ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

DANCE

The Challenges Of Putting Dance, And Other Performing Arts, On Screen

“Putting a camera in the audience POV of a dance show is only a reminder that the real thing is probably way better. Putting a camera in the wings, on stage, up close and personal ... in a way that no one can experience in an auditorium — that’s worth watching.” - IndieWire

Bunheads Walked So The New Series Etoile Could Leap

Or at least, that’s what creator Amy Sherman-Palladino (the force behind The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) wants to see. “Ballet isn’t something for someone else. It’s storytelling; it’s athletic; it’s powerful, emotional, transporting. It’s a great, dynamic art form.” - The New York Times

Hofesh Schechter Says The English Have A Problem With Contemporary Dance

“’English audiences, in particular, expect to come in, understand it, and have a good conversation about it afterwards.’ The Israeli-born, soon-to-be-British choreographer would prefer people to approach contemporary dance ‘more like a concert’ – something you experience ‘through your senses’.” - The Telegraph (UK) (Yahoo!)

New York’s Hot New Dance Studio Is A Corridor In Penn Station

“Officially called the West End Concourse, the corridor has a lot going for it: It’s easily accessible, the floors are spacious and smooth, and there are public restrooms, a rarity in New York City. It’s a ready-made stage for all sorts of group and partnered dance. … The biggest draw? It’s free.” - The New York Times

The Rockettes At 100

Each April, hundreds of hopeful leotard-clad dancers travel from all over to the Big Apple to audition for a coveted spot on the famous kickline — founded in 1925, halfway across the country in St. Louis, Missouri, by choreographer Russell Markert. - New York Post

U.S. Ballet World’s Favorite Shoemaker Is Sold To Private Equity Firm

“Capezio is changing hands after more than a century of family ownership. On Thursday, Argand Partners LP, a New York-based middle-market private equity firm, revealed its acquisition of Ballet Makers Inc., the parent company of the venerable dance brand.” - WWD

The Debut Of Climate-Protesting Ballet Vandals

At opening night of New York City Ballet’s spring season, as the dancers performed Balanchine, a woman began yelling from a balcony, “We’re in a climate emergency. Our country has become a fascist regime, and we are enjoying this beauty.” - The New York Times

Queensland Ballet: An Unexpected Unraveling

The company that former artistic director Li Cunxin turned into a powerhouse with an international reputation is now “beleaguered”, as one headline put it. - InDaily (Australia)

Two More Ex-Dancers Sue Shen Yun

“Two former dancers … filed a lawsuit on Thursday accusing the group of amassing a financial fortune and worldwide renown by subjecting an ‘army of child laborers’ to brutal working conditions and psychological coercion.” Another former company member filed a similar suit last November. - The New York Times

The Book That Transformed How We See Ballet

Alexey Brodovitch’s Ballet gets an 80th anniversary reprint. He "intended to foreground shape, blur, contrast, gesture and motion — the atmosphere of dance — in the photographs. ‘The photograph is not only a pictorial report,’ Brodovitch said. ‘It is also a psychological report.’” - The New York Times

How Is It That Ireland Hasn’t Had A National Dance Company?

How is it that an island that has managed to produce one of the strongest theatrical traditions in the West could be without a national dance company? - Fjord Review

Chicago Loses A Key Dance Venue, Links Hall

“Since its founding in 1978 …, Links has been a cornerstone of the city’s dance scene, often giving a home to experimental new works that pushed the envelope, both artistically and politically. Executive Director SK Kerastas said Thursday that the venue will continue with performances scheduled through June.” - WBEZ (Chicago)

Watching Auditions For A WNBA Dance Squad

“More than 100 dancers auditioned for just 21 spots on the New York Liberty’s cheerleading team, the Timeless Torches. Founded in 2005, less than a decade after the creation of the WNBA, the Timeless Torches are a co-ed dance group in which every member is at least 40 years old.” - Gothamist

Claim: No One Wants To Watch Overweight Dancers. Really?

As an absolute entry level precondition for excellence in ballet, a dancer cannot be overweight. - The Times (UK)

Bigger-Bodied Ballet Dancers Are The Future, Says Head Of Royal Ballet School

“Iain Mackay, artistic director of the school, said studios were focusing on strength-based training for both sexes as ballet moved away from the ‘slim’ female fixture of the classical ballet repertoire. ‘Audiences want dancers they can relate to,’ Mackay said, when asked whether this included plus-sized ballerinas on main stages.” - The Times (UK)

Our Free Newsletter

Join our 30,000 subscribers

Latest

Don't Miss

function my_excerpt_length($length){ return 200; } add_filter('excerpt_length', 'my_excerpt_length');