If you don’t love these sweet morsels about famous dancers and the history of dance, I’ll eat my pointe shoes! Share these bits of trivia with your friends or students.
History of Dance
How Ballet Found Its Way into the Hearts of Texans
Ballet is as big as everything else in Texas, the Lone Star State known for guns, oil, and cowboys. That’s right y’all, find out what a broken down bus of Russian dancers has to do with the rich ballet history in the state’s three big cities, Houston, Dallas, and Austin, and which college created the first ballet major program in the U.S.
The Sci-Fi Origins of the Nutcracker’s Snow Scene
What’s the connection between The Nutcracker and Jules Verne’s “From the Earth to the Moon?” Here’s a hint: the Snow Scene has a rich history that may surprise you. Discover some fascinating trivia in this guest contribution.
Documenting Dance History: Two DVD Musts For Your Collection
A brief look at two documentary films that will inspire and educate your dance students. Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance and Never Stand Still: Dancing at Jacob’s Pillow are engaging, informative, essential for any dance program library, and readily available to anyone who is a fan of dance.
The History of The Royal Ballet School at a Glance
A brief overview of the history and founding of The Royal Ballet School, as established by Ninette de Valois during the early 20th century, as well as information on a new lecture series that examines the French, Italian, Danish and Russian Schools, and how they influenced the development of the English School method of training.
Hitting the Books: Two Valuable Reads from Oxford University Press
Every so often, I meet a student who seems older than their years with interests far more sophisticated than those of their peers. Despite their young age- middle school, high school, early college- their understanding of the world and their desire to see the big pictures leaves an impression and sets a tone. For these […]
