Category Archives: Ballet

Mastering the Vaganova technique

Posted on Oct 15, 2010 by .

Precision. Quiet power. Controlled strength. Regal carriage. Vaganova-trained dancers are easy to spot: Their technique is deeply internalized and their … Continue reading →

Posted in Ballet

The Truth About Turnout

Posted on Oct 1, 2010 by .
Photo by Eduardo Patino

Turnout—a combination of rotational flexibility and the strength to properly hold that rotation—is the foundation of ballet. But it’s also … Continue reading →

Posted in Ballet, How To

On-Point Pirouettes

Posted on Sep 20, 2010 by .
Gwynedd Vetter-Drusch Photo by Erin Baiano

Whenever I watch a ballet, I’m mesmerized when a dancer whips out perfect pirouettes. The magic of successful turns mystifies … Continue reading →

Posted in Ballet

Ballet Pantomime

Posted on Jun 1, 2010 by .

In traditional productions of The Sleeping Beauty, when the evil Carabosse crashes the party celebrating Princess Aurora’s birth, she does … Continue reading →

Posted in Ballet, How To

Inside The Vaganova Academy

Posted on Apr 1, 2010 by .

The Vaganova Ballet Academy, based in St. Petersburg, Russia, is nearly as old as ballet itself. Through the centuries, czars … Continue reading →

Posted in Ballet, How To

A Peek Inside the Beijing Dance Academy

Posted on Mar 1, 2010 by .

Beijing is an early-to-rise kind of city, and the students at the Beijing Dance Academy are no exception. At 6:30 … Continue reading →

Posted in Ballet, How To