In every career, there are plenty of consequential decisions to be made. And they tend to get more consequential as time goes on.

Dancer Gillian Murphy, who is retiring this year, reflects on her 29-year career with the American Ballet Theatre—and looks ...

Natalie Portman's Nina descends into obsession and madness in Black Swan. A haunting exploration of identity, control, and ...

After 29 years, the American Ballet Theater principal bids farewell with “Swan Lake.” It’s demanding. But she’s got this.

Each week the editors of The New Criterion offer recommendations on what to read, see, and hear in the world of culture in ...

New York City Ballet’s Unity Phelan, Mira Nadon and Miriam Miller talk about the huge challenge of Swan Lakes’ White and Black Swan roles.

Fueling the performance: “Carrots and almonds wouldn’t cut it” Portrayals of ballet dancers in pop culture often highlight the discipline and sacrifices required for the art. But the reality of ...

As graceful and ephemeral as it appears, Odette-Odile is a dancer's Mount Everest, requiring stellar technique, prodigious training, uncommon stamina, emotional resilience — and even carbo-loading.

In her act to trick Siegfried into thinking she is Odette, Kapitonova’s Odile feels more playful and confident — like a human pretending to be a swan — while her Odette distinctly maintains ...