ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

DANCE

An Ambitious Project To Document Dance

The ambitious project was five years in the making and culled street dance resources from a wide-ranging array of sources spanning mediums. - Fjord Review

30th Anniversary Performance Of Michael Flatley’s “Lord Of The Dance” Canceled And Then Uncanceled At Last Minute

Amidst ongoing lawsuits between Flatley, creator of the Irish step-dancing spectacle, and Switzer Consulting, whom he contracted to manage the show’s touring operations, Switzer announced on Tuesday morning that it was canceling the Thursday event in Dublin, leading Flatley to rush to court for an emergency injunction. - Press Association (UK) (Yahoo!)

Alvin Ailey Company Gets Dedicated $10 Million Endowment For Artistic Director

Daria L. Wallach, a retired financier and the chair of the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation’s board of directors, and her husband are the donors. - The New York Times

Ukraine Punishes Two Prominent Ballet Dancers For Performing In “Swan Lake” Abroad

“The Ukrainian Ministry of Culture slammed Serhiy Kryvokon and Natalia Matsak’s performance as ‘promoting the cultural product of the aggressor state’. The National Opera of Ukraine cancelled Kryvokon’s next scheduled performance – as well as his exemption from compulsory military service and permission to travel.” - The Spectator

Was Alexei Ratmansky’s New Ballet Inspired By Trump? Not Exactly.

The choreographer had the idea for The Naked King, based on the old fable “The Emperor’s New Clothes” and premiering this week at New York City Ballet, after watching one of last year’s “No Kings” protests. - The New York Times

Even In These Terrible Times, A Maine Arts Program For Immigrants Persists

“Before I started my dancing, I wasn’t really close to my culture. I was really into the Western stuff. … Then as I got into dancing, I kind of learned how beautiful my culture is and how important and meaningful it is to me.” - The New York Times

As ICE Descends On Maine, Cambodian Immigrants Find Solace In Traditional Dance

Sokhoeun Sok came to the US in 2005 to teach traditional Khmer dance and is now a naturalized citizen. For now, she “is focusing on what she can control: each bend of the wrist, extension of the arm and kick of the heel” executed by her students. - The New York Times

Los Angeles Ballet At 20

For such a large city, L.A. has been a difficult environment for classical dance; before this company, no ballet troupe there had lasted for more than nine years. Artistic director Melissa Barak and executive director Julia Rivera talk with a reporter about how Los Angeles Ballet has lasted and where it’s headed. - Pointe Magazine

How The Prix De Lausanne Works (An Explainer)

The Switzerland-based ballet competition, known for launching the careers of many star dancers, takes place next week. Here executive and artistic director Kathryn Bradney explains to a reporter how the 90-odd contestants are selected, how the weeklong event is structured, and how the important part comes the day afterward. - Pointe Magazine

What Goes On Inside Shen Yun’s Upstate New York Compound?

When CBS Sunday Morning visited, its crew found young dance students silently meditating. Two former students say, however, that they were allowed limited contact with family, berated by teachers, physically pushed to the point of injury, and forbidden to seek medical attention. - CBS News

How The First Indigenous Work Commissioned By A Major Dance Company Came To Be

It’s part of an effort by the Royal Winnipeg, Canada’s oldest professional ballet company, to foster meaningful reconciliation with the country’s Indigenous people — echoing a broader national goal that has been pursued for decades. - The New York Times

Has Dancing In Clubs, Or In Public At All, Died Of Embarrassment And Fear of Social Media Shame?

“We spoke to DJs, dance experts, real estate agents who make dancing home-tour videos, aspiring professional dancers and club owners to get their take. Spoiler: Dancing is far from dead. But has it downsized? Migrated? Is it complicated? Yes, yes and yes.” - The Washington Post (MSN)

What’s Next For The Sacramento Ballet?

There’s a new executive director, a search for an artistic director, and of course, it’s trying to keep a 71-year-old arts institution going. - Sacramento Bee (Yahoo)

Can Generative AI Generate Convincing Dance Movement? Nope, Not Yet.

“CalMatters and The Markup tested four commercially-available AI video-generation models — OpenAI’s Sora, Google’s Veo, MiniMax’s Hailou, and Kuaishou’s Kling — and so far, dancers don’t have much to worry about.” - CalMatters

Finally, A Ballet Shoe That Incorporates Athletic-Shoe Technology

Seth Orza, when he was a principal with Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, developed plantar fasciitis and couldn’t find a shoe that would give his feet enough support and shock absorption to keep the pain at bay. So he designed one, using features copied from running sneakers. - The New York Times

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