Brian Jeffrey
The grace and control of ballet dancers is unmatched, and now is the perfect time to try to be one. No, we don’t mean pulsing it out during barre class—this is the real deal. During this time of social distancing, some of the best ballerinas and ballerinos are taking to social media and hosting online ballet classes.
Not only does this give you unprecedented access to professional performers, but it also allows you to try out something new without the fear of being the worst one in class. Stand tall, embrace your inner swan, and keep reading to find the class of your dreams.
Try these online classes from top ballet dancers:
Isabella Boylston and James B. Whiteside
These principal dancers with the American Ballet Theater are teaching classes on Instagram Live on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 2 p.m. EDT. Boylston began dancing with the company in 2006 and was promoted to principal dancer in 2014. Whiteside began as a soloist in 2013, becoming a principal dancer a year later; he is also a choreographer and drag queen. The pair is accepting optional donations to the Dancers’ Emergency Fund, which assists American Ballet Theater artists who are in financial crisis as a result of canceled work due to COVID-19.
Tiler Peck
Peck, a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet, is streaming classes Monday through Saturday at 1 p.m. EDT. After joining the company in 2005, she was promoted to principal dancer in 2009. Fun fact: She made Forbes Magazines’s “30 under 30: Hollywood and Entertainment” list in 2014.
Ashley Bouder
Boulder, also a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet, is teaching ballet classes on YouTube Live. The classes remain available on her page following the livestream. She joined the company in 2000 and has been a principal dancer since 2005—and she’s only getting better over time, having received a prestigious Benois de la Danse award for best female dancer last year.
Jurgita Dronina
A lead principal dancer with the English National Ballet and principal dancer with The National Ballet of Canada, she is streaming classes on both IGTV and YouTube live. (Check her Instagram for class times.) She has performed lead roles in the entire classical repertoire such as Nikiya in La Bayadère, Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet.
Sarah Lane
Want to learn from a movie star? Lane was the dancing double for Natalie Portman in Black Swan. A a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theater, she’s been with the company since 2002. DM her for details on digital group or private sessions—then get ready for your close-up.
Ballet en Demand
This site, created in response to COVID-19, has a small library of online ballet classes from top dancers—and there’s something for every skill level.
This glossary breaks down the words you’re bound to hear in barre and ballet classes, and these are the 7 mistakes you don’t want to make.
Written by: WellGood
