THE MAGAZINE
How to Become a Cello: Royal Ballet Principal Marcelino Sambé in Cathy Marston’s “The Cellist,” Royal Ballet, 20 October – 2 November 2023
What does it mean to dance an instrument rather than a character? In this TWoA interview, Marcelino Sambé discusses creating the role of “The Instrument” in The Royal Ballet’s The Cellist, choreographed by Cathy Marston. Reflecting on loss, embodiment, and musical intimacy, Sambé reveals how movement, sound, and emotion merge in this haunting tribute to cellist Jacqueline du Pré.
Birmingham Royal Ballet: “Black Sabbath - The Ballet”
What happens when heavy metal collides with classical ballet? Christina Ezrahi examines Black Sabbath – The Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s audacious new production inspired by the city’s most famous band. Conceived by director Carlos Acosta, the three-act work brings the music of Black Sabbath to the stage—blending orchestral power, industrial history, and contemporary choreography to reach audiences far beyond the traditional ballet world.
Viviana Durante, Artistic Director of English National Ballet School: “Follow Your Dream and See Where It Takes You!”
What does it take to follow a dream—especially when it begins far from home? In this TWoA interview, Viviana Durante, Artistic Director of English National Ballet School, reflects on her journey from Rome to the world’s leading stages and her philosophy of dance education today. From resilience and homesickness to interpretation, individuality, and collaboration, Durante shares what it means to build artists—not just dancers.
Fancy a Visit to Paris Opera Ballet?
A Paris stage, streamed straight to your sofa. In this TWoA guide, Christina Ezrahi explores Signes, the cult ballet by Carolyn Carlson created for the Paris Opera Ballet. Revived in 2023, the work brings together abstract painting by Olivier Debré and music by René Aubry—a rare fusion of visual art, sound, and movement, broadcast live on Bastille Day.
Happy Birthday, Igor Stravinsky! Celebrating an Icon of Twentieth Century Music and Ballet
Think ballet, think modernism. In this TWoA birthday tribute, we revisit how Igor Stravinsky transformed twentieth-century music through ballet—from The Firebird and The Rite of Spring to his defining collaborations with George Balanchine. A story of scandal, innovation, and the birth of neoclassical ballet.
Keep Cool!
Stressed before exams or performances? Take a cue from West Side Story—and let Riff’s iconic “Cool” remind you how music and dance help us breathe, pause, and reset. A TWoA moment of calm.
Happy Birthday, Irina Kolpakova!
As she turns ninety, Irina Kolpakova remains one of ballet’s living treasures—an unbroken link to the imperial Russian tradition and a guiding force at American Ballet Theatre. Read on to learn more about her life and work.
Christian Spuck and Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘Messa da Requiem’ at Staatsballett Berlin
Christian Spuck’s Messa da Requiem brings Giuseppe Verdi’s monumental score to the ballet stage in a stark, visually arresting production. Premiering at Staatsballett Berlin at a pivotal moment in Spuck’s career, the work confronts life, death, and collective ritual through massed bodies and choral force. At its best, music and movement fuse into a gripping total artwork; at its weakest, Verdi’s soaring score resists choreography altogether.
Hip Hop Meets Ballet: Dutch National Ballet and ISH Dance Collective Present Oscar Wilde’s “Dorian Gray”
What happens when classical ballet collides with hip hop culture? In Dorian, Dutch National Ballet and ISH Dance Collective reimagine Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray for an image-obsessed, social-media age. Through structured improvisation, live illustration, and sharply contrasting movement styles, the production pushes dancers—and audiences—far beyond their comfort zones. Read on for more.
Pierre Lacotte, Choreographer, Dies at 91
On 10 April 2023, the renowned French choreographer Pierre Lacotte died by sepsis from an infected cut. He was 91. Lacotte was famous for his restagings of 19th-century ballets from the Romantic era. But he was also a key figure in a dramatic event that changed the history of ballet in the West: the Cold War defection of Soviet dancer Rudolf Nureyev in 1961. Read on for more!
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.