Sunday, October 24

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A review of "Fall for Dance" by Gia Kourlas in The New York Times.

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This was the first time it was performed by a man, but it’s not exactly a solo: In “Fandango,” Mejia was joined by Alberta Khoury on guitar and Dario Natarelli on percussion, along with the string quartet Brooklyn Rider. Originally created for Wendy Whelan in 2010, it was later danced by Sara Mearns; “Fandango” supplies Mejia, who is always an outgoing dancer, with a lavish opportunity to explore musicality and nuance.

 

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A review of the Royal Ballet in "The Dante Project" by Sarah Crompton in The Guardian.

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Watson, who anchors the entire three acts with his powerful, expressive presence, is in his element here, communicating his penitence, revisiting his life. He dances with Hayward (as the living Beatrice) in lovely, poetic flow, and with Sarah Lamb as the heavenly Beatrice, all unfolding limbs and ethereal gestures.

 

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A preview of Tulsa Ballet in "Breakin' Bricks."

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Archibald conducted videotaped interviews with a broad spectrum of Tulsans as part of her research for this piece. “The conversation with members of the community gave me a deeper understanding of the city and its citizens,” she said. “There was a significant shift in my creative process while interviewing Tulsans from different cultural backgrounds. Their voices are the spine of the work.”

 

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A review of American Ballet Theatre in 'Giselle' by Ivy Lin for Bachtrack.

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Brandt is blessed with large eyes, a sweet face and a petite build. She looks like a Giselle. Beneath the delicate appearance, there is a strong technician, and Brandt sailed through the technical challenges of the role. In the Act 1 variation, her hops across the stage were so effortless they looked like she was floating. She can be devilishly fast (her turns in attitude when she first appears as a Wili in Act 2), or almost sculpturally still (her developpés were silky smooth, with no gear-shifting). She is equally at home in petit allegro (her entrechats were quick and well-articulated) and more lyrical dancing.

 

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Q&A with San Diego Ballet executive director Matt Carney.

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Q: How would you describe San Diego Ballet to someone who doesn’t follow dance?

A: We are as our name directly implies: San Diego Ballet. Under the leadership of Velasco — born and raised in South Bay — we strive to authentically reflect the Southern California sensibility where we celebrate Latin music and jazz and keep things of professional quality yet accessible. With San Diego Ballet you don’t just see the dance, you 

 

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Q&A with Tracey Alvey, the artistic director and CEO of Alabama Ballet.

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What has kept you in the dance world all these years?

I danced professionally until I was 37 years old.  I was always learning. I never stopped learning. From the day I started as a 9-year-old to the day I retired, I was always discovering something. There was always a new challenge. And it’s exactly the same with being a director. I go into the studio, and I am learning constantly. I’m learning how to deal with people, how to get the best from a dancer who may be difficult to manage, and how to gain their trust and work with them and pull out the best performances that I can pull out from them. No two days are the same. There are ups and downs, but you really never stop growing as a person, as an artist, as a boss. The studio has always been a very happy place for me, even on a bad day.