THE MAGAZINE
Wayne McGregor: Woolf Works
Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works transforms the writing of Virginia Woolf into a powerful ballet triptych for The Royal Ballet. Set to music by Max Richter, the work blends movement, technology, and emotion in a striking exploration of modernist literature. Read on for more.
Ballet with Isabella: ‘I Really Fell in Love with Helping People!’
Former Vaganova Ballet Academy graduate Isabella McGuire Mayes shares why mindset, mental health, and injury awareness are essential to a sustainable ballet career. In an interview with TWoA, she reflects on coaching, private training, and how ballet education needs to change.
Isabella McGuire Mayes: Life Lessons from Great Teachers
Former Vaganova Ballet Academy graduate Isabella McGuire Mayes reflects on the teachers who shaped her discipline, confidence, and artistic voice. In this TWoA interview, she shares the life lessons behind elite ballet training.
Luca Branca’s Prix de Lausanne Diary: Part II
One year after winning the Young Creation Award, Luca Branca returns to the Prix de Lausanne as a coach. In this voice diary, he reflects on finalists, first-hand emotions, and what it means to see dancers from around the world inhabit his choreography.
Luca Branca’s Prix de Lausanne Diary: Part I
At just 18, choreographer Luca Branca returns to the Prix de Lausanne—not as a competitor, but as a coach. In this first-hand diary, he reflects on rehearsals, jury sessions, pressure, and the responsibility of guiding dancers through one of ballet’s most demanding competitions.
The Batsheva Dance Company: “MOMO has Two Souls”
Ohad Naharin’s MOMO stages a quiet struggle between individuality and collective identity, turning movement into a reflection on power, belonging, and emotional survival. Read on for a deeply personal response to one of Batsheva’s most unsettling works.
5 Things to Know about Bronislava Nijinska
From Les Noces to gender-defying choreography, discover five essential facts about Bronislava Nijinska, one of ballet’s most influential modern innovators. Read more on TWoA.
Five Facts about Alexei Ratmansky’s New Ballet ‘Tchaikovsky Overtures’
Why does Alexei Ratmansky’s new ballet feel like three full productions in one night? Drawing on Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Shakespearean overtures, Tchaikovsky Overtures transforms Hamlet, The Tempest, and Romeo and Juliet into a richly layered choreographic meditation on emotion, memory, and movement.
In Conversation with Julian MacKay: Social Media and the Arts
Is social media helping or harming young artists? In this conversation, Julian MacKay reflects on branding, visibility, and responsibility in the digital age—revealing why respect, quality, and restraint matter as much online as they do on stage.
Mayerling: The Tragedy of Crown Prince Rudolf
Dark, obsessive, and psychologically intense, Mayerling remains one of the most disturbing ballets in the repertory. This article explores how Kenneth MacMillan transformed a real imperial tragedy into a gripping modern classic—and why it still shocks audiences today.
Interview: Principal Dancer Julian MacKay, Bayerisches Staatsballett
From Montana to Moscow and now Munich, Julian MacKay speaks candidly about training at the Bolshoi, performing with the Mikhailovsky Theatre, navigating global ballet politics, and finding his artistic home at the Bayerisches Staatsballett.
Julian MacKay: Advice for Young Dancers and Musicians - “Embrace Uncertainty!”
Training for a career in dance or music means living with doubt, competition, and constant change. Principal dancer Julian MacKay reflects on finding the right environment, building resilience, and why uncertainty isn’t a weakness—but a vital part of becoming an artist.
The Five Moons: Legendary Native American Ballerinas
In celebration of Native American Heritage Day, TWoA pays tribute to five Native American ballerinas who shaped American and French ballet: Maria Tallchief, Marjorie Tallchief, Rosella Hightower, Yvonne Chouteau, and Moscelyne Larkin—the legendary Five Moons whose legacy still shapes ballet today.
World Ballet Day 2022 Highlight: Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan
From ballet to Tai Chi and Qi Gong, World Ballet Day 2022 offered a rare glimpse into how Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan trains body, breath, and mind—revealing why global dance looks far beyond the classical canon.
Halloween: New York’s School of American Ballet votes for the Spookiest Ballet
At Halloween, students at the School of American Ballet cast their vote for ballet’s darkest work—and chose La Valse. In this TWoA deep dive, discover how George Balanchine turned Maurice Ravel’s swirling score into a seductive danse macabre, and why dancers like Sara Mearns still find it terrifying to perform.
Interview: Princess Grace Academy’s Luca Branca (Winner of the 2022 Prix de Lausanne Young Creation Award) and Morgan Johnson
From Monte Carlo to Lausanne: Princess Grace Academy students Luca Branca and Morgan Johnson reflect on creativity, collaboration, and finding joy through dance—following Luca’s win at the Prix de Lausanne Young Creation Award.
Relax with Luca and Morgan
What do elite young dancers do when they’re not rehearsing? Luca Branca and Morgan Johnson of the Princess Grace Academy share how they relax beyond the studio.
Couture and Ballet: New York City Ballet’s Fall Fashion Gala
At New York City Ballet’s Fall Fashion Gala, couture and choreography collide. From George Balanchine to emerging voices like Gianna Reisen, TWoA looks beyond the glamour to ask whether fashion elevates ballet—or steals the spotlight.
Autumn Ballet: Giselle
Often associated with moonlit forests and ghostly brides, Giselle is also an autumn ballet at heart. From harvest dances to heartbreak, TWoA revisits the Romantic classic through the lens of the season that frames its tragedy.
Rudolf Nureyev: The Power of Curiosity
In 1961, curiosity led Rudolf Nureyev to defect from the Soviet Union. It also gave ballet its first true international superstar. Set against the Cold War, his story is as dramatic as the stage itself. Read on for more.