I feel awful for the Romeo's, those dead lifts look insane and there's no support from the partner. I can't figure out if pretending to be a potato sack or having to partner a potato sack would be more intense to pull off.
Actually Katie I think the yellow is appropriate! I just really noticed, but Mercutio is wearing purple and Tybalt is wearing yellow. Those two colors are opposites on the color wheel, and the same goes for the red and green on the Montegues and Capulets. I really applaud the costume designers on that one!
I stopped dancing many years ago but since I've discovered you on UA-cam you've reminded me why I loved it so much and why I miss it. You are such a beautiful and talented dancer and make ballet look effortless, exactly as it should look.
I would love to but I’m recovering from spinal fusion surgery so I think my dancing days are now over. Watching Kathryn dance keeps the dream alive though :-)
Goodness! What an emotional ending to an emotional ballet! I literally had tears streaming down my face near the end! Your dancing and acting, Katie, are just mind-boggling and just so incredibly beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing! It makes me want to go back to ballet again so badly!
Fun fact: the play that Shakespeare ripped the plot from (because he ripped all of his plots, there was no copyright at the time) was an Italian play where Romeo and Juliet lived. The ending of Shakey's version was entirely for shock value.
I get where you're coming from, but I feel like dismissing Shakespeare's ending of the play (btw "Shakey"? Really?) as purely for shock value is a little belittling considering how brilliant the play itself is. It's basically one of the most concise plays out there--hardly a single line is a throwaway--and is the standard for explaining how basic plotting works.
I just LOVE all of your commentaries I've seen so far! They are so delightful and informative. I love your sense of humor and your explanations. As one who does not dance ballet, these commentsries enable me to appreciate even more what goes into performing such story ballets, and to appreciate your dancing (so thrilled there are clips like this to watch now). Please keep them coming as much as you can. May God bless you in all your endeavors whatever they may be! Grace & peace, Kelley
I love this series! Which ballet is next? Did you ever dance La Sylphide? My favorite version of R&J is where she wakes up just after he takes the poison. They realize the oh %#&! moment. I'm not a big fan of this story, so I love that interpretation. :) You danced it very beautifully!
Love this. ty for posting it Video suggestion: A little video for people choreographing ballet parts in musicals. Directed to those who are going to dance the dance roles & safety tips for people who are attempting to dance on point for the first time. Yes, some of these people are doing community theatre productions of Nunsense & others. I cringe to see the role of Sister Mary Leo being danced by a non-dancer. They don't know what a plie is or any other step.
I’ve recently started doing barre classes at home w your videos and I’ve discovered a new love for dance💕 I wasn’t able to do ballet when I was younger and I’m so thankful for you to put in the time and effort into making so many videos for people like myself and so many others who love to dance.! I really enjoy watching the commentary you post and watching you dance as well.! I’d love to watch you do Juliet again.! I definitely think you should consider it💜💜💜
Hey Katie, I'm a relatively new viewer and I'm tearing through your videos like crazy. I'm not a dancer but I'm very interested in ballet and want to learn more. Your instructional videos have done a lot to improve my ballet vocabulary, but I can't find a good comprehensive source for all the steps. (especially petit allegro...) Would it be possible for you to start a series for ballet beginners like myself in which you visually take us through a ballet class and explain each step? Thanks!
After your remarks here about how completely spent you are after a performance, I'm curious about what advice you have for body recovery so that you're not getting over-fatigued during a season, and are ready and prepared for your next performance (as well as general class and rehearsal work). You do a wonderful job with the physical acting work here. I don't know if you said that the falling down the stairs and landing on his head happened in the same performance, but I really hope they weren't--poor Seth!
I love how you break down all the magic and hard work of the performance for us. What an opportunity it was for you to dance this! Have you ever learned the MaxMillan version?
I've waited for this video for so long!Finally it's here! Romeo and Juliet is my favorite ballet and it's so interesting to see different versions of it, especially the final scene :)
Please go on, I just got so into it ! After binge watching for weeks, I even started to really work on my flexibility and posture, though I'm really old being 37, but I made up a bet with myself, guessing if i'll be able to get into a split or do a decent turn, get a bit more graceful and maybe stop my spine from turning and bending in unhealthy ways. So I have to stop my pelvis from tilting, open my hips up, stretch all these shortened muscles. Watching a tutorial I just noticed, doing the basic positions is great for that ! A lot of things ballet beginners are not supposed to do, is exactely what I do if I try to "quick- fix" my posture in daily life, (like simply "stand straigh and pull your abdomen in", what doesn't work, because I don't have the muscles to keep myself upright longer than a minute then or turn blue) and what caused my rotated scoliosis. I usually stopped any sort of training shortly after having started, but this time I'm really into it and it's even FUN to do a daily routine and get over the initial pain. At the moment I'm at 30 - 60 min a day, but I will maybe increase it over the next two weeks. Maybe I'll look for a class near me, once I progressed further, in a year or so. Atm. even stretching on the couch or changing from heel to toe at the bus stop while waiting is ok for me, as long as I do it as correct as I can and not quitting because its not enough or not progressing fast enough. Today it's my first day with pretty sore glutes so i consider it a good day. Btw. I'm a "Hashi" too, but haven't found a medication that works, what is also a reason to do something against gain, muscle weakness and depression... Wow, that was way too long....
Kathryn Morgan would you ever do Snow White from when you were with Mobile post-NewYork? I've never seen any of the ballet and I'd LOVE to hear your take on it.
Just saw Romeo and Juliet at the Pennsylvania Ballet today. Believe it or not Juliet was a girl named Katie who was still in the core! (and she was great!)
Katie, I just hate the Romeo and Juliet story, but your take on it made me actually feel something. At the end I almost cried. It's kinda sad, that even at school this story is presented as a most romantic story ever, without taking to concideration, that it's just a story about teenegers, without mentioning, that women were property - and all of that explains Juliets actions and emotions way better.
Wow I cannot believe I’m first! Love your videos, Katie! You are such an inspiration to me. Keep being such a wonderful person, even through your hard times. ❤️
Hey dear Kathryn! You're infinitely magnetic! I'm 20 and I've just started learning ballet with your videos; you have no idea how much of a diamond they are ! and no ! No one can change my mind with all this "it's too late/ you're not flexible etc. etc." stories ; i have that kind of passion for ballet that Nina had as the black swan! Cool you please make a video on how to become flexible? e.g. for lifting your leg without having to move your back, thank you SO MUCH! Lots of love and blessings!
thanks so much for the romeo and juliet videos, it is now my favorite ballet! I have a question: can you do a video on how to get good attitude turns? (double on pointe specifically) thanks!
Can anyone help me? I need some advice... I am 13 and I am desperate to start ballet (the sooner the better!) but my parents are osteopaths and really don’t want me to go on pointe or even start because they know of the possible consequences on your body (they treat a lot of ballet dancers). I don’t know how to get it across to them that it is something I really really want to do! I’m sure you understand. Help please!!
While you are spent after a performance, I would think you would be a little wired. How did you settle down after a performance to sleep and be ready for the next day?
I know you’ve made videos for higher extensions and développés, but do you have any advice on how to get a weaker side stronger, I’ve been stretching and using exercises for about 2 months and my right leg has gotten higher, but I can’t get my left leg up at all. When I’m laying down on the floor it’s about as high as the right leg but when I’m standing my hip feels weaker and I feel like it’s not turned out even though I’ve worked out my turn out muscles, it just feels different then the other leg. Do you have any different exercises to stretch the right muscles to get my leg higher?
Hi!! Im here to ask you something. I've been dancing for 8 years now, this is my first year of pointe shoes and 1 year ago something happened to my toe. It went green on the inner side of my toenail and then we went to the doctor. Soon it was all gone. But it hurts when im on pointe. Please, if that happened to you or anyone else here, help me))
Hi. i have a question. I know I'm really late for this video, but can you do a video demonstrating exercises using a ballet band? That's the name I call it, but it's looks like a big, thick rubber band that I use to stretch my straddle. Please and THANK YOU!!
can someone help me? I really want a pointe shoe that fits my feet well but my local pointe shoe fitting shops only carry some that moderately fit my feet. For example, I have a Greek foot that compresses when I go up on pointe so I like having a tapered toe with a short vamp for my short toes, but the best that they carry is the bloch european balance shoes which are more square with a short vamp. It's comfortable but as it breaks in I start to feel like my toes are just floating there cause it's not tapered, so i lose a little support. I found shoes on discount dance with descriptions that seem to really match my feet but idk if it's a good idea to be buying shoes online that i haven't tried out in person yet. The problem is that they don't carry those shoes in my local dance shops. It's my second year on pointe and my fourth pair.
A very young and talented Morgan is heartbreakingly lovely. But Martins' choreography -- to keep it nice, it's derivative. Or let's just call it for what it is: shameless copying (cough cough Kenneth MacMillan). Worst of all, he destroys the story in his frantic rush. The central relationship between R&J becomes completely unconvincing. It's all so abrupt and ultimately unmoving, I have to wonder if Martins views R&J's traditionally "epic love story" as a stupid, pointless crush developed overnight between a naive 14 year-old virgin and a flaky young guy with an established history of one-way obsessive love affairs. (By today's standards, we might even call him a stalker.) That's a fair R&J interpretation, and one I personally share. But it's not the way Shakespeare wrote it for the stage. And it's certainly not the way Prokofiev, that ultimate romantic, wrote his timeless score. To contrast Martins with a seriously talented choreographer, check out UA-cam's vid of the Royal Danish Ballet's stunning production of John Neumeier's R&J. The final scene? I'm not crying. You're crying....
I feel awful for the Romeo's, those dead lifts look insane and there's no support from the partner. I can't figure out if pretending to be a potato sack or having to partner a potato sack would be more intense to pull off.
I'm wheesing 😂😂
Poor dude
Instablaster
Did you ever cry on stage? I just feel so emotional watching it.
Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Just depended on the day.
" Here comes Mr. Purple tights." 😂😂😂😂💛💛💛
🤣 I bust out laughing when she said this!!
This scene always get me so emotional. And I can really see why it was "your" role, you're wonderful in it !
Actually Katie I think the yellow is appropriate! I just really noticed, but Mercutio is wearing purple and Tybalt is wearing yellow. Those two colors are opposites on the color wheel, and the same goes for the red and green on the Montegues and Capulets. I really applaud the costume designers on that one!
I stopped dancing many years ago but since I've discovered you on UA-cam you've reminded me why I loved it so much and why I miss it. You are such a beautiful and talented dancer and make ballet look effortless, exactly as it should look.
Jeanette Hedison Never too late to pick it up again!
I would love to but I’m recovering from spinal fusion surgery so I think my dancing days are now over. Watching Kathryn dance keeps the dream alive though :-)
That dead lift in the death pas de deux is super haunting. The whole ballet looks gorgeous.
I start to cry whenever I watch one of your Romeo and Juliet clips.
Goodness! What an emotional ending to an emotional ballet! I literally had tears streaming down my face near the end! Your dancing and acting, Katie, are just mind-boggling and just so incredibly beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing! It makes me want to go back to ballet again so badly!
Fun fact: the play that Shakespeare ripped the plot from (because he ripped all of his plots, there was no copyright at the time) was an Italian play where Romeo and Juliet lived. The ending of Shakey's version was entirely for shock value.
I get where you're coming from, but I feel like dismissing Shakespeare's ending of the play (btw "Shakey"? Really?) as purely for shock value is a little belittling considering how brilliant the play itself is. It's basically one of the most concise plays out there--hardly a single line is a throwaway--and is the standard for explaining how basic plotting works.
Love this series so much! So interesting and beautiful ❤️
Thank you!
Katie you are such a splendid Juliet.
I just LOVE all of your commentaries I've seen so far! They are so delightful and informative. I love your sense of humor and your explanations. As one who does not dance ballet, these commentsries enable me to appreciate even more what goes into performing such story ballets, and to appreciate your dancing (so thrilled there are clips like this to watch now). Please keep them coming as much as you can. May God bless you in all your endeavors whatever they may be!
Grace & peace, Kelley
I love this series! Which ballet is next? Did you ever dance La Sylphide?
My favorite version of R&J is where she wakes up just after he takes the poison. They realize the oh %#&! moment. I'm not a big fan of this story, so I love that interpretation. :) You danced it very beautifully!
I wish they had one where she wakes up right before he does it!
Love this. ty for posting it
Video suggestion: A little video for people choreographing ballet parts in musicals. Directed to those who are going to dance the dance roles & safety tips for people who are attempting to dance on point for the first time. Yes, some of these people are doing community theatre productions of Nunsense & others. I cringe to see the role of Sister Mary Leo being danced by a non-dancer. They don't know what a plie is or any other step.
Loved this! would've loved to see Seth drop you aswell!
What a touching beautiful scene. Thank you.
I love this!! Please do more commentary! Maybe Coppelia if you have any footage
I’ve recently started doing barre classes at home w your videos and I’ve discovered a new love for dance💕 I wasn’t able to do ballet when I was younger and I’m so thankful for you to put in the time and effort into making so many videos for people like myself and so many others who love to dance.! I really enjoy watching the commentary you post and watching you dance as well.! I’d love to watch you do Juliet again.! I definitely think you should consider it💜💜💜
Hey Katie, I'm a relatively new viewer and I'm tearing through your videos like crazy. I'm not a dancer but I'm very interested in ballet and want to learn more. Your instructional videos have done a lot to improve my ballet vocabulary, but I can't find a good comprehensive source for all the steps. (especially petit allegro...) Would it be possible for you to start a series for ballet beginners like myself in which you visually take us through a ballet class and explain each step? Thanks!
100% agree with you about Prokofiev's score.It is just marvelous
This is such a great series! You did such a wonderful job as Juliet and portraying the emotions. Brava, Katie!
Thank you!
Love this series! I actually have met Amar he dances as our cavalier for the Sugar Plum fairy in the Nutcracker!
I would love to see a current “what’s in my dance bag” please Katie :)
Love your videos
Yay ! Finally!
Made my day, I have been literally binge watching for a two weeks now ... ^^
Perfection in loveliness.
This makes me cry. Prokofiev’s music is heart wrenching.
i love your commentary series and since nutcracker season is coming up, i would really enjoy to watch a commentary on sugar plum!
After your remarks here about how completely spent you are after a performance, I'm curious about what advice you have for body recovery so that you're not getting over-fatigued during a season, and are ready and prepared for your next performance (as well as general class and rehearsal work).
You do a wonderful job with the physical acting work here. I don't know if you said that the falling down the stairs and landing on his head happened in the same performance, but I really hope they weren't--poor Seth!
I love how you break down all the magic and hard work of the performance for us. What an opportunity it was for you to dance this! Have you ever learned the MaxMillan version?
I've waited for this video for so long!Finally it's here! Romeo and Juliet is my favorite ballet and it's so interesting to see different versions of it, especially the final scene :)
Wonderful as always. Thanks Kathryn. You inspire me every day! X
I love the commentary videos! Will you make more?
Love these commentaries !! Such a gorgeous ballet❤️❤️❤️💘💘💘
I totally stopped listening to the commentary and the performance drove me to tears... So get to watch it again... \\\\\\!!!!/////
What a wonderful performance!
What ballet will you do a commentary on next?? Btw you are my favorite UA-camr and dancer. Love you ❤️
Not sure yet! Thank you!
Please go on, I just got so into it ! After binge watching for weeks, I even started to really work on my flexibility and posture, though I'm really old being 37, but I made up a bet with myself, guessing if i'll be able to get into a split or do a decent turn, get a bit more graceful and maybe stop my spine from turning and bending in unhealthy ways. So I have to stop my pelvis from tilting, open my hips up, stretch all these shortened muscles. Watching a tutorial I just noticed, doing the basic positions is great for that ! A lot of things ballet beginners are not supposed to do, is exactely what I do if I try to "quick- fix" my posture in daily life,
(like simply "stand straigh and pull your abdomen in", what doesn't work, because I don't have the muscles to keep myself upright longer than a minute then or turn blue) and what caused my rotated scoliosis. I usually stopped any sort of training shortly after having started, but this time I'm really into it and it's even FUN to do a daily routine and get over the initial pain. At the moment I'm at 30 - 60 min a day, but I will maybe increase it over the next two weeks. Maybe I'll look for a class near me, once I progressed further, in a year or so. Atm. even stretching on the couch or changing from heel to toe at the bus stop while waiting is ok for me, as long as I do it as correct as I can and not quitting because its not enough or not progressing fast enough. Today it's my first day with pretty sore glutes so i consider it a good day.
Btw. I'm a "Hashi" too, but haven't found a medication that works, what is also a reason to do something against gain, muscle weakness and depression...
Wow, that was way too long....
Kathryn Morgan would you ever do Snow White from when you were with Mobile post-NewYork? I've never seen any of the ballet and I'd LOVE to hear your take on it.
Katie! I am simply dying to see your commentary of you dancing Sugar Plum. Do you have plans to do that one soon?
I’d so love for you to do a video about improving back strength for arabesque extensions!!! mine is so low lol
Love your commitment and interpretation 💖
Im.so sad this is over😢😭 will u do a nutcracker extravenga with the movie thst s coming out??
It's so tragic and sad and well done! "Ok, make sure you do this, this parts tricky...ooh, that was hard.... ok, good show, success!"
Damn! I cried
I loved loved this series so much!!!
I love you so much please do more videos like this 🖤🧡💛
Just saw Romeo and Juliet at the Pennsylvania Ballet today. Believe it or not Juliet was a girl named Katie who was still in the core! (and she was great!)
*corps
Katie, I just hate the Romeo and Juliet story, but your take on it made me actually feel something. At the end I almost cried. It's kinda sad, that even at school this story is presented as a most romantic story ever, without taking to concideration, that it's just a story about teenegers, without mentioning, that women were property - and all of that explains Juliets actions and emotions way better.
Wow I cannot believe I’m first! Love your videos, Katie! You are such an inspiration to me. Keep being such a wonderful person, even through your hard times. ❤️
I love these videos!!!!!
Ilysm ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
This is GORGEOUS. This is Peter Martin’s choreography?
You are great💕 #earlysquad
Hey dear Kathryn! You're infinitely magnetic!
I'm 20 and I've just started learning ballet with your videos; you have no idea how much of a diamond they are !
and no ! No one can change my mind with all this "it's too late/ you're not flexible etc. etc." stories ; i have that kind of passion for ballet that Nina had as the black swan!
Cool you please make a video on how to become flexible? e.g. for lifting your leg without having to move your back, thank you SO MUCH! Lots of love and blessings!
thanks so much for the romeo and juliet videos, it is now my favorite ballet! I have a question: can you do a video on how to get good attitude turns? (double on pointe specifically) thanks!
oh my gosh i just realized that you already did a video on that! (of course you have, you've done a video on everything!!!) Sorry
Can anyone help me? I need some advice...
I am 13 and I am desperate to start ballet (the sooner the better!) but my parents are osteopaths and really don’t want me to go on pointe or even start because they know of the possible consequences on your body (they treat a lot of ballet dancers). I don’t know how to get it across to them that it is something I really really want to do! I’m sure you understand. Help please!!
My dad is an osteopath, said the same thing to me! 😂
I just explained I wouldn't be going on pointe for years anyway
So gorgeous, Katie!!! 💙
Ah yas!!!! I love this series
While you are spent after a performance, I would think you would be a little wired. How did you settle down after a performance to sleep and be ready for the next day?
I read that powhow is going to shut down on the 30th of November. Are you going to migrate your online classes to another site? I really love them
I know you’ve made videos for higher extensions and développés, but do you have any advice on how to get a weaker side stronger, I’ve been stretching and using exercises for about 2 months and my right leg has gotten higher, but I can’t get my left leg up at all. When I’m laying down on the floor it’s about as high as the right leg but when I’m standing my hip feels weaker and I feel like it’s not turned out even though I’ve worked out my turn out muscles, it just feels different then the other leg. Do you have any different exercises to stretch the right muscles to get my leg higher?
I wish there were a version where Juliet would wake up just before he takes the poison
Kaitie I love your commentary videos! Have you found your sugar plum videos from mobile ballet? I would love to hear your commentary!
FYI Margot Fonteyn stayed on pointe as well. 🤩
You are way too critical of yourself! Stop it! 😂. I LOVE watching you.
Hi!!
Im here to ask you something.
I've been dancing for 8 years now, this is my first year of pointe shoes and 1 year ago something happened to my toe. It went green on the inner side of my toenail and then we went to the doctor. Soon it was all gone. But it hurts when im on pointe. Please, if that happened to you or anyone else here, help me))
Hi. i have a question. I know I'm really late for this video, but can you do a video demonstrating exercises using a ballet band? That's the name I call it, but it's looks like a big, thick rubber band that I use to stretch my straddle. Please and THANK YOU!!
I feel like a lot of Shakespeare rely on
a) People don't talk to each other and/or
b) People not thinking... at all...
Wow is all I can say
while reading romeo and juliet in class i constantly referred to Paris as Mr. Purple tights
Can you do more nutcracker? I am in the nutcracker at my studio this year and I dont really know the story
can someone help me? I really want a pointe shoe that fits my feet well but my local pointe shoe fitting shops only carry some that moderately fit my feet. For example, I have a Greek foot that compresses when I go up on pointe so I like having a tapered toe with a short vamp for my short toes, but the best that they carry is the bloch european balance shoes which are more square with a short vamp. It's comfortable but as it breaks in I start to feel like my toes are just floating there cause it's not tapered, so i lose a little support. I found shoes on discount dance with descriptions that seem to really match my feet but idk if it's a good idea to be buying shoes online that i haven't tried out in person yet. The problem is that they don't carry those shoes in my local dance shops. It's my second year on pointe and my fourth pair.
What is the best type of floor to use to do turns??? Maybe I’m just dumb😂😂😂
marley flooring, usually, but it depends on the dance style (:
Yellow is the colour of hate and Tybalt represents hate so i think it fits :))
You ok?
A very young and talented Morgan is heartbreakingly lovely.
But Martins' choreography -- to keep it nice, it's derivative. Or let's just call it for what it is: shameless copying (cough cough Kenneth MacMillan).
Worst of all, he destroys the story in his frantic rush. The central relationship between R&J becomes completely unconvincing.
It's all so abrupt and ultimately unmoving, I have to wonder if Martins views R&J's traditionally "epic love story" as a stupid, pointless crush developed overnight between a naive 14 year-old virgin and a flaky young guy with an established history of one-way obsessive love affairs. (By today's standards, we might even call him a stalker.)
That's a fair R&J interpretation, and one I personally share.
But it's not the way Shakespeare wrote it for the stage. And it's certainly not the way Prokofiev, that ultimate romantic, wrote his timeless score.
To contrast Martins with a seriously talented choreographer, check out UA-cam's vid of the Royal Danish Ballet's stunning production of John Neumeier's R&J. The final scene? I'm not crying. You're crying....