7 de Laan
We have the most exciting news! Our older students were invited to feature in the most well-known South African TV series that’ s been on the air for more than 20 years. They featured in the 7 de Laan episode on 14 February 2022. The students performed with the beautiful ballet and contemporary dance, choreographed by Alisa Balayan, […]
Moving to New Premises
The most thrilling news we have for you is that ODS will be moving to new premises that is walking distance from our current location from 1 March. Physical address of the new premises is Parktown North8a Seventh Avenue The new venue will allow both ODS studios to be on the same premise. In addition, […]
Demands for darker shades of pointe shoes yield ballet victories
For years, the default pointe shoe color for many ballet manufacturers has been a version of “European pink,” a ubiquitous shade of blush suited primarily for fair skin and light-colored tights. Faced with a lack of options for more diverse tones of satin, Black ballerinas and dancers of color have often dyed shoes with makeup or […]
The Singular Elegance of American Ballet Theatre’s Calvin Royal III
In an iPhone video of a Romeo and Juliet rehearsal made in early March, Calvin Royal III stands in a corner of an American Ballet Theatre studio, arms reaching far into space, chin slightly raised in welcoming anticipation. There is such warmth and openness in his stance, you can understand why Juliet would want to hurl herself halfway across […]
Training, Interrupted: Maintaining Perspective on How the Coronavirus Pandemic Will Affect Your Future
Living-room ballet has always been a big part of my life, whether I was working out choreographic ideas or just giving myself barre. But, as I write this, living-room ballet is all we’ve had for weeks. That changes everything. I know that, for my students and other young dancers, fears about what they might lose […]
Companies are rethinking live performance – and coming up with many creative solutions
The desire to be back dancing in the flesh appears to be at a tipping point. The dance community took a hot minute to take to the digital airwaves. But returning to live performance requires more time as we need to consider the safety of the performers, the crew and the audience. We all know […]