The Corps de Ballet News

Legendary dancer and fellow Fosse aficionado, Chita Rivera, reacted to the news of Ann Reinking's passing.

BroadwayWorld is saddened to report that Broadway legend Ann Reinking has passed away. She was 71 years old.

If your spirits could use an extra little lift, and frankly whose couldn’t these days(?!), San Francisco Ballet’s Nutcracker Online may be just the tonic you need. In this most unsettling of holiday seasons when so many of us are feeling a bit unmoored and longing in vain for the festivities of years gone by, it is like a breath of fresh air to be able to reconnect with a cherished holiday tradition and perhaps even experience it in a new way. While in-person performances remain on hold, San Francisco Ballet (SFB) has made its Nutcracker Online available for streaming through December 31st. The presentation consists largely of a beautifully-produced video of its popular annual production from 2007, plus some added bells and whistles to make the experience more interactive and appeal to a wide variety of ages and differing levels of knowledge of classical ballet. Kids of all ages can enjoy learning some of the dance moves, and many folks may be surprised to learn about SFB’s extensive history with this ballet, dating all the way back to Christmas Eve 1944 when SFB presented the first full-length Nutcracker ever performed in the U.S.

Rising ballet dancer and choreographer Gabe Stone Shayer has been selected by an independent committee to receive the Levinson Arts Achievement Award, a $50,000 grant made possible by Robert A. Levinson and Patricia S. Levinson through their fund in The New York Community Trust.

“It gives me tremendous pleasure to be able to promote three dancers in our company this evening.”

I had been vividly envisioning my return to live theatre for seven months before attending Staatsballett Berlin’s performance of Giselle. However one scenario I had not accounted for was that my first show back, would also be the last for a while, as Germany is plunged into another “lockdown light” in just a few days.

In a new collaboration, American Ballet Theatre partners with CHANEL to launch Pas de Deux, a limited documentary series exploring the intersection of dance and other diverse art forms. The series premieres Thursday, October 29, 2020 at 7:00PM EDT on American Ballet Theatre's YouTube channel and IGTV.

New York City Ballet today announced that it will be unable to perform at the David H. Koch Theater during the winter and spring of 2021 due to continuing health concerns and mandatory New York State and New York City regulations prohibiting large-scale, live indoor gatherings which are required for both NYCB's rehearsals and performances.

The Royal Ballet returned to the stage for the first time in seven months on Friday night. Yes, I could contextualise about how this was bitter sweet and dampened by social distancing but, the dance was too stupendous to give any time to that so let's not and just marvel about how wonderful it was to see them again. 

American Ballet Theatre has appointed ABT dancer Jose Sebastian as the new director of ABT Incubator, ABT's annual choreographic workshop. Sebastian succeeds ABT Principal Dancer David Hallberg, who has led ABT Incubator since its inception in 2010.

Houston Ballet announces Principal Dancer Ian Casady's retirement and his new position as Ballet Master for its professional company. Casady concludes a rich 22-year career as a performer and assumes his new role in Houston Ballet's reimagined 2020-2021 season, generously supported by Houston Methodist Hospital.

Boston Ballet School (BBS) Director Margaret Tracey announces reopening plans for students. In-studio and virtual Children's Program classes will begin today and Classical Ballet Program classes on October 1.

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the 2020/21 season roster which features 62 dancers and 12 RBC Apprentices.

Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen has announced the 2020-2021 season roster. A total of 60 dancers make up the Company roster, with 52 in the main company and 8 in Boston Ballet II (BBII), Boston Ballet's second company.

Joo Won Ahn, Aran Bell, Skylar Brandt, Thomas Forster, Calvin Royal III and Cassandra Trenary have been appointed to the rank of Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre. Gabe Stone Shayer has been promoted to the rank of Soloist. The promotions, announced today by ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie, are effective immediately.

Colorado Ballet welcomes two new Soloists to the company for the 2020/2021 Season.

As the Spanish Flu pandemic gripped the world 102 years ago, Western Australian children's author and cartoonist May Gibbs brought joy to Australia with her tales of two Gumnut babies. Now, with COVID-19 dominating the news, West Australian Ballet prepare to premiere a new adaption Gibbs' iconic story, The Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie.

BETSY McBRIDE, SIMON WEXLER, PAOLA HARTLEY, and KAREN SCALZITTI-KENNEDY will be members of the guest faculty for the Shreveport Dance Academy's Summer Intensive in Shreveport, Louisiana. Ms. McBride and Mr. Wexler will be teaching from July 27-31, 2020, and Ms.  Hartley and Ms. Scalzitti-Kennedy will be teaching from August 3-7, 2020.

The Joyce Theater Foundation will host three Dancing Dialogues, live virtual panel discussion with prominent dance makers and artists including Ronald K. Brown, Patricia Delgado, Virginia Johnson, and Francesca Harper, on Monday nights from July 20 - August 10.

News from Pacific Northwest Ballet