DANCE

Ballet Costumes Are Shockingly Labor-Intensive

“Beading and sequins, silk bodices and boning, plus 10 layers of pleated net, all painstakingly cut and dyed by hand before being sewn together. ... ‘If you break it down to five days a week, 40 hours, it’s usually about two weeks. To make one tutu.’” - The i Paper

LA’s Dance Scene Is Contracting. Now It’s Just Survival

“A lot of the challenges that are happening right now are of the times. They’re reflecting what’s going on in our country, and I think it’s important that we all try to stick together through it and keep dancing.” - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

Despite “Billy Elliot,” Boys Studying Ballet In Britain Mostly Still Keep It Secret

The movie certainly helped over the 26 years since it was released: there are noticeably more boys in ballet classes than there used to be — especially where there are boys-only classes. But they still face trouble from peers at school. - The Sunday Times (UK)

Why Ballet Is A Natural Subject For Horror Movies

“Anyone who spends even a day with a professional dancer or a ballet troupe could likely come away and already have the core of a body horror flick ready just from seeing all the injuries strapped up and ignored, or hearing the stories of cut-throat auditions.” - Far Out

New Festival Redefines Lincoln Center Dance

For years, there has been too much ballet at Lincoln Center, which I say as someone who loves the form. Modern dance is part of the center’s history, too, and now it is finally being given a stage. - The New York Times

Competing At Istanbul’s Tango Championship

The Turkish metropolis has become one of the world’s major centers of tango, perhaps behind only Buenos Aires itself. This month Istanbul hosted La Turca Tango Marathon and Championship, a three-day festival and competition which saw 56 dancers from around Europe competing in six categories. - The New York Times

As Other Small Colleges Shrink Non-STEM Programs, These Four Are Adding New Dance Majors

“To get a new major approved, facult­y must demonstrate that there’s a genuine hunger for more dance on campus. They must lay out the benefits not only for future students, but also for the institution as a whole — its reputation and its bottom line.” Here’s how these four colleges did it. - Dance Magazine

After 25 Years, Choreographer Lucy Guerin Leaving Her Dance Company

She is creating a final solo work for herself — her first time onstage in 13 years — as a farewell, and she officially departs as artistic director of Lucy Guerin Inc at the end of this year. The company, based in Melbourne, has toured widely, from Paris to New York to Shanghai. - ArtsHub (Australia)

Eugene Ballet Gets $1M Anonymous Gift, Out Of The Blue

When Executive Director Josh Neckels received notification from the bank that the company had received a deposit, he nearly dismissed it as spam, but decided to call the bank to check. - Oregon Arts Watch

The Fierce Dance That’s An Ode To Sinead O’Connor

“O’Connor was 56 when she died and still making music – she had almost completed a new album. To be a middle-aged woman in the music industry is a rarity, but dance isn’t so different.” - The Guardian (UK)

Upheaval At DC’s Dance Place As Artistic Director Position Is Eliminated

A week after artistic director Tariq O’Meally was abruptly dismissed, an unsigned statement was released: “Dance Place has restructured its staffing model and is reimagining its approach to presentation programming in response to a dramatically contracting public funding environment and its commitment to operating with both efficiency and deeper community ownership.” - Dance Magazine

Some Dance Forms Are Deeply Culturally Coded. How Can They Be Reinterpreted In Contemporary Choreography?

Choreographic researcher and artist Nazira Yerbolkyzy is among a new generation of practitioners working to reframe this relationship by exploring how traditional movement philosophies can be reinterpreted through contemporary choreography and movement analysis. - BroadwayWorld

Longtime ABT Principal Cory Stearns, Not Entirely By Choice, Retires From Performing

The 40-year-old wasn’t happy when artistic director Susan Jaffe told him to make room for someone younger, but he’s philosophical: “I’ve been with ABT my entire life, and I feel very grateful. ... The idea of continuing to dance for the sake of dancing, that’s not what I (want) right now.” - The New York Times

Sydney Dance Company Artistic Director Rafael Bonachela: The Exit Interview

“The amount of things that I didn’t get! … We will never get to fulfil the potential of what we want to achieve. There are so many versions of our life.” - The Saturday Paper (Australia)

Generational Change In Australia’s First Nations Dance

Australian dance is undergoing a generational transfer of leadership. At the same time, First Nations choreography has never been more visible. Yet visibility and authority are not the same thing. - ArtsHub

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