Fighting on a New Front
I woke up this morning to the tragic news of Aleksei Navalny’s death in a Russian prison, and the first thing I thought of was the ballet premiere from the night before. That’s new.
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World-class review of ballet and dance.
I woke up this morning to the tragic news of Aleksei Navalny’s death in a Russian prison, and the first thing I thought of was the ballet premiere from the night before. That’s new.
Continue ReadingOne way to get to know the history of a company is through the “liner notes” of its “Swan Lake” production, and for those of us continuing to build an admiring familiarity with Pacific Northwest Ballet via its digital season offerings, Kent Stowell and Francia Russell’s “Swan Lake” provides an interesting glimpse into PNB prior to Peter Boal’s leadership.
FREE ARTICLEIn the dimly lit theater at Irish Arts Center on the west side of Manhattan, James Greenan puts himself through his paces.
Continue ReadingThere was no shortage of drama and poetry this past week at San Francisco Ballet.
FREE ARTICLEAt 82, Twyla Tharp shows no signs of slowing down. She brought two world premieres and an all-star revival to the Joyce this week. The newest dances made it clear that although she’s still a dynamo, aging is very much on her mind. She is exploring wistful terrain these days, but she is doing it with her characteristic humor and high step count.
Continue ReadingAusia Jones, who also dances with Ballet Jazz Montreal, choreographed the opening work at PennLive Arts presentation of the company’s touring show, Essence.
Continue ReadingThe New York City Ballet’s excellent 2023 Fall Season featured only the works of founding choreographer George Balanchine. This winter, eight choreographers are being showcased as the company’s 75th anniversary celebration continues.
Continue ReadingJune 16, 1989. Wearing only black leggings and a pixie haircut, Molissa Fenley performed her solo, “State of Darkness,” inspired by Nijinsky’s “Le Sacre du Printemps” at the Colorado Dance Festival in Boulder.
Continue ReadingIt is not unusual for a New York City Ballet program to consist of two Peck ballets and a Ratmansky. But until last night, there had not been two different Pecks represented in such a scenario.
Continue ReadingIn these fast-paced times, where we are bombarded with spectacles that compete to be flashier, more action-packed, and more hi-tech than the next, it was a joy to experience an evening of charm and timeless simplicity.
Continue ReadingThe popular sentiment is clear: Matrix atmosphere meets ballet is a hit. “Mere Mortals,” Tamara Rojo’s first production as new artistic director at San Francisco Ballet, must be counted a success.
Continue ReadingThe name of Leonardo Sandoval and Gregory Richardson’s group, Music from the Sole, is an obvious allusion to the fact that the motor behind their performances is rhythm, and that this rhythm is often produced by the soles of the feet, in the form of tap.
Continue ReadingTwo performers crawl in on hands and knees wearing neon green, hooded coveralls—the lightweight papery kind made for working in a sterile environment—and clusters of balloons pinned to their backs.
Continue ReadingWill Rawls makes boundaries visible by defying them. Known for the disciplinary and topical range of his projects, the choreographer, director, and performer approaches issues of representation in “[siccer],” a multi-part, multi-site work co-presented by L’Alliance New York’s Crossing the Line Festival. A live performance at Performance Space New York...
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It is always interesting when multiple theme steps emerge over the course of a mixed repertory evening, but it is uncanny on one featuring five different ballets, each with a different choreographer and composer, covering a twenty-year span (2005-2025).
Continue ReadingZvidance premiered its new work “Dandelion” mid-November at New York Live Arts. Founded by Zvi Gotheiner in 1989, Zvidance has been a steady presence in the New York contemporary dance scene, a reliable source of compositional integrity, and a magnet for wonderful dancers.
Continue ReadingCleveland native Dianne McIntrye received a hometown hero's welcome during her curtain speech prior to her eponymous dance group thrilling the audience in her latest work, “In the Same Tongue.”
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