Dance Magazine articles from December 2008

Dance Magazine archives from December 2008

This will be a holiday season like no other.(curtain up)
December 1, 2008... This will be a holiday season like no other. The financial markets' meltdown has spurred a period of uncertainty that affects ali of us. However, I like to think that dancers are somewhat insulated from financial disaster. We invest in our...

Giving voice to the deaf.(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2008... Thank you so much for featuring deaf dancers in your October issue. Reading To Their Own Music" just made my day! I am a profoundly deaf ballet student who uses a cochlear implant in one ear and a hearing aid in the other. What I appreciate...

Memories from dancing days.(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2008... Reading Katherine Eck's letter about Michael Kidd ("Letters," May) brought back many memories. When I was 12, I started taking ballet lessons at the old Metropolitan Opera house with Margaret Curtis. I made friends with some of the pupils in...

Snowflakes and softshoe.(vital signs)(Tappy Holidays)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... For the third year in a row, Ayodele Casel and Sarah Savelli bring together tappers far and wide for Tappy Holidays, a spirited holiday showcase in NYC. For one night only on Dec. 12 at Symphony Space, see tap stars Jason Samuels Smith, Jumaane...

Mix it up.(vital signs)(Tigertail provides DanceAble program for the disabled)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DanceAble, a program of Florida's arts production organization Tigertail, provides opportunities for people with disabilities. This month, Tigertail, danceAble, and the Florida Dance Association present DIN A 13, the...

Nebrada lives!(vital signs)(Viva Nebrada!)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... This summer, a festival called Viva Nebrada! was held in honor of Venezuelan choreographer Vicente Nebrada, who died in 2002. The weeklong celebration featured films, exhibits, conversations and performances of Nebrada's choreography. Dancers...

Spanish seduction.(vital signs)(Compania Flamenco Jose Porcel brings modernized version of flamenco to UC Berkeley)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... This month, Cal Performances welcomes Compania Flamenco Jose Porcel to their World Stage program. Porcel, former principal dancer of the National Ballet of Spain, brings his modernized version of flamenco to UC Berkeley. Known for lavish...

The brand-new two-year-old.(vital signs)(Evidence dance company brings world premiere of Ronald K. Brown's Two-Year-Old Gentleman )(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Evidence, a Dance Company, gets generational this month. The world premiere of Ronald K. Brown's Two-Year-Old Gentleman was developed around the stories that grandfathers pass onto future generations and inspired by Brown's 3-year-old nephew....

Going nuts.(vital signs)(Calendar)
December 1, 2008... 'Tis the season for Nutcrackers. Everyone's got one and some companies are giving it their own twist. Here are some traditional Nuts and some non-traditional ones, as well as some visions beyond Sugar Plums. * Coming to a screen near you:...

Vital stat.(vital signs)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's the 76th season for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. More than 1,200 costumes are worn by the cast of 150. The Rockettes go through 1,400 pairs of pantyhose during the show's 8-week run. Each Rockette...

Quick Q & A: Kenneth Greve.(vital signs)(Interview)
December 1, 2008... In the 21st century, a Nordic mafia seems to have moved in on the leadership of Western ballet: Peter Martins commands in NYC, Helgi Tomasson in San Francisco, Nikolai Hubbe in Copenhagen, Mikko Nissinen in Boston... and now, ex-Danish...

Nashville's new Nutcracker: Paul Vasterling gives the classic a hometown feel.(dance matters)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Once upon a time, in 1897, a little girl named Clara attends the Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition in Nashville with her young, red-headed Uncle Drosselmeyer. There, as the story is told in the...

C'est Trisha Brown: company performs early repertory in Parisian parks.(dance matters)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Trisha Brown Dance Company was this year's highlight in Paris Quartier d'Ete, a Parisian summer festival. But what could have been a success only with connoisseurs turned into a revelation. For the past 19 years,...

Houston Ballet.(PROMOTIONS, COMINGS & GOINGS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Houston Ballet promoted Kelly Myernick and Sharon Teague to first soloists, Oliver Halkowich and Nao Kusuzaki to soloists, and Katharine Precourt to demi soloist. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Dance Alloy Theater.(PROMOTIONS, COMINGS & GOINGS)
December 1, 2008... * Former Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre dancer Christopher Bandy has joined Dance Alloy Theater.

San Francisco Ballet.(PROMOTIONS, COMINGS & GOINGS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... * San Francisco Ballet has promoted Jaime Garcia Castilla to a principal; Dana Genshaft, Pauli Magierek, Garen Price Scribner, and Anthony Spaulcling to soloists; apprentices Sean Orza and Jeremy Rucker have joined the corps de ballet. Sofiane...

Chicago Human Rhythm Project.(PROMOTIONS, COMINGS & GOINGS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... * The Chicago Human Rhythm Project has appointed Tre Dumas as the associate director, responsible for curating the Winter Tap JAMboree, the Windy City Rhythms concert, and the Rhythm World festival.

Ballet West.(PROMOTIONS, COMINGS & GOINGS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... * Ballet West has promoted Michael Bearden to principal; Kate Crews and Jason Linsley to soloists, Jason Chinea, Victoria Lock, Christopher Sellars, and Jacqueline Straughan to demi-soloists; and Aidan Diskin to apprentice.

Nehemiah Kish.(PROMOTIONS, COMINGS & GOINGS)
December 1, 2008... * Nehemiah Kish, a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada, is also a principal with the Royal Danish Ballet.

Huntsville Ballet Company.(PROMOTIONS, COMINGS & GOINGS)
December 1, 2008... * Phillip Otto succeeds Clinton Rothwell as artistic director of Huntsville Ballet Company in Huntsville, AL.

Helanius Wilkins.(AWARDS)(Pola Nireska Award for Contemporary Achievement in Dance was given to Helanius Wilkins)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... The Pola Nireska Award for Contemporary Achievement in Dance was given to Helanius Wilkins, founder and artistic director of EDGEWORKS Dance Theater in Washington, DC. The Lifetime Achievement award was given to choreographer Mary-Averett...

The Genee International Ballet Competition was held for the first time in Toronto this August.(AWARDS)(Aaron Smyth, Yuma Kozuki, Hong Tao Lin, Chelsea Andrejic, Nicole Ciapponi, Ya Xuan Xu and Alexandra Bertram are among the recipients in the Genee International Ballet Competition )(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... * The Genee International Ballet Competition was held for the first time in Toronto this August. Australian Aaron Smyth won the gold medal and the audience choice award, Yuma Kozuki from Japan and Hong Tao Lin from China were awarded silver...

Dance recipients of the 2008 Princess Grace Awards are Blaine Hoven, American Ballet Theatre; Jermel Johnson, Pennsylvania Ballet; Alexander Peters, School of American Ballet; Lucien Postlewaite, Pacific Northwest Ballet; and Spenser Theberge, The Juilliard School-Dance Division.(AWARDS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... * Dance recipients of the 2008 Princess Grace Awards are Blaine Hoven, American Ballet Theatre; Jermel Johnson, Pennsylvania Ballet; Alexander Peters, School of American Ballet; Lucien Postlewaite, Pacific Northwest Ballet; and Spenser...

Whitney Jensen.(AWARDS)(Whitney Jensen to recieve the Grand Prix in the youth division at the 2008 Varna Ballet Competition)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Whitney Jensen is the first American to receive the Grand Prix in the youth division at the 2008 Varna Ballet Competition. She was coached by Valentina Kozlova.

Peter Martins.(AWARDS)(Peter Martins was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga Springs)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... * Peter Martins ballet master in chief of New York City Ballet, was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the National Museum of Dance in Saratoga Springs.

Arthur Mitchell.(AWARDS)
December 1, 2008... * Arthur Mitchell received the lifetime achievement award from The Black Theater Alliance Awards.

Pat Graney.(AWARDS)(2008 Alpert Award in the Arts for dance was presented to Pat Graney)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... * The 2008 Alpert Award in the Arts for dance was presented to Seattle-based choreographer Pat Graney. She receives a price of $75,000 and a weeklong residency at CatArts.

The 2008 New York Foundation for the Arts Fellows in Choreography.(AWARDS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... * The 2008 New York Foundation for the Arts Fellows in Choreography include: Luciana Achugar, Roxane Butterfly, Deganit Shemy, Miguel Gutierrez, Saar Harari, Lee Sher, Michel Kouakou, Nicholas Leichter, Jennifer Monson, Erick Montes, Max...

Honorees of 2008 Bay Area Dance Awards.(AWARDS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... * Honorees of 2008 Bay Arca Dance Awards, in partnership with the 22nd annual tsadora Duncan Dance Awards ("The Izzies"), include: Jess Curtis/Gravity for Under the Radar', Ibrahima Diouf of the Diamano Coura West African Dance Company for...

The New England Foundation for the Arts awarded a total of $425,000 in grants supporting the creation of contemporary dance projects.(GRANTS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... The New England Foundation for the Arts awarded a total of $425,000 in grants supporting the creation of contemporary dance projects, including: Axis Dance Company; Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company; Evidence, A Dance Company; John...

The McKnight Artist Fellowships for 2008 awarded $25,000 to Minnesota choreographers.(GRANTS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... * The McKnight Artist Fellowships for 2008 awarded $25,000 to Minnesota choreographers Carl Flink, Paula Mann, and Laurie Van Wieren, and to dancers Mary Ann Bradley, Kats Fukasawa, and Roxane Wallace

Passage through India.(new york notebook)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] India has long been a source of inspiration for the amazing Pina Bausch. Bamboo Blues, created after visiting five cities in India, reflects her impressions of the sounds and sights of that country. It includes a...

Untameable.(new york notebook)(Hilary Clark)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... How can one performer express rage with an edge of humor, and humor with an edge of rage? Ask Hilary Clark, who provides an emotional feast every time she dances with Tere O'Connor or Luciana Achugar. Now she is creating her own work in...

Tulip, Rock, Zipper, Bang.(new york notebook)(Chris Elam's Being Together)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Chris Elam's choreography has a stop-motion animation kind of energy. His partner work ranges from gentle cradling to thrashing about. A dancer will leap across stage onto someone's back, then somehow they morph so...

Luke Miller & Darrin Wright.(from the heart: DANCERS IN LOVE)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Darrin Wright and Luke Miller met at the 2001 American Dance Festival. They were both working on Russian choreographer Tatiana Baganova's Wings at Tea, a Pina Bausch--like piece based on Marc Chagall's paintings. "We...

Start out right: chilly weather means your warm-up is key.(your body)
December 1, 2008... With Nutcracker-and-cold-weather season here, dancers face a warm-up challenge. Staying ready to dance through a chilly day may take a little extra motivation, but an active warm-up before class, rehearsals, and performing will keep your...

Advice for dancers.(QA)
December 1, 2008... I've just started a fantastic BFA program where I can dance--my first love--and get an education. The problem is my body: I'm struggling with injuries leftover from years of pushing myself to the limit. I don't want to tell anyone because it...

The miracle workers: the Ailey company's dream team celebrates 50 years of his vision.(Cover story)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sitting in an airport lounge while on tour, and listening to a song on her laptop computer, Hope Boykin started to cry. What she had on her laptop was a download of Sweet Honey In The Rock, the richly harmonizing, a...

Why do they say what they say? Six dance critics defend their opinions.(COPING with CRITICISM)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rattlesnake. Scoundrel. Pitbull. Pit Viper. Scumbag. Trash talker. Good-for-nothing. Witch. Donkey's ass. Monster. Disaster. ?##@**??+!!!! And what do they know anyway? Dancers and choreographers often love...

Don't let it get under your skin. Two dancers talk about reading reviews.(COPING with CRITICISM)(Interview)
December 1, 2008... Sarah Van Patten Principal dancer, San Francisco Ballet As told to Wendy Perron It's really hard when you get a not-so-positive review not to feel bad about it. If t have a night that's off, and I get a review that's not so good,...

Teachers on corrections vs. criticism.(COPING with CRITICISM)
December 1, 2008... Taking criticism can be difficult, but giving it--and getting results--is just as hard. Five teachers talk about what kind of corrections bring out the best in their students. Natalie Rogers-Cropper School Director Garth Fagan...

On-screen critical feedback: the video traces program.(COPING with CRITICISM)
December 1, 2008... What if you could comment on a dance piece just like they do on Sunday night football's instant replays? What if you could analyze the choreography and give play-byplay notes? Even draw on the screen just like football commentator John Madden?...

Knocked sideways: one choreographer--belatedly--feels the sting of the critics.(COPING with CRITICISM)(David Parker )(Personal account)
December 1, 2008... Harsh words from critics, now and forever a click away on the Internet, can harrow. This seems pretty plain, I know. But, amazingly, I had never really given this much thought until one day last spring when I wanted to put my head in the oven...

Show that you care: give a dance gift with flair.(gift guide)(Buyers guide)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Don't know what to give your favorite dancer? DANCE MAGAZINE has just the answer! We scoured the country with you on our minds, And now we present our favorite finds. A T-shirt for Jane, a puzzle for Pete? Our...

Dancing between the pews: liturgical choreographers on their faith in dance.
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] After Kathleen S. Turner graduated from Purchase College's dance program choreographers were interested in her. Yet she found herself in the frustrating position of always making it to the final round but never...

Velvet & steel: Bolshoi-trained Maria Kochetkova has won over SFB's audiences with her soft pliancy and quicksilver technique.(Interview)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Maria Kochetkova insists she is not a perfectionist, but from today's rehearsal, you would never know it. Her assignment this morning is the Don Quixote grand pas de deux. Her partner is San Francisco Ballet...

Dancing for a cause: getting involved outside the studio.
December 1, 2008... Dance can be a moral transporter as well as an artistic one. It's a form that joins the heart and mind and has the power to bridge different worlds. Dance Magazine interviewed several artists who are using dance to engage in, or raise awareness...

From heel to toe: the pleasure & pain of dancing in high heels.
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] During the dream scene of Singin' in the Rain, Gene Kelly finds himself eye to foot with Cyd Charisse s long, luxurious leg--and her emerald high heel. As he stands up to retrieve his hat from the tip of her stem,...

Hello, heels! It's high time we welcome these sumptuous shoes!(dm style)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] No matter what your style of training, at some point in your career you will probably dance in heels. It might be in a glamorous piece like Twyla Tharp's Nine Sinatra Songs, in character class learning the mazurka,...

Savor the holidays: three great DVDs and one luscious book.(dm recommend)(Ailey Ascending: A Portrait in Motion)(New York City Ballet: Bringing Balanchine Back)(Latin Fusion)(For Dancers: The Alexander Technique)(Video recording review)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] New York City Ballet: Bringing Balanchine Back City Lights Home Entertainment. DVD. 80 minutes, $19.95. www.nycballet.com. For anyone who is curious about New York City Ballet or Balanchine's choreography,...

Giving dancers their growl: the Ailey School and The Lion King team up to teach the art of the Broadway audition.(teach-learn connection)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dance students are trained to speak with their bodies, not their voices. But a professional dance career often requires more than physical expertise. To land a dream job on Broadway, dancers are asked to speak, and...

Improving stage presence.(THE NEXT LEVEL)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's the something that draws your eye to a dancer--the sparkle, the shine, an energy that pulls focus, be it subtly or with a brazen demand. Stage presence is the essence of a dancer's being that is projected when...

Mayfair Academy of Fine Arts.(Awards)(Mayfair Academy of Fine Arts received the 2008 Ruth Page Award )(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... The Mayfair Academy of Fine Arts received the 2008 Ruth Page Award in September. Granted annually to trailblazers of dance in the Chicago area who share the spirit of modern dance pioneer Ruth Page, the award paid tribute to Mayfair's late...

The Harid Conservatory of Florida granted its 2008 Rudolf Nureyev Education Fellowships to Mahallia Ward of Austin, TX, and Jose Pereira of Sao Paulo, Brazil, both second-year students at Harid.(Awards)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... The Harid Conservatory of Florida granted its 2008 Rudolf Nureyev Education Fellowships to Mahallia Ward of Austin, TX, and Jose Pereira of Sao Paulo, Brazil, both second-year students at Harid. Funded by Chicago's Rudolf Nureyev Dance...

Tamara Rojo.(Moving Up the Ranks)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... The Royal Ballet School welcomed Tamara Rojo, principal dancer with The Royal Ballet, to its faculty in September. Rojo kicked off with a master class in Covent Garden, teaching solos from Don Quixote and Esmeralda--complete with fans and...

Betty Seibert.(Moving Up the Ranks)(Betty Seibert was elected chair of Cecchetti International)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Betty Seibert was elected chair of Cecchetti International--Classical Ballet, which preserves and develops the Cecchetti method of ballet training. Seibert was formerly director of examinations at the Cecchetti Society, Inc., USA.

Kansas City Ballet School.(Moving Up the Ranks)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Peter Pawlyshyn was appointed new director of the Kansas City Ballet School. A longtime teacher of classical ballet and character dance, he comes from Eugene Ballet Company, where he had been ballet master and associate artistic director.

Lise Houlton: lifting a new generation into flight.(teacher's wisdom)(Interview)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lise Houlton is part of a dance dynasty that began with her mother, the eminent Minnesota choreographer and teacher Loyce Houlton, and continues with her daughters, Kaitlyn and Raina Gilliland. Both attended the...

Shayla-Vie Jenkins: strong yet regal, this Bill T. Jones dancer thrives on work that has a message.(on the rise)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's a cool summer night, and as the audience files in to the Doris Duke Studio Theatre at Jacob's Pillow, the performance--Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company's Chapel/Chapter--is already underway. Eyes shut...

In Fred's steps: Jeffry Denman idolized Astaire--then one clay he heard about White Christmas.(on broadway)
December 1, 2008... Jeffry Denman has a framed airplane ticket, and it's not because he's an airline buff or because he got a celebrity to autograph it at the airport. It's because even though he was unemployed, broke, and in debt, he bought that cross-country...

Pacific Northwest Ballet.(All Tharp)(Dance review)
December 1, 2008... All Tharp September 25-October 5, 2008 McCaw Hall, Seattle, Washington Not every brilliant choreographer can be tapped for three ballets that, together, yield a varied, satisfying evening. Upping the ante in PNB's "All Tharp"...

Merce Cunningham's Ocean.(Dance review)
December 1, 2008... Rainbow Quarry Waite Park, Minnesota September 11-13, 2008 A rainy September 11 cleared up just in time for Cunningham's Ocean to flood the bottom of a granite quarry in central Minnesota. After a steep, spiraling bus ride, 1,200...

Lyon Dance Biennale.
December 1, 2008... Lyon, France September 6-30, 2008 Reviewed by Victoria Looseleaf This gastronomic paradise--home to Paul Bocuse and potatoes Lyonnaise--also boasts one of the world's greatest dance festivals. The 13th edition, aptly called...

Inbal Pinto Dance Company.(Shaker at White Bird's)(Dance review)
December 1, 2008... Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall Portland, Oregon October 7, 2008 The second presidential debate may have thinned the herd for Inbal Pinto Dance Company's second Portland visit. But an evening in an imaginary world free of political...

Joining ABT's ranks.(transitions)(Daniil Simkin)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If a dancer can be feather light and fierce at the same time, it's Daniil Simkin. If he can have astounding technique but at the same time appear innocently boyish, it's Daniil Simkin. American Ballet Theatre's new...

Mario Maya (1936-2008).(DEATHS)(Obituary)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Flamenco's jack of all trades, Mario Maya, died in September. Maya's greatness sprang from his unquenchable passion and flair for the dramatic, which developed while dancing as a young man for tourists at Granada's famed Caves of Sacromonte....

Mario Melodia (1930-2008).(DEATHS)(Obituary)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... Pittsburgh-based dancer, choreographer, and teacher Mario Melodia succumbed to cancer in September. Melodia performed on Broadway and choreographed for American Ballet Theatre II. He also worked with Ginger Rogers, Cyd Charisse, and Juliet...

United States.(dancefinder: a career & learning resource guide)(Directory)
December 1, 2008... Contents UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL Somatic Practices, Pilates, Gyrotonic[R] including Dance Medicine HOW TO LIST IN THE DANCE FINDER A Dance Finder Listing Is Your Business Card to the World of Dance. For rates...

International.(dancefinder: a career & learning resource guide)(Directory)
December 1, 2008... 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 +43+069911134586...

A New Jersey Nutcracker turns 45.(dancefinder: a career & learning resource guide)(Brief article)
December 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The tree is twinkling, the snow is falling, and across the Garden State, the theater is calling. Through Dec. 21, American Repertory Ballet and students from the affiliated Princeton Ballet School bring their classic...

Somatic practices, movement arts, and dance medicine.(Somatic/Movement)(Directory)
December 1, 2008... Certification and Training in Somatic and Movement-Based Arts. Contact; dcastro@dancemagazine.com ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE BALANCE ARTS CENTER NYC Alexander Technique for Dancers Teacher Training, Classes, Workshops. Learn to move with more...

Criticism: the unholy craft.(attitudes)
December 1, 2008... They are the two immortal tramps, Vladimir and Estragon in Beckett's Waiting for Godot, and they have found themselves in a shouting match of ever-ascending insult, starting with such pleasantries as "imbecile" and "cretin," until one of them...