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[dirac]

A report on Houston's Ballet Ball by Molly Glentzer in The Houston Chronicle.

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During dinner Houston Ballet artistic director Stanton Welch and 17 gorgeous ballet guys in tails swept Wyatt onto the dance floor - shimmying around her to, of all things, Beyoncé's "Halo" before leading her to the stage, where she declared in that throaty voice, "I am over the moon."

Related.

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Along with her portrait by Andy Warhol and the song written for her by Elton John, Lynn Wyatt can now add a dance routine, specially choreographed for her by Houston Ballet's Stanton Welch, to her rich cache of cultural mementos.

[dirac]

A review of the "Ballet in Cinema" broadcast of the Bolshoi  in "La Bayadere" by Carrie Seidman in The Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

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Svetlana Zakharova, the Bolshoi prima, is breathtaking as Nikiya, her hyperextended legs lifting as effortlessly as a helium balloon, her languid musicality filling every phrase beyond the count. She has such a lushly flexible and fluid upper body you would think she has no skeleton — were it not for the midriff-bearing costumes, which revealed the lines of every bone in her chest and ribcage. (I felt I should skip dessert for a week — and send it to her instead.)

[dirac]

The Joffrey Ballet will perform at the Cleveland Orchestra's 2013 Blossom Festival. Item in brief.

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The Joffrey Ballet, which last performed with the orchestra at Blossom in 2011, will appear Aug. 17 and 18.

[dirac]

Reviews of the Birmingham Royal Ballet in "Aladdin."

The Independent

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Rather than conjuring a towering Djinn, Bintley’s lamp produces a speedy virtuoso dancer, dyed bright blue. Tzu-Chao Chou makes a triumphant first entrance, bobbing midair at the top of a pillar of smoke, before whizzing through a firework display of leaps and turns. The production’s magic scenes are fun, with a satisfying magic carpet ride.

The Times

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Yet those looking for any kind of novel choreographic spin, or even a language that rises above the generic and predictable, will be disappointed. Bintley is an adept choreographer but here he lets his imagination take a back seat to efficiency, and the constant references to other ballets are dispiriting. The Jewels divertissement, in the Cave of Riches, is busy but charmless; the duets for Aladdin and the Princess fall short of exquisitely romantic. Although the Saturday matinee crowd thrilled to the dancing animals (first Lion, then Dragon), to me it was like Le Corsaire without the fun.

The Guardian

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Bintley is also choreographing against the obstacle of Carl Davis's score, which pumps out atmospheric climax but lacks sufficient rhythmic variety to inspire serious dance invention. There is little in the way of characterisation, either, with Bintley merely sketching the unlikely attraction between street boy Aladdin and the Sultan's daughter, and shirking real darkness when the latter is kidnapped by the evil Maghrib.

[dirac]

A story on Diablo Ballet's use of social media to promote the company by Geri Jeter in the California Literary Journal.

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A well respected, but previously low-key dance group, Diablo Ballet experienced difficulties in building and retaining their audience, mostly as the result of the economic downslide. This was the reality three years ago when Diablo Ballet Lauren Jonas and the newly appointed Director of Guest Services and Marketing Dan Meagher began their audience-building program. Their plan incorporated continuing their partnership with the typical media outlets while they explored the use of the new social media platforms. And the result of their efforts — the company has experienced major growth in both critical recognition and audience size. This year 95% of available tickets were sold as season subscriptions.

[dirac]

Q&A with Carine Roitfeld.

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BW: You had quite a surprising cover star on the first issue [blonde Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Kate Upton]. Tell us about your latest cover star.
CR: This issue is ballet themed and we have two covers. One is a very fetishing pair of ballet shoes; the other is a new, amazing Russian dancer, Sergei Polunin. I think he's an iconic dancer like Nureyev, and I don't think a lot of people know him, but he's so young and so talented and has such a strong point of view - very charismatic, and I'm very happy to give him the cover.

[dirac]

A review of Pacific Northwest Ballet by Barnett Serchuk for Broadway World.

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Concerto Barocco, that great ballet set to Bach's Double Violin Concerto, opened the program, and I can say with honesty that it works better on the smaller City Center stage than on Koch stage. The dancers don't have to worry about getting to their places on time and can actually relax. Plus the intimacy of the stage perfectly renders the ballet's supreme exposition of agile feet at work. Although it is easier to spot the ballet's mechanics and maneuvering, it is also easier to just sit back and delight in the ballet's cool and bracing atmosphere. Was there ever a ballet that is seems so serene yet is something of a killer for the dancers?

[dirac]

Ballet Kelowna's future still in doubt after a temporary reprieve.

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The dance company was saved after donors stepped forward to help the organization continue for another five weeks.
But after that, Ballet Kelowna says it’s packing up, having fallen victim to poor ticket sales and dwindling corporate support.

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In an impassioned speech Monday, Mayor Walter Gray urged Central Okanagan residents to buy tickets for Kelowna Ballet's final performance on March 15 on the off-chance it could save the company.