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DANCE

Minnesota Dance Theatre Director Steps Down After 30 Years

After nearly 30 years as artistic director of Minnesota Dance Theatre, Lise Houlton is passing the reins. And it will be kept in the family. - The Star-Tribune (Mpls)

Founding Artistic Director Of Richmond Ballet Retires After 44 Years

"'It's the right time when you find the right person,' Stoner Winslett said. 'It's about what's best for the Richmond Ballet and the community.' Associate artistic director Ma Cong, who joined Richmond Ballet in 2020, will become its new artistic director." - Richmond Times-Dispatch

In These Times: Three Books Chronicle The Dance Life In New York

“Manhattan’s filled with struggling dancers/instructors running a marathon merry-go-round of rehearsals, gyms, private homes. Our Unlimited Metrocards are swiped up to twenty times a day." - Village Voice

Julie Kent, Houston Ballet Co-Director, On Beauty In Dance

"(It's) the artist's willingness to be completely vulnerable on a stage. … Tutus and tiaras — that's a very, very dated and small idea of what ballet is. Beauty in ballet is that willingness to share for the sole purpose of making somebody feel something that they've never felt before." - PaperCity (Texas)

How Pacific Northwest Ballet Became One Of The Most Diverse Ballet Companies In America

While Boal emphasizes that changes at PNB go beyond numbers, the numbers do reflect the company’s cultural shift. PNB’s current roster of 45 dancers (expanding to 47 in November) is now more than 50% Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC). - Crosscut

Royal New Zealand Ballet’s Next Artistic Director Is, For A Change, From New Zealand

After 11 years under three successive leaders from overseas — Ethan Stiefel, Francesco Ventriglia, and Patricia Barker — and a certain amount of discord under the last two, the company has appointed Ty King-Wall, a dancer, choreographer, and teacher who was, for a decade, a principal at the Australian Ballet. - Stuff (New Zealand)

Who Benefits From Dance Company Apprenticeships?

As trainees and apprentices, dancers may perform on professional stages for years without being compensated. Not everyone can afford to work for free—much less to pay for the privilege. - Dance Magazine

The Punk Trio That Co-Directs France’s National Ballet Of Marseille

"They may only be three but they are a horde. They are (La)Horde. … How did the threesome end up as artistic directors of Ballet National de Marseille? While they were visiting Los Angeles, …" - The New York Times

How Alexei Ratmansky Became One Of The Most In-Demand Choreographers

Because he makes ballets so quickly and in little bits, only at the very end of the process does it all come together. Sometimes he’s willing to take risks and even drag people along who aren’t fully on board—and then only at the end, they’re like, “Okay, now I get it.” - The Observer

Former Dancers Say The UK’s Top Ballet Schools Constantly Body-shame Students

More than 50 former students told the BBC about issues, saying they had developed eating disorders, "while some said they had been left with mental health problems." - BBC

Balanchine Thought His Ballets Would Dissipate Quickly

Instead, "they have become classics, cornerstones of the international repertory, ... danced everywhere by all the major ballet companies and most of the minor ones, too." - The New York Times

The Revival Of City Ballet

In 2022, New York City Ballet was considering a grim spiral of loss. Now young audiences are helping grow the budget. What happened? - The New York Times

‘N Sync: Dance And The Communication Between Bodies

In new research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, we show how the strength of synchronisation in a network depends on the structure of the connections between its members – whether they be brain cells, fireflies, or groups of dancers. - The Conversation

“Swan Song” — Filming The Tumultuous Gestation Of “Swan Lake”, Karen Kain’s Farewell To The National Ballet Of Canada

"'Nothing was going well!' (director Chelsea) McMullan recalls. 'Sean (O'Neill, the writer and producer) and I were terrified: 'We're filming Karen Kain's production as a nosedive bonfire!'' … Yet both projects miraculously came together." - The Globe and Mail (Canada)

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