Ballerina - new посты

Misty Copeland was the first African-American woman to be named a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre. Now, with the help of the NYC Dance Project, she’s recreating some of the famous ballet paintings of Edgar Degas. This series is meant to whet your palate for the upcoming exhibition, Edgar Degas: A Strange New Beauty, at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

En Puntas is a video installation by artist Javier Pérez featuring ballerina Amélie Ségarra performing an incredible dance atop a grand piano, entirely en pointe, wearing a customized set of pointe shoes that extend beyond the toe box with a pair of sharp kitchen knives. As if dancing on the tips of your toes for an extended period of time isn't enough, Ségarra has the added pressure of balancing on a thinner platform, from an even greater height. The thought of someone even managing to stand on the potentially dangerous footwear is absolutely astounding. The fact that Ségarra maintains her balance and even leaves her mark as she purposely scrapes the sharp-edged blades across the piano is both exhilarating and frightening to watch. The intense performance is made all the more gripping as the elegant dancer tiptoes closer to the edge, making it difficult to avert one's eyes.