Binge on Balanchine

I mentioned in my video about the Struggles of the Adult Ballet Life that when I feel like I've fallen off the ballet wagon or just need some motivation to remind me how great dancing makes me feel, I like to watch ballet videos. For me, this doesn't make me sad, it makes me crave dancing enough to pull me out of whatever rut I'm in and get my butt back to class. And it's that first class back after some time off that helps me get right back in my groove. Well, after a couple classes of being really sore ;)

I thought I would share some places I've either recently discovered or am a repeat visitor to for some dance-spiration.

New York City Ballet did a three week run in Paris last summer and PBS recorded the last performance of four Balanchine pieces. Lucky for us, it is now available FOR FREE to watch in its entirety! In New York City Ballet in Paris you will see:

•  Walpurgisnacht. I had never seen this one, but definitely recognized the music from class and it is now a favorite ballet of mine! Sara Mearns just absolutely blows my mind with her strength and artistry in this show. 
• La Valse. Another one I had never seen and for some reason the costuming never had me excited to see what it was all about (I know, judging a book by its cover..), but I did enjoy the movements created to interpret high society ladies.
• Symphony in C. This one is a classic for NYCB, performed in two parts, opening with Sonatine and finishing with the ballet's title.

If you haven't had enough Balanchine yet, you can also watch Curtain Up: The School of American Ballet Workshop from May of 2014. I am a little biased about watching this one because I was actually in the audience thanks to my aunt getting us tickets! It was also the first time I saw Serenade, my favorite ballet, so it holds a special place in my heart. I did a little vlog from this trip to NYC which you can still see on our YouTube channel here :)

I also think New York City Ballet does a fantastic job on their YouTube channel by sharing short videos about the ballets being performed each season. It's usually narrated by a dancer so not only do you get a quick understanding of the ballet's origin and meaning paired with beautiful rehearsal & performance footage, you get to hear it from the perspective of the person dancing it. Some great examples are Ashley Bouder on Serenade, Sterling Hyltin on Stravinsky Violin Concerto, and Chase Finlay on Fearful Symmetries.

So there are some options if you're sitting at home and need a little ballet pick-me-up or binge! :) I've also been watching a lot of non-ballet dance videos lately and am finding so much inspiration watching the amazing talent that's out there these days. I can do another post about other dance videos to watch if you guys would like. Just let me know in the comments!

- Jana