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James Whiteside and Isabella Boylston Want You to Help Them Set a Guinness World Record

Nisian Hughes, Courtesy Kimberly Giannelli PR

ABT besties Isabella Boylston and James Whiteside have a dream: To get the most dancers ever to go on pointe at the same time.

The pair, who go by the joint nickname "The Cindies," have teamed up with the morning talk show "Live with Kelly and Ryan" to try to dance into the record books on live TV. They're inviting anyone who can dance on pointe to join them outside the "Live" studio in New York City on Tuesday, September 10.

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There's a New Prosthesis Designed for Dancing on Pointe

Simulations of An's "Marie . T" prosthetic design, via jaehyunan.com

There's a new tool that lets amputee ballet dancers perform on pointe. As reported in Dezeen, an architecture and design magazine, industrial designer Jae-Hyun An has created a prosthesis he calls the"Marie . T" (after Marie Taglioni, of course) that allows dancers with below-the-knee amputations to do pointe work.

A carbon fiber calf absorbs shock while a stainless steel toe and rubber platform allow a dancer to both turn and grip the floor to maintain balance. What it doesn't allow the dancer to do? Roll down to demi-pointe or flat.

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Onstage This Week: NYCB in Copenhagen, Houston Ballet at Jacob's Pillow, Boston Ballet at Tanglewood and More!

Boston Ballet is bringing Jerome Robbins' Fancy Free to the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, MA. Photo by Gene Shiavone, Courtesy Boston Ballet.

Wonder what's going on in ballet this week? We've pulled together some highlights.


Houston Ballet Brings a World Premiere to Jacob's Pillow

August 15-18, for the first time in almost four decades, Houston Ballet is appearing at Jacob's Pillow, the famous summer dance festival in Becket, MA. Headlining the program is Just, a world premiere commissioned by the Pillow and choreographed by HB artistic director Stanton Welch, set to music by contemporary composer David Lang. Also from Welch are Clear, an abstract piece for seven men and seven women, and excerpts from Sons de L'ame, with music by Chopin. The company will also perform In Dreams, choreographed by former Pillow choreographic associate Trey McIntyre.

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This New Web Doc on Dance Photographer Omar Z Robles Will Give You Serious Instagram #Inspo

A scene from "Pointe of Focus." Photo Courtesy SmugMug Films.

Chances are, you've seen (and "liked") photographer Omar Z Robles' beautiful shots of ballet dancers on social media. Rather than clean and tidy studio photos, his work captures dancers ("the ultimate subject," he says) outside and all over the world, often on vibrant city streets. In Pointe of Focus, a short web documentary from SmugMug Films, director Anton Lorimer goes behind the scenes with Robles during a recent trip to Rio de Janeiro. The doc follows the photographer as he scouts locations in Rio's historical districts and favelas, and directs local Brazilian dancers through the shoot. And these ballerinas are troopers, leaping over concrete, turning over cobblestones or balancing in rain-soaked pointe shoes to achieve the perfect shot.

"Putting them in an environment that's familiar, I think it strips away the barrier that comes with a studio or stage, and really shows how exceptional they are," Robles says about shooting dancers in public spaces. Learn more about this in-demand dance photographer in the nine-minute film below—you'll be sure to get some major Instagram inspiration!

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Só Dança is Taking Musical Theater to the Next Level

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Looking for your next audition shoe? Shot at and in collaboration with Broadway Dance Center, Só Dança has launched a new collection of shoes working with some pretty famous faces of the musical theater world! Offered in two different styles and either 2.5" or 3" heels, top industry professionals are loving how versatile and supportive these shoes are! Pro tip: The heel is centered under the body so you can feel confident and stable!

Ballet Careers

Missed World Ballet Day? Here's Your Chance to Catch Up!

Members of San Francisco Ballet in company class as part of World Ballet Day LIVE 2017. Photo by Erik Tomasson via San Francisco Ballet on Instagram.

Last Thursday was World Ballet Day LIVE, the official 22-hour live-stream relay showcasing companies across the globe. If you were busy (we know that you don't always have the luxury to spend an entire day watching ballet), don't fret. Many of the companies involved recorded their classes, rehearsals and interviews from the day of, and we rounded them up for you to watch at your leisure. Careful, though; there are more than twenty hours of footage included here... make sure you take a break to, you know, sleep.


First up is San Francisco Ballet with a full five hours, including rehearsal for Balanchine's timeless classic, Serenade.


The Royal Ballet's WBD stream is split into three parts. Here's the first chunk, featuring company rehearsals of a few Sir Kenneth MacMillan ballets as well as Christopher Wheeldon's Alice in Wonderland (a measly two hours and 45 minutes). You can find part 2 here and the full company class here. The video also features a quick aerial tour of London from the balcony of the Royal Opera House.

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Florida Ballet Companies Stand Strong Following Irma

Miami City Ballet prepares for Hurricane Irma. Photo via Twitter.

As Hurricane Irma made its way through the Caribbean last week, Sarasota Ballet principal Ellen Overstreet was closely following the news. Tracking its progress, she made plans with fellow company members Asia Bui and Madysen Felber: "Wednesday was the most stressful day. We went to five different grocery stores. There was no gas; there was no water. Our plan was to stock up one of our apartments and sleep over all together."

By Friday night, however, the storm had shifted west, its radius enveloping Sarasota and prompting many company members (those who hadn't already booked flights out) to evacuate. In a last-minute decision, Overstreet, Bui and Felber packed up a car and drove to Tampa, where they spent the night safely. Yet the storm progressed, and in another night flight they headed for Orlando to stay with Overstreet's friend's family. The central Floridian city saw flooding damage, downed awnings, and power outages like much of the state, but Overstreet says that she was in "a strong house and felt secure" while hunkering down to wait out the storm.

Few things are more terrifying than the prospect of 170+ mile per hour winds literally chasing you upstate. But the anticipation for Irma intensified sharply in Hurricane Harvey's aftermath. Last week, we reported that the Houston Ballet Center for Dance and its home theater sustained serious flooding damage. The company's first program has been postponed, to be performed at a later date in a back-up venue.

We checked in with some of Florida's ballet companies to see how they weathered this most recent storm.

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Pointe Announces New Ownership

Frederic M. Seegal has acquired DanceMedia, a suite of five respected publications (both print and digital) written for and by dancers, including the renowned Dance Magazine, which marks its 90th year of publication in 2017.

Seegal, Vice Chairman of Peter J. Solomon Company, has made his career advising major media, telecom and internet clients. He brings to DanceMedia a seasoned knowledge of and passion for the performing arts, having served as President of American Ballet Theatre’s Board of Trustees, and as trustee for New York City Center, San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Opera. Currently, he is a trustee for Gallim Dance, based in New York.

“I’m very excited about the potential for growth represented by these highly respected publications and the tremendous content they’ve created over the years,” says Seegal. “These magazines have enjoyed exceptional stability during a time when there has been sweeping change in the publishing industry, as they have continued to be the authoritative voice for the entire dance world.”

“The DanceMedia publications deliver the most effective and highly targeted opportunities for the industry—in both print and online,” says Amy Cogan, Senior Vice President & Group Publisher. “Our reach is unsurpassed. This vote of confidence in our properties can only boost their effectiveness as we move into the future.”

In addition to Dance Magazine, which is regarded as the most trusted content in the field of dance, the DanceMedia titles, with a combined reach of more than 2 million, include: Dance Spirit, written for dancers who aspire to “So You Think You Can Dance,” Pointe for students training pre-professionally for careers in ballet, Dance Teacher for studio owners and educators in conservatories, k–12 schools, and on faculty with colleges and universities. Dance Retailer News is the only monthly b2b publication connecting dance manufacturers with storeowners who serve the buying public.

Macfadden Communications Group, which has owned Dance Magazine since 2001 and DanceMedia since its formation in 2006, will continue to provide publishing services for the brand, including digital services, print management, circulation and accounting, according to Carolyn Callahan, President and Chief Operating Officer. “The opportunities presented by this new affiliation assure a solid future for these titles,” Callahan says. “We look forward to a lasting partnership.” No changes in staffing are anticipated.

What's So Great about Pointe's App?

Still undecided whether to get a tablet subscription to Pointe? Our app was just spotlighted on magplus.com in a write-up that highlights how we've used digital features to bring the world of ballet to your fingertips. Whether it's on your iPad, Nook or Android, you'll get everything from bonus photos to audio files of director interviews to great performance footage. Click here to read what the buzz is all about.

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