting and have a nice stage and not break the dancers’ knees.”

Still, Tomer does find that the inevitability of a piece ending up on social media can force artists to take certain things into consideration when making it.

“I do think some choreographers are keenly aware of the fact that they’re being filmed all the time, and that affects their decisions—spatial decisions, everything from costuming to movement,” she says. During open rehearsals in public galleries at the Met, they also have to adjust to museumgoers wandering through and photographing or filming them at work—sometimes even coming up to ask questions.

Koplowitz points out that site-specific dance has always been used to promote certain locations, or draw people to them. When the British Library was moved to a new, unpopular location in 1998, for instance, he was commissioned to create a piece that could help attract more positive attention to the new space. “In some ways,” he says, “nothing has changed.”

We still have a lot to learn about what all this means for the future of performance. “We have the benefit of 400 years of understanding how proscenium performance has worked—the internet has only been around for a couple decades,” says Skybetter.

He sees opportunities for artists to make these new platforms work for them, rather than the other way around. “There’s a way here for choreographers and dance artists to lead, to not just respond to the zeitgeist but shape how these technologies are developed,” he says, naming examples like Kate Ladenheim, who’s experimented with augmented reality; or Larry Keigwin, one of the earliest dancemakers to explore cell phone culture in his site-specific work, even incorporating phones into some pieces. “These artists aren’t just trying to take a proscenium dance and put it on the internet, but trying to radically redefine how dance functions,” Skybetter says.

Tomer agrees, citing The New York Times‘ #SpeakingInDance series, a made-for-Instagram collection of bite-sized videos that explore various corners of the dance world. “It’s designed for social media and it’s beautiful and it works,” she says. “It’s not about documentation. It’s about creating work for that platform, which I love.”

For now, it’s still possible to enjoy both the had-to-be-there uniqueness of a live experience and its social media afterlife. Chopra points to last year’s premiere by Pam Tanowitz at River to River, in Rockefeller Park. Because the first performance got rained out, she says the dancers became even more eager to perform, creating a particularly special energy. Some people in the crowd—a mixture of die-hard dance fans and passersby—took out their phones, or wandered the park, while others stood in silent attention. The dancers, clad in green, traversed the park with their movement, sometimes finding themselves far from the audience, and other times creating an intimate atmosphere.

“It’s finding the right balance between complete chaos and yet being able to create these kinds of exquisite moments of sharing,” Chopra says.

The post Has Social Media Changed How We Experience Dance in Public Spaces? appeared first on Dance Magazine.

Dance Magazine recently caught up with her for our “For Your Entertainment” series to hear about the hobbies, books, podcasts, memes and more that have kept her going.

Pandemic hobbies:

“I picked up my ukulele a few times and learned to play some songs. I also did a few fun, DIY arts-and-crafts projects. I created a small T-shirt (and some other products) line called Art Heals. A friend and I created a logo and I chose a saying for each product such as ‘Art Heals… Wash Your Hands,’ and the proceeds went to different organizations. The first shirt raised about $1,000 for the Greater Boston Food Bank. I just released my newest design and product to raise money for the Elizabeth Stone House in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.”

Shutdown side projects:

“During quarantine, the only way I could stay sane was to stay as busy as possible. A fellow principal dancer, Paul Craig, and I created a dance video called ‘Reverie,‘ very early in the pandemic. After that, we worked with Helen Pickett on her project called Home Studies.

“My brother Jeffrey Cirio and I were able to hold a small and safe season of our contemporary dance company, Cirio Collective. We worked in a garage in Martha’s Vineyard and created a dance film with filmmaker Quinn Wharton.

“And just a few days before Boston Ballet’s season began, I finished another project with Helen Pickett. Now that we are back, my focus is on being back in work mode.”

Online classes:

“I never actually took Worldwide Ballet Class‘s live classes during quarantine, but when I started getting back in shape and was able to dance in a studio again, I utilized their YouTube playbacks. I loved taking Darla Hoover’s class, as well as Chris Stowell’s and Rubén Martín Cintas’. I think the whole dance community is so grateful to Ruben and Diego Cruz for these classes.

“I’ve also been doing Pilates and yoga classes through obé fitness, and have continued to do so now that we are back to work.”

New self-care routine:

“I bought a stationary bike to do cardio while gyms and SoulCycle were closed. Now that I have that routine of waking up and getting on the bike, I’ve kept doing it every day before work. And Pilates and yoga through obé. Pilates has always been a part of my warm-up but now, more than ever, it’s hard for me to start class without a cat–cow or a number of downward-facing dogs!”

On her bookshelf:

“I am about to start reading The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue from this month’s Book of the Month. Two of my favorites that I’ve read in the past few months are Normal People (loved the Hulu series as well) and The Guest List (a wedding murder mystery).”

Netflix binges:

“Currently, I am watching (more like bingeing) ‘The 100′ on Netflix. I also loved ‘The Umbrella Academy‘ and ‘Selling Sunset!’ ”

Favorite podcast:

“I love listening to ‘Song Exploder.‘ It is a podcast where music artists break down their songs and the little details that go into making them. I love hearing each artist’s unique process and the thoughts behind it all. It reminds me of choreography. My favorite is Hozier’s ‘Nina Cried Power’ episode and the Fleetwood Mac episode.”

Recent movie recs:

“I am pretty lucky to be living in Massachusetts and that our COVID-19 numbers have been fairly low. We have returned safely and slowly to a new normal. A few weeks ago I was able to go to a real-life movie theater with my quarantine bubble of friends. We saw Tenet and my mind was blown. I highly recommend!

“In the beginning of the pandemic I watched Jojo Rabbit and have to say how incredible I feel that movie is. I loved it so much that I named my foster/newly-adopted kitten, Jojo, after the movie.”

Favorite Instagram accounts:

“@the_happy_broadcast is such a great account to offset all the bad and sad news in the world. I mean, who wouldn’t want to know that rare pink dolphins have returned to Hong Kong? Or that it is illegal in Switzerland to own just one guinea pig because they get lonely?

“I also love following @paul.mescal because

and I loved him in the show ‘Normal People,’ and @livetheprocess because their brand is effortless and I love their energy. Of course, I can’t live without @balletmoods. That account kills it in the relatable dancer memes. I definitely always find myself LOLing.”

Music on repeat:

“Well, I was commissioned to create a new ballet for Boston Ballet’s ChoreograpHER, and so if you look at my Apple Music, Shostakovich and Dvořák are the most played. However, when I need a break from those beautiful pieces, Louis The Child’s new album Here For Now and Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia and her Club Future Nostalgia are on repeat.

“I also just got a new record from this year’s Record Store Day called Hi Tide Groove (DJ’s Choice 1969-1981). It’s so fun and perfect to play on a Sunday afternoon while cleaning or getting ready for the week ahead.”

Dance film obsession:

“When Nedelands Dans Theater released its ‘Standby‘ video by Paul Lightfoot, I literally could not stop watching it. I could not get enough of it. It’s so fresh, so inspiring, from the choreography and dancers, to the lighting and videography. I absolutely loved it!”

The post Now That She’s Back at Work, Lia Cirio Shares the Hobbies, Music and More That Got Her Through the Shutdown appeared first on Dance Magazine.

First up are American-based Memphis jookin star Charles “Lil Buck” Riley and Jon Boogz, both founders of MAI (Movement Art Is). Subsequent episodes feature Gaga creator Ohad Naharin, of Israel; avant-garde flamenco star Israel Galván, of Spain; dancehall and Jamaican folk dance choreographer Kimiko Versatile; and kathak-meets-contemporary force Akram Khan, a British-based dancemaker of Bangladeshi descent.

Packed with striking dance footage, Move virtually transports dancers lovers around the world, at a time when the majority of travel remains restricted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The post This New Netflix Series Profiles 6 of Today’s Coolest Choreographers appeared first on Dance Magazine.

“At face value, it’s a lovely dream ballet sequence,” says Walker. “But there’s a lot of character layers and interactions that are specific and directed that I almost hesitate to talk about, because so much of the film, especially the end, is meant to be left up for interpretation.”

The post Inside Peter Walker's Dance Scene in I'm Thinking of Ending Things appeared first on Dance Magazine.

The post Isabella Boylston Is Expanding Her Book Club. First Up: Chatting With a Major Science Fiction Author appeared first on Dance Magazine.

From dogs who have decided that Pilates is actually cuddle time to cats who have declared grand battements their own personal obstacle course, here are some of our favorite pet interruptions brightening up our feeds.

Aurora the cat really, really, really had to get in on her human’s grand battement combination.

The pets of The Australian Ballet are collectively very concerned about their humans’ training.

Sasha really just wants to make sure that leg is turned out in fondu.

We thought this socially distanced excerpt from Rennie Harris’ Lazarus was incredible already, but then the canine cameo elevated it to perfection.

Ruben spiced up Derek Dunn’s ab series with a game of fetch. (At least, Ruben tried.)

Carmen is the Pilates assistant we never knew we needed until now.

Houston Ballet’s Chandler Dalton cleverly integrated cat toys into his warm-up.

Little Swans are made for chasing, right?

Trout has some very serious thoughts about standing-leg stability.

Ms. Bit, on the other hand, seems totally uninterested in James Whiteside doing adagio.

The post These 10 Pets Can’t Resist Joining Their Humans for At-Home Training appeared first on Dance Magazine.

But his latest role is much, much lighter: recreational TikTok dancer.

Yes, it seems that even the 82-year-old Hopkins isn’t immune to the allure of TikTok.

In his first video—his attempt at the Toosie Slide, set to Drake’s song of the same name—Hopkins is loose and funny and smooth. Before he signs off, he challenges Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger to post themselves doing the dance.

Though neither men have responded to his challenge yet, Schwarzenegger has taken to TikTok to tout the importance of flexibility…well, sort of.

Check out his attempt at the straddle splits below. He’s surprisingly—or should be say deceptively—limber for 72. (Wait for it.)

While we’re not entirely sure what internet magic has motivated these men to let loose, we definitely don’t hate it.

Who’s next on our TikTok dream dance list? We’re rooting for Christopher “More Cowbell” Walken, an excellent dancer in his own right, to get in on the action.

The post Anthony Hopkins Joined TikTok to Do the #toosieslide appeared first on Dance Magazine.

The community center where she lived, near Louisville, Kentucky, started offering classes in a dance-based fitness craze: Jazzercise. Suddenly, my mom was slipping back into a leotard and pair of tights she’d held onto—remember, this was decades before athleisure—and meeting her girlfriends after work for a jazz dance exercise class. The career woman had reconnected to her dance roots and would continue taking classes for another decade.

But not everyone in those classes had dance experience. In fact, that was the point.

Recently, my mom and I had the Zoom meeting of a lifetime: Jazzercise CEO and founder Judi Sheppard Missett and her daughter, Jazzercise president Shanna Missett Nelson, hopped onto a video call to chat about the company’s humble beginnings and how Jazzercise is still kicking today—51 years later, with 8,500 franchises in 25 countries.

Before Jazzercise was born in 1969, “I was teaching strict jazz dance classes,” says Missett, now 76. She’d spent many years dancing with Gus Giordano in Chicago. “He was a huge mentor.” Despite her professional experience, she wondered why people weren’t sticking with her classes—so she asked them. “They would say, ‘Well, it’s a little too hard,’ and ‘We don’t want to be professional dancers. We just want to look like one.’ ”

Missett transformed her classes. “I decided to turn them away from the mirror and I’d be their mirror,” she says. She simplified the choreography, set it to popular music, and kept a jazz warm-up. Throughout class, she was nothing but encouraging.

When she moved to Southern California, the community embraced her classes. “It was like the body beautiful out here,” she says, and before long, she was teaching 25 to 30 classes per week. Out of necessity, she started training others to help with the teaching load.

If you’ve seen the viral YouTube compilations of Missett teaching, you know that she’s an extremely animated instructor. (There’s no shortage of phrases like “Come on and shake that cute, little booty of yours” and “Find that boogie body.”) So I asked her if that was integral to training new Jazzercise teachers. “We still want our instructors to be animated and energetic and to motivate,” she says. And, yes, she’s aware that she’s a bit of an internet celebrity. “Those VHS things have gone viral about a thousand times. That’s an example of where we started. We’re still motivational, but in a different way.”

Oddly enough, the U.S. military helped spur the expansion of Jazzercise since many women from San Diego’s military families were Missett’s students-turned-instructors. “Then they were transferred to other parts of the country or other parts of the world, and that’s how it spread nationally and internationally.”

When Jazzercise started, the fitness landscape was barely existent, aside from weight-lifting gyms and a few quickly passing fad workouts. There wasn’t much in the way of big–box gyms and boutique studios, and it was decades before other dance-based workouts like Zumba would hit the scene. Jazzercise filled a void for women. “We sort of pioneered that whole aspect of giving women permission to move, and to feel good about themselves in a physical way,” says Missett.

But Jazzercise has moved far past its days of teased hair and brightly colored leos. Missett says, “We wouldn’t be around for 50 years if we hadn’t changed.” Along the way, it’s diversified its offerings to include classes like strength training, HIIT, kick-boxing, fusion and Dance Mixx, a dance cardio class based off the original Jazzercise workout. As president, Missett’s daughter Shanna Missett Nelson is the 21st-century face of Jazzercise, overseeing programming and its digital arm Jazzercise on Demand, where she’s also an instructor.

About five times a year, the mother-daughter duo gets together to choreograph a new collection of songs that are then distributed to its franchises. They remain the sole choreographers. To carry on the family tradition, Jazzercise will be streaming a free Mother’s Day–themed class on May 10, led by Nelson and her dancer daughters, Skyla and Sienna.

At its core, Missett says that Jazzercise is still about helping people experience an art form. “We always try to stick close to our dance roots,” she says, recalling how when she started, she got flack from some fellow professional dancers. “You’re bastardizing the art form,” they’d say.

But she saw things differently. “I would tell them: ‘No, I’m teaching people to appreciate the discipline that it takes for a dancer to do what they do. And then when people go to a concert, they’ll be able to really appreciate what they’re seeing because they are experiencing some of that themselves in class,’ ” says Missett. “People know what a chassé and a relevé and all of those things are. And I’m proud of that, because my joy is dancing. I’m proud that I’ve been able to communicate that to a lot of other women.”

Throughout our double-mother-daughter Zoom call, my mom beamed while hearing Missett’s stories, which made me beam. And after all these years, she got the opportunity to thank Missett for creating a space for women to move—and for bringing the joy of dance back into her life.

The post For Mother’s Day, I Introduced My Mom to the Mother-Daughter Team Behind Jazzercise appeared first on Dance Magazine.

But in episode three, “Wicked Old World,” airing this Sunday, viewers are introduced to dance hall The Crimson Cat in what can best be described as an explosion of movement. Three of the show’s main characters, portrayed by Natalie Dormer, Johnathan Nieves and Sebastian Chacon, ably take to the dance floor in swing-infused choreography that feels both expertly delivered and improvisatory. The way they move tells the viewer a lot about the characters, and the wild, joyous energy of the 104 dancers populating the space is the best introduction the key location—which will reappear throughout the season—could ask for.

The man behind the moves is Irish choreographer Tommy Tonge, who got involved with the original “Penny Dreadful” when it was filming in Dublin. We spoke to Tonge about the process of getting everyone up to tempo.

Justin Lubin, Courtesy SHOWTIME

Justin Lubin, Courtesy SHOWTIME

The post How "Penny Dreadful: City of Angels" Got 104 Dancers Swinging For an Epic Dance Scene appeared first on Dance Magazine.

The new children’s show “Mira, Royal Detective” follows a spirited Indian girl who solves mysteries. Along the way, each episode incorporates authentic Indian music and dance. The series premieres in the U.S. on March 20, on Disney Junior and the Disney Channel, before being rolled out to an estimated 160 countries on Disney’s global platforms.

We caught up with Mahajan to chat about translating his choreography into animations for the masses.

The post Disney Junior's "Mira, Royal Detective" Brings Indian Dance Styles to a Global Audience appeared first on Dance Magazine.

…Johanna Sapakie for Hustlers! Sapakie, a pole choreographer with extensive training in other dance forms, is the genius behind Jennifer Lopez’s showstopping routines in the film (not to mention J.Lo’s pole work at the Super Bowl halftime show). We can’t wait to see what’s next for this talented artist.

Watch Sapakie’s acceptance speech below!

The post And the “Dance Spirit” Award for Best Movie Choreography of 2019 Goes To… appeared first on Dance Magazine.

Enter Nashville Ballet, which regularly works with Music City stars for its annual Ballet Ball fundraiser. For its 2020 edition, held aptly on Leap Day, company dancers performed alongside country sensation Maren Morris and local indie singer-songwriter Rayland Baxter.

Dance Magazine
spoke with apprentice Kennedy Brown between the final dress rehearsal and showtime, to get the scoop on the whirlwind of a celebrity performance.

Courtesy Nashville Ballet

The post Inside Nashville Ballet's Recent Performance with Maren Morris appeared first on Dance Magazine.

The post The Well-Read Dancer: PNB Principal Sarah Ricard Orza's Faves appeared first on Dance Magazine.

This “special sauce” can be hard to define, but it’s oh-so-enjoyable to study. We dug up footage of eight pros before they made it big.

The post These 8 Dance Stars Had That Special Spark When They Were Kids—and We've Got the Videos to Prove It appeared first on Dance Magazine.

It should come as no surprise that behind these works lies a lot of research, so we decided to ask Ladenheim for her recommended reading. We got a glimpse into her current project, which looks at the relationship between gender and technology, and found out about her fascination with books that push the boundaries of genre.

The post The Well-Read Dancer: Book Recs From The People Movers' Kate Ladenheim appeared first on Dance Magazine.

But before Taylor Swift was CGI’d into a humanoid singing feline, the musical had, and still has, an unshakable presence within the dance community. Maybe you had a jazz teacher who was in the 1992 national tour, or maybe the best dancer from your hometown studio made it all the way to play Bombalurina on Broadway— without a doubt, if you are a dancer, you are probably less than six degrees from a jellicle cat.

The post How Cats Inspired a Generation of Dancers appeared first on Dance Magazine.

“Soundtrack,” an episodic musical show from the creator of “Smash” and “Gossip Girl,” has lots of dancing—but not one note of singing. That’s right—when the characters on “Soundtrack” have a musical number, they lip-sync to the original artist’s vocals.

Parrish Lewis/Netflix

The post A New Musical Netflix Series Starring Robbie Fairchild and Jenna Dewan Drops Tomorrow appeared first on Dance Magazine.

The post We're Gifting Readers 500 Tickets to Cats appeared first on Dance Magazine.

Kelly Pratt and Ian Kreidich, the St. Louis–based husband-and-wife team behind the popular photography project, have collaborated with Saint Louis Ballet and Stray Rescue of St. Louis for the second year in a row for what they’ve termed “Muttcracker.”

“Since the beginning of Dancers & Dogs, people have really wanted us to incorporate dogs that are up for adoption,” says Pratt. “We have a really strong relationship with Saint Louis Ballet, so we asked if they’d be comfortable wearing Nutcracker costumes to help get these dogs adopted in a new, fun and interesting way.”

Not only was this project the perfect way for Saint Louis Ballet to promote its Nutcracker, but it was a great fit for Stray Rescue as well. As the largest no-kill organization in the greater St. Louis area, it’s focused on saving pets that have been abused and neglected.

“They were really excited about showing their dogs in a positive way,” says Pratt.

In choosing which pets would get their moment in the limelight, Stray Rescue picked some that already been given visibility on Instagram, and others that have had a harder time finding adoptive homes, like the elderly, blind chihuahua pictured with the Rat King above.

But working with rescue dogs that are largely untrained comes with a whole new set of challenges. “With ‘Muttcracker’ we’re keeping things really simple,” says Pratt. “We have the dancers do simple moves, or just sit and interact with them. These dogs have never seen anything like this before.”

Last year, all of the dogs that Pratt and Kreidich shot were adopted within two months of being featured. This year they worked with even more pups, as well as three kittens, but the team is hopeful that all of these animals will find new families in time for the holidays. Will any of the dancers they were photographed with end up taking a pet home?

“I don’t think so,” says Pratt, “But they really, really want to.”

On November 19, Pratt and Kreidich release
Dancers & Dogs, The Book
, their brand new coffee table photo book. A percentage of the proceeds will go to Stray Rescue of St. Louis.
Pointe magazine is giving away two copies to readers. Click here to enter!

The post Dancers & Dogs Teamed Up With a Local Animal Shelter for the "Muttcracker" appeared first on Dance Magazine.

But we had an inkling that this might not be the last we heard of the idea in the John Wick franchise—and it seems our suspicions that Parabellum was testing the waters for a female-led, ballet-infused spin-off were correct.

Unity Phelan in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.Niko Tavernise, Courtesy Lionsgate

According to

Deadline, a project set in the same universe, tentatively titled Ballerina, now has a director: Len Wiseman, who got his start with the Underworld series in the early 2000s. The script is being penned by Shay Hatten (who wrote Parabellum), based on a concept optioned by Lionsgate in 2017 that sees a young woman trained as both a ballerina and an assassin seek revenge against the people who killed her family. (For those unaware, that’s a trope with which the John Wick franchise is quite familiar.)

While there’s no word yet on a potential release window (the fourth installment in the Keanu Reeves–led franchise is due in 2021), the fact that there is already a director involved means that this movie is really happening.

Casting is unknown at this point, though Parabellum did lay the groundwork for Anjelica Huston to reprise her role as The Director—the woman behind the program that turns young ballerinas into femme fatales (à la the Red Room in Marvel lore, which we’ll hopefully be seeing more of in next year’s Black Widow solo film). Less clear is whether Phelan will be in the running to turn her cameo into a starring role. Hollywood has a history of leaning on dance doubles to stand in for established actresses, but we have to say we love the idea of seeing an actual dancer take the lead. True, it’s likely that any dance sequences will be as perfunctory as they usually are in action flicks, but just imagine what that kind of facility could bring to the franchise’s already over-the-top fight sequences.

The post A John Wick Spin-Off Centered on a Ballerina-Turned-Assassin Is Happening appeared first on Dance Magazine.

New York City Ballet’s Fall Fashion Gala always gives us a chance to admire the dancers at their most glamorous, and this year was no exception. From premieres of new works by Lauren Lovette (paired with designer Zac Posen) and Edwaard Liang (with Anna Sui), to a sparkling rendition of Balanchine’s Symphony in C, to a star-studded red carpet and reception, we had plenty to swoon over, both onstage and off.

The post Our Fave Red Carpet and Behind-the-Scenes Shots From New York City Ballet's 2019 Fall Fashion Gala appeared first on Dance Magazine.

At this point, you’d think we’d all be used to the level of technical absurdity Daniil Simkin achieves when he’s playing around in the studio. But then he did this:

…and now we’re low-key appalled in the absolute best way.

After we picked our jaws up from the floor, we were inspired to dig up clips of some of our other favorite dancers turning like it’s no big deal. Here are just a few standouts.

The post 10 Times Our Fave Ballet Dancers Made Turning Actually Look Easy appeared first on Dance Magazine.

Honestly, Portner’s electric, effortless grooving could sell ice to an eskimo. But the Apple Watch is also fitting.

(From Lauren and Chris Grant to FKA twigs, snaps to Apple for continuing their streak of using super-talented performers in their campaigns.)

Check out Portner below!

The post Emma Portner Shines in This Apple Watch Promo appeared first on Dance Magazine.

Seventy one years ago today, a new movie hit theaters: The Red Shoes. For a certain generation of dancers, this was the movie—the one that initially inspired them to step inside the studio.

For others, it was the first film they ever saw that finally “got” them. When Moira Shearer’s character Victoria Page answers the question “Why do you want to dance?” with the response “Why do you want to live?” she channeled the inexplicable passion of thousands who dedicate their lives to this art.

Of course, many dance movies have followed in The Red Shoes‘ footsteps. But not all are created equal. We polled some of the Dance Magazine staff to find out what they rate as the G.O.A.T. of dance movies. It turns out, there was a pretty clear favorite in the office.

The post The Greatest Dance Movies of All Time, According to the Dance Magazine Staff appeared first on Dance Magazine.

The dance field seemed geared to press forward with positivity; a change.org petition urging “GMA” to cover the benefits of ballet for young men has gathered over 40,000 signatures, and many are examining the ways in which the #boysdancetoo movement can be made more inclusive. This made it all the more disheartening to open Instagram this morning and see that Fox News commentators Raymond Arroyo and Laura Ingraham took the bullying a step further last night, mocking Spencer’s apology on a program called “The Ingraham Angle.”

The post Fox News Mocks Lara Spencer's Apology, Says Men Wearing Tights Will Be Harassed appeared first on Dance Magazine.

But Spencer’s comments struck a nerve for dancers especially. Rarely have we seen our field so united, or so passionate.

Most everyone agrees that Spencer’s comments were unacceptable and reflect broader ignorance about both dance and gender. But some more nuanced takes have been left out of the hundreds of new stories about the controversy.

We found some perspectives from the dance world you might not have seen yet—and broke down why they’re important:

The post The Dance Community Has Come Together Over Lara Spencer's Comments. But Who Is Being Left Out? appeared first on Dance Magazine.

Over the past few months, lots of dancers have used their time away from the studio to say their vows and maybe squeeze in a honeymoon before the fall season starts. Take a peek at some of our favorite dancer-ly ceremonies—we dare you not to say, “Awww.”

The post We're Drooling Over These 9 Dancers' Summer Weddings appeared first on Dance Magazine.

Below are a few of our favorites so far, but we’re guessing that this is just the beginning. Ballet world, consider yourselves officially challenged! (Use #LizzoBalletChallenge so we know what you’re up to.)

The post Lizzo Challenged the Internet to Make a Ballet to "Truth Hurts," and Dancers Everywhere Are Responding appeared first on Dance Magazine.

The post Real Life Music Video: James Whiteside and Co. Performed at Madonna's Birthday Party Last Weekend appeared first on Dance Magazine.

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke, who executes the same choreography as his fellow travelers, struggles to make a connection with a female passenger danced by Dajana Roncione (Yorke’s partner in real life).

The opening images of the new short film Anima, now on Netflix, are playful yet dystopian, accompanied by a soundtrack of electro beats and Yorke’s dronelike vocals that are sourced from three songs on his latest solo album of the same name. But there are no vain attempts to link the singer to his music by mouthing the words on camera. Instead, he portrays an unnamed protagonist in a loosely woven narrative performed through dance.

Inspired by silent cinema, Anima recalls an era when screen actors were strongly encouraged to hone their dance skills for stories told through the body.

The post Thom Yorke Channels Buster Keaton in New Dance Film Anima, Now on Netflix appeared first on Dance Magazine.

The past few weeks have seen the rise of the #bottlecapchallenge, which involves someone kicking the top off of a plastic bottle. The slow-motion videos show the cap neatly spinning off. Of course, everyone from dogs to celebs have tried their hand (er, foot?) at the challenge. But ballerinas have taken it to the next level. As far as we can tell, Cuban dancer Marlen Fuerte Castro was the first to add a ballet spin: fouetté turns.

We’ve rounded up some of our favorite dance takes.

The post These 5 Dancers Took On The #bottlecapchallenge, and We Can't Get Over the Results appeared first on Dance Magazine.

The post Watch Taylor Swift Dance with Idris Elba in This Behind-the-Scenes "CATS" Footage appeared first on Dance Magazine.

The post Watch These Paris Opéra Ballet Dancers Give a Surprise In-Flight Performance appeared first on Dance Magazine.

Curious about another dance artist’s bookshelf? Let us know who we should talk to next in the comments.

The post The Well-Read Dancer: What's On Isabella Boylston's Bookshelf? appeared first on Dance Magazine.