Takumi Miyake: ABT’s Gracious Virtuoso
There’s nothing like witnessing Takumi Miyake fully unleashed. In Alexei Ratmansky’s Serenade After Plato’s Symposium last fall at New York City’s Lincoln Center, the American Ballet Theatre soloist blazed onstage in a large circle of chaîné turns, building speed like a category-5 hurricane. He continued into a manège of barrel turns, his body soaring so […]
Behind the Scenes of YAGP’s 2026 International Dance School Festival
Backstage at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater on April 17, young dancers hung out casually, snacking, laughing, and taking selfies like normal kids. But then they’d hop up and practice immaculate fouettés, or toss each other high in the air. The dancers—nearly 210 student performers between ages 9 and 19, from 10 major academies—had […]
The Royal Academy of Dance and the Frederick Ashton Foundation Partner Up for 2026 Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition
A new collaboration between the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and the Frederick Ashton Foundation will bring a deeper focus on historical repertoire to this year’s Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition, widely known as The Fonteyn. (Previously known as The Genée, The Fonteyn was named after longtime RAD president Dame Margot Fonteyn and represents the […]
Juliano Nunes’ New Romeo and Juliet, for Philadelphia Ballet, Lets Emotion Lead
Updating a beloved classic while maintaining its integrity is a delicate balancing act. Juliano Nunes, Philadelphia Ballet’s resident choreographer, walks this line with his new Romeo and Juliet. Set to Sergei Prokofiev’s iconic score, the production will premiere on April 30 and runs until May 10 at Philadelphia’s Academy of Music. Nunes’ Romeo and Juliet […]
A Meeting of the Choreographic Minds at the First “Creators in Dance Summit” in New York City
Choreographers often work surrounded by people, but the highly coveted spot at the front of the room can also be a lonely one. Rarely do dancemakers have a chance to gather and discuss their successes and struggles. “We work in the most social of art forms, yet many of us are isolated,” says Troy Schumacher, […]
Choreographer Cameron sinkʷə Fraser-Monroe, of the Tla’amin First Nation, Takes Canada by Storm
Over one busy weekend at the beginning of May, Canadian choreographer Cameron sinkʷə Fraser-Monroe will premiere two new ballets in two different cities. From April 25–May 1, he’ll be traveling from Montreal, where he is Indigenous Artist in Residence at the National Theatre School of Canada, to his home province of British Columbia for opening […]
Company Partnerships With Universities Give Dancers Flexible Degree Pathways
Athena King has always wanted to earn a college degree. After high school, she enrolled as a dance major at University of Oklahoma. But when Louisville Ballet offered her a Studio Company contract the following year, she took it and transferred to an online program through Central Michigan University, where she’s pursuing a degree part-time […]
Westside School of Ballet Bridges Training and the Professional Stage
For dancers at Westside School of Ballet in Los Angeles, preparation for the professional world begins early. Students regularly earn recognition at international competitions, attend prestigious schools, and join major ballet companies. Westside School of Ballet’s Pre-Professional Program operates on a non-audition model, allowing students to enroll based on interest while receiving a high standard […]
Can Dancers Get the Yips?
For gymnasts, they’re called “the twisties.” For baseball pitchers and golfers, they’re “the yips.” And figure skating might not have a catchy term, but viewers of the Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina watched skater Ilia Malinin struggle with elements in his routine that normally come easily to him. This phenomenon—when an athlete chokes under the […]
San Francisco Ballet School Student Crystal Huang Shares Her Daily Routine
Seventeen-year-old Crystal Huang is no stranger to a packed schedule. She used to balance high-level ballet training with commercial-dance competitions, driving between Bayer Ballet Academy in Mountain View, California, and The Rock Center for Dance in Las Vegas, Nevada. After winning a prize at the Prix de Lausanne in 2024, she started studying ballet full-time […]