Dance Magazine articles from October 2004

Dance Magazine archives from October 2004

Out of the fringe.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... How wonderful to see Authentic Movement covered in DANCE MAGAZINE [see "Mind Your Body," July, page 26]. I teach at a Jung Center that was founded by a dance therapist, and Authentic Movement has been part of our offerings for years. I always...

Ashton Ashton everywhere.(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... Thank you for the information on the Lincoln Center Festival's Ashton centenary in New York City [see "Ashton Celebrated," July, page 42]. He was a brilliant man indeed and deserves much praise. Do you know if there is an Ashton Guild of Trust...

L.A. salsa style.(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... I wanted to cry with joy when I saw DANCE MAGAZINE's salsa feature in the June issue [see "Salsa: Making Waves in the Dance World," page 46]. But how dare you not include Los Angeles in your nightspot section! Everyone in the salsa community...

Guru Simonson.(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... It was with great delight that I read Michelle Vellucci's interview with Lynn Simonson [see "Teacher's Wisdom," August, page 56]. Ms. Simonson has developed a very logical teaching method. It was great to read about training that emphasizes...

College kudos.(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... It was great to read the articles about dancers taking college courses [see "Scholarships Guide 2004," August, page 59]. College might not be for every dancer, but for those who love mental stimulation, I believe it can augment focus in class...

Dancing Italy.(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2004... Can you tell me about ballet classes in Florence, Italy? I am a college student who will be studying abroad for a semester there and would hate to give up going to class for a few months. I am an advanced dancer, not professional, and currently...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
October 1, 2004... Rosalie O'Connor should have been credited for the August 2004 cover photograph of Peter Boal dancing in Twyla Tharp's Pergolesi. Due to an editorial error in the August 2004 issue's review of Dance Works '04, the Food for Thought Project...

Curtain up.(Editorial)
October 1, 2004... Evil, in real life, is something to be dreaded, avoided, and condemned. But in narrative ballets it is often a theatrical necessity and a challenge to performers--plus, a touch of spice. Virtue would have no impact if it didn't triumph over...

The ten-dollar temptation.(Dance Matters)
October 1, 2004... NOSTALGIA definitely has something to do with the innovative six-day Fall for Dance Festival, which is destined to pack New York's City Center through Oct. 3. Says Arlene Shuler, the venerable institution's president and chief executive...

Till gravity do them part.(Dance Matters)
October 1, 2004... IT MAY NOT have got the ink that Britney Spears' quickie marriage did, but it was, in its way, equally jaw-dropping. Indeed, nearly 500 people paid to see dancer-choreographers Nehara Kalev and C. Derrick Jones gel married in June at Los...

Back home with Mr. B.(Dance Matters)
October 1, 2004... OF ALL THE CELEBRATIONS marking George Balanchine's 100th birthday, none was more resonant than the trip taken in early June by members of his American "community"--ex-dancers, conductors, scholars, and critics (including this one)--back to St....

Forever Freddie.(Dance Matters)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... THE EBULLIENT Frederic Franklin stood center stage at the Metropolitan Opera House with his arras wide open, soaking up the love from a wildly applauding audience. Balloons rained from above and bouquets of flowers landed at the man's feet. ...

Visas for dancers: red tape and green dollars.(Dance Matters)
October 1, 2004... AS TERRORISM and war change the world, cultural exchange suffers from visa-processing requirements that stymie the process. Not only must presenters weigh the costs of bringing international artists to their theaters, but companies like...

Oakland ballet back from the brink.(Dance Matters)
October 1, 2004... OAKLAND Ballet will dance again in 2005. The company, which scrapped its 2004 season in April and announced a three-month campaign to raise $500,000 of face immediate closure, had come within $20,000 of its goal as of early July. "I am...

Alberto Mendez.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Choreographer ALBERTO MENOEZ received the National Dance Award 2004 from Cuban Minister of Culture Albel Prieto

Dutch National Ballet.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * WILLEM WIJNBERGEN is the new managing director of the Dutch National Ballet

Miami's Maximum Dance.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * RANDY MAYES has been named executive director of Miami's Maximum Dance

The Washington Ballet.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * THE WASHINGTON BALLET has appointed JEFF EDWARDS as associate artistic director and SCOTT SPECK as music director

The Kitchen.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * DEBRA SINGER is the new executive director and chief curator of THE KITCHEN (New York)

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * STEVEN LIBMAN has resigned as managing director of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

National Endowment for the Arts.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * Fresh faces at the National Endowment for the Arts: DAVID STEINER has been appointed Director of Arts Education; MARK BAUERLEIN is Director of Research and Analysis, SHANA CHASE is Deputy Congressional Liaison, and JOHN E. OSVROUT is the...

Dance Connecticut.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * DANCE CONNECTICUT in Hartford has ceased operations because of financial insolvency

Cincinnati Ballet.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * ADIARYS ALMEIDA, CERVILLO MIGUEL AMADOR (both defectors from the Ballet Nacional de Cuba), LUIS VALDEZ, JILL MARLOW, MARISA KELLER, and WILLIAM BRITT HILLARD have joined the Cincinnati Ballet

Miguel Campaneria and Olivier Wecxsteen will guest with the Charleston (WV) Ballet.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * MIGUEL CAMPANERIA and OLIVIER WECXSTEEN will guest with the Charleston (WV) Ballet during the 2004-05 season

Royal Winnipeg Ballet.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * New dancers at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet: JAIME VARGAS, GUISSEPPE DE RUGGIO, MARTHA DELTA, ZHENGUO CHEN, and DANIEL SHEPHERD

National Museum of Dance.(Names in the News)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * Miami City Ballet artistic director and former NYC Ballet principal dancer EDWARD VILLELLA has been inducted into the Dancers' Hall of Fame at the National Museum of Dance.

Annenberg Foundation.(Awards and Honors)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The ANNENBERG FOUNDATION has announced a $15 million grant for a new cultural center in Beverly Hills, CA

"Meet The Composer" Commisssioning Music/USA.(Awards and Honors)
October 1, 2004... * In the latest round of "MEET THE COMPOSER" Commissioning Music/USA program grants, recipients included choreographer BENJAMIN LEVY/composer Keeril Makan, choreographers RHA GODDESS, BARUCH ISRAEL, and RENNIE HARRIS/ composer Darrin Ross,...

New York Foundation for the Arts.(Awards and Honors)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * Nine New York dance companies won awards totaling $106,000 in the latest round of grants by the NEW YORK FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS. Recipients are ELIZA MILLER, MARIE BASSE WILES, ROSEANNE SPRADLIN, SARAH MICHELSON, SARAH EAST JOHNSON, YANIRA...

Alpert Award in the Arts.(Awards and Honors)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... * Choreographer STEPHAN KOPLOWITZ is a 2004 recipient of the Alpert Award in the Arts.

Money matters.(Dance Matters)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Among the country's twenty largest standard metropolitan statistical areas, Seattle and San Francisco have the greatest number of arts businesses per capita, according to Americans for the Arts' first national Creative Industries Study. Eleven...

Celebrating dance on TV.(New York Notebook)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Career Transition For Dancers presents its 10th Gala Anniversary at City Center on October 25. Always one of the most entertaining events of the season, this year's affair, titled "Dancing on Air: A Dance Tribute to Television," toasts the...

Happy as hell.(New York Notebook)(Jane Comfort debuts "Persephone")(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... About her new dance based on the Persephone myth, Jane Comfort says, "Hell has some appeal." The performers sing and dance to Tigger Benford's East/West fusion score for gamelan instruments, shakuhachi flute, synthesizer, and conch shells. The...

Fragile storm.(New York Notebook)(Kitt Johnson performs at St. Mark's Church)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... When Kitt Johnson moves, the eye responds like it's beside a house of mirrors. The Danish choreographer slinks into gigantic animal lunges and then collapses into paper-doll narrowness. Her body morphs through shapes that speak of the fragility...

The home before home.(New York Notebook)(Ralph Lemon's Come Home Charley Patton performed)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The third and final installment of Ralph Lemon's epic Geography Trilogy comes to the Next Wave Festival October 26 and 28 to 30. A dance artist who creates haunting beauty out of the meshing of cultural artifacts Lemon delves into the...

Rhythms of the sea.(New York Notebook)(fado)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... No music means more to the Portuguese than fado, songs of love and loss born in the slums of Lisbon. So for choreographer Vasco Wellekamp, artistic director of Companhia Portuguesa de Bailado Contemporaneo, it was natural to set his new work...

Before civil rights.(New York Notebook)(Agon)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... When, in 1457, Balanchine choreographed Agon to the syncopated irregular beat of Stravinsky, it was a triumph of etched modernism. The ballet achieved something else, too: It challenged an American social taboo. Contributing to the wild...

Tell me a story.(New York Notebook)(Coppelia)(Dance Review)
October 1, 2004... For a story ballet to hit home, you need two things: a good plot and a lead couple who can make you care about what happens next. American Ballet Theatre's Coppelia, with Irina Dvorovenko as Swanilda and Maxim Beloserkovsy as Franz, performed...

Advice for dancers: 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.
October 1, 2004... LAST WEEK, MY NAME WENT UP ON THE CASTING SHEET FOR A ROLE THAT I'M DYING TO PERFORM. THE REHEARSALS ARE GOING EXTREMELY WELL, KNOCK ON WOOD. WHAT'S STRANGE IS THAT I'M ALSO NAILING THE STEPS IN MY DREAMS. IS THIS A GOOD SIGN, OR AM I BEING...

When low carbs can cost you.(Health and Fitness)
October 1, 2004... PROFESSIONAL DANCERS HAVE TO worry about looks just as much as models. It's hard to look lean and fit under the not-so-forgiving lights and stay nourished enough to do a knock-out performance. Dancers have many diet choices, too many that...

Born to be bad: why dancers can't resist their dark side.(Evil)
October 1, 2004... PERHAPS GEORGE BALANCHINE was correct; perhaps, there are no mothers-in-law in ballet, but there certainly are plenty of wicked stepsisters, repressive fathers, muddled mothers, noxious necromancers, and kinky kinsmen. And there sure area lot...

Anger management.(Evil)(Merrill Ashley)
October 1, 2004... MOST OF THE SORCERERS, villains, insurgents, and wicked warriors in ballet are male figures. But occasionally women claim the icky green spotlight to strut their nastiness. Such was the case with Merrill Ashley when she gave Carabosse a sublime...

A Brahmin in Love.(Evil)(Victor Barbee)(Interview)
October 1, 2004... WHEN VICTOR BARBEE PERFORMS the High Brahmin in La Bayadere he has a commanding presence, his muscular arras and earthy stride at once severe and sexy. But while many see this character as a menacing figure, Barbee has a different take. "I know...

A hero turns villain.(Evil)(Olivier Wevers)(Interview)
October 1, 2004... OLIVIER WEVERS IS TALL, BLOND, and handsome, an aristocratic Siegfried in Swan Lake, a courtly Florimund in The Sleeping Beauty, a noble Romeo in Romeo and Juliet--roles the Pacific Northwest Ballet principal deeply enjoys dancing. Wevers also...

Rogue's gallery.(Evil)(dancers portray evil)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Caption: TOP ROW Under their spell: Frederick Ashton bares his claws as the enchanter Kostchei in The Firebird; Wendy Whelan prepares to destroy her hapless prey as the novice in the NYCB production of Jerome Robbins' The Cage; Dracula, as...

Wicked things they said.(Evil)
October 1, 2004... Trashing and dissing are not exactly evil, but a temptation to be resisted. Most of us do it anyway and regret it later. But looking back at juicy gossip in history can be fun--certainly more fun than if and when it's said about ourselves. We...

Where stars are born: the USA IBC celebrates 25 years.(International Ballet Competition)
October 1, 2004... In July the USA International Ballet Competition marked its 25th anniversary with a reunion gala performance. Mikhail Ilyin, Sarah Lamb, and Danny Tidwell were among the medalist who returned to Jackson, Mississippi, for the occasion. The...

Remembering Thalia.(Thaila Mara)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
October 1, 2004... Dancer, teacher, author, and organizational genius, Thalia Mara's numerous legacies are rich and varied. When she died in Jackson, Mississippi, at age 92 in October 2003, she had retired several years before from her beloved USA International...

Belarussian roulette: a choreography competition in Vitebsk ignites careers outside the U.S.
October 1, 2004... COMPETITIONS IN CHOREOGRAPHY, while not wildly popular in the United States, can really make a difference to budding choreographers outside the U.S. A young choreographer in Europe or Russia who wants to make her mark must first attract...

Is there a doctor in the house? How well would your company handle an emergency?
October 1, 2004... Is There a Doctor in the House? In the picture-perfect world of theatrical dance, spectators don't expect to hear that question called out from the stage. Imagine the surprise of performers and audience alike when a principal dancer collapsed...

Seeing is believing: dance in the eye of the photographer.(Getting Closer: A Dancer's Perspective)(Book Review)
October 1, 2004... Getting Closer: A Dancer's Perspective By Rosalie O'Connor. Gainesville: University Press of Florida. 2004. 119 pages. Cloth. $29.95 Angel Corella's face is pressed to his partner's chest in a fervent embrace during a rehearsal of Romeo...

New takes on classic costumes.(DM Style)
October 1, 2004... What you wear plays an integral part in creating a performance. Costumes not only complement choreography, they help bring a role to life, and can even calm pre-performance jitters. New York City Ballet's Jennie Somogyi explains, "I often get...

Teacher's wisdom: Phyllis Lamhut.(This Month)(Alwin Nikolais)(Interview)
October 1, 2004... Phyllis Lamhut began working with Alwin Nikolais at the Henry Street Settlement House in New York when she was 15. It was there that Nikolais forged his innovative multimedia career and trained dancers capable of morphing into the various...

Fargo family tradition: teacher Marnee Brant carries on where her father left off.(Education Matters)(Biography)
October 1, 2004... Fargo, North Dakota, sitting in the rich farmlands of the Red River Valley, is home to the Marnee Brant School of Dance Arts. Marnee opened her school in ah expanding part of this sprawling town of 91,000 in a building under a looming water...

University of Hartford, Hartt School Community Division.(Openings of Note)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Susan Brooker, former director of the School of Dance Connecticut, heads the public dance program of the UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD, HARTT SCHOOL COMMUNITY DIVISION, offering ballet, jazz, tap, and hip-hop classes. A $302,000 grant from the...

Cecil Community College.(Openings of Note)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... CECIL COMMUNITY COLLEGE in North East, Maryland, offers a new dance concentration headed by Janaea Rose Lyn as part of its performing arts degree program. In addition to ballet and modern dance, students gain practical experience in audition...

They know how to make an entrance.(Education Matters)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Despite rain, the teachers and students of DANCE MASTERS OF AMERICA kicked their way into New York City to open the DMA national convention July 13, at 6:20 a.m. They formed the world's longest continuous line of dancers, 1,273 strong and...

The latest on training and treatment.(Education Matters)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Bruised toenails, sprained ankles, mental blocks-you name it, dancing is tough. In fact, certain techniques, like ballet, can take a bigger toll on your mind and body than professional football. Fortunately, it's more possible than ever to...

On the rise: Polina Semionova: destiny's Ball-a young ballerina's journey from student to Cinderella.
October 1, 2004... In Vladimir Malakhov's Cinderella, Polina Semionova's captivating femininity and girlish spontaneity are reminiscent of a young Audrey Hepburn. Tall and thin with weightless limbs and an elongated torso, she draws attention to herself with her...

On Broadway: PBS salutes the shows that made the White Way great in Broadway: the American Musical, a new series with vintage footage and rare interviews.(Television Program Review)
October 1, 2004... My first newspaper job was working for a veteran entertainment editor, then in his 70s, who'd been going to Broadway shows for well over 50 years. As for me, well, I was fresh out of school; I could count my Broadway musicals on the fingers of...

The Pennsylvania Ballet.(Swan Lake)(Dance Review)
October 1, 2004... THE PENNSYLVANIA BALLET ACADEMY OF MUSIC PHILADELPHIA, PA JUNE 4-13, 2004 Like that notorious little girl with the curl, when Christopher Wheeldon's new staging of Swan Lake is good, it's very, very good, but when it's bad, it's horrid. In...

Boston Ballet.
October 1, 2004... BOSTON BALLET WANG THEATRE BOSTON, MA MAY 13-23, 2004 Boston is a tradition-proud city, so it's no wonder that Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen staved within expectations for his new Swan Lake, based on the Petipa/Ivanov...

Battleworks.
October 1, 2004... BATTLEWORKS DANCE THEATER WORKSHOP NEW YORK, NY MAY 18-22, 2004 Robert Battle makes physical choreography for his dynamic company and tackles subjects from breezy to weighty. He danced for semen years with David Parsons' company, yet he's...

Oregon Ballet Theatre.
October 1, 2004... OREGON BALLET THEATRE KELLER AUDITORIUM, PORTLAND, OR OCTOBER 11--18, DECEMBER 11-27, 2003, FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 6, 2004 NEWMARK THEATRE, PORTLAND, OR MAY 7-22, 2004 For his first season, Oregon Ballet Theater Artistic Director Christopher...

Eiko & Koma.(Tree Song)(Dance Review)
October 1, 2004... EIKO & KOMA ST. MARK'S CHURCH-IN-THE BOWERY NEW YORK, NY MAY 27-30, 2004 On a bone-chilling mid-spring evening in the circular graveyard of historic St. Mark's Church in the-Bowery, Eiko & Koma unfolded what is arguably the eeriest...

Maximum Dance Company.(Dance Review)
October 1, 2004... MAXIMUM DANCE COMPANY GUSMAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS MIAMI, FL MAY 21 -22, 2004 David Palmer and Yanis Pikieris, artistic directors of Maximum Dance Company, are three choreographers in two. Individually they create works for their...

In Transit 2004.(Dance Review)
October 1, 2004... HOUSE OF WORLD CULTURES BERLIN, GERMANY JUNE 2-13, 2004 Reviewed by Brenda Dixon Gottschild In Transit 2004 stunned the eye and touched the soul. The "brainbodychild" of curators Koffi Koko (of Benin and Paris) and Johannes Odenthal, this...

Balanchine in black.(Rants and Raves)(George Balanchine)
October 1, 2004... The George Balanchine centennial "chatter" is animated and enthusiastic. ("Chatter," as used in current newspeak on international security, means "intense activity.") Everybody's talking about Balanchine's influence on dance. How about looking...

Choreographer-director Mercedes Ellington talks about June Taylor (1918-2004).(Transitions)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
October 1, 2004... June Taylor, the Emmy-winning choreographer whose chorus-line routines on The Jackie Gleason Show made history, was a mentor figure for me. I was the first, as well as the only, black dancer in the June Taylor Dancers and she looked after me....

National Ballet of Canada.(Moving Around)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Burnise Silvius, principal dancer with South African Ballet Theatre, is joining the National Ballet of Canada as first soloist.

Texas Ballet Theatre.(Moving Around)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Julie Gumbinner, Houston Ballet principal, has signed on with 'Texas Ballet Theatre, where Ben Stevenson is now artistic director.

Dominic Walsh Dance Theater.(Moving Around)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Dominic Walsh left Houston Ballet, where he was a principal dancer, to put more energy into his own Dominic Walsh Dance Theater.

Schools, studios, colleges, universities, companies, teachers, dancers, choreographers, somatic practices, movement arts, dance medicine, yoga.(Dance finder: a career & learning resource guide)(Directory)
October 1, 2004... 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 DANCE THEATRE...

A moving force: a dance company gets a home.(Dance finder: a career & learning resource guide)(Lula Washington Dance Theatre)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Ten years after the Northridge earthquake destroyed its facilities in Los Angeles, the Lula Washington Dance Theatre has a new home. The company now owns 12,000 square feet on Crenshaw Boulevard in the heart of an African-American...

Dance scape: dance images past and present.(Rain in a Dead Man's Footprints)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: The San (Bushmen) trance dance lies at the heart of Cape Town South Africa's Jazzart Dance Theatre and Magnet Theatre's Rain in a Dead Man's Footprints. While preparing for the show, the cast was immersed in...

Attitudes.(popularity of dance)
October 1, 2004... SHAKESPEARE'S Cassius perhaps had it all wrong when he observed, "The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars, but in ourselves, underlings." In that we are any event he certainly wasn't talking about the dance world, even though the...