New Ballet Initiative

According to a piece in the Times today, the former American Ballet Theatre star Cynthia Harvey is starting a new initiative, En Avant, that will hold coaching sessions and masterclasses for young dancers at the Baryshnikov Arts Center. The idea is to provide hands-on, specialized coaching in interpretation, leaving behind today’s obsession with technique. It addresses an apparent lack of time for artistic matters. The coaches will be former dancers, all virtuosos known also for their personality and intelligence onstage, including Edward Villella, Violette Verdy, Darcey Bussell, and, bringing up the youth contingent, Ángel Corella. It sounds like an intriguing idea, something along the lines of what the Balanchine Foundation does with its video archive . The sessions, which are open to the public, will start on June 7.