Franz Schmidt’s Lament

A revised version of this appeared at Violinist.com in 2008 As the story has it, when Hungarian-born 20th century composer Franz Schmidt received the news in 1932 that his beloved daughter and only child, Emma, had died in childbirth, it was just prior to his setting to work on his Symphony no. 4 in C … Read more

Popcorn and pas de deux: ballet in the cinema

Okay, let’s hear your opinion. Is watching a grand, evening-length story ballet on the silver screen better, worse, or the same as the real deal, live onstage before you? My opinion ricochets around, kind of like movie popcorn in its glass case at the concession stand. No, nothing can beat the real deal – nothing! … Read more

9 Reasons to Watch Diablo Ballet

Robert Dekkers Jennifer Friel Dille David Fonnegra Tetyana Martyanova Rosselyn Ramirez Derek Sakakura Edward Stegge Mayo Sugano Justin VanWeest Okay, so maybe the title’s sort of a teaser.  I mean, certainly, you should watch Diablo Ballet. And the aforementioned dancers are indeed a good reason to go — odds are you’ll see all of them perform, … Read more

The Classical Girl turns one year old!

  The Classical Girl was a concept I’d created on the eve of 2013, a New Year’s resolution of sorts. My ballet novels were long completed, out being shopped, and I missed researching and living inside the dance world far more than I’d anticipated. Further, I knew, as a writer, that it was good to … Read more