THE MAGAZINE
Anastasia Cheplyansky, Dutch National Ballet: “Studying While Dancing Brought a Lot of Balance Into My Life.”
A new school year has begun. If you are close to finishing school, you might have to decide soon between the stage, or further studies. But fear not - you actually might not have to choose. TWoA talked to Anastasia Cheplyansky, Dutch National Ballet, about the benefits of combining dance with serious academic studies at the university level and about her dance journey.
A Life in Dance: Back to School Book Recommendations
As September cools into fall and the academic calendar resumes its merry buzzing, it’s time for breezy summer reading to morph into something more serious. These three books — one memoir, one creative guidebook, and one historical account — each portray the risks and rewards of making a life in the arts.
Ballet Across the Globe: Rudolf Nureyev and the Paris Opera Ballet
The name Rudolf Nureyev is undoubtedly familiar to many. What many may not know is that part of his lasting presence ascends beyond individual star power and rests in the realm of the Paris Opera Ballet.
Interview: Zenaida Yanowsky, Coach and Former Principal Dancer, The Royal Ballet
For many years, Zenaida Yanowsky was one of the most beloved principals of London’s The Royal Ballet. She now coaches at The Royal Ballet and many other international companies. If you want to learn about the importance of speaking up (politely), directing the audience’s eye like a magician, and the wisdom of the words “not everything that shines is gold,” read on.
Ballet Across the Globe: Marius Petipa
Ballet isn’t just one style of dance - it is spoken with many different accents. Read on to find out about Marius Petipa, the choreographer of great classics such as Swan Lake, Don Quixote, La Bayadère and The Sleeping Beauty which are central to the Russian school of classical ballet.
Ballet Across the Globe: Bournonville and the Danes
Contrary to popular belief, classical ballet isn’t just one style of dance that functions the same way across the globe. The art form is comprised of many schools of technique that vary in style, choreographic emphasis, and pedagogical frameworks. Read on to find out about Bournonville and the Danes.
Pointe Shoe Rewind: A Brief History of Ballet’s Signature Shoe
In the fashion world, pointe shoes have been having a moment. But pointe shoes are anything but a recent phenomenon; despite their current aesthetic popularity, their origins date back as early as the 1730s.
Whispers in the Wings: Meet Josephine Baker, Dancer and Spy
Josephine Baker (1906-1975), an icon of the Jazz Age, was a woman of many talents. In addition to being a groundbreaking dancer, singer, and actress—even being the first Black woman to star in a motion picture—Baker was a World War II spy and a civil rights activist.
Chun-Wing Lam, Paris Opera Ballet: “I never danced so well before I had my wealth management firm.”
Paris Opera Ballet’s Chun-Wing Lam is probably the only dancer in the world to combine a successful dance career with running his own wealth management firm. TWoA talked to Chun about moving from Hong Kong to Paris when he was fourteen, about the unique promotion system at the Paris Opera Ballet, and about the artistic and mental benefits of having two careers at the same time.
Death in Springtime: The Uncanny Power of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring”
Perhaps you notice patterns within yourself that stir as the winter colours into spring or the summer burns into autumn. Russian avant-garde composer Igor Stravinsky captures this most masterfully in The Rite of Spring.
Choreographer Spotlight: Jean-Christophe Maillot
Choreographer spotlight on Jean-Christophe Maillot of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo! His choreography appears so naturalistic on his dancers, it seems to flow from the soul onto the stage…it’s tough to think of anything better than that.
Choreographer Spotlight: Justin Peck
Renowned for his energetic footwork and playful musicality, Justin Peck has forged an incredibly prolific career as New York City Ballet’s Resident Choreographer. Peck began his choreographic journey in 2005 as a student at the School of American Ballet, NYCB’s affiliated ballet school, and now twenty years later, he has produced over 50 ballets.
Interview: Chloe Helimets, 15, Prix de Lausanne 2025 Finalist
Chloe Helimets, 15, is one of eighty-six dancers selected to compete at this year’s Prix de Lausanne taking place from 2 to 9 February 2025 in Lausanne, Switzerland. TWoA talked to Chloe about growing up in a ballet family, her ballet journey, and about the best way to approach competitions.
Joseph Markey, American Ballet Theatre: On Turning “Crime and Punishment” into a Ballet
Fedor Dostoevsky’s dark psychological novel Crime and Punishment is a masterpiece of world literature. Last autumn, you could find it in the dance bags of many dancers at American Ballet Theatre: choreographer Helen Pickett and co-director James Bonas were turning the book into a ballet for American Ballet Theatre. The company will perform the production at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts ins Washington on 12-16 February 2025. TWoA talked to ABT dancer Joseph Markey, who created the part of Luzhin, and who will have his debut as Raskolnikov in Washington.
It’s Movie Night: Dancer Edition
Curling up and watching a movie during the cold winter months is one of the best ways to unwind. For those who wish to continue to learn and indulge in dance while recuperating from stressors like Nutcracker performances or final exams, check out some of these beautiful dance films.
Interview: Paloma Livellara Vidart, 19, Prix de Lausanne 2024 Prize Winner
There are some performances that stick with you. Paloma Livellara Vidart’s interpretation of Christopher Wheeldon’s “You Turn Me On, I’m a Radio” at the Prix de Lausanne 2024 is one of those. TWoA talked to the Prix de Lausanne 2024 prize winner about her dance journey from Buenos Aires to Monaco and about her first couple of weeks at New York’s ABT Studio Company. Get ready for some deeply personal insights.
Edges of Ailey: A Celebration of Alvin Ailey
From 25 September 2024 until 9 February 2025, Edges of Ailey will inhabit the entirety of the 18,000 square-foot fifth floor of Manhattan’s Whitney Museum. It is the first commemoration of this size and breadth of choreographer and director Alvin Ailey, celebrating the many themes Ailey grappled with in launching a dance company that sought to center Blackness as a gift in the concert dance world.
The Dream Ballet: Introducing the “Golden Age” Movie Musicals of the 1950s
Have you ever had a dream that made you realize something about your subconscious? What if you found out that many movie musicals of the 1950s actually expressed those dreams through dance?
The Original Queen of the Fouettés: Pierina Legnani
Scared of fouettés? Here is the person you should blame: Pierina Legnani.
In Memory of Michaela DePrince
The dance world is mourning the sudden death of Michaela Mabinty DePrince at the age of 29. Michaela was born in Sierra Leone in the middle of a brutal civil war. By the time she was three, she was a war orphan. Michaela was adopted by Charles and Elaine DePrince and raised in America. She has been an inspiration to many, as a dancer, as an ambassador for black representation in ballet, and as an advocate for children affected by conflict and violence. Read our tribute.