Dance Magazine articles from May 2009

Dance Magazine archives from May 2009

Curtain up.(Editorial)(Editorial)
May 1, 2009... I fell in love with Broadway musicals in the age of Jerome Robbins. West Side Story. Fiddler on the Roof. Gypsy. These were great stories that gave their characters great reasons to dance. Robbins was famous for seamlessly integrating dance and...

Favorite Broadway show.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... For our focus on Broadway this month, we asked readers to tell us their favorite musicals. Here are some of their choices. As a daughter of Brazilian parents raised in both Spain and the U.S. (and currently living in Washington Heights), I...

Coffee talk.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... Thank you for calling attention to the dangers of consuming too much coffee ("Your Body," Jan.). The article identified both the short- and long-term detrimental effects that excess coffee can have on a dancer's performance and health. Also, I...

More Diaghilev please.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2009... Despite the story on Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in the February issue, your coverage revealed how little attention is being paid to one of the most significant dates in the history of theater. The 100th anniversary of this company should be...

Correction.(letters)(Correction notice)
May 1, 2009... The photo of Full Circle Dance Company in March "Vital Signs" was mislabeled. The dancer is Misty Borst.

Arthur Mitchell's dream on display.(vital signs)(The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts's exhibition)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There's still time to get your dance history fix at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts as it pays tribute in 40 Years of Firsts: Dance Theatre of Harlem. The multi-media exhibition, which is up until...

Milwaukee's music moves.(vital signs)(Milwaukee Ballet Company's Live and Kicking: International Choreographers Series)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Milwaukee Ballet finishes its 2008-09 season with a Live and Kicking: International Choreographers Series. The concert includes a reprise of the company's 2007 hit Common People, choreographed by Margo Sappington and...

Far & wide.(vital signs)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Scuba isn't just beneath the waves anymore! The SCUBA Touring Network, a co-operative project between Velocity Dance Center of Seattle, ODC Theater in San Francisco, Philadelphia Dance Projects, and the Southern Theater in Minneapolis, provides...

Graham gets a virtual re-dux.(vital signs)(Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Think Martha Graham could use a digital upgrade? The company dared audiences to give it a try. In January it announced "The Clytemnestra ReMash Challenge," a way to virtually take a stab at remixing Graham's 1958 masterpiece. (They're not the...

For the birds.(vital signs)(Wild Mannequins and Wing Walkers's costume designs)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In Jacqulyn Buglisi's Wild Mannequins & Wing Walkers, an absurdist look at brave women in history at the Joyce last February, Martine van Hamel sported a birdcage as headgear. "At first it was supposed to be a...

Celebrating with the old & new.(vital signs)(Jean Isaac San Diego Dance Theater's 35th Anniversary )(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The funny and spiky Monica Bill Barnes will be one of six guest dancers in Jean Isaacs' 35th Anniversary Retrospective Concert at San Diego State University, May 16-17. Known for her Trolley Dances and other site-specific pieces, Isaacs will...

Halprin's frolic in the meadow.(vital signs)(Anna Halprin )(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Postmodern guru Anna Halprin reveals her new large-scale work with the Dancers' Group in San Francisco this month. The free performance will bring together dancers, musicians, and performers onto the concert meadow,...

Check 1-2-3.(vital signs)(tap dancing )(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Take it to the stage!" That was the secret behind Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards' high-energy hoofer number as part of the American Tap Dance Foundation's "Sound Check," hosted by Tony Waag. For five days in February,...

May madness festivals this month.(vital signs)(List)
May 1, 2009... 1. GOING TO CAROLINA Kicking off this month, the interdisciplinary Spoleto Festival USA presents four dance performances in Charleston, SC. On May 21, 24, and 26, Japanese artist Hiroaki Umeda will showcase his contemporary combination of...

Eifman's new Onegin: an updated classic comes to the U.S.(dance matters)(Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg )
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg returns to America this spring after a two-year absence, performing Boris Eifman's new two-act Onegin, several months after its world premiere in his home city. It is inspired by...

Still kickin' it: Broadway gypsies confront the recession.(dance matters)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For Broadway, 2009 started out with a bang----or rather, a crash, as nearly a dozen plays and musicals, including Hairspray, Grease, Spamalot, Spring Awakening, Gypsy, and Young Frankenstein, closed in the first...

Jenny Lane recreates Eleanor Powell.(dance matters)
May 1, 2009... Dancers who want to learn or study the work of greats such as Balanchine, Graham, de Mille, Tudor, Fosse, Robbins, and other legends have been lucky. Films of their works abound, and dancers can learn firsthand from company repertories or...

Trisha's etoiles.(new york notebook)(Trisha Brown's Zlozony/O Composite)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Trisha Brown created O Zlozony/O Composite for three stars of the Paris Opera Ballet: Aurelie Dupont, Nicolas Le Riche, and Manuel Legris. The work is performed by its all-star original cast, alongside Glacial Decoy...

Carnival of dance forms.(new york notebook)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] More than a thousand dancers will bring 27 dance styles to the streets for the third annual New York Dance Parade on May 16. Aiming to raise public awareness to a vast array of styles-Bhangra, Zyedeco, and Roller...

Europe + Europe @ Citigroup.(new york notebook)(Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Former Dutch National principal Robert Sher-Machherndl brings his company, Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet, from Colorado to Alley Citigroup Theater April 28 and 29. With a new muse, the fiercely intelligent...

Head first: Alexander Technique can aid injury recovery.(your body)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Once when Kirstie Simson was rehearsing, she twisted her left knee so severely that her knee cap slid to the back of her knee. After extensive rehab, Simson, a contact improvisation performer, returned to dancing....

Q & A.(Advice for dancers)(Column)
May 1, 2009... I've made a horrible mistake! I decided to train at a prestigious dance academy outside of the U.S. after winning a scholarship. It was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Instead, it was toxic. My teacher was right out of the...

New facets on a gem: Paloma Herrera's quest for excellence has led the ABT ballerina to new heights.(American Ballet Theatre )(Cover story)
May 1, 2009... Fifteen years ago Paloma Herrera was an 18-year-old American Ballet Theatre soloist who had audiences at her feet and critics showering praise. Her exhilaratingly polished debut as the ballerina in Balanchine's challenging Theme and Variations...

Movers & shapers: the new generation of Broadway director/choreographers is reshaping musicals--and the dancing in them.(Susan Stroman, Jerry Mitchell, Kathleen Marshall and Rob Ashford )
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In a Susan Stroman show, everything dances. Happiness, her latest, features a pirouetting subway car, a levitating ladder, and beds, kitchen counters, and baseball bleachers that glide on and off the small thrust...

Movin' up: Broadway gypsy Lorin Latarro knows how to get gigs--and now she's starting to choreograph her next moves.
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lorin Latarro started rehearsals for her Broadway debut on a Monday, and that Friday, she took to the stage in Swing. As the substitute in the wickedly difficult principal role, she rehearsed with her dance partner...

Open doors, open minds: dance festival classes broaden horizons for students.
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Summer intensive season is just around the corner, and dancers everywhere are preparing to push themselves to new limits. While some will focus on conservatory-style training, others are getting ready for a different...

Home studio to the rescue: the gear you need to get the body of your dreams.(dm style)(Buyers guide)
May 1, 2009... Stamina, strength, and flexibility are job requirements for any dancer. Taking class is your foundation, but sometimes it's beneficial to push yourself a little further. A convenient place to do that is in your own home. You can create your own...

Cooling down.(DO's & DON'Ts)
May 1, 2009... Have you ever woken up the day after a show feeling too stiff to get out of bed? Many dancers think soreness is unavoidable, so they learn to deal through determination and painkillers. But a thorough cooldown after a performance, class, or...

Hats off to BDC.(ACROSS THE FLOOR)(Broadway Dance Center)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... One afternoon in the early 1980s, businessman and Broadway-lover Richard Ellner went to the Hines-Hatchett dance studio--co-owned by Frank Hatchett and Maurice Hines--to take a jazz class. Ellner was so impressed by the small midtown operation...

Remembering Doris Rudko.(ACROSS THE FLOOR)(Obituary)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... In February, members of the dance community gathered at the Chen Dance Center in NYC to honor their mentor, fellow artist, and friend Doris Rudko. A petite woman with a large spirit and vision, Rudko served on the faculty of NYC's High School...

Barbara Dilley discovering movement in the moment.(teacher's wisdom)(Interview)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Barbara Dilley performed with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in its early years (1963-68) and with the seminal improvisational group Grand Union. In the mid-1970s, she settled in Boulder, CO, where she became the...

Maya Guice: blending tap and ballet training, the Jazz Tap Ensemble dancer has an old-time Hollywood glow.(on the rise)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Balletic and delicate from the waist up, crisp and quick through her legs and feet, Maya Guice seems like a tap throwback to the era when hoofing and Hollywood were still in sync. When Jazz Tap Ensemble performed...

Hope they get it: Every Little Step goes inside the Chorus Line tryouts.(on broadway)(Movie review)
May 1, 2009... After, er... decades as a theater writer, I've spent many hours watching shows take shape. I've been in rehearsal halls uptown and down and backstage in theaters from coast to coast. At run-throughs, tech rehearsals, and load-ins, I've talked...

New York City Ballet.
May 1, 2009... New York City Ballet David H. Koch Theater, NYC * January 6-March 1, 2009 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] During a winter of dire economic news, New York City Ballet's season was comfy as a hot-water bottle on an aching tummy. An eyeful of...

Ron K. Brown/Evidence.(Dance review)
May 1, 2009... Ron K. Brown/Evidence The Joyce Theater, NYC February 10-15, 2009 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ronald K. Brown has evolved a distinctive voice in the dance world, combining West African, American modern, and club movement with text...

Carolyn George d'Amboise (1927-2009).(DEATHS)(Obituary)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Former New York City Ballet soloist and Broadway dancer Carolyn George died in February. The Dallas-born dancer got her start in musicals because there were no professional ballet companies in the area. In 1946...

Nora Kovach (1931-2009).(DEATHS)(Obituary)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... A glamorous star who once refused to abandon a sinking ocean liner without first applying lipstick, Nora Kovach trained at the Hungarian Royal Opera Ballet school. A spontaneous and charismatic performer, Kovach traveled to Leningrad with her...

Marina Svetlova (1922-2009).(DEATHS)(Obituary)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Former ballerina and teacher Marina Svetlova died in February. Born in Paris to Russian parents, Svetlova had her first role as a child in 1931 with Ida Rubinstein's experimental troupe in Amphion, choreographed by Leonide Massine. While she...

Hilary Ostlere (1927-2009).(DEATHS)(Obituary)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Dance critic and longtime Dance Magazine contributor Hilary Ostlere died in January. She was born in Wales and danced professionally with Ballet Rambert before moving to the U.S. in 1960. She worked as a reporter, editor and critic for Dance...

United States.(University and College Dance Programs, Schools, Studios, Dance Companies, Choreographers, Teachers, Pilates, GYROTONIC[R], Somatic Practices, Certification)(Directory)
May 1, 2009... 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...

Weaving a dream.(Tom Gold's new work)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tom Gold, the New York City Ballet soloist-turned-choreographer, embraces his childlike side in Dream Threads, a new work for dancers from the Orlando Ballet School and Orlando Ballet II. Premiering May 17 at the...

International.(University and College Dance Programs, Schools, Studios, Dance Companies, Choreographers, Teachers, Pilates, GYROTONIC[R], Somatic Practices, Certification)(Directory)
May 1, 2009... 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 teaeher/Master Salzburg Ballet. Phone...

Somatic practices, movement acts, and dance medicine.(Somatic/Movement)(Directory)
May 1, 2009... Certification and Training in Somatic and Movement-Based Arts. Contact: dcastro@dancemagazine.com ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE BALANCE ARTS CENTER NYC Alexander Technique for Dancers Teacher Training, Classes, Workshops. Learn to move with...

Why I dance.(from the heart)(Column)
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A lush, fluid dancer with meticulous control, Cecily Campbell has a gift for exploring details within the subtlest of movements. The New Mexico native began training in ballet at age 6 with the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet...

Lifetime learners.(EDITOR'S LETTER)(Editorial)
May 1, 2009... Summer is just around the corner! For dancers, that means it's time to hit the road--whether to a summer festival, workshop intensive, or national competition event. We made a bit of a road trip ourselves for this issue of Lifetime...

CORPS de Ballet International combines body, mind, and sightseeing.
May 1, 2009... As professional venues and companies struggle to weather current cultural and economic storms, the role of ballet in academia continues to evolve. CORPS de Ballet International provides a forum for ballet educators to examine teaching practices...

MAD in NYC.(Movement and Dance Theater)
May 1, 2009... Last October, in the black-box studio/theater of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, audiences were riveted by the debut of Grieving to Light, a dance-theater work crafted by the ethereal movement teacher and modern dance artist Margie Gillis....

Can art end poverty? A New York--based helps disadvantaged children take the first step.
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] You can learn a lot from watching a child dance. "You can see where they're most self-conscious. You can see what they're hiding. You can see their personalities," says Beth Konopka. Since 2007, the dancer and...

Radically somatic: Jane Hawley transforms dance at Luther College.
May 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One rarely sees dancers all moving in unison, or even doing a recognizable step in Jane Hawley's classes. You are more likely to see a community of movers exploring a particular idea, each finding a unique way into...

Launching a pretty creative project.
May 1, 2009... What sets the Portland, Oregon-based Northwest Professional Dance Project apart from other summer intensives? It grows choreographers as well as dancers. At the very first three-week session of the Project in 2004, nine choreographers and...