Lifted Spirits
Even at his most straightforward, Paul Taylor often imbued his dances with a sardonic wit. Whether invoking darkness or light, he did so with a wink.
Continue ReadingWorld-class review of ballet and dance.
Century,” Amy Hall Garner’s joyful new work for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, was crafted as a present for her grandfather on the eve of his 100th birthday. Such a personal gesture is unusual for a guest choreographer, but birthday ballets are certainly not out of place at the AAADT. “Cry,” the heartbreaking solo Ailey made as a birthday tribute to his mother, was also in the company’s 2023 City Center Season rep. Ronald K. Brown’s “Dancing Spirit,” a birthday token for Judith Jamison, was in rotation too. With this move, Garner—who has become quite in-demand—has again proven her skill at adapting to local customs. She fit in musically at Ailey as well. “Century’s” jazzy mix included tunes from Count Basie, Ray Charles, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and Duke Ellington. Of the 20 dances the Ailey troupe presented this season, 15 used jazz-based scores, and seven featured Ellington. With its on-trend music and its maximal, Robert Battle-esque energy, “Century” looked right at home.
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Even at his most straightforward, Paul Taylor often imbued his dances with a sardonic wit. Whether invoking darkness or light, he did so with a wink.
Continue ReadingTalk about Gesamtkunstwerk! Jawole Willa Jo Zollar’s “SCAT!...The Complex Lives of Al & Dot, Dot & Al Zollar,” is just that—a total work of art: operatic in scale, replete with stellar musicians and singers, and the glorious dancers of Urban Bush Women, the troupe that Zollar founded in 1984, is also storytelling at its best.
Continue ReadingOf all of Shakespeare’s plays, “Hamlet” might seem the hardest to adapt into dance. Its long soliloquies and a titular character stymied by indecision do not immediately scream movement potential.
Continue ReadingComplexions Contemporary Ballet turned 30 this year, and their two-week residency at the Joyce Theater was a party.
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