The financial challenges of becoming a dance artist today can be frightfully numerous. But in the next few years, student loan debt—and college tuition in general—may no longer be of concern for the students of The Juilliard School’s prestigious dance division, as the institution has announced its intentions to go tuition-free with the launch of a $550 million fundraising drive. The timeline for when, exactly, this plan will take effect is unclear, and will depend on when fundraising goals are met. (As of the announcement, the school had already received $180 million towards the effort.) Damian Woetzel, the school’s president and a former […]

Senior Bharatanatyam artiste Radhika Shetty warns against the trend of turning the dance into a marathon.

Choreographed and conceptualised by Jayachandran Palazhy, founder and artistic director of Attakkalari, it will be a site-specific, transdisciplinary performance.

When you move to a new city, your job hunt might look a little different from the average person’s. Sure, there are some job boards out there. But they’re not the way most dance educators get hired. “When you’re a creative, one of the blessings and curses is that you have to do life creatively,” says Pat “Planet” Opran, a dancer and teacher in Boston.  For dance teachers, getting plugged into the local scene is often the only way to find out what opportunities exist, who has openings, and how to put your name in the hat. This can take […]

India sees festive fervour as garba revellers and others bring in the festive spirit of Navaratri.

Creative Movement classes exploring space with scarves. Teenaged students competing in groups to test their knowledge of ballet body positions and other terminology. Adults experimenting with pirouette tricks in independent class time. These are all ways that “play” can contribute to ballet pedagogy.  Play-based approaches can encourage experimentation, engagement, and self-discovery—and not just for the youngest dancers. Here are some reasons why you might consider incorporating play into your ballet classroom, as well as some ways to get started.   Why Use Play in Ballet?  Deborah Damast, clinical associate professor and director of dance education at New York University’s Steinhardt School […]

Radhikaraje Gaekwad of the erstwhile royal family of Vadodara, who is an advocate for women’s rights and the LGBTQ+ community, has turned Gujarat’s sacred dance into a celebration of inclusivity.   

DTH School Director Tai Jimenez. Photo by Nir Arieli, courtey DTH. Tai Jimenez, born and raised in Queens, New York, began her ballet training with Joan Millen Mesh. She went on to study at the School of American Ballet for four years before joining Dance Theatre of Harlem at age 17. Jimenez was a principal ballerina with DTH for 12 years before joining Boston Ballet as a principal and performing as a guest artist with New York City Ballet and on Broadway. She went on to teach at The Boston Conservatory and Harvard University before being invited to take the […]