THE MAGAZINE
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.
Choosing the Right Variation for a Ballet Competition
Are you planning to compete at a ballet competition this school year? Choosing the right variation is a key condition for success. What principles should guide your choice? TWoA talked to Inna Bayer, artistic director of Bayer Ballet Academy, and one of her students, Crystal Huang, prize winner at the Prix de Lausanne 2024, the Youth America Grand Prix 2024, 2024 YoungArts (Dance/Ballet) and of the Grand Prix at the 2024 South Africa International Ballet Competition.
Crystal Huang, 15, Prix de Lausanne Prize Winner 2024: “The Love for Dance Comes First!”
Crystal Huang, 15, is having a remarkable year. Until about two years ago, Crystal was training in commercial dancing. In 2024, Crystal became a prize winner at the Prix de Lausanne, one of the most prestigious international ballet competitions. She is also a prize winner at the Youth America Grand Prix 2024, 2024 YoungArts (Dance/Ballet) and of the Grand Prix at the 2024 South Africa International Ballet Competition. TWoA talked to Crystal about her unusual dance journey, gathering some valuable tips on how to succeed at competitions.
Celebrating NYCB’s 75th Anniversary with a Round of Dancer Doppelgangers!
In ballet, the present recalls the past. Knowledge is passed down and repertoire is preserved through memory. Combine the past and the present in a game I’d like to call “New York City Ballet - Dancer Doppelgangers”!
Meet Taylor Swift’s Muse: Dancer and Innovator Loïe Fuller
A butterfly. A petal unfolding. A dazzling prism. A snowflake. American dancer and choreographer Loïe Fuller (1862-1928) was able to evoke each of those images during her swirling, spiraling Serpentine Dance. Meet Taylor Swift’s Muse.
The Dancing King: Ballet in Ancien Régime France
In the lavish world of the Ancien Régime (France before the 1789 Revolution), dance was considered to be just as important as music, literature and the visual arts. This was, in part, down to one man’s tastes. Beyond his role as the divinely ordained ruler of France—an “absolute” monarch—Louis XIV (1638-1713) was also a prolific dancer.
Yuka Iwai 岩井優花, Principal Soloist, K-Ballet Tokyo: How to Prepare for an Unexpected Debut
Yuka Iwai is a principal soloist with K-Ballet Tokyo. Two weeks before K-Ballet’s recent revival of Giselle, she found out that she would step in for an injured dancer and dance Giselle at the production’s opening night. TWoA talked to Yuka about the special challenge of learning a principal role in two weeks.
Ancient Stories, Modern Storyteller: Celebrating Martha Graham
Martha Graham (1894-1991) was a trailblazing American modern dancer and choreographer. She told powerful stories through dance. Strong women were at the centre of her work, from the heroines of Greek myths to the female pioneers of the American frontier.
Mariko Sasaki, First Soloist, The Royal Ballet: Getting Ready for a “Swan Lake” Debut
TWoA talked to Royal Ballet soloist Mariko Sasaki about her upcoming debut in Swan Lake. It is her first leading role in a three-act classical ballet.
3-D Printing: Increasing the Durability of Pointe Shoes
It’s Earth Day on 22 April 2024. Thinking about sustainability in our lives, consider the problem of pointe shoes. Professional ballet dancers go through several pairs per week. Can 3-D printing produce pointe shoes that last longer without compromising on comfort?
¡Viva Flamenco! From Spain’s Margins to its Center Stage
Think of Spanish culture, and chances are you are thinking of bullfighting, tapas - and flamenco. Flamenco is one of the most popular symbols of Spain, but for centuries, it was confined to the margins of Spanish society. It was the art of the Gitanos, the Roma (Gypsies) of Spain. Until dictator Franco decided to push flamenco centre stage.
Two Ballets for Easter
Are you looking for the perfect Easter ballet? Probably not – but maybe you should! TWoA has two suggestions for you: John Neumeier’s St. Matthew’s Passion and Frederick Ashton’s Tales of Beatrix Potter. These two ballets embody two very different aspects of Easter: its spiritual essence, and the cuteness of the Easter Bunny.
Arguing for Instagram: How Algorithmic Addiction Can Advance the Dancer
It starts with one harmless minute on your phone, right? Just a few minutes on Instagram, one more video on YouTube, and soon enough hours have passed and nothing you originally set out to accomplish has been done. But you can learn to turn this form of procrastination into a vital tool for your own artistic education.
Inspiring Words at the 2024 Prix de Lausanne
From 29 January 2024 until 4 February 2024, dance students and ballet lovers all over the world got to experience the Prix de Lausanne in daily live streams. Apart from the dancing, one of this year’s highlight were the inspiring words spoken at the awards ceremony by two former prima ballerinas, President of the Jury Darcey Bussell and Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Alessandra Ferri.
Introducing Choreographer Merce Cunningham: Embracing Chance in Modern Dance
Many dancers often fear forgetting their dance on stage, or messing up the sequence of steps. Imagine your choreographer rolling a die just before the curtain opens to determine the order of the choreography that night. Merce Cunningham (1919-2009), a renowned American modern dancer and choreographer, did just that—relying solely on trust and chance, thereby taking collaboration to a new level.
Dancer Dorms
Join Thy-Lan Alcalay on a tour of her dorm room turned mini fitness studio. Thy-Lan is a dance and architecture student at Barnard College of Columbia University, New York.