Jennifer Stahl's blog

Remember how awesome pop-up books were as a kid? With each turn of the page, there was something new to pull out, to twist open, to discover.

Well, we've basically created a pop-up Pointe magazine—on your iPad. Throughout our digital edition you'll uncover extra photos, bonus videos and exclusive giveaways. Read about your favorite dancers and watch them perform all in the same place.

Good news for the ballet world: The Joffrey just added three new dancers to its roster for the 2012-13 season, bringing its total number of company members up to 45. South Carolina native Cara Marie Gary joins after dancing with ABT II and as an apprentice with Orlando Ballet, Guillaume Basso comes from Houston Ballet II and Yoshihisa Arai previously danced as a demi-soloist with Tulsa Ballet.

Foam rollers are one of the most ubiquitous props in the dance studio. And for good reason—ballet creates some serious knots in the muscles!

I could spend days at a time watching old videos of Gelsey Kirkland. That lyricism! That lightness! She moves the way I dream of dancing in my most fantastical fantasies.

Ever wonder what it would be like to take a Pilates class from Joe himself? Grueling. In 1962, Sports Illustrated took readers inside the Joseph H. Pilates Universal Gymnasium, and captured a great portrait of the exercise icon:

     "Where are you going—like an elephant?"

     "Oh, Joe," wails a ballerina, "now you're calling me an elephant."

The CW series Breaking Pointe has thrust Ballet West into the national spotlight. One of the show's most compelling characters, Allison DeBona, chatted with Pointe about what it's like to have her personal life and career exposed in front of a million people. 

What was the filming like?

Now that we've seen the first two episodes of The CW's Breaking Pointe, I'm left feeling like the producers are missing the point. So far, at least.

The show tries so hard to be dramatic. Which is understandable. They have to sell this to a mainstream TV audience. From the shadowy opening dance shots, to the voiceovers of Allison DeBona talking about how ruthless the competition is and Adam Sklute's comments about the expendability of dancers, everything bangs us over the head with "drama."

Pennsylvania Ballet's new school is holding a second audition next weekend. The training program is set to kick off in the fall with 120 students. Dancers will learn a technique based in Balanchine, with a heavy emphasis on artistry and performance quality. They'll also have opportunities to perform with the company. The school just announed that current company member Laura Bowman and former principal Martha Chamberlain will join its faculty. Guest faculty will include current principal dancers Amy Aldridge and Zachary Hench and former principals Alexei Borovik and Alexander Iziliaev.

The Australian Ballet makes a rare visit to the U.S. next week. As part of its 50th anniversary season, the company is presenting a series of performances at New York City's Lincoln Center.