Go inside the book Pippa By Design: A Story of Ballet and Costumes, where ballet history comes alive within the context of an engaging children’s story, and learn more in our bonus interview with author Claudia Logan.
History of Dance
5 Ballets That Will (Happily) Break Your Heart
Ballet enthusiasts love a good tragedy. Here we describe five of our favorite heartbreaking love stories and why we love them.
Alla Osipenko: The life of a Kirov ballerina
Alla Osipenko was one of the great Russian ballerinas. Her name calls to mind Soviet dancer defections, the KGB and the Cold War. Learn more about her in this review of Joel Lobentnal’s enthralling biography on this unique figure in dance.
Tap Dance Legend: Eleanor Powell
With a style unlike any other female dancer of her time, Eleanor Powell left a legendary mark as an actress, a charity advocate, and of course, as the Queen of Tap Dancing. Learn about the life and legacy of one of the world’s greatest tap dancers.
Sugar Plum Fairy Exposé: Dissolving The Sugar Coating
The Nutcracker’s Sugar Plum Fairy wasn’t in the original story so where does she come from? Does the Sugar Plum pas de deux contain a hidden homage to Tchaikovsky’s sister? What was the original name of Plum’s prince? Why did the first Sugar Plum Fairy add an extra solo for herself? We have the answers!
What The Nutcracker Is A Mirliton, Anyway?
Some of the character’s in Act II of The Nutcracker seem out of place and the dual personalities that come out in different versions of the ballet don’t make it any less confusing. If you look back into the ballet’s history, though, things do start to come together in the Kingdom of Sweets.
