It’s a heady goal, but Copeland has been wowing observers ever since she wandered into a weekly ballet class at the San Pedro Boys and Girls Club as a teenager.

Read about Copeland’s visit here. Don’t forget to check out the awesome photo gallery!

The New NYCB-inspired shades from OPI. Photo credit: Glamour Magazine

This just in!

OPI has just announced its new SoftShades colors for April 2012, inspired by the New York City Ballet!

The gorgeous pastel sheers feature fun balletic monikers like: Barre My Soul, Don’t Touch My Tutu (our personal favorite!), and My Pointe Exactly.

Read all about it them here.

Allen Galli as Sancho Panza, and Tom Skerritt as Don Quixote, with Pacific Northwest Ballet company dancers in Alexei Ratmansky’s Don Quixote. Photo © Angela Sterling

Pacific Northwest Ballet’s production of Alexei Ratmansky’s Don Quixote has just become my new favorite ballet. (No joke! And it’s much more entertaining than the book was back in high school. No offense, Mr. Cervantes.)

From zesty fans and clicking castanets, to marvelous feats of strength and shining technique (not to mention sumptuous sets and yummy costumes!), this production has it all -and then some!

Sunday’s matinee featured principal dancers, Carla Körbes and Karel Cruz as Kitri and Basillio. And let me tell you, their spicy “cat and mouse” connection was irresistible! The two embodied their characters with all the bravado, sass and charm one would expect from the likes of this talented pair – especially when you consider their hot-blooded Latin roots! (Körbes hails from Brazil, while Cruz is originally from Cuba.)

Cruz’s gravity defying, single-handed, over head lifts (with Körbes playfully shaking her tambourine high in the air as if to say, “No sweat!” – or perhaps “No fear!”) were spectacular.

Actor of big and small screen fame, Tom Skerritt made for a marvelous Don Quixote! His performance as the delusional yet beloved character was spot-on. Skerritt drew you in and held you captive in Don Q’s world, making you wonder if perhaps – just perhaps – he was somehow the sane one and everyone else was a bit loco.

His hilarious sidekick, Sancho Panza was portrayed by local talent, Allen Galli. I don’t know how the Powers that Be at PNB came up with this guy for Sancho, but they hit the bullseye with him, that’s for sure! As a matter of fact, Galli’s performance was so outstanding that he threatened to steal the entire show. His expressions as he tried to get his stubborn donkey to “giddyup”, as well as when the crowd in the middle of Town Square tossed him high into the air, made the audience laugh…hard! But on a more serious note, his genuine concern and admiration for Don Quixote made their roles feel more like best (drinking) buddies versus “knight errant” and “squire”. Love!!

Allen Galli as Sancho Panza, with Pacific Northwest Ballet company dancers in Alexei Ratmansky’s Don Quixote. Photo © Angela Sterling

And what kind of review would this be if I didn’t mention (the outstanding), Jonathan Poretta?

Poretta was cast this time as the supremely-full-of-himself, pretty little rich man Gamache, who has his heart set on marrying the lovely Kitri. It doesn’t matter if it’s a character role (where he’s brandishing his little sword and fighting like a total girl) or a more serious part (like the Prodigal Son), Poretta delivers. It’s as simple as that.

Lesley Rausch was a zesty, spicy fan-flicking Mercedes, while Jerome Tisserand “gave good cape” as the dashing Espada. Kitri’s BFF’s, Piccilia and Juanita were successfully tackled by the unconquerable Lindsi Dec and Laura Gilbreath. Together, these two fabulous soloists captivated the entire audience with their precision, delicious lines and thousand-watt smiles.

The second act of the show takes you deep into the wild recesses of Don’s mind. After a fierce battle against windmills and creepy monsters (including sinister cactus and the Devil himself), Don is whisked into a glittering vision filled with sparkling dryads and their beloved Queen (Sarah Ricard Orza), adorable cherubs and of course, the lovely Cupid herself (Leta Biasucci).

Both Ms. Biasucci and Mrs. Orza’s performances here were nothing short of pure decadence! Their light and effortless technique was well-suited to the scene’s dainty pointe work and lightening fast turns.

Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancers Carla Körbes and Karel Cruz in Alexei Ratmansky’s Don Quixote. Photo © Angela Sterling

Act three felt a bit like a filler, but a fun and dynamic filler nonetheless. Here is where our story wraps up – the “happily ever after” part, if you will. After pulling off the ultimate trick, lovers Kitri and Basillo are allowed to marry (hooray!) and the beloved Don and his faithful companion head off into the sunset in search of more (outlandish) adventures.

The standing ovation the artists received was well-deserved! Bravo, bravo, bravo!

There are only 6 performances left of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Don Quixote! Visit PNB.org for tickets.

Photo Credit: Ramsay de Give for The Wall Street Journal

“It was so overwhelming. It was the worst time in my life,” Ms. Fairchild, who is now 27, said recently. “It’s not just a happy thing. It’s a lot of responsibility.” Read the rest of Megan’s incredible story here.

EN POINTE! from The Apiary on Vimeo.

Leslie Rauch, Principal Pacific Northwest Ballet with Angela Sterling, Photographer

And as a little side note, Angela provided the gorgeous photos you see here on Class Act Tutu as well as Vala Dancewear. {Pretty awesome, huh? }

Thank you, Angela for sharing your talents with the dance world!

Oh and FYI…at roughly 3 minutes, 50 seconds into the clip, you’ll see the gorgeous Lesley Rausch (principal dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet) wearing Class Act Tutu’s V-Neck Bodice and Classical Tutu Skirt!

Thank you for all your beautiful work, Angela!

Now you can encourage your little one’s love for this classic holiday tale with this sweet storybook from Growing Through Arts.

The Nutcracker Ballet by Aleksandra features delightful illustrations and charming prose that are sure to please budding ballerinas and baby danseurs of all ages. This beautiful hardcover book features a generous 11×11 size (perfect for those chubby little hands!), character building questions carefully woven throughout the story to fuel further discussion, and a handy glossary which explains new terms in a clear and simple way.

The Nutcracker Ballet Practice & Play Book is a robust 32-page activity book filled with fun mazes, printing practice, pattern recognition exercises, drawing lessons, hidden pictures and – one of the best features by far – the Nutcracker Paper Doll!

Class Act Tutu's Testing Lab featuring Miss Avianah

The book features standard dimensions of 8.5 x 11″, colorful illustrations and a larger font making it ideal for preschoolers through 2nd grade. While the book contains plenty of stand-alone learning activities, it’s designed to complement The Nutcracker Ballet storybook.

Both the story book and activity book are written by Russian Pointe’s own Aleksandra Efimova, illustrated by her sister, Elizaveta Efimova, and published under Aleksandra’s latest venture, Growing Through Arts. Founded in 2010 and “inspired by the classical, world-acclaimed Russian educational system, Growing Through Arts products are infused with the philosophy that participating in the arts can have a dynamic impact on children’s careers, educations, and social lives. Our system combines a uniquely powerful set of learning elements to boost your child’s mental and emotional growth.”

Their products build on and develop:

• Creativity and imagination
• Confidence, leadership and character strength
• Memory, abstract thinking, discipline, focus, and a wide range of pre-academic skills
• Arts vocabulary and much more!

The Nutcracker Ballet by Aleksandra & The Nutcracker Ballet Practice & Play Book offers children an insightful peek behind the curtain and brings to life Clara’s world and that of her beloved Prince like never before. I was very impressed by both the quality of these items, as well as their unique ability to encourage a young child’s love for dance in such a positive and insightful way. These books would make a great Christmas, birthday or “just because” gift for tiny dancers.

Goldweber always remained a dancer, even after he retired from the stage and began teaching, said Ballet West demi-soloist Beau Pearson. “He really gave himself to the art form more than anyone I’ve ever known.”

And he was a consummate teacher, whose corrections in class were more than just repetitive reminders. “They were something that would open up a whole new idea and change everything you were doing,” Pearson said.

Read the remainder of the story here.