Not the straightforward tribute to a famed ballet company and its recently deceased founder one might expect, Arantxa Aguirre's "Of Heart and Courage" finds a compelling narrative hook in the high-pressure transitional moment as succeeding artistic director Gil Roman prepares the Bejart Ballet Lausanne's first, crucial post-Bejart program. Accomplished docu is a natural for artscasters and looks good enough on the bigscreen to tempt specialized arthouse distribs.

The school will host an informal dance gala at 6 p.m. Saturday to celebrate its successful move and to showcase its talent. A reception will follow, along with an opportunity for adults to try some salsa dancing. Admission is free.

“I want to bring excellence in ballet to Iowa,” said Sarah Barragán, a former dancer for the world-renowned New York City Ballet. The anatomy of City Ballet’s instruction is designed to make its students versatile performers. In this age of globalization, dancers are expected to have a broad range of technical knowledge.

For the first time, Cincinnati Ballet's annual repertory showcase New Works focuses on homegrown talent to provide fresh choreography and music. Four of the five works on the bill come from local choreographers and are set to local music. An opening night fundraiser performance brings bonuses: musical acts Jake Speed & The Freddies, Over the Rhine and Peter Adams will perform live to accompany the dancers.

Actress and author Victoria Rowell is helping kick off the 2009 season of the Cincinnati Ballet. The opening bash, which includes live music and dinner, begins at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Cincinnati Ballet Center on Central Parkway.

Situated strategically at Broadway and 63rd Street, the Ballet Shop attracted ticket holders on the way to Lincoln Center from 1974 to 1996. It was also a meeting ground for legendary names, newcomers to dance and specialists who returned repeatedly to gossip and find new and out-of-print books as well as the occasional surprise. Stars of Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes like Alexandra Danilova and Anton Dolin signed autographs in the shop. Rudolf Nureyev used its private video collection for his research.

Mr. Leibovitz recalled in a telephone interview that Paul Newman often bought gifts for Joanne Woodward, his wife and a major ballet patron, as did Dick Cavett, whose wife, Carrie Nye, had studied with the Diaghilev ballerina Vera Nemchinova. Bette Midler bought a poster of Serge Lifar, another Diaghilev star and later director of the Paris Opera Ballet.

"My design rule of thumb is to make things I want to wear," said the petite designer Rachel Antonoff at her presentation last night, set up on the stage of the The Henry Street Playhouse on the Lower East Side.

The models were posed on stage in tutus and ballet slippers, floral rompers, and pretty party dresses nipped at the waist.

There isn't enough dancing. Daniel Davidson, Victoria Willard and Tama Barry make more impact in their mime scenes than in the repetitive dance numbers. Crowd scenes are under-characterised, spending too much time throwing the same boxes of blackmarket goods about. Some of Stravinsky's motifs get the same dance every time, while others get no dancing at all. His interpretation of Petrushka is clever, but full of gaps. Nicholas Kok conducts a stirring performance from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, though there were rough edges from the brass. It's part of an ambitious triple bill. Ashton's geometrically beautiful Scènes de Ballet has been lovingly staged for this company. The corps show serious attention to style: the flicked wrists, the bobbing heads, the way they dip and bounce into poses. Adam Blyde and Claire Robertson are less comfortable in the demanding leading roles, needing authority. Kok conducts a slack performance of Stravinsky's score.

ballet tech cincinnati, winner of the 2008 Scripps-Corbett Innovation Award and ONE Award Finalist, hosted its Eighth Annual Gala of International Dance Stars on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009 at 8 p.m. at Cincinnati’s premier venue, the Aronoff Center. Featuring 5 World Premieres by world renowned choreographers, the best dancers from the best companies and the best choreography in the world, the Gala of International Dance Stars again astonished, astounded and amazed the audience with the gravity defying athleticism, artistry and strength of the dancers, the traditional and new, on-the-edge choreography, remarkable diversity of cast, music and dance styles and the sheer joy of the experience!

“Davis has purposefully tried to bring dancers who would make this feel like a 21st-century event…This year’s lineup of dancers is as impressive as ever.” David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer The cast of 12 fabulous dancers from 9 world renowned companies and 9 Countries brought the audience to their feet with rousing standing ovations and comments like, “My Wife and I thoroughly enjoyed it”, “It was very inspirational”, “The GALA Amazed Again!”