Behind the Curtain

We cast the lovely, lithe ballerinas from the Yakobson and Mariinksy schools through a local in-the-know Saint Petersburg production coordinator. The Mariinsky ballet school is known for helping hone the skills of such mega-talents as Anna Pavlova and Mikhail Baryshnikov.

Between takes, the girls stretched, giggled and snacked on catering with us. Fun fact: Each time they put on their satin pointe shoes, they sew the ankle ribbons for perfect placement.

We were so impressed by the girls’ dedication—they practice six days a week, with only one off for rest (and it’s a major core strength workout, we’re told). But the payoff is huge—they go on to perform in major productions around the world at renowned venues like the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall and the London Royal Opera House.

Our crew was so inspired after spending the day shooting in the studio that they attended the ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre that night. The performance? A captivating rendition of “Romeo and Juliet,” the classic tale of young love.

Check out the rest of J.Crew’s trip and cashmere collection at jcrew.com.

(post by Ashley Sargent Price)