Go inside the book Pippa By Design: A Story of Ballet and Costumes, where ballet history comes alive within the context of an engaging children’s story, and learn more in our bonus interview with author Claudia Logan.
ballet history
5 Ballets That Will (Happily) Break Your Heart
Ballet enthusiasts love a good tragedy. Here we describe five of our favorite heartbreaking love stories and why we love them.
Alla Osipenko: The life of a Kirov ballerina
Alla Osipenko was one of the great Russian ballerinas. Her name calls to mind Soviet dancer defections, the KGB and the Cold War. Learn more about her in this review of Joel Lobentnal’s enthralling biography on this unique figure in dance.
Sugar Plum Fairy Exposé: Dissolving The Sugar Coating
The Nutcracker’s Sugar Plum Fairy wasn’t in the original story so where does she come from? Does the Sugar Plum pas de deux contain a hidden homage to Tchaikovsky’s sister? What was the original name of Plum’s prince? Why did the first Sugar Plum Fairy add an extra solo for herself? We have the answers!
“Rebel on Pointe”: an independent spirit in a traditional world
Lee Wilson’s memoir places the American dance scene in historical context. Through this book review and interview, we learn that in some ways, women may have less power in the ballet world than in the 1960’s, and that the world is a far larger place than most Americans imagine.
Misty Copeland and Lauren Anderson Share The Stage In Houston
25 years before Misty Copeland became ABT’s first African-American principal ballet dancer, Lauren Anderson was the first “brown girl” to be made principal at Houston Ballet. In a special Houston event, the pair came together to answer questions about their lives as dancers and the challenges of being black ballerinas in a still, traditionally white art form.
