Pointe Magazine

When Jessica Wang was 14, she found herself in a position that many dancers find relatable: Dance felt like her whole identity. “When I introduced myself, the first thing I would say is that I’m a dancer. It got to a point where I felt like dance defined me too much,” she says. Wang, now 17, studies at Etoile Dance Academy in Houston during the academic year and with the Atla...

Why does my appetite feel different when my schedule changes? —Paulene

One day, you’re not dancing and feel insatiable all day long. The next, you’ve been rehearsing for hours but don’t feel the slightest bit hungry. What is happening?

Appetite changes are common among dancers, especially when their schedules vary day to day or over time. A long d...

Patrick Frenette knows firsthand what it means to find your place in ballet. The American Ballet Theatre soloist has been open about bullying he faced growing up due to the social stigma attached to being a boy in ballet. In 2016, he, his mother Kimber Frenette, and I...

Kade Pyle has spent years welcoming dancers who don’t see themselves represented or feel like they belong in traditional ballet spaces. Pyle, founder of the New York City–based company Ballez, used to post videos of their inclusive open classes on Instagram like beacons calling people to—or back...

In the dance world, E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776–1822) is best known as the author whose stories inspired The Nutcracker and Coppélia, two staples of the ballet repertory. But he was more than an inventive storyteller: He was also a lawyer, composer, painter, conductor, and music critic. Hoffmann’s eerie and fantastical stories have been in print for 250 years and ...