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[dirac]

A review of the costume exhibit "Rudolf Nureyev: A Life in Dance" by Sarah Kaufman in The Washington Post.

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The yellowed newspaper clipping about the arrest, displayed in “Rudolf Nureyev: A Life in Dance,” through Feb. 17, 2013, at the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, leaves the details of the ballet star’s flamboyant exit to the imagination. But after taking in the high theatricality of his existence illuminated in this exhibit, you can rough in a picture of how Nureyev must have delighted in some playful provocation.

This collection, organized with the Centre National du Costume de Scene in Moulins, France, is more than a parade of about 70 costumes, as well as photographs and film clips from Nureyev’s career. It’s a window into the Russian dancer’s voracious passions. (More’s the pity that this is the show’s only U.S. venue.)

[dirac]

An obituaryfor Elliott Carter and Hans Werner Henze.

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.........But when in 1956, he sent “König Hirsch”, an exuberant neo-Romantic opera to be premiered in Berlin, the conductor slashed away pages of work, saying “But, my dear, we don’t write arias today.” Four years later, Pierre Boulez and colleagues walked out of a concert of Mr Henze’s “Nocturnes and Arias”. The public responded to the composer’s expressive writing for opera and ballet; the “Ondine” he wrote for Sir Frederick Ashton in 1958 may be his most remembered piece. But for the new music masters, Mr Henze was an apostate.

[dirac]

A story on Kim Ki-minby Do Je-hae in The Korea Times.

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What is special about Kim’s unprecedented success as an Asian ballerino is that he is the product of local training, having just graduated from the Korea National University of Arts. Most of his Mariinsky colleagues are from the Vaganova Ballet Academy, an affiliate of the troupe. There are only three non-Russians out of about 180 dancers in the company.

[dirac]

Reviews of the National Ballet of Canada in 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.'

National Post

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Alice left a strong and lasting impression the first time around and continues to wow in second viewing due to its rich score, clever choreography and over-the-top theatrical design.

Toronto Star

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Now with two intermissions and added material that underlines the evolving romance — not in Carroll’s book — between Alice and the Knave of Hearts, Wheeldon’s ballet runs about two hours, 45 minutes. Yet, the redistribution helps clarify some densely packed sequences and moves things along in a way that heightens appreciation of Wheeldon’s often impressive choreography.

[dirac]

Justin Peck is making another ballet for NYCB.

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The company’s “New Combinations Evening” honors George Balanchine’s legacy by presenting world premiere ballets on or around the anniversary of his birthday, Jan. 22. Mr. Balanchine died in 1983. In addition to Mr. Peck’s work, the evening will include Alexei Ratmansky’s “Concerto DSCH” and Mr. Balanchine’s rarely performed “Variations Pour une Porte et un Soupir.”

[dirac]

A review of the Suzanne Farrell Ballet by Alastair Macaulay in The New York Times.

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Often it looks as if Ms. Farrell is herself a school. Her dancers in “Divertimento No. 15” show basic features of Balanchine style that are often missing elsewhere: the way of making time and space meet with moment-by-moment brilliance, of making steps not follow music but embody it, of opening up legs ardently into space like flowers opening to the sun.

Yet, when it comes to the higher flights of the solos and pas de deux of “Divertimento No. 15,” today’s Farrell dancers don’t match the best recent achievements of other companies who also specialize in Balanchine, like New York City Ballet, Ballet Arizona, Miami City Ballet or Pacific Northwest Ballet.....

[dirac]

The Conservatory Dance Company offers a "Contemporary Choreographers" program.

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Faculty member and former Pittsburgh Ballet Theater dancer Ernie Tolentino is also staging another choreographer’s work, “Celcius,” which is a pas de deux by former Paris Opera Ballet dancer Patrick Frantz.