In the shoot, Lindsi is wearing two ensembles; the first is Class Act Tutu’s V Neck Tutu Bodice (in wine) and Classical Tutu skirt in Wine/Black

The other one (as featured on p 10 of Pointe) is Vala Dancewear’s “Siren” in one of the new fabrics/colors we are testing (consider this a sneak peek!!!), along with Class Act Tutu’s Layered Romantic Tutu in our 5-Layer “Bird of Paradise” palette.

If you want to own one of these georgeous tutus worn by Lindsi in the Pointe Photo shoot, they are in our Sample Sale!

• 5 Layer Juicy Tutu / Bird of Paradise
• Black and Wine Accent
  

Not your size? No problem! Just contact us.

Photo by Nathan Sayers

“Lindsi Dec steps out from the “Rubies” corps, lowering her arms slowly, a flash in her eyes. And then she bursts into action, her 5′ 9″ worth of angular beauty unfurling into head-high extensions. Darting and slinking through Balanchine’s hip-jutting steps, the Pacific Northwest Ballet soloist is having the time of her life. And so is the audience.” – Pointe Magazine

Congratulations to Pacific Northwest Ballet soloist (and Vala Dancewear model), Lindsi Dec – on her awesome feature in the October/November issue of Pointe Magazine! Read all about Lindsi, her rise to fame and her incredible work ethic here.

{PS: On page 10, Lindsi is modeling Vala Dancewear’s “Siren” in one of our new colors.   Don’t miss it!}

Just think: You would observe countess rehearsals, exhilarating performances, daily classes, nerve-wracking auditions and necessary board meetings. You would get to know the dancers and their artistic director, the stage hands, lighting directors, costume designers, marketers, fundraisers – even catch a glimpse of a few dance moms and their children.

Every question would be answered. Every rumor laid to rest. Absolutely no one (and nothing) would be off limits! It would be a dream come true, right?

Well, give yourself a good pinch because trust me – you’re awake and your wish has been granted! In his newest book, Where Snowflakes Dance and Swear, best-selling author, Stephen Manes pulls back the gilded stage curtain and shares what it was like to spend a year with Seattle’s own Pacific Northwest Ballet.

Four years in the making, Where Snowflakes Dance and Swear isn’t just another textbook-ish tome; it instead reveals just how ballets are produced, marketed, and funded. In short, this beefy book – with all of its juicy gossip and first-hand dancer accounts – boldly goes where no balletomane has gone before!

Through Manes’ watchful eye, you’ll discover many facets and secrets of the Land of Ballet such as: What it takes to keep the holiday cash-cow known as Nutcracker running year after (endless) year; how the company survived its most tumultuous, injury plagued and downright stressful staging of Roméo et Juliette; the harsh reality of “body is destiny”, and just how much a dancer will (can?) put up with – physically and emotionally – before calling it quits.

You will be a fly on the wall during artistic director, Peter Boal’s most difficult decisions and discover why he and others in his position must be “willing to be hated”. You’re there as members of the “Who’s Who in Choreography” (Christopher Wheeldon, Twyla Tharp, Jaime Martinez, and Bernice Coppieters), give corrections and guidance for proper staging of their work. You’ll also witness the drama that surrounds a dancer’s life – the fiery contentions, the painful jealousies and cherished friendships.

Also revealed are the accounts from Pacific Northwest Ballet School students, as well as those from the oftentimes unsung “heroes of the pit” – orchestra pit, that is.

Now although PNB is certainly at the book’s center, Where Snowflakes Dance and Swear is by no means exclusive to the Seattle crowd. In fact, this literary work of art (not exaggerating!) could have just as easily been written about any other top ballet company, from New York to London. Because no matter how you slice it, a dancer’s needs, desires, fears and frustrations are the same.

Quite honestly, I cannot say enough great things about this book. Its exciting and insanely in-depth coverage of “life on the inside” is exactly what tired, musty-dusty dance library shelves have been craving for years! Stephen Manes has done an excellent job at conveying all the intricacies of a ballet company’s success, without sacrificing a single note from the chorus of countless artistic voices behind it. (Bravo!)

From union mandates to marketing strategies, to painful injuries to exhausting perfectionism, Where Snowflakes Dance and Swear leaves no stone left unturned and is an absolute must for the die-hard ballet fan!

To read excerpts (Come on, you know you’re dying to!) and to purchase a copy of the book in either hardcover or digital format, please visit Where Snowflakes Dance and Swear.com

Photo Credit: Andrea Mohin/The New York Times

In an exciting historical twist, an American dancer will join the ranks of Bolshoi Ballet’s finest.

David Hallberg, principal dancer with American Ballet Theater will become the first American to join the highly esteemed Russian company. Hallberg will dance as a premier, the equivalent of a “principal dancer”.

“Personally I feel a sense of responsibility as an American,” Mr. Hallberg said on Tuesday, adding that he was proud to join such a historic company. “I will be bringing something different to the company but I will also be respecting their traditions as well.” He said he was aware of the unique responsibility entailed in being a first. “There will be people watching,” he said. “I have to do it justice.” (The New York Times)

Read all about this historical event here.

How many people can say they’d like to continue working right into their 90’s? Elissa Fuchs already is….It was nearly 90 years ago when Fuchs was only three years-old that she made the decision dancing is what she wanted to do.

“I was someone else on the stage. I loved being on the stage,” she said. Read the rest of this amazing story here.

In this article, Murphy talks about her start in ballet and how she keeps herself in top shape to keep up with the demands of her blossoming career. Read all about it here.

Bernice Coppieters in Roméo et Juliette. Photo courtesy: The Prague Post, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo

For the past 20 years, Bernice Coppieters has danced all of the leading roles in Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo’s repertoire, including Juliet in “Romeo et Juliette”. (Side note: We had the privilege of reviewing Pacific Northwest Ballet’s performance of this piece back in 2009, in which Coppieters’ beautiful fingerprints could be seen and felt throughout the entire evening.)

Now this gorgeously complex dancer talks about one of her most rewarding roles to date: instructor.

In her early 40s, Coppieters’ age is not a sensitive topic of conversation, as one might expect. She isn’t scared of the fact that her career as an active prima ballerina is very likely coming to its end. She says she is putting her focus in a different direction, working with dancers in companies around the world who are staging Maillot’s productions.
Read more here.