14 replies to this topic

[dirac]

A Reuters feature on the Royal Danish Ballet.

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The procedure was radical. Hubbe, fresh from his farewell performance at NY City Ballet in 2008, returned to Copenhagen to shake up the company that had nurtured him and which critics said had become stodgy after he moved to the Big Apple 16 years earlier.

Hubbe said discipline was lacking, dancers skipped daily classes, and an abundance of teachers led to a decline in classical technique. "I just don't believe 24 different teachers in one year is conducive to any deeper understanding of classical technique," Hubbe said during an interview after a rehearsal at New York's Lincoln Center where the tours ends on Saturday.

[dirac]

A review of the National Ballet of Canada's salute to Greta Hodgkinson by Lina Berezovska for The Epoch Times.

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However, the ladies in the Minuet lacked cohesiveness or chemistry as a group. Thankfully, the young students of The National Ballet of Canada School danced as one and looked gracious on stage.

Twyla Tharp’s “In The Upper Room,” choreographed to music by Phillip Glass, wrapped up the program. Tharp’s abstract choreography resembled a train of impulsive thoughts. Not quite my cup of tea, but that said, Tina Pereira was a powerhouse on pointe. Pardon the cliche, but she was absolutely crazy! On the other hand, Jiri Jelinek’s general lagging was made more noticeable by the fact that he was the tallest person on stage.

[dirac]

A feature on ballerinas and their hair by Gia Kourlas in The New York Times.

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“Your teachers say that they don’t want frizzies — they want it tight,” said Wendy Whelan, a principal dancer at New York City Ballet. “So you pull your hair really tight. For years. You start getting thinner hair, and it’s actually really sick.”

Seriously long hair would seem to be as much a part of ballet as seriously long limbs, but as far as length is concerned, there are some nonconformists out there. Ashley Bouder of City Ballet and Simone Messmer of American Ballet Theater are two prominent dancers with short hair.

[dirac]

A review of the Birmingham Royal Ballet in "Coppelia" by Lorne Jackson in The Birmingham Post.

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Dr Coppelius (David Morse) is an eccentric and secretive inventor who has built a mechanical doll he hopes to bring to life. (A sort of Frankenstein’s monster in ballet shoes.)

Meanwhile, the rather foolish Franz (Matthew Lawrence) and his girlfriend, Swanilda (Elisha Willis) believe the doll to be a genuine girl. Which poses a problem, as Franz has fallen for her, while Swanilda is jealous of her attractions.

[dirac]

A review of American Ballet Theatre in 'Coppelia' by Mary Cargill for danceviewtimes.

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Xiomara Reyes was an effervescent Swanilda, using her warmth and acting to create a warm-hearted girl, loving but spunky.  She was particularly affecting in her dealings with Dr. Coppélius, happy to trick him when she though Franz was in danger, but quick to apologize once Franz was safe.  She is not the most accomplished balancer in the company, but her turns were sharp and clear, and her footwork (other than an accidental slip in the second act, which she used for fine comedic affect) was elegant.

Her Franz was the young Bolshoi phenom Ivan Vasiliev.  He is a stocky dancer with charm to burn, and, when he can, uses the stage like a trampoline.  This version doesn't let him cut loose until his solo in the third act, so it was a true highlight (unlike some versions of classical ballets, where the hero spends all night jumping, which makes the final variation seem like just an afterthought.)....

[dirac]

A review of ABT in 'The Bright Stream' by Leigh Witchel for danceviewtimes.

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In the opening night cast, Gillian Murphy’s ballerina was a sister to Paloma Herrera’s Zina. Natalia Osipova’s ballerina is not so humble; she’s the star of the Caucasus. As Osipova plays her, the ballerina has a kind heart, but – like Osipova – she’s still a bête de scène. Her instinctive hunger for the limelight makes her a little bit dangerous even at her most benign. It shows in her dancing. Murphy and Herrera danced their duets so similarly it seemed the only difference between them was their hair color. Osipova could not bring herself into synchrony with Xiomara Reyes even if she tried.

[dirac]

The Chicagoist photoshops the head of Mayor Rahm Emanuel onto the body of Natalie Portman.

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With his background in dance, what's not a surprise is our mayor's vocal proponency of Chicago's visual and preforming arts. His goal is to elevate our humble city's arts scene to even higher international recognition.

[dirac]

A review of the National Ballet of Canada by Victor Swoboda in The Montreal Gazette.

http://www.montrealg...6013/story.html

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Watching the matinée last Sunday, featuring the same cast at the Four Seasons Centre as on the June 4 opening night, one had the feeling that Wheeldon consciously turned off his more innovative creative juices. In doing so, he was following an illustrious ballet tradition. George Balanchine himself adjusted his sights when he was assigned to choreograph for Broadway.

If Wheeldon’s assignment was to create an enjoyable show for children, then he roundly earned his pay. (The matinée was rife with young kids sitting on booster seats, offered solicitously by roaming theatre ushers – take note, Place des Arts.)

[dirac]

A legacy from Donald Windham and Sandy Campbell will be used to establish generous literary grants of $150,000 each, to be awarded annually.

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Mr. Windham was a minor but well-regarded author who at 19 came to New York from his native Atlanta, virtually penniless by his own account, and quickly became friends with Tennessee Williams, with whom he collaborated on a play, Truman Capote and Lincoln Kirstein, a founder of the New York City Ballet....

Mr. Windham and Sandy Campbell, his companion of 45 years, were a well-known couple in New York’s gay literary circles who lived so unostentatiously that it surprised their friends that Mr. Windham left a bequest sufficient to generate a million dollars in prize money every year.

[dirac]

Karen Kain receives an award from the International Society for the Performing Arts. Item in brief, with photo.

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Other honourees this year include choreographer Akram Khan, designer Michael Levine and songwriter Luc Plamondon.

[dirac]

Reviews of American Ballet Theatre in 'Coppelia.'

The Faster Times

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All night long, Ivan Vasiliev, on loan from the Bolshoi this season to replace the (alas) injured Herman Cornejo, tried desperately to liven things up. He smiled, he jumped, he stomped with gusto, he shook his head and arched his eyebrows expressively. Vasiliev may not be an elegant dancer—he doesn’t always point his toes, and he always tries to squeeze in another jump, another turn, even when there’s no space or time or momentum left—but he is an amazingly generous, natural, and open-hearted performer. It goes without saying that his jumps are simply enormous; he flies around the stage, reaching absurdly high altitudes that allow him the time to bask in whatever shape or trick the choreography requires (and a few that he just throws in for kicks).....

The New York Post

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When the ballet first was done in Paris in 1870, Franz was played by a woman. He's been danced by a real man for a long time, but his part shouldn't be turbocharged with tricks. Still, right before the end, Vasiliev and Reyes pull out all the stops. He does a circuit of jumps so big that one dancer had to move himself -- and the bench he was sitting on -- quickly out of the way. Reyes follows by balancing in slow rotation like a music-box figurine, then speeding through whipping turns.

[dirac]

A report from the Dance Critics Association Conference by Steve Ha for You Dance Funny, So Does Me.

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The topic of this year’s DCA conference was reconstruction, in conjunction with Pacific Northwest Ballet’s production of Giselle (but more on that later). I didn’t get to attend the whole conference, and was just a last minute volunteer but I was present on Saturday, for much of the discussion on reconstruction itself. The keynote speaker was Dr. Ann Hutchinson Guest, notation guru who knows more about the subject of reconstructing dances than the average mind can handle....

[dirac]

Previews of the Royal Ballet's arena performance.

BBC News, with video

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Hoping to attract a new and wider audience to ballet, the performances will feature a filmed introduction to each act, on giant live-relay screens.

Carlos Acosta, Tamara Rojo, Lauren Cuthbertson, Edward Watson, Alina Cojocaru and Johan Kobborg will dance the roles of Romeo and Juliet, over four performances.

The Independent

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Amidst all the excitement, there's a basic question to be asked. Will people see it? The star attraction, the Cuban dancer Carlos Acosta, admits he is worried, too. "Of course, it's not an ideal setting, you lose the intimacy that Romeo and Juliet needs. For people sitting at the back, they will miss you, they have to use the screens. But, for all the things that work against us in that particular venue, there is the appreciation of the ballet for what it is – colourful, special... hopefully the audience will want to follow it more."

[dirac]

A review of the Royal Danish Ballet by Gus Solomons Jr. for Gay City News.

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It’s a sardonic work, but the escalating violence of the Ballet Master (Thomas Lund) against the Student (Ida Praetorius –– listed as apprentice, but acquitting herself excellently in the role) might offend feminists in 2011, as he relentlessly forces her to dance on pointe, strikes her, and finally strangles her. Company principal Gudrun Bojesen plays the comically crotchety pianist, and seems to be actually playing the piano during parts of Georges Delerue’s score.

In his “Lost on Slow” (2008), Finnish choreographer Jorma Elo unleashes his brand of eccentric neoclassicism on selections from Vivaldi violin concertos. Elo peppers classical vocabulary with hip-hop-inflected body ripples that allow the dancers to articulate with their spines, which they hold ramrod straight in the Bournonville works.

[dirac]

Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance presents 'Vampyre.'

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“Vampyre” will be “extremely visual,” Maloy said. Complementing the dancers will be gothic costumes and makeup and a set design of industrial ruins. The music blends everything from classical to electronica.

“Vampyre” is based on one of the first published stories about a vampire, written by John Polidori in 1816. The vampire in the story, Lord Ruthvin, is said to be based on the writer Lord Byron. Both the real-life poet and the fictional vampire had alluring, sexy personalities, Maloy said.