By Christopher Cussat

Left Leg, Right Brain (The Frank Ferraro Story) is the newest and perhaps most powerful modern ballet yet to be presented by Bodiography Contemporary Ballet. Written and choreographed by Bodiography Artistic Director, Maria Caruso, the premieres of Left Leg, Right Brain (The Frank Ferraro Story) will be performed at the Byham Theater in Pittsburgh on two nights, February 21 and 22, 2014, at 8:00 p.m.

Bodiography’s long history of partnering with patients is continued with this original piece that highlights the struggle and the daily victory of people overcoming adversity—particularly those living with Parkinson’s Disease. Parkinson’s causes many physical manifestations including episodes of freezing, being unable to move, stiffness, rigidity, and falls. Dance has recently been utilized to help Parkinson’s patients maintain a sense of balance and freer movement.

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By Christopher Cussat

This December, the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT) will premiere its first-ever, autism-friendly production of “The Nutcracker.” The performance will be the first of its kind in the country to make the magic of this holiday classic accessible to children on the autism spectrum and their families. The autism-friendly ballet will take place at 2:00 p.m. Friday, December 27, 2013 at the Benedum Center in Downtown Pittsburgh.

“’The Nutcracker’ is a holiday staple in ballet companies across the country and an annual tradition for many families here in Pittsburgh, so we are particularly excited to pilot this program with a timeless story that reaches so many people year after year,” said PBT Artistic Director, Terrence S. Orr. “With this special performance, we want families to know that we are performing with them in mind and welcome them to experience this production in a comfortable and inclusive atmosphere.”
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By Christopher Cussat

During the week of October 14, 2013, UPMC and local Pittsburgh artists began unveiling mannequin works of art to highlight Breast Reconstruction Awareness (BRA) Day on October 16, 2013. The concept of BRA Day originated 10 years ago in Canada and this is only the second year that it is being observed here in the United States. The idea was embraced and is promoted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) as an initiative to increase awareness, education, and access for post-mastectomy patients.

According to Carolyn De La Cruz, M.D., Assistant Professor of Surgery, Department of Plastic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, and BRA Day Chair, a large number of breast cancer patients do not undergo reconstruction. “So our concept was to target that segment and educate patients, people, or other doctors and healthcare providers about their options.” De La Cruz (and other plastic surgeons) believes that it is very important for women to choose reconstruction. This is why she also thinks it is so important for women to be given all of their available options—so they actually know what their choices are and can determine what is going to work for them.
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By Christopher Cussat

The Bodiography Fitness and Strength Training System (BFSTS) is a new and challenging full-body workout that fuses the techniques and benefits of ballet conditioning with skeletal alignment, natural body weight, and the use of props (mats, weights, balls, and bands). Created by Bodiography Contemporary Ballet’s Artistic Director, Maria Caruso, the BFSTS is derived directly out of the fitness and strength training needs of professional ballet dancers. By combining the alignment principles of ballet, traditional training techniques, and specifically constructed exercise sequences, this workout is truly the “ballet workout for everyBODY.”

Caruso acknowledges that she selfishly started the BFSTS a decade ago to keep herself conditioned for performance. “When I transitioned out of dancing full-time and into directing, I still performed cameo roles at each performance,” she explains. “With a challenging schedule, I needed to design a fitness format for myself that would offer me the benefits of keeping my dancer physique without having to spend the countless hours in the studio.” So Caruso introduced the system into her Pilates classes and found that participants were seeing similar results—long lean legs, a strong core, and muscular definition that normally took 10-12 hours of ballet class to maintain. “The program took off some time ago, but it took that passion and commitment of one of my artists, Kirstie Corso, to bring the training manual and program to life,” she adds.

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