
EXAMPLES OF POSSIBILITIES
Lindsay Alissa King interviews South African dance entrepreneur Dirk Badenhorst about the necessity of role models in the ballet world for more people of color to join. Continue reading EXAMPLES OF POSSIBILITIES
Lindsay Alissa King interviews South African dance entrepreneur Dirk Badenhorst about the necessity of role models in the ballet world for more people of color to join. Continue reading EXAMPLES OF POSSIBILITIES
With the help of Esther Oladipupo, ballet teacher and founder of Kingdom Ballet Company, a school based in Benin City, Nigeria, Ballet Rising learned about the inspirations and motivations of six young ballet students in Nigeria. Oladipupo and the students’ parents took pictures of the girls practicing ballet, holding poses, and demonstrating their skills at home, in their studio, and on stage. Continue reading IMAGINING THE FUTURE OF BALLET, FROM NIGERIA
A former principal dancer with the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle and the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam, Casey fell in love with travel during his years on the road as a ballet dancer. Following his retirement from the stage in 2016, he embarked on a new project that combines his love for ballet with his love for learning about the world. Here he describes the inspiration behind Ballet Rising. Continue reading BEHIND BALLET RISING
Esther Oladipupo, founder of the Association of Ballet Teachers of Nigeria, describes her pioneering efforts to bring ballet to aspiring students in her home country. Continue reading BALLET IN NIGERIA
SUPPORTING BALLET ABROAD BOOSTS BALLET AT HOME By Lindsay Alissa King In the epilogue to her 2010 book Apollo’s Angels, Jennifer Homans wrote, “We are watching ballet go, documenting its past and its passing before it fades altogether.” Homans’ opinion, one that was perhaps not uncommon at the time, was that ballet was experiencing a slow and inevitable decline. In the decade preceding the publication … Continue reading UNITED WORLD OF BALLET
After the Association of Ballet Teachers of Nigeria sponsored a teachers’ training on the Cuban ballet methodology, Ballet Rising followed up with two of the attendees. If you can believe it, these two inspirational women are self-trained dancers! Read to learn how they’ve worked to transform the future of their communities. Continue reading INSPIRED BY JULIA STILES
As director of the Tunisian National Ballet, Nawel Skandrani provided opportunities for ballet choreographers and dancers from across North Africa and the Arab world. Continue reading MEET THE WOMAN WHO BROUGHT BALLET TO TUNISIA
In Namibia, dance’s nonverbal qualities make it an invaluable conduit of public information. Learn more in this interview with Ombetja Yehinga Organisation founder Philippe Talavera. Continue reading A PUBLIC HEALTH ORGANIZATION BECOMES THE ONLY PERMANENT DANCE COMPANY IN NAMIBIA
At Ballet Rising, we show how ballet can play a role in inspiring dancers and enriching dance communities around the world, but we believe that all forms of dance have important benefits for individuals and communities everywhere. Continue reading WHY DANCE