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Photo: Patrick Frenette.

SideBarre

It takes more than pliés to lift a ballet company to great heights. From dancers to conductors, teachers to makeup artists, this series features fascinating insight from ABT experts and an intimate look inside America’s National Ballet Company®. Take a spot at the SideBarre to get to know the incredible people behind each bourrée of American Ballet Theatre.

Posts in: Behind the BalletView All Posts
October 27, 2024

Behind the Ballet with Elizabeth Kaye

Crime and Punishment

In this installment of Behind the Ballet, Elizabeth Kaye dives into the complexities of Helen Pickett’s Crime and Punishment, which will make its World Premiere during ABT’s 2024 Fall season. Kaye explores the creatives, characters, and synopsis of this literary classic, including Pickett’s intentional decision to double-cast her protagonist as both a man and woman. This decision invites viewers to consider the protagonist’s identity as a volatile and remarkably complicated human being rather than focusing on their gender.

October 25, 2024

Behind the Ballet with Elizabeth Kaye

Signature Works

In this episode of Behind the Ballet, Elizabeth Kaye examines Signature Works through the marriage of works by two disparate yet irretrievably linked artists, Twyla Tharp and Marius Petipa. Kaye describes how Tharp, who turned classical ballet on its head in the 20th century by fusing it with other dance elements, weds grace with athleticism in The Upper Room. In contrast to Tharp’s dynamic work is The Kingdom of the Shades, one of ballet’s most beloved classical gems. Created by Marius Petipa, the father of classical ballet, and later staged for American Ballet Theatre by Natalia Makarova in 1974, this extended scene from the ballet La Bayadère demonstrates the essence of classical ballet’s purity and precision. Finally, Kaye highlights the iconic pas de deux selected as part of the Signature Works program, including from George Balanchine’s Sylvia Pas de Deux, Twyla Tharp’s Sinatra Suite, and Lynne Taylor Corbett’s Great Galloping Gottschalk. 

October 18, 2024

Behind the Ballet with Elizabeth Kaye

Choreographers of the 20th and 21st Centuries

Elizabeth Kaye explores Choreographers of the 20th and 21st Centuries in this installment of Behind the Ballet, focusing on landmark ballets from two iconic choreographers, George Balanchine’s Ballet Imperial and Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room, during ABT’s 2024 Fall season. Kaye describes how Ballet Imperial, one of the first plotless ballets, carries a rich graciousness that permeated the grand 19th century ballets such as Swan Lake. Unique to this year’s Fall season are the new sets and costumes that establish a world and mood before a single step is performed. Kaye then describes how Tharp, who turned classical ballet on its head in the 20th century by fusing it with other dance elements, weds grace with athleticism in The Upper Room.

October 14, 2024

Behind the Ballet with Elizabeth Kaye

Innovation Past and Present

Discussing the first program in the 2024 Fall season, Elizabeth Kaye looks at Innovation Past and Present, which features the World Premieres of Gemma Bond’s La Boutique and Kyle Abraham’s Mercurial Son, and the return of Harald Lander’s Études during ABT’s 2024 Fall season. Kaye describes Bond’s La Boutique as “an abstract tutu ballet, blending classical attire with modern, plotless movement.” Though Abraham has remained secretive of his Mercurial Son, Kaye shares that the work draws on hip-hop, West African movement, and the songs of British composer James Blake, offering force and emotion to the tumultuous beauty of the work. Finally, Kaye explores Études as a tribute to the artistry of technique, alchemizing the steps dancers practice every day into art.

July 12, 2024

Behind the Ballet with Elizabeth Kaye

Like Water for Chocolate

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.

July 5, 2024

Behind the Ballet with Elizabeth Kaye

Romeo and Juliet

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.

June 28, 2024

Behind the Ballet with Elizabeth Kaye

Swan Lake

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.

June 21, 2024

Behind the Ballet with Elizabeth Kaye

Woolf Works

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.

June 14, 2024

Behind the Ballet with Elizabeth Kaye

Onegin

The first installment of Behind the Ballet for the 2024 Summer season unearths the emotionally charged classic ballet Onegin. ABT Dance Historian and New York Times #1 best-selling author Elizabeth Kaye gives us an in-depth glance of the plot structure in this ballet adaptation of the original verse-novel by Alexander Pushkin, and explains exactly why this ballet remains an audience and dancer favorite. 

December 6, 2023

Behind the Ballet with Elizabeth Kaye

The Nutcracker

In the newest installment of Behind the Ballet, ABT Dance Historian and New York Times #1 best-selling author Elizabeth Kaye puts the spotlight on the beloved tradition returning this holiday season. Kaye takes us on a magical journey through The Nutcracker’s history, music, and how the ballet came to be a worldwide holiday sensation.  

Don’t miss ABT’s The Nutcracker on stage at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California, from December 8–17! With choreography by Alexei Ratmansky, this annual classic brings a cast of more than 100 performers to the stage and features dazzling sets and costumes by Tony Award® winner Richard Hudson, accompanied by Tchaikovsky’s timeless score.