Tuesday, May 4

[dirac]

An obituary for Nancy Lassalle.

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In 1941 she studied at George Balanchine’s fledgling dance academy. She was not destined to be a ballerina, but she dedicated her life to Balanchine’s legacy.

 

[dirac]

Q&A with Sofia Coppola and Justin Peck about the movie directed by Coppola for New York City Ballet.

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How much homework did you feel you needed to do to understand each dance piece?

I actually didn’t want to prepare too much, because I wanted to approach the dance in a fresh way. But Jon, Wendy and Justin all talked to me about the history of each piece — when they were made and what the choreographers might have been thinking. I also learned a lot about Robbins from Jean-Pierre Frohlich, and what certain gestures meant in the “Dances” solo. I wanted to try to give each piece a different visual personality, and we found that together I think.

 

[dirac]

Obituaries for and appreciations of Jacques d'Amboise.

An appreciation by Gia Kourlas in The New York Times.

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The New York City Ballet legend, who went on to form National Dance Institute, lived to the fullest — and danced with that same spirit.

NPR

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We take a moment to look back at the career of dancer Jacques d’Amboise, who died Sunday at age 86 in his Manhattan home following complications from a stroke. His work with the New York City Ballet, on film and in public schools, brought dance to new heights.

Times Square Chronicles

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In the early ’80s he decided to end his dance career. “I was almost 50, there were only a few roles left that I could do. I was waiting to go onstage, and I suddenly thought, I don’t want to go on. I danced, came off, took off my ballet shoes and quit.”