rebecca king

Talking Ballet: Miami City Ballet’s Rebecca King and Michael Breeden of “Conversations on Dance”

September 6, 2016 by Rachel Hellwig

Miami City Ballet dancers Rebecca King and Michael Breeden are the hosts of the new ballet podcast Conversations on Dance. Learn about how the podcast got started, what’s coming up for it, Rebecca and Michael’s thoughts on the role of technology in dance and more…

Listen to Conversations on Dance episodes here and on iTunes.

Rebecca King. Photograph by Jonathan Taylor.

What inspired the podcast?

Rebecca: Miami City Ballet has a wonderful program of pre-performance talks in the theater before each performance. In recent years, these talks have been dancer driven. Michael has been a cornerstone of this program, and for good reason. He is well-spoken and extremely well-versed in ballet. Michael often invites me to accompany him for these talks, which I have always enjoyed.

Knowing that podcast listenership is growing and becoming a part of society, we thought we could expand these talks to a larger platform. We developed the idea to make each episode a casual and light conversation on the different elements of the professional ballet world. We are so fortunate to work with the ballet world’s best and brightest here at Miami City Ballet, and those are the artists that people interested in the ballet world want to hear from.

I have a blog, Tendus Under A Palm Tree, which I have been cultivating for almost 6 years, that brings with it a wonderful audience. As we did research, we found ourselves at a wonderful advantage: being able to host our own content through my website would allow us to be in total control of every element of the process including recording, editing, publishing, and promoting.

So, Conversations on Dance was born. It started as just an idea, but is quickly growing more than we ever expected. We are so thankful to all of our listeners.

Michael: Rebecca and I and our friends at Miami City Ballet are a very inquisitive bunch. We’ve always done a lot of background research for the work we do, which we later share with each other.

When Lourdes Lopez became artistic director of the company, she started having us do pre-performance talks where we discuss the history and process of the ballets we’re performing. Rebecca realized that the podcasts would be a perfect outlet for sharing that information during the off-season.

Michael Brenden and Zoe Zien in George Balanchine’s "La Valse." Photograph by Daniel Azoulay. — Michael Brenden and Zoe Zien in George Balanchine’s “La Valse.” Photograph by Daniel Azoulay.

Dancers spend most of their days using their bodies to speak. Now, through this podcast, you are also using your voices as instruments. Tell us a little about that…

Rebecca: This is certainly a challenge for me. Michael is obviously much more comfortable with public speaking than I am, but I am enjoying being outside of my comfort zone. With each episode I am getting more comfortable. We are both learning how to portray our message and how to make the content interesting and enjoyable.

Michael: Speaking in front of a live audience at our pre-performance talks is much scarier. The podcast is a much more relaxed environment for us to use our voices to share the information we have about our art form.

I think we found that it’s actually surprising how natural public speaking can be when the subject matter is something you care very deeply about and have a wealth of knowledge about. We both love ballet so much, and using our voices is just another tool we have to help spread that love and hopefully bring in new admirers of the art.

How do you feel that technology is changing the way audiences perceive the art of dance?

Rebecca: This is something I feel very strongly about, and a topic I cover a lot on my blog. For a long time, the general feeling was that ballet dancers were elusive creatures who were untouchable. This contributed to the overall feeling that the dancers onstage were otherworldly beings. But, now, with social media, I feel that not only do we have a wonderful opportunity to bring audience members behind the scenes, we have a responsibility to.

The world is changing and it is essential that ballet change with it. Social media offers us the opportunity to debunk the theory that ballet is all tutus and tiaras, and allows us to reach those who may not otherwise attend a performance.

Michael: We don’t yet know how far ballet can go with technology; it hasn’t been fully explored. I think things like the showings of various ballet companies in movie theaters across the country or the live showings of performances online are just the tip of the iceberg of what is to come. We have the ability to engage people through technology in ways beyond performing, and I think it’s just now starting to be utilized.

Michael Breeden in "Divertimento No. 15." Photograph by by Daniel Azoulay. — Michael Breeden in George Balanchine’s “ “Divertimento No. 15.” Photograph by by Daniel Azoulay.

What are some of your future goals for the podcast?

Rebecca: As I am very passionate about the use of social media to promote our art form, I hope that our podcast will continue to grow. I hope that we can provide context for audience members and give them a new, in-depth view of the ballet world.

I hope we can create content that professional ballet dancers can relate to and find enjoyable, that we can help dance parents understand the world of ballet and better understand their child’s love for it, and that we can inspire and educate young dancers who want to become professionals one day.

As senior company members, I hope Michael and I can share with the world the wonderful opportunities and experiences we have had, and are having, in our ballet careers.

Michael: I’ve always been so hungry for more knowledge when it comes to ballet. If I can share that and inspire someone in the way that I’ve so often felt inspired by the art, then I think the podcast will have done its job.

I love the idea of delving into the minds of today’s important artists. We have some very exciting people in the pipeline. We also want to help people through things that I sort of navigated blind when I was younger, like choosing a summer program or how to decide between college or dance.

There is just so much information and history in what we do, and I hope that people enjoy the little sliver of that which we are bringing through the podcast.

Tell us a little about your journeys in dance…

Rebecca: As a young dancer, I received my training from the Contra Costa Ballet Centre in Northern California. I spent two summers at San Francisco Ballet School under the direction of Gloria Govrin. For my senior year, in high school I attended The Rock School in Philadelphia, then came to Miami City Ballet School after graduating. I danced with the company while in the school, then joined Miami City Ballet in 2007.

Since then, I have worked with many of today’s most sought-after choreographers including Christopher Wheeldon, Alexei Ratmansky, Liam Scarlett, and Justin Peck. I have danced in the majority of Miami City Ballet’s Balanchine repertoire, as well as classical full-length ballets and contemporary works.

Michael: I had very strong Russian and Cuban training when I was younger, but I really found myself when I started training at the School of American Ballet at age 15. The Balanchine style suited me very well, and I fell in love with his ideologies and, of course, his beautiful ballets.

I’ve danced for Boston Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Pennsylvania Ballet, and The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, but Miami City Ballet is where I found my real home, largely because of the wonderful repertoire that is rooted in Balanchine’s masterworks. I’ve now danced over 30 Balanchine ballets, something I’m immensely proud of, as well as works by today’s working geniuses Alexei Ratmansky, Justin Peck, Christopher Wheeldon, and Liam Scarlett.

Finally…what’s on your iPods?

Rebecca: Well…Spotify. My phone is filled with photos, videos, and now, audio files. So, I save space by jamming out with Spotify.

Michael: I’ve been addicted to the soundtrack from the new musical Waitress. One of my favorite things to do when we are on summer layoff is go see theater, museums, and other art forms to draw inspiration before my season. Waitress was the theater experience that stayed with me most this year, and I think there’s something in it that speaks to everyone.

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Tendus, T-Shirts & Totes

March 12, 2013 by 4dancers

Many 4dancers readers will recognize the name Rebecca King from her blog, Tendus Under a Palm Tree–a great take on the life of a dancer that features wonderful content. What you may not have known is that Rebecca also has started a line of cool dance t-shirts that has done so well, she’s expanding…

But let her tell you the story…

A couple of years ago I decided to start a ballet blog where I could share my musings as a professional ballet dancer: “Tendus Under A Palm Tree .com.” I wanted to take advantage of the Internet’s ability to offer a unique venue to discuss different elements of the ballet. People are fascinated by this art form and I think blogs are a wonderful way to get people involved, interested, and give them a deeper understanding of what they are seeing. Since it’s conception, this venture has taken off more than I could ever imagine. In two years TENDUS has grown to over 6,000 readers a month.

Over the summer I had been seeing the “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster and popular parodies all over the Internet. I decided it was time for TENDUS to be a part of this phenomenon. I had recently been put in touch with a tee-shirt manufacturer and knew that this was a perfect opportunity to start something new. In September of last year I launched a TENDUS merchandise line and have since created two different tee-shirts and am now expanding into a tote bag line. In 4 months I have sold over 250 units and am hoping my newest member of the merchandise family will be just as popular!

If The Shoe Fits…Pointe Shoe Preparation

May 7, 2012 by 4dancers

by Catherine L. Tully

Pointe shoes have become an integral part of ballet as an art form and, just as each dancer has a unique pair of feet, every ballerina has their own way of preparing these shoes for class or performance. Some slam them in doors to soften them up, while others work on them with little hammers to get the feel “just right”. The break-in method can vary depending on factors such as the brand of shoe and the type of role that is being performed.

We talked a bit at the beginning of the year about these special slippers, and today we’re going in for a closer look…

Rebecca King, corps de ballet dancer with Mimi City Ballet and author of the dance blog Tendus Under A Palm Tree wears Freed pointe shoes. We asked her to share her “secret formula” for getting them ready to wear, and this is what she had to say…

“Preparing a pair of pointe shoes is as much a ritual to a ballerina as it is a necessity. Even though, as professionals, our shoes are shipped to us straight from London, made by hand with love by our chosen “makers” to our exact specifications, many dancers find it necessary to make some extra alterations. It can take dancers years to get their shoes exactly as they want them and some dancers go their entire career in search of the elusive perfect shoe.

A maker hand-builds about 30-40 pairs of shoes at Freed of London every day, each shoe costing around $100. About two-thirds of the shoes produced are created for individual dancer’s specifications. (Find out more about these fascinating pieces of art on Freed’s website.)

I wear a size four, with a double X width, made by my beloved “U” maker. On the bottom of my shoe underneath the width, he stamps his symbol, “U”, as a kind of signature; laying claim to his craftsmanship. The thing I love most about Mr. U is how aesthetically beautiful his shoes are. Something about the way the toe of the shoe is built compliments every wearer’s foot. He is a very important person in my life.

The first thing I do is remove the pesky nail from the heel of the shoe. This nail is meant to secure the paper “shank”, or the inner sole of the shoe, to the outer sole of the shoe. Once it is removed, I cut the paper shank to the shoe’s middle seam, essentially cutting it in half. Because my feet are not very good, this allows the sole of my shoe to bend and lets me point my feet to their full potential. I then glue the end of the shank to the outer sole so it does not move around as I dance.

Next, I put super glue in the tips of the shoes. When the tip of the shoe gets soft, it no longer functions like I need it to; this is my ultimate pointe shoe pet peeve. Mr. U even puts an extra piece of burlap in the tip with extra glue upon my request, but I always apply more glue for good measure.

Then I cut the satin off the top of the shoe and quickly darn around the edges. This gives me a little extra support when my shoes start to die, and also ensures that the freshly cut satin stays in place.

Finally, the ribbon process begins. I use pink ribbons secured over crisscrossed thin pink elastic. I prefer the thin elastic, as I don’t feel a lot of pressure on my ankles, while the crisscross restricts my movement laterally, helping to prevent ankle sprains.

Though this is my current process, if you check back with me in two years, I am fairly certain I will have a new procedure, as my system is constantly evolving. But as for now, I feel I can dance my best with a half shank, extra super glue, and Mr. U on my side.”

As Ms. King clearly illustrates, ballerinas have a special relationship with their pointe shoes. However, for ballet companies, the costs associated with keeping the ladies on their toes can be astronomical. According to Miami City Ballet’s website, the average pair of pointe shoes typically only last for one performance.

Here is a closer look at what ballet companies across the nation pay to keep the ladies on their toes:

Last year the dancers at Oregon Ballet Theatre used about 1,500 pairs of pointe shoes which added up to $120,000.

Texas Ballet Theatre will spend $80,000 on pointe shoes this year.

Miami City Ballet dancers wear 3,000 pairs of pointe shoes each season for a total cost of $200,000.

Last season Cincinnati Ballet spent $82,000 on pointe shoes for the company.

And New York City Ballet? Their dancers can go through 40 to 50 pairs each performance. This means a staggering total of 8,500+ pairs of pointe shoes each year. I don’t even want to do the math on that one. (But according to this article on The Huffington Post, it adds up to $500,000!)

Review: Black Swan

October 28, 2011 by 4dancers

by Catherine L. Tully

Better late than never–right?

It has taken me a long while to get around to doing this review. I was hesitant about watching this movie–not sure if I wanted to see what the depiction was of the ballet world. Somehow I knew it would fall short, and for me it did.

As I had heard, the movie rang true to overarching stereotypes of ballet dancers and what goes on behind the scenes, and I found myself disappointed that it didn’t try a little harder to stretch beyond the typical. After all, not every director is “grabby”, not every retiring ballerina is morose and suicidal, and not every dance mom is overbearing. It would have been nice to depart a bit from these images and strive to create real characters with dimension rather than falling back on old, tired images of these roles. Here, the director played it safe, but, admittedly, it is difficult subject matter to tackle. Still, it would have been nice to have had more range.

The behind-the-scenes look into the ballet world was again somewhat typical, but served as a decent bit of background for those who may not be aware of what goes on in a dance company. Many dancers can relate to things such as the cramped physical therapy office, the nerves as everyone checks the board for their name when ballets are posted and the hush that comes over a room when the director appears.

I loved the scene where you get to see how pointe shoes are “worked” and broken in and the realism of the dancers sitting around in the hallway with their ballet bags. How true, how true. Still, it would have been wonderful to have a little more of that–I think it would have helped explain dancers in a way that would have helped make sense of things better in the movie. After all, there is a lot more to the life of a ballet dancer than people may realize. [Read more…]

Dance Blog Spotlight: Tendus Under A Palm Tree

September 9, 2011 by 4dancers

Welcome to the latest 4dancers feature–Dance Blog Spotlight! Each month we will be highlighting a blog on the web that we want to share with readers, and this month it is Tendus Under A Palm Tree. Read on to learn more about the author and what kind of content you can expect to see on this wonderful site!

Can you tell readers a bit about your background in dance? I am a Corps de Ballet dancer with Miami City Ballet and have been with the company for five years.

When did you begin your blog- and why did you start it? I began my blog, Tendus Under A Palm Tree, in June of 2010. I have always enjoyed writing and the idea of starting a blog had come up before, but I was not convinced that people would be interested in what I had to say. One morning, in the middle of the company’s summer layoff, I was sitting in my apartment and came across a friend’s blog, http://rhymeswithdarling.blogspot.com. I realized that there was indeed an online demand for the writings of a professional ballet dancer. On a whim, Tendus Under A Palm Tree was conceived. Since then I have become very dedicated to this venture; I take it very seriously and consider it to be a part of my job.

The career of a ballet dancer is fleeting and can often be cut short without warning. As a result, dancers find it necessary to prepare themselves with a career back-up plan. These days, social media is a rapidly growing field that is becoming infinitely more important to businesses. In the future I can see myself pursing work in this area as a career transition, and Tendus Under A Palm Tree is a perfect way to gain experience.

What does your blog cover? [Read more…]

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