As ballet companies around the world kick off their new seasons (over here The Royal Ballet is ready to go, with their revival of Swan Lake), the wonderfully creative Yumiko Takeshima -Â whose chic leotards can be easily spotted in the studio at ballet companies everywhere – has been busy designing a brand new Yumi.
We’re teaming up again with Yumiko, to give away 2 pairs of this latest female model, the Tiffany, which has just been unveiled at the company’s boutiques:
Lucky winners will receive made to order pieces in the size they wear.
To enter, all you have to do is tell us:
What are you most looking forward to watching in the autumn dance season and why? (you can talk about any ballet, from any company, live, cinema relay or even a DVD release)
Use the comment form below or email us ( theballetbag [at] gmail.com ) by 24 October.
Entries from all over the globe are welcome. Be creative & good luck!
Update: 30 November 2012 – Promo winners are:
Jelena Marohnic, who emailed us:
I have already bought my ticket for the 23rd October live cinema relay of Royal Ballet’s Swan Lake and will watch it here in Zagreb, Croatia.
It will be my first cinema relay and my first ballet by Royal Ballet. This live cinema thing is a wonderful idea, almost magical, allowing us to see a show from a land far away. I’ve been reading reviews and interviews with dancers scheduled for the evening (Zenaida Yanowsky) on the internet and am tickled with excitement. As a ballet newbie, I cannot offer any very profound reason why this show – other than the dear familiar music and the reputation of the company.
Lily Wills, who commented:
I am so ridiculously excited for PNB’s season this year. Its their 40th anniversary and Peter Boal really pulled out all the stops. It is pretty much exactly the kind of program I would put together if I were Artistic Director (maybe someday)! I live in Portland, so my friends and I make the 3 hour drive up to Seattle every couple months to go see our (hopefully) future dance company. We already saw Carla Korbes in Cinderella, which was a dream, but I’d say that I’m most excited about the Modern Masterpieces program as well as the Director’s Choice. Its so hard to pick! I am so anxious to gobble up all the Balanchine ballets I can, and between these two programs there are 3 – Concerto Barocco (favorite!), Agon, and Diamonds! eeeeeee! Not to mention the huge bonus of a world premiere Wheeldon and Tharp’s In the Upper Room. I have a feeling I’m going to weep openly at the raw beauty.
Congratulations Jelena & Lily! We’ll be in touch by email soon.
If your entry was not picked this time, don’t worry. Check back for further Yumiko promotions soon!
Emily
This Autumn, I unfortunately won’t be able to see any companies perform, but I am extremely looking forward to seeing my school’s contemporary concert in November as well as being able to perform with my peers in my school’s version of The Nutcracker with ABT’s Veronika Part and NYCB’s Charles Askegard as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier. The work that all of the students produce is incredible. It’s hard to believe that we’re only high school and college students because the performances that everyone works so hard on are nearly at the professional level. My favorite part of performing would definitely be how everyone comes together to put on such a wonderful show. It’s so inspirational and magical to see the transformation from the first rehearsals to opening night. Performing would definitely be one of my favorite aspects of dancing. I absolutely love rehearsals but I cannot wait for the performances to start so I can share my love of dance with everyone!
Jenna scaccia
I am most looking forward to see the Joffrey ballet dance the green table in their human landscapes show! I love Joffrey as a company and the green table is a historical and well choreographed piece!
Jenna scaccia
I am most looking forward to see the Joffrey ballet dance the green table in their human landscapes show! I love Joffrey as a company and the green table is a historical and well choreographed piece!
naomi
I am looking forward for the Mariinsky Japan tour in November, especially La Bayadere with Lopatkina as Nikiya and Koudaurova as Gamzatti. I haven’t seen Lopatkina’s Nikiya yet but I saw her master class DVD on acting the role which was marvelous and with much intelligence so I am much curious what she will bring to the stage. And Kondaurova as Gamzatti such a treat which happened with the casting change due to multiple pregnancies! Also we have Ratmansky’s Anna Karenina and I am going to see it with Diana Vishneva in the title role.
Claire
This year is my first year dancing for Dayton Ballet II, and I am so excited to be apart of it! I am looking forward to the entire season, as it is their 75th anniversary season. This past weekend, they performed “Past & Present” (consisting of “Mozart Dances”, “Chasing Ghosts”, and “Sleepy Hollow”), which I saw four times. It was an amazing show, and I couldn’t wait to get back in the studio after seeing it. I am so inspired by the professionals, and I am looking forward to dancing with them in The Nutcracker as well as other shows this season! Dayton Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in the U.S. and they are so talented! I am so proud to say I dance for Dayton Ballet II!
Claire
This year is my first year dancing for Dayton Ballet II, and I am so excited to be apart of it! I am looking forward to the entire season, as it is their 75th anniversary season. This past weekend, they performed “Past & Present” (consisting of “Mozart Dances”, “Chasing Ghosts”, and “Sleepy Hollow”), which I saw four times. It was an amazing show, and I couldn’t wait to get back in the studio after seeing it. I am so inspired by the professionals, and I am looking forward to dancing with them in The Nutcracker as well as other shows this season! Dayton Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in the U.S. and I am so proud to say I dance for Dayton Ballet II!
Amy
This autumn dance season I am most looking forward to seeing the National Ballet of Canada perform Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I saw this ballet for the first time last year, and I was completely speechless. Christopher Wheeldon has created a magnificent, truly modern story ballet, exploding with colour, humour, imagination, and gorgeous dancing. The sweet love story and touches of whimsy throughout the ballet make Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland one of my favourites. The National Ballet of Canada is a company that really inspires me. Last year I saw Jillian Vanstone debut in the title role, and this year I am hoping to see Heather Ogden or Elena Lobsanova dance the part of Alice. Or maybe both!
Madison Donaldson
I’m most excited to see Ballet West’s production of The Lottery based off of Shirley Jackson’s short story. The world premier is surely exciting and Val Caniparoli’s choreography is going to be amazing! With a new musical score by Robert Moran, there is no doubt that this piece will be intriguing yet terrifying. To see such a famous story come to life will be so incredible to watch.
Leah
I’m looking forward to Oklahoma City Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker starting in December. The company has several new dancers, so it will be exciting to see what their fresh interpretations on familiar material will be like onstage!
Amy W.
I absolutely cannot wait until I get my hands on first position on DVD! As I am getting ready to compete in yagp this coming up year, I would love to get some advice and see the whole experience before my eyes! Watching all those amazing dancers will definitely push me to try my best! (Long time favorite would be Tyler donatelli) I unfortunately never got to see First Position in theatres because it never was featuresd in any of the theatres near me, but now there’s a DVD! I am beyond excited about this and super excited about competing in a regional yagp this coming up year! Hopefully I’ll do pretty well when I compete!
Kathleen
I am very excited to attend the Elm City Collective Fall Performance and Gala on Nov 2nd and 3rd! I can’t wait to see the new choreographic works: beauty culture by Kellie Ann Lynch and contemporanea by Lindsey Bauer. So excited to be in New Haven for this event!
Martina Zhuang
I am looking forward to watching Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s performance of Giselle because I am going with my friends from my dance studio. Also, we are going out to dinner, and we are all dressing up for the occasion. Overall, I am just super excited because it’s my first ballet show performed by a real company and I have never seen a full ballet of Giselle! The night should be fun, and it will definitely be the highlight of the weekend!
Camille Carroll
I am most looking forward to seeing the Royal Ballet’s production of Swan Lake in the cinema because I have never seen the full Swan Lake, and Royal Ballet is amazing!
Isabella Ingels
The first weekend in November the Taylor 2 dance company is coming to the Valentine Theatre in Toledo, Ohio and I am beyond excited. I fell in love with the Taylor Company a few years ago when I had the amazing opportunity to understudy Le Sacre de Printemps: The Rehearsal when I was a freshmen in college. The Taylor technique and repertoire is so dynamic and exciting to watch. I am constantly dazzled by their amazing company and the man behind the magic Paul Taylor himself. It amazes me that so many dances with all different themes and feelings could come out of one man’s lifetime. At the Taylor 2’s performance in November they will be performing Esplanade which is on the top ten dances of all time for most dance enthusiasts. The exciting piece that is filled with runs, slides, dives and falls is set to Bach and is as timeless as “the little black dressâ€. I am so thrilled to attend this performance!
Fiona Oba
I am looking forward to watching Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater perform Petit Mort. Under the direction of Robert Battle, the new artistic director, Alvin Ailey will be expanding its repertory with works by various artists, one of them being Jyrie Kylian. I am excited to see what Ailey will bring to this piece and other new repertory in addition to the company’s traditional repertory.
Ashley B.
This fall season is an exciting one for Pacific Northwest Ballet! As a student in the school, I have been eagerly watching the rehearsals for the upcoming “All Premiere” performance. It is very inspiring to see the dancers and choreographers at work on never-before seen pieces. I am especially looking forward to the new Mark Morris premiere: “Kammermusik No. 3.” I am planning to go as many times as I can to this spectacular ballet performance!
Rayanne Iris
Hi everybody!! I’m living in Brazil and here we don’t have many big dance companies, just the Bolshoi Brazil and the companies from state theatres. So, I’m looking forward to seeing this season the ballet Raymonda from Bolshoi Brazil wich had its first presentation in Joinville’s Festival in this year. The production is awesome, the costumes are wonderful!!!
Meredith Hunter-Mason
This autumn seems to be filled with a bunch of great ballet oppurtunities! The one I am looking forward to most is Boston Ballet’s Fall Program. This series of contemporary ballet masterpieces are very diverse and new to the ballet world. I am so excited to see this because usually I only see Boston Ballet dancers do classical ballet, so this will be a great change! I am also looking forward to the meet and greet with Mikko Nissinen after the performance! He is such an inspiring person that I have heard so many amazing things about. The second thing this autumn that I am looking forward to is the release of First Position: A Ballet Documentary on October 30. I saw this documentary in theatres and loved it. It was so engaging it took all of my effort to not clap in the theatre after their performances. The third thing I am looking forward to are the new ballets screening in Amherst MA through emerging pictures ballet in cinema. This season Swan Lake, The Pharoah’s Daughter and The Nutcracker will be playing by such companies like the Royal Ballet and Bolshoi Ballet.
These three things are my favorite part of fall because it offers a new perspective to ballet. Us dancers are usually locked up in the studio 24/7 and I think that it is nice for us to see other companies perform to give us new ideas. I always learn new things from watching live ballets, ballets in movie theatres and even on DVD!
Kristen Gillette
I’m looking forward to seeing PA Ballet in Philadelphia’s production of Giselle!
Isabelle
Hello there!! Well.. living in France so I just can’t wait to see La Sylphide by Pierre Lacotte with Paris Opera, a sweet and lyrical ballet with emotional music and great combinations of jumps. And of course, I hope I’ll be able to see the brilliant piece by Balanchine Symphony in C with the Royal Ballet, if possible with Marianela Nunez!
Amy
I am looking forward to ABT’s City Center season going on this week. I am especially excited to see husband perform in “Upper Room” this weekend, which I was unable to do last year due to my mother’s sudden passing. Seeing him perform this weekend is my symbol that I have finally made it through this chapter of my life.
Amy
I can’t wait to see USC Dance Company Fall Concert: Voices of Choreography. My good friends will be performing and I so enjoy watching people I know transform on stage.
Kate
Hi! I am most excited as my daughter, a student at Canada’s National Ballet School, rehearses and prepares to perform with the National Ballet of Canada in their seasonal performance of ‘The Nutcracker’. The personal growth she has achieved has been inspiring, and we are very proud of her. If I was chosen the winner, this leotard would be for her.
Mary Decav
.We don’t have too much ballet exposure in my small town in PA, but this year the local movie theater will be showing ballets from prominent companies. I am really excited to get together with my friends from dance and go to the ballet! Also I live 2-3 hours from NYC, and my parents might take me to see ABT this year. I am a HUGE Gillian Murphy fan!
Lisa
I can’t wait to see Kansas City Ballet’s Carmina Barana this season! The choreography, music, and sets are so different from other classical ballet’s that they perform, such as the Nutcracker. The show incorporates the Kansas City Symphony and a chorale group as well! Live music adds so much passion liveliness to the ballet. The company is so talented and beautiful to watch. Should be a great show!!
Celine Yang
I am most excited to receive my DVD of First Position, which will be released October 30, 2012. As a full time student at MIT, I can’t really afford the time or the money to attend all of Boston Ballet’s performances. I do have tickets to see the Nutcracker (after winter finals) and Coppelia (after spring finals), but during the semester, I am pretty much restricted to the classroom, the lab, the dance studio, and my own bedroom. The First Position DVD will be the perfect fix for me whenever I am craving some ballet in my bedroom. I already saw the documentary in theaters (after finals last semester), but I want to see it again so badly!
Lorianne
I’m looking forward to seeing PNB’s “All Premieres” live in Seattle. Showcasing 4 different works from PNB’s own emerging choreographers with a homage to George Balanchine and Kent Stowell. Should be an epic performance!
Caitlyn Gallison
I am looking forward to seeing a new innovative piece that demonstrates something different from the pieces and ballets every company usually does. In particular I am looking forward to the contemporary piece Infinitus Tunl that City Ballet will be performing. Every dance he does is different and unique yet still exquisite and inspiring.
Magdalena K.
In this Fall season in Tucson, there aren’t that many shows to see, but I am looking forward to seeing the Nederlans Dans Theater in the Cinema in Phoenix later in November and Royal Danish Ballet’s new Bayadere (which is one of my favorite ballets!) streaming live Oct. 21!!!