"The troupe never strayed from its comedic roots but has evolved in other ways. … The quality of dancing is much higher than it used to be. … (And) because the new generation of dancers has been exposed to drag all their lives, they gravitate more toward ... the elegance of the art form." - Pointe Magazine
The version we see today is about half the length of Ailey's 1960 original; nine songs were removed for an overseas tour in 1962, and the cuts have stuck. But interim artistic director Matthew Rushing and composer Du’Bois A’Keen have reimagined those missing scenes for a piece titled Sacred Songs. - Dance Magazine
The artistic director of the Montreal-based troupe Le Patin Libre ("free skate") stresses that audiences shouldn't expect anything like Merce Cunningham or Pina Bausch or Alvin Ailey but in an ice rink. Yet their work is to conventional figure skating something like what contemporary dance is to ballet. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
The strike, following unsuccessful negotiations, concerns the remuneration of preparation time before performances. According to the union, only six hours of monthly preparation are paid, compared to a real average of 30 hours. - Gramilano
Attorneys for Rachael Gunn, who gained global notoriety with her last-place performance at the Paris Olympics, put the kibosh on Raygun: The Musical, arguing that the show would damage her reputation and that she owns the IP of her moves. Does she have a leg to stand on? Here's an explainer. - Crikey (Australia)
Under a settlement with the National Labor Relations Board, "10 fired dancers, and three whose offers of employment were rescinded, will receive over $560,000 from the dance company in back pay, front pay and compensation for damages incurred through the loss of their employment." - KERA (Dallas)
If there were ever an argument for dance (and a sense of humor) as a way to extend one’s life, well: Dick Van Dyke in a suit and tie, barefoot, dancing in his California backyard as he nears his 99th birthday, is it. - Vulture
"San Francisco Ballet’s Nutcracker season will kick off as planned, despite concerns that opening night would be canceled due to a stall in contract negotiations. Ballet management … reached a tentative two-year agreement with its union members on Thursday." - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
Lynne Charles, artistic director of English National Ballet School, has developed a method she calls 4Pointe. "There are all these methods ... but there’s no pre-pointe teaching ... the balance as you go through your foot. I’ve developed exercises for specific parts of the foot and put them in a specific order." - Bachtrack
"Diego Vega Solorza does not want people to think of him as a visual artist. He is certainly not a sculptor, he insists, nor a photographer or videographer — even though he will exhibit that kind of work ... at this year’s Art Basel Miami Beach." - The New York Times
"In the performing arts, it’s often assumed that audiences consider international or 'big-city' imports higher quality than locally-produced talent and creativity. But for decades, regional companies have been proving that false. … While these 'homegrown' companies may have relatively low profiles, they’re a crucial part of the national dance landscape." - Dance Magazine
"After five months of tense negotiations, the American Guild of Musical Artists says it has made limited progress in securing a new collective bargaining agreement for its members that addresses important issues like wages, safety and working conditions." The contract ends on Dec. 6, Nutcracker's opening night. - San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
“Athletes, coaches, and choreographers are now facing the fact that they’ve been unintentionally breaking the law nearly every day, through the music that soundtracks their performances. And as rumors of the dollar amounts in musicians’ complaints spread, many athletes began to question” if their sports can continue at all. - Slate - Slate
"Throughout his career, he has struggled with stage fright, he said, especially when dancing in groups. ... But for “Dear Lord, Make Me Beautiful,” a new large-scale, evening-length production that deals with themes of aging, change and vulnerability, he knew he needed to be present onstage." - The New York Times
"The lawsuit brought by Chang Chun-Ko in White Plains federal court sought unspecified damages on behalf of Chang and other alleged victims of Shen Yun, … saying it has subjected some children who perform for it to harsh conditions, including long hours for little pay." - AP
