Yes, dance artists are turning up more and more frequently in the pages of mainstream publications (and YAY for that trend!). But it's pretty rare for the renowned New York Times to feature a teenage dancer.

Then again, it's pretty rare for anyone to be as all-around fabulous as Larsen Thompson.

This weekend, the Times interviewed our former cover star for its Up Next column, discussing everything from her reaction to that first viral dance video ("I woke up with about a million views on YouTube, and it was like, What the heck?") to her upcoming role in the film Family Tree ("It's a cool, mysterious, crime-related movie") to her aspirations to pop stardom (she describes her voice as a combination of "Lorde, Selena Gomez and Taylor Swift").

GET IT, LARSEN. And while the NYT piece might not give you the dance fix you crave, we're here to help with that. Check out some of Larsen's most dancetastic videos below.

In a Dancy Campaign for Fame and Partners

Making dancing in elegant evening wear look as effortless as a plié.

In a Wonderfully Weird "Stranger Things" Tribute

An ode to Eleven, alongside the always-fierce Charlize Glass.

In a Dance-Meets-Fashion Clip for "Harper's Bazaar"

Exhibit #69372 in the case for the inescapable connection between dance and fashion.

In a Wonderfully Dreamy Music Video

For BØRNS' "American Money."

In a Casually Perfect Free People Ad

Grooving and hair-flipping her way around downtown L.A.

In the Video that Started it All

Who run the world? Larsen and Taylor Hatala, obvi.

When Kelly Schmutte started dancing on pointe in fifth grade, she felt like there had to be a way to make it feel more natural. Right away she began thinking about how to improve the experience. "I wondered if there was a way to make it more enjoyable, so that a dancer could focus on technique and artistry, rather than what her shoe was doing," she says. Fast-forward to today, and Schmutte is founder and CEO of the wildly successful PerfectFit Pointe, a company that makes molded fitting solutions. Some of the biggest stars in ballet, like New York City Ballet's Sara Mearns and Lauren Lovette, say Schmutte's molds have been "game changing."

A Ballet Beginning

Schmutte's road from beginner pointe student to CEO was somewhat circular: She went from ballet, to school (lots of it!), and back to the ballet world again. Schmutte grew up in Davis, CA, and danced for Applegate Dance Studio's regional company during her high school years. "I've always been artistic and creative, and those parts of ballet resonated with me," she says. "You can be expressive with the music while the technical side of it really engages your brain."

But Schmutte didn't pursue a professional career in ballet. Instead, she considered going into engineering (her dad is a civil engineer) and attended Stanford University, where she earned two degrees: a bachelor's and a master of science in product design. She learned about technical elements and how to make something both aesthetically pleasing and meaningful for the target audience. Meanwhile, Schmutte explored different types of dance in college, and returned to ballet classes post-college. "Ballet has been a thread throughout my life," she says. "It's always been in the back of my mind to improve the experience of pointe shoes, and I took it on for my undergraduate capstone project. That was the genesis of PerfectFit."

Creating a Product

Schmutte's original design for PerfectFit Pointe was a moldable product with gel pouches. "The concept of a customized toe pad was there, but the materials and construction were totally different," she says. After graduation, she moved to Boston briefly, working as a design researcher, but she couldn't find enough time to focus on her own fledgling product. "I knew that finding the right material was going to be a challenge, and I had to spend time doing more research," she says.

Schmutte worked in a Capezio store for six months and assisted with pointe shoe fittings, talked to dancers and families, and did hour-and-a-half interviews to get different perspectives on pointe shoes. "Dancers' feet are as different as their faces," she says. "I realized I needed to make something that was going to be designed for a variety of foot types."

Schmutte's customizable toe pads (photo by Jason Henry, courtesy Schmutte)

The final result? A unique fitting solution that fills empty spaces in the box of the shoe that traditional pads can't reach, reducing the pressure on your feet in the process. "That way, your weight isn't concentrated on just a few points of your toes or knuckles, but over a larger area," says Schmutte. She found a chemist to manufacture the silicone component, and used other connections to produce the "soft goods": toe socks, spacer sleeves, and a mesh bag that doubles as storage for the inserts.

Getting Dancers on Board

Once Schmutte felt her product was ready, she started to strategize and plan how to grow her business. She launched an online store, reached out to dancers she had already met through her research, and started an Instagram account in the fall of 2015. "I started following a lot of dancers on Instagram," she explains. "I knew it would do amazing things for the brand if I could get an endorsement by a high-level professional dancer."

One of the dancers she followed was New York City Ballet principal Sara Mearns. Schmutte sent her a message, asking if she wanted to try some free samples. Mearns responded saying she'd love to try the product and give feedback.

Schmutte watching De Sola test out her customized toe pads (photo by Jason Henry, courtesy Schmutte)

The result? "She really loved them in a way that I never would have anticipated!" says Schmutte. "I had this assumption that professionals had already found what worked for their bodies. But I was wrong. Dancers are the ultimate perfectionists and are always searching and trying new things." Just like Schmutte. These days the product is available online, and even more dancers from major companies—including New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, and the Royal Danish Ballet—use her inserts in their pointe shoes.

A version of this story appeared in the July/August 2018 issue of Dance Spirit with the title "Pointe-ing The Way."

Lucky you! You get to spend a week full of dancing with amazing choreographers, teachers and dancers! As exhilarating as this is, you need to know how to get the most out of your camp experience in order to create those memories that last a lifetime.

One way to get the most out of your dance camp is to be respectful and trustful. Showing respect to your teacher will help them to feel more accepted by the class. Things like nodding your head and holding your posture upright are great nonverbal cues that go a long way. "You should be plugged in, charged up and ready to go when class begins," said Just For Kix Executive Director, Cindy Clough. Trusting your teacher is important because it allows you to get the most out of class. By trusting your teachers knowledge, you will gain more insight to the world of dance.

Your mood is contagious, what are people catching from you? Your attitude is what will help you to enjoy your time at your summer dance camp. Being confident is key! Believe in yourself and your dancing ability. You will grow so much as a dancer during your camp experience if you allow yourself to have faith and try new things with an open mind. "If you believe you can't perfect a skill, you act in a way to make it happen. If you believe you can perfect a skill, you act in a way to make it happen," said professional dancer, choreographer, instructor and designer, Ali Geraets (Clough). Dance camp is all about trying to make yourself better, so ask your teacher for help. After all, that is what they're trained to do!

Lastly, remember the real reason you're at camp. For some it's to meet new people, learn new styles of dance, improve their technique or anything else in between! It's important to be supportive of everyone else's goals and your own goals. Discovering your reason for dancing might just be what you need to take yourself to the next level.

Where ever you choose to go to dance camp, these tips will help you to get the most out of your experience. If you are yet to sign up for a dance camp, but are interested in one, click here to find the perfect summer dance camp for you!

As if we weren't already excited enough for the release of Tiler Peck's documentary, this new trailer has set the excitement bar even higher. Ballet Now drops on Hulu in just a few short weeks and We. Cannot. Wait.

ICYMI because you haven't seen the light of day in weeks—let alone dance-world news—at your summer intensive or Nationals, the documentary is produced by Elisabeth Moss (of "Mad Men" and "The Handmaid's Tale" fame) and follows the New York City Ballet principal as she curates and performs in last year's BalletNOW program in L.A., which was no small feat. The fab #BTS footage lets us in on just how stressful an undertaking that was for Peck.

The new trailer offers much more dancy goodness than the first thanks to more appearances by tapper Michelle Dorrance and by lots of other pros who also performed in the L.A. program. And there's tons of Tiler sneak peeks, too, don't you worry.

Enjoy below. Then, start the countdown to July 20 bunheads!

After four speedy rounds of solo auditions, we've arrived at The Academy!

If you've been living in "So You Think You Can Dance" Land for a long time (shout-out to everyone who was alive and watching back when Nick Lazzarini won Season 1 in 2005), The Academy is the new Vegas Week, when the narrowed-down group of dancers who impressed the judges in NYC and L.A. get thrown to the wolves. (This year, as we found out in last night's ep, Academy sessions happened at the Dolby Theater in L.A.) They're put through grueling choreography rounds, where they're tasked with picking up choreo super fast, then performing it, then hoping not to get cut, and then moving onto the next style—learn, rehearse, repeat.

This week, the choreographers on deck were husband-and-wife dream team Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo and ballroom wizard Jean-Marc Généreux. But first, we kicked things off with a prelim in which the 70 Academy dancers did solos for Nigel, Mary, and Vanessa. Those performances determined whether or not they'd move on to the choreography rounds. And the judges weren't playing—Nigel said he was ready to "break a few hearts."

So, how'd the first Academy episode play out?

The Solo Standouts

Darius Hickman

This contemporary dynamo auditioned last season, and the judges loved him and his story (his mom went to prison, and dance got him through the ordeal). This season, he's back, with his mega-deep pliés in second, fierce focus, and legs. The performance was excellent—one Mary said would "keep her going for the next couple hours." Not sure what that means, but Darius is on to meet Nappytabs!

Jensen Arnold

We know Jensen from last season, too: She's Lindsay Arnold's little sister, remember? But she says she's ready to step out of her big sis's shadow. (More possible big sisters, based on looks, for Jensen: Lauren Conrad and Julianne Hough. Right?!) She busted out a side aerial to start things off, and continued with a whole lotta shaking and sassing from there on out. (Nigel called her dancing heavy, but we just pretended we didn't hear that.) Unsurprisingly, she got through to the hip-hop round.

Tessa Dalke

We bow down to Tessa. She's the one studying psychobiology, remember? And now she's at The Academy a week before her bio midterms. Um, go girl. Her jumps are as light as, well, air, and she's got the prettiest feet we've seen this season. Mary thought she was extraordinary (same!), and called her solo the best of the day. Unsurprisingly, she got through to choreography.

By the end of the solo round, 53 dancers remained. And they got to tackle...

Hip Hop with Nappytabs

Tabitha promised the dancers "the hardest work they've ever done in their lives." And so the remaining Top 20 hopefuls partnered up for "moments of slow grooves" and "a bunch of musicality moments." They had 90 minutes to learn the routine, during which, naturally, some of them started to get injured and exhausted and scared. Then it was time to perform in groups of six, three pairs at a time.

The first group "really brought it" and all get to stick around (including terrific tapper Evan DeBenedetto). But from there, the cuts came fast and furious. For every few dancers that nailed the routine (including Jay Jackson and Hannahlei Cabanilla), a bunch were cut. By the end of the hip-hop round, eight more dancers were out of the running.

Ballroom with Jean-Marc Généreux

Then it was cha-cha time! And Vanessa got the giggles! Returning favorite Kyle Bennett, Jr., was up first. Could the animator cha-cha? Kind of! Nigel commended his effort, and he was on to the next round, along with the rest of his six-person group. Ballroom vets Jensen Arnold and Melany Mercedez got some screen time next, and were both expected to crush it. But here's the thing: Getting a not-fluent-in-ballroom partner (like Melany, who was paired with animator Ryan Green) can make the situation...complicated. Fortunately, the judges know that, and Melany and Jensen both got through, along with fan fave Jay Jackson.

41 dancers are on to the next challenge—cue Travis Wall and Mandy Moore! Same place, same time, next week!

What's the best way to respond to a cute guy who just DMed you? How about sending a 🔥 dance video? That's what our favorites Kyle Hanagami and Haley Fitzgerald suggest, anyway—after claiming they've "never had a DM before." Haha. HAHAHAHAHAHA.

The two dance besties just posted an adorable (if implausible) sketch that turns into said 🔥 dance video, set to Quinn Lewis' "Weekend Luv," on Insta. And it's our new favorite thing. Come for the choreo, stay for the twist ending!

Win Capezio Hanami Pirouette

In our "Dear Katie" series, former NYCB soloist Kathryn Morgan answers your pressing dance questions. Have something you want to ask Katie? Email dearkatie@dancespirit.com for a chance to be featured!

Dear Katie,

I've been studying ballet seriously and hope to be a professional dancer. But my family doesn't have a lot of money, and my parents recently told me I need to cut down my dance class schedule. How can I do that without harming my training?

Lily

Dear Lily,

There's no way around it: Dance training is expensive. But there are ways to help ease the financial burden.

First, many schools will provide financial aid for students who can demonstrate need. Some also have work-study programs that allow students to do things like answer phones at the front desk a few times a week in exchange for free classes. Never be afraid to ask about those options. Talk to an administrator to find out what your school's aid policy is.

You can also supplement your training outside of the studio for free. There are many videos on YouTube that allow you to take class in your living room. While the internet should never be your only educational source, instructional videos can really help you keep up your technique on days you can't get to class at a studio.

And make the absolute most out of the classes you do get to take. Keep a notebook and write down all the corrections you hear—whether they're given to you or a classmate—so you can think about and work on them at home. If the teacher allows it, record yourself during center, so you can analyze the footage later and see how you might address your weak spots.

For more of Katie's helpful tips and advice, click here.

It took no fewer than three years for choreographers Chris Martin and Larkin Poynton to create Project Home, a 45-minute film that brings together artists from all over the world (including the inspirational Mari Madrid!). And their finished product is sure to take your breath away. Seriously, guys: It's beautiful.

Martin and Poynton's vision was to tell the story of a "lost soul" through dance in an innovative, non-linear structure. Featuring an original score, the film centers on themes of home, family, and identity with the incredible landscapes of Iceland as a backdrop. Its message resonates across the globe, exploring the question of what it means to belong.

Unfamiliar with Martin and Poynton? Check out more of their work below.

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Poynton's choreography at Arena Dance Competition in China

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Choreography collab between Martin and Poynton

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Martin's choreography to "Like Woah" by Logic

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Martin's solo at Arena Dance Competition in 2015

Happy Nationals season, everybody! It's that time of year when us lucky editors get to watch so, SO many gorgeous solos by dancers competing for big titles. But even among the insanely gifted artists at the top of the comp circuit, Tate McRae stands out. Just ask anyone who's seen the solo that helped her win Teen Best Dancer at The Dance Awards in Vegas last week.

Choreographed by Travis Wall (naturally), "Woman" is virtuosic both technically and artistically. Are the 180-degree extensions and fluid lyricism that captivated "So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation" audiences two years ago still there? Of course they are. But Tate also approaches the solo with a commitment and maturity that's rare in industry veterans, let alone 14-year-old students.

That's why this beauty is our #WCW—this week and, let's be real, pretty much every week. Congrats on your well-deserved win, Tate!

This sporty short-sleeve pullover, with raw edges and an open neckline, is perfect for pulling over a bun and dance clothes. It's casual and comfy and transitions from studio to street as fast as you do after a long day of rehearsal. Enter below for your chance to win it!

Jess LeProtto's fiery energy and jaw-dropping jumps and turns have earned him a place in the Great White Way spotlight. LeProtto started singing and dancing at age 5, and performed in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Nashville, TN, as a kid. He made his Broadway debut in The Boy From Oz in 2003, followed by stints in Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! and Bye Bye Birdie. In 2011, he made it to the Top 8 on "So You Think You Can Dance." It was his role in the original cast of Newsies in 2012, though, that truly solidified his trusted-veteran status. Since then, he's performed in On the Town, CATS, and Hello, Dolly! Currently, LeProtto dances in the Broadway revival of Carousel, which opened earlier this year. Read on for The Dirt.

Do you have any guilty pleasures?

Ben & Jerry's lol

Who's your dance crush?

Georgina Pazcoguin: She's the cat's meow! I love her!

What's your go-to stress reliever?

Jazz music

What are you most nervous about?

Forgetting things

Who are your dance role models?

Gene Kelly: Watching him sing and dance in the rain.

Michael Jackson: Captured all the soul and groove in dance.

Baryshnikov: Combined dance and acting that I never saw before.

John Selya: Movin' Out changed my life!

Al Blackstone: The way he dances is movement for the soul.

What are the most-played songs on your playlist?

"New York State of Mind," Billy Joel

"Follow Your Road," Seawind

"Everyday Rapture," Sherie Rene Scott

"Peg," Steely Dan

What are your most-watched TV shows?

"Seinfeld," "The Muppet Show," "Stranger Things"

What are your favorite dance movies?

West Side Story, Singin' In the Rain, White Nights

What's something no one knows about you?

I know all of the lines to the movie Center Stage. ("Get out of my class!")

I also attend Pace University part-time, getting my BFA musical theater degree.

What can always make you laugh?

Dancing mascots, physical comedy, Martin Short

Do you have any nicknames?

Jessifer, Jessman, Jester

Who would play you in a movie?

J.T. Church from "So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation"

Have you had any embarrassing moments onstage?

Fell into the orchestra pit in Newsies during "Seize the Day," and climbed back up in time to hit the final pose of the number. I also ripped my bright green pants right down the middle in Bye Bye Birdie.

What's your advice for young dancers?

Research: There is so much to learn and read about. YouTube is a great tool for that. Always observe, take in and appreciate how other dancers interpret choreography. Be adaptive in the elements surrounding the movement (music, other actors onstage, setting).

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Italy, Paris, Australia

What's the last thing you do before you go to bed?

Have a cup of tea with a little after-show snack

What's your favorite book?

Lucky Man, by Michael J. Fox

What non-dance things would you consider yourself expert at?

Garage Band, paddle ball, awards-show trivia

What would you be if you weren't a dancer?

Teacher, orchestrator, arranger

Do you have any hidden talents?

I play piano, keyboard, and drums. Just started learning the bass, too!

If you could work with any choreographer, who would it be?

Twyla Tharp, Jerome Robbins, Michael Kidd, or Fosse!

What are your pet peeves?

People walking down the street glued to their phones who don't know where they're going

What are your dream roles?

Cosmo, Singin' In the Rain

Eddie, Movin' Out

A-Rab or Action, West Side Story

Mike, A Chorus Line

Little Chap, Stop the World: I Want to Get Off

Anything originated by Joel Grey

What's your biggest fear?

Strange noises

A version of this story appeared in the July/August 2018 issue of Dance Spirit with the title "The Dirt with Jess LeProtto."

What with the insanely high overall level of talent and technique on a televised dance competition like "World of Dance," it's often easy to forget that these dancers, too, have areas to improve upon and goals still left to reach. TV dance stars: They're just like US! On last night's episode of "World of Dance," the top three scorers proved that even once you reach the top of your game, there's still room for even more beautiful growth.

Take DNA, aka Denys Drozdyuk and Antonina Skobina, the Ukrainian-born ballroom couple (onstage and off, awwwww!) who've been burning the floor together for ten years. After being sent home from "WOD" during last year's Duels, they took the judges' feedback to heart and are back to show the world they're better than ever. And BIGGER than ever, in Drozdyuk's case: Last night, J.Lo commented that he's bulked up visibly, to which Drozdyuk replied, "Well, I had to buy dumbbells after last year." Way to make critical feedback work for you (and net an 88.7 from the judges), DNA!

The Untouchables, a Latin-fusion group in the Junior division, definitely had the cuteness factor on their side as they blasted through a lightning-speed routine that included samba, capoeira, and tons of other Latin-dance specialties. Though the judges gave them a solid 88.7, Ne-Yo warned the pint-size dynamos that "Energy without focus is just chaos. You don't want to be a jack of all trades and a master of none." True to the that.

But the incontestable standout last night was The Rock Company of Las Vegas, NV. They performed a piece that responded to last October's fatal mass shooting in their hometown, and the result was truly transcendent and moving, thanks to the seamless choreo and the dancers' focused, genuine performances. The group earned a 96.7—and proved they're a team to keep an eye on as the competition progresses to Duels next week.

Have you ever referred to your feet as biscuits or your pointe shoes as dead in front of a non-dancer friend or family member and seen a wave of confusion cross their face? Dance, like most activities, is chock-full of words and phrases used only by those in the know. In honor of their 90th anniversary, the Oxford English Dictionary wants to change that. They've put out an appeal to gather "hobby words," and dance is on their list (we know that dance is more than a hobby—try not to take offense).

Read the full story on pointemagazine.com.

Dancers are truly a special breed. And that means some of the stuff we do every day—stuff that seems totally normal to us—completely weirds out our non-dance friends. Here are 10 funny dancer habits we're guessing you can totally relate to.

We Can't Stop Moving

Sitting still just isn't in our DNA! We're always jumping and moving around no matter where we are—which can, depending on the setting, get a bit embarrassing.

We Do a Penchée Every Time We Bend Down

Oops, did you just drop your phone? We'll get it for you—while doing the most perfect penchée you've ever seen. At this point, it's just second nature.

We Constantly Crack Our Joints

Our hands, our knees, our backs—you name it, we're definitely cracking it at least 10 times a day.

We're ALWAYS Turned-Out

Whether we're standing in line at Starbucks or waiting for the bus, we can't help but turn out.

We Mark Choreo with Our Hands

No, that's not sign language. We're just casually going through the choreography we learned last night.

We Stretch Literally Anywhere

On the kitchen counter? Check. In a movie theater seat? Check. At our locker before 4th period? Check. WE ARE NEVER NOT STRETCHING.

We Fill Our Bags with Not-So-Ordinary Supplies

Seriously, us dancers work some Mary Poppins magic to get all that weird stuff in there—from tennis balls to dental floss to medical tape.

We Do Everything in a Split

Whether we're reading a book or watching the latest episode of "So You Think You Can Dance," odds are good we're in a split.

We're Happy to Walk Around in a Leotard

Dance clothes are basically our entire wardrobe, so, no shame. (Leotard + shorts = an entirely acceptable summer outfit.)

We're Always Asking "What Song is This?"

Sorry, but we're constantly choreographing in our heads, and we need to know what song to look up later!

Since dancers are masters at the art of movement, Hollywood frequently turns to them for big motion capture projects. (Mumble's happy feet in Happy Feet came courtesy of tap legend Savion Glover, for example.) Jenn Stafford, who's danced with Cirque du Soleil and , is one such dancer: She's taking her skills to the big screen in the form of motion capture for the Avatar sequels. We chatted with Stafford to find out how her dance training has helped her performance in motion capture, and the unique challenges these projects pose.

How did you get involved in motion capture?

My boyfriend is an actor and a stuntman, and he convinced me to go to a stunt/movement audition. After two additional callbacks, a test shoot, and trial period, I finally found myself regularly working on set for Avatar. (That still feels strange to say!)

What's it like doing motion capture as a dancer?

Doing motion capture is fun because it's so different from your traditional dance project. Plus, seeing your moves on some awesome-looking animation is incredible.

How has your dancing helped you with motion capture?

My contemporary training and my experience with improvisation greatly assisted with my performance on set. The body awareness I've gained from my technical training and performance experiences helps me take direction from the animators and apply it quickly.

Are there certain styles of dance that are more applicable to motion capture?

There are many different kinds of motion capture jobs out there, which can involve many styles of dance. Being a lover of creature-like movement and character work, I'm happy that I get to work on this film. It incorporates a lot of the contemporary style that I enjoy.

How do you prepare for a motion-capture day on set?

Doing 10 shows a week at Cirque du Soleil trained me to be regimented about maintaining and warming up my body. I still like to do some kind of warm-up or work-out to begin my morning. As dancers and performers, it's important to check in with your body each day.

Unlike most actors on the set I don't have any elaborate costumes. I just have a formfitting motion capture suit with markers all over it, and instead of heavy make up and eyelashes, I have black dots on my face. I don't have to worry about slicking my hair into a bun, either—I usually just braid it and put it under my helmet!

What are some challenges that come with doing motion capture as a dancer?

In the beginning, there were times where my movement was "too pretty." I had to rethink the way I approached my work on set. I quickly learned that the versatility and adaptability I'd developed as a dancer would need to be applied to this project, since I play several characters and each character I play has to have a different style of movement.

Another challenge is the absence of music. Music has always had a large influence on my movement but in this project it's not an essential element. But the Avatar team likes to make the process as realistic as possible, so they do include sound effects and wind whenever they're involved in a scene.

Photo by Mai Sato Photography, courtesy Stafford

What's been your favorite part about working on this project?

I've learned so much! It's been filled with so many new experiences in such a short amount of time that I've had to grow and improve. I also love working with the Avatar team. Everyone's so talented and creative—it's truly inspiring.

What advice do you have for dancers who are interested in doing motion capture?

At 18, I thought I knew what having a career in dance and the arts meant. Fast-forward a couple of years and my perspective has completely changed. You never know where your life will lead. Go for what you're passionate about, but always stay open to the new, weird, and sometimes strange opportunities! Motion Capture is a huge art form that I'm so happy to be a part of.

With musicals like Hairspray, Grease, Peter Pan, and The Wiz earning prime-time spots on big networks, complete with celebrity-studded casts and flashy new choreography, there's no question that live TV musicals are here to stay. But what's it actually like to perform in one? We followed dancer Conor Ryan during the rehearsal process for Jesus Christ Superstar, which aired on NBC on Easter Sunday, to get the inside scoop. The show, starring John Legend and Sara Bareilles, with choreography by Camille A. Brown, got lots of buzzy reviews. —Courtney Bowers

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Courtesy Ryan

It's the first day on set at the New York State Armory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This place is massive! We just had a sound check today, but I also got to spy my new dressing station.

Sunday, March 25, 2018

Ryan with Legend (courtesy Ryan)

It's officially one week until the show! Our first rehearsal today on the gorgeous, gargantuan set has presented a whole new set of obstacles, from sand to fire to spray paint. But John Legend is back with us from a three-week album tour, and with Jesus leading us, we're up for anything.

Monday, March 26, 2018

Today was our longest rehearsal yet (9 am to 10:30 pm), and our bodies are really feeling it. The week ahead feels intimidating, but we burned through a major tech portion of the show.

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Today's our first rehearsal in full costume. Suddenly the Armory feels a whole lot colder…

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Thank goodness for our physical therapist! Our choreographer, Camille A. Brown, has pushed us to be the absolute best we can be, which means we climb, we slide, we jump, we run, we fight, we fall. And sometimes we hurt.

Thursday, March 29, 2018

We're starting to move from exhaustion to excitement as we enter into the home stretch. No physical therapy today, but we had an ear, nose, and throat doctor visit. It's extremely important that we take good care of ourselves now, especially since the set can be a bit messy.

Friday, March 30, 2018

Ryan (left) during a dress rehearsal (courtesy NBC Universal)

Tonight's our first dress rehearsal! What a huge difference it makes to have a live audience watching the show. We only had a few hundred guests filling the mosh pit, but the love was overwhelming.

Saturday, March 31, 2018

Today is our final dress rehearsal. We're taking what we learned with the small audience last night and adjusting it to fit a full house of over 1,200 people. We've got to pay close attention to the last-minute changes we made after last night and the effects of the enormous energy in the room today. We're also locking in the final hair and makeup looks.

Sunday, April 1, 2018

It's Easter Sunday, the day we finally get to share this Jesus Christ Superstar with the world. I'm so proud of what we've created and am honored to have gotten to be a small part of it. We arrived in the early afternoon for the pre-show warm-up and a few words from our fearless leader, Andrew Lloyd Webber. Then we got makeup and hair done, put our costumes on, and got our mic and in-ear monitors ready, before a little more warm-up. They called "Places" and we waited underneath the risers that held our screaming audience, taking deep breaths. And then, "in 5, 4, 3, 2…," we were live!

Ryan (center) with castmates, waiting underneath the risers for the live show to start (courtesy Ryan)

During the show, entire musical numbers seemed to occur in the blink of an eye. As a loyal theater geek, I can't believe I'm saying this, but thank goodness for the commercial breaks! What we feared would be disruptive, energy- and momentum-killing pauses turned out to be opportunities to catch our breath, stretch, and process the next steps before flying full-steam ahead. My friends in the audience also got a kick out of seeing me shrug off the character and goof off, or run steps with my castmates before we were back on air.

After the live telecast, the rush of achievement knowing we made it through was amazing. And it was a thrill to dance and celebrate the night away at John Legend's afterparty. I woke up wondering if it all had actually happened. Thankfully, there's actual footage to prove that, yes, I really did that!

A version of this story appeared in the July/August 2018 issue of Dance Spirit with the title "#BTS of a Live TV Musical."

Police offers are sworn to protect and serve their local communities—we all know that. What we didn't know until earlier this week, when a very particular kind of #LipSyncChallenge video started to crowd our newsfeeds, was that a few of these hardworking law-enforcement officials have some serious moves!

The trend started at the end of June with police departments in central Texas challenging each other to post their most creative lip-syncs to danceable hits. (So far, Bruno Mars' "Uptown Funk" seems to be the most popular song choice.) In the past few days, police and fire departments as far-flung as Seattle, WA, and Norfolk, VA, have started to take on this most daunting of challenges.

But here's the thing: Not all lip-syncs are created equal, nor are all police officers equally skilled in the fine art of dad-dancing while mouthing all the words to Top 40 hits. So in honor of the Police Lip-Sync Battle achieving viral-video craze status, we here at Dance Spirit are proud to bring you our picks for the three danciest entries thus far. You're now under arrest (for the 10-ish minutes it'll take to giggle along to these clips)!

Flower Mound, TX

The PD of Flower Mound, TX, kicks things off with their sass-tastic rendition of Meghan Trainor's "Me Too." Look out for a movie montage-worthy gym sequence, goofy dance bloopers galore (watch 'til the very end!), and the most, well, #inspired version of washing a fire engine we have yet to see in this life. Yeah, we wanna be y'all too, Flower Mound.

Grapevine, TX

There must be something in the water in Texas, because the town of Grapevine's medley of '80s dance hits is right up there with Flower Mound's groovetastic vid. There's really no other way to say it: These law enforcement officials took their passion and made it happen, bringing together an epic synchronized "Footloose" sequence, the iconic water dance from "Flashdance," and the "Dirty Dancing" lift. WHAT A FEELING!

Monroe, GA

Last but certainly not least are the police and fire departments of Monroe, GA, with their irresistibly dancy "Uptown Funk." What makes this entry great isn't the absurdly high production values (hello, fancy camera work), though that definitely doesn't hurt. It's that just about every one of these public servants is a REALLY GOOD DANCER, GUYS. (You know, for not being dancer dancers.) You go, Monroe.

This Tuesday, July 17, New York City Ballet begins its 52nd summer residency in Saratoga Springs, NY. This annual tradition sees the company's world-class dancers bringing their signature works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Justin Peck, and others to the outdoor Saratoga Performing Arts Center (or SPAC for short).

To drum up excitement for the tour, corps de ballet members Peter Walker and Emily Kikta (who graduates from Fordham University later this year with a degree in film) are once again spearheading the NYCBxSPAC series, in which we lucky bunheads are being gifted a brand-new video every day this week leading up to the Saratoga performances.

Follow a stunning small group of NYCB dancers as they grace cinematic locations in and around Saratoga Springs with Kikta's athletic yet elegant choreography. Our current favorite? This oh-so-cosmopolitan use of the Adelphi Hotel's glamorously retro interiors:

But don't take our word for it! Click on over to SPAC's YouTube page every day until July 17 for the full series.

Yes, we all love it when Netflix offers up a few tasty dance movies. But there's a new streaming platform in town promising a veritable feast of delicious dance goodies—which means nights in with your studio crew are about to get a whole lot sweeter.

Marquee TV just officially launched in the US, UK, and Canada, allowing users to stream all kinds of gorgeous arts content for about nine (US) bucks a month. Its current dance offerings include stage performances by—take a deep breath before diving into this list—New York City Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Mariinsky Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Paris Opera Ballet, Batsheva Dance Company, San Francisco Ballet, and Mark Morris Dance Group, to name JUST a few. There're also dance films featuring iconic ballerinas Sylvie Guillem, Wendy Whelan, and Darcey Bussell. (And it's not all dance stuff, for the record: Your music, theater, and opera friends will want to get in on this, too.)

Not that there's anything wrong with watching Center Stage for the 93847th time, but many of the productions featured on Marquee.TV are new works that are still showing or touring. So the service is a great way to stay up-to-date on what's happening in dance.

Visit marquee.tv to learn more. And international friends, stay tuned: The service is supposed to roll out across the world in 2019.