In ballet, conductors are the dancers' guardian angels by Sarah L. Kaufman

"The dancer's fate is in the hands of the conductor," one ballerina says of the hidden heroes of the art form.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 8:03am on April 29, 2020☆⚑

The first great Zoom music video has arrived by Sarah L. Kaufman

How the band Thao and the Get Down Stay Down created "Phenom," helping us get down while staying home.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 12:24pm on April 22, 2020☆⚑

4 ways to reconnect with dance, theater, opera " and joy " during your self-quarantine by Sarah L. Kaufman

These digital outlets offer the joys of organized, musical humanity.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 11:18am on April 22, 2020☆⚑

Mark Morris, one of the world's leading choreographers, takes dance to Zoom by Sarah L. Kaufman

The dancemaker retools himself as a filmmaker as his dancers rehearse in their hallways, making entrances and exits through bathroom doors.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 9:32am on April 14, 2020☆⚑

How dancers cope when they can't dance: They improvise by Sarah L. Kaufman

The magical properties of a ramen spoon, a tennis ball and a yoga mat.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 7:42am on March 24, 2020☆⚑

Martha Graham dancers are marvelous, but the message is mixed in Kennedy Center program by Sarah L. Kaufman

In "EVE Project," the empowerment theme would have been better served by focusing on choreographer's very best works.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 3:24pm on March 6, 2020☆⚑

This ballerina played the role of a stripper, and she owned it by Sarah L. Kaufman

Washington Ballet's Sona Kharatian creates an indelible, sophisticated character in Balanchine's "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue."

SOURCE: Washington Post at 3:42pm on February 21, 2020☆⚑

Hervé Koubi was raised to keep quiet about the past. His dances tell a different story. by Sarah L. Kaufman

The French Algerian choreographer takes on toxic masculinity and gender cliches in "Boys Don't Cry," coming to Dance Place on Feb. 29 and March 1.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 8:42am on February 21, 2020☆⚑

A 'Giselle' that whirls with unusual lyricism by Sarah L. Kaufman

At the Kennedy Center, Hee Seo shines in American Ballet Theatre's production.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 3:54pm on February 12, 2020☆⚑

Ballet dancers have weird and quirky pre-show rituals that would put any sports star to shame by Sarah L. Kaufman

"Anything to avoid the thought of the 3,000 people," says one dancer, explaining why superstitions persist backstage.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 8:03am on February 6, 2020☆⚑

The tragic beauty of Alvin Ailey's politically charged dance programs by Sarah L. Kaufman

Jamar Roberts's "Ode" somehow manages to show the depth of loss to gun violence, as well as communal unity.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 5:54pm on February 5, 2020☆⚑

J-Lo and Shakira shake off boundaries, put on a ferocious master dance class at the Super Bowl by Sarah L. Kaufman

Our dance critic reviews the pop stars' dazzling halftime performance.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 11:18am on February 3, 2020☆⚑

National Ballet of Canada gets it right: In 'The Sleeping Beauty,' it's what's inside that counts by Sarah L. Kaufman

Rudolf Nureyev's opulent and deeply moving production dazzles at the Kennedy Center.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 2:12pm on January 31, 2020☆⚑

National Ballet of Canada dazzles with exhilarating energy at the Kennedy Center by Sarah L. Kaufman

Mixed bill includes Ratmansky's meditation on Soviet society, "Piano Concerto #1," the finale of his Shostakovich Trilogy.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 3:54pm on January 29, 2020☆⚑

A 'Swan Lake' with echoes of 'The Crown' at the Kennedy Center by Sarah L. Kaufman

Matthew Bourne's Windsor-inspired take on the classic ballet returns, with a snarling corgi, cellphones and all the thunderous, shirtless male swans of his 1995 original.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 3:36pm on January 23, 2020☆⚑

Storytelling is the key ingredient in the year's best dance works by Sarah L. Kaufman

Works by Mark Morris, Pam Tanowitz, Monica Bill Barnes and more.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 8:42am on December 10, 2019☆⚑

Cheap wine and cheese puffs are only the beginning of this 'Happy Hour' by Sarah L. Kaufman

Monica Bill Barnes & Company performance is part dance performance, part vaudeville act.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 4:33pm on November 22, 2019☆⚑

Washington Ballet opens its new season with three eye-catching, yet incomplete premieres by Sarah L. Kaufman

The company performs new works by Jessica Lang, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and John Heginbotham at Harman Hall.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 3:03pm on October 25, 2019☆⚑

Janet Jackson hired her as a backup dancer. Instagram made her a star. by Sarah L. Kaufman

How teenagers Kidathegreat, Kaycee Rice, Taylor Hatala and others are changing how we see and think about dance in the digital age.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 2:48pm on October 18, 2019☆⚑

Touring with a star used to be a dancer's dream. Now it's all about getting social media followers. by Sarah L. Kaufman

How teenagers Kidathegreat, Kaycee Rice, Taylor Hatala and others are changing how we see and think about dance in the digital age.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 10:33am on October 18, 2019☆⚑

Parents, you're enrolling your little ones in the wrong kind of dance class by Sarah L. Kaufman

The best choice? A box of scarves. And no rules.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 2:42pm on October 10, 2019☆⚑

Mariinsky Ballet's 'Paquita': Glittering dancing but a skimpy story by Sarah L. Kaufman

Viktoria Tereshkina dazzles in the three-hour ballet, yet its plot doesn't merit such a long exploration.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 6:36pm on October 9, 2019☆⚑

'Merce Cunningham at 100': Beautiful but missing a spark by Sarah L. Kaufman

Compagnie Centre National de Danse Contemporaine performs "Beach Birds" and "BIPED" at the Kennedy Center.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 7:03pm on October 4, 2019☆⚑

The crazy, joyful, uninhibited moves of the choreographer who is changing how we see dance by Sarah L. Kaufman

Ryan Heffington, who created the moves in "Chandelier" and the "Transparent" musical finale, wants to shake your world. And you.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 10:06am on September 27, 2019☆⚑

'Cats' the musical proves again it has way more than nine lives by Sarah L. Kaufman

Powerfully sung and flashy, the touring version of the 2016 Broadway revival is at the Kennedy Center through Oct. 6.

SOURCE: Washington Post at 4:18pm on September 20, 2019☆⚑