Autor: ballettlovers

I danced ballet as child, albeit with little success. Despite this, my passion for ballet and dance has carried into adulthood. I still love to watch ballet performances and would love to share my passion with you.

Netflix’s Tiny Pretty Things

Maybe tiny….but not so pretty?


Long winter nights and lockdown are the perfect excuses to binge on some addictive TV. And for all dance lovers, Netflix’s new drama ‚Tiny Pretty Things‘ is just the treat we’ve all been waiting for!
This new 10 episode drama depicts the daily life of ballet students at an elite ballet academy in Chicago and is based on the book series of the same name, by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton.

But as you would expect in any TV drama – this dance school is anything but ordinary. Get ready for a school full of harassment, eating disorders, backstabbing, pill addictions and of course an over demanding choreographer! Throw in an unsolved crime, ballet ‘mummies‘, broken hearts, inappropriate affairs and it all adds up to some great viewing. 

For any dance lover, ‘Tiny Pretty Things’ is a great chance to learn more about the daily routine of a ballet school. Even if morning class in this school seems less like school and more like a nightmare – with its competitive atmosphere, cruel teachers and endless demanding dance routines. In this school, the students never feel that they can really make the grade. 

The main characters: Neveah played by Kylie Jefferson and Oren played by Barton Cowperthwaite

Neveah, one of the lead characters sums up the mood perfectly: 

„Always something hurts. Somewhere on your body, there’s pain – an ache that comes from pushing beyond what any person was ever meant to do.

Aside from the obvious cliches, there are some fantastic dancing scenes in the series, from hiphop to classical ballet. Most of the main characters are professional dancers – Michael Hsu Rosen, a New Yorker who plays Frenchman Nabil, has been starring on Broadway since he was 17. Daniela Norman, as June , trained with the English National Ballet and appeared in the West End production of An American in Paris.

Link to Netflix

https://www.netflix.com/ch/title/81017308

In German it’s called : Dein letztes Solo

Review

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/dec/14/tiny-pretty-things-review-pumped-up-ballet-drama-is-fame-for-gen-z

5th Anniversary of Balletloversblog.com

Thank you All

Thanks to all these amazing people I’ve met in the ballet world. It’s such a pleasure to get insights of this hidden world. I want to show you how grateful I really am for all love and support.

I want to thank all ballet lovers who shared my passion of ballet and dance. I have always loved to hear from you. You inspire me!

My Top 5 Ballet and Dance Videos filmed in lookdown

Ballet Dancers in Isolation

Swans For Relief

32 premier ballerinas from 22 dance companies in 14 countries perform Le Cygne (The Swan) variation sequentially with music by Camille Saint-Saëns, performed by cellist Wade Davis, in support of Swans for Relief. Organized by Misty Copeland and Joseph Phillips, 100% of the funds raised will be distributed to each dancer’s company’s COVID-19 relief fund, or other arts/dance-based relief fund in the event that a company is not set up to receive donations.

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Coming into the Christmas Spirit…

THE NUTCRACKER is my Xmas Ritual

Watching the Nutcracker on Christmas Day is my holiday tradition since years. Numerous ballet companies around the world offer this famous Christmas ballet now online or on Demand. In times of Covid I can’t see The NUTCRACKER live on stage. There are so many beautiful choreographies available, next to the original by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, done in 1892. My  favourite interpretations are by George Balanchine, Peter Wright and Christian Spuck.

The Nutcracker by the Royal Ballet London
Weiterlesen „Coming into the Christmas Spirit…“

My Top 3 Xmas Gifts

Last Minute GIFTS, Online and For less than $15

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Wir versuchen zu begreifen, was uns ergreift.

Buchrezension: Ursula Pellaton – Tanz verstehen

In Form von videogestützten Interviews berichtet die Tanzkritikerin und Balletthistorikerin Ursula Pellaton über ihre Berufserfahrungen sowie über die Entwicklung des Tanzes im 20. Jahrhundert in der Schweiz. Die Tanzwissenschaftlerin und Spezialistin für Oral History Julia Wehren fasste die persönlichen Erzählungen und Erinnerungen der Zeitzeugin in vier Kapiteln zusammen. Dieses Buch beschreibt einzigartig, den Schweizer Weg zwischen Tradition und Vielfalt in der Tanzgeschichte.

Ursula Pellaton im Gespräch mit Julia Wehren
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Fabulous Ballet calendars 2021

Last minute gifts for all ballet and dance lovers!

Watch on the website of your favorite ballet company and order online a calendar, a mask, a DVD or more.

The Royal Ballet London

One of the best shops with beautiful Xmas items.

https://shop.roh.org.uk/?_ga=2.115454597.2011145309.1607516629-1816190275.1607096744

Weiterlesen „Fabulous Ballet calendars 2021“

We will be dancing THE NUTCRACKER outside in a park

HOW DANCERS MOTIVATE THEMSELVES NOWADAYS

I’m creating a small series for my blog to give my favourite dancers the opportunity to talk about their experiences, motivation and daily routines nowadays. As you all know, it must be so tough for dancers to train hard every single day in isolation and stay in top shape, not knowing when the next performance is going to be.

Rainer Krenstetter, principal with the Miami City Ballet since 2014

I will never forget Rainer’s character in THE RING in 2007, where he interpreted uniquely and impressingly the LOGE, the storyteller in Maurice Béjart’s outstanding choreography. And there are so many gorgeous performances I’ve seen from Rainer that still stick with me today.

Weiterlesen „We will be dancing THE NUTCRACKER outside in a park“

My mind is buzzing with ideas

How Dancers motivate themselves NOWADAYS

I’m creating a small series for my blog to give my favourite dancers the opportunity to talk about their experiences, motivation and daily routines nowadays. As you all know, it must be so tough for dancers to train hard every single day in isolation and stay in top shape, not knowing when the next performance is going to be.

Daniel Mulligan

When thinking about Daniel Mulligan, it’s plain to see what makes him so brilliant on stage. A good dancer excels technically and executes the choreography perfectly. But Daniel goes way further, fully emotionally investing in his roles to bring his characters alive. A soloist with the Ballet Zurich since 2009, Daniel has transfixed audiences with an array of characters – including his witty “Mercutio’ and his evil ‘Mephisto’.

Daniel Mulligan at home

STATEMENT OF DANIEL MULLIGAN

„The global pandemic has really affected the arts and dance world in an extreme way. Here in Switzerland we were locked down from mid March until the beginning of June and then the company had to go into quarantine for 12 days in October because we had some cases that unfortunately hit my colleagues and friends in Ballett Zürich. Now, once again, the performances have been postponed or reshuffled which has a huge impact on everyone involved in the theatre, not least the dancers who are missing out on important new experiences and learning opportunities. Staying motivated during this period is challenging, personally I’ve only done 5 performances in the whole of 2020 because I was also injured before the pandemic began! But I’ve managed to find a rhythm of fitness and workouts in the gym which help keep my mind and body in shape. I’ve also taken the opportunity to enjoy my free time and indulge in some of the things that I often don’t find time for, like browsing the 2nd hand furniture stores known as “Brockenhäuser”, checking out the flea markets and playing some guitar at home. My mind is buzzing with ideas now I have more time and I’d like to try some “Popping” classes and I’ve also been involved in a couple of projects outside of the theatre which I’ve found liberating. Life goes on and I’ve managed to stay positive because I love living here and I feel privileged to earn an almost fully protected salary although we can only work at 50% capacity. My heart goes out to all the freelance artists out there who have been hit very hard by the pandemic.„

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DANCING OUR KITCHENS WAS FUN – UNTIL IT BECAME THE NEW NORMAL.

How Dancers Motivate Themselves

I’m creating a small series for my blog to give my favourite dancers the opportunity to talk about their experiences, motivation and daily routines nowadays. As you all know, it must be so tough for dancers to train hard every single day in isolation and stay in top shape, not knowing when the next performance is going to be.
When you consider the short life span of the typical career of a professional dancer, it has been a waste of time. A typical career spans just 15 years within the dancer’s prime, usually from age 19-34, and that’s assuming there are no serious injuries or other health problems along the way.

Statement of Lou Spichtig

Let’s start with Lou Spichtig, a Swiss dancer being a member of the Queensland Ballet company in Brisbane since 2016.

„Dancing our kitchens was fun – until it became the new normal. 
In my case, my balcony became my ballet studio, my living room my gym & class taught through Zoom, a daily routine. From day 1 of isolation, Queensland Ballet made sure we were well taken care of – from portable ballet barres delivered to our door, squares of marley flooring cut to fit our living space, workout programmes and check-ins provided by our health teams and most importantly, ensuring all dancers remained connected, despite being apart. I’ve never felt more fortunate to live so far removed from the rest of the world, in Queensland, where we were able to return to both the studio and the stage far sooner than the rest of the world, in these unusual times.“

Weiterlesen „DANCING OUR KITCHENS WAS FUN – UNTIL IT BECAME THE NEW NORMAL.“