Top 5 Audition Tips from Experts

by Romy Macias, Senior Editor | Jan 28, 2015 | Ballet Companies, Ballet Dancers

Auditions are nearing, so what a great time to get some expert advice! Here are Top 5 Audition Tips from Experts The first one may seem obvious, but it’s probably the hardest to do, especially if you’re really nervous, but vital to your overall performance. Top 5 Audition Tips from Experts 1. “Stay relaxed.” 2. “Wear something you feel good in—but keep it simple and clean.” 3. “Give yourself a good warm-up before the audition class.” 4. “Be ready mentally and physically.” 5. “HAVE FUN and enjoy the class!” Top 5 Audition Tips from Experts Bonus Tip (from me 🙂 ): Get to the audition on time, or rather with plenty of time in advance. Rushing is sure to get you all worked up and nervous. If you arrive half an hour to a full hour early, (remember to allow time for registration, if the case may be). This way you’ll have time to relax and get in “your calm and confident state,” or in the zone, as they say! To get the full scoop, leap on over to San Francisco Ballet’s site here. If you enjoy our site, please sign-up for weekly updates on the...

Angel Corella Has Built His Career on Change [Video]

by Romy Macias, Senior Editor | Jan 8, 2015 | Ballet Dancers

Artists, those perennial outsiders, hold a mirror up to the human experience. To live a creative life is to embrace change. A challenge made even more daunting in an unfamiliar land. Yet America continues to be a magnet for artists. Angel Corella Has Built His Career on Change In this video preview, Angel Corella shares his journey from his country, Spain, to the world-wide stage; his return to Barcelona and most recently to the U. S. Video from Articulate channel on YouTube. Angel Corella Has Built His Career on Change Make sure to also watch the video link at the end of the post! “They’re willing to pay $150 million for one player, but they’re not open to pay $2 million for a full ballet company.” Pennsylvania Ballet’s Artistic Director Angel Corrella explains why he dissolved the Barcelona Ballet in 2012. Angel Corella Has Built His Career on Change Don’t forget to watch Angel Corella on the premiere of Articulate – live on air Thursday, 1/8 at 10:30 pm on WHYY, or online anytime at whyy.org/cms/articulate!...

Wendy Whelan Retires After 30 Years of Dancing [Video]

by Romy Macias, Senior Editor | Oct 18, 2014 | Ballet Dancers

One of New York City Ballet’s favorite prima ballerinas, Wendy Whelan, will say “farewell” tonight in, what sounds like an amazing program. Wendy Whelan Retires After 30 Years of Dancing …on Saturday night, at 47 years old, she’ll give her final New York City Ballet performance before she retires. Not every dancer can be a ballerina, and not every ballerina gets to dance with the New York City Ballet. So when one makes it, and then stays with the company for three decades, it’s a big deal. More on NPR: Poetry-in-Motion by Nina Gregory. Whelan, though she is forty-seven, doesn’t pretend she’s ready to stop dancing. “I have something more interesting to say than I did when I was twenty-five,” she has protested. Maybe she’ll get to say it—she’s putting together duet programs for touring. Read more at The New Yorker: Restless Creature. Wendy Whelan Retires After 30 Years of Dancing To hear her thoughts on what she’ll feel during her final performance, please click here. Thanks to NYCenter on YouTube channel for this amazing video. Wendy Whelan Retires After 30 Years of Dancing It’ll be interesting and exciting at the same time to see where Whelan takes the next stage of her amazing dancing career! Please “Like” or share below!...

How Do I Get My Knees To Straighten? [Video]

by Romy Macias, Senior Editor | Jul 2, 2014 | Ballet Dancers, Ballet Health

This was a problem I had during my years of training, and I know I’m not alone: You feel as if your knees are completely straight, yet your teacher keeps asking you to straighten them; they look bent! What do you do? How Do I Get My Knees To Straighten? Lisa Howell from the Ballet Blog, is a physiotherapist from Australia who has authored several ebooks for ballet dancers. Here’s her advice. It can be tricky to work without the help of a professional physiotherapist. So read, but consult your ballet teacher or physiotherapist before doing this on your own! How Do I Get My Knees To Straighten?  There are a few things that I routinely check on anyone who complains of knees that don’t straighten. 1 ) The first thing I do is assess how much range they have in their knees, by bending and straightening the knee myself (i.e. with no muscle activity. Some girls have reasonable range but just find it hard to do it themselves). 2 ) If the student has full range but just finds it hard to straighten the knees in class, I get them to sit with their legs outstretched and “pull up” their knees, at the same time as I feel the muscle on the inside of the knee. 3 ) If however the student does not have full range in the knee even when it is being moved by someone else, we need to track down exactly what is blocking the range. The first thing to check is where she “feels” the restriction when she tries to straighten her knees. Does she feel a  stretching in the back...

If You Think Ballet Is Only For Thin Girls? Think Again! [Video]

by Romy Macias, Senior Editor | Jun 19, 2014 | Ballet Dancers, Ballet Media

  If You Think Ballet Is Only For Thin Girls? Think Again! Big Ballet Confronts Body Stereotypes When you think of ballet dancers, you immediately imagine strong, yet very thin bodies. Well, think again. Former Royal Ballet dancer, Wayne Sleep has come up with a new reality show. “Oh, no, not another one,” you’re thinking. Sleep knows, first hand, what ballet dancers go through with body their type and image. He struggled, not with his weight, but with his height. Not many ballet companies were willing to hire a 5’2 male dancer. Likewise, aspiring ballerinas need a certain body type and weight to advance their careers. A otherwise good female dancer can lose her chance at her dream of dancing if she doesn’t fit the mold. Sleep decided to give these dancers that chance; he created “Big Ballet”. While the concept of “Big Ballet” seems ripe for humiliating its stars (as reality shows often do), the show insists its intent is to change the perception that ballet dancers must be thin to be beautiful. In fact, most of the participants (who range widely in age) have prior dance training, but quit in discouragement after being told they were too heavy. For them, the opportunity to perform gives them a chance to finally fulfill a lifelong dream. Full article at Pointe Magazine. If You Think Ballet Is Only For Thin Girls? Think Again! Wayne Sleep shares: At only 5’2″, Sleep is famous for being the shortest male dancer ever admitted into the Royal Ballet School. Had he not left his audition for the school early and missed his final physical examination, he would...

Young Ballet Dancer’s Life Cut Short After Bicycle Accident

by Romy Macias, Senior Editor | Jun 6, 2014 | Ballet Dancers

Twenty-year old Sarasota Ballet dancer, Pedro Pupa died Wednesday evening from injuries after being hit by a delivery truck.  The Sarasota Ballet issued a news release describing Pupa, who had been with the company for two years, as “a talented dancer and a truly outstanding young man.” “Our hearts are breaking, as our much-loved little angel, Pedro Pupa was taken so tragically from this world,” said Margaret Barbieri, assistant director of the Sarasota Ballet. “We are still in disbelief and it is going to take some time for us all to come to terms with the sadness we feel for our enormous loss. Pedro was a very special young man with such energy and a zest for life, but most especially we will remember him for his beautiful smile that radiated and lit everywhere he went and also for his great love and passion for dancing. For more on this story, visit the Bradenton Herald. Young Ballet Dancer’s Life Cut Short After Bicycle Accident Pedro Pupa, brazilian dancer, is seen in the video below at 17 performing the Drum Variation of Graduation Ball. He was already very talented at such a young age! Take a look. Video can be found on YouTube. Young Ballet Dancer’s Life Cut Short After Bicycle Accident “He was a gentle and happy soul, and always showing such generosity to all his friends, family and colleagues. He was also brave and determined, when an injured knee prevented him from dancing, he fought all odds to work back and become an even better dancer. Only a few hours before the accident, he was at the studio...