New company leaders sometimes stake their claims with wide-sweeping changes to programming and rosters. But an “out with the old, in with the new” mentality is hard to execute at a ballet company where the outgoing party is a beloved founding artistic director—one who steered the organization for 44 years.
Ma Cong. Photo by Sarah Ferguson, courtesy Richmond Ballet.
Such is the case at Richmond Ballet, where longtime director Stoner Winslett stepped down this year on July 1. Pointerecently interviewed Winslett about her transition, and she admitted that she had begun the search for the right person to replace her in the early 2000s.
Ma Cong, former Tulsa Ballet dancer and resident choreographer, became that person—but not right away. In an unusual arrangement, Ma was named associate artistic director in 2020, with the intention that he would learn the ropes and be given new responsibilities throughout the four-year period before succeeding Winslett. (The two weathered COVID working side by side.) As Ma himself would describe it, the directorship change has been more of a mentorship process than a “taking over.”
Ahead of the 2024–25 season kicking off this September, Pointe caught up with Ma to discuss his new role.
What has it been like transitioning from associate artistic director to artistic director? It seems like Winslett’s could be big shoes to fill.
I think things can be innovative, fresh, and energized, and have this transformation without losing something. The transition process at Richmond Ballet has been a privilege—to meet every single one of the employees working for this company, to get to know the patrons and trustees and how much dedicated work they have done for the organization, to say thank you. I think that’s important, rather than being thrown into a job right away. So it has been very fulfilling and positive.
And Stoner is not just the outgoing director of the company. She is also a friend. Her mentorship is beyond passing along what she knows about this organization. It’s also passing on her personal integrity and her love and support. I think that’s what I learned the most from Stoner: how much she cares about people. She thinks bigger than herself.
Ma Cong (center) in rehearsal with Richmond Ballet. Photo by Sarah Ferguson, courtesy Richmond Ballet.
How will you build upon Winslett’s vision and make it your own?
Bold, elegant, and diverse. That’s the style, the look, I would love for the company to have. Program-wise, I have always believed that professional dancers deserve to be challenged, to have a wide range from classical ballet to the contemporary. So I want to bring fuller and bigger productions of classical ballet, to challenge our dancers and give our audiences something they haven’t been able to see. For the 2023–24 season, I brought Ben Stevenson’s Dracula, which had never been shown in Richmond. The dancers had to push their classical technique really high to be able to perform this production. And the result was that we sold out all five shows.
I also want to bring in works by many more world-leading choreographers. For example, next year I’m bringing Christopher Wheeldon’s After the Rain. I will do a lot of research and more work in the community here in Richmond to find people who would love to create something beautiful together.
Ma Cong in rehearsal with Richmond Ballet. Photo by Sarah Ferguson, courtesy Richmond Ballet.
Could you speak more about that third word in your vision, “diversity”?
It’s really important for audiences to resonate, to see themselves when our company is presented onstage. It’s also very important for the students—our Minds in Motion students, for example—to find themselves onstage, too. That can give them such encouragement like I had when I was a little boy [seeing Chinese dancers onstage].
You’ve made some very big career moves from China to Tulsa and Tulsa to Richmond Ballet. What have you carried with you from dancing to choreographing to directing?
Life is really a journey! When I was a young dancer, I dreamed of exploring my career as a dancer and also exploring my personal life at the same time. In China, it’s still very hard for artists if you want to be true to yourself. You and I talked a little bit on the phonefor my [2019 Tulsa Ballet premiere] Tchaikovsky: The Man Behind the Music. The reason I took on that project is because the concept of that ballet is almost a line from my own story, as a Chinese man and as a gay man, trying to be brave, to be myself.
The number one thing as artists, I believe, is that we have to be brave. We need to have our voice. I am very passionate about using my voice to create or to bring works that can engage people and make them understand that there are no borderlines. One takeaway I had from working with [the opera director] Julie Taymor in 2017 for [the Broadway production of] M. Butterfly was when she said, “Ma, in any kind of production, just remember, good is good.”
You know, good is good. Bring the good stuff to inspire people. But it has to be good.
One sunny May afternoon 119 years after Doc Brown’s death, a couple dozen people gathered to celebrate the Kansas City dancer who shot to national fame in the 1890s.
Beneath the trees in the segregated part of historic Union Cemetery, away from the large monuments marking the graves of Kansas City’s founding families, a ragtime duo played tunes on the grassy hillside.
Until recently, Brown was buried in an unmarked grave. Now, thanks to donations from fans, a new monument has been unveiled.
“ He was a star here in Kansas City,” Galen Wilkes, a ragtime enthusiast from Los Angeles, read from his notes. “But he was also known throughout Missouri, the Midwest and even to the East Coast.”
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Beneath the trees in historic Union Cemetery, ragtime enthusiast Galen Wilkes, from Los Angeles, speaks during a dedication ceremony in May 2024. Wilkes led an effort to raise money for a headstone for Doc Brown.
William Henry Joseph Cutter Brown, better known as the famous cakewalker Doc Brown, was born into slavery in Arrow Rock, Missouri. After emancipation, he moved to Kansas City and gained wide renown as a performer.
He took his cakewalk to Washington, and won the world championship at Madison Square Garden in 1893. During his lifetime, he was a celebrated dancer and inspired at least one famous song.
“He did probably hundreds of cakewalks over the years, winning many of them,” Wilkes said.
‘He looked kind of like a minstrel’
Brown has also inspired award-winning poet, activist and Kansas City educator Glenn North, becoming an important part of his work and life.
“He’s been following me around for quite a long time now,” North said with a laugh.
North is director of inclusive learning and creative impact at the Kansas City Museum, where a large picture of Brown, painted by Millard C. Haywood in 1896, hangs on a wall.
“It's a Black man dressed in a tuxedo, but he's kind of bent over and he's got his top hat tipped,” North said. “And he's got this really kind of friendly smile.”
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Stefan Schulz, left, and Gaylin Nicholson, of ARTworks of Kansas City Fine Art Services, carefully hang a 1896 painting of William Henry Joseph Cutter Brown, by Kansas City artist Millard C. Haywood, at the Kansas City Museum. The famous performer, better known as Doc Brown, was a champion cakewalker in the late 1800s.
When he first saw it 12 years ago, North wasn’t sure what to think about the painting, or Brown.
“I immediately thought he looked kind of like a minstrel,” North said.
At the time, Kansas City Museum did not have a lot of artifacts on the Black experience in their collection, so North decided to look a little deeper.
He found out Brown was born into slavery around 1835, and owned by Meredith Miles Marmaduke, the eighth governor of Missouri. Brown grew up on the Marmaduke plantation near Arrow Rock, in the “Little Dixie” region along the Missouri River, settled by Southerners before the Civil War.
“He was enslaved there for 30 years,” North said. “But during that time, he had become known as a very proficient cakewalker.”
A subversive dance gone viral
The cakewalk was one of the first dance crazes in the U.S. It started toward the end of slavery, and became wildly popular after the Civil War. Across the country, massive cakewalk contests were important events that were covered by newspapers of the era.
But the cakewalk was also a subversive performance with roots in Black resistance.
An 1897 photograph of African Americans in formal dress doing the cakewalk in a ballroom. The dance gained popularity among Black and white crowds.
Black people on Southern plantations, which included Missouri, a slave state, were exposed to formal European dances like waltzes by watching white people. In turn, they’d imitate and parody the dances they saw, mimicking the way a slave owner might promenade at a formal ball.
A 30-second film of the dance from 1903 in the Library of Congress shows a handful of Black men and women dressed in their Sunday best — fancy jackets with tail coats, top hats, and frilly dresses with puffed sleeves — prancing around, twirling their canes and doing high kicks.
White people became fascinated with the imitations, which got their name because the couple judged best dancers were awarded a prize cake.
“When I realized that even the cakewalk itself was kind of this subversive kind of dance, in a way, for people who are enslaved to kind of poke fun at the slave owners,” North said, “I was able then to view Doc Brown differently.”
“My inclination was then to celebrate him, rather than to feel shame about him and who he was,” he said.
North marveled that a man from a small town in Missouri, who was born on a plantation, would eventually achieve national celebrity.
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Kansas City Museum Director of Inclusive Learning and Creative Glenn North is an award-winning poet, activist and educator. His research into Doc Brown’s life led him to write his first play, “Consummate Showman,” during a residency in Arrow Rock, Missouri.
“Black folks have always been able to take whatever it is that we've been given, and to make something new,” North said.
“We still are singing songs and reading poetry and studying art that came out of that era because that was one of the few things that we had agency in,” he said. “And I think that definitely Doc Brown is an example of that.”
A winning personality
Brown moved to Kansas City from Arrow Rock after emancipation in 1865, when the town was booming.
“Doc Brown came to Kansas City, and won this huge cakewalking contest and went on to national celebrity,” North said. “It just really speaks to how charismatic he must have been.”
The Colored American, the first illustrated African American newspaper published in Washington, featured a large photograph of Brown when he performed at Convention Hall in November 1900 — "one of the most amusing features of the evening," they wrote.
The Colored American newspaper in Washington featured a photograph of Doc Brown when he performed at Convention Hall in November 1900. Brown performed in the nation’s capital during the Mammoth Cake Walk with the United States Marine Band.
Among the many medals Brown wore on his frock coat, the 1893 World's Championship medal awarded at Madison Square Garden was the most cherished.
In 1899, Brown inspired the ragtime tune “Doc Brown’s Cake Walk,” written by Kansas City composer Charles L. Johnson. It was one of Johnson’s first big hits, and fans could buy the sheet music for 15 cents.
As a performer, Brown had many nicknames: Professor Doc Brown of the Sugar Heel, Champion of the Sponge-Cake Amble, Prince of the Mincing Step, King of the Order of Mixed Gaits, Cakewalk Champion of Missouri and the World.
“I am the originator of the cakewalk in all of the United States and Missouri,” he once boasted.
More often, though, he was just “Doc,” a title bestowed by friends.
This poster from 1896 advertises Primrose & West's Big Minstrels, an American blackface song-and-dance team, that capitalized on the popularity of Black performers.
As a headliner, Brown was often quoted by the press.
But North said, when he reads the articles today, they sound condescending. Reporters would often quote Brown in dialect, North said, though his personality still shines through.
“While he might not have spoken the King's English, when you read those quotes, you can still kind of capture some of his swag and some of his panache,” North said.
North’s research inspired him to write a play, North’s first, about Brown’s life. He even got an artist’s residency to write it in Brown’s birthplace.
“Glenn’s work brought the humanity of this man's life from the page to the stage,” said Hall, best known for his roles in the movies “Hitch” and “Men in Black 3.”
Kansas Historical Society
Missouri’s cakewalk champion Doc Brown poses for photographs after a performance on the streets of Neodesha, Kansas, around 1899.
Hall is also the founder of Stage Aurora Theatrical Company, which he said has a mission “to enlighten the mind by way of the arts through the African American experience.”
“I love Black history, and there are so many stories that need to be told,” Hall said. “That's all a part of the American fabric.”
Marking Doc’s grave
Galen Wilkes’ efforts to secure a headstone for Brown started last fall, when he posted a flier in Union Cemetery with a QR code link to a GoFundMe page.
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Galen Wilkes, a ragtime enthusiast from Los Angeles, talks about Doc Brown’s legacy during a dedication ceremony at Union Station in May. Wilkes led an effort to raise money for a headstone for Doc Brown.
Unfortunately, Wilkes said, it's a familiar story.
“They were artists, performers,” he said. “They fell on hard times or they just didn't have much money to begin with.”
Many stars of the ragtime era died in poverty, and even the great Scott Joplin’s grave went unmarked for decades.
And while some may remember ragtime because of its resurgence in the 1970s, Wilkes said people have forgotten about the cakewalk.
But the music and the dance have influenced American culture in so many ways.
“Everybody's probably heard the expression ‘that takes the cake,’” Wilkes said, “meaning ‘that wins the prize.’”
“That's where it comes from. It goes back to the cakewalk,” he said.
Wilkes has been involved in ragtime music for more than 45 years now. He’s organized ragtime dances, a ragtime orchestra, a ragtime festival in New England, and even composed a few tunes himself.
But Wilkes is particularly passionate about preserving the history of the genre.
“Over 40 years ago, some of the ragtimers began marking the unmarked graves of some of the composers,” he said.
Wilkes has helped mark the graves of some of the biggest composers of the era like Arthur Marshall and James Scott — most of them right here in Missouri.
It’s one way Wilkes and other enthusiasts keep the genre in the spotlight.
“There's probably around 10 tombstones that have been put up since the ‘80s,” he said.
Wilkes cuts a piece of cake for a crowd gathered to celebrate Doc Brown in the Sexton's Cottage at Union Cemetery.
After a ceremony, the small crowd gathered for glasses of punch and pieces of a two-tiered cake topped with an image of the famous cakewalker. Short silent films of cakewalks played on a glowing flatscreen TV. Everyone raised their glasses to Brown.
“Here's to Doc,” Wilkes toasted. “Long may he cakewalk.”
Glenn North’s "Consummate Showman," starring Darryl Reuben Hall, runs one night only at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 16, at Community Christian Church, 4601 Main St., Kansas City, Missouri 64112. Admission is free. For more information, go to ArrowRock.org.
This episode of A People's History of Kansas Citywas reported by Julie Denesha. It was produced and mixed by Mackenzie Martin and Celia Morton, with editing by Luke X. Martin and Suzanne Hogan.
The Bessies Announce 2024 Ceremony Pause, Inaugural Board of Directors, and Organizational Restructuring
Although in-person events will be paused, the dance and performance awards' selection and nomination process will continue throughout the year.
Yekaterina Gyadu
The Bessie Awards, also known as The New York Dance and Performance Awards, have announced plans for organizational restructuring and a pause on in-person programming for 2024.
In order to focus on fundraising and restructuring efforts, The Bessies will not hold its customary annual awards ceremony, party, or press conference. Although in-person events will be paused, the awards' selection and nomination process will continue. Artists nominated for 2024 Bessies will be announced publicly next year alongside the 2025 nominees.
The organization will also establish its inaugural board of directors this year. Members include Dave Archuletta, Aziza A. Bowser, Esq., and Charles Vincent Burwell. Together, board members will work to pursue independent non-profit status for the awards, expand fundraising practices, and build partnerships with similar organizations.
“We are thrilled to be in this stage of development, that our work can continue long into the future," Bessies Executive Director Heather Robles said in a statement. "This is the right time, these are the right actions, and the right folks supporting the next phase of The Bessies."
“This is a time of evolution for The Bessie Awards," added Aziza A. Bowser, Esq., president of the Bessies Board of Directors. "As we build a sustainable future for the organization, we are excited to incorporate as a non-profit organization, and envision a restructuring that meets the needs of the community."
The Bessies will host virtual roundtable discussions for the community to learn more about the restructuring and provide feedback. Roundtables will be held September 12 from 5:30-6:30 PM ET, September 18 from 6-7 PM ET, and September 19 from 5:30-6:30 PM ET. To attend, community members should email Bessies Associate Manager Dalia Engelberg at [email protected].
Named after revered dance teacher Bessie Schönberg, The Bessies were established in 1984 by David White at Dance Theater Workshop. The New York Dance and Performance Awards recognize groundbreaking work in choreography, performance, music composition, visual design, legacy, and service to the field of dance in New York City.
Visitors and passers-by can experience the power of dance through AR technology
Today, Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) unveils an augmented-reality (AR) experience for members of the public and visitors to enjoy. Stunning augmented reality graphics have been installed outside the RAD’s HQ in Wandsworth, London to bring the traditional art form of ballet outside and into the wider community.
The augmented reality graphics see professional ballet dancers Dan Harrison and Genevieve Heron dance fleetingly on the building’s forecourt, transforming the outside space into an immersive stage.
Augmented reality graphics (ARG) are graphics that appear in a live view of a physical, real-world environment in which computer-generated input augments reality. he public can bring the dancers to life using their smartphones. By scanning the QR codes that feature on the designs, visitors enter the augmented digital world and watch each dancer turn and jump before their very eyes.
This augmented reality experience is part of the RAD’s flagship event The Margot Fonteyn International Ballet Competition which comes to London 1-8 September. The competition brings together the finest young dancers from around the globe for a week of dance at RAD’s HQ and culminates in an exciting final at His Majesty’s Theatre in the West End of London on September 8. This augmented reality experience creates a new opportunity for the public and passers-by to experience the joy and wonder of this prestigious dance event.
Commenting on the installation, Alexander Campbell Artistic Director of the RAD said: “As part of The Fonteyn celebrations we wanted visitors and passers-by to have the opportunity to engage with the art form of ballet in a new and exciting way. For viewers, the augmented reality graphics create the illusion that dancers are moving in front them – it feels as though they are dancing in the same space that you’re standing. I have enjoyed watching this come to life and I hope that as many people as possible will come and visit us at our beautiful HQ, to enjoy this experience!”
This experience is not only an example of inventive design use of the RAD HQ’s exterior. It also shows the juxtaposition of combining a traditional art form with modern digital technology and how together, the two can attract new audiences to the world of dance.
The installation is available to view from today until 15 September.
With the breaking spun, won and done in an Olympics cameo in Paris, Australia’s B-girl Rachael Gunn, aka Raygun, has bowed out on her own terms.
But Australia’s first Olympic break dancer has hit back at critics who have slammed her performance at Paris 24, after she failed to receive a point from the judges and was knocked out at the round-robin stage.
Gunn turned heads with her performance that stood out from the show put on by the other breakers, and won plenty of admirers for her presence on stage as she wore her Australia team uniform in place of typical breaking gear.
Viral Australian breaker 'Raygun' dances her way to the Paris Olympics closing ceremony - video
“All my moves are original,” Gunn said on the inspiration for her performance. “Creativity is really important to me. I go out there and I show my artistry.
“Sometimes it speaks to the judges, and sometimes it doesn’t. I do my thing, and it represents art. That is what it is about.”
The buzz was big around Place de la Concorde with superstar American rapper and Olympics aficionado Snoop Dogg taking to the stage to show off a few of his own moves before opening the event.
There was no doubt about the dynamic skills of the athletes, who are judged on creativity, personality, technique, variety, musicality and vocabulary, which is the variation and quantity of moves.
With two live DJs, competitors engaged in three judged battles, which involved two 60-second routines each, before the elimination round and then medals.
But with competition stretching five-and-a-half hours even Snoop, the unofficial Games mascot, had seen enough and made his departure midway through the competition.
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An Olympic refugee team breaker, Manizha Talash, who was born in Afghanistan before fleeing due to the Taliban, made an early political statement by unveiling a cape during her round with the words “Free Afghan Women” and was applauded by her Dutch competitor India Sardjoe.
Gunn’s first battle was against American Logistx but the Australian was no match for her international rivals, unable to win a point in any three contests including against 16-year-old French B-girl Syssy.
A university lecturer with a PhD in cultural studies, the 36-year-old said she knew she couldn’t compete athletically with their tricks and spins and strength moves so tried to be more creative.
“What I wanted to do was come out here and do something new and different and creative – that’s my strength, my creativity,” Gunn said.
“I was never going to beat these girls on what they do best, the dynamic and the power moves, so I wanted to move differently, be artistic and creative because how many chances do you get that in a lifetime to do that on an international stage.
“I was always the underdog and wanted to make my mark in a different way.”
Gunn was asked whether breaking deserved to be an Olympic sport but responded that it filled the criteria.
Japan’s Ami Yuasa known as ‘Ami’ breaks her way to a gold medal in the B-girl event at Paris 2024. Photograph: Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images
“What is an Olympic sport? It’s so broad here... what are the similarities between dressage and artistic swimming and the 100m sprint and the pentathlon,” she said.
“Breaking is clearly athletic and it clearly requires a whole level of dedication across a number of different aspects so I feel like it meets that criteria. And it’s really bringing a new level of excitement.”
'Raygun' continues to break out iconic moves as officials condemn online mockery – video
Japanese B-girl Ami Yuasa won gold, topping all three rounds in a gold medal battle against Nicka (Dominika Banevic) from Lithuania.
“Breaking is my expression,” Yuasa said, “(an) expression, an art, but I want to say that breaking also could be part of sports.”
While the athletes will compete for medals in Paris, the winners could become obscure trivia questions with Los Angeles not including it in the program in 2028 and Brisbane highly unlikely.
The Oceania champion said it was disappointing the American Olympic organisers had snubbed it, given the roots of breaking were in that country.
“It was disappointing that it was decided before we’d even had a chance to show it so I think that was possibly a little premature,” Gunn said.
“I wonder if they’re kicking themselves now, particularly because they’ve got some great American breakers who could totally be on the podium. But it’s not the end for breaking, the breaking culture is so strong.”
Australia’s 16-year-old B-boy Jeff Dunne, known as “J Attack”, will line up in the male competition on Saturday.
Read more about Rachael Gunn, aka Raygun, the Australian breakdancing at the Olympics:
Viola Pantuso and Leo Dixon in a matinee performance of “Figures in a Landscape” at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival 2024. Christopher Duggan photoViola Pantuso and Leo Dixon in a matinee performance of “Figures in a Landscape” at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival 2024. Christopher Duggan photoViola Pantuso and Leo Dixon in a matinee performance of “Figures in a Landscape” at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival 2024. Christopher Duggan photo
Featuring a World Premiere by Sir Wayne McGregor CBE
The Royal Ballet’s sole U.S. engagement this year
Viola Pantuso and Leo Dixon in an evening performance of “Figures In A Landscape (2024)” at Jacob’s Pillow 2024. Christopher Duggan Photo.
Jacob’s Pillow is excited to share that free public access is now available worldwide for a special 24-hour “Encore Stream” of Saturday’s performance by The Royal Ballet at Jacob’s Pillow renowned summer Dance Festival. On-demand viewing access is open to all —but only for a very limited time. This free streaming event ends at 5pm BST on Thursday, July 11.
Viola Pantuso and Leo Dixon in an evening performance of “Figures In A Landscape (2024)” at Jacob’s Pillow 2024. Christopher Duggan Photo.Viola Pantuso and Leo Dixon in an evening performance of “Figures In A Landscape (2024)” at Jacob’s Pillow 2024. Christopher Duggan Photo.Viola Pantuso and Leo Dixon in an evening performance of “Figures In A Landscape (2024)” at Jacob’s Pillow 2024. Christopher Duggan Photo.
Viewers of this Encore Stream can enjoy a full-length performance from The Royal Ballet’s in-person engagement at the festival, which ended on Sunday. This mixed program included Figures in a Landscape, a world premiere work choreographed by Sir Wayne McGregor CBE and created in celebration of the company’s first-ever appearance at the oldest continually-operating dance festival in the United States. Figures in a Landscape features dancers Sarah Lamb, Joseph Sissens, Viola Pantuso, Lukas B. Brændsrød, and Leo Dixon. The piece features music by Nicholas Becker, John Cage, Ben Frost and Abraham Marder. Costume design is by Issy Miyake; lighting design is by Chris Wilkinson.
Liam Boswell, Leo Dixon, Francisco Serrano, and Joseph Sissens in “For Four (2006)” at Jacob’s Pillow 2024. Christopher Duggan Photo.
McGregor is a prolific and acclaimed British choreographer and director who was appointed by The Royal Ballet in 2006 as the first Resident Choreographer from a contemporary dance background. For more detailed information about McGregor’s work and career, please see below.
Leo Dixon in “For Four (2006)” at Jacob’s Pillow 2024. Jamie Kraus photo.Joseph Sissens in “For Four (2006)” at Jacob’s Pillow 2024. Christopher Duggan Photo.
This Encore Stream also features the U.S. Premiere of Secret Things by American choreographer Pam Tanowitz, Diamonds (1967) – pas de deux from ‘Jewels’ choreographed by George Balanchine, Giselle – Act II pas de deux choreographed by Marius Petipa after Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, Diana and Actaeon – pas de deux choreographed by Agrippina Vaganova after Marius Petipa, Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan (1976) choreographed by Frederick Ashton, For Four (2006) choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon, Manon (1974) – Act I pas de deux choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan, and Carousel (1992) – ‘If I loved you’ pas de deux choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan.
oseph Sissens, Francisco Serrano, and Liam Boswell in “For Four (2006)” at Jacob’s Pillow 2024. Christopher Duggan Photo.
A FESTIVAL “TAKEOVER” BY THE ROYAL BALLET
This five-day engagement at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival by The Royal Ballet marked the company’s first touring engagement in the United States since 2019, and the company’s first time performing at Jacob’s Pillow in the festival’s 92-year history.
From Wednesday, July 3 through Sunday, July 7, the company performed two different programs each day: one in the historic Ted Shawn Theatre, and another on the outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage.
Matthew Ball and Mayara Magri in “Carousel (1992)” at Jacob’s Pillow 2024. Christopher Duggan Photo.
“Hip-hop first landed in France in 1982, when an elite group of ambassadors from New York City, including … popular breakers the Rock Steady Crew, toured the country. Crowds were often small, but by the time they had left, a contingent of French fans was hooked.” – The New York Times
The Royal Ballet School has announced a new collaboration with The Australian Ballet School – bringing together two of the world’s leading classical ballet schools.
The project, aiming to elevate the development of dance educators across the sector, will bring The Royal Ballet School ‘s renowned dance teacher training to Australia later this year.
From 29 September to 3 October 2024, The Royal Ballet School will deliver Inspire, a comprehensive teacher training programme designed to empower all teachers to deliver exceptional training, whether in the vocational or recreational sector.
Hosted by The Australian Ballet School in Melbourne, the five-day Intensive will allow dance teachers to explore new ideas, techniques, and skills for teaching classical ballet. As part of a bespoke programme for Australian dance teachers, the programme will include four days of seminars, a roundtable discussion with expert dance educators and a health and wellbeing workshop led by The Australian Ballet School with Artistic Director and Head of School Megan Connelly, Head of Teaching & Learning Lynette Wills, Health & Wellbeing Manager Teagan Lowe, and Artistic Teacher Andrew Murphy.
The roundtable discussion will cover appropriate communication in and out of the dance studio, exploring topics such as effective feedback, the use of language in the studio and the impact of the dance teacher on students.
Both The Royal Ballet School and The Australian Ballet School have a rich history of promoting excellence in classical ballet and are continually working to remain at the forefront of dance education and training. This collaboration will ensure all dance students can access holistic training that centres them as learners, helping to foster a love for learning and the art form, while developing skill, technique and artistry.
The Australian Ballet School’s Artistic Director & Head of School, Megan Connelly said:
‘At The Australian Ballet School, we embrace the responsibility to deliver a School for Life so our emerging artists are fully prepared for careers in the creative industries post-graduation. As part of this responsibility, we are committed to the ongoing development of dance educators across the sector as we recognise the critical role these teachers play in supporting the development of young dancers in the formative years of their engagement with dance.
We are delighted to welcome The Royal Ballet School to our School in September.’
The Royal Ballet School’s Director of Training & Access, Mark Annear said:
‘The Australian Ballet School is a world-class organisation, and we are very excited to initiate this collaboration. We share similar values in educating dance teachers and empowering all teachers to deliver exceptional training. The Australian Ballet School’s support will ensure we can continue to bring our renowned teaching training to as many dance teachers as possible, advancing the standards of dance training worldwide.’
This is an exciting opportunity for dance teachers to reflect on their practice and develop their skills with fellow passionate educators, and I look forward to returning to Australia in September.’
The Inspire seminars will be delivered by The Royal Ballet School’s dance training and education specialists, Director of Training and Access Mark Annear and Senior Teacher Training Manager Karen Berry.
Bookings for the Inspire Intensive will open on 29 July. The seminars will cover the foundations of classical ballet, barre work, centre work, allegro, pointe work, and good teaching practice. Dance teachers of all experience levels can book individual days (£220) or the full five-day Intensive (£1050).
In 2004, the Bolshoi prima ballerina, Nina Ananiashvili, was performing as a guest principal with American Ballet Theatre in New York when she received a request to immediately meet with the newly elected President of the Republic of Georgia, Mikheil Saakhashvili, back in her home town of Tbilisi. She had no idea why he had summoned her – and under contract to perform several advertised performances, it would be two months before she met him. When he offered her the job of artistic director of the State Ballet of Georgia, with the added request of starting the job immediately, she was genuinely surprised. She accepted the challenge, despite having no experience. This August, 20 years later, Ananiashvili brings her acclaimed dancers to perform in London for the first time in the company’s 175-year history.
Nina Ananiashvili, artistic director of the State Ballet of Georgia
Speaking with her online from her home in Tbilisi, Ananiashvili laughs as she remembers her reply to the President. “It was a big shock. I never expected it, but I saw that I was needed to help my country and I wanted to do that. I had danced all over the world; I was still dancing and enjoying it, but when I returned, I realised that I needed to help not only my country, but especially the ballet company, to restore its earlier successes.
“The previous 13 years had seen a very difficult situation in Georgia politically, physically and financially. There had been a war and there had been very hard times for all Georgians, but especially for the dancers. The theatre was closed as it was damaged. There was no water, no showers, no lighting, dusty and dirty studios and very little work. Food was in very short supply and transport to the theatre was mainly on foot. This meant the dancers had no way of rehearsing properly. So I agreed to take the job.”
Nina Ananiashvili and Andris Liepa in Valentin Elizariev's Moods
I suggest that it must have been a dramatic change from being a prima ballerina – at the top of an internationally established company – to being an administrator in charge of running every aspect of a large performing arts organisation. She tells me how she coped. “When I came back, I spoke with the President, saying if I were to take the role of director, I would need to have my own administration for the ballet company. I wanted proper salaries for the dancers and as I planned to do some new productions, I needed to know that the money would be guaranteed at least two years ahead. The government agreed.
“I told them that they would see a big difference within three years – so we started working. At the end of those three years, we bravely set off on tour to the Spoleto Festival in America, where we could have been heavily criticised if our company had not been successful. But,” she continues with a big smile, “we got good reviews!”
Nina Ananiashvili started her artistic life at the age of nine as Junior Figure Skating Champion of Georgia, where her naturally graceful performance led her to study ballet, first at the State Choreographic School of Georgia and then, aged 13, to the Moscow Choreographic School where she quickly rose to the top of her class. She also gained great success in international ballet competitions, and upon graduation in 1981, joined the Bolshoi Ballet.
Nina Ananiashvili at 9 years old as the Georgian Junior Figure Skating Champion
She swiftly became one of the most in-demand ballerinas of the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, first as a Bolshoi prima ballerina, then as a much-admired guest in companies all over the world. With immaculate technique, breath-taking bravura and dramatic performances that showed off a high jump, her delicate footwork in Swan Lake was contrasted by strong and feisty performances in Don Quixote. She thrilled audiences world-wide.
“On that first morning in Tbilisi,” she continues, “I told the company my plans, that I would be continuing to dance on stage with them and would cut my overseas guest appearances to concentrate on rebuilding the company. I told them that if we wanted to be a world-class company that we had to start now. But there was a problem. We would have no funding for the first two months and that meant no pay! It was a shock, but everyone wanted the company to succeed. We all worked hard in those early years. As I’d had such wonderful dedicated coaching from Raisa Struchkova and Marina Semyonova all the years I was with the Bolshoi Ballet, I wanted to pass on their incredibly detailed teaching to my dancers. In that first year we did five new productions, which people had initially said could not be done.”
Andris Liepa and Nina Ananiashvili in Coppélia at their graduation performance
She continues animatedly, “I also invited guests, my partners from different companies from around the world, to perform with us. We staged works by Alexei Ratmansky, Yuri Possokhov, Trey McIntyre, Frederick Ashton and over ten of George Balanchine’s ballets. He was Georgian by birth”, she adds proudly. “We also have a new work by Jiří Kylián which we will be performing in Dublin in the autumn. We have 90 productions in our repertoire now – full-length ballets and one-act works – which makes me very pleased. We have just premiered a new classic, La Bayadère, re-staged by my former dance partner, Alexei Fadeyechev. I am so proud of this production and it has proved a big success.”
I’m curious to know how many of the dancers are from Georgia. “We have 72 dancers in the company at present and we will be bringing 65 to London,” she tells me. “All except twelve are Georgian – the others come from Japan, Turkey, Italy and Ukraine. Georgian people like ballet and our performances are always well attended. Our ticket prices are not high.”
I ask her what makes the company unique. Ananiashvili takes a moment. “Well, we have a history that is unique. Ballet in Georgia is based on both the Italian and Russian schools, which combine with our national Georgian identity of beauty and spirit. Ballet was first danced here in Tbilisi in 1851, and the first Georgian company was created by Maria Perini, an Italian dancer, a pupil of Enrico Cecchetti, so there is the Italian base. One of her pupils was Georgian, Vakhtang Chabukiani, who later studied the Vaganova technique in Leningrad and became one of the greatest ever exponents of male dancing. He finally returned to Tbilisi and actually taught me in my early days at the school.
“Today I am also director of the ballet school,” Ananiashvili continues, “but we don’t have enough studio space and, as we have no dormitories, we cannot have young dancers from abroad studying here at the moment. Yes, the school has produced many famous dancers including Irma Nioradze, Igor Zelensky, Elena Glurjidze, David and Maia Makhateli, and recently, the wonderful dancer Giorgi Potskhishvili, but they have joined companies abroad. However, they still demonstrate Georgian pride in their dancing and teaching, as does my company today. I think you will admire the dancers we are bringing to London this summer.”
Ananiashvili will always be remembered for her exceptional performances as Odette/Odile. She was just 22 when she performed the ballet for the first time on a Bolshoi tour to Hamburg, and received a 26-minute ovation. I ask her what London audiences can expect from the company’s performances of Swan Lake. “This ballet is very special to me as it was the first I danced as a Bolshoi ballerina,” she tells me. “And then, my last time was with American Ballet Theatre in 2009, at the end of 16 seasons dancing as guest prima ballerina with them.
State Ballet of Georgia in Alexei Fadeyechev's Swan Lake
“Our Swan Lake, choreographed by Alexei Fadeyechev, will certainly show the quality and level of our company today and its Georgian spirit. We are born with singing and dancing in our blood, and it shows in our movements. I’m especially proud of our corps de ballet who love what they are doing. Yes, I know there is a lot of competition and comparison of Swan Lake productions, as nearly every company performs it, but I hope that you will see different qualities in our production. We are very excited about showing it to you all.”
From Student to Staris an exclusive Ballet News interview series featuring graduates from vocational ballet schools – such as The Royal Ballet School – as they begin their professional careers.
You’ve been studying at The Royal Ballet School (RBS). When did you join the School and what made you decide to train there?
I joined RBS in 2021 as a first year student of the Upper School, and first made it a goal to train there after my discovery of The Royal Ballet. This itself occurred through their annual World Ballet Day streams, which one day I found online and from then, I began to watch the Company more and more. I was so inspired by their dancers, as well as the repertoire they performed and the way in which they did so. It impacted me in a way that no other company had before, and it became my dream to dance with them, or at least see them in person one day. Around this time, I also discovered the School and aspired to one day audition there, as I knew that it provided a clear path to join The Royal Ballet.
However, the way that I came to audition for RBS was quite unconventional. During the COVID lockdown of 2020, the School released their first ever online summer intensive, which was open to all international students. I felt that it was a great opportunity to see what the School was like, and I registered for three weeks of classes. Due to the time difference between the U.K. and the U.S., I would have to start classes before sunrise! The class sizes were large: sometimes close to 200 students and all being monitored by the School staff. At the time, I didn’t even think this had a possibility of happening, but a few weeks later I received an email that the artistic team had noticed me on Zoom, and that I was invited to the White Lodge summer intensive. Later, I would also receive an email asking if I was interested in auditioning for the full-time training programme.
Since it was my goal to train at the School, I decided to begin the audition process later that year and into 2021. This was all held virtually due to lingering COVID circumstances. I had to take pictures and make an audition video, and later, I would have a private Zoom audition, which represented the in-person Final audition round that would have been conducted under normal conditions. I ultimately received news that I had been accepted into first year, and I recall being both shocked and elated. In hindsight, I am so thankful that RBS created that intensive and that I had signed up, as it gave me my opportunity to audition.
Prior to joining RBS, where did you train, and how early did you start ballet?
Just prior to joining the School in 2021, I trained at CityDance School and Conservatory in my home state of Maryland, primarily under Stanislav Issaev. I first started dancing when I was 4, but developed a passion specifically for ballet at around 11, and that’s when I began to train exclusively in this style.
Royal Ballet School, Holland Park, Dress Rehearsal, Paquita. Photography by ASH
What do you think are the important things to focus on during training if you want to become a professional dancer?
The road to becoming a professional dancer is quite long, so I think being consistent is one of the key factors to success. In my experience, continually working and striving for my personal best has been one of the biggest components that has helped me to improve. It’s not so much about peaking early on in your training than it is about continuing to work, day in and day out. Progress may be slow, but as long as you’re consistent, you will reach the goals that you set.
Another thing I believe that is very important is embracing your individuality. When you reach a certain level as a student, everyone is a good technical dancer. What will make someone stand out in an audition environment is their individual persona, which informs their performance quality. I think it’s the way that someone executes a step that is important, because at a certain point, everyone can do it.
Have you entered any competitions during your training and if so, which ones, and what would you say about your experiences?
In my early years of training I participated in several dance competitions and conventions, many of which offered classes and workshops in all different genres of dance. One skill that I feel I really honed during this time was versatility, as you were expected to perform many different styles (jazz, tap, hip-hop, etc.) with ease and confidence. I am grateful to have knowledge in other ways of moving, and I feel that it has helped my dancing and flow of movement overall. I also participated in several Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) competitions and had the opportunity to experience the feeling of performing principal and soloist variations at a very young age.
I personally believe that competitions are very beneficial. They offer you valuable exposure to industry professionals, as well as several chances to perform under pressure. Competitions also require a rehearsal process not unlike those in the professional world, and I feel that this was very useful to go through as a young student. I became accustomed to how it felt to prepare repertoire for months and then finally get to perform after so much hard work. I feel that it really ingrained a sense of self-discipline in me, in knowing how much consistent work is needed to dance my best and having that drive to do so on my own.
Finally, I feel that my performance quality was definitely cultivated during my competitive years. The way that I use my face and dynamics whilst performing have come from having to use them in a competitive environment, and from doing such a variety of routines and solos. I don’t think I would dance the same if I had not been a competitive dancer, and so I am grateful that I was exposed to that environment early in my training.
Photography by ASH
You’ve accepted a contract with The Royal Ballet, under the Aud Jebsen Young Dancers Programme. Congratulations! Take us through the process of getting the contract and when do you start work?
As part of our graduate year, my class was given the opportunity to audition for both The Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet in November and early December. Around this time period, we were all also working with the companies as part of their productions. For example, I was involved in both Don Quixote early in the season with The Royal Ballet as well as their Nutcracker production.
About a week after our last audition in early December, school had finished for the Christmas holidays, and myself and a few others in my class were still in London performing in The Nutcracker. I was taking company class one morning in preparation for the cinema relay that evening, in which I was performing. I remember being pulled out of class and walked to the Company office, where Mr. O’Hare [Ed note : Kevin O’Hare is Artistic Director of The Royal Ballet) offered me a contract, something that I had dreamed of for years.
I remember that moment feeling distinctly surreal, and I called my parents as soon as I could, even though it was still quite early in the States. They are my biggest supporters and have been at my side throughout my entire dance journey, so my first instinct after receiving my offer was to tell them my news.
Later on, I performed in the show and felt so grateful, knowing that I would actually be dancing with the Company as a professional. It was one of the happiest days of my life!
We start work in early August, and I am very excited to begin this new chapter.
Royal Ballet School, Holland Park, Dress Rehearsal, Paquita. Photography by ASH
What do you know about the Company & have you spent much time with them during school?
From spending time with the Company as well as in the School, I know that they have a rich repertoire, with a range of works that I hope to one day be a part of. In my first and second years at RBS, I was able to watch the Company many times, and I remember feeling in complete awe every time I was in the audience. As a graduate student, being able to actually be a part of these productions was so inspiring. Not only was I now able to watch my dream company, I was able to perform with them.
This past year, I was involved in Don Quixote and The Nutcracker, which I mentioned previously, as well as Manon and Swan Lake. These all were amazing experiences and each provided different roles and challenges. I learned so much from being a part of the rehearsal process and the eventual performance run.
What are you looking forward to about joining the Company?
I am really looking forward to learning from all of the incredible artists, whom I have looked up to for years as role models and inspiration. I am still very young and only just starting my career, and my biggest hope is to soak up as much as I can about what it means to be a full-time performer. I have been a student all my life, so learning more about the art form as my actual profession is going to be very insightful. Everyone is uniquely talented, and I am positive that I will be inspired every single day.
How do you think Company life will differ from your student days & what do you hope to bring to the Company?
One of the biggest changes from the School to the Company will be the focus of our days, which instead of revolving around class, will be centered around rehearsals and performances. It will be up to us as individuals to make sure that we are personally maintaining our technique, as class will serve as a warm up for the day and will not nearly be as detailed or meticulous as it is in school.
The Royal Ballet and its legacy is incredible. When I first discovered the Company, I was so moved by the sheer presence and artistry of everyone on stage. Someday I hope someone else will be moved by my presence, in the same way that I was inspired by those who came before me.
Photography by ASH
How are you preparing yourself for your first professional contract?
As we have been on summer break, I have mostly allowed myself to rest, and it has been great to spend time with my family in the States. I have also been doing physical therapy sessions for active recovery, injury prevention, and overall strengthening. Getting back into ballet class has also been essential in ensuring my body will be ready for a full-time rehearsal and performance schedule.
What are your best achievements as a student?
Earlier this year, myself and two other graduates had the opportunity to represent RBS at the Paris Opera School’s Gala des Écoles de danse. It was an evening of dance featuring international ballet schools, and was held at the Palais Garnier. I really enjoyed performing excerpts from Frederick Ashton’s Rhapsody, and to dance on such a historic stage was an incredible privilege.
I am also proud of my choreography, How It Ends, which I created in my second year for the Ursula Moreton Emerging Choreographer performances, (now known as the Frederick Ashton Emerging Choreographer programme). It was showcased at the School’s 2023 summer performances, as well as The Royal Ballet’s Autumn Draftworks, as part of the Rhythm in Resilience Festival. This festival was curated by Joseph Toonga, and celebrated Black History Month with a series of events held at the Royal Opera House.
Soon after Draftworks, I also performed and participated in the panel discussion of Insights: Ballet and the Black Experience, which was also part of Rhythm in Resilience. During COVID in 2020, I actually watched a similar Insight online, and was particularly inspired by the panelists at that time. Three years later, it was an awesome and full-circle experience to have the opportunity to speak among them.
Finally, in our graduation performance, I performed as a soloist in Paquita, and was also very grateful to have received two awards at our graduation: The Captain and Mrs John Moore Award for my academic dissertation, as well as The London Ballet Circle Dame Ninette Award for the most outstanding female graduate of 2024.
Royal Ballet School, Holland Park, Dress Rehearsal, Paquita. Photography by ASH
Why ballet?
I think I am drawn to ballet because of its demands: you are constantly striving to improve, and there is never a point where you feel you have done enough. This can sometimes be physically and mentally taxing, but at the same time, it is so rewarding when you see yourself progress and grow.
Also, although it is very challenging, it is a truly beautiful art form. The costumes, the scores that accompany each ballet, and the way in which each narrative, told through movement, is often so simple yet so transcendent to daily life, really resonates with me. That contrast of hard work and being able to bring the audience so much joy, as well as an escape from their daily lives, is such a unique gift. This in turn makes me happy, and makes all of the practice and rehearsal time worth it.
How do you pick yourself up on the days when things are not going so well?
Ballet is as mental as it is physical, so it has been really important for me to recognize why things may not be going so well, and often this is due to my own self-doubt. It is really easy for me to sometimes get in my head and overthink, and a lot of times the way to get out of these ruts is through communication. My family is my true support system, and they know me best. On these harder days, talking to them never fails to make me feel better. They have really helped to encourage me and keep me positive, even when things have felt tough.
Another vital aspect of getting back on track during these times is journaling. I have found that writing your thoughts and feelings down is a great way to get rid of any negative emotions. I also like that I can look back at previous entries and journals and see how far I have come, across months and sometimes years of training. This can be really helpful to restore my self-confidence and belief, prepared to face the next day.
Do you have a dream role and/or dance partner and if so what/who are they?
I have many dream roles, but in particular, I would love to have the opportunity to perform Juliet and Odette/Odile one day. The music of both these productions, Romeo & Juliet and Swan Lake, are some of my favorites even just to listen to, and I would love to one day immerse myself in the emotional journeys and technical challenges of both roles. As for a dream dance partner, all of the male artists of the Company are extremely talented, and it would be a privilege to work with any of them.
Photography by ASH
What would you say to students entering their graduate year?
For me, graduate year flew by. I would say one of the biggest things is to remain in the present moment. It’s really easy to think weeks and months down the line with so many things approaching, like audition season, events at school, and assessments, but it’s also very important to savour the time you have in class and with your year group, as you won’t get it back.
One of the biggest objectives of graduate year is to secure a job, and I think one of the most crucial ways to do that is to not only focus on your technique, but make sure that you are honing in on your performance quality. This is what will give you a unique and different appeal from others, and will allow you to stand out in audition settings.
Lastly, it’s really important to try your best to stay positive and to remember that the only thing you can control is your dancing. There are a lot of unknowns in the year at first, which can be scary, but remaining optimistic is essential both mentally and physically.
Where would you like to be this time next year and how will you measure your progress over the year?
This time next year, I hope to have completed a successful and fulfilling season with the Company. I am looking forward to all I will get to experience and learn, and I hope to improve myself not just as a dancer, but as a professional. I aim to keep track of my progress through keeping up with my journaling, which I have found as a great way to document my dance journey.
CRETEIL, France (AP) — In a sweltering enclosed stage, several dancers perform synchronized routines before scattering, as others practice twisting handstands and tumbles. Amid this, Mourad Merzouki directs them, ensuring their hip-hop moves are flawless.
It’s the final day of rehearsals for the renowned French-Algerian choreographer and his energetic group of dancers who are prepared themselves for a huge Olympic Games festivity. Merzouki and his dance troupe took enter stage near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, showcasing the official dance of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games on Monday.
The four-day event marks a triumphant moment for Merzouki, 50, whose hip-hop style, once doubted 30 years ago, has now proven its lasting appeal.
(AP video shot by Lujain Jo and produced by Jonathan Landrum Jr.)
“It’s great to see that hip-hop dance will be one of the major events watched by the whole world,” said Merzouki shortly after rehearsals at a choreographic center in Créteil, a suburb of Paris. His showcase was held in front of 13,500 attendees at the Trocadéro Champions Park, a free access arena where his choreographed performance that featured 30 dancers and urban artists.
“Spectators were on their feet to applaud these artists from all horizons — dancers, acrobats and circus artists,” he said. “It was a real pleasure for us to feel and see the place of dance in this major sporting event.”
Merzouki’s dance routine is one of three styles featured on the stage at Champions Park, where Olympic medalists arrive. His choreography blends the elements of martial arts, visual arts, circus, boxing and live arts, tailored to engage audiences of all ages and abilities.
Despite the weight of expectations, Merzouki remains confident in both himself and his dancers because of the positive message he’s trying to convey.
“I have a lot of pressure, because I want everything to go right,” he said. “We want the message of generosity of this dance to raise awareness to as many people as possible. This moment should allow us all to connect.”
Catch up on the latest from Day 12 of the 2024 Paris Olympics:
From humble beginnings to a global platform, Merzouki’s innovative style took some time to gain widespread appeal. He started his dance company in 1996, naming it after his inaugural piece, Käfig, which means “cage” in Arabic and German. Merzouki was told his dance style wouldn’t resonate or maintain the attention of large audiences in Europe.
However, he received a different response while dancing in the United States, in cities such as Miami, Los Angeles and New York, the birthplace of hip-hop. In America, Merzouki’s unique style was widely embraced, and he could have thrived there. But he chose to return to France to challenge doubters and break down barriers.
Merzouki eventually succeeded in doing just that. His company has had more than 4,000 performances in France and more than 60 other countries in a three-decade span.
“I think that this recognition is due to these 30 years that we have all spent fighting, holding on, believing in our dreams,” he said. “It’s so that precisely this dance can have a place like any other dance in the choreographic landscape.”
Mourad Merzouki (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Throughout the years, Merzouki has kept his routines fresh with an open mind while selecting dancers — even asking those interested to submit dance videos via YouTube. He’s worked with reliable dancers and inserted new ones too with backgrounds in hip-hop, contemporary, classical and circus.
“It’s a sign that this dance can be addressed to all audiences,” he continued. “With this competition, I think we can say that it’s an honor and that it’s encouraging for the future of this dance.”
French dancer Joël Luzolo called Merzouki an influential figure who brought his dance style from the streets to the theater. He said many dancers wouldn’t have sustainable careers without Merzouki’s impact.
Dancers rehearse for "Dance of the Games" (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Dancers rehearse for "Dance of the Games" (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
“Back then, it was way harder than now,” said Luzolo, 30, who has danced for Merzouki for five years. “Every year, he tries to raise the level even higher to make people understand what hip-hop is and what it can be. He’s been a really great influence. It can help dancers with having a career and life.”
Merzouki is grateful for the reemergence of the breakdancing culture, which is debuting as a competitive event during the Paris Games — though some in Paris’ local breaking scene were skeptical of the subculture being coopted by officials, commercialized and put through the rigid judging structure.
“Some were for it, some were against it. But I think it’s very good news that breaking was propelled to the forefront into such an important event,” he said. “The DNA of breaking and hip-hop dance is competition. It was battles. It’s a continuation of this great story of hip-hop. I hope the visibility will allow this dance to be better recognized and reach a larger, wider audience.”
Dancers rehearse for “Dance of the Games” (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
After the Olympics showcase, Merzouki will focus on his new show called “Beauséjour” in Lyon, France. He has upcoming projects with different orchestras, collaborating with several artists and just creating as much as possible.
With grand plans up his sleeve, Merzouki is ready to present his artistic dance to the Olympic world.
“I hope that the public, who thinks hip-hop dance is not for them, can discover a new discipline they necessarily didn’t know,” he said. “This is a great moment of visibility. ... The symbolism is strong. It’s an artistic recognition. French youth from working class neighborhoods, dancing in the heart of Paris.”
As the class of Strictly Come Dancing 2024 is announced, here are the celebrities taking part this year : Chris McCausland JB Gill All the Strictly News – just click on the image :
As a former dancer myself, Neeleman’s success on social media is unsurprising to me, merely following the script we all learned in the ballet studio. Her life is like one big ballet performance: She is a small, pretty, white, and likable star, descriptors that could just as easily apply to a famous trad wife as to a prima ballerina. Though she gave up the stage years ago, she remains a consummate performer.
Of course, it would be unfair to blame ballet solely for Neeleman’s beliefs around womanhood; her Mormon faith has certainly had a large part in shaping those. Still, as Turning Pointe writer Chloe Angyal told Momfluenced author Sara Petersen in Petersen’s newsletter, “it’s not Ballet Farm. It’s Ballerina Farm. We’re talking about the feminine person version of this dance form. We’re talking about the pinnacle of a very specific kind of womanhood, a very specific kind of femininity.”
The complicated lessons ballet taught me about my own femininity have taken me decades to unlearn, and some of the most insidious ones I still can’t fully shake. A childhood and adolescence devoted to ballet taught me how to perform in the theater, but also long before that, how to do exactly what it took to impress teachers and choreographers. Dancers are rarely asked what would feel good to them. Instead, they are taught to dance through pain, to perform roles with troubling messages, and that the gaze of an audience (historically male, but even now, certainly patriarchal) gives them worth. These are, of course, all things that could also be said about trad-wife influencers.
The parts of ballet that last—the scores, choreography, teaching styles, and artistic direction—have always been dominated by men. As a dancer, I had a perpetual awareness that I was replaceable, so when I was in pain, or didn’t love a piece of choreography, I knew to keep my mouth shut. I never wondered what I wanted, because I had been trained that what the choreographer or teacher wanted was what mattered. From a young age, I learned to make myself just as subservient as Hannah Neeleman appears to be.
Juilliard, Neeleman’s longtime dream that she had to abandon during her first pregnancy, accepts 12 women a year into their undergraduate dance program. Juilliard dancers can earn a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree at the end of four years of training. Their alumni go on to dance, choreograph, and direct at some of the best companies in the world, and several of America’s most pioneering choreographers are on their list of notable alumni. In short, Hannah Neeleman was at the beginning of what could well have been a long and fulfilling career in ballet when she married Daniel. “I was going to be a ballerina,” she told Agnew. “I was a good ballerina.” But she knew ballet and motherhood, especially the motherhood of traditional Mormonism, were incompatible. “I knew that when I started to have kids my life would start to look different,” she admitted.
