Olivia Manno
- Social Media Producer, Guggenheim Museum
New York
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Articles by Olivia Manno
Jasmine “JB” Badie’s Choreography Is Empowering Everyone from Sabrina Carpenter to Pharrell
Whether you’re a world-famous pop star or a concertgoer, Jasmine “JB” Badie is on a mission to make you feel. Originally from Atlanta, the Los Angeles–based choreographer has worked with everyone from Beyoncé to Pharrell and Megan Thee Stallion. Most recently, she was the lead choreographer on Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet Tour.
Comp Star Turned Commercial Dancer Ava Wagner Is Living in the Moment
Ava Wagner’s dance career seems almost predestined. “My grandma was stretching my feet the minute I was born,” she says. Her family’s connection to dance spans generations: her great-grandmother, Shirley Larkin, founded Larkin Dance Studio in Minnesota, where Wagner trained until she was 18; her grandmother, Michele Larkin-Wagner, currently co-owns the studio.
Comp Star Turned Commercial Dancer Ava Wagner Is Living in the Moment
Ava Wagner’s dance career seems almost predestined. “My grandma was stretching my feet the minute I was born,” she says. Her family’s connection to dance spans generations: her great-grandmother, Shirley Larkin, founded Larkin Dance Studio in Minnesota, where Wagner trained until she was 18; her grandmother, Michele Larkin-Wagner, currently co-owns the studio.
Sean Dorsey Prepares to Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Fresh Meat Festival
Throughout his trailblazing career, Sean Dorsey has consistently let community lead the way. In the 1990s, the choreographer, dancer, writer, educator, and activist recognized an urgent need for support among his fellow transgender and gender-nonconforming artists, whose work was continuously passed over for funding and institutional support.
Audimance, Kinetic Light's Multitrack, User-Choice Audio-Description App for Dance, Will Soon Launch in App Stores
In the final days of 2015, after a work-in-progress showing of Kinetic Light’s DESCENT, the company’s artist-engineer Laurel Lawson was approached by a group of blind and low-vision colleagues. “They said, ‘We missed stuff. There were times when we felt everyone in the audience leaning forward, or people gasping, but there wasn’t anything exciting happening in the audio description.’ So it was just utterly clear in that moment that this was completely inequitable,” Lawson remembers.
Lleyton Ho on Attending Stanford University While Dancing With San Francisco Ballet
In 2022, Lleyton Ho was at a crossroads. He’d just wrapped up his first full season as a corps de ballet member with San Francisco Ballet (the previous two seasons’ programming had been interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic), and he was eager to continue dancing with the company. Ho had completed his freshman year at Stanford University the year before, and the leave of absence he’d taken since then to pursue ballet was about to expire.
The New Powerhouse: International Festival Brings an Expansive Selection of Dance to Brooklyn
In Gowanus, Brooklyn, an enormous red-brick structure towers over the rest of the neighborhood’s three-story landscape. Formerly a power plant, the 117-year-old building is now home to Powerhouse Arts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting artists. At 170,000 square feet, Powerhouse is not short on space. The facility hosts art-makers, fabricators, workshops, public programs—and, beginning September 25, a brand-new arts festival, Powerhouse: International.
Comp Kid Turned Teacher and Choreographer Gabe De Guzman Comes Full Circle
Gabe De Guzman grew up taking convention classes across the country and starring in one viral class video after another, gaining tens of millions of views and hundreds of thousands of fans in the process. Now 24 years old, De Guzman is back on the convention circuit—at the front of the ballroom, leading the next generation of dancers through classes.
Comp Kid Turned Teacher and Choreographer Gabe De Guzman Comes Full Circle
Gabe De Guzman grew up taking convention classes across the country and starring in one viral class video after another, gaining tens of millions of views and hundreds of thousands of fans in the process. Now 24 years old, De Guzman is back on the convention circuit—at the front of the ballroom, leading the next generation of dancers through classes.
Finding the Flow State With Choreographer Akira Uchida
Akira Uchida’s choreography doesn’t fit neatly into a stylistic box. Originally from Ottawa, Canada, and now based in New York City, he grew up immersed in the world of competitions and conventions, honing his skills in jazz, tap, hip hop, ballet, and contemporary. After graduating from a performing arts high school, Uchida dove headfirst into Toronto’s commercial industry as a dancer. Itching for something more, he soon shifted his focus to choreography and teaching.
Finding the Flow State With Choreographer Akira Uchida
Akira Uchida’s choreography doesn’t fit neatly into a stylistic box. Originally from Ottawa, Canada, and now based in New York City, he grew up immersed in the world of competitions and conventions, honing his skills in jazz, tap, hip hop, ballet, and contemporary. After graduating from a performing arts high school, Uchida dove headfirst into Toronto’s commercial industry as a dancer. Itching for something more, he soon shifted his focus to choreography and teaching.
"Cabaret" Dancer Ida Saki on Staying Present During Each Role
When it comes to her dance career, Ida Saki lets intuition lead the way. “I try to follow whatever I’m interested in at the present moment,” she says.
Cabaret's Ida Saki on Staying Present During Each Role
When it comes to her dance career, Ida Saki lets intuition lead the way. “I try to follow whatever I’m interested in at the present moment,” she says.
Since finishing in the Top 8 of “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 18, Braylon Browner has continued to carve out a dynamic presence both on and off the stage. Currently a sophomore at University of Southern California’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, he’s balancing teaching opportunities at conventions and studios across the country with a growing online fanbase. His improvisational videos, often filmed in Kaufman’s sun-drenched studios, have become viral highlights on Instagram and TikTok.
How Braylon Browner Balances the Spotlight and the Studio
Since finishing in the Top 8 of “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 18, Braylon Browner has continued to carve out a dynamic presence both on and off the stage. Currently a sophomore at University of Southern California’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, he’s balancing teaching opportunities at conventions and studios across the country with a growing online fanbase. His improvisational videos, often filmed in Kaufman’s sun-drenched studios, have become viral highlights on Instagram and TikTok.
Why Reed Tankersley Loves Freelancing and Living in New York City
When Reed Tankersley was honored as one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2017, he was a recent graduate from The Juilliard School who had been traveling the country as part of Twyla Tharp’s 50th Anniversary Tour. Since then, Tankersley’s career has continued to bloom, landing him in the studio with Tharp for a slew of additional projects (like the troupe’s 2022 run at New York City Center), as well as the lead role in Cirque du Soleil’s Volta in 2019.
Kicking Eye-High With Radio City Rockette Karmen Moore
Karmen Moore had always dreamed of joining the Radio City Rockettes. But while completing her degree in dance performance at Southern Methodist University in 2023, she mainly focused on auditioning for contemporary and modern companies. A last-minute trip to New York City landed Moore at the Rockettes open call. She ended up making it through to the Rockettes Conservatory and, after another audition specifically for Conservatory dancers, officially joined the iconic line in November 2023.
Kicking Eye-High With Radio City Rockette Karmen Moore
Karmen Moore had always dreamed of joining the Radio City Rockettes. But while completing her degree in dance performance at Southern Methodist University in 2023, she mainly focused on auditioning for contemporary and modern companies. A last-minute trip to New York City landed Moore at the Rockettes open call. She ended up making it through to the Rockettes Conservatory and, after another audition specifically for Conservatory dancers, officially joined the iconic line in November 2023.
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Charly Barby Demonstrates True Grit
Earlier this year, Charly Barby was catapulted into the spotlight thanks to Netflix’s documentary series “America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.” The show chronicles the tryout process for the 2023–24 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, from which Barby was ultimately cut. But after a year of refining her skills in the studio, Barby secured a spot on this season’s squad, the realization of a lifelong dream. Barby is a standout performer, with agile high-kicks and an unassuming magnetism.
From Rhythmic Gymnastics to Ailey, Caroline T. Dartey Moves With Precision
The path to a professional dance career was anything but linear for Caroline T. Dartey. Born in Geneva, Switzerland, Dartey was originally an accomplished rhythmic gymnast, competing both nationally (she was the Swiss champion in her category from 2009–11) and internationally before leaving the sport behind for dance.
From Rhythmic Gymnastics to Ailey, Caroline T. Dartey Moves With Precision
The path to a professional dance career was anything but linear for Caroline T. Dartey. Born in Geneva, Switzerland, Dartey was originally an accomplished rhythmic gymnast, competing both nationally (she was the Swiss champion in her category from 2009–11) and internationally before leaving the sport behind for dance.
Once Again (For the Very First Time) Star Jeroboam Bozeman on His Foray Into Acting and Working With Rennie Harris
Described as a “hip-hopping supernatural fantasy,” Boaz Yakin’s new film, Once Again (For the Very First Time) follows DeRay, a dancer, and Naima, a spoken-word poet, as they navigate life, trauma, and love against the backdrop of a surreal New York City. It packs a remarkable amount of dance into its 106-minute run time. The choreography, by hip hop icon Rennie Harris, alternates between tender contemporary movements and powerful dance battles.
The Rise of Queer-Friendly Social Dances
On any given night across the country, queer people can be found dancing hand in hand, arm in arm, cheek to cheek in bars, bowling alleys, and convention centers. From line dance classes to salsa parties to Irish dance céilís, social dance culture is becoming increasingly queer-friendly, often flipping the script on the strict gender binary these genres have traditionally upheld.
Cats: The Jellicle Ball Cast Member Primo is Moved by the Music
My relationship and connection to music is the reason I dance,” says Primo, a 27-year-old dancer and performer who just wrapped up his run as Tumblebrutus in Cats: The Jellicle Ball, at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in New York City. Although he didn’t begin his dance training in earnest until age 14, a childhood immersed in musical theater and church services punctuated with gospel music equipped Primo with a refined sense of musicality.
English National Ballet Dancer Vsevolod Maievskyi’s Journey to Loving Ballet
In 2018, Vsevolod Maievskyi achieved his dream of joining the Mariinsky Ballet. For four years, Maievskyi was onstage night after night, dancing everything from demanding corps parts to Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, a role in which he debuted at age 23. Originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, Maievskyi made the decision to leave the Mariinsky in 2022. He danced with Dresden Semperoper Ballett from 2022–23 and joined English National Ballet last year as a junior soloist.
“Playground” Star Dexter Carr on When Dance Gets the Reality Show Treatment
The new Hulu reality series “Playground,” with Megan Thee Stallion as an executive producer, is equal parts dancing and drama. The show’s namesake is Playground LA, the Los Angeles dance studio owned by Kenny Wormald and Robin Antin that serves as a frequent backdrop for viral class videos. “Playground” follows a group of the studio’s standout dancers as they navigate Los Angeles’ cutthroat commercial dance scene.
English National Ballet Dancer Vsevolod Maievskyi's Journey to Loving Ballet
In 2018, Vsevolod Maievskyi achieved his dream of joining the Mariinsky Ballet. For four years, Maievskyi was onstage night after night, dancing everything from demanding corps parts to Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, a role in which he debuted at age 23. Originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, Maievskyi made the decision to leave the Mariinsky in 2022. He danced with Dresden Semperoper Ballett from 2022–23 and joined English National Ballet last year as a junior soloist.
Step Onto the Court with Brooklynettes Co-Captain Hayoung Roh
In the summer of 2021, Hayoung Roh auditioned for the Knicks City Dancers on a whim—and made the cut. After a year with that team, she transitioned to the Brooklynettes Dancers, the official dance team for the Brooklyn Nets. She’s now in her second season dancing with Brooklynettes, and her first as co-captain. Roh’s dancing, whether onstage or on the court, radiates with sincerity and effervescence.
Ballez’ Katy Pyle Creates a Coppélia Rooted in Queer History
Since founding Ballez in 2011, Katy Pyle has reckoned with ballet’s gendered and binary structures through their radical reinventions of works from the ballet canon, including The Firebird, Sleeping Beauty, and Giselle. Their latest piece, Travesty Doll Play Ballez (after Coppélia), explores Coppélia’s history as a travesty ballet—Paris Opéra principal ballerina Eugénie Fiocre originated the role of Franz in 1870—and features an entirely trans and nonbinary cast.
Step Onto the Court with Brooklynettes Co-Captain Hayoung Roh
In the summer of 2021, Hayoung Roh auditioned for the Knicks City Dancers on a whim—and made the cut. After a year with that team, she transitioned to the Brooklynettes Dancers, the official dance team for the Brooklyn Nets. She’s now in her second season dancing with Brooklynettes, and her first as co-captain. Roh’s dancing, whether onstage or on the court, radiates with sincerity and effervescence.
Kyle Hanagami, A Viral Sensation Across Multiple Forms of Media, Has Built a Dance Empire From the Ground Up
Even a glance at Kyle Hanagami’s resumé is enough to leave you short of breath. The 37-year-old choreographer has worked with everyone from Jennifer Lopez to Alicia Keys to Ariana Grande to BLACKPINK. He created the dances for this year’s box-office smash Mean Girls. And he’s amassed nearly 8 million followers and more than a billion video views on his social media accounts. “By no means did it happen overnight,” he says.
New York City Ballet Dancer Christina Clark Is Celebrating Every Stage
When Christina Clark saw her first Nutcracker performance at age 5, she didn’t immediately aspire to the roles of Sugarplum Fairy or Dewdrop—instead, she was fixated on the dozens of children in the cast. “I was determined to become one of those kids onstage,” she remembers. “Performing was the only goal.” Clark, a New York City native, was accepted into the School of American Ballet at age 7, became an apprentice with New York City Ballet in 2016, and was promoted to the corps de ballet in 2017.
Broadway Dancer Tilly Evans-Krueger Seeks Authenticity Above All
“In this industry, people often chase something because it’s the thing to do,” says Tilly Evans-Krueger, “but I chase authenticity, so I can book the jobs that will help me grow into the artist I truly want to be.” This approach has landed Evans-Krueger roles in a slew of standout Broadway, off-Broadway, and dance productions, including Moulin Rouge!, The Lucky Ones, and the premiere of Justin Peck and Jackie Sibblies Drury’s Illinoise at the Fisher Center at Bard.
A.I.M Dancer and House Teacher Gianna Theodore is Letting Joy Lead the Way
In 2018, after Gianna Theodore saw A.I.M by Kyle Abraham perform at The Joyce Theater, everything snapped into perspective. “I called my mom and said, ‘I have to dance for this company,’ ” she remembers. A.I.M held an open audition that year, and Theodore, who was a junior in the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program at the time, made it through many rounds of cuts, but after a conversation with company founder Kyle Abraham, they both decided that the timing wasn’t quite right.
A.I.M Dancer and House Teacher Gianna Theodore is Letting Joy Lead the Way
In 2018, after Gianna Theodore saw A.I.M by Kyle Abraham perform at The Joyce Theater, everything snapped into perspective. “I called my mom and said, ‘I have to dance for this company,’ ” she remembers. A.I.M held an open audition that year, and Theodore, who was a junior in the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program at the time, made it through many rounds of cuts, but after a conversation with company founder Kyle Abraham, they both decided that the timing wasn’t quite right.
Artist Karon Davis’ New Exhibition Grapples With the Physicality and Grit of Ballet
Inside a historic landmark building on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, a ballet landscape sits frozen in time. Towers of tutus and mountains of pointe shoes rise from the black-and-white tiled floors while plaster casts of dancers grasp the barre and stand, eternally, in first position. The tableaux throughout the exhibit feel monumental, alive, tragically gorgeous—and acutely attuned to the complexities of life as a ballet dancer.
Dance Teacher’s Top 10 Stories of 2021
What was your favorite story from Dance Teacher this year? Judging by our top-clicked articles and our most-talked-about social posts, dance teachers enjoyed reading about a wide range of topics. From figuring out what support they should and shouldn’t provide to their students to understanding what it means to dismantle racism on the competition stage, these timely and relevant stories made dance teachers all the more empowered to inspire and advance the next generation of dancers.
Ballez Founder Katy Pyle Is Creating Space for Students to Reclaim Ballet on Their Own Terms
For Ballez founder Katy Pyle, the pun came first and the epiphany second. “In 2011, I was having a conversation with a group of other queer, female-assigned contemporary dancers,” Pyle remembers, “and the consensus was that we all missed ballet, but we would never go back into that world.
4 Strengthening Exercises for Flawless Pirouettes
Because all dancers have experienced it at some point or another (Getty Images/patat) Now that we're more than nine months into the pandemic, there's a big chance you're feeling Zoom-ed out. Read: Totally overusing the video-conferencing app for school and dance classes—and everything else.
Bend, Don't Snap: The Right (And Wrong) Ways to Do Three Key Stretches
Because what better way is there to look to the future than to look to the stars? (Getty Images) 2020 has been a time. So if you're like us, you're getting excited (and hopeful) about what 2021 might bring. What better way to look to the future than to look to the stars? That's right, your resident Dance Spirit astrologers are here with your dance horoscopes of 2021. And to make this year *extra* special, we enlisted the help of pro astrologer Aliza Kelly to tap us into what's to come.
3 Key Exercises for Stronger, More Stable Pointework
Ashton Benn (third from right) backstage at a charity dance concert she produced (Mae Haines, courtesy Ashton Benn) You may know—or have seen on social media—that International Human Rights Day is in December. But did you know December is also Universal Human Rights Month? Communities all over the world designate this time to acknowledge the basic rights of every human, and to celebrate the idea that we all deserve to be treated with dignity.
#QuadGoals: The Best Ways to Strengthen and Stretch Your Quads
Photo by Lee Gumbs, graphic design by Nyamekye Smith. Makeup by James Perez, styling by Joey Thao, styling assistance by John Jimenez, hair by Nina Mercado, braids by Champagne Jones. Deja Riley as stand-in model throughout. Everyone has a Taja Riley story. Janet Jackson has a Taja story. (When Taja was just 17 and was hired to perform alongside her, Janet Jackson picked Taja up in a limo and they spent a day—seven hours, to be exact—together at a hair salon.) Rihanna has a Taja story.
The 3 Best Exercises to Help Dancers Prevent Knee Injuries
The Cult <p>The word "prodigy" gets thrown around a lot in the dance world. It's a word that works for Taja. At 15, she won the National Teen Female Outstanding Dancer title at New York City Dance Alliance, and by 16, she had moved from Virginia Beach to Los Angeles, ready and willing to go pro with her dance dreams.
4 Strengthening Exercises for Flawless Pirouettes
If there's one thing every dancer is always working on, it's her pirouette. It's no secret that this skill takes years of honing and practice. But in addition to solid technique, perfect pirouettes require a lot of strength. We turned to Roman Zhurbin, soloist with American Ballet Theatre and owner of Roman Empire Fitness, for a breakdown of the best ways to strengthen the muscles used in a pirouette. All photography by Erin Baiano. Hair and makeup by Angela Huff for Mark Edward Inc.
4 Strengthening Exercises for Flawless Pirouettes
Separate Beginnings <p>For Taylor, it all started with a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgfF_c6uPaU" target="_blank" rel="dofollow">video</a>. You've probably seen it—as have 14 million other people since it was posted in 2014: Taylor, barely 11, stands next to Laurence Kaiwai at The Kore Dance Studio in Canada, and hits each beat of Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda" harder than her teacher.
How Project 21 Is Shaping the Next Generation of Competition-Dance Standouts
Implicit bias and racial stereotyping are rampant in the dance world. That's a fact dancers of color have always known. But the anti-racism protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd—protests whose effects have reverberated through a myriad of industries—are bringing new attention to the problem. Though dance has been heavily influenced by Black culture and creators, most of its large institutions are overwhelmingly white. Eurocentric body standards are still the norm in much of the industry.
How Project 21 Is Shaping the Next Generation of Competition-Dance Standouts
Art can be a critical part of social justice activism. And the recent Black Lives Matter protests have given rise to all kinds of dance art, with Black dancers and choreographers using their bodies to speak important truths. Below are eight must-watch dance works by Black artists that address this moment of uprising.
The Misty Effect: Amanda Morgan, Corps de Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet
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3 Key Exercises for Stronger, More Stable Pointework
We're thrilled to be honoring members of the great Dance Class of 2020 on special digital covers. One new cover star will be revealed every day during the month of May. Take a look at our winners so far below—we'll be updating the list daily.
3 Key Exercises for Stronger, More Stable Pointework
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzE1MDQ0NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMTYwMzU5N30.d32QEdnJijdiFWVwx26QLrWJNLIbLUTkPEhTLAc5jYE/img.jpg?width=980" id="86b4b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="04ef18f61b378d33d40f3e598de22bd9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Sascha Radetsky and Ethan Stiefel pose side by side, seated at a restaurant.
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