Ever wish you could go behind the scenes of the often-cloistered Bolshoi Ballet? This month, HBO is airing a new documentary that does just that. (Courtesy HBO) Bolshoi Babylon began filming in 2013, during the aftermath of the acid attack on the company’s (then) artistic director Sergei Filin. The gruesome act of violence had caught […]
Swan Lake premiered at the Bolshoi Ballet in 1877, but since then it’s undergone many variations and alterations. Dancers perform everything from New York City Ballet’s stripped-down two-act version to Christopher Wheeldon’s Degas-esque fantasy. And while each interpretation has its own merit and relationship with Tchaikovsky’s score, wouldn’t it be cool to know what the […]
Joy Womack is best known as the first American woman to sign a contract with the Bolshoi Ballet. In November, 2013 she quit very publicly—due to frustration with the company’s politics—and now dances as a guest principal with the Kremlin Ballet Theater in Moscow. But take one look at Joy’s latest video, and it’s clear […]
Yesterday, we said goodbye to what was perhaps the most dance-tastic Olympics of all time. And just like the somewhat cute (and somewhat creepy) Sochi Bear, we feel like shedding a single tear: (via thebiglead.com) Mmk, we’re done moping, we promise. Now let’s talk about last night’s closing ceremony. Just like the ceremony that opened […]
“Benedict Arnold with slightly tighter pants” (as Stephen Colbert says) is the news yet again. American Ballet Theatre and Bolshoi Principal David Hallberg made an appearance on CBS News over the weekend to talk about his decision to join the ranks in Russia. Watch it here. Then tell us what you think below.