8 replies to this topic

[dirac]

Music and ballet notes by Janos Gereben for San Francisco Classical Voice.

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At an intermission of the Sunday matinee in London, Tomasson announced the promotion of Sasha De Sola to the rank of Soloist. The Florida native, who has trained with the Kirov Academy and the Paris Opera Ballet School, has been impressing in SFB performances even while in the Corps de Ballet.

[dirac]

A considerationof "The Rite of Spring" and "Jeux" by Anthony Tommasini in The New York Times.

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It says something about the relative radicalism of Debussy’s “Jeux” and Stravinsky’s “Rite” that musicians long ago mastered the challenges of the “Rite,” which conservatory orchestras can play fairly comfortably today (the Manhattan School of Music Symphony performs it on Sept. 28), whereas “Jeux,” a conductor’s nightmare, is not played that often.

[dirac]

Informational tidbits about Christopher Hampson.

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He likes to knit — and is looking forward to some sneaky yarn shopping on tour.

[dirac]

A review of San Francisco Balletin Londonist.

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Final work, Christopher Wheeldon’s Number Nine, creates choreographic shapes to its rhythmic score by Michael Torke. The brightly-costumed cast form a vibrant rainbow of colours as they spring dynamically about the stage.

Throughout, the company is technically-assured and their exuberance more than makes up for the less exciting moments of choreography.

[dirac]

Julie Kent is one of the recipients of Dance Magazine's annual lifetime achievement awards.

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The honors will be bestowed on Dec. 3 at the Ailey Citigroup Theater.

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A preview of American Repertory Ballet's season opener by Robert Johnson in The Star-Ledger.

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“Viva Vivaldi,” a neoclassical ballet by the Joffrey Ballet’s late co-founder, Gerald Arpino, is this season’s main acquisition, adding to a slate of three premieres at Raritan Valley Community College, in early October. Trinette Singleton, a member of “Vivaldi’s” original cast, has staged it for ARB; and Singleton’s own “Capriccios,” from last season, will be on the mixed bill at Rider University.

Another Joffrey alumna, freelance choreographer Ann Marie DeAngelo, has restaged her 1999 ballet “Blackberry Winter.” DeAngelo sensed an instant rapport with ARB’s dancers, says Martin. “She feels this simpatico relationship because they’re getting the Joffrey training from me that we all got,” he explains.

[dirac]

A feature on Wade Schaaf's new troupe, the Chicago Repertory Ballet, by Sid Smith in The Chicago Tribune.

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The name of the troupe suggests classical ballet, but it's a bit misleading. "People may be expecting point shoes and tutus, but that's not what they'll find," he said. "I chose the name because I hope with this company will produce work that gets back to the roots of ballet, and for that matter, musical theater and straight plays, which is storytelling. I want to produce shows that tell stories we know, but re-imagined or from a new perspective."

[dirac]

Candace Bushnell puts her Greenwich Village co-op up for sale.

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The listing comes after Ms Bushnell's divorce from Charles Askegard, her ballet dancer husband of nine years, after his alleged affair with a Nutcracker co-star 'half her age'.

Their apartment, a labour of love which was featured on the cover of Elle Decor in September 2005, was transformed from a 1920's 'wreck' when the couple moved in, to a glossy Plaza look-a-like, marble-filled home that Ms Bushnell said she 'thinks of with enormous pleasure'.

[dirac]

A preview of San Diego Ballet's "Alice" by Alex Zaragoza for San Diego CityBeat.

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Choreographed and directed by Javier Velasco, Alice: Wonderland is a mixture of classic ballet and modern dance, infusing elements of hip-hop into the show to give it a fresh perspective. The production emerged from a collaboration with the hip-hop dancers at Culture Shock San Diego and Young Audiences of San Diego six years ago and has been performed sporadically since then. This will be the last performance—2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14, at the Lyceum Theatre, Downtown (sandiegoballet.org)—before a long hiatus, and Velasco has added some new choreography.