Maya Plisetskaya Has Passed Away at 89 [Videos]

by Romy Macias, Senior Editor | May 4, 2015 | Ballet Dancers

Ukraine Today uploaded this video where ballet stars pay tribute to Bolshoi Legend: Maya Plisetskaya. Maya Plisetskaya Has Passed Away at 89 Maya Mikhaylovna Plisetskaya (Born on 20 November, 1925 – 2 May, 2015) was a Soviet-born ballet dancer, choreographer, ballet director, and actress, who held Spanish and Lithuanian citizenship. In 1960 she ascended to prima ballerina assoluta of the Bolshoi.   Plisetskaya studied ballet from age nine and first performed at the Bolshoi Theatre when she was eleven. She joined the Bolshoi Ballet company when she was eighteen, quickly rising to become their leading soloist.   She was not allowed to tour outside the country for sixteen years after joining the Bolshoi. During those years, her fame as a national ballerina was used to project the Soviet Union’s achievements during the Cold War.   Premier Nikita Khrushchev, who lifted her travel ban in 1959, considered her “not only the best ballerina in the Soviet Union, but the best in the world.”   As a member of the Bolshoi until 1990, her skill as a dancer changed the world of ballet, setting a higher standard for ballerinas both in terms of technical brilliance and dramatic presence.   For more on Maya Plisetskaya’s life visit Wikipedia.org. Maya Plisetskaya Has Passed Away at 89 This documentary was make in 1964, at the age of 44 honoring the ballerina’s long career. It would last until 1990, when she would retire at the age of 65! Video courtesy of YouTube. Maya Plisetskaya Has Passed Away 89 The ballet world has lost an icon, an era has come to its end.  She will be sorely...

John Kerrison, Official Photographer for CBN [Slide Show]

by Romy Macias, Senior Editor | Apr 22, 2015 | Ballet Dancers, Ballet Photography, Classical Ballet

We are proud to announce that British photographer, John Kerrison has been commissioned as Classical Ballet News’ official photographer. And we’re are very excited! John Kerrison, Official Photographer for CBN Video from Romy Macias’ YouTube channel. John Kerrison was born on the coast of East Anglia in 1952.  He left his studies as a young teenager and went on to have a variety of jobs until he qualified as a German and French teacher, a job he held until his recent retirement. During his teaching years he developed a love for photography and was able to experiment with digital cameras without the huge cost of processing film. He began as a motorsport photographer, then to landscape until the fateful day he discovered ballet. It was through a television programme that he knew that this was a genre he wanted to photograph more than any other! John Kerrison, Official Photographer for CBN Kerrison is a prize-winning, reliable and very experienced professional photographer. He values all his clients whether high profile or not and I can be relied on to produce images of the highest quality. I always listen carefully to potential clients requirements to ensure I can deliver the images they need. My goal is to help my subjects relax and make sure that they enjoy the experience as well as my results. – John Kerrison, John Kerrison Photography  John Kerrison, Official Photographer for CBN Here are the photos and one extra lined-up for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy! All photos are from the 10th anniversary Russian Ballet Icons Gala, March 8, 2015 at the London Coliseum, produced by Ensemble Productions. [Note:...

Behind The Scenes with Photographer Luis Pons [Video]

by Romy Macias, Senior Editor | Apr 14, 2015 | Ballet Dancers, Ballet Photography

It’s not often you get to witness what goes on behind-the-scenes of a photo shoot.Today, we are in luck! Take a look at the video that documented the photo shoot. Thanks to Krista King-Doherty for posting this video on YouTube. Behind The Scenes with Photographer Luis Pons The backdrop is New York City; the ballerina: Juliet Doherty and the photograper is Luis Pons. I’ve known Luis Pons for a couple of years now and been attentively following his career. From photographing Spanish dancers to ballerinas in the streets of New York City, Luis has refined his eye and lens and perfected his craft. Here is the first interview I did with Luis Pons and more articles  and slideshow of his breathtaking work. Behind The Scenes with Photographer Luis Pons To see more of Luis Pon’s beautiful photography, follow Luis on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/PonsPhotography. Behind The Scenes with Photographer Luis Pons If you enjoyed this video and image, please sign-up for our free once-a-week newsletter by filling the form...

Misty Copeland Speaks About Being a Black Ballerina [Video MashUp]

by Romy Macias, Senior Editor | Mar 25, 2015 | Ballet Dancers, Ballet Media, Video Interviews

Acclaimed ballerina Misty Copeland joins Diane [Rehm] to talk about her remarkable career and how she is challenging physical stereotypes that she says keeps ballet stuck in the past. Video courtesy of The Diane Rehm channel on YouTube. “It took me a while to understand that I was alone.” – Misty Copeland “I think that it was the way my mother raised me, it wasn’t something that I was aware that I was going to be viewed by the world as a black woman. She made that very clear to me and my siblings even though we are bi-racial. I never really felt like I was the only black one, not even in my ballet class from a young age. But once I became a professional it actually was brought to my attention by an adult. And that’s when I stepped back and thought: “Wow, this is a little bit strange, to be the only black woman in a company of eighty dancers.” And for a decade I was. I just went through times where I felt extremely alone. I was going through puberty and you join a company when your 17 years old. And you really wanto to feel accepted and you want to connect with people.” Misty Copeland Speaks About Being a Black Ballerina If you prefer to listen to the interview, click here. Or click on the video below for the full interview. In this interview Misty talks about her childhood. “I was born in Kansas City, Missouri and moved to the Los Angeles area in California when I was 2 years old. My mother raised us 6...

Julian Mackay Rising Star at Prix de Lausanne 2015 [Videos]

by Romy Macias, Senior Editor | Feb 18, 2015 | Ballet Companies, Ballet Dancers

Here’s Julian’s classical variation from Giselle. Thanks to Prix de Lausanne for sharing video on YouTube. Julian Mackay Rising Star at Prix de Lausanne 2015 He’s just 17 and he’s already won medals at the Sochi and Istan­bul; he was also awar­ded the Kelvin Coe Schol­ar­ship from the En Avant Found­a­tion. Julian will be the first American male to graduate from the Bolshoi Academy. But that’s not all; his siblings (three more) are scattered around the world studying ballet  or dancing with renowned ballet companies! Julian Mackay Rising Star at Prix de Lausanne 2015 All participants, as you know, have to perform a contemporary choreography. Julian danced “Solo for Diego.” Here it is. Video from YouTube. If you’d like to see the entire article go to Gramiliano.com. Julian Mackay Rising Star at Prix de Lausanne 2015 If you enjoyed Julian MacKay’s story and his videos, sign-up below to stay connected to the world of...

2015 Prix de Lausanne is Under Way [Videos]

by Romy Macias, Senior Editor | Feb 4, 2015 | Ballet Dancers

2015 Prix de Lausanne is Under Way 2015 Prix de Lausanne is under way and it looks exciting! This year’s contestants arrived at Lausanne on Monday, February 2 ready to learn and share their dancing skills. The week is practically half way gone. Here are the first three days of this exciting event. Enjoy! In this video trailer you can spot Alessandra Ferri from last year’s Prix. Did you see her? Video courtesy of Prix de Lausanne YouTube channel. 2015 Prix de Lausanne is Under Way This second video was uploaded by one of the Chinese contestants during registration day. You can catch snippets of the women’s and men’s classes. Video from YouTube. 2015 Prix de Lausanne is Under Way In the next two videos you can take a peek at the contestant’s contemporary classes and their classical variations. 2015 Prix de Lausanne – Daily Live Streaming – Monday February 2nd It was great to see Miko Fogarty as one of the contestants in this video during her run through of Raymonda! (minute: 41:20) Video link from YouTube. 2015 Prix de Lausanne – Daily Live Streaming – Tuesday February 3rd Link from YouTube video. Tell us what you think and who do you see as strong contenders for the top spots. I personally miss the Emotional Blog series the Prix has done in past years where they introduce a few dancers each day. You really get to know the candidates, not only in class but outside. I hope you enjoy the videos and subscribe to our weekly updates. Don’t forget to follow the Prix’s livestream...