Dance Magazine articles from January 2006

Dance Magazine archives from January 2006

Curtain up.(Fernando Bujones's obituary)(Obituary)
January 1, 2006... As I write this, we've just gotten the heart-breaking news of the passing of Fernando Bujones. Like everyone else, I am stunned. It was only last June that he, his wife Maria, and I had a wonderful, joyous lunch together. He mischievously told...

Breaking ground on gender.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... Your November issue made me want to tell you how much I enjoy the look of the magazine these days. Your fresh design and photography are superb, but you are also really pushing the envelope, addressing vital issues like race and gender without...

Quote of the month.(Letters)
January 1, 2006... I worked with a fabulous teacher, Alia Osipenko. She used to say, 'Don't just listen to the music. Sing the music.' Because when you sing the music, it's in your body.--Franco De Vita, "Teacher's Wisdom," p. 206.

Wagoner wow!(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... Congratulations on November's "Teacher's Wisdom," Dan Wagoner. He taught me when I lived in New York in the early 1970s and also set his wonderful work, Yonker Dingle, on the Atlanta Contemporary Dance Company when I was a member. For the last...

In time or war.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... Last year I wrote suggesting it would be wonderful if a major ballet company performed Kurt Jooss' anti-war classic, The Green Table. Imagine my surprise when during the fall dance season at City Center, American Ballet Theatre included it as...

Avoiding stress fractures.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... I am so grateful for August's health column, "Don't Stress (Your Bones) Out." Unfortunately, by the time I read it, it was too late; I was already beginning to dance at a summer intensive. In the first week I injured my back, and it has been...

Correction.(Letters)(Correction Notice)
January 1, 2006... In November's "Dance Matters," the item on ArtistAccess did not include the fact that healthcare is available to New York City dancers and others under the HHC Options program, available through all city hospitals. Those living outside New York...

On the ball.(ballet dancers new inventive dance)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... These aren't your grandmother's pearls. A cast of silver physio balls and Zig Zag Ballet dancers made Ja'Hain Clark's Pearls an athletic and inventive dance. Clark, a former MOMIX dancer and co-founder of the Connecticut dance company Chalasa,...

Yet another centenary.(Hilde Holger's biography)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
January 1, 2006... The Hilde Holger Centenary Project was launched in October in London by the Austrian Cultural Forum and Holger's daughter, Primavera Boman. So, who was Hilde Holger? She was an Austrian-born expressionist dancer and a student of Gertrude...

Happy birthday to.(ballet companies anniversaries)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Maya Plisetskaya (above), 80 Charleston Ballet, 50 Dance Theater Workshop, 40 Garth Fagan Dance, 35 Battery Dance Company, 30 Balam Dance Theatre, 25 Sally Silvers & Dancers, 25 Nashville...

Testing, testing.(VITAL SIGNS ...)
January 1, 2006... "The hot topic," said DANCE MAGAZINE'S Linda Hamilton, "was pre-season medical screening." She was talking about the annual meeting of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science, which met in Stockholm in November. "What they...

And you get time off for great turnout.(Cincinnati Ballet in need of good looking non dancers)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... When the Cincinnati Ballet needed non-dancing extras for its recent production of A Midsummer Night's J Dream, the company posted a circular seeking "strong-looking men" in a local gym. The flyer caught the eye of John Baron, executive director...

So he thinks he can dance.(John O'Hurley teamed up with Charlotte Jorgensen)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Before last summer, white-maned John O'Hurley was best known for playing Elaine's boss on "Seinfeld." Then he teamed up with the elegant ballroom dancer Charlotte Jorgensen, and won (after a rematch) the popular vote on ABC's "Dancing with the...

New Orleans: the aftermath, the recovery.(hurricanes affecting dance schools)
January 1, 2006... Hurricane Katrina did her best to take the wind out of the sails of the New Orleans dance community. After the initial shock, dancers, teachers, and students are returning to their homes and studios. The slow, tedious task of rebuilding a...

The 2005 Princess Grace Foundation Cultural Arts Award winners in dance are Alessandra Bell (North Carolina Dance Theatre), Drew Jacoby (Lines Contemporary Ballet), John Lam (Boston Ballet), Anthony Smith (The Juilliard School), Joseph Wiggan (Jazz Tap Ensemble), and Chris Hellman (former chair of the board, San Francisco Ballet).(Awards and Honors)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... The 2005 Princess Grace Foundation Cultural Arts Award winners in dance are ALESSANDRA BELL (North Carolina Dance Theatre), DREW JACOBY (LINES Contemporary Ballet), JOHN LAM (Boston Ballet), ANTHONY SMITH (The Juilliard School), JOSEPH WIGGAN...

Sarah Chase.(winner of Jacqueline Lemieux Prize)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Canadian choreographer SARAH CHASE is the winner of the Jacqueline Lemieux Prize.

The 2005 National Arts Awards.(awarded to Mikhail Baryshnikov, Peirre Dulaine and Yvonne Marceau)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... The 2005 National Arts Awards go to MIKHAIL BARYSHNIKOV and American Ballroom Theater's PIERRE DULAINE and YVONNE MARCEAU.

Maggie Allesee National Center.(awarded Jill Sigman, Yasuko Yokoshi, Kt Niehoff, Adia Whitaker and Benjamin Levy)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Choreographers JILL SIGMAN/THINKDANCE, YASUKO YOKOSHI, KT NIEHOFF/LINGO DANCETHEATER, ADIA WHITAKER/ASE DANCE THEATRE COLLECTIVE, and BENJAMIN LEVY/LEVY DANCE have been awarded choreographic fellowships by the Maggie Allesee National Center for...

The 2005 SAGE Awards.(Awards and Honors)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... The 2005 SAGE Awards in dance go to MATHEW JANCZEWSKI, DANNY BURACZESKI, URI SANDS, and TONI PIERCE, BRIAN SOSTEK, ERIK BOONE, APARNA RAMASWAMY, JEFF BARTLETT, JOE CHVALA, BONNIE MATHIS, and ANANYA DANCE THEATER.

Japan Arts Association.(awarded Merce Cunningham)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... MERCE CUNNINGHAM has received a Praemium Imperiale Arts Award, given for lifetime achievement by the Japan Arts Association.

Susan Stroman.(winner of Elan Award)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... SUSAN STROMAN is the 2005 winner of the Elan Award.

New York State DanceForce.(got finance from New York State Council on the Arts )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... The New York State Council on the Arts has awarded $165,000 to the NEW YORK STATE DANCEFORCE, a network of dance organizers.

Tandy Beal.(honored for his new performance work)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... TANDY BEAL has been awarded grants from Theatre Bay Area and the James Irvine Foundation in partnership with Dance USA for the research and development for a new performance work.

Frequent Flyer Productions, Speaking of Dance, and Gwen Bowen are the recipients.(for Colorado Dance Awards)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... FREQUENT FLYER PRODUCTIONS, SPEAKING OF DANCE, and GWEN BOWEN are the recipients of the first annual Colorado Dance Awards.

Light and shadow: dance in Prague today.
January 1, 2006... The city of Prague is home to a small, tight-knit dance scene, producing artists of increasing significance. Except for traditional state-approved ballet and folk dance, as well as a stagnant form of the 1950s dance/puppetry craze known as...

The Bessies: into the third decade.(New York Dance and Performance Awards)
January 1, 2006... Glamorous and gracious Gus Solomons jr and beautiful and witty Carmen de Lavallade hosted the 21st New York Dance and Performance Awards, (aka the Bessies) or, as presenter Ishmael Houston-Jones quipped, the "annual back to school celebration...

Armenia: dance with an ancient heritage.(ancient dance history)
January 1, 2006... Construction cranes dot the landscape in contemporary Yerevan, a symbol of rebirth in a country that has seen more ups and downs than it cares to remember. Aided by wealthy diasporan Armenians, Yerevan has been transformed into a bustling...

That space in between.(dance festivals)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Round Two of City Center's phenomenally diverse Fall for Dance festival was not quite as wall-to-wall excellent as the first year. There were a few clunkers, but the high points were just as high. It started off with a short blast of rhythm and...

Japan's next generation.(five choreographers will perform in Japan Society's Japanese Contemporary Dance Showcase)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Five choreographers from Japan's alternative dance scene will perform at the Japan Society in its 9th Annual Japanese Contemporary Dance Showcase Jan. 20-21. Each one creates her or his own aesthetic outpost. Tatsuya Kusuhara's physical/theater...

Dance films go global.(choreographers fron different countries performing in Dance on Camera Festival)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... The 34th annual Dance on Camera Festival goes international in a big way. The filmmakers hail from Africa, India, Netherlands, Norway, Hungary, and Turkey. The subjects range from commercial choreographer Vincent Paterson (who worked with...

Secret exercising.(dancers physical fitness)
January 1, 2006... It's more acceptable to raise your voice in public than to raise your body. If you did a releve or a port de bras in the middle of the sidewalk, people would look askance at you. You can leap across a puddle but if you leap when there is no...

Advice for dancers.(by Linda Hamilton)
January 1, 2006... Former New York City Ballet dancer Linda Hamilton, Ph.D., is a lecturer, a psychologist in private practice, and the author of Advice for Dancers (Jossey-Bass). She has been offering advice to dance magazine readers since 1992 THE OTHER...

25 to watch: Dance Magazine's annual look at who's new and breaking through in 2006.
January 1, 2006... POWERHOUSE CRICKET Because he jumps higher and quicker than anyone alive, hip hop and underground house dancer James P. Colter is nicknamed "Cricket." A fearless capoeirista, Cricket bounces across the stage, launching his small, compact...

Look at them now: each year since 2001, when we introduced the dance magazine "25 to watch," we canvas the U.S. and the world, looking for star quality, extraordinary artistry, or superb potential. Here are a few of the first 125 who've stepped with aplomb into their "25" promise.(25 TO WATCH)
January 1, 2006... JASON SAMUELS SMITH Jason Samuels Smith (2004) travels as fast as his feet. Seems he's everywhere that tap is, performing and teaching at festivals in Chicago, New York, Australia, and Japan, as well as producing his L.A. Tap Festival, and...

The new gypsies: ballet dancers who call their own shots and carry their own bags.
January 1, 2006... "And you Gypsies who speak the language of horses and make a quest of roaming the world, you will live in the open, wandering by chance, sleeping in trees or besides the rivers, watching reflected stars." (From a Portuguese fable...

Comedy central.(comic ballet dancing criticism)
January 1, 2006... EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL AT THE BALLET, A CHORUS LINE TELLS US--BUT WE KNEW THAT ALREADY. THE FAIREST GIRL WITH THE BEST TECHNIQUE LANDS THE HANDSOME PRINCE, OR WINDS UP AS THE SOLOIST IN THE "WALTZ OF THE FLOWERS." BUT SOME OF US ARE NOT THE...

Inside the Prix de Lausanne: where you don't have to win to be a winner.(even rewards who lost the competition)
January 1, 2006... Better known to dancers outside the U.S., the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland has opened doors of prestigious ballet schools to talented young students for 33 years. Noted New York ballet coach and choreographer Elena Kunikova attended the Prix...

The silent partner: dancers and floors have an ambivalent relationship, but new technology is improving it.
January 1, 2006... A herd of thundering tappers stamps across the floor at Debbie en Dance Academy in Culver City, California. Leaping, spinning, and sliding, they are euphoric as they pound out complex rhythms on a surface that gives with each landing,...

Bound for glory: the late Fernando Bujones' account of the competition that made him a star.(Biography)
January 1, 2006... Fernando Bujones was a spectacular bravura technician with superb partnering skills; his stage presence blended charm, courtesy, and an impish playfulness. Exceptionally clean and effortless in his approach, he influenced many of his peers, as...

How they healed: five dancers on coming back from injury.
January 1, 2006... Injuries are the bane of a dancer's existence. They are an occupational hazard, and in a long career, virtually every dancer will sustain an injury that threatens to keep them off the stage. With today's finer diagnostic techniques, medical...

Wear it like the stars.(dancers follow fashion)
January 1, 2006... Your look in class and rehearsal can speak volumes. Many dancers turn to their idols for inspiration in style as well as performance. There's no harm in paying homage to your favorite performer--wearing a scarf around your head like Makarova or...

Summer study guide 2006: looking for a program? Dance Magazine's guide has savvy profiles and advice, plus this year's opportunities.(2006 summer study guide)
January 1, 2006... Decisions, decisions. Summer's coming, and your dance options are piling up. Do you want to build your ballet technique at a six-week intensive, get a taste of Broadway and tap, or work closely with postmodern choreographers? Our wide-ranging...

Competitive edge: does taking a company summer intensive mean a better shot at a job?(summer programs of dance schools)
January 1, 2006... Asked why she chose to attend School of American Ballet's summer session, 16year-old Kristen Segin felt the answer was obvious. "SAB leads into New York City Ballet," she says. "Of course I wanted to audition." Some dancers may not be as...

The pros return to summer study.(advice from ballet dancers)
January 1, 2006... Five principal ballet dancers revisit their experiences and give advice for summer training. School's out for summer, and the sandy beaches and hot sun are calling. But if you have dreams of being the next Gelsey or Paloma, then say...

Getting creative: Summer Stages' choreography program pairs students with dance makers.(2006 summer study guide)
January 1, 2006... The idyllic landscape of Concord, Massachusetts has long been a hotbed for radical thinking, from Revolutionary War days to the Transcendentalists. So it's hardly surprising that Concord is home to a pioneering festival and training program,...

Personal best: at the Boulder Jazz Dance Workshop, students measure growth in more than technique.(2006 summer study guide)
January 1, 2006... Twenty-eight years ago, Lara Branen and Michael Geiger, both students at University of Colorado, had a plan: to start a workshop that used jazz dance as a vehicle for personal growth. They would combine transpersonal psychology (the psychology...

Stomp: Maria Benitez's Santa Fe workshop draws flamenco artists and aficionados from around the world.(2006 summer study guide)
January 1, 2006... On a hot, bright Santa Fe afternoon, flamenco student Keyana de Aguero watches teacher Estefania Ramirez demonstrate how to move with her gown's attachment, a long train called tile bata de cola. This solca-with-train is once again popular, and...

2006 summer study guide.(UNITED STATES: ALASKA-UNITED STATES: NEBRASKA)
January 1, 2006... UNITED STATES ALASKA ANCHORAGE Alaska Dance Theatre Summer Session Dates: June 12-July 6. Ballet, jazz, modern. Ages: 3-60. Levels: Beg, int, adv. Audition required: No. Tuition: $80-$150. Scholarships: Yes. Room and board: No....

2006 summer study guide.(UNITED STATES: NORTH DAKOTA-UNITED KINGDOM)
January 1, 2006... NORTH DAKOTA BISMARCK Just For Kix Dates: June 27-30. Hip hop, jazz. Ages: 14-19. Levels: Beg, adv, teach. Audition required: Yes. Tuition: TBD. Scholarships: No. Room and board: Yes. Apply by: June 1. Performance opportunities: Yes....

The Bournonville School.(The Bournonville School: the DVD, the Dance Programme, the Music)(Sound recording review)(Video recording review)
January 1, 2006... The Bournonville School The DVD, The Dance Programme, The Music. Copenhagen: The Royal Danish Theatre, 2005.2 discs. 225 pp. 139 pp. Illustrated. Hardcover, $84. www.kgl-teater.dk, www.dancebooks.co.uk The Bournonville School Pianist Jorgen...

Bournonville and Ballet Technique.(Brief Article)(Brief Review)
January 1, 2006... Bournonville and Ballet Technique By Erik Bruhn and Lillian Moore. With 32 illustrations from photographs. Alton, England: Dance Books, 2005.71 pp. Paper, $22.95. Those looking for further insights on Bournonville, his choreography,...

My Dearly Beloved Wife: Letters from France and Italy, 1841.(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... My Dearly Beloved Wife: Letters from France and Italy, 1841 By August Bournonville. Introduction and annotations by Knud Arne Jurgensen. Translated by Patricia McAndrew. Alton, England: Dance Books Ltd., 2005. 192 pp. Illustrated. $59.95....

On fads and fundamentals: jazz dance teachers share their perspectives.(TEACH-LEARN CONNECTION)
January 1, 2006... "My class does not emphasize the new trends," says Nan Giordano. "It's not that we don't like trends or don't like music that is trendy. But we are technically based and very clean. Our style is pure passion." In August, Giordano hosted...

Boston Conservatory Dance Theater.(whose students performed "A Tribute to Murray Louis")(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Students of the BOSTON CONSERVATORY DANCE THEATER performed "A Tribute to Murray Louis" in November with three of the choreographer's works staged by Alberto Del Saz: Schubert Suite, Index (to a necessary neurosis...), and Four Brubeck Pieces....

Saint Joseph Ballet.(honored its its founder Beth Burns)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... SAINT JOSEPH BALLET honored its founder BETH BURNS with an endowment for the continuation of her work with at-risk youth in the Santa Ana, CA, area. Burns started the Saint Joseph Ballet in 1983 as a summer program. The organization now serves...

New Zealand School of Dance.(selected for Prix de Lausanne international competition)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... The NEW ZEALAND SCHOOL OF DANCE has become one of 25 top dance conservatories that are partner schools for the Prix de Lausanne international competition. Each year the Prix awards 15 dancers an expense-free year of study at one of the partner...

Mark your calendar.(American Tap Dance Foundation to host the festival)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... The AMECAN TAP DANCE FOUNDATION, host of the popular Tap City festival, offers year-round tap dance classes with Brenda Bufalino, Kirsten Smith, and David Rider. Winter/Spring session at Stepping Out Studios in New York begins January 15. The...

Moving to Montana.(Charlene Campbell's biography)(Biography)
January 1, 2006... Western Montana, a majestic meeting of mountain, plain, and stream, has been called the "Last Best Place" and "Big Sky Country." It is the setting for the novel and movie, A River Runs Through It. Enter Charlene Campbell, former Radio City...

Oklahoma City University.(Mary Price Boday performing at the theatre)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... MARY PRICE BODAY will head a new dance pedagogy program at OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY. The American Dance Master Teacher Training Program is for undergraduate and graduate students who want to teach ballet, jazz dance, and tap, and to own and...

Virginia School of the Arts.(appointed Tyrone Brooks and Martha Faesi)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... TYRONE BROOKS has moved from his position of education and community outreach for Dance Theatre of Harlem to become executive director of VIRGINIA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS in Lynchburg. MARTHA FAESI has been appointed as VSA director of dance. Faesi...

Franco De Vita teachers's wisdom.(being interviewed)(Interview)
January 1, 2006... In 2005, American Ballet Theatre asked Franco De Vita to become the principal of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, a new institution devoted to training ABT dancers of the future. Born in Italy and raised in Belgium and France, De Vito...

Victor Quijada: this director/choreographer/ dancer mixes hip hop with concert done, with electrifying effects.(On the Rise)
January 1, 2006... A marvel of speed, precision, and invention, Victor Quijada is riveting as a performer. His movements coil tight and strong in the solar plexus, leaving the upper back and limbs free. As artistic director/choreographer of Montreal's...

Georgina Pazcoguin: on the upbeat.(Debut)
January 1, 2006... For starters, her last name is pronounced paz-KOH-gin. When 20-year-old New York City Ballet corps dancer Georgina Pazcoguin debuted in one of the lead roles in Jerome Robbins' New York Export: Opus Jazz last April, audiences recognized her...

What color is her parachute? Bahiyah Sayyed gaines makes her Broadway debut in Purple.(The Color Purple)
January 1, 2006... Bahiyah Sayyed Gaines uses a single sentence to explain her decision to walk away from life as a principal in the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: "I had a baby," she says. Late last fall, sitting in an empty theater between the matinee and...

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company.
January 1, 2006... BILL T. JONES / ARNIE ZANE DANCE COMPANY ALEXANDER KASSER THEATER, MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY, MONTCLAIR, NJ SEPTEMBER 21, 23, 24, 2005 With smoke circling from the cigarette he fingers, a svelte Bill T. Jones eases us into the complex...

Black Grace.(tradional dance)(Dance Review)
January 1, 2006... BLACK GRACE NEW VICTORY THEATER, NEW YORK, NY SEPTEMBER 16-OCTOBER 9, 2005 There's more going on in New Zealand than jet boating and bungee jumping. Neil Ieremia's all-male troupe, Black Grace, an amalgam of Samoan tribal dance and...

Pilar Rioja.(and her performances)(Dance Review)
January 1, 2006... PILAR RIOJA GRAMERCY ARTS THEATER, NEW YORK, NY SEPTEMBER 11, 2005 Great art and ritual go hand in hand. Perhaps that is why the annual New York appearances of Spanish dancer Pilar Rioja have always been welcome rituals. The theater in...

From China: A Trilogy of Modern Dance.(Dance Review)
January 1, 2006... FROM CHINA: A TRILOGY OF MODERN DANCE TERRACE THEATER, KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE. PERFORMING ARTS, WASHINGTON, DC OCTOBER 7-9, 2005 To learn what modern dance looks like in China, find Willy Tsao. This Humphreyesque-trained dynamo holds a...

Bebe Miller.(and his performances)
January 1, 2006... BEBE MILLER DANCE THEATER WORKSHOP, NEW YORK, NY OCTOBER 12- 15, 2005 In Landing/Place, Bebe Miller reassures us that in the face of tenuous or transient living circumstances, we'll be okay if we're among family and friends. The mix of...

Preview: Boyzie Cekwana's floating outfit project.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Award-winning South African dancer-choreographer Boyzie Cekwana and his Floating Outfit Project paint two provocative portraits of contemporary African society' in the dance works JA'NEE and RONA (which means "us"). The company begins a U.S....

Fernando Bujones (1955-2005).(DEATHS)(Obituary)
January 1, 2006... DANCE MAGAZINE mourns the passing of dance legend Fernando Bujones, who studied at the School of American Ballet, became a superstar at American Ballet Theatre, performed as a guest artist all over the world, and was most recently the artistic...

Schools, studios, colleges, universities, companies, teachers, dancers, choreographers, somatic practices, movement arts, dance medicine, yoga.(DANCE FINDER)(Directory)
January 1, 2006... United States ALABAMA ALABAMA BALLET Wes Chapman, Artistic Director Alice Cox, Director of External Affairs 2726 1st Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233 (205) 322-4300; Fax (205) 322-4444 www.alabamaballet.org ALABAMA...

Year of the dog.(Nai-Ni Chen Dance Co. celebrating Chinese New Year)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... The Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company rings in the Chinese New Year this month at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. In the Peacock Dance, a solo dancer becomes the sacred bird in its quotidian grace--walking, running, and combing its feathers. The...

Somatic practices, movement arts, dance medicine, and yoga.(DANCE FINDER)(Directory)
January 1, 2006... Certification programs and training in emerging and established somatic and movement-based arts. Please email dcastro@dancemagazine.com to list. Phone (510) 339-7750 AERIAL DANCE/ ACROBATIC/CIRCUS ARTS NIMBLE ARTS, LLC TRAPEZE & CIRCUS...

Attitudes.(Igor Moiseyev's biography)(Biography)
January 1, 2006... Dance is supposed to keep one young--but centenarians are still comparatively rare in the business, with even the unsinkable Martha Graham making it only to 97. In fact, the only truly celebrated dance centenarian I can think of offhand is the...