Katherine Barkman was born to be a ballerina. From living room performances as a toddler to beginning full-time professional training at 14 (under U.S.-based Russian teacher Nadia Pavlenko), the Pennsylvania native knew she wanted—needed—to dance. At 18, after sending out more than 50 resumés to companies, Barkman was invited by renowned Filipina prima ballerina and […]
American Ballet Theatre star Misty Copeland has reshaped the world’s ideas of what a ballerina can look like. Meanwhile, South African choreographer/dancer Dada Masilo has reshaped what ballets themselves can look like. Their career paths have never formally crossed, but The Music Center in Los Angeles recently brought these two artists together for an intimate […]
Gabe Stone Shayer, American Ballet Theatre’s newest soloist, has long been a standout onstage. But the 27-year-old dancer—the first African-American male to graduate from Russia’s Bolshoi Ballet Academy—is also branching out into choreography and spearheading a flurry of creative projects. Shayer has big ideas for ballet’s future. “I want to be the person who facilitates […]
If you’ve had a “Dancing with the Stars”-shaped hole in your heart since the most recent season ended, never fear: The “DWTS” live tour is here! Following each season of the show, a mix of pro dancers and recently-featured stars put on their dancing shoes to travel ’round the country, dazzling fans with rumbas, tangos, […]
Courtney Schwartz seems to be every comp kid’s idol. Each week, she assists Talia Favia in a different city for Radix Dance Convention, but it’s her high energy, super-cool movement, and genuine passion that truly inspires. Schwartz trained at Studio 19 in Pittsburgh, PA. After high school she attended Point Park University for one semester […]
Last week, commercial-dance golden girl Jade Chynoweth appeared as the special guest on “I Could Never Be,” an online video/podcast series dedicated to interviews with famous folks, focusing on the challenges these celebs overcame on their way to their current level of success. Chynoweth gives wonderfully no-holds-barred interviews—Exhibit A: her January 2017 DS cover story—and […]
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Jacqueline Green is a classically elegant dancer who moves with a deep soulfulness—and her quick rise through the ranks has cemented her place in the spotlight. An Ailey/Fordham BFA Program graduate, and a former Ailey II dancer, she’s been an Ailey company member since 2011. In 2014, she received a […]