ArtsJournal: Arts, Culture, Ideas

DANCE

Nine Years In Prison For Former Principal At English National Ballet

Yat-Sen Chang was convicted on twelve counts of sexual assault on female students in London between 2009 and 2016. Born and trained in Cuba, Chang, 49, danced with ENB from 1993 to 2011 and was, until his trial, ballet master at the theater in Kiel, Germany. - The Guardian

A Lifeline For Boys Who Get Tormented For Studying Ballet

"Through town halls and one-on-one virtual mentorships, which are open to dancers around the world," Boys Who Dance "aims to help students overcome bullying, negative stereotyping and other challenges they may face during their training." - Pointe Magazine

Camille A. Brown Brings Black Social Dance To The Met Opera Stage

"When was the last time a dance stopped an opera in its tracks?" That's what happened after the fraternity scene (step choreography by Brown) in the Met's Fire Shut Up in My Bones. Here’s a Q&A between Brown and Gia Kourlas. - The New York Times

This Choreographer Who Won A ‘Genius’ Grant At 70, And Has Some Big Plans

Jawole Willa Jo Zollar's groundbreaking contributions have become both mainstream and topical. "An experimental dance company in Brooklyn? Nothing unusual about that now — yet Zollar was forging a new path when she founded Urban Bush Women in 1984." - Washington Post

The World Is So, So Ready To Dance Again

"Maybe it’s because of the advent of COVID-19 vaccines. Maybe it is because feet can be repressed for just so long. But it seems that everywhere, dancers are letting loose." - St. Paul Pioneer Press (AP)

Tango Is Back, Baby

During the pandemic, tango suffered more than most other dance forms. "There is no distance between bodies; partners lean into each other, faces and chests touching, an arm wrapped around the other’s back, communicating through fingertips and subtle shifts in weight." - The New York Times

K-Pop Isn’t Just Music, It’s Become A Dance Genre

"From the comical horseback-riding step in PSY's 'Gangnam Style' to the carefree peace-sign–wielding grooves in BTS's 'Permission to Dance,' K-pop choreography often goes viral. … Nearly every K-pop song has corresponding choreography that hits each accent in the track." - Dance Magazine

Boston Ballet Debuts Free Streaming Platform, Including Virtual Reality

ÜNI, as the site is called, wasn't created to stream the company's live performances: each work on the platform was choreographed especially for digital video, and a few of them includes VR versions that can be controlled by the viewer. - The Boston Globe

You’re A Budding Choreographer. How Do You Land Commissions, And What Do You Do When You Get One?

A couple of working contemporary choreographers offer ideas about how to get a foot in the door — and then what to consider in order to actually create in the piece in the two or three weeks you'll probably have. - Dance Magazine

She Has MS. She’s Continuing Her Career As A Ballet Dancer

Abby Phillips Maginity of Ballet Arizona was diagnosed while she was rehearsing for her first principal role — and just as the pandemic was getting serious. The first months stuck at home were hard, but, in treatment, with support from the company, she's back at work. - Pointe Magazine

Conducting Isn’t Easy, And Then You Add In The Dancers

Australia Ballet conductor-in-training Alexander Rodrigues says conducting an orchestra for ballet is a true challenge, thinking about the music's past, present, and future - "And you’re balancing the music with the dance, the tempos of that." - Sydney Morning Herald

Dance Alumni Sue UNC School Of The Arts, Alleging Pattern Of Sexual Abuse

Seven plaintiffs who attended UNCSA as undergraduates during the 1980s give detailed descriptions of predatory behavior, including long-term affairs, by instructors in the school's dance department. - The News and Observer (Raleigh, NC)

The 50 Largest Contemporary Dance Companies In The U.S.: A Look At The Numbers

Among the key finds in this new study are that, in the aggregate, contemporary dance in the U.S. operates with less than a quarter of the money that American ballet has, and that gender parity in leadership is achieved. - Dance Data Project

How Three New York City Ballet Dancers Prepared Themselves For An Uncertain Return To The Stage

Gia Kourlas: "To get a better understanding of what this strange time has been like, I checked in with … a member of the corps de ballet, a soloist and a principal to track their experiences … as they made their way to opening night." - The New York Times

Get M.A.D.D. — This Chicago Company Is Transforming Tap Dance

"Short for 'Making a Difference Dancing Rhythms,' the tap dance company marks its 20th official season this year. … Today, M.A.D.D. Rhythms remains deeply committed to improvisation, circling up to jam every time the dancers step onto the wood." - Dance Magazine

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');