Alvin Ailey's dance company marks 65 years
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.
Dance
An energy crunch forces a Hungarian ballet company to move to a car factory
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.
When you think of ballet, Black Sabbath probably doesn't come to mind
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.
60 dancers who fled the war now take the stage — as The United Ukrainian 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.
What's making us happy: A guide to your weekend viewing, listening and reading
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.
2022 was a big year for dance books: Here are 5 to check out
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.
Ukrainian ballet dancer Oleksandr Shapoval is killed on the battlefield
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. 13, 2022.)
'It chips away at you': Misty Copeland on the whiteness of ballet
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.
Ukrainian ballet dancer Oleksandr Shapoval is killed on the battlefield
The 48-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.