Ballet girls

This week, we were lucky enough to visit a class at the Academy of Dance, the official school of the Joffrey Ballet. The girls were achingly beautiful, and we were spellbound as they stretched and practiced. I could have stayed for days. See more photos here.

(Photo by Anna Wolf)Source URL: https://ledger-heath.blogspot.com/search/label/ballet
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Beatriz Stix-Brunell

Beautiful.

(Photo by Jake Chessum)Source URL: https://ledger-heath.blogspot.com/search/label/ballet
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The Peter Pans of Broadway

New York Magazine just featured a really sweet story about the three boys who play Billy Elliot on Broadway. They are incredibly talented, but they're all terrified that their voices will drop or they'll have a growth spurt, since then they wouldn't be able to play the young character anymore. One boy said, "My mom used to measure me up against the wall and put the pencil at an angle to make me look taller. Now she squishes my head down to make me smaller." Aw, I just want to give them big hugs. The ballet world is so beautiful but can be so brutal. Read the story here.

(Photos by Rachel Papo, who also took these stunning ballet shots.)Source URL: https://ledger-heath.blogspot.com/search/label/ballet
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More ballet...

When I was growing up, I was obsessed with Children of Theatre Street, a documentary about Russian ballet students who board at their school and dance all day long. (Also, they can't eat ice cream until they retire!) It's amazing how dedicated they are and sad how much pressure they're under. These stunning photos by Rachel Papo give a sense of that.
(Via JanelleGrace)Source URL: https://ledger-heath.blogspot.com/search/label/ballet
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Ballet Inspired.

Are there certain things that can completely inspire you in a matter of seconds? I danced for years growing up, and my heart still skips a beat when I see stunning feet like these. Oh, those arches!

I think I'll go to a ballet this summer. I'll wear a dress with these flats or these and pretend that I'm a dancer on her day off.Source URL: https://ledger-heath.blogspot.com/search/label/ballet
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Ballet is so beautiful.

Also calming. P.S. Mama and Marie-Laure, this post is for you. :)
(Via Vanessa)Source URL: https://ledger-heath.blogspot.com/search/label/ballet
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Paris + Dresses

My mom and I watched this movie last night, and we loved it.

Also loving:
Zac Posen said the theme of his Pre-Fall 2008 presentation was "poodle ballet." I'm not sure quite what that means, but if these dresses define it, I'm all for it. God, I heart that middle neckline.Source URL: https://ledger-heath.blogspot.com/search/label/ballet
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New York City Ballet

I love New York City Ballet's new identity and promotional campaign. Their clean, modern, gorgeous posters make me want to buy tickets right away. Ads work!Source URL: https://ledger-heath.blogspot.com/search/label/ballet
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I can't wait to see this.

Christopher Wheeldon's much anticipated contemporary ballet company will perform Morphoses in October. Gorgeous. Look at those legs. Damn.Source URL: https://ledger-heath.blogspot.com/search/label/ballet
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Ooooh, these shoes....

Oh, my gosh, I am so in love with these stunning ballet flats from Tashkent by Cheyenne. The best part is that their square toes make them look like the actual pointe shoes that dancers wear.

I used to study ballet really seriously, and whenever we bought pointe shoes we'd have to break them in. Pointe shoes are really stiff at first, so you have to bend them, hit them against concrete and stack books on them to make them soft enough to dance in (since when you dance, your foot needs to curve very precisely in each step, so the shoes have to be fitted yet soft). We'd cut off the fabric at the toe so they wouldn't be slippery when we were turning; and we'd scrape up the bottoms to get more friction on the slick studio floors. Then we'd sew on the elastics and ribbons, and we'd be good to go.

It was intense process, but a well broken-in pair of pointe shoes is the best thing in the world. The Tashkent shoes are the next best thing.

Bonus: If you buy them through Otte, you can get a 20 percent discount through Lucky Magazine; register here for the discount code.Source URL: https://ledger-heath.blogspot.com/search/label/ballet
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