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Hope Dances For Children With Special Needs
Last year Brian Mengini introduced himself to me via Facebook and I happily discovered his dance photography (he operates a studio in the Phoenixville suburbs of Philadelphia). Soon I saw his name...
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How to Snap and Be Shot: An Interview with Dance Photographer, Jim Markland
If the name Jim Markland (or James Rowbotham, Jim’s pen name) rings a bell, it may be because you read of his photography workshops here on Dance Advantage. Or, perhaps you’ve run across Jim’s work in...
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Nichelle Discusses DA, Musical Theatre, and Performing
It’s always a curious feeling to have the tables turned. Every once in a while, I’m on the other side of the questions, as in this recent interview with Nicole LaBlonde. Nicole is a Philly-area teacher...
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Sunday Snapshot: Magic in Havana
According to dance photographer, Jim Markland, one of the most difficult shoots he has ever attempted was in the studios of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba in Havana. © James Rowbotham Photography -...
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Attitude and Strong Technique Make Allison Miller One To Watch
Last month, Houston Ballet corps member, Allison Miller, was listed as one of Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch. Selected by fellow dancer (and previous HB 25-list honoree) Melody Herrera, Allison was...
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Getting Knee Deep With Dr. Craig Westin
I am very pleased to introduce you to Craig Westin, M.D., orthopedic surgeon for the Chicago Center for Orthopedics at Weiss Memorial Hospital and medical director of Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet. Dr....
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The Skinny On The Bar Method For Ballet Body Fitness
Since the premiere of Black Swan in theatres, you may have noticed fans have been… er, flocking to dance and fitness studios. Whether nostalgic for their days as a dancing youth or inspired to obtain a...
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Past and Present Pillow at Your Fingertips
Ted Shawn Theatre, 2008; photo Christopher Duggan It’s been almost three years since I stepped onto the Jacob’s Pillow grounds nestled in the Berkshire mountains of Western Massachusetts. I’ve visited...
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Have Your Barre and Eat It Too!
Portable snacks are a must for busy dancers. But so are healthy snacks. Finding something that’s grab-and-go yet meets the nutritional needs of a dancer is frequently a challenge. In fact this was the...
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Grace Makes Beauty Out Of Ugly Things
Every day in America, approximately 46 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer. More than 160,000 children worldwide, die of cancer each year. There’s no question, childhood cancer is ugly....
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Who Inspires You?
By rough count, I have over 300 dance-related blogs contributing to My Own Dance “Magazine”, otherwise known as my Google Reader. These display varying levels of activity, of course, but what matters...
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The Nutcracker: Unwrapped
Hand-torn snow. 7,000 lbs of it. Houston Ballet’s current version of The Nutcracker, choreographed by Ben Stevenson, premiered in 1987. And ever since, what falls from above in the Land of Snow is what...
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What The Ailey School’s Melanie Person Knew When She Was Twelve
In 1977, Ebony Jr. featured a photograph of a young girl at the ballet barre. The caption reads, “Dancing means everything to twelve-year-old Melanie Person, who wants to become a prima ballerina.” By...
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A Short Chat with Dancer Rick Long
Rick Long has performed in over 50 major cities in the U.S. and abroad. He has danced and choreographed for artists like Lisa Lisa and Daddy Yankee, has performed with Salt-N-Pepa, Trey Songz, and SWV,...
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Interview with Freelancing Ballerina, Adiarys Almeida
On a warm summer’s night several years ago, I found myself caught in what I like to call “the YouTube spiral.” I had spent the last hour and a half sifting through ballet videos, watching, studying,...
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How To Work Well With Others
Dance history is filled with memorable collaborations, whether it’s choreographer and composer – Merce Cunningham and John Cage come to mind – or choreographer and dancer – Twyla Tharp and Mikhail...
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Pointe Shoes Receive Tough Love from Houston Ballet Dancers
Pointe shoes: A Love Affair Ballet: Giselle || Dancer(s): Yuriko Kajiya || Photo: Amitava Sarkar || Image provided courtesy of Houston Ballet The relationship a ballerina has with her pointe shoes is...
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The Bolshoi’s Alexander Volchkov on Dancing Romeo
What is it like to play Romeo? Bolshoi Ballet principal, Alexander Volchkov tells us of the preparation and experience of giving an emotional performance as Romeo. Photo by Damir Yusupov courtesy...
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“Rebel on Pointe”: an independent spirit in a traditional world
On the first page of her memoir, dancer Lee Wilson voices an important nugget of truth in a single line: “In the 1950s and 1960s, many people thought of dance as a pastime for pretty young girls before...
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Ballet Takes A Thrilling Leap In The Suspense Novel “Dark Turns”
A young woman’s body floats in the murky water. Strings of brown hair disturb the surface. A suicide? A murder? In Dark Turns, a suspense novel by Cate Holahan, a ballet dancer at a private school has...
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