9 replies to this topic

[dirac]

A profile of Alicia Alonso by Carrie Stern in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle.

Quote

At 19, her career just taking off, she was diagnosed with a detached retina. Her ordeal reads like a novel. Three surgeries helped, but nothing cured the problem. During her first recovery, three-months, she practiced by moving her feet while lying in bed. A second surgery failed also. She returned to Havana for a third surgery that required her to lie motionless for a year, no hard chewing, laughter, crying, moving her head, or playing with her daughter. Fernando, who is a well-respected teacher and coach, sat with her each day. Using their fingers he taught her the great roles from some of the world’s greatest classical ballets, including Giselle.

[dirac]

A review of Pacific Northwest Ballet's'Giselle' by Robert Greskovic in The Wall Street Journal.

Quote

The result isn't a radically different "Giselle" but a newly detailed one. Think, perhaps, of a revered genre painting with its accumulated layers of yellowing varnish washed away, revealing atmosphere and expressions that had paled over the years.

Similarly, the score, caringly edited from French sources by Lars Payne, gives the occasionally hackneyed music renewed life.

[dirac]

A review of the Royal Danish Ballet by Marsha Dubrow for Examiner.com.

Quote

Queen Margrethe and her husband Prince Henrik got an even longer standing ovation than the illustrious ballet company received. The Washington welcome had a folksy touch, with audience members pointing to the royal couple and taking photos. Sitting with them was Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD), whose father was born in Copenhagen.

[dirac]

The Australian Ballet will visit New York. Item in brief.

Quote

The company, which lasted visited New York City in 1999, will present Graeme Murphy's critically acclaimed version of Swan Lake, set to the music of Tchaikovsky, and a mixed-bill featuring Wayne McGregor's Dyad 1929, set to the music of Steve Reich, a new work in collaboration with indigenous dance company Bangarra Dance Theatre, choreographed by artistic director Stephen Page, and a yet-to-be-announced third work.

[dirac]

A feature in brief on Australian Ballet dancers Yosvani Ramos and Robyn Hendricks.

Quote

Ramos, 31, lived in exile in Brazil - unable to see his family for eight years - after leaving Cuba as an aspiring dancer. And after stints at ballet academies in Paris and London, he joined the Australian Ballet as a principal artist in 2008.

Hendricks, 26, grew up under apartheid in South Africa. She came to Melbourne as a 16-year-old to take part in a competition and ended up being offered a place at the Australian Ballet School.

[dirac]

A feature on Chicago's "Dance for Life" benefit.

Quote

Since its beginning, Dance for Life has raised more than $4 million for local AIDS charities, including the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and the Dance for Life Fund. "The AIDS Foundation is an umbrella funding organization," said Elliott, noting that the foundation is able to spread funds over a wider area.

The Dance for Life Fund was originally established in 1994 to benefit dancers with HIV and AIDS. The fund personally affected the lives of hundreds of dancers. It has covered basic necessities for dancers living with HIV. In some cases, the fund even provided airfare for dancers without the resources to see their families; with others, it helped cover funeral expenses for those who succumbed to the disease. "Dancers in Chicago are frequently not provided health insurance," said Kopelson.

[dirac]

A review of the Royal Danish Ballet in 'A Folk Tale' by Sarah Kaufman in The Washington Post.

Quote

That is, unless he’s a troll. Sweet little Viderik, performed Tuesday by the compelling character dancer Lis Jeppesen, is in love with Hilda, but there is no place for him in her happily-ever-after. The look on his rubbery face — and especially the stoop to his furry, misshapen body — is utterly wrenching as he watches the happy nuptials at the end. Prepare yourself.

Poignant as it is, this is not a ballet of high physical drive. The Bournonville style is understated, though the flashes of quicksilver footwork and light, airy jumps in “A Folk Tale” are splendid. Hubbe, who took over in 2008, has said refining the company’s technique is a priority. This production shows us that ballet is a theatrical art, not just an athletic one.

[dirac]

A feature on Nieser Zambrana by Carlos Frias in The Palm Beach Post.

Quote

"He’s an example to them," whispers Deborah Marquez, the owner and director at School of Ballet Arts, who danced for the now-defunct Ballet Florida. "They’re getting exposure to a splendid professional dancer They can look at him and see their future reflected in him."

This is what young ballplayers must feel like when a big-league prospect is making his way through the minors on a quick ascent to "the show." Zambrana’s presence here feels that way: It’s a mix of awe and inspiration.

[dirac]

A review of American Ballet Theatre in 'Don Quixote' by Leigh Witchel for danceviewtimes.

Quote

Unsurpringly, Cojocaru isn’t a typical Kitri.  She’s not a hell-raiser. She was more hurt than incensed when Basilio flirted with her friends. She treated the Don with respect and without ridicule. During his comic suicide attempt in Act 2, when he stole a kiss as he faked his death, she decided the wine she brought him would be better off drunk by her. She’s witty, sometimes silly and often mischievous, but sweetly moral. If her characterization falls into any lineage, it would be comic heroines such as Elizabeth Bennet rather than Swanilda.

[dirac]

A preview of the Royal Danish Ballet's New York engagement by Susan Reiter in The New York Press.

Quote

Speaking recently from Berkeley, Calif., the second stop on the RDB’s four-city tour, Hübbe recalled the 1988 U.S. tour. “The enthusiasm of American ballet audiences was wonderful. There’s something about the American theatergoer that is overwhelming, when they’re passionate,” he says. “I wanted these dancers to have that experience.”


Hübbe has wasted no time in putting his imprint on the RDB. He returned to find that company class had lost its focus. “Over one year, they had 24 different teachers, and I don’t think that’s very good,” he says. “When I came in, their classical technique wasn’t as polished as one could wish. So I probably laid down a line that was much more conservative than the previous director.” He included an all-Balanchine program during his first season, and soon turned his attention to the RDB’s calling card, the Bournonville ballets.