ballet news stories on Newser

Secret to Guys' Happiness? Culture

Sarah Whitmire — Wed, 25 May 2011 14:33:25 CDT

Good news for guys looking for a health boost: You may not have to rely on strenuous exercise (that you probably weren’t going to do anyway). Bad news: It might involve soaking in a little more culture than a ball game and a six-pack. Men who attend the ballet or...

Black Swan Drama: How Much Did Natalie Really Dance?

Mary Papenfuss — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 04:25:23 CDT

Uh-oh. The black swan is emerging in the ballet dancer who doubled for actress Natalie Portman. Sarah Lane, a performer with the American Ballet Theatre, now says she performed some 95% of the "full body shot" dances in Black Swan . "I would say 5% are Natalie," says Lane. "From a...

Portman: I Thought Black Swan Would Kill Me

Mark Russell — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 02:40:00 CST

With her punishing schedule, 8-hour daily rehearsals, and 20-pound weight loss on an almonds-and-carrots diet, Natalie Portman feared her training for the critically acclaimed ballet film Black Swan might kill her, reports the Independent . "There were some nights that I thought I literally was going to die," says Portman, who...

Naomi Cries, Explains Rage Issues to Oprah

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 04 May 2010 08:06:34 CDT

Poor, poor Naomi Campbell was too tall to be a ballerina, and the ensuing anguish she went through probably has a lot to do with why she now punches cameras and throws cell phones at people. The supermodel actually broke down in tears yesterday on Oprah while talking about her...

YouTube 'Alchemist' Makes Ballet Legend Dance

Harry Kimball — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:44:49 CDT

A YouTuber has unearthed the only footage of famed early 20th-century dancer Vaslav Nijinsky in existence, the New Yorker reports—sort of. Actually, it’s more like he created it himself. “These films are animations of photographs,” Christian Comte said. “I work as an alchemist in animated cinema.” The “animation” of...

YouTube Lets Ballerinas DIY

Nick McMaster — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:44:38 CDT

Formal ballet is one of the most rigid education systems in art—dancers spend years doing exercises before they are even allowed to purchase pointe shoes. But some students are abandoning the hierarchy and turning to a less-stringent, modern master—YouTube. The Wall Street Journal takes a look at aspiring...

Donkey Retires From Ballet

Nick McMaster — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:54:22 CDT

A veteran Russian artiste is headed for retirement today: Monika, a 21-year-old female donkey. She has performed for 19 years as the trusty steed of Sancho Panza in the Mariinsky ballet's production of Don Quixote. "She loves to perform and she loves applause," said Tatyana Solomatina of the St. Petersburg...

Choreographer Kidd Dies at 92

Dustin Lushing — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 18:20:43 CST

Choreographer Michael Kidd, creator of some of the most enduring dance steps on Broadway and in Hollywood, has died of cancer at age 92, the New York Times reports. Kidd, who won five Tonys and an honorary Oscar, is best known for his choreography in the 1954 film Seven Brides...

KGB Doggedly Stalked Nureyev

Jonas Oransky — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 20:47:27 CDT

He was never interested in politics, but Rudolf Nureyev was a KGB scourge for decades after his 1961 defection. The famed ballet dancer’s colleagues were glad to see him go—‘Rudik’ was a prima donna to management and competition for fellow performers—but the state was incensed, the Telegraph reports,...