Ballet wouldn’t be the art form it is today without its long history of incredible teachers. And while many training methods have proven themselves successful over the years, the man who trained some of the greatest dancers of all time—including Anna Pavlova, Tamara Karsavina, and Vaslav Nijinsky—was clearly doing something right.  The Man Enrico Cecchetti (1850–1928) was born in Italy to two dancers in a theater dressing room. He made his stage debut while still a baby in his father’s arms, grew up to be one of the most celebrated male dancers of his time, was the ballet master of […]

The dancer, recipient of the Best Original Choreographer Award (2018) by Broadway World for the Mughal-e-Azam, premeries her work ‘Bhakti- A Shared Longing’ on June 13

I’ve never known a version of myself without dance. I was born and raised in the immersive environment of a dance school for bharatanatyam (a form of Indian classical dance) that my parents founded in Los Angeles before I was born. My mother, Viji Prakash, was my first dance teacher, a passionate performer, and my inspiration. Since I can remember, the world of dance has felt magical and filled me with wonderment. While the music and rhythm inspire me to move, it is the stories that breathe life. From childhood, the colorful body of myth that surrounds bharatanatyam was the […]

At the University of Iowa, Eloy Barragán, associate professor of ballet technique, choreography, partnering, and pointe, and the university’s director of dance production, works with dancers at pivotal stages in their careers. As budding artists, it’s their time not just to learn and mimic steps, but to interpret and infuse them with emotion. “ It has to be this way. It’s more like collaboration, like conversations,” he says of working with university dancers. “How will you move in this phrase? How will you make it your own?” On top of personal artistic development, Barragán says that today’s young dancers face a […]

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Leela Sukar’s Krishna Karnamritam inspired the duo to come up with this thematic production.

It may be summer vacation, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re taking a break from your teaching responsibilities. Whether you’re in the studio daily as part of a summer intensive or you’re enjoying some well-deserved time off but want to look ahead to next season’s classes and performances, Dance Teacher has you covered.  This month, we’ll be posting a lesson plan from University of Iowa associate professor Eloy Barragán that includes a contemporary partnered phrase; a hip-hop playlist from Tiffany Bong, an assistant professor at the University of Southern California; and a deep-dive into how teachers and directors can take […]

Following a two-year hiatus, Springboard Danse’s signature summer program is springing back into action. Formerly based in Montreal, Springboard’s Summer Project is now ensconced at Pittsburgh’s Point Park University, with which Springboard has begun a five-year partnership. The inaugural U.S. edition runs May 25–June 13 at Point Park’s downtown campus. Springboard Danse’s objective is to directly connect professional-track contemporary dancers with companies and choreographers. During the three-week Summer Project, its primary initiative, dancers are assigned to work with specific choreographers. The 120 dancers selected for this year’s edition will be cast with one of the 10 participating prin­cipal companies—including Kidd Pivot, Kyle […]

The postapocalyptic news footage from California at the start of the year seemed like something from a movie: 14 wildfires raged from January 7 to 31 in Los Angeles and San Diego counties. The fires caused at least 30 deaths and more than 200,000 evacuations, ultimately destroying 18,000 homes and businesses. The Eaton Fire caused so much water, smoke, and mold damage at Unbound Dance Studio in Altadena that the landlord prorated and refunded January’s rent along with the security deposit, releasing Betsy Uhler Colombo from her lease. She had started the studio in 2018 with 17 students and had […]

The dancer explored classic compositions with powerful imagery and emotions