Though purity in this world is a dubious concept, Evelyn Cisneros strives to challenge our cynicism. As San Francisco Ballet's senior ballerina, Cisneros brought to the stage a rare sparkle that seemed nothing less than purity of intention backed by love. If this statement seems too grand, just w

Charming, Composed, Contemplative, Sensual, Sincere

Alexandra Danilova was the first of George Balanchine's lifetime of muses. Balanchine created 18 ballets for her, the first of which was 1921's "Poeme." The partially spoken-word piece was one of the first "modern ballets" -- and positioned Danilova as the first of the "modern" ballerinas. Born to

Charming, Elegant, High modernism -- ballet in america, Sensual, Serene, Soviet ballet: the bolshoi and the kirov

Emboldening classical ballet, the Dance Theater of Harlem takes up the old and gives it an articulate, contemporary spin. The group sharpens the edge of the familiar with a bit of bombast, but always with impeccable classical precision. Arthur Mitchell founded the DTH in 1969, inspired to create

Classical, Clean, Composed, Dramatic, Innovations since balanchine, Pioneering

It has been said that no photograph ever captured the mysterious allure of Vaslav Nijinsky. The cameras of his time were too slow to capture the spectacular height of his leap, and static images could never depict the sensuality of his dancing. Both men and women were drawn to his powerfully expressi

In-your-face, Melancholy, Opulent, Pioneering, Severe, Sexy, The early russians