Dance Magazine articles from February 2009

Dance Magazine archives from February 2009

Curtain up.(Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Clive Barnes)(Editorial)
February 1, 2009... Even now, 100 years after Serge Diaghilev astonished Paris with his first season of the Ballets Russes, the name Diaghilev calls up images of exoticism, opulence, and innovation. For most of us, though, these images are vague; we don't really...

Global wows.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2009... I was struck by the beauty and the significance of the statement you made with your November world dance issue. I teach World Dance at NYU, and our class explores the ways in which dance is an encoded form of a society's religious, artistic,...

Nearly Billy.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2009... Your November story on Billy Elliot." The Musical ("This Boy's Life") hit very close to my heart because I was one of the 14 boy finalists to train in NYC with Stephen Daldry and Peter Darling. I auditioned beside the three boys who were...

Audition horror stories.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2009... I will never forget my audition for the University at Buffalo. It threw me when the ballet section was given in Vaganova technique, because I'd only studied the French style. Then we did jazz and it was more classic style than I was used to. I...

Arab art.(art festival)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... The term "arabesque" is derived from the word "arabo," indicating a calligraphic style of lines that flow and intersect. From Feb. 24-March 15 the Kennedy Center will present a three-week festival highlighting the arts and culture of the 22...

The Seldoms.(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A small, adventurous company called The Seldoms mounts its spring season with works by two guest artists. The intensely wacky Liz Burritt, an original member of the Joe Goode Performance Group, has choreographed...

Going gaga.(Batsheva Dance Company's tour)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... The Batsheva Dance Company will tour the U.S. with marathon hyperathletic performances featuring Deca Dance, Three (right), and MAX. The company dances in an addictively weird and highly physical style artistic director Ohad Naharin bases on...

Step Up to Center Stage for the Last Flashdance & Get Served.(Dance Flick)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The spoof movie genre makes the leap into the dance world this month. Dance Flick, which hits theaters Feb. 6, lampoons favorites like Step Up, Save the Last Dance, You Got Served, Flashdance, and Center Stage....

Danza frenzy.(vital signs)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Florence draws an international crowd to the fourth edition of the Danza in Fiera, Feb. 19-22. An expected 160,000+ visitors will participate in workshops of classical, contemporary, jazz, modern, flamenco, tribal,...

Jazzed-up Carmen.(Smuin Ballet)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... The San Francisco-based Smuin Ballet takes on a jazz version of Carmen this month. Robert Sund, a former principal with Pacific Northwest Ballet and San Francisco Ballet, set his Carmen to Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain. During the 15th...

Folk & Fado.(David Rousseve )(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... David Rousseve is feeling nostalgic. His company, Reality, performs Saudade at Montclair State University's Peak Performances, Feb. 8-15. World and postmodern dance collide to the tune of Portuguese Fado music, which is characterized by...

Bolshoi gala.(Bolshoi Ballet Company)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... In October, the Bolshoi Ballet celebrated the 50th anniversary of the artistic collaboration between Ekaterina Maximova and Vladimir Vasiliev, two of Russia's most beloved ballet stars. Featured in the gala were works of Vasiliev's...

Tackling the future: Bill T. Jones' company at 25.
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bill T. Jones has never been one to shy away from difficult subject matter. From Last Supper at Uncle Tom's Cabin/The Promised Land (1990), to Still/Here (1994), to Chapel/Chapter (2006), he has placed the Bill T....

Stanton Welch's Marie: Houston Ballet's new take on royalty.
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With outstretched arms and a forlorn expression, Houston Ballet's Melody Herrera as Marie Antoinette cantilevers in a suspended arabesque. Wrenched from her Austrian home and sent off to France to marry a complete...

Dance Alchemy.(Douglas Dunn)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Douglas Dunn is a mad alchemist of dance--a dancer and choreographer whose elegant structural ideas are coupled with a zany intuition. His dances are confounding fun, with unexpected twists on a postmodern...

Heating up winter.(Flamenco Festival )(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... The Flamenco Festival brings something for everyone, starting with an unusual performance at the Skirball Center on Feb. 13, featuring Rosario Toledo, who projects the joyful robust spirit of her native Cadiz. Next up, one of Spain's most...

Hold the sugar.(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] After leaving New York City Ballet as a dancer in 2007 to join Los Angeles Ballet, Melissa Barak returns to the company where she choreographed her first ballet. For those of us who remember the crystal clarity and...

Dance healthy: strategies for avoiding injury, from NYCB's wellness program.(New York City Ballet )
February 1, 2009... Injury can sideline dancers for weeks or months, so wellness strategies that cut your risk can mean the difference between a successful season and a frustrating healing period. Dance Magazine advice columnist Dr. Linda Hamilton has worked with...

Advice for dancers.(Column)
February 1, 2009... Next week is the first anniversary of my father's death from cancer. It's brought up painful feelings that make it a struggle to take dance class or even get out of bed. I know dancers should be strong. Why can't I put my personal problems...

The Ballets Russes Revolution: Diaghilev brought fire and controversy to ballet, but what remains of his legacy?(Ballets Russes)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] You had to be here. You and almost every art-loving Parisian with money to spend absolutely had to be sitting in the miraculously renovated Theatre du Chatelet on May 19, 1909, for the opening night of Serge...

Ballet West salutes Diaghilev.(Dance review)(Cover story)
February 1, 2009... Diaghilev was a risk taker, and that's the aspect of his legacy that Ballet West plans to capture in its tribute, "Treasures of the Ballets Russes." The evening, slated to run March 27 to April 4, includes three ballets: Fokine's "savage"...

Beijing's modern movement: China's cultural hub catches on to contemporary dance.
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The bustling city of Beijing is full of movement. Arms of calligraphers sweep delicate brushstrokes on the sun-drenched slate at the Temple of Heaven. Legs of cyclists pump their pedals as they speed down busy...

Stomp the stage: tradition meets contemporary rhythm at Step Afrika's spirited performances.(step dancing)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Knee slaps, flat-footed stomps, sandpapery drags, and resounding claps rattle the rafters whenever Step Afrika! takes the stage. The energetic Washington, DC-based company makes irrepressible body music, and...

Cause a commotion: 8 audition outfits to get their attention.(Buyers guide)
February 1, 2009... Auditioning can be terrifying. One way to ease your nerves is by feeling secure in what you're wearing. Dressing to impress only works if you're happy with what you have on! From your headshot to your audition outfit, ask yourself what...

The extended audition: giving dancers more time to shine.
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cattle-call auditions are often a nightmare. Trying to stand out among hundreds of dancers can be frustrating, not to mention downright depressing. But if you think you have just one shot a year to make it into your...

What are they looking for? Tips from the people who make the decisions.
February 1, 2009... It's mid-audition and your mind is racing with questions. Am I learning this fast enough? Am I making a good impression? Will I look silly if I ask a question? Dance Magazine got the inside scoop from top artistic directors and choreographers...

Brush it off, bring it on: how one BalletMet dancer got her wish.(Emily Gotschall)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Growing up as a student at BalletMet's Dance Academy, Emily Gotschall had a promising future in ballet. "I got a lot of attention from my teachers," the Columbus, Ohio, native says. "I was even Clara in The...

Going the extra mile: how to follow up after an audition.
February 1, 2009... When you're done with an audition--whether or not you got the job--your chance to leave a good impression isn't over There are ways to stay on auditioners" minds without appearing pushy. Experts from the Broadway, modern, ballet, and commercial...

Resume 2.0: kick-start your career with the web.(using websites for career opportunity)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A dancer's body is her instrument. All she needs is her own talent to land a job. Right? Well, yes and no. While nothing replaces raw ability--and a knack for nailing an audition--a smart dancer knows how to...

2009 dance magazine auditions guide.(Directory)
February 1, 2009... EMPLOYMENT UNITED STATES ALABAMA Alabama Ballet Style: ballet Audition includes: ballet, pointe Fee: $20 Bring: dance photo, headshot, resume Videos accepted 205.322.1259 ...

Teaching without touching: has physical contact become taboo even in dance class?
February 1, 2009... What if you had to teach a dance class without touching any student, ever? What if your dance teacher never placed her hand on your back to help you feel your spine lengthen? Would this be a loss? Most dancers and educators would say, "Yes,...

The night before a show.(dance preparation)
February 1, 2009... After weeks or months in the studio, correcting mistakes and polishing positions, your body feels ready to meet the demands of a performance. But the hours between the last rehearsal and the curtain rising are as pivotal as those spent sweating...

A step up for the Ohman School.(Ohman School of Ballet )
February 1, 2009... "Once, during a rehearsal of Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, Mr. Balanchine paid me a wonderful compliment," recalls Ohman former New York City Ballet soloist. "He told me, 'You're very devoted.' In 22 years with the company, I never missed...

Workshops & events.(ACROSS THE FLOOR)(Brief article)(Calendar)
February 1, 2009... Dance majors at Virginia Commonwealth University got a glimpse of Mexico's modern dance scene last semester when Antares Danza Contemporanea of Hermosillo, Mexico, came to campus. During a weeklong residency in October, artistic director Miguel...

Sara Rudner: cultivating the whole dancer.(Interview)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A founding member of Twyla Tharp's original group, Sara Rudner helped define the Tharp style. As a dancer, she had a sensuality and largesse shaped by a keen intelligence, and the look of utter spontaneity. She was...

Jenna Savella: captivating stage presence makes this NBC dancer one to watch.
February 1, 2009... On a cool Toronto evening last October, 23-year-old National Ballet of Canada corps member Jenna Savella made a larger-than-life appearance. As part of Nuit Blanche, an annual city-wide, dusk-to-dawn arts extravaganza, NBC staged an...

Eclectic edge: West Side Story's Cody Green revs his jets.
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If Rift, the leader of the Jets, looks familiar when West Side Story's sashaying street gangs return to Broadway this month, chances are you're one of the Step It Up and Dance faithful. The cable reality show, which...

American Ballet Theatre.(Dance review)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] New York City Center, NYC October 21-November 2, 2008 Reviewed by Joseph Carman Honoring Antony Tudor this season, ABT stressed the choreographer's influence on the company's artistic philosophy. With...

Kidd Pivot.(White Bird Uncaged )(Dance review)
February 1, 2009... Kaul Auditorium, Reed College Portland, Oregon November 13-16, 2008 Reviewed by Heather Wisher While the nation was wrapping its collective brain around the idea of change last fall, so, too, was the White Bird dance series....

Reviews on the web.
February 1, 2009... Read about Wayne McGregor's Infra (with Eric Underwood and Melissa Hamilton), Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal, and more at www.dancemagazine.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

New role.(Robert Hill as artistic director of Orlando Ballet)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Former American Ballet Theatre principal Robert Hill is the new artistic director of Orlando Ballet. When Bruce Marks resigned in November, Hill returned from teaching and staging works in Europe to begin his new role. (Marks' three-year...

Clive Barnes (1927-2008).(DEATHS)(Obituary)
February 1, 2009... For tributes, see p. 114 Rosella Hightower (1920-2008) When Rosella Hightower crossed the Atlantic to join Leonide Massine's Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in 1937, she became one of the first American ballerinas to shine on a European stage....

Nadia Nerina (1927-2008).(DEATHS)(Obituary)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... A Royal Ballet ballerina known as a dazzling virtuoso, Nadia Nerina died in October. She created the role of Lise in Frederick Ashton's La Fille Mal Gardee and wowed audiences with her explosive leaps, sexy personality, and what one critic...

University and college dance programs, schools, studios, dance companies, choreographers, teachers, pilates, Gyrotonic[R], somatic practices, certification.(Directory)
February 1, 2009... HOW TO LIST IN THE DANCE FINDER A Dance Finder Listing Is Your Business Card to the World of Dance. For rates and an annual contract to list, please email Dee Dee Castro at dcastro@dancemagazine.com Next Deadline to List: 1st of month...

A love/hate affair.(David Taylor Dance Theatre's L'Amour, an afternoon of Love and Heartbreak)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This Valentine's Day weekend, David Taylor Dance Theatre of Edgewater, CO, teams up with the Colorado Chamber Players to strum on heartstrings and celebrate the passion of love. In "L'Amour, an afternoon of Love and...

Gratitudes for attitudes.(In memoriam, Clive Barnes)(In memoriam)
February 1, 2009... After 50 years of writing for Dance Magazine--and many other publications--Clive Barnes died on November 19, 2008. For a full bio of him, go to www.dancemagazine.com. Here we offer Clive a final tribute from some in the dance community who knew...