Welcome to this special interview with Jozef Varga (Principal Het Nationale Ballet) and Casey Herd (Founder of Ballet Rising). We have heard many stories from dancers around the world, but what about the story of our own Casey? “When dancers stop dancing, they have to re-invent themselves.” Learn in this interview how Casey started from difficult beginnings to go on to shine as Principal at … Continue reading EP0026 CASEY HERD | BALLET RISING
The Brazilian dancer started dancing at the age of 10 in Ourinhos. He joined the John Cranko School in Stuttgart in 2005 and graduated four years later. He was a pupil of the famous Russian master Peter Pestov. At the end of his studies, he joined the Corps de Ballet of the Stuttgart Ballet. After his excellent debut in the role of Basilio in Don … Continue reading EP0025 DANIEL CAMARGO | BRAZIL
Learn about Matz Skoog, a Swedish dancer and director and the artistic director of English National Ballet from 2001 to 2005. Continue reading EP0024 MATZ SKOOG | UNITED KINGDOM
Almost exactly a year ago, Ernst Meisner had agreed to be interviewed for an article to appear here on Ballet Rising to discuss a tour that the Dutch National Ballet Junior Company would take in Indonesia, but in the intervening time between arranging the interview and it actually happening, the world went into lockdown. Unbeknownst to Meisner at that time, the Junior Company’s Indonesia tour would serve as a year-long farewell to in-person international performances for the Dutch National Ballet Junior and main companies. Continue reading BRINGING THE INTERNATIONAL TO THE DUTCH NATIONAL BALLET JUNIOR COMPANY
Flavio Salazar, a native of Colombia, where he began his dance studies at the Instituto Colombiano de Ballet (Incolballet). He joined Ballet de Cali and also joined the faculty of Incolballet, having been certified by the National Ballet of Cuba to teach its methodology and pedagogy in ballet technique. Mr. Salazar went on to study at the Houston Ballet Academy as a full scholarship student … Continue reading EP0023 FLAVIO SALAZAR | COLOMBIA
French from origin, Aurélia lives in Zurich where she has worked in various roles for large multinational companies, mostly in the field of leadership and organization development. She now is working as a freelance presence and public speaking coach. Initially from a Literature and Business academic background, a career break gave her the opportunity to make a dream come true: bring an artistic and philanthropic … Continue reading EP0022 AURÉLIA SELLIER | SWITZERLAND
For Nawel Skandrani, a dance leader and cutting-edge choreographer in Tunisia, the Covid-19 lockdown has brought episodes of financial uncertainty but also time to explore and to reflect. It also gave her clarity about her leadership role in strengthening the Tunisian dance community into the future. Taking time away from the stage has given her renewed energy as an advocate for dancers to the Tunisian federal government. Continue reading CHOREOGRAPHER CONFRONTS THE TUNISIAN GOVERNMENT ABOUT STEREOTYPES OF DANCERS
Students of Zama Dance School, a ballet dance school that serves South Africa’s townships, describe their experiences with ballet. Hear their experiences in their own words. Continue reading SOUTH AFRICAN BALLET STUDENTS REFLECT ON SELF-ESTEEM, DISCRIMINATION, AND HOW DANCE TAUGHT THEM TO ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS
Sally Chandra is the artistic director of Flamboyant Ballet School in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia. Flamboyant Ballet School was founded by the late Mr. Eddy Soenarto, RAD, RTS. (12 May 1941 – 1 July 2014) on 1 November 1972. Graduated from Dutch Ballet Academy in 1983, he came back to Indonesia to share his knowledge and dance skill to Indonesian society. After more than 43 … Continue reading EP0021 SALLY CHANDRA | INDONESIA
Zama Dance School was founded in 1984 in Gugulethu, a township in South Africa, with the goal of using ballet to build confidence among young children in South Africa living under apartheid. Ballet Rising’s contributor Lindsay Alissa King recently interviewed Zama Dance School’s director Andrew Warth about what the school and its students are up to today. Continue reading BALLET BRINGS JOY AND LUNCH TO KIDS IN SOUTH AFRICA’S TOWNSHIPS
