Jennifer Stahl's blog

Injuries can be devastating to a dancer. How do you survive when you can't perform or even take class?

The Dancers' Resource, part of The Actor's Fund in New York City, is offering a support group for injured dancers. The eight week program, led by The Dancers' Resource social worker, offers a space for professionals to confidentially discuss the emotional issues that accompany an injury. 

Dates: Tuesdays, January 11 to March 1

Times: 2:00 to 3:30 pm

Location: The Actors Fund, 729 Seventh Avenue, 11th Floor

Each year, the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts invites the country's most talented high school seniors to Miami for YoungArts Week for master classes, interdisciplinary workshops, performances and more. Out of the 5164 applicants, this year's 148 finalists were just named, and they include ballet students Jaimi Cullen, Cassandra Trenary and Alexandra Koszeghy.

Get ready for the new year by giving your computer or phone a ballet makeover. Following their successful "Moving Movements" campaign throughout Germany, Hamburg Ballet is offering free wallpapers and screensavers of images of their dancers. Download your favorites for free at http://www.hamburgballett.de/e/desktop.htm

For all of the endless groaning that goes on backstage during Nutcracker season, the holiday warhorse brings many benefits for the ballet world. Aside from the influx of revenue for companies and opportunities for dancers, Nutcracker also often gives audiences a chance to see top-notch guest artists from all over the world. Here are just a few of the exciting guests scheduled to perform this December—leave others you know about in the comments.

As an editor at Pointe, sometimes I feel like a kid in a candy store. I'm constantly surrounded by all things ballet, I'm able to see some of the best performances and I get to meet many of the dancers and artists I idolized when I was growing up. I know that I am one incredibly lucky bunhead. So as I stuff my face with turkey and pumpkin pie tomorrow, here are a few of the top ballet-related things I will be thankful for.

Congratulations to the winners of the Genee International Ballet Competition! Francesca Hayward, 18, and Sean Bates, 18, both of the Royal Ballet School, were awarded silver medals. Orazio Di Bella, 19, of the Elmhurst School of Dance, Lachlan Monaghan, 17, and Tierney Heap, 17, of the Royal Ballet School won bronze medals.

Got the choreography bug? The Young Choreographer's Festival in New York City is now accepting applications for their June 2011 performance. For the second year in a row, this program presents work by up-and-coming young artists of all dance genres. Any budding choreographer ages 18 to 25 is invited to submit their work to be performed at Symphony Space alongside prestigious guest artists. The advisory board includes esteemed teachers and choreographers such as Kat Wildish, Sheila Barker, Tabitha and Napoleon D'Umo, and others.

I have an odd confession to make: I enjoy watching dancers who have bad feet. And I don't just mean that I can appreciate good dancers in spite of their stereotypically "bad" ballet feet. I actually like their lack of instep and/or little arch.