Dance Magazine articles from April 2008

Dance Magazine archives from April 2008

Curtain up.
April 1, 2008... During the years I taught in colleges, I noticed that in technique class, the boys came right down front to stand boldly in the teacher's immediate vision. The girls tended to hover at the back of the studio. The young men were so sure of...

Inspiring women.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2008... We asked readers to tell us who their favorite female choreographers are and why. Here are some of their responses. To see more, go to www.dancemagazine.com. My favorite has always been Twyla Tharp in her jazz dance period--Eight Jelly...

Surviving tragedy.(vital signs)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Shapiro & Smith Dance is known for their funny and intricate dancing. They suffered a tragic blow when co-director and founder Danial Shapiro died in 2006 ("Transitions," Jan. '07). But the resilient company is...

AI meets Dance.(vital signs)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Wayne McGregor's London-based Random Dance, Sadler's Wells' resident company, has made a name for itself through science-based multimedia performances. Artistic director McGregor, a former research fellow at the department of experimental...

Vital stat.(vital signs)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... The Jerome Robbins Dance Division at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts contains more than 42,000 reference books about dance. But that accounts for only 3 percent of the division's entire holdings. They also have over 20,000...

Dancescapes.(vital signs)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Get back in touch with Mother Nature. Check out Dance in America on PBS April 14 for the premiere of the Wolf Trap Foundation's Face of America, a celebration of commissioned works performed in the magnificent...

Comic relief.(vital signs)(Brief article)(Comedy review)
April 1, 2008... Looking for a good laugh? Pacific Northwest Ballet will have you rolling in the aisles during their Laugh Out Loud! Festival. This all-comedy, two-program weekend features world premieres by PNB's own Olivier Wevers and Broadway sensation Susan...

Philly phusion.(vital signs)(Dance review)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... This month, Kota Yamazaki's Fluid Hug Hug and Charles Anderson's Dance Theatre X will be in Philadelphia for what the Painted Bride Art Center has dubbed "trxfr-->transfer." Charles Anderson's company (a 2008 "25 to Watch"), pushes the...

Ballet goes big.(vital signs)(Dance review)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When you hear a hip hop beat you might not prep for pirouettes. But this month, Antwan "Big Boi" Patton (left) of OutKast is mixing things up in big, a collaborative project with Atlanta Ballet. It's not Big Boi's...

Twyla does it again.(vital signs)(Dance review)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Twyla Tharp continues to pull ballets out of her sleeve. With over 135 works and still counting, she will premiere Armenia in San Francisco with Company C Contemporary Ballet. Charlie Neshyba-Hodges, who helped to...

Quick Q&A: Karine Plantadit.(vital signs)(Interview)
April 1, 2008... A gale force onstage, Karine Plantadit is a dancer with astounding technique matched by a frank sexiness. She is currently working on a new project with John Selya, whom she met while dancing in Movin' Out on Broadway. Together they are...

Kirov, Kirov how does your garden grow? The Russians come to City Center.(dance matters)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A dance company is like a garden. Some flowers that flourished yesterday are gone (though not the hardiest) and new, unexpected ones have pushed up from the soil. Is it the same garden today that it was yesterday?...

In the green: building with an environmental conscience.(dance matters)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As many give more focus to the environment, the dance world has taken the phrase "building for a better future" quite literally. Green dance complexes are springing up with a dual commitment towards dance and...

Linked up: Jeanne Ruddy brings a master to Philly.(dance matters)(Susanne Linke)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When Jeanne Ruddy was a member of the Martha Graham Dance Company in the 1980s, she encountered the work of German choreographer Susanne Linke. "I don't even remember the name of the piece," she says. What she saw...

Danspace Project.(Comings & Goings)
April 1, 2008... Judy Hussie-Taylor has been named the executive director of the Danspace Project in NYC. She was the former artistic director of the Colorado Dance Festival.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago welcomes five new dancers.(Comings & Goings)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Hubbard Street Dance Chicago welcomes five new dancers. Autumn Eckman has joined the main company. Stacey Aung, Ty Gorin Parmenter, and Nefertiti Thomas have joined HS2. Jason Hortin has joined as an apprentice at the Hubbard Street Dance...

Baryshnikov Arts Center.(Comings & Goings)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Stanford Makishi, former member of the Trisha Brown Dance Company and director of creative services at Carnegie Hall, has been appointed as the executive director of the Baryshnikov Arts Center. He succeeds Christina Sterner.

Cullberg Ballet.(Comings & Goings)
April 1, 2008... Johan Inger, artistic director of the Cullberg Ballet, is stepping down from his position in the summer of 2008.

Petronio's song & dance.(new york notebook)(Dance review)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Behind Stephen Petronio's jagged, speed-of-light dancing is lyricism. It's most visible in his short dances to pop songs--sexy, slippery, and emotionally packed. For This Is the Story of a Girl in a World, Petronio...

Daredevils of the heart.(new york notebook)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... If you want to know where you're going, you must know where you've been. At 21, the PEARSONWIDRIG DANCETHEATER has come of age, says Sara Pearson and Patrik Widrig, announcing their Symphony Space celebration, April 10-12. "With every new work,...

From Europe: the stranger.(new york notebook)(Dance review)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Scapino Ballet Rotterdam gives us a chance to see the work of Marco Goecke, a deeply eccentric young European choreographer. Goecke's work combines ballet and modern with abrupt, sometimes disturbing changes. He...

Virginie Mecene & Kevin Predmore.(from the heart: DANCERS IN LOVE)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Virginie Mecene and Kevin Predmore first caught sight of one another on the second floor landing of the old Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. She is French and thought perhaps he was northern Italian. But...

Quads vs. hamstrings.(your body)
April 1, 2008... Dancers' legs often seem to hold intuitive wisdom and muscle memory. But the kinesiology of the muscles that directs the legs into so many amazing moves is complicated, particularly when examining how those muscles work in tandem. Take the...

Advice for dancers.
April 1, 2008... I know aerobic exercise helps build up energy for performing, but I'm not sure which method is best. When I'm in rehearsals, should I do the stationary bike? Or swim? Eager for Energy Pittsburgh, PA I'm glad you're planning ahead....

They are women, hear them roar.(celebrating woman choreographers)(Interview)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Too often choreography is thought of as a man's job. While that assumption may be more true of ballet than modern dance, more and more women in both categories are choreographing these days--and their ranks are...

Fearless & feisty: with Baryshnikov a fan, and a wealth of new commissions, Aszure Barton is a choreographer to watch.(celebrating women choreographers)(Cover story)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Yes, Aszure Barton can show you a truckload of impressive reviews. Yes, she has Mikhail Baryshnikov's blessing. And tackling the Brecht-Weill musical Threepenny Opera, with stars like Alan Cumming and Cyndi Lauper,...

Choreography opportunities.(celebrating women choreographers)(Directory)
April 1, 2008... WORKSHOPS Bates Dance Festival Bates College Lewiston, ME (207} 786-6381 http://abacus.bates.edu/dancefest/ Boulder Jazz Dance Workshop Boulder, CO (303) 449-0399 www.BoulderJazzDanceWorkshop.com ...

No nostalgia necessary: San Francisco Ballet celebrates 75 years with a festival of world premieres.
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "We know we have very high standards here. But sometimes you just have to remind people how good you are. We don't want to be taken for granted." Helgi Tomasson has never been one to brag about his...

It's a spring thing: and the skirts are in bloom.(dm style)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] From floral prints to shades, skirts are the perfect addition to your spring dancewear collection. After being bundied up for months, a skirt lets you feel free, feminine, and cheery. Warm weather practically begs...

The goddess of modern dance: now playing on DVD.(dm recommends)(Video recording review)
April 1, 2008... Martha Graham: Dance on Film Produced by Nathan Kroll. The Criterion Collection. 2 DVDs. www.criterion.com. $39.95. This collection of films takes us into the mind, heart, and soul of Martha Graham. Directed by Peter...

Learning to light up the stage: at the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre.(teach-learn connection)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Moving all the time, adjusting a leg here, a port de bras there, singing out the instructions in the rhythm she wants, Damara Bennett, director of the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre, puts the advanced level IIIB...

Improving your plie.(THE NEXT LEVEL)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Like a recipe for quality of life, Risa Steinberg's description of a good plie combines a philosophical approach, a touch of physics, and common sense: "It never ends. Once you know it's going to help you do...

Ballet in Buffalo.(ACROSS THE FLOOR)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Make me want to look at you; get my attention," Maris Battaglia tells her advanced class during their center adagio. She reminds her students to knead the floor with their feet. "I'm Italian, I use a lot of food...

Chicago women.(ACROSS THE FLOOR)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... There s a theory floating around that American dance presenters value male choreographers more highly than women choreographers. So when the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago planned its Spring 2008 performance series entirely with...

Students & Co.(ACROSS THE FLOOR)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Because of its NYC location and flexible schedule, Columbia University's School of General Studies has several current and former professional ballet dancers walking around campus. In September, five of them decided to start their own...

The International Dance Teachers Seminar.(Class Notes)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... The Institute for Dance Education Arts, Inc., presents The International Dance Teachers Seminar April 4-6 in Miami, FL, with guest teacher Gilbert Mayer of the Paris Opera Ballet School. The program includes master classes, demonstrations, and...

Lise la Cour.(Class Notes)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... The Royal Danish Ballet awarded Lise la Cour, director of Ballet San Jose School, with the Margot Lander Lifetime Achievement Award on Dec. 9. La Cour, a Copenhagen native, joined the RDB at 18, dancing soloist and principal roles. She later...

Congratulations to the winners of the 2008 National Dance Week Poster Contest sponsored by Dance Magazine and Capezio/Ballet Makers, Inc.(Brief article)(List)
April 1, 2008... Congratulations to the winners of the 2008 National Dance Week Poster Contest sponsored by Dance Magazine and Capezio/Ballet Makers, Inc. Prizes are awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners and honorable mention in each age group. Watch for...

Fernando Alonso: Cuba's master ballet teacher.(teacher's wisdom)(Interview)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Fernando Alonso, 93, is a founding member of Ballet Nacional de Cuba and, with his ex-wife Alicia Alonso, formerly co-artistic director. He created the curriculum offered in the national ballet school system...

Sarrah Strimel: with a leg (or two) up on Broadway, she's poised for stardom.(on the rise)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sarrah Strimel--two Rs, one M. Even her name sounds like it belongs on a Broadway marquee. She's got a bright smile, a set of lungs that could bust glass, and eye-popping extensions. No wonder audiences are...

No tears: Rob Ashford's Cry-Baby choreography isn't for the timid.(on broadway)
April 1, 2008... It came down to 22 men: 22 headshots, 22 bios, 22 dance bags strewn around a Times Square rehearsal studio. At stake was one job: being a swing on Cry-Baby, the stage version of John Waters' 1990 film starring Johnny Depp. For all the...

Festival Ballet Providence.(Dance review)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Festival Ballet Providence VMA Arts & Cultural Center, Providence, RI February 8-10, 2008 Viktor Plotnikov's Coma (2007) begins with a stunning image of four dancers lying on slabs that are swinging...

Urban Bush Women and JANT-BI.(Dance review)
April 1, 2008... Urban Bush Women and JANT-BI Cullen Theater, Houston, TX January 19, 2008 The collaboration between Urban Bush Women and Senegalese dance company JANT-BI could have gone wrong so easily. An international collaboration asking deep...

Miguel Gutierrez and the Powerful People.(Dance review)
April 1, 2008... Miguel Gutierrez and the Powerful People Dance Theater Workshop, NYC January 14-15, 2008 Miguel Gutierrez's Everyone--premiered in 2007 at Abrons Arts Center--messes with our expectations and comfort from its inception. We're...

Parsons Dance.(Dance review)
April 1, 2008... Parsons Dance The Joyce Theater, NYC January 8-20, 2008 In two programs of dances spanning 1982 to 2006, showcases for the heightened physicality and flamboyant virtuosity that exemplify David Parsons' choreographic style, Parsons...

David Parker and The Bang Group.(Dance review)
April 1, 2008... David Parker and The Bang Group Painted Bride Art Center, Philadelphia January 24-26, 2008 It's easy to love David Parker's dance comedies. Unlike much dance that tries too hard to be funny, Parker's droll wit seems to bubble up...

Pennsylvania Ballet.(PREVIEW)(Dance review)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Coppelia, one of the few comedic ballets, is back in PAB's repertoire. Staged by Petrus Bosman in 1978, the Arthur Saint-Leon classic was the first full-length ballet for the company. The fine character acting of PAB's dancers brings the story...

Deborah Riley Dance Projects.(PREVIEW)(Dance review)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... The all-female Deborah Riley Dance Projects, a resident company of Dance Place in Washington, D.C., invites audiences to relive, remember, and relate as they celebrate their 20th anniversary. Riley joined Dance Place as an artist-in-residence...

Nikolaj Hubbe.(RETIREMENT)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At Nikolaj Hubbe's farewell performance in February, the Danish-born star pulled out all the stops, dancing with incandescent verve as the Greek god Apollo, and with panache in Zakouski, a challenging Russian-themed...

Alberto Alonso (1917-2007).(DEATHS)(Obituary)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Havana-born dancer, choreographer, and teacher Alberto Alonso died December 31. He was the first foreigner during the Soviet era to choreograph for the Bolshoi when his Carmen Suite premiered there in 1967, with Maya Plisetskaya in the lead....

Norman Morrice (1931-2008).(DEATHS)(Obituary)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Norman Morrice, born in Mexico of British parents, was the only person to be director of two of Britain's leading companies. The first was Ballet Rambert, which he effectively ran at first as associate director, then co-director, to the aging...

Marie-Jeanne (1920-2007).(DEATHS)(Obituary)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Marie-Jeanne was one of the iconic figures of American dance, although her dancing career was short. She was born in New York Marie-Jeanne Pelus in 1920, and started lessons at the School of American Ballet in 1934....

United States.(Schools, Studios, Colleges, Universities, Companies, Teachers, Choreographers, Dancers, Somatic Practices & Movement Arts Certification, & Dance Medicine)(Directory)
April 1, 2008... United States ALABAMA ALABAMA BALLET Wes Chapman, Artistic Director Alice Cox, Director of External Affairs 2726 1st Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233 (205) 322-43110; Fax (205) 322-4444 www.alabamaballet.org ALABAMA DANCE...

Miami gains momentum.(dancefinder: a career & learning resource guide)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Feel the heat in Florida this month when Momentum Dance Company hosts the Miami Beach Dance Festival. Highlighting traditional and contemporary, local and international dance, the festival features Ballet Hispanico,...

International.(Schools, Studios, Colleges, Universities, Companies, Teachers, Choreographers, Dancers, Somatic Practices & Movement Arts Certification, & Dance Medicine)(Directory)
April 1, 2008... International ARGENTINA MANUEL VALLEJOS DANCE JAZZ STUDIO Lavalle 1579 C.P.1048-Buenos Aires Tel/Fax (541) 371-6811 AUSTRIA SALZBURY INTL BALLET ACADEMY (SIBA) Yehuda Maor, Ballet teacher/Master Salzburg Ballet. Phone...

Somatic practices, movement arts, and dance medicine.(Schools, Studios, Colleges, Universities, Companies, Teachers, Choreographers, Dancers, Somatic Practices & Movement Arts Certification, & Dance Medicine)(Directory)
April 1, 2008... Somatic Practices, Movement Arts, and Dance Medicine Certification and Training in Somatic and Movement-Based Arts. Contact: dcastro@dancemagazine.com AERIAL DANCE/ ACROBATIC/CIRCUS ARTS LAVA HOME STUDIO / BROOKLYN, NY ...

A lonely eminence: in the past, women were not encouraged to be creative artists.(attitudes)(Biography)
April 1, 2008... Who were the women choreographers of the 20th century who laid the foundation for our current choreographers? Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Mary Wigman, Katherine Dunham, Anna Sokolow. But wait a minute--they were all in modern...

Studio Director Roundable.(Interview)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BRUCE AND ANGELIKA STEGMANN STEGMANN'S SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS Spring Hill, TN In business since Spring, 2007 (Bruce previously had a school Ohio and taught for Gus Giordano; Angelika had a studio in...

The many dimensions of Wendy Oliver: dancer, educator, choreographer, scholar.(WENDY OLIVER)(Biography)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One doesn't always think of the earthy, egalitarian, and nonsexist tenets of contact improvisation as leading to the hallowed halls of academia. But these indeed are the philosophical underpinnings for Wendy Oliver's...

Mentoring student teachers: role models who bridge the gap between concept and practice.(STUDENT TEACHERS)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Not long ago only a couple of hundred dance studios, college dance departments, and public school dance classes existed in this country. Today there are thousands. Attendant to the boom in dance popularity, it seems...

Mark your calendar!(Brief article)(Calendar)
April 1, 2008... AAHPERD National Convention Ft. Worth, TX April 8-12 National Dance Week April 25-May 4 National Tap Dance Day May 25 ACDFA National Festival New York City June 4-6 Dance/USA Roundtable Natl...