Dance Magazine articles from June 2007

Dance Magazine archives from June 2007

Some people are fated.(Curtain Up)(Editorial)
June 1, 2007... Some people are fated to be dancers, and Sarah Lane is one of them. At the Youth American Grand Prix finals in 2003, after the sound system was going in and out all evening, the moment it finally broke down was when Sarah Lane was onstage...

Jacob's Pillow-that glorious haven.(Curtain Up)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Jacob's Pillow-that glorious haven for dance in the Berkshires-is celebrating its 75th anniversary this summer. The place has a special magic, from the little wood cabins named "Nora Kaye" and "Alicia Markova" to the hallowed Ted Shawn...

Was it fate.(Curtain Up)(Editorial)
June 1, 2007... Was it fate that brought ballet superstar Nina Ananiashvili back to her home city of Thilisi, Georgia? The dynamic ballerina has spent two years leading the State Ballet of Georgia and shaping it into an internationally touring company with a...

Boal-ed over.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... Changing directors is always difficult, especially when replacing those who have developed a company to the level of international recognition that Francia Russell and Kent Stowell did with Pacific Northwest Ballet. Sandra Kurtz's update on...

Remarkable reinking.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2007... Thank you for Ann Reinking's story ("Auditioning for Fosse," Feb.). It's wonderful to hear the words of someone you idolize and realize that they are completely human just like you! It's incredible to me that someone so talented and established...

Surprise solo.(Vital Signs ...)(Tina Pereira)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... National Ballet of Canada corps member Tina Pereira, 24, triumphed over adversity at the International Erik Bruhn Prize Competition in March. Held intermittently in Toronto since 1988, the invitational contest is for dancers ages 18 to 26 from...

Common grounds.(Vital Signs ...)(Underground Movements)(Dance review)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... With a name like Underground Movements, it sounds like River North Chicago Dance Company had planned a social revolution with their recent work. And it was-sort of. Conceived by artistic director Frank Chaves, the project called upon the...

Cali-Ballet.(Vital Signs ...)(Los Angeles Ballet)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... For years, Southern California has been a black hole for ballet companies. But that didn't intimidate former Royal Danish Ballet artistic director Thordal Christensen and NYCB alum Colleen Neary. Their new Los Angeles Ballet debuted in December...

Yes she can!(VITAL SIGNS ...)(Claire Danes' dancing career)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Now Audrey Hepburn and Claire Danes have two things in common: They were both on a Dance Magazine cover and they are both dancing spokeswomen for the Gap. The spring line of the company's "boyfriend trousers" had Danes dueling with dance...

Leave your fears at the door.(Vital Signs ...)(Fears of Your Life)(Brief article)(Book review)
June 1, 2007... Michael Bernard Loggins' book, Fears of Your Life, is a charming list of the developmentally disabled artist's phobias-some humorous, some heartbreaking. In February, San Francisco choreographer Kim Epifano enlarged Loggins' material for the...

From street to stage.(Vital Signs ...)(Homeland Security: Bringing Dr. King Up to Date)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Homeland Security isn't just a phrase tossed around to discuss America's response to terrorism--Desmond Richardson takes the term to the next level. He joined up with the All Stars Project, a youth program that sends culture beyond the...

Men of honor.(Vital Signs.....)(Ballet Russe)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... George Zoritch, a world famous Ballet Russe dancer, celebrates his 90th birthday this month. Media City Ballet of Los Angeles will honor him along with Andrei Tremaine (who received a Lester Horton Lifetime Achievement award in May), Paul...

Downloadable dancer discussions.(Vital Signs ...)(San Francisco Ballet)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... San Francisco Ballet's Meet the Artist program is so popular that the company is sharing it with the world. Until recently only ticket holders could attend the fascinating preperformonce interviews with dancers, costumers, and choreographers....

Must-see TV.(Vital Signs ...)(Black Grace: From Cannon's Creek to Jacob's Pillaw)(Television program review)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Black Grace, the phenomenal troupe of men from New Zealand, travels to your TV this month in the form of a PBS documentary, Black Grace: From Cannon's Creek to Jacob's Pillaw. Led by founder and artistic director Neil leremia, the explosive...

Quick Q&A: David Scott.(Interview)
June 1, 2007... David Scott is one of today's hottest hip hop choreographers. He broke box office records with his break dancing battle movie, You Got Served (2004), and stepped up ticket sales with Stomp the Yard, which was released on DVD in May. Always...

Anniversary gallery: Andy Warhol's illustrations.(Celebrating 80 Years)
June 1, 2007... IN THE EARLY 1950s, a young artist from Pittsburgh showed up at the Dance Magazine office, then in midtown Manhattan, looking for work. "He was such a pathetic little thing," says Dance Magazine's Doris Hering, who worked in the office at the...

Dance scene to lose funding from Altria: how companies are coping.(Dance Matters)
June 1, 2007... The list of the Altria Group grant recipients for the 2006 fiscal year reads like a Who's Who of the dance world. From major U.S. dance companies like New York City Ballet, Miami City Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet, Paul Taylor, and Alvin Ailey to...

From the other side of the stage: Mazzarelli's return to NYIBC.(Dance Matters)(Victoria Mazzarelli; New York International Ballet Competition)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... At the first New York International Ballet Competition in 1984, Victoria Mazzarelli won the only gold medal awarded. This year, she returns to create and coach one of three pas de deux for participants of the 2007 NYIBC, June 20-24 at The Rose...

Carmen's musical makeover: Amaya's Flamenco traditions carried on.(Dance Matters)
June 1, 2007... Sometimes even the world's most famous Spanish seductress needs a makeover. Carmen, the tale of a beautiful gypsy's doomed romances, has been one of the world's most performed operas since its debut in 1875. This month, director Franco Dragone,...

Ballet West.(COMINGS AND GOINGS)(Adam Sklute's appointment as Ballet West's artistic director)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... ADAM SKLUTE has been appointed the new artistic director of Ballet West. Currently associate artistic director of the Joffrey Ballet, he also danced with the Joffrey for 11 years.

American Ballet Theatre.(COMINGS AND GOINGS)
June 1, 2007... American Ballet Theatre has promoted CRAIG SALSTEIN to soloist.

Dance New Amsterdam.(COMINGS AND GOINGS)
June 1, 2007... MICHELLE AUDET has been named the executive director of Dance New Amsterdam. Audet has been the director of development and special projects at Ballet Hispanico.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.(COMINGS AND GOINGS)
June 1, 2007... Hubbard Street Dance Chicago welcomes JASON PALMQUIST as executive director. He was previously the executive director of Washington Ballet.

New York City Center has launched a campaign to establish a $10 million endowment fund for the Fall for Dance Festival.(GRANTS AND AWARDS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... NEW YORK CITY CENTER has launched a campaign to establish a $10 million endowment fund for the Fall for Dance Festival. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has given $3.5 million in support. HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO also received a two-year...

Les Ballets Trockadero De Monte Carlo.(GRANTS AND AWARDS)(London Theater Managers Award and the London Critics' Circle National Dance Award)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... LES BALLETS TROCKADERO DE MONTE CARLO won the London Theater Managers Award for best visiting company last October, and the London Critics' Circle National Dance Award for outstanding classical repertoire in January.

In February, Carlos Acosta won a Laurence Olivier Award for outstanding achievement in dance for his performances at Sadler's Wells.(GRANTS AND AWARDS)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... In February, CARLOS ACOSTA won a Laurence Olivier Award for outstanding achievement in dance for his performances at Sadler's Wells. THE ROYAL BALLET'S CHROMA by Wayne McGregor at the Royal Opera House won best new dance production.

Dance Advance in Philadelphia announced $693,000 to 27 grantees for the 2007-2008 season.(Grants and Awards)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Dance Advance in Philadelphia announced $693,000 to 27 grantees for the 2007-2008 season, including BALLETX, DANCEFUSION, ELEONE DANCE THEATRE, FLAMENCO OLE, HEADLONG DANCE THEATER, JEANNE RUDDY DANCE, KORESH DANCE COMPANY, LEAH STEIN DANCE...

Bunny Briggs.(GRANTS AND AWARDS)
June 1, 2007... Legendary tapper BUNNY BRIGGS received the Tap Dance Hall of Fame award last February.

Shuttling across the Atlantic.(New York Notebook)(Ajkun Ballet)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... In its young life, Ajkun Ballet (which started in 2000) has traveled to Europe and Australia, but never before has it performed in Manhattan. The Bronx-and-Italy-based company, co-directed by the husband and wife team Chiara and Leonard Ajkun,...

Sniff & dance.(New York Notebook)(Jody Oberfelder Dance Projects at the Flea Theater)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Jody Oberfelder Dance Projects brings two premieres to the intimate Flea Theater June 13-17. Heavy Light, for six dancers, explores metaphors of weight and lightness using Oberfelder's bold physical style honed from gymnastics, diving, and...

Even legends gotta go.(New York Notebook)(Neta Dance Company)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... As Neta Pulvermacher developed Gotta Go, an imaginative glimpse of the post-death body, mind and soul, life imitated art. Her mother became ill and died. Thanks to Pulvermacher's craft, she also became a part of the choreography. The Neta Dance...

Health and fitness: strong ... and lean.
June 1, 2007... Big, bulky muscles are a dancer's nightmare. You work hard in technique class to lengthen your line, and the last tiring you want are exercises that counteract all your efforts. As some dancers are discovering, new twists on familiar training...

Advice for dancers: former New York City Ballet dancer Linda Hamilton, PhD., is a psychologist, a wellness consultant for NYCB, and the author of Advice for Dancers (Jossey-Bass). She has offered advice to Dance Magazine readers since 1992.
June 1, 2007... WHAT CAN I DO TO STOP MUSCLE CRAMPS? SOMETIMES THEY HIT ME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND HURT FOR DAYS. OR THEY HAPPEN WHEN I'M DANCING OR WORKING IN CLASS. IS THIS NORMAL? CRAMPED NYC You're not alone. Nearly every dancer has...

Shine on: ABT's Sarah Lane puts body and soul into her roles.(American Ballet Theater)(Brief biography)(Cover story)
June 1, 2007... Waltzing with Herman Cornejo to the song "Strangers in the Night," Sarah Lane shows off a sleek elegance that is tinged with a refreshing sweetness. But several minutes later into the rehearsal of Twyla Tharp's Sinatra Suite, she gives as good...

75 years of Jacob's Pillow: celebrating the "everything" summer dance festival.
June 1, 2007... It all began in 1931 when Ted Shawn bought a farm in the Berkshires. Starting in 1933, he used it to develop his new troupe, Ted Shawn and his Men Dancers. For seven years they toured the country, paving the way for men to take up dancing....

Georgia on her mind: superstar Nina Ananiashvili leads her country's state ballet back from the brink--and to the U.S.
June 1, 2007... To fly into Tbilisi, Georgia, you must land in pitch dark in the middle of the night. (Night air space is cheaper.) Even so, the crowd welcoming passengers boils up outside the airport's glass walls--waving, gesticulating, soundlessly shouting....

Beat the summer heat: cool looks for warm days.(DM Style)(Buyers guide)
June 1, 2007... Whether you're hanging around the dressing room or preparing for class, keeping muscles warm is a year-round must. But you don't want to melt in the hot weather. Lightweight legwarmers, shrugs, and skirts keep you covered but don't make you...

And then there was Merce: Carolyn Brown's awaited memoir.(Chance and Circumstance: Twenty Years with Cage and Cunningham)(Book review)
June 1, 2007... Chance and Circumstance: Twenty Years with Cage and Cunningham By Carolyn Brown. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2007. 656 pages, with 24 pages of photographs. "I had no intention of becoming a dancer," Carolyn Brown writes of herself as a...

Pilobolus and the middle school: Utopianism meets reality.(Teach-Learn Connection)(dance theater)
June 1, 2007... In the same jeans and sneakers they've been wearing all day, a group of four middle school girls in their school gym in the Bronx are choreographing a short piece that alternates between krumping, twerking, and off-balance weight distribution....

Balanchine basics.(Technique)(George Balanchine)
June 1, 2007... In the quiet of a studio at the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, a series of well-orchestrated toes massage the marley floor in a succession of tendus that seem to create their own music. Suki Schorer, a...

Traveling hip hop.(Across the Floor)(FLOW 40)
June 1, 2007... After winning a spoof "beauty" pageant at Oklahoma City University in 1998, dancers Nick Drago and Grant Chenok realized they made excellent partners. Both perform with a similar power, full of hip hop energy, but grounded in a ballet...

Douglas Nielsen teacher's wisdom.(This Month)(Interview)
June 1, 2007... Douglas Nielsen came to dance late, at the age of 23. But he moved rapidly into the professional world, dancing with Gus Solomons, Pearl Lang, and Paul Sanasardo in New York, and Batsheva Dance Company in Israel. He created Douglas Nielsen...

On the rise: Brian Letendre making magic in Broadway's Mary Poppins, even while sitting still.
June 1, 2007... Many dancers are celebrated for their grace or flexibility. Brian Letendre has earned kudos for remaining perfectly still. As a statue-come-to-life in the box-office-busting Mary Poppins, Letendre not only must pull off double tours en l'air...

On Broadway: for Megan Sikora, Curtains is a leg up.(Brief biography)
June 1, 2007... Anyone who's ever been in a show knows that tech rehearsal can be a long, tiresome slog for performers. Back when she was in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Megan Sikora amused herself and everyone else stuck in tech by "fooling around"--doing...

Sydney Dance Company.(Underland)(Dance review)
June 1, 2007... SYDNEY DANCE COMPANY KELLER AUDITORIUM, PORTLAND, OR MARCH 13, 2007 Until we retire that much abused term "bad boy of modern dance," we have three main contenders for the title: Mark Morris, for the naughty bits in The Hard Nut; Michael...

The Hamburg Ballet.(Death in Venice)(Dance review)
June 1, 2007... THE HAMBURG BALLET BAM HOWARD GILMAN OPERA HOUSE, NYC FEBRUARY 7- 10, 2007 John Neumeier's Death in Venice (2003), given its U.S. premiere recently at BAM, exists in a tug of war between polarized impulses. Lengthy and bustling with...

Preview: Chelyabinsk Contemporary Dance Theater.(The Other Side of the River)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... A leader in Russia's contemporary dance scene, Olga Pona brings her troupe from Ghelyabinsk to the U.S., stopping at American Dance Festival (June 14-16) and the International Festival of Arts and Ideas in New Haven, CT (June 20-22). Her new...

Preview: The Suzanne Farrell Ballet.(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Resident dance company of the Kennedy Center, the Suzanne Farrell Ballet hits the D.C. stage this month with two mixed repertory programs, including Scotch Symphony and Mozartiana. The company, under the legendary ballerina's direction, debuted...

Preview: Liss Fain Dance.(The Flood)(Dance review)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... With The Flood, Liss Fain is following a path she has pursued for close to 20 years--unspectacular but quietly focused modern-influenced ballet choreography steeped in music that is as rigorous as it is attention-demanding. For the seven-dancer...

On the Web.
June 1, 2007... On the Web: Read reviews of Alessandra Ferri at La Scala (below), Philippe Decoufle, Atlanta Ballet, and much more at www.dancemagazine.com.

Alessandra Ferri.(Retirement)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... With her sweeping lines, improbably arched feet, eloquent port de bras, and dramatic intention behind every step, Alessandra Ferri breathed life into ballet. She made her indelible mark on the ballet repertoire and inspired audiences and fellow...

Jeanette Ordman (1935-2007).(Deaths)(Obituary)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Dancer, choreographer, and the creator of Bat-Dor Dance Company, Jeannette Ordman died in February at 73. Born in South Africa, she studied ballet in Johannesburg, and at the Royal Academy of Dance in London. In 1965, Ordman joined a small...

Ann Barzel (1905-2007).(Deaths)(Obituary)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Harboring a huge appetite for dance in her tiny frame, for eight decades Ann Barzel documented dance through her writing, lectures, and filming. Chicago was Barzel's home base for many of her 101 years. She was the moving force behind the...

Hortense Kooluris (1914-2007).(Deaths)(Obituary)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... The last of the second-generation Isadora Duncan dancers, Hortense Kooluris, died in February. Born in Brooklyn, she studied at Esther Robbins' ballet studio, and later with Duncan disciple Anita Zahn. After Irma Duncan's touring company from...

Alfred Desio.(Deaths)(Obituary)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Electronic Tap Dancer Alfred Desio died in February at 74. He worked with Jerome Robbins, Jack Cole, Peter Gennaro, Donald McKayle, and Michael Bennett and performed in many Broadway productions, including West Side Story and Fiddler on the...

Vilma Ebsen.(Deaths)(Obituary)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Broadway dancer Vilma Ebsen died in March at the age of 96. Ebsen danced alongside her brother Buddy Ebsen (The Beverly Hillbillies) and Hollywood musical sweetheart Eleanor Powell in the film Broadway Melody of 1936. She graced the Broadway...

2007 Dance Annual Directory.(Directory)
June 1, 2007... Welcome to Dance Magazine's 2007 Dance Annual Directory! With more than 700 up-to-date listings, this go-to guide has everything you need as a dancer or dance professional. It's the world of dance at your fingertips, and you'll be turning...

United States.(Dance Finder)(Directory)
June 1, 2007... 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 DANCE THEATRE Kitty...

International.(Dance Finder)(Directory)
June 1, 2007... 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.(Dance Finder)(Directory)
June 1, 2007... Certification and training in somatic and movement-based arts. Contact: dcastro@dancemagazine.com AERIAL DANCE/ ACROBATIC/CIRCUS ARTS LAVA HOME STUDIO / BROOKLYN, NY Acrobatics & trapeze emphasizing strength, flexibility,...

Kudelka 101.(Dance Finder)(James Kudelka)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... The students had never danced for a professional choreographer, and he had never worked with students. But in February, James Kudelka created See #2 for 11 ballet dancers at Butler University in Indianapolis. We knew we needed to rise up to his...

Attitudes.(Thirdstream dance)
June 1, 2007... Thirdstream dance is more easily defined than traced. I find it easier to define than "postmodern" dance, which always seemed a vague nomenclature to me, or even that favorite, passed over from art criticism, "postexpressionist," especially as...

Thinking bigger: Dance Dynamics laid the groundwork for expanding long before moving.(Starting Out)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... When Nina Koch purchased Dance Dynamics in Brentwood, CA, five years ago, there were 80 students enrolled. Now there are nearly 400. Last September the studio opened its doors at a new 4,500 sq.-ft, facility, more than double the size of the...

Fun finds: great fundraising items for students of all ages.(Starting Out)(Buyers guide)
June 1, 2007... Skip selling cookies and chuck the catalogs. The secret to successful fundraising is items with real dancer appeal. Here are some great ideas: IN THE BAG Pink for the prima ballerina in the making, this nylon tote has a hook and latch...

Click 'n' save: new software upgrades make running a studio easier than ever.(Starting Out)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2007... With updates to studio management software coming out every few months, why are you still doing half the work by hand? It's time to stop worrying about tracking down payments. To cut down on this problem, COMPUDANCE (www.compudance.com)...

Anatomy of a backdrop.(Starting Out)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Not sure how to create the right mood for a modern number? Can't afford an elaborate set for your Nutcracker? Add color and atmosphere with backdrops. The wealth of designs available can be daunting--and inspiring. Some of Grosh Scenic...

Smart moves.(Studio Profiles)(dance)(Product/service evaluation)
June 1, 2007... Dance classes may be surging in popularity, thanks to reality TV shows like So You Think You Can Dance, but with parents looking for bargains and a competitive business climate, studio owners need more ideas than ever to keep an edge. Here are...

Your next floor: real-world advice from studio owners on how to choose.(Essential Tools)
June 1, 2007... The right floor can last for years and take you from expansions through location changes. Before you make a decision, you need some essential information. Mary Katherine Vandiver, the director of marketing for Rose Brand floors, says you should...

Hold on: tips for selecting a portable barre.(Essential Tools)
June 1, 2007... To get in touch with her balance and prepare for center work, every ballet dancer begins class at the same place every day: the barre. Portable ones offer students an opportunity to wean themselves away from the seemingly limitless help of...

Mirror, mirror: the right one will reflect well on you and your students.(Essential Tools)(dance studio equipment)
June 1, 2007... A dancer may have a love-hate relationship with the mirror, but dance teachers know how helpful they can be. Teachers need students to keep an eye on their technique and see for themselves why they need to pull up, turnout, and hold their...

Not your average studio: by offering unusual services, dance studios can move to the head of the class.(Studio Secrets)(SOLAD Dance Center-Spirit of Light and Dance)
June 1, 2007... Ballet students practice pointe while company dancers get relief after a big performance from an in-house massage therapist. Both happen at SOLAD (Spirit of Light and Dance) Dance Center in Walnut Creek, CA, which offers opportunities and...

Dancing from the heart: for teachers at Maryland Youth Ballet, helping students with cerebral palsy experience the joy of moving was a personal mission.(Take A Bow)
June 1, 2007... When Jennifer Cox wanted to give her granddaughter, who suffers from cerebral palsy, the opportunity to dance, she took matters into her own hands. Cox, a teacher at Maryland Youth Ballet and mother of famed American Ballet Theatre principal...