Dance Magazine articles from March 2008

Dance Magazine archives from March 2008

Curtain up.
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If anyone's a natural dancer, it's Wade Robson. He's been dancing since he was 5 and teaching hip hop since he was 12. Back in 2002 he was one of our "25 to Watch"--an obvious choice, since at 19, he was already...

Great start in '08.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... The January cover was gorgeous! In the "On the Cover" section in the Table of Contents, the two choices of Kumiko Tsuji you showed were both stunning, but the one you used was perfect. I really like how natural and relaxed her face looks, and...

Bennington's beginnings.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... I loved reading about Bennington College celebrating its 75th anniversary in the January "Dance Matters." Dance at Bennington has been a groundbreaking venture since the inception of the college. However, Bennington College president...

Radha redux.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... I thank Dance Magazine for their initiative in acknowledging the American dance legacy ("Reviving the Past," and "Who Owns America's Dance Legacy?" Jan.) and those of us who actively research these gems, which mostly survive in the annals of...

Balanchine on the web.(vital signs)(George Balanchine Foundation now at www.balanchine.org)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Can't remember when Balanchine choreographed the movie On Your Toes? Or who Violette Verdy's partner was in the "Emeralds" section of Jewels? Or what roles Arthur Mitchell created in New York City Ballet? Now it's all at your fingertips. The...

Up in the air.(vital signs)(Ameba Acrobatic and Aerial Dance)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] You know those dancers who seem to float on air? Well, Ameba's dancers really do--with a little rigging. And a little financial nudge. Donors for Ameba Acrobatic and Aerial Dance helped to cover the costs of its new...

Honoring the god of dance.(vital signs)(Nataraja)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Ancient myth springs to life this month at the Natyanjali Dance Festival in Chidambaram, India. From March 6 to 10, classical dancers (like Mythili Prakash, left) from all over unite to honor the Hindu lord Shiva and his role as Nataraja, the...

Mad dash dance.(vital signs)(Repertory Dance Theatre host the annual Charette: The Search for Utah's Iron Choreographer)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... This month, Repertory Dance Theatre hosts its third annual Charette: The Search for Utah's Iron Choreographer ('charrette" meaning the intense work period before a project deadline). RDT invites five homegrown choreographers and about 35...

Lights, camera, dance!(vital signs)(Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Alwin Nikolais created technical light shows that were a hallmark of the 1960s. In today's booming dance-and-technology field his work from half a century ago still wows audiences. This month, the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, which performs...

Southern style jam.(vital signs)(Carolina Ballet with The Red Clay Ramblers)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This month, Carolina Ballet brings back a hometown collaboration that premiered in 2005. Resident guest choreographer Lynne Taylor-Corbett, who's known for both ballet and Broadway choreography, combines ballet...

Moving sculptures.(vital signs)(Walking the Line presented in a sculpture-filled gallery)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Many museums are known for their static glimpses of eras long past. So it's rare when a museum that is devoted to history participates in the creation--instead of the preservation--of it. Last fall, the Louvre...

Vital stat.(vital signs)
March 1, 2008... In a typical Riverdance performance, each dancer performs 30,000 taps show. With 30 Irish dancers performing each show, that's 900,000 taps! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Not your basic jig.(vital signs)
March 1, 2008... From Alaska to Australia, from Scotland to South Africa, the world's finest Irish dancers are gearing up for more than their local St. Paddy's Day parades. The World Irish Dancing Championships, now in their 38th year, return to Belfast March...

Wiggle room.(vital signs)(belly dancer Leila Haddad at UCLA)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Leila Haddad, the renowned Tunisian-born dancer of Rags el Sharki ("belly dancer") performs this month with The Ghawazee Musicians of Luxor, Egypt, at UCLA. In Gypsy Dances From Rajasthan to the Nile, Haddad breaks down the barriers between the...

Cheryl Burke.(Quick Q&A)(Interview)
March 1, 2008... And the seasons keep coming. Dancing with the Stars, the reality TV show that began in the summer of 2005, started its fifth season last fall topping the charts with more than 20 million viewers. Twentythree-year-old Cheryl Burke, the...

Dancing down the avenue: four companies take over Philadelphia's main drag.(dance matters)(Pennsylvania Ballet, Philadanco, BalletX and Koresh Dance Company)(Calendar)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Twenty years ago, the City of Philadelphia nicknamed South Broad Street the Avenue of the Arts. Its major performance venue, the Kimmel Center, presents Pennsylvania Ballet and Philadanco, the city's senior dance...

Dance/USA: sustaining the community for 25 years.(dance matters)(Organization overview)
March 1, 2008... If you're a dancer or choreographer and you need a job, rehearsal space, advice on health insurance or marketing, or a lively exchange about aesthetics with your peers, where would you go? If you're an administrator wanting to discuss a change...

Bright lights, big talent: inside the magic of the Choreographer's Carnival.(dance matters)(Company overview)
March 1, 2008... After nine years on the Los Angeles scene, The Carnival Choreographer's Ball has become a vital institution in the commercial dance community. On the last Wednesday of every month, agents, choreographers, and dancers descend on the Sunset...

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.(AWARDS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts was awarded a $1 million grant by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation for the documentation of jazz, contemporary dance, and theater performances, the recording of oral histories related to...

The Wallace Foundation in San Francisco awarded Alonzo King's LINES Ballet $275,000; ODC/San Francisco received $610,000.(AWARDS)
March 1, 2008... The Wallace Foundation in San Francisco awarded Alonzo King's LINES Ballet $275,000; ODC/San Francisco received $610,000 for a project called Zip Zip Dance.

The United States Artists awarded 50 $50,000 USA Fellowship grants in 2007..(AWARDS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The United States Artists awarded 50 $50,000 USA Fellowship grants in 2007. Six dancers and choreographers received grants, including Joanna Haigood, Anna Halprin, Rennie Harris, Bill T, Jones, Benjamin Millepied, and Shen Wei,

Tender descent.(new york notebook)(Line of Descent at Dance New Amsterdam)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The face we show to the world is not always in sync with the reality we feel inside. Aviva Geismar's choreography bravely hones in on the tension between the two. Her new evening-length Line of Descent, premiering at Dance New Amsterdam March...

Season of dreams.(new york notebook)(Dream Season)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... With a creative spirit as vital and fresh as his own Aureole, Paul Taylor brings his newest dances--and a treasure trove of classics--to City Center for his "Dream Season," Feb. 28-March 16. Companion pieces De Suenos (Of Dreams) and De Suenos...

Citizen dancing.(new york notebook)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What is a choreographer's civic duty during a time of war? This question propels Victoria Marks' Not About Iraq, a meditation on denial, complacency, truth, and beauty. The L.A.-based Marks has long been intrigued by...

Why I dance.(from the heart)(Lauren Grant)
March 1, 2008... The first thing you notice about Lauren Grant is her spunky, almost tomboyish, energy. The second thing you notice is her height. At 4'11" she calls herself "wildly short." Nevertheless she has created many roles in the Mark Morris Dance Group....

Travel tips: don't let the journey wreak havoc on your body.(your body)
March 1, 2008... Bringing dance to new audiences across the country and around the world is exciting for touring dancers. But whether you're dancing at a nearby school or as far away as Australia, you've traveled there in cramped quarters on a plane, train, or...

Q&A.(advice for dancers)
March 1, 2008... Something weird has been going on with my right hip for the last few months. I tell myself it can't be very serious because I'm still taking class and performing. The pain also bothers me occasionally when I'm not dancing. Should I speak to my...

Wade Robson: an innovator at work.(Interview)(Cover story)
March 1, 2008... Suited up in his high-water pants, white socks, black loafers and fedora, Wade Robson prepared for his first professional gig performing at the Michael Jackson concert in his hometown of Brisbane, Australia. He'd won a dance contest...

Mixing it up: BalletMet celebrates its 30th anniversary with 30(!) new works.(Organization overview)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Clearheaded leadership, a steady rise in quality, and balanced budgets have marked the history of BalletMet Columbus. So have occasional outbreaks of whimsy, like the company's first international tour--not to Canada...

Unique feet: discover your foot type and its perfect pointe shoe.
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dancers come in all shapes and sizes. So do dancers' feet. Variations in foot type have two distinguishing factors: the arch, and the relative length of the toes. With arches, there are two extremes: high and low (in...

Jumping over job hurdles: five dancers talk about their artistic and financial choices.(JOBS GUIDE: Keeping Your Options Open)(Holly Cruikshank, John Byrne, Tapper Ray Hesselink, Lorin Katarro and Reed Kelly)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In today's pressure-cooker world, where getting a leg up on a career path can begin as early as kindergarten, those choosing dance as a calling are, for the most part, confronted with even harsher realities. Earning...

On the side: dancers dish on gigs that pay the bills.(JOBS GUIDE: Keeping Your Options Open)(dancer do extra work to pay bills)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Modern dancer Darrin Wright often squeezes in two long rehearsals a day. He's in such demand that numerous choreographers in New York City employ him, including Susan Marshall, Terry Creach, Jane Comfort, Tami...

Hang in there: a psychotherapist counsels dancers not to let self-doubt stand in the way of building a career.(JOBS GUIDE: Keeping Your Options Open)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In my psychotherapy practice, I work with dancers who are struggling with problems related to having a life in the arts. Dancers may not have much control over the field of competition, but by identifying and...

Jobs guide.(Directory)
March 1, 2008... LOOKING FOR WORK? WE'VE GOT THE INSIDE SCOOP, DETAILS ON DANCING POSITIONS START ON P. 56, AND TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES ARE LISTED STARTING P. 66. DANCERS' OPPORTUNITIES UNITED STATES ALABAMA Alabama Ballet South...

A Splash of flash: wild ways to show off your legs.(dm style)(legwarmers and tights)(Buyers guide)
March 1, 2008... You're always in leggings, tights, and legwarmers. They're your work clothes--not to mention your for ballet class, tights for a costume, or leggings to wear under a skirt at an audition, a color surge sure to please. If you're timid, pair...

On their heels: a flamenco DVD trilogy with fire and soul.(dm recommends)(Flamenco Trilogy: Blood Wedding, Carmen and El Amor Brujo)(Video recording review)
March 1, 2008... Carlos Saura's Flamenco Trilogy Three DVDs. Blood Wedding, 71 minutes; Carmen, 101 minutes; El Amor Brujo, 103 minutes. Criterion Collection. $35.96. In a haunting moment early in Carmen, a a dancer pauses as she removes her makeup to...

Competing in creativity: on the college scene, another brand of March Madness.(teach-learn connection)(American College Dance Festival Association)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Competition defines the American way of life, from Little League to the Oscars. Winners make news. Naturally, dance hops on the competition bandwagon, with hit TV shows, conventions, and ballet festivals. Every...

Improving balance.(THE NEXT LEVEL)
March 1, 2008... Gravity plays a huge role in any style of dance. Although it can sometimes act as our friend in modern techniques, in ballet it impedes our rise to releve and into the air. We have to work constantly to overpower this strong pull toward the...

Share the barre.(ACROSS THE FLOOR)(Art of Motion shares dance even there is language barrier)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... In November, the Art of Motion studio in Ridgewood, NJ, invited 12 Israeli girls aged 15-18 to study dance through the Open Hearts/Open Homes program. "It's about sharing the barre," says Art of Motion co-artistic director Lynn Needle. "You can...

Jeffrey Friedman.(School News)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... In 1988, dancer/choreographer Jeffrey Friedman founded the Legacy Oral History Program at the San Francisco Performing Arts Library & Museum to document the effects of AIDS on members of the dance community. Among others, Friedman has recorded...

Wesleyan University's Center for the Arts.(School News)
March 1, 2008... Wesleyan University's Center for the Arts hosts their ninth annual DanceMasters Weekend March 8 and 9. Dancers from Paul Taylor Dance Company, Mark Morris Dance Group, Susan Marshall & Company, Doug Varone and Dancers, Alley II, and other...

Repetto.(School News)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... For their 60th anniversary Repetto has partnered with UNESCO and its Programme for the Education of Children in Need. Sixty professional dancers have volunteered to customize one of Repetto's items, resulting in a unique collection that will be...

Zena Rommett: the guru behind Floor-Barre.(teacher's wisdom)(Interview)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Zena Rommett is the originator of the Zena Rommett Floor-Bane and Ballet Technique. Her early training under Balanchine and other Russian masters in NYC led to her performing throughout Europe and in several Broadway...

Lesole Maine: an eloquent dancer with Liz Lerman and others seeks his own voice.(on the rise)
March 1, 2008... The rehearsal room vibrated with tension. The theme--genocide in Germany, Bosnia, Rwanda--seemed to suck the air from the sun-flecked Dance Exchange studio in Takoma Park, Maryland. That first day, says Lesole Maine (pronounced Le-SO-lay...

Ballet punk meets Euro funk: Karole Armitage tries out Broadway with Passing Strange.(on broadway)(Interview)
March 1, 2008... Karole Armitage had her hands full as 2008 got under way. Her company, Armitage Gone! Dance, was rehearsing for its February gig at the Joyce. She was juggling two operas that she was directing for spring openings, one in New York and one in...

Next Wave Festival.
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Brooklyn Academy of Music, NYC October 2-December 16, 2007 How does a venue extolling the virtue of innovative work sustain standards of excellence over a period of 25 years? If the Next Wave Festival is any...

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.(Firebird)(Dance review)
March 1, 2008... City Center, NYC November 28-December 31, 2007 The Ailey company, with the guidance of former Bejart dancer Shonach Mirk Robles, has taken Maurice Bejart's idealistic, ritualistic Firebird (1970) to heart, marking it with discipline and...

Colorado Ballet.(PREVIEW)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... The 29-member Colorado Ballet presents a mixed bag of old and new works this month. The Repertory Series, March 15-23, features Tudor's wistful The Leaves Are Fading, the inventive... smile with my heart by Lar Lubovitch, and a world premiere...

Miami City Ballet.(PREVIEW)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Few choreographers can coax the dance genie from the pop playlist like Twyla Tharp, and in collaboration with Elvis Costello her recent commission from Miami City Ballet comes as a great wish fulfillment for the company. Percolating to Costello...

Julio Bocca leaps offstage.(RETIREMENT)(Julio Bocca retires dancing)
March 1, 2008... From his first explosive air turns and quicksilver spins, Argentine-born Julio Bocca was, it seemed, destined for the history books. Snagging a gold medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition in 1985, the 18-year-old continued his...

Michael Kidd (1915-2007).(DEATHS)(Obituary)
March 1, 2008... Because he was not a great innovator like Jerome Robbins or Bob Fosse, Michael Kidd was often overlooked in discussions of the great musical choreographers. But with five Tonys, an honorary Oscar, and an irresistible body of work that ranged...

Jennifer Alexander (1972-2007).(DEATHS)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Last December, American Ballet Theatre corps member Jennifer Alexander was killed in a car crash while driving home from a performance of The Nutcracker in NJ. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A native of Calgary, Canada, Alexander trained at...

Veve Amasasa Clark (1944-2007).(DEATHS)(Obituary)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... A gifted scholar, teacher, and humanist, Veve Clark passed away in December. An associate professor of African American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, she was revered internationally for her rigorous research and creative...

Schools, studios, colleges, universities, companies, teachers, choreographers, dancers, somatic practices & movement arts certification, & dance medicine.(dance finder: a career & learning resource guide)(Directory)
March 1, 2008... 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 ...

I won't grow up.(dance finder: a career & learning resource guide)(Grand Rapids Ballet Company at Detroit and Kalamazoo to for Peter Pan production)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Grand Rapids Ballet Company is bringing Never-Never-Land to Detroit and Kalamazoo this month. Artistic director Gordon Pierce Schmidt's original production of Peter Pan gives the classic tale new life with athletic...

To emote or not to emote: Balanchine's Agon has no acting in it. The dancers just have to dance.(attitudes)
March 1, 2008... Does anyone actually act in Balanchine's Serenade? Or is that a silly question? Balanchine himself noted, "Many people think there is a concealed story in the ballet. There is not. There are, simply, dancers in motion to a beautiful piece of...