Pointe

Introducing our November/December digital cover star, Mackenzie Brown! ?? The versatile Stuttgart Ballet principal gives 100% of herself onstage. “I’m going to make mistakes and don’t want to let perfectionism ruin the moment,” she says. Learn all about Brown, from her competition dance beginnings to her meteoric rise to principal at Stuttgart. ?? https://lnkd.in/eXvx3DcG ??: Mackenzie Brown. Photo by Roman Novitzky, courtesy of Stuttgart Ballet. ??: Emily May #mackenziebrown #ballet #balletdancer #stuttgartballet Image description: Mackenzie Brown grins warmly as she stands on point while holding her left foot in a high attitude. She wears a white unitard and a sleek high bun with a middle part. Behind her is the Pointe logo in bright pink, in all caps, and her name in white block letters.

Ahhh, quick changes. ?? They’re part of every dancer’s backstage experience, and we all have horror stories: a missed cue, forgotten gloves, a dangling hairpiece that falls center stage. If you’re worried about a speedy costume transition this #Nutcracker season, head to https://lnkd.in/e8Wgm54w for some pro-tips for changing as efficiently (and calmly) as possible. ?? ??: Joamanuel Velasquez (shown here with David Schenk as the Nutcracker) says his quick change from party scene parent into Rat King is one of his most stressful during “Nutcracker season.” Photo by Amitava Sarkar, courtesy Texas Ballet Theater. ??: Amy Brandt #TheNutcracker #NutcrackerSeason #QuickChange Description: 1) Two male dancers, one is a rat costume and the other dressed as a Nutcracker, lunge towards each other with swords in front of a black and red backdrop. Text: Costume Drama: How to Breeze Through a Stressful Quick Change

What happens when two ballet dancers with opinions on the dance industry and a shared sense of humor get together? For Louis DeFelice and Lucas Labrador, the founders of the dancewear brand Barre Trash, what started as a friendship has grown into a business and a community for dancers. Read their story: https://lnkd.in/eYHXx5tk ?? ??: Labrador and DeFelice. Photo courtesy of Barre Trash. ??: Catie Robinson #BarreTrash #Dancewear #Dancers Description: 1) Labrador holds DeFelice in his arms. DeFelice’s legs point up and his torso is to the side. Both wear Barre Trash hoodies. Text: Meet the Dancing Duo Behind the Dancewear Brand “Barre Trash”

Who is the Sugar Plum Fairy? ????♀? Despite her status as a cultural icon, the character and psychology of the Sugar Plum Fairy is hard to pin down. We spoke with dance historian Doug Fullington and five principal dancers for their takes on who the famous fairy is. Read it on Pointe+: https://lnkd.in/eGG7Di8n ??: Anna Rose O'Sullivan as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Marcelino Sambé as the Prince in The Royal Ballet’s production of?"The Nutcracker." Photo by Alice Pennefather, courtesy Royal Ballet and Opera. ??: Sarah McKenna Barry #SugarPlumFairy #Nutcracker #TheNutcracker Description: 1) Anna Rose O’Sullivan poses in parralel passee on pointe, bending her upper body back in cambé with her arms in third arabesque. Marcelino Sambé stands beihnd her and holds her by the waist. She wears a pink tutu and gold tiara, while he wears a pink tunic, white tights and slippers, and a large crown. Text: The Sugar Plum Fairy May Be a Cultural Icon, but Who Is She Really?

If your teachers have ever told you to fix the “chicken wings” (shoulder blades) sticking out of your back, what they’re really asking you to do is engage your serratus anterior muscle. Certified Pilates instructor Kerry Shea, a dance conditioning specialist and former professional dancer based in Charlottesville, Virginia, says the serratus anterior is one of the most undertrained and undervalued muscles. Shea, who studied with renowned kinesthetics anatomist and educator Irene Dowd, shares a series of exercises that can be done before class or during your cross-training workout to help identify and strengthen this important upper body muscle. Try them out, and learn more about how the serratus anterior affects your dancing: https://lnkd.in/gvZMr8-D ??:?She?works with?School of American Ballet?student Jaiya Chandra. Video by?Meghan Keeney ??: Photo by Keeney ??: Amy Brandt #SerratusAnterior?#strengthandstability?#balletdancer Description: A compilation of short clips from a demonstration video explaining four exercises to strengthen the serratus anterior. A young ballet dancer demonstrates the exercises on a yoga mat as an instructor explains the movements.

A dancer’s long leg reaches skyward as she tilts daringly far off pointe, before launching into a rapid-fire string of intricate steps. Her slinky upper body contrasts with the highly technical classicism of her legs. Her movement has a sense of expansive freedom that’s at once gutsy and elegant. If this aesthetic sounds familiar, that’s thanks in large part to COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet. Founded 30 years ago by two former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dancers—Dwight Rhoden, then a rising choreographer, and Desmond Richardson, his muse—the company has developed a signature style that’s both immediately recognizable and widely influential. Echoes of it can be seen all over today’s opera houses, competition ballrooms, and TV screens. Learn about Complexions’ history and legacy: https://lnkd.in/eZSz_JBE ??: Complexions’ Joe González and April Watson in Dwight Rhoden’s "With or Without You." Photo by Taylor Craft, Courtesy Complexions Contemporary Ballet. #complexions #ComplexionsContemporaryBallet #contemporaryballet Image description: 1) A male dancer lifting a female dancer as she tilts and pikes her body in the air. Text: Celebrating 30 Years of Complexions Contemporary Ballet

Most collegiate ballet dancers have to find a way to navigate the higher education environment while also focusing on their future careers. What can they do when normal college culture clashes with ballet? We spoke with four dance majors to see how they find balance. Read it on Pointe+! ?? https://lnkd.in/eTUFaVsG ??: Joelle Kimbrough. Photo courtesy of Kimbrough. ??: Catie Robinson #CollegeDance #CollegeBallet #BalletMajor University of Oklahoma, Texas Christian University, Indiana University Bloomington, UC Irvine Image description: 1) Kimbrough, a Black ballerina, stands en pointe in a dance studio, wearing a blue leotard, black tights, a white tutu and nude pointe shoes. Text: Handling the Challenges of College as a Pre-Pro Ballet Student

Vladimir Shklyarov, a longtime principal dancer of the Mariinsky Ballet in St. Petersburg and an Honored Artist of Russia, died tragically over the weekend. A Mariinsky spokesperson told the Russian newspaper Fontanka that the 39-year-old passed away on November 16 after falling five stories from his balcony in St. Petersburg. According to Anna Kasatkina, the Mariinsky’s spokesperson, he had been taking painkillers in preparation for a scheduled back surgery this week. A federal investigation is underway, but for now his death has been labeled an accident. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eKABKz67 ??: Shklyarov as Solor in “La Bayadère” at?American Ballet Theatre. Photo by Marty Sohl, courtesy ABT. ??: Amy Brandt #vladimirshklyarov?#mariinskyballet Image description: 1) Vladimir Shklyarov stands in profile facing stage right, standing on his left foot with his right leg in tendu derriere. He lifts his right arm up and looks toward his right hand. He wears white tights and ballet slippers, a dark tunic with gold sleeves, and a feathered headpiece. Text: Vladimir Shklyarov (1985–2024)

As a student, Jessica Lind never had a set plan when it came to where she saw herself dancing. Now, the San Jose native has just begun her 12th season with Oregon Ballet Theatre, where she has been a principal since 2022. In this interview, she shares her thoughts on overcoming injury, being your own cheerleader, living in the Pacific Northwest, and more. Read it on Pointe+! ?? https://lnkd.in/eBE4aWJs ??: Jessica Lind in Christopher Stowell’s?"Midsummer Night’s Dream." Photo by Blaine Covert, courtesy OBT. ??: Kyra Laubacher #JessicaLind #OregonBalletTheatre #BalletDancer

???? In October, San Francisco Ballet made its first trip overseas in five years. The destination: Spain, home country of SFB artistic director Tamara Rojo for performances of Helgi Tomasson’s “Swan Lake” at Madrid’s Teatro Real. SFB principal dancer Sasha De Sola and soloist Julia Rowe documented their trip, from the San Francisco airport to the wings of the Teatro Real. Check out all their photos and descriptions, only on Pointe+! ?? https://lnkd.in/d692t2YG ??: San Francisco Ballet in Tomasson’s “Swan Lake.” Photo by Jesús Vallinas, courtesy SFB. ??: Photo by Sasha De Sola, courtesy SFB. ??: Sasha De Sola and Julia Rowe #SanFranciscoBallet #SwanLake #TeatroReal Image Description: (1) Four dancers in pointe shoes and white tutus perform the “Dance of the Four Little Swans” onstage. They cross arms to hold hands in a chain, standing in retiré on pointe and looking to their right. Text: On the Road: Inside San Francisco Ballet’s Tour to Madrid