French for “a step for two,” the pas de deux has long been revered as one of the most intimate and expressive sequences of a ballet, where two dancers paint a visual dialogue through their interconnected movements. Traditionally, ballet partnering practices require the male dancer to take on a supportive role, providing the ballerina with a solid foundation to spotlight her impressive pointe work. But as ballet evolves, so too does the roles of the male dancer, transforming the dynamics of partnering in newer works. Soloist Patrick Frenette offers a fresh perspective on how his partnering roles vary across repertoires, as well as the deeper meaning behind these pairings.  

The Quiet Mastery of Male Partners in Classical Ballet 

In classical ballets like Swan Lake or Giselle, the adagio of the grand pas de deux, along with other duet choreography, is marked by a clear delineation of roles: the ballerina captivates the audience with her graceful, ethereal movements, while the male dancer delivers the strength and steadiness needed to execute each lift, turn, and landing with precision. The resulting illusion is that of the ballerina floating effortlessly, light as air.  

“A notable male partner in classical ballet should not detract from the ballerina’s lines and should strive to make every landing silent, every turn crisp and centered,” explains Frenette. He describes his role as a “pillar of stability and dependability” in classical partnering sequences, underscoring that the male dancer’s artistry lies in his ability to provide crucial support to elevate the ballerina’s performance, without overshadowing it. This delicate balance of strength and elegance between both dancers is what gives these passes their distinctive beauty.  

New Partnerships in Contemporary Ballet 

Contemporary works often require a more dynamic and fluid partnership. Modern choreography encourages both dancers to explore a wider range of expression, blurring the traditional boundaries of movement associated with male and female roles. 

Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works exemplifies this evolution, featuring duets of various pairings. Frenette embodies this shift in Act II, “Becomings,” where he engages in a whirlwind sequence with Principal Dancer Chloe Misseldine, supporting her through acrobatic lifts and turns, only to find himself flipped upside down and stretched into bold positions in another duet with corps dancer Andrew Robare moments later. 

In similar contexts, the male dancer gains greater freedom of movement, with the connection between partners taking priority over the constraints of individual character roles. “The personal relationships we have with one another tend to transfer much more visibly through abstract works, where characters are loosely defined,” says Frenette. “Many times, in contemporary repertoire, who we are outside the studio and theater is on display for the audience.” 

Dancing Dialogues 

Cultivating the trust necessary for these intricate partnerships, whether in classical or contemporary ballet, starts with receptivity fostered through both verbal and non-verbal open communication. Building a relationship rooted in a mutual understanding of each dancer’s unique approaches to the choreography is crucial, as this foundational connection translates into a compelling emotional and physical synergy onstage.  

“With partnering sequences, there is a conversation between two parties: an action and a reaction, a statement and a response,” says Frenette, highlighting how these interactions add a natural layer of human dialogue to ballet. In contrast, solos only convey a singular emotion or perspective. The interplay of duets and solos throughout a ballet thus crafts a richly nuanced narrative, capturing individual expression and revealing how that expression is then deepened through the dynamic of partnership.  

For Frenette, it is sometimes those moments of stillness or pause that can often convey profound meaning between partners, enhancing the emotional connection visible to the audience. He describes a gesture from the pas de trois in Swan Lake, where, on the final musical note, he’ll gaze at his partner and gently tilt his head toward her after supporting her through a triple pirouette. “It’s a very touching gesture of affection I like to share with all the ballerinas I dance with,” he explains, “a way to say, ‘I’ve got you. We did that. Now, onto our variations!’” 

The writer, Jackeline Fernandes, was an ABT Press Intern for Summer 2024.

Often trending on TikTok over the past year or two has been pointe shoe preparation, or “pointe shoe ASMR.” Videos of dancers sewing, cutting, ripping, darning, burning, smacking, and stomping on their pointe shoes have garnered equal parts interest and confusion, a process wholly unknown to those who have never danced or are unfamiliar with pointe shoes.

The comment sections of pointe shoe prep videos are filled with comments along the lines of “Why don’t pointe shoes come broken in already?” or “Why do you need to tear them apart to dance?”

For a pointe shoe to be danced in, it first must undergo a rigorous cycle of abuse and sewing to last for… not very long at all. Generally, for professional dancers, one pair lasts little more than one full-length performance because the materials of a pointe shoe break down very quickly. “Why is this?” many ask.

The short answer to the “Why?” of pointe shoe prep is that every dancer has specific preferences for their shoes; this is based on years of experience in modifying pointe shoes to fit their feet and unique dancing styles. Pointe shoes cannot be bought or made already broken in, because those shoes would not fit most dancers’ preferences.

The composition of pointe shoes gives insight into why they need to be broken in so rigorously. When dancers leap gracefully through the air or seam to float across the stage en pointe, they are essentially dancing on layers of hard, compact cardboard with minimal cushioning, and so their shoes must be modified for maximum comfort and ease.

Pointe shoes may look dainty and delicate, but they are rock-hard to support a dancer’s entire body weight and require years of extensive training to become comfortable in. There is little padding in the shoes at all, and dancers must manually sew on elastic ankle bands and ribbons so that the shoes stay on their feet.

Some dancers choose to wear toe pads or other layers of comfort, and some do not. Some dancers break in pointe shoes faster than others, but it also depends on the performance. Each dancer is different, so each pointe shoe must be different as well.

For all, however, it takes years of trial and error to perfect their pointe shoe customization.

Léa Fleytoux, a Soloist with American Ballet Theatre, has been dancing since she was four years old and began pointe at the age of nine. Her dance teacher brought her and her dance class to a store and helped them select pointe shoes before demonstrating how to lightly break in the shoes by bending them in half.

“When you’re so young, you don’t have enough force in your feet to actually break the shoe,” said Fleytoux. “But of course, after that, everybody kind of finds whatever is best for them.”

According to Fleytoux, finding and modifying pointe shoes is a process that changes for the entirety of a dancer’s career.

“I’m wearing Bloch [shoes] at the moment, custom Alphas,” said Fleytoux. “I’m still trialing, because our feet also change as we work in different ways. We all change and change the way that we dance, so those are the ones I have for now.”

To break in her pointe shoes, Fleytoux likes to modify the shank first. From about midway in the pointe shoe to the very back, Fleytoux removes the inside shank because she likes her feet to sit more on top of her toes and upper arch.

The shank of the pointe shoe, which runs along the bottom of a dancer’s foot to support their arch, is made primarily of cardboard or a similar material.

She then breaks in the wings, which support the sides of the dancers’ feet, and the toe box (which happens in a crunch-like fashion) of her shoes, and as far as modifications to the structural integrity of the shoe, that’s as far as she goes.

The toe box, or the hard cup of a pointe shoe that encases the dancer’s toes, is primarily made of layers of cardboard, paper, and fabric that are packed and hardened with a glue-like fluid.

“I don’t really break [my shoes] in that much because I like to be supported,” said Fleytoux. “I like harder shoes.”

The exterior of a pointe shoe is typically satin, with an elastic drawstring binding that the dancer can tighten the shoe with. In terms of external modifications, the vamp, or the distance from the tip of the shoe to the drawstring that covers the tops of the toes and foot, is too low for Fleytoux as she has naturally longer toes. As a result, Fleytoux sews a piece of elastic perpendicular to the vamp to give herself extra support.

She also darns her pointe shoes to prevent the tip of the shoe from getting too soft too quickly when she dances. Darning pointe shoes consists of sewing, with a thick needle, along the perimeter of the platform of shoe’s toe box to provide extra support; Fleytoux said that darning also helps her to balance better. To darn her pointe shoes, Fleytoux traces the tips of her shoes with a pencil, darns with a thick needle on the line, and finally uses Jet Glue to make them last even longer.

She sews ribbons and elastics together across the shoes so that she can tie her foot into the shoe, as is necessary for all dancers.

For comfort, she also modifies what goes into her pointe shoes, other than her feet. Fleytoux uses PerfectFit pointe shoe inserts, which she says are “everything for me.” She discovered PerfectFit when she first moved to the United States.

PerfectFit inserts go into the toe box of a pointe shoe and are filled with a play-doh like filling that dancers put their foot in to mold. Once the inside filling is set and hardened, the insert is perfectly molded to their feet and can slip right into any pointe shoe.

“You do have to remake them, I would say, every couple of months because they get a little bit worn out,” said Fleytoux. “But that’s probably the best invention.”

In total, prepping her pointe shoes from start to finish takes Fleytoux about an hour and a half per pair. Because it takes so long, she tends to do it on an as needed basis rather than bulk prepping shoes.

Another popular question from curious TikTokers is how long pointe shoes last, given the amount of preparation time required. For Fleytoux, it depends on a variety of factors.

“I think depends on the weather, as well. If it’s humid, the shoes don’t dry well, so it’s really difficult to keep them harder,” said Fleytoux. “[My shoes] can usually last, if I alternate them, for a couple of weeks.”

She also alternates her shoes depending on her schedule for the day.

“I usually wear harder shoes for class and softer shoes for rehearsal. In the morning, I wear the harder shoes and then I switch to softer ones, which I think helps in keeping them a little longer,” said Fleytoux.

While “pointe shoe ASMR” TikTok offers captivating visuals for those interested in or fascinated by ballet, it is more than just a series of satisfying sounds and visuals; pointe shoe routines reflect the discipline and dedication required for ballet, as well as the many years of training that go into defining a dancer’s artistry.

The writer, Paige Shea, was an ABT Press Intern for Summer 2024.

A new choreographic force is rising at American Ballet Theatre, and, this time, it’s one of ABT Studio Company’s own dancers.

Brady Farrar, a member of ABT Studio Company since 2022, recently premiered his original choreographic work Night Falls – a pas de deux set to Frédéric Chopin’s Nocturne No. 19 in E Minor No. 1. – at The Joyce Theater with ABT Studio Company.

The Joyce Theater engagement also featured another one of Brady’s original works titled Flight of the Bumblebee, a challenging and rapid solo for a male dancer, set to the iconic Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov score.

Brady was overjoyed when his pieces were picked for ABT Studio Company to perform, as it was the first time his choreography was danced in a Company program.

“It gave me more confidence and reassurance that I’m doing something right, which in turn makes me less afraid to express my feelings authentically,” he said.

This Summer, Night Falls will be featured at the BAAND Together Dance Festival, part of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City program. BAAND features pay-what-you-want performances from New York City’s most prominent dance companies: Ballet Hispánico, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, and Dance Theatre of Harlem.

When Brady heard that Night Falls was chosen for BAAND, he was speechless.

“It was a milestone moment for me,” he said. “With every piece of my choreography that I showcase, there is some self-doubt, but for my work to be recognized and licensed by my dream company, it gives me even more inspiration to push the boundary of what I can do.”

For Brady, original choreography has been a part of his dance journey since the early days.

Since he was 16 years old, Brady has been choreographing works for dance schools to use for showcases or competitions. His knowledge of the “choreographic process” came from his dance teachers, Victor Smalley and Angel Armas, who he accompanied on choreography bookings.

Brady said that his own choreographic process begins with the musical score. “Picking music that takes the audience on a journey is important. I try to match the steps to the music, so it looks as if the dancer is completely embodying what the musician is playing,” he explained.

For Flight of the Bumblebee, Brady tried to “make the movements frantic and fast, to resemble what a bee would look like during flight.” He called the solo his “playful interpretation” of the Rimsky-Korsakov score.

For Night Falls, he was inspired by Chopin’s Nocturne No. 19 and how it “sets the tone of an intimate setting between two characters.”

“In my head,” said Brady, “the pas de deux is a representation of what happens when your day starts to slow down, the tranquil few hours from dusk to dark. As the sun sets, and night falls, how does the light change affect the mood and energy of oneself.”

For Brady, working with ABT Studio Company and teaching them his choreography was “something very special,” as he loves to see his peers’ unique interpretations of his work.

However, for BAAND, Brady was required to teach members of the main Company his choreography: Principal Dancers Thomas Forster and Chloe Misseldine, Soloist SunMi Park, and corps de ballet member Joseph Markey. Although he was nervous at first, he soon became inspired by their artistry.

“Their work ethic and desire to perfect each movement is very inspiring; I loved being able to see how professionals learn and pick up choreography,” said Brady. “They each have their own beautiful ways of hearing the music and executing the steps. Every time I step into a rehearsal with them, I am in awe.”

For Brady, having his original work chosen by ABT is only the beginning of his journey.

“It shows me that the future can be bright, and that there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“Como agua para chocolate” is a Mexican idiom: translating to “like water for chocolate” in English, it essentially means “your emotions are in danger of boiling over,” referring to the repetitive process of bringing water to the brink of boiling before it can be used to make hot chocolate. Inspired by Laura Esquivel’s novel of the same name, the title phrase of Christopher Wheeldon’s full-length ballet, Like Water for Chocolate, alludes to the intense emotions simmering just beneath the surface in a tale of family saga and forbidden love set on a Mexican ranch during the Mexican Revolution. In this modern classic of magical realism, cooking and the kitchen’s heat suffuse the production, transforming rising passions into balletic movement set to music of a distinctly Mexican essence.

When composer Joby Talbot undertook the monumental task of scoring Like Water for Chocolate, his goal was clear: to infuse the score with a “DNA” of Mexican sound, rather than merely imitating it. Just as Mexican cuisine is rich and varied, Talbot’s score is seasoned with various rhythms from traditional Latin dances to trace the emotional turmoil of the lovesick central character, Tita, and the dramatic influence her impassioned cooking has on those around her.

In Act I, Tita prepares a dish of quail drizzled in rose petal sauce to the slow tempo of a danzón, a sensual dance rhythm that originated in Cuba at the end of the 19th century and later spread to Mexico. This amorous musical tone parallels Tita’s physical desire for her neighbor, Pedro, which manifests as an aphrodisiac in her cooking and consequently has an erotic effect on her sister, Gertrudis.

In another scene, alongside a climactic encounter between Tita and Pedro, Talbot recreated a sentimental petenera, one of the most melancholic and romantic styles of flamenco music. The origins of the petenera are older, dating back to the 17th century with ties to the zarabandas, another dance form popularized in Spain and the Spanish colonies.

The joropo, a much livelier Latin rhythm, provides a festive melody to which the troops commanded by Gertrudis energetically dance around a fire at the conclusion of Act II. A grand mixture of African, Indigenous, and European roots, the joropo is a traditional couple’s dance from Venezuela characterized by quick turns and jaunty footwork. According to Mexican conductor and music consultant Alondra de la Parra, Talbot’s musical arrangement for this scene aligns more with cumbia, known for its percussion-heavy, upbeat rhythm with Afro-Colombian roots.

While the blend of diverse Latin rhythms in Talbot’s score brings the characters’ earthly passions to life onstage, the mystical fusion of pre-Hispanic instruments with the orchestra introduces a new musical texture that embodies the essence of magical realism. Playing an indispensable role in the compositional process, de la Parra suggested incorporating the ocarina, a type of Aztec ceramic flute that lends the work a deep, ethereal quality reminiscent of birdsong. The percussion section of the orchestra expanded greatly under de la Parra’s guidance, with the inclusion of two types of Aztec drums—the teponaztli and the huéhuetl—as well as the marimba, featured in a challenging solo piece. Talbot’s complex yet whimsical compositions for the harps further amplify the thread of magical realism that reverberates throughout the work.

The main characters in the ballet are meaningfully tied to specific instruments in the composition, akin to a leitmotif: Tita with the delicate ocarina, Nacha with the warm cedar flute, Mama Elena with the tempestuous wooden rattles and chimes, and Pedro with the sultry guitar. Perhaps at the core of this entrancing whirl of sound is the guitar, strummed by Mexican musician Tomás Barreiro to the beat of Mexican sones and other Latin rhythms, both as a solo performance onstage and in the orchestra pit.

For the final pas de deux between Tita and Pedro, Talbot turned to an unconventional musical source, rarely found in the classical ballet repertoire: the human voice. Composed for a mezzo soprano, Talbot’s vocal piece features Spanish lyrics from the 1957 poem “Piedra del Sol,” or “Sunstone,” by Mexican Nobel Laureate Octavio Paz. The soaring soprano section brings the passionate tale of Like Water for Chocolate to a close, delivering a powerful performance about the cyclical nature of time and the transformative power of love, reserved only for those who recognize its constant return.

Sources:

Azar Boldo, Lázaro. “A Well-Seasoned Composition…” Program for Christopher Wheeldon’s Like Water for Chocolate, London, The Royal Ballet, 2022.

Royal Ballet and Opera. “Insights: Like Water for Chocolate – Music and Design.” YouTube, 27 May 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrWsYo8fU9g.

The writer, Jackeline Fernandes, was an ABT Press Intern for Summer 2024.

In this final installment of  Behind the Ballet for the 2024 Summer season, ABT Principal Dancer Herman Cornejo joins Elizabeth Kaye to discuss Like Water for Chocolate and its layered three-act story. From adapting to a non-balletic character and demanding acting scenes to onstage sensuality and heartbreak, this exclusive interview offers a unique perspective on two-time Tony Award® winner Christopher Wheeldon’s full-length ballet, based on Laura Esquivel’s iconic novel of the same title.

In this installment of Behind the Ballet, Elizabeth Kaye revisits the creation of The Royal Ballet (1965) in the wake of World War II, which sought to bring back “what was lost after the war—the gentleness of life.” Kaye then explains how Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy is translated into movement through four heart-wrenching pas de deux and three acts of forbidden young love that reveal the universal language of ballet in Romeo and Juliet.

This episode of Behind the Ballet takes on the third production of the 2024 Summer season: Swan Lake. Described by Elizabeth Kaye as the “crown jewel of classical ballet,” Kaye offers a sneak peek into this production’s premiere in 2000 featuring current Artistic Director Susan Jaffe in the role of Odette/Odile. Kaye chronicles the tragic story of Swan Lake and how Tchaikovsky’s ethereal score shapes this iconic 19th Century tale.

This segment of Behind the Ballet delves into the contemporary masterpiece that is Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works. Elizabeth Kaye’s informative lecture offers a rich understanding of choreographer Wayne McGregor’s history and a glimpse into the ballet’s layered content. Join ABT for an enlightening discussion that promises to leave you with much to think about and even more to anticipate on stage with this electrifying performance.

As part of ABT’s Pride Month initiatives, the ABT RISE Legacy Committee is honored to feature Leopold Samuel Allen (1945-1989), the first resident Hair and Makeup Artist for American Ballet Theatre and a cornerstone of the Company from 1978 to 1988.