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An Evening of Horror
To say the least, the true story of a juvenile axe murderer seems unlikely to inspire a ballet. But the legends surrounding the late nineteenth-century murders of Lizzie Borden’s father Andrew and her stepmother, Abby persist, perhaps because Lizzie was ultimately acquitted, and no other suspect was ever identified or brought to justice.
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Cinderella Unites East and West
The National Ballet of Japan’s rendition of the Frederick Ashton classic, “Cinderella,” offers an authentic taste of English tradition, subtly flavored by Japanese aesthetics.
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Logical Progression
When Wally Cardona and Molly Lieber enter to take their places on opening night, they’re stepping into the footprints of a venerable dance legacy.
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Breaking the Waves
As October starts to draw to an end, so too does Dance Umbrella, London’s annual international dance festival. Having worked their way through the Barbican and Sadler’s Wells East, one of the final programmes is on at the Place—which has had an especially impressive Autumn season.
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Tip of the Hat
This fall, the American Ballet Theatr is celebrating its 85th anniversary by highlighting the choreographers key to the company’s history. Agnes de Mille, Antony Tudor, Frederick Ashton, Michel Fokine, Marius Petipa, George Balanchine and Alexei Ratmansky are all featured, but only Twyla Tharp got her own night.
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On Love and Mortality
What’s special about Rudi van Dantzig’s “Romeo and Juliet” is how deeply it is steeped in the textures of popular devotion and everyday life, reminiscent of Flemish painting in its chiaroscuro and crowded humanity.
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Becoming David
Who is David Roussève? Is he a 64-year-old African American dance/theater artist taking to the stage in a solo outing for the first time in 20 years? Check!
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The Final Stage
Folded forward at the waist, knees pressed together, but with her feet apart, Rachel Coulson assumes bird-like form. With her legs held as if bound at the knees, she travels backwards. Arms extended away from her torso giving the impression of wings, she rotates her hands as if her feathery tips are taking readings of the environment around her. In the conjuring of shapes, of course a waterbird appears before my eyes. This is part two of DanceX, presented by the Australian Ballet, where Stephanie Lake Company’s “Auto Cannibal,” replete with Coulson’s bird-like solo, shares the stage with West Australian...
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Limón's New Look
Limón Dance Company launches its 80th anniversary season with three works that represent the company’s past, present, and future. They not only celebrate José Limón, but demonstrate how his themes guide the company in fresh new ways.
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The Take Away
Who would think that the unglamorous prep work in a Thai restaurant kitchen would serve as an idea for a choreographic work?
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Dream Ballets
It’s hard to imagine a ballet quite as exquisite as Michel Fokine’s 1909 “Les Sylphides.” The white tutu piece, set to a score by Fredéric Chopin, introduced the world to the concept of a plotless ballet—and, in that, opened the door for every choreographer who was to come.
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Firebird Rising
Long before the dancers take the stage, Dance Theatre of Harlem’s season at New York City Center feels like one of the most energizing cultural events of the spring.
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Rare Birds
It is rare for George Balanchine’s grand, bedazzled “Symphony in C” to open a program. Its champagne-popping finale for 52 dancers tends to be a nightcap.
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The Spring is Blooming festival, by Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels, now in its fifth year, has become a highlight of the spring dance circuit.
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Jack of Hearts
As the audience come to their feet at the end of this ballet there is a noted difference to be seen on stage. Three women stand with joined hands, taking their call as the romantic leads of a loud and proud lesbian ballet.
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School Report
One of San Francisco Ballet’s greatest assets is its home venue, the Beaux-Arts style War Memorial Opera House, with four rings of seating that require performers to project their energies practically to the exosphere.
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