Purity and elegance make this ABT corps dancer stand out. “Use that God-given fifth position,” demands artistic director Kevin McKenzie as he coaches Joseph Gorak on his pirouettes. An American Ballet Theatre Nutcracker rehearsal is underway, and choreographer Alexei Ratmansky stands by to help. Gorak’s ability and potential have been drawing a lot […]
The American premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s Golden Cockerel for American Ballet Theatre opened Monday night at the Metropolitan Opera House. Based on a folk tale by Pushkin about a foolish tsar, it was first produced as an opera by Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in 1914, but it was restaged as a ballet by the original choreographer, Michel Fokine in […]
Throw together a night of performances by international dancers, sprinkle in some teenage competition winners’ solos, and call it something cute: That would seem to be the recipe for Youth America Grand Prix’s “Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow” gala, happening this Thursday and Friday at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Except, the name of this annual program is eerily prescient. When […]
Stella Abrera and Joseph Gorak in Ashton’s Cinderella, photo by MIRA There’s been plenty of hoopla over Misty Copeland’s promotion at American Ballet Theatre. Deservedly so. Misty has broken through a racial barrier in ballet and her Swan Lake was a triumph. It made the front page of The New York Times, it lit up Twitter and Facebook. Since her promotion […]
Finding Joy in Movement A new documentary captures Mark Morris’ wildly successful Dance for PD program. David Leventhal leading a Dance for PD class. Photo by Rosalie O’Connor, Courtesy Leventhal. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2003, Joy Esterberg struggles daily with several neurological and motor-related symptoms: “mushy arms” that don’t move properly, a slower […]
Bond rehearsing Cassandra Trenary for ABT’s Innovation Initiative. Photo by Jim Lafferty for Pointe. Gemma Bond can be said to be leading a double life as both a dancer and a choreographer. British born, she has the distinction of having been a member of The Royal Ballet and now American Ballet Theatre. Today, at […]
We all walked out of the Metropolitan Opera House on a high from basking in the glorious history of American Ballet Theatre. On Monday night, 24 excerpts from 23 ballets were rolled out before our eyes (and ears, with the ABT orchestra playing live), interspersed with spoken comments and film clips. Watching the long series […]
For us dance folk, the end of a season doesn’t just mean the start of summer vacation. It’s also the time of year for hirings, firings and promotions. American Ballet Theatre just announced a handful of dancers who are climbing its ranks. Soloist Isabella Boylston, who took on a significant number of lead roles this […]
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