Tag: partnering

The Dos and Don'ts of Partnering

Few things are as nerve-racking as partnering class, especially when you’re a newbie. No matter the genre, the stakes feel high—and the potential for awkwardness feels unlimited. How do you avoid smacking your partner in the face? How do you communicate a problem without causing a major conflict? Dance Spirit spoke with some partnering pros […]

A Beginner's Guide to Contact Improvisation

Picture this: You peek into a studio and see 10 different duets happening simultaneously. Some pairs move through a lift, while others roll swiftly across the floor. Everyone appears to be making it up as they go, yet the partnering is seamless. What the heck is happening? It’s contact improvisation! What is it? Sarah Konner, […]

Dear Katie: How Should I Deal with a Rude Partner?

In our “Dear Katie” series, former NYCB soloist Kathryn Morgan answers your pressing dance questions. Have something you want to ask Katie? Email [email protected] for a chance to be featured! Dear Katie, I got a big part in my spring recital, but I really, really don’t like the guy who’ll be partnering me—he’s rude and […]

How to Deal with Problematic Dance Partners

Partnering is hard enough as it is: You’re trying to untangle technical snafus and synchronize your movements with those of another dancer, not to mention building the delicate trust required to catch and be caught, lift and be lifted. Throw a hostile or uncooperative partner into the mix, and you might wish you could take […]

Try These Strength Training Exercises for Stable Partnering

Safe partner-work demands you put in some time at the gym. Peter Frame—former principal dancer with New York City Ballet and founder of the School of American Ballet’s strength training program—says, “Even advanced dancers forget about placement once they’re lifting. They’re doing the work, but you’ll see shoulders and weight distribution out of whack.” Want […]

Two-Stepping: Keone and Mari Madrid's Dance (and Love) Story

From YouTube to the boob tube, Keone and Mari Madrid seem to be everywhere these days—and that’s just the way we like it. Recent highlights for the husband and wife team include choreographing for “So You Think You Can Dance”; receiving an MTV Video Music Award nomination for their choreo for Kendrick Lamar’s “Never Catch […]

Choreographing for Two

Andrea Bayne and Matthew Cluff in Bruce Monk’s Nocti Lux at Ballet Victoria (photo by Jean-François Mincet) Sizzling tension, intoxicating romance, heart-wrenching drama: Whether we’re talking about a “So You Think You Can Dance” routine, the Black Swan pas de deux or a classic Fred and Ginger–style ballroom number, duets can pack a serious emotional […]