Dance Magazine articles from January 2009

Dance Magazine archives from January 2009

Curtain up.
January 1, 2009... They were dancing in the streets on election night. People were celebrating in Harlem, honking on the Upper West Side, howling in SoHo, and drumming in Brooklyn. And that was just New York. In cities and towns around the world, people rejoiced....

Graduating into the dance world.(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... I'm a dedicated Dance Magazine reader. I was wondering if you could include more articles for young college graduates. I would love to start submitting choreography videos to schools and choreography competitions to get my name out there, but I...

My costume fave.(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... After reading "One True Tutti" (Oct. 2008), I thought about my favorite, a costume from an old piece by ODC cofounder Kimi Okada called Follow Suit. We wore pastel leotards in Easter colors--soft greens, yellows, robin's egg blue, and...

Pregnant but still dancing.(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I know you've offered great advice for dancers on pregnancy in the past--I love the April 2004 issue with a pregnant Julie Kent on the cover. I'm trying to find more resources on how to modify dance activity as you...

Correction.(Correction notice)
January 1, 2009... In the photo on page 70 of the Oct. issue, Whitney Jensen was incorrectly identified as a dancer with American Ballet Theatre. She studied at the Valentina Kozlova Dance Conservatory.

Entangled in Premieres.(vital signs)(CityDance Ensemble)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This month, Washington, DC-based repertory company CityDance Ensemble presents "Entangled," featuring the company premieres of Larry Keigwin's Mattress Suite and Kate Weare's Scorched Jan. 16-17 at Lansburgh Theatre...

A pioneer's path.(vital signs)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] New York's East 7th Street at Avenue C is now known as May O'Donnell Way, honoring the place where this modern dancer lived and worked. Famous for creating the role of The Pioneer Woman for Martha Graham's...

Chipaumire's Film Debut.(vital signs)(Nora Chipaumire)(Movie review)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Dance on Camera Festival will take audiences to Africa this year with NORA. The 35-minute film, based on the life of Nora Chipaumire, the former Urban Bush Women dancer who grew up in Zimbabwe during the second war of liberation, is shot...

On pointe.(vital signs)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Dancers love their shoes, and the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto is honoring that affection with an exhibit on the history of the ballet shoe. Until Feb. 15, you can gaze at pointe shoes that were worn by legends like Margot Fonteyn (below left)....

Coast to coast.(vital signs)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This month, San Francisco-based LEVY dance performs at Dance Place in Washington, DC. Artistic director Benjamin Levy, a 2004 "25 to Watch," creates sculptural choreography of twisting, interlocking bodies. In...

Sharing the choreographic stage.(vital signs)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... James Sewell Ballet is serving up something new for the New Year. Showcasing four premieres by emerging choreographers--Nicholas Lincoln, Morgan Thorson, and company dancers Penelope Freeh (right), and Sally Rousse--they perform for the first...

When bad means spectacular.(vital signs)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Rasta Thomas just won't quit. The former Kirov Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlem dancer created Bad Boys of Dance in 2007, an all-male company pumping out performances with an all-star cast. Bad Boy dancers hail from a wide range of dance...

Limited-time offer.(vital signs)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Japan Dance Now offers a glimpse of three visually spectacular Japanese works this month in San Francisco: Baby Q, Nibroll, and Sennichimae Blue Sky Dance Club (left). The companies combine dance, acting, visual...

Sarah Jayne Jensen.(QUICK Q&A)(Interview)
January 1, 2009... Actress and dancer Sarah Jayne Jensen is quite a chameleon. A born-and-raised bunhead, she's a/so been on Broadway and in film musicals like Hairspray and Across the Universe. This month marks a new dance movie to watch, and a new role for...

The Joffrey gets a new home: new digs in Chicago's theater district.
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] They say home is where the heart is, and that is just where the Joffrey Ballet has landed--in the heart of the city. The 60-foot-high vertical marquee on Chicago's busiest corner says it all: "Joffrey Ballet,"...

Jerome Robbins on TV: PBS documentary reveals the choreographer's many faces.(dance matters)(Jerome Robbins: Something to Dance About)(Television program review)
January 1, 2009... He revolutionized musical theater. He made ballets of unearthly beauty, sinister darkness, or laugh-out-loud humor. His creative output was staggering, and his inner turmoil legend. Jerome Robbins is finally being honored with an American...

Latest Cuban dancers to defect: update on Taras Domitro, Hayna Gutierrez, Miguel Angel Blanco.(dance matters)
January 1, 2009... The Cold War may be over. But even these days--long after the dramatic leaps to freedom of such Soviet-era stars as Rudolf Nureyev, Natalia Makarova, and Mikhail Baryshnikov in the 1960s and 1970s--the lure of artistic freedom continues to...

Villella comes home.(new york notebook)(Edward Villella)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Can a dance company enjoy a homecoming over a thousand miles from home? In the case of Miami City Ballet, yes, and rousingly so. When the 23-year-old ensemble makes its Manhattan debut at City Center Jan. 21-25, it...

A showcase expands.(new york notebook)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Japan Society's Annual Contemporary Dance Showcase is an excellent primer on what's hot in dance in Japan. And now, with Phase 2: Japan + East Asia, broader Asia. Five companies run the stylistic gamut. The male...

Bones & cities.(new york notebook)(Dance review)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Kelley Donovan's best works are all about transformation. Tempering strength with vulnerability, she can turn sharp edges into soft corners with sensuous fluidity. The new Borrowed Bones, at the Merce Cunningham Studio Jan. 16-17, mines her...

Q&A.(advice for dancers)
January 1, 2009... How can I deal with dance students who have personal problems? I've tried speaking to their parents but I mostly get lame answers like their gaunt daughter is skinny, not anorexic, or their unruly son is hyperactive. My hands are tied in terms...

25 to watch: 2009.
January 1, 2009... Ballet Nouveau Colorado Melissa Thomas Leslie Kraus Sarah Reynolds Edwin Aparicio Manuelito Biag Rachel Piskin Kyle Abraham Sonya Tayeh Ricardo Zayas Francisco Graciano Kiesha Lalama-White ...

A day in the life of an SAB Student.(celebrating SAB at 75)(Jillian Harvey of School of American Ballet)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The School of American Ballet has been training classical dancers since 1934, when George Balanchine decided he must have a school before a company. This month SAB, long the training ground for New York City Ballet,...

The wings to the stage: on the 75th anniversary of SAB Allegra Kent recalls her days as a student.(celebrating SAB at 75)(School of American Ballet)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the fall of 1951, my mother and I turned up at the School of American Ballet, then located on the fifth floor of a building on Madison Avenue at 59th Street. We arrived inauspiciously, by freight elevator. Mom had...

New year, new you: 9 dancers share their goals for 2009.
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Robert Knowles Dancer, [bjm_danse] (formerly known as Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal) My goal is to remember to be a constant student. As many teachers have taught me, if you stop learning, your artistry can...

A disciplined heart: Cincinnati's Kristi Capps combines a passionate work ethic with a keen desire to test her limits.
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Kristi Capps was the corps dancer who made dancegoers snap to attention when she joined Cincinnati Ballet 12 years ago. You were quickly drawn to her pleasant proportions, preternaturally arched feet and handsome...

From dance to danse: why so many American dancers are heading to Europe.
January 1, 2009... American dancers have trained and performed in Europe for years, but recently there's been a surge of migration among young ballet hopefuls. The job situation is good, and the possibility of working with master choreographers like Jiri Kylian,...

Cinque, Sei, Sette, Otto: one student's experience abroad.
January 1, 2009... It was finally time. I boarded Lufthansa Airlines, popped in earplugs, and woke up nine hours later across the Atlantic in Florence, Italy. I found myself in a page out of a travel book, among cobblestone streets, gelato stands, and...

When bad choreography happens to good dancers: how to deal with an inevitable professional hazard.
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Let's face it: We've all seen bad choreography, often from the inside out. What makes it bad can be any combination of elements: shabby construction, a disconnect with the music, thematic or movement cliches, ugly...

Up & up: Richmond Ballet's strong sense of mission has helped it grow and thrive.(Dance review)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On a September evening in the Richmond Ballet's intimate Studio Theatre, the company's versatile dancers delivered a touching performance of Tudor's Lilac Garden and swirled through a dancey premiere by William...

Pointe of view: bring your perfect shoe into focus.(dm style)(Buyers guide)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] It's easy to be overwhelmed by all of the pointe shoes and accessories out there. How do you choose? We like the "fit first" approach. Find a shoe to match your skill level, strength, and foot shape, and it will...

2009 summer study guide.(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... What do you want to get out of an intensive program this summer? Stronger technique, exposure to new styles, performance opportunities, or connections that could help jump-start your career? With so many summer study options available, you can...

Summer sleuthing: every school's training goals are different. How can you find the program where you'll thrive most?(2009 SUMMER STUDY GUIDE)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A glance at the daily schedule for advanced students at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet s summer intensive makes one thing clear immediately: You're there to improve your technique. Ballet class from 10:30-12:00. A...

If at first you don't succeed: dancers' advice on summer study rejections.(2009 SUMMER STUDY GUIDE)
January 1, 2009... The moment of truth has finally arrived: a flimsy rejection letter from your most coveted summer program. But don't get too depressed. Some of today's top professional dancers were turned down from summer programs when they were younger, but...

Training the whole dancer.(2009 SUMMER STUDY GUIDE)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tai Jimenez had some unusual instructions for the students in her morning technique class at Boston Ballet's Summer Dance Program. "Rub your bellies," she said to the roomful of eager 15- and 16-year-old girls who...

Shaking up the summer workshop scene.(2009 SUMMER STUDY GUIDE)
January 1, 2009... Today, aspiring dancers looking for a competitive edge want more from workshops--classes, exposure to choreography, master instructors, and networking opportunities. For the past eight years, Gil Stroming and Dan Karaty have offered summer...

A summer of Forsythe, Kylian, and Naharin.(2009 SUMMER STUDY GUIDE)(William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin and Jiri Kylian)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On a July afternoon, 22-yearold Victoria Canelos rested in the dancers' lounge at the downtown Regency Center, a building that serves as the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance's main late summer headquarters. In a...

CalArts: The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance.(2008-09)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance at CalArts offers BFA/MFA degrees and certificates in dance performance, choreography, and production. These are viewed as multi-dimensional performing arts with studies in contemporary dance and ballet...

2009 Dance Magazine summer study guide.(Directory)
January 1, 2009... All information is current as of presstime and subject to change. Be sure to contact a program for the most up-to-date offerings. United States of America ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM Alabama Ballet Alabama Ballet Summer ...

Invitation to the dance: fascinating and controversial, Robert Gottlieb's massive anthology belongs on every dance bookshelf.(recommends)(Reading Dance: A Gathering of Memoirs, Reportage, Criticism, Profiles, Interviews, and Some Uncategorizable Extras)(Book review)
January 1, 2009... Reading Dance: A Gathering of Memoirs, Reportage, Criticism, Profiles, Interviews, and Some Uncategorizable Extras Edited and with an introduction by Robert Gottlieb. New York: Pantheon Books, 2008. 1,392 pages. $47.50. [ILLUSTRATION...

Float, shake, melt, quake: Gaga is sparking sensations and imaginations worldwide.(teach-learn connection)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gaga means nothing and yet it means so much. Gaga is the nonsense word that struck choreographer Ohad Naharin five years ago, when he decided to name the improvisational practice he had been developing with...

Improving your arch.(DO's & DON'Ts)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Do you dream of having feet as perfectly arched as Paloma Herrera's? Unfortunately, bone architecture is genetic, so you aren't likely to wake up one morning with the feet of your fantasies--no matter how many...

Growing strong: bright times for Alaska Dance Theatre.(ACROSS THE FLOOR)
January 1, 2009... From its humble beginnings in 1981--a Quonset hut with a handful of students--Alaska Dance Theatre has thrived in recent years. Part company, part school, the Anchorage-based organization now serves almost 700 students in its...

Dance the weekend away.(ACROSS THE FLOOR)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... The David Howard Foundation and the Harkness Foundation for Dance present their ninth annual A Month of Sundays, a series of all-day dance classes for serious students. Beginning Jan. 4 in Manhattan, master ballet teacher David Howard leads an...

Academy of Dance.(New Horizons)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... On Jan. 5 the Joffrey Ballet opens its Academy of Dance, the official school of the Joffrey Ballet. Led by artistic director Ashley Wheater and housed in the state-of-the-art Joffrey Tower in downtown Chicago (see "Dance Matters," p. 24), the...

Trisha Brown.(New Horizons)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Trisha Brown received the 2008 Distinguished Alumna Award from Mills College for her groundbreaking contributions to the field of dance. Returning to her alma mater in September to accept the honor, she was greeted with a standing-room-only...

Dances by Very Young Choreographers.(New Horizons)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... A generation of young (very young) imaginations can be seen at Dances by Very Young Choreographers, Jan. 24-25 at Dance Theater Workshop in NYC. The program showcases original dances by 8- to 18-year-olds, students of renowned dance educator...

De Ama Battle: Dancing on the downstroke.(teacher's wisdom)(Interview)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] De Ama Battle has been a longtime force in the Boston dance scene. Like her mentors Chuck Davis and Pearl Primus, she teaches West African movement with an anthropologist's eye. A native of Cambridge, MA, Battle...

Coffee talk: does caffeine help or harm?(your body)
January 1, 2009... For marathon days at the Juilliard School, third-year dance student Lomuljo keeps himself going feine. "I drink a coffee when I get before rehearsal, one between classes, and a cup with lunch. Really any break I have, I grab one." When he...

Grady McLeod Bowman: his versatility as a dancer has helped this triple-threat to early success.(on the rise)
January 1, 2009... During a sticky afternoon last summer, fledgling choreographer Grady McLeod Bowman took a break from a New York International Fringe Festival rehearsal to run through the steps he'd just learned as a dancer in the Broadway musical Billy Elliot....

Kicking up a heel: Graciela Daniele's Pal Joey choreography puts the women up front.(on broadway)(Dance review)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pal Joey is that rarest of Broadway musicals: a show unequivocally, indelibly linked to male dancers. Gene Kelly was the first to inhabit its title character, in 1940, and it made him a star. The musical itself,...

Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company.(Dance review)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] New York City Center, NYC October 1-5, 2008 Christopher Wheeldon's new Commedia was a highlight of both programs when the company returned to City Center a year after its New York debut there. Commedia is...

ODC/Dance.(Dance review)
January 1, 2009... October 21-26, 2008 The Joyce Theater, NYC Brenda Way's thoroughly delightful Book of Hours opened this program of four recent dances. As founder and artistic director of San Francisco's ODC/Dance, Way has always made dances that are...

Ballet Hispanico.(Dance review)
January 1, 2009... The Joyce Theater, NYC October 7-19, 2008 Ballet Hispanico continues to bring the Latin sensibility and tradition to the dance world. The two programs at The Joyce had an extra poignancy, as founder Tina Ramirez announced that she...

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui's Myth.(Dance review)
January 1, 2009... Theatre Maisonneuve, Place des Arts Montreal, Canada October 10-11, 2008 In Myth, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui takes audiences on a journey fraught with musings on identity and confrontations about the mortal coil. The young...

Filin's new role.(transitions)(Sergei Filin)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Better to retire five years too early than five minutes too late," is an adage of the ballet world that has been taken to heart by Sergei Filin, one of the Bolshoi Ballet's greatest stars of the past two decades....

Gerald Arpino (1923-2008).(DEATHS)(Obituary)
January 1, 2009... Artistic director emeritus of the Joffrey Ballet, Gerald Arpino, died in Chicago in October. He was 85. He and Robert Joffrey founded the company in 1956. He shared Joffrey's vision of forming an American ballet company devoted to reviving...

University and college dance programs, schools, studios, dance companies, choreographers, teachers, pilates, Gyrotonic[R], somatic practices, certification.(dance finder: a career & learning resource guide)(Directory)
January 1, 2009... United States ALABAMA ALABAMA BALLET Wes Chapman. Artistic Director Mice Cox, Director of External Affairs 2726 1st Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35233 (205) 322-4300; Fax (205) 322-4444 www.alabamaballet.org ALABAMA DANCE...

The place to be.(dance finder: a career & learning resource guide)(Sleepwalking)(Dance review)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dance Place in Washington, DC presents Karen Reedy Dance in Sleepwalking, a new work that delves into the surreal interludes between unconsciousness and waking life. The Arlington, VA-based company performs for one...

Icons, idols, & legends: an idol may not be the greatest dancer on earth, but something in him appeals to something in you.(attitudes)
January 1, 2009... According to the 1966 Random House Dictionary of the English Language, an icon is "a picture, image or other representation." It adds that in the Eastern Church it can be "a painting or enamel of some sacred personage." Luckily, language...