A story on American Contemporary Ballet by Victoria Looseleaf for San Francisco Classical Voice.

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ACB is also the only ballet troupe in L.A. to perform exclusively to live music, played by some of the city’s finest classical and jazz musicians. Indeed, March 1 through March 22, ACB will present 10 performances at their “performance venue” (more below), under the title “ACB Jazz.” Showcasing two premieres, a number dubbed “The Charlestons,” and two comedians, the program features music performed by Morgan “Daddy Butterbeans” Jones and his Hot Nine, playing tunes by Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Jelly Roll Morton, and others.

A review of Birmingham Royal Ballet's "The Sleeping Beauty" by Graham Watts for Bachtrack.

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The role of Princess Aurora is one of the most varied and complex challenges for a ballerina and, on this prestigious opening night marking the 40th anniversary of Sir Peter Wright’s seminal production of The Sleeping Beauty, that awesome responsibility fell on the shoulders (back, arms, legs, feet and especially toes) of Yu Kurihara. Not yet a principal dancer (I suspect that’s not a phrase to be written for much longer) she conquered all the complexities with alacrity while exuding all the joy of a young woman celebrating her birthday and then (after a 100-year sleep) her wedding.

A review of Ballet Nights at Lanterns Studio Theatre by Chris Omaweng for LondonTheatre1.

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Continuing to push boundaries and take risks, the latest instalment of the Ballet Nights series is highly eclectic, thus more or less ensuring there is at least something for almost everyone to enjoy. Focusing on solo and duet performances, it’s a bit of a rollercoaster ride, with plenty to upset ballet purists, which this concept seems to revel in. For instance, the show has sufficient pulling power to draw in principals from the Royal Ballet, though their dances are performed to backing tracks rather than live musicians. This simply is a trade-off that must be accepted, with the audience being able to see, even from the back row, dances performed up close.

An interview with Robert Garland by Gia Kourlas in The New York Times.

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Garland said he planned to build on Balanchine’s legacy with the company; staging “Pas de Dix” (1955) is a step. Along with the dance itself, set to excerpts from Glazunov’s “Raymonda” — it is classical ballet with Hungarian inflections — Garland wanted to celebrate the Native American ballerina Maria Tallchief, its original female lead.

“When you watch a video of Maria Tallchief, she was no joke,” Garland said. “Mr. Mitchell loved her, loved her.”

A review of the Australian Ballet by Katie Lawrence for Bachtrack.

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The Australian Ballet’s production of Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, is cinematic, fun, comedic, and rule-breaking. It’s the best of cross-generational storytelling: a bit like an animated children’s movie that also speaks to adults. Accessible, joyful and magical (there’s even dancing in the aisles, for the full immersive experience), but with inside jokes for the grown-ups. It’s powerful enough to both entertain and connect on a deeper, darker level.

A review of San Francisco Ballet's "Swan Lake" by Rachel Howard in The San Francisco Chronicle.

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Raised in her native Sweden, Fogo was hired away from the Vienna State Opera Ballet by Tomasson in 2020, at the height of the pandemic. She made a spectacular debut as the “Nutcracker’s” Sugar Plum Fairy in 2021 but then suffered an injury that kept her out the whole of 2022. Last year, under current artistic director Tamara Rojo, Fogo danced a few choice assignments (including a debut in “Romeo and Juliet”) but wasn’t as prominent in the casting as her gifts would seem to merit. Her first “Swan Lake,” then, felt like an arrival and a crowning. It was defined by two elements: her arms and her freedom.

Related.

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Nikisha Fogo's path to the stage of the San Francisco Ballet as the Swan Queen in 'Swan Lake' is a testament to her resilience and dedication to her craft. Transitioning from the Vienna State Opera Ballet, where she honed her skills and artistry, Fogo faced significant challenges. A severe injury sidelined her for an entire year, a period fraught with uncertainty and the painstaking work of rehabilitation. Despite these obstacles, Fogo returned to the stage with a performance that not only highlighted her technical mastery but also her deep emotional connection to the characters of Odette and Odile. Her use of expressive movement and the nuanced portrayal of these complex roles captivated the audience, earning her acclaim for her artistry and technical skill.

A review of the Paris Opera Ballet by Naomi Mori for Bachtrack.

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Mathieu Ganio partnered Ould-Braham as her Des Grieux, and his lyrical, delicate phrasing within his solos and their delightful pas de deux in the first act were beautifully matched with Massenet's romantic score. Although Des Grieux’s love for Manon does not waver throughout the ballet, we could see that he was one of the men who exploited her, dipping his hands in card games and cheating. He looked almost pathetic, blinded with his infatuation to Manon. His sincerity and solid support shown in the final pas de deux in the swamps was heartbreaking, with the realisation that he was one of the men to blame for the tragedy of Manon. We could feel the tenderness of their partnership at Manon’s death. Ould-Braham will be retiring in May, Ganio is supposed to retire in 2026, and this memorable performance that both étoiles gave, was a beautiful farewell gift to the Japanese audience.

A review of New York City Ballet by Mary Cargill for danceviewtimes.

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“Liebeslieder Walzer” certainly needs both technique and style; it is firmly set in an elegant nineteenth century mansion, showing a musical evening for four couples whose close friendship, refined and elegant manners quietly and subtly hint at their stories in the first half while the more expressive second half lets their emotions flow. The four couples this evening, Isabella LaFreniere (her debut) with Tyler Angle, Ashley Laracey with Andrew Veyette (his debut), Sara Mearns with Chun Wai Chan (his debut), and Indiana Woodward (her debut) with Preston Chamblee (his debut), sometimes tended to look as if they rehearsed separately and came up with their own interpretations and at times it looks like a somewhat unconnected series of beautiful dances, not a group of friends sharing an evening.

An interview with dancers Sydney Williams and Daniel Durrett of Boston Ballet.

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Durrett said he knows how much representation matters.

"When I would go to the ballet when I was little and I didn't see Black dancers, I was just very confused. I was like 'Why aren't there Black dancers on stage? Why do all the dancers look the same? Why are they all white?'" Durrett said. "So I hope that kids in Boston are able to come to the ballet and see 'Oh, there's a Black ballet dancer or there's a Brown ballerina there. I know I can do it and I know I can pursue this career.'"

San Francisco Ballet presents "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

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This season’s run of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is also the North American debut of iconic French designer Christian Lacroix’s opulent costume and set designs, which were commissioned by the Paris Opera Ballet and debuted in Paris in 2017.

A review of Cincinnati Ballet by David Lyman in The Cincinnati Enquirer.

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Yes, it can all get a little confusing. But “Don Quixote” is a ballet filled with fiery passion and more than a little slapstick humor. Don’t look for logic. This is entertainment painted with a broad brush. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. And Ludwig Minkus’ score, as well – performed by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, led by associate music director Samuel Lee.

Ballet San Antonio presents "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

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Beyond being [Rafael] Ferrera's debut of his retelling of the Shakespeare play, it's also his first full-length ballet. The show invites its audience to venture into an otherworldly forest and fall into the dream.

A review of New York City Ballet by Leigh Witchel for dancelog.nyc.

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The raw emotions of Solitude, like Ashton’s Dante Sonata, worked because of their white-hot topicality. Ratmansky kept some restraint no matter how emotional, but if Gordon and the rest of the cast hadn’t performed with such commitment it could have gone off the rails. Like Ashton’s work as England was dragged into battle, Solitude may also be a work that in the future will need historical context to understand how people felt at the time.

Backstage at Milwaukee Ballet.

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As part of CBS 58's new series "Behind the Scenes," Mike Strehlow spent an afternoon with MBII just 24 hours before their big show, called "Momentum."

"It's been a long time building up, which is very exciting when you get to this moment," said dancer Sophia Shahani as she and 22 other MBII dancers wrapped up a dress rehearsal.

Ballet West enjoys a robust box office.

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While Scolamiero said they are still diving into what is leading to this success, they believe the heightened interest in Ballet West can be attributed to several factors, including an increase in returning attendees and greater focus and spending on marketing.

Scolamiero said the audience, which is trending younger than in the past, is returning and subscribing at higher rates.

A review of the Ballet of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Music Theatre in "Don Quixote" by Ilona Landgraf for "Landgraf on Dance."

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Moscow’s ballet audience is well-versed and demanding. The crowd that filled the Stanislavsky Theatre last Thursday to watch Don Quixote gave the quirky Don Quixote (Nikita Kirillov) and his gluttonous squire, Sancho Panza (Konstantin Semenov), a friendly but reserved welcome. The company’s former artistic director, Laurent Hilaire, added the production to the repertoire in 2019, and Hilaire’s successor, Maxim Sevagin, has kept it since 2022. As a former etoile of the Paris Opera Ballet who danced under Rudolf Nureyev’s directorate, Hilaire chose to introduce the Russian audience to Nureyev’s version of Don Quixote. Its set and costume design replicates Nicholas Georgiadis’s originals for the Paris Opera premiere.

Ivan Putrov presents "Dance for Ukraine" at the London Palladium.

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Olga Smirnova, who left Russia in protest against the war and is currently with Dutch National Ballet, was very beautiful as The Dying Swan but she was more appealing in the second half dancing Carmen Suite with Denis Matvienko. They were both delectably sultry but Alberto Alonso’s 1967 choreography does look a bit dated now.

Ballet San Antonio presents "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

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Approximately 30 students from the school will be in the production –  the biggest production they’ve ever produced, according to Artistic Director Sofiane Sylve. 

“It takes a village to put on a production like that,” Sylve said on the company’s Facebook page.

Leigh Witchel reviews the show for dancelog.nyc.

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It’s marvelous that Ulbricht got to sink his teeth into Brel. He never gets something this juicy at New York City Ballet; his physique, which isn’t long, slots him as the sidekick, the supporting character. If the work traded on jukebox clichés, he still couldn’t ask for a more flattering solo.

That's my sense as well. They call her a "ballerina" or "dancer" and there is a photo of her in a tutu wearing pointe shoes, but she does not seem to be affiliated with a company or school. The articles say she either works at a spa or manages it, or both.

In any case one wishes her the best and hopes for a happy outcome for her and her family.

Andrew Veyette remembers.

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Watch as Principal Dancer Andrew Veyette reminisces on the first NYCB performance he attended as a School of American Ballet student. The performance was certainly impressive, but a chance glimpse of an artist's humanity in the wings made the most lasting impression. 

Natalia Ashikhmina announces her retirement from the Louisville Ballet.

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“It’s the greatest, most romantic story. And just spend time with my family, one more time, have fun and all the way from fun to the tragedy, it’s a big spectrum you know? So to share that with them one more time,” Ashikhimina said.

She plans to stay in Louisville after retirement.

The Grand Rapids Ballet presents "The Sleeping Beauty." TV segment.

Guillaume Côté announces his retirement from the National Ballet of Canada.

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Reflecting on his aches and pains, the competition, the constant pursuit of perfection, he says he wouldn’t mind slowing down.

“A place like the National Ballet of Canada, where it’s highly competitive and world class, is not a place where you can grow into old age,” he said by phone as he prepared for the company to announce that the upcoming season would be his last.

Ozawa appearing on "What's My Line?"