Dance

NPR's Michel Martin speaks to Robert Battle, artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, about the company's 2023 tour, which explores themes of love and joy.

The Ballet Company of Gyor began rehearsing at a local Audi factory last month after being forced to shutter its rehearsal hall in response to soaring energy prices.

A ballet featuring music from the heavy metal band opens later this year in England. Guitarist Tony Iommi told the BBC he appreciates the art form, even if he's never been to the ballet.

The company, based in The Hague, is currently in Washington, D.C., performing Giselle at The Kennedy Center. The Ukrainian Ambassador says the ballet corps is like a secret weapon.

Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: The Menu, dancer Kim Hale, "Girlfriend" by Matthew Sweet, Drink Masters and more.

These books shed light on some of dance's most iconic figures and provide a glimpse into the state of ballet culture today — and the direction it's heading next year and for years to come.

The dancer with the National Opera of Ukraine was killed in September. Oleksandr Shapoval had volunteered to fight after the Russian invasion. (Story aired on All Things Considered on Sept. 15, 2022.)

For years Copeland was told that her skin color, her body and her hair didn't conform to what ballerinas were supposed to look like. Her memoir is The Wind at My Back.

The 47-year old Shapoval volunteered to fight after Russia invaded Ukraine. His unit was recently sent to one of "the hottest zones" in the country, according to The National Opera of Ukraine.

For Camille A. Brown, choreography unlocked a new way to understand her power as a dancer, and to celebrate her creative identity.