Amidst the chaos of the New Year, ballet struggles to thrive. Parents, teachers, professionals and students are getting burnt out and the future of ballet has become very unclear due to the major congestion that has occurred.

How to avoid ballet burnout as a student, a teacher, a parent, and a professional. Ballet is hard, so give yourself some grace and credit. Here are 9 useful ways to help avoid the burnout. Remember, burnout is a gradual build up.

Southland Ballet’s International Intensive and Gala

Did your summer plans not work out? Did you miss the audition deadlines? Were you injured, or your schedule just not match up? Don’t worry. There are still amazing summer programs that offer unique experiences, high quality training, and the chance for you to get out there, that have space open. Check out this amazing partner schools to A Ballet Education that offer some of the best training in the United States.

VITACCA BALLET CELEBRATES THE 2023/24 SEASON WITH BRAVA BALLET IN MAY!

Festival Ballet Presents Coppélia featuring guest artists Katherine Barkman and Esteban Hernandez.

YAGP Junior Final Round Review by A Ballet Education’s David King.

Hyperextension in ballet seems to be everything, but is it?

There are many things in this world that clearly qualify themselves as quintessentially American in style. Levi’s denim jeans, for one, basically defined America’s working class for decades. Even if they are now made overseas…Levi’s always look good and last…no matter the cut or the wash. Ralph Lauren, who in 1967 started his brand with awkwardly widened mens’ striped ties, now embodies an always approachable, elegant, and tasteful presentation of Americana, no matter the occasion

In the world of professional ballet, the performance of a principal variation can define a dancer’s career. A 2-3 act ballet is carried by the storytelling of the male and female principals, and the apex moment for them are their principal variations within the ballet. Their principal variations are that those brief moments in a career where a dancer’s technique, artistry, and all the daunting years of rehearsals finally meet, and the stage is theirs with all eyes are on them. A successful debut in a principal variation can skyrocket a dancer’s career trajectory. A longtime principal appearing in a beloved principal role can instantly sell out tickets for a show.

When it comes to ballet, parents can get a little a crazy, and truthfully, I don’t blame them. Between the hours of dedication, the thousands in tuition, pointe shoes, private lessons and costumes, you should have some sort of strategic plan, right?

“Mean girl” culture is a big thing in ballet, and it isn’t just for the girls; it is a real thing for the boys and both parents, too.

When A Ballet Education first began publishing a list of the ten most sought-after ballet schools in 2014, the intent was simply to inform my opinion given the context of the current season; however, I have not published a Big Ten list since 2018 due to how much backlash I received each year. Company directors, competition directors, professional dancers (offended that their alma mater didn't make the list), and the ballet world in general said, "Who is he to decide?"

Some of the world’s top pointes shoe companies share in their mission to better represent the community that uses their products. By Ashley Lorraine Baker

Audition season is approaching, and it is coming in with stormy skies, uncertainty, and an expensive price tag.