This week's #ThrowbackThursday features the Romantic-era ballet La Vivandiere. Lithograph by an unknown artist of Fanny Cerrito as Kathi in 'La Vivandiere', 1846 La Vivandiere, or Markitenka (as it is known in Russia), is a one-act Romantic ballet choreographed by Arthur Saint-Leon (the choreographer of Coppelia) and Fanny Cerrito (famed Romantic ballerina), to music by prolific composer Cesare Pugni. A poster showing Cerrito and Sant-Leon in the Polka The ballet premiered on

It's that time of the week! Today's Tutu Tuesday features Sylvie Guillem of the Paris Opera Ballet in a gorgeous shade of red. - Selene

Today's #ThrowbackThursday features comic ballet Pineapple Poll. Carol-Anne Millar as Pineapple Poll, Birmingham Royal Ballet Inspired by the comic opera of Gilbert and Sullivan (such as The Pirates of Penzance and H.M.S. Pinafore), Pineapple Poll is based on 'The Bumboat Woman's Story', which was written by as one of Gilbert's Bab Ballads in 1870. The same story also inspired H.M.S. Pinafore. Elaine Fifield and David Blair in 'Pineapple Poll', Royal Ballet, c. 1953 Pineapple

It's Tutu Tuesday! You may have seen on Facebook that Alison and senior ballet student Samantha have been in Wellington this weekend, learning the newly updated version of the IDTA Advanced II Ballet Syllabus. Our new Advanced II Ballet students will start learning it later this week. As well as this, exam dates for Junior Ballet Grades and Modern Medals have been announced on Facebook, so make sure to have a look! In the meantime, here's Mai Miyazaki in a gorgeous Swanhilda

This week's Spotlight Saturday features Soviet ballerina Galina Ulanova. Galina Ulanova as Juliet in 'Romeo and Juliet' (Bolshoi) Galina Sergeyevna Ulanova was born January 8, 1910, in St. Petersburg, Russia. Her father, Sergei Ulanov, was artist-regnisseur, and her mother, Maria Romanova, was a soloist - she toured with Anna Pavlova in 1911 - and teacher with the Imperial Mariinsky Ballet, and later the Leningrad Ballet School. At first Ulanova rebelled against the thought o

This week's #ThrowbackThursday features the Cranko-MacMillan ballet The Prince of the Pagodas. Darcey Bussell in MacMillan's 1989 production The ballet follows the story of an ageing emperor, who must split his kingdom between his two daughters. He chooses his eldest daughter, Belle Epine, to succeed him, over the younger and more beautiful Belle Rose. Rose is taken away to Pagoda Land, where she meets the Prince in the guise of a salamander. Together they confront Rose's evi

It's Tutu Tuesday! Here's Dorothee Gilbert of the Paris Opera Ballet as Dulcinea in Don Quixote. - Selene

This week's Spotlight Saturday features American ballerina Suzanne Farrell. Suzanne Farrell was born Roberta Sue Ficker in Cincinnati, Ohio, on August 16, 1945. She began dancing at the age of 8 at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. She took ballet and tap, preferring tap because she could hear the movements. The tallest in her class, she often performed the lead male role in productions, and later remembered that part of the reason for her animosity towards ballet as a ch

This week we had Miss Warren come to the studio to examine the Jazz students for their Grade exams. Senior student Emily also sat her Solo Diploma. Miss Warren loved watching the students, and we're very proud of their hard work. Here are some pictures which Alison managed to get: Above and below: Grade 1 and 2 warming up Above: Grade 1; Below: Grade 3 practice their combinations Above: Grade 4; Below: Grade 3 Above: Grade 3; Below: Grade 2 Above: Grade 4; Below: Grade 5 Abov

Today's #Throwback Thursday features Soviet-era ballet The Red Poppy. Soviet postage stamp showing Tai-Choa from 'The Red Poppy' Sometimes called The Red Flower, The Red Poppy is set in a Chinese port in the 1920s. Ships have docked from all over the world, including a ship from Soviet Russia. The Captain of the Soviet ship notices a group of half-starved labourers being overworked by the harbourmaster. One night, the dancer Tai-Choa (sometimes Taohua) notices the Captain att