Design Inspired by the Unique Grace + Style of a Dancer Phantom of the Opera Memories & Ballet Unpopulaire Sweatshirt To the show that helped make me who I am today ~Thank you Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and offer my deepest condolences to you with the passing of your son, Nick. Phantom of the Opera closed on April 16th after its record breaking 35 year run on Broadway. This was the same date that I began rehearsals at 890 Broadway for the First National Tour 33 years ago. With all the nostalgia associated with the Broadway show closing, I revisited my time as a dancer with t ..read more

Design Inspired by the Unique Grace + Style of a Dancer In The Spirit of Relevé ,  Hello Dancers! How are you all, my friends? With the change of season, I am trying to find new projects that keep me fueled. What has been energizing you? Are you dancing? I have updated my shop for the holidays and have some new designs that include my latest work, using the word Relevé. I hope you like it and as always, thank you if you have ever ordered anything! Now back to talking about dance…I want to share a project that I did with a local poetry group. The collaboration paired one ..read more

Design Inspired by the Unique Grace + Style of a Dancer Why I let go of Ballet For Adults   And Then, The Age of Elegance, photo by C&O, Inc. Hello Dancers. I wanted to let you know that Ballet For Adults is now back to its original home on TheLastDancer.com. It is here where my voice comes through with the most honesty.  In this past year, I also turned the big five-o and hope to be a part of the adult ballet world as long as I possibly can (wishes welcome for my right hip). Here, with The Last Dancer I will continue to explore and share that hope through this ..read more

Design Inspired by the Unique Grace + Style of a Dancer 11 Reasons for Adult Ballet Dancers to Love the Gyrotonic® Method Annie Ashmann at her studio, Expand, Movement & Wellness in Crystal Lake, Illinois, where Nikki Ozment interviewed Annie for the Ballet for Adults Podcast Season 1, Episode 5 ~ Gyrotonic® Method & Adult Ballet. Photographs by Chelini & Oeffling When you first hear about a trending movement method, most dancers are already familiar with it.  If you haven’t heard of The Gyrotonic® & Gyrokinesis® Method, that’s ok, I am still new to it too ..read more

Design Inspired by the Unique Grace + Style of a Dancer Choreograph Ballet Into Everyday Life A Newsletter for Adult Ballet Dancers | Winter 2018 THE BALLET WHISPERER What exactly are you reading here? Well, it’s little snippets of news just for adult ballet dancers. This will make it easier for you to know everything about adult ballet in quarterly (more or less) newsletters delivered right to your inbox. I work really hard on Ballet For Adults because I feel very strongly that there needs to be more respect, growth & understanding to this genre of dancers. So whether ..read more

Design Inspired by the Unique Grace + Style of a Dancer Busting Myths about Masculinity in Ballet When someone says “ballet,” odds are the first images that pop into your head are tights and tutus. For years, our society has positioned ballet as an activity that is “feminine,” a perception that has led countless males to avoid stepping up to the barre. Although the acceptance of boys and men in ballet is changing, many young male dancers still find that they have to hide their dancing.  Ballet, especially in suburban studios, continues to need male role models as ins ..read more

Design Inspired by the Unique Grace + Style of a Dancer Happy Anniversary, Ballet for Adults! As we are celebrating our one year anniversary of owning Ballet For Adults, we would like to share our accomplishments and our goals for the future. Our most exciting news is that we are starting a podcast show that will provide more opportunities for busy adults to learn about ballet. We want to thank our followers for sticking with us in this transitional year. Originally, Ballet for Adults was founded by Bethany Leger in 2014 and we initially purchased the site for its content to b ..read more

Design Inspired by the Unique Grace + Style of a Dancer 5 Reasons Every Dad Should Take Ballet When you learn you are about to be a father, most guys immediately start thinking about the million-and-one things they need to do over the next 18 years to ensure their little one grows up happy and healthy. Your to-do list suddenly includes responsibilities like baby-proofing the house, setting up a college fund and putting your potty mouth in check. One item that we highly recommend adding to this list is taking an adult ballet class. There are myriad benefits – from improving you ..read more

Design Inspired by the Unique Grace + Style of a Dancer Forever Ballet Ballet is an art form pursued by all ages, which is one of the most enchanting elements of its artistry.  While acknowledging age in the studio is not meant to define a dancer’s ability, talent or grace, it can create a welcoming space for modifications in the lesson. This has been increasingly recognized by studios lately, and can be inviting to a group of adult ballet dancers in particular: seniors. As physical activity is important at every age, there are many benefits in taking ballet class as a se ..read more

Design Inspired by the Unique Grace + Style of a Dancer 11 Tips for Beginning Ballet Barre Etiquette Perhaps ballet etiquette is something that is never stated out loud in class — but you can depend on this: it matters to your instructor and to the experienced dancers in your class! If you feel that ballet etiquette is old fashioned or uptight, consider that you are studying a classic art form that depends on tradition.  It is kind of cool to think that following traditional etiquette connects you to a long line of past generations of dancers, and you are helping to prese ..read more