Shortly after Adam McKinney took the helm at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in 2023, he promoted Grace Rookstool from the corps de ballet to soloist. The following season, he cast her as both the Sugar Plum Fairy and a stepsister up to mischievous antics in Cinderella. During PBT’s most recent season, McKinney says, he was certain she’d “perform a sumptuous ‘Emeralds.’ ” Rookstool also embodied Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, ending the run with an onstage promotion to principal.  She tackled this range of parts “so beautifully and with such hungry humility,” he says. “Being able to provide varied opportunities to […]

Touch can be an effective teaching, directing, and choreographic tool—when dancers’ boundaries and agency are taken into consideration. As a dance educator, where and how do you begin to cultivate a respectful environment in the studio? Find out in our next DT+ Teacher Talk, “Consent Practices in Dance Education,” on Thursday, July 17, at 12 pm EDT.  This live hour-long Zoom discussion will feature guest speakers Elaine DiFalco Daugherty, assistant theater professor at Central Michigan University, and Heather Trommer-Beardslee, associate dance professor at CMU—co-authors of the book Consent Practices in Performing Arts Education (Intellect Books, 2024)—in conversation with Pointe’s editor […]

Touch is a hot topic in the dance classroom. It can be an effective teaching, directing, and choreographic tool—when dancers’ boundaries and agency are taken into consideration. As a dance educator, where and how do you begin to cultivate a respectful environment in the studio? Join our next DT+ Teacher Talk, “Consent Practices in Dance Education,” on Thursday, July 17, at 12 pm EDT, for a thoughtful deep-dive into how to ensure students’ safety and comfort when it comes to touch in the classroom. This live hour-long Zoom discussion will feature guest speakers Elaine DiFalco Daugherty, assistant theater professor at […]

The dancer’s recital, a part of Natyarangam monthly series, was marked by neat footwork and composed expression.

Bharatanatyam dancer and vocalist Smitha Madhav to stage ‘Sirikakolanu Chinnadi’, Veturi Sundara Ramamurthy’s 1969 radio musical, in Hyderabad

When studio owner Tia Noakes switched to Class Manager’s class-management software in March, she knew all too well the struggles of running a dance business on your own.  “I’d had enough of chasing people for payments or sending emails to 100 different people about 100 different things,” she says.  View and manage class schedules with ease. Courtesy Class Manager. Grow Your Business (and Have More Time to Teach) Today, Class Manager’s class management software helps Noakes organize her billing, class scheduling, and communication all in one place. Its easy-to-use, intuitive interface is designed specifically for dance studio owners so they can spend […]

Most dance teachers launch their careers as adults. For many, it is the logical next step after a performance career or receiving a college education. Jamey Leverett, artistic director of The Timothy M. Draper Center for Dance Education in Rochester, New York, is a different breed: She became a dance educator well before graduating high school.  Courtesy of Jamey Leverett. As a young student in Rochester, Leverett quickly proved she had a keen eye for quality instruction. At only 14 years old, she advocated for herself by convincing her mother to let her leave the school her mother built to […]

To Aidan Carberry, choreographing is not just his livelihood, but a game to be played and a puzzle to be solved. Growing up in Los Angeles, Carberry trained at Debbie Allen School of Dance before continuing at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. Breaking his leg junior year led him to explore movement in new ways, helping him develop his unique style. In 2015, he was accepted into the inaugural class of the University of Southern California’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. After graduating in 2019, Carberry co-founded JA Collective with his classmate Jordan Johnson. Together, they’ve […]