A Dancer’s Musician: Christopher Ferris

Two years ago, I tweeted about and backed a Kickstarter project by Christopher Ferris. Ferris, an artist, composer and performer with a gift for improvisation, works with the Evergreen City Ballet school and training company as an accompanist. I absolutely adore Christopher’s story on his first experience playing for a ballet class –  it was part of the first promotion video about the project here. Ferris became in time a dancer’s musician, able to create just the right mood and perfect tempo for every step and moment.

Working with dancers eventually inspired Ferris to create his own class album, and during the funding push he made some nifty videos where he thanked his backers to his own live music. It was just delightful to hear my own name. Sadly, the project did not reach its goal – but Ferris didn’t let that stop him. Like the true artist he is, Ferris doubled down his commitment to his work.

Today, Christopher publishes this inaugural album, Music for Ballet Class: Syncopé, available utterly for free to listen to here, or for purchase on CD or MP3 files. This body of work represents an enormous effort by the artist, the team at Lake Union Recording, photographer Tim Aguero, designer Ryan Obermeier, and the artistic staff of Evergreen City Ballet, including two former principal dancers with Pacific Northwest Ballet. Plus, it’s beautifully played on a spectacular concert grand piano.

It’s beyond generous for this music to be available free of charge to listen to. Check out the album, and if you like it – for gosh sake’s support the arts and these artists by ponying up for the CD, MP3, or iTunes version!

Congratulations to Christopher and all the artists involved in the making of this beautiful ballet class album. May you inspire dancers and dance teachers around the world.

Dancewear en l’air: K.D. Dance Gets a Reboot

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IMG_2252_876701f3-08ae-4c01-bbf9-fb39800d3b1e_grandeK.D. Dance sweaters and roll-down tights were all the rage for dancers in the 90s, but over the years lost the market to bigger names like Bloch and sports brands like UnderArmour. Now they’re back for your consideration with a reboot and a new website.

K.D. remains focused on  craftsmanship, materials, and name-dropping (the first item I clicked on referenced its use in a recent Beyonce photoshoot), but returns with new photography and more of an American Apparel-y type feel. Their new product line is also much more streamlined and focused on particular colors, versus the formerly broad list of endlessly similar pieces available in countless hues that used to take forever to sift through. Is this a better strategy for the dancewear maker? Only time will tell.

K.D. Dance products are made to order, so if you buy from their site you are looking at some wait time, similar to Eleve. If you’ve never purchased a K.D. Dance product, you really can’t go wrong with the 03 sweater, a classic piece that’s an absolute compliment machine.

Ballet in Film: Ballerinatips

RachelSilvermanI’d love to introduce you guys today to a youtube channel called Ballerinatips by young dancer Rachel Silverman. Follow Rachel as she shares her experience and takes you into her world of being a serious dance student.

Videos on Rachel’s channel cover everything from what’s in my dance to how to make a great ballet bun, audition vlogs, and of course there is a Yumiko collection video! For those of you preparing for an SI this summer, you’ll particularly enjoy Rachel’s video on how to pack for a summer intensive. There are also a bunch of fun videos of Rachel and her friends in class and rehearsal with, of course, some tips on what they have learned.

Check out Rachel’s channel, and maybe you’ll be inspired to create your own ballet youtube vlog for me to feature one day!

Ballet in Print: Raising the Barre

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RaisingtheBarreAnyone who knows me knows that it doesn’t take much for me to quickly have my fill of all things Nutcracker. So I couldn’t have been more surprised than to absolutely love Raising the Barre: Big Dreams, False Starts, and My Midlife Quest to Dance the Nutcracker, chronicling the author’s crusade to dance with a professional company in Nut after being deterred from the profession years ago as a child (by a teacher who’s name most of you will recognize.) Lauren Kessler is a fabulous writer, and on this journey she takes every advantage of the humor and drama that come along with her goal.

What makes this book so great a read for a dancer in training for the profession – aside from the very funny and thoughtful philosophies she points out about what we do – is the candid and fascinating insight into the mind of a ballet fan. Balletomane is an out of fashion word, but it absolutely applies to Kessler and the many devotees that consistently support the art – your future fan base, if there is to be one for ballet. And to learn how they view dancers, the ballet, dance companies, and what dancers are is nothing short of invaluable for someone who does or hopes to one day create that art. Her love and passion for understanding how and what professional dancers’ do what they do leaps off the page.

Raising the Barre is just the right prescription whether you’re burned out from performance (especially Nutcracker!) or just need some new fresh motivation to tackle your never-ending classes. This is actually one of the most interesting and entertaining books I’ve read about the ballet world, and I have definitely read way too many. Pretty surprising that it was written by someone from outside of the ballet world, though she’s certainly in it now!

Let’s Save Pacific Northwest Ballet School

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Edit: There’s limited further information on this situation, for those of you who have asked, however the main location is safe. It is the eastside location that is in peril.

As any dance enthusiast knows, Pacific Northwest Ballet School is one of the finest ballet schools in the United States and home to one of the best ballet companies in the world. Sadly, they are about to lose their Bellevue studio location. Sign this petition to save PNBS from being torn down without getting enough funding in return to rebuild.

If you’ve never seen PNBS, it’s a dancer’s dream, maybe only rivaled in the states by the Boston Ballet facilities. Below is a picture of the main campus from my visit last fall.

This is not just a Seattle ballet school, this is a ballet school that is beloved around the country and respected around the world. Please, take time to tweet, share, and post this call to action so we can all give PNBS a fighting chance to stay alive in the neighborhood they’ve been part of for 30 years.

PNBS

Get a Job! Model for Discount Dance Supply

Rachelle Di Stasio ABT Luis Pons

Rachelle Di Stasio, ABT, Credit: Luis Pons Photography

How about glossing the pages of the most popular dancewear site and catalog in the new year? Discount Dance is looking for camera-ready experienced or professional dancers for the new fall line and the costume collection in sizes Small Child through Small Adult. Apply online with three photos and your basic info to be considered.

Models for DDS have included many professional dancers and countless student talents. Photos appear online, in print and in digital form on the app version of the catalog as well. You couldn’t ask for a more thorough variety of exposure. Now go take some pics and apply – take a chance on yourself!

Holiday Wishes & Some News

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SnowMerry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year to you all! Sad news however, I won’t be able to publish a 2016 summer intensives list this year. This decision has been weighing on me heavily, but there are a number of reasons that it no longer makes sense to continue this annual project. I know that many of you rely on this and will be very disappointed. If it becomes more feasible to reboot the series in the future, I will definitely do so.

Thank you to all my readers for being part of the BalletScoop community! Merde to all for upcoming auditions and Nutcrackers!

Ballet in Film: Bolshoi Babylon

Bolshoi_Babylon“Where the real drama happens offstage,” claims the trailer for Bolshoi Babylon, an understated but high-drama documentary about the present-day scandal and politics of the Bolshoi Ballet.

Indeed, while considered the foremost ballet company in the world by many, the Bolshoi’s dysfunctions were publicly and violently exposed by a shocking physical attack on its Artistic Director in its very recent past. In the film, backstage intrigues and the distressed commentary of dancers reflecting on those events are buttressed by flawless, glittering performances by those same artists. It seems that the height of all that is best about ballet and art intersects sometimes with its extreme opposite, and Bolshoi Babylon capitalizes on this with a stylistic presentation of the story as a fascinating metaphor for that dichotomy.

Bolshoi Babylon is premieres this Monday, December 21, 2015, on HBO exclusively.

Blisster.com for Performers

summerglauAnother great resource for you lucky Australian dancers out there, and a great blog to add to your list where ever you are, Blisster.com is a online dancewear and costume retailer and blog that covers a variety of aspects of dance life, including great stage makeup and who in the acting world has also studied ballet.

Blisster tends to have more children’s styles than most other dance retailers. (So parents out there it’s a great place to look for cute options for your tween and younger dancers.) They also offer a free sizing service to all customers, which is rather unique, and an industry program for schools. Get $10 off your first $60+ order when you sign up for emails, and go beef up that holiday wishlist with styles that will make you feel like you’ve stepped out of a music box.

UPDATE: I typo’d that url link yesterday! So if you tried it and it was broken, that’s on me. Apologies and click through today to check it out!

2016 Summer Dance Intensives Update

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Students of Ellison Ballet

Ellison Ballet SI 2012

I know you’re all waiting with bated breath for the annual list of summer intensives. While unfortunately the vast majority of programs that I typically include have not yet updated their 2016 information, the major top programs in the US have. So I thought I’d get those up here for your reference now.

Once most of the other programs have their houses in order, I’ll post the usual mega-spreadsheet with details like ages and dates. For now, in no particular order (and please don’t try reading into who I’ve included and excluded, though I know you guys love to do that!), here are the top US programs who have posted their 2016 main summer program details:

School of American Ballet (NT)

American Ballet Theatre (NY+)

Bolshoi Ballet (NY/CT)

Pacific Northwest Ballet (WA)

San Francisco Ballet (CA)

Ellison Ballet (NY)

Boston Ballet (MA)

Houston Ballet (TX)

French Academie (NY)

Kirov Academy (DC)

The Rock School (PA)

Let me know if this is helpful either in direct message or down below in the comments. Remember there are plenty of resources here on BalletScoop (starting here) to help you decide where to spend your time auditioning and how to find the best training for your needs. Merde to all!

Dancewear en l’air: To-Die-For Diadems

HBA_Lavander_Arrow_V2__31971.1416368440.107.123Rotation Dancewear offers a variety of lovely dance products, but the standout is their collection of stunning professional diadems. From Gamzatti to Grand Pas Classique and Santanella to Snow Queen, this collection covers a variety of essential costume headpieces for classic female roles.

Browsing through, it was impossible to pick a favorite – each style is exquisitely designed and evokes the perfect tone for its intended character. Whether you’re looking to bring a new costume creation to life, refresh an existing costume, or start a collection of beautiful pieces to have at the ready, Rotation’s professional-quality diadem collection is an ideal first stop for tiara shopping.

Ballet in Print: The Ballet Lover’s Companion

The Ballet Lover’s CompanionThe Ballet Lover's Companion by Zoe Anderson is a must-have book for any aspiring dancer. Including a brief but thoughtfully curated history to begin each chapter, it includes summaries of numerous influential ballets of each period, some still famous and some long forgotten. This may be the most valuable record of ballets ever published.

Publisher Yale University Press describes the book as having, “a wealth of facts and insights, including information familiar only to dance world insiders” (ballet geeks, get excited!) and boasts that it “considers such recent works as Alexei Ratmansky’s Shostakovich Trilogy and Christopher Wheeldon’s The Winter’s Tale as well as older ballets once forgotten but now returned to the repertory, such as Sylvia.”  Indeed its record of important new choreographers is just as remarkable as it’s coverage of history’s best and brightest. I was thrilled to see this breadth of coverage.

This book makes a fabulous gift for a dance teacher, colleague or as a treat for yourself! If you love ballet, this aptly named book will certainly become one of your treasures.

Ballet Gifts You’ve Been Waiting For!

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BP.GlassMagnetsTired of the poor designs and cheap feel of the usual “ballet gifts”? Thank you B Plus Printworks for filling the void in adorable and well-designed ballet items we’ve wanted to see for so long. B Plus has an amazing array of beautifully designed gifts for dancers or dance enthusiast with a lovely look and feel.

Among the art in the collections used on items is the highly sought and limitedly available Ballet Papier, which has been impossible to get in the US before. Congrats to both on the new partnership. I was so happy to see these designs available, which have been super popular overseas in Asia and Europe. B Plus, keep it coming. Now we all have even more to look forward to this holiday season!

Misty Copeland & Lauren Anderson Reminisce

It’s always a pleasure to see to two great ballerinas of our time talking about their journey to the stage, but even more so when that journey represents a historical shift in national attitudes about race and art. Enjoy this brief look at the recent Houston interview of Misty Copeland and Lauren Anderson as they offer heartfelt insights to the struggles that diverse dancers face and how they have gracefully handled the challenges life has presented.

I was very fortunate to spend some brief time with the lovely Lauren Anderson last year, so I am particularly thrilled that her stellar career is being remembered in the process of Misty’s celebrations. But I can’t wait for the day when diversity in the performing arts world is so normal that it’s not even newsworthy.