Dutch National Ballet’s Next Phase: A Conversation With Ted Brandsen and Ernst Meisner

By Steve Sucato for Pointe Magazine This is an exciting era for Dutch National Ballet. Led by longtime artistic director Ted Brandsen, the company tours to New York City this month—the first time in 40 years—bringing its star dancers and showcasing the company’s growth during his tenure. The performances, November 20–22 at New York City Center, will feature two programs with works by Brandsen, Hans van Manen, Alexei … Continue reading Dutch National Ballet’s Next Phase: A Conversation With Ted Brandsen and Ernst Meisner

A Conversation With Remi Wörtmeyer, BalletMet’s New Artistic Director

By Steve Sucato This past June, Columbus, Ohio’s BalletMet named Remi Wörtmeyer as its new artistic director. The choreographer, visual artist, fashion designer, and former dancer became BalletMet’s sixth director since its founding in 1978. He succeeds Edwaard Liang, who is now the artistic director of The Washington Ballet. Born and raised in Australia, Wörtmeyer had a notable career as a dancer with The Australian Ballet, American Ballet … Continue reading A Conversation With Remi Wörtmeyer, BalletMet’s New Artistic Director

Madison Ballet Comes Into Its Own Under Director Ja’ Malik

By Steve Sucato for Point Magazine + Madison Ballet’s long-term goal of becoming a full-time professional ballet company finally came to fruition in 2022 with the hiring of new artistic director Ja’ Malik. Founded in 1981 as Wisconsin Dance Ensemble to produce an annual Nutcracker production, the organization’s fortunes had waxed and waned over its four decades. A turning point came in 1999 with the arrival of previous … Continue reading Madison Ballet Comes Into Its Own Under Director Ja’ Malik