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The Best Holiday Traditions to Start With Your Family
Key Takeaways Family rituals like holiday celebrations are linked to stronger relationships and healthier kids, according to decades of research. The best holiday traditions to start with your family are usually small and easy to repeat, such as baking one recipe each year or touring neighborhood lights. Keep the parts of the season your family loves and let go of the ones that cause stress. Live performances like ballet can help kids connect with a story in ways screens can’t. In Boise, Ballet Idaho’s The Nutcracker runs Dec. 18-23, 2026, at the Morrison Center with live music from the Boise Philharmonic. Many of the holiday memories that last come from
What is a Pas de Deux? A Fan-Friendly Guide to Ballet Partnering
If you’ve ever watched a ballerina glide across the stage while seemingly held aloft by nothing but air, you’ve witnessed the artistry of a pas de deux. These remarkable ballet duets are among the art form’s most captivating moments, bringing together extraordinary technical precision and an intimate sense of trust between dancers. But what exactly goes into a pas de deux, and how do two dancers make something so demanding appear so effortless? Pas de Deux, Defined “Pas de deux” is French for “step of two,” and in ballet it refers to a duet in which two dancers perform steps together. Most commonly, that means a male and female dance
Ashley Baker Is No Longer Holding Back
Soloist Ashley Baker photographed in rehearsal for Cinderella by Weston McGhee The Ballet Idaho soloist reflects on artistry, confidence, and stepping fully into herself. Soloist Ashley Baker interviewed by Cassie Mrozinski CM: This season you choreographed a piece for the trainees, Octaves. Can you talk about your process and how the piece came to life? AB: Octaves was really fun to work on. It was an interesting process because I put it together very quickly last August, just after choreographing Carnival of the Animals in my home studio in Olympia. Working with the trainees is amazing–they pick things up so quickly. Some I knew from last season, but many were
