“Ballet” and “competition” - the words seem to be antithetical, incompatible. How can you objectively judge art? In a competition between...

The first three months of the year can mean only one thing for ballet students: auditions for Summer Intensives and ballet companies. ...

On this Valentine’s Day, I want to talk about the one relationship that you’re guaranteed to be in the rest of your life: your...

Every January, well-intentioned non-dancer friends high-five me and say, “Hey! Nutcracker season is over! You finally get to rest!” I...

If you’re a dancer, chances are your Nutcracker life is up and running - and running - and running. Thanksgiving’s just a blip on the...

I know, I know - everyone’s still sipping their Pumpkin Spice Lattes and grumbling about Nutcracker rehearsals. Summer is soooooo far...

Last year one of my dancers understudied a role for the first time. She went through every emotion on the spectrum: elation at being in...

Hi everyone - May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, and as many of you know, I'm a big fan of taking care of the dancer's mental...

“I’m exhausted from ten straight days of rehearsal, but I could probably survive one more class. I should do it - I don’t want the...

Summer intensive auditions are waiting in the wings, impatiently watching as we say goodbye to 2017 and turn our noses reluctantly back...

In The Red Shoes , an anguished dancer is caught between her controlling director - her art - and her boyfriend - her “real” life. In the...

Last year I made holiday shopping a bit easier for your loved ones, writing up a list of items most dancers would love to find in their...

Today I've got Karin Hosenfeld writing for me - a nutritionist who's worked with the Olympic gymnastics team, professional hockey...

You stand in front of a mirror with a hairbrush, practicing your Nobel Peace Prize/Tony/Dance Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award...

Am I an artist or an athlete? It’s a question that constantly plagues dancers. The artistry required to transport an audience to another...

It’s a phrase you can hardly avoid these days - “cross-training”. You hear it from friends, as in, “I need to up my cross-training before...

I don’t follow racing much, but pit crews have always fascinated me: the idea of an entire team of people waiting breathlessly, with...

So I’m not a doctor. I know waaay less than they do. At the same time, I know a lot more than the average dancer, having studied dance...

Dancing away from your home base: it’s exhilarating, exciting, and fraught with uncertainty. Will the stage be too hard? Will there be...

The curtain comes down. You race back to your dressing room, adrenaline still pumping. You untie your pointe shoes, hang up your tutu,...