Sunday, February 26

[dirac]

André Lewis talks about his decision to step down from the artistic directorship of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.
 

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But when it came time to seriously step away, deciding to do so in advance has made the finality of a half century long career easier to come to grips with.

“For me to do it this way it gives me two years. All of the things that we do regularly I can say, ‘okay this is my last time doing this, and I can move forward,’” he said.

 

 

[dirac]

Q&A with Alessandra Ferri.

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Is it hard?

I do class every day, but I don’t know for how long. I have to for the next couple of months, I have no choice, because I am performing. And then I’ll see. For the first time since I returned to dancing, I took five weeks off this summer. I was like: if I can’t get back, I won’t, but I need to have this break. It took me three months to get back into shape.

 

[dirac]

A scientific study examines how dancers turn so well.

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But how important is it to have a clear visual reference point when spotting? Can’t dancers just keep their head forward as long as possible without keeping their eyes on a fixed spot? That’s what researchers at the University of Bern tried to find out.

 

[dirac]

The Australian Ballet presents "Ballet Under the Stars."

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Pre-show entertainment included a nifty peek into the dancers’ preparations during a warm up at an on-stage ballet barre class with time for autographs before the main event. 

To begin, inspiring Indigenous dance brought reminders just how much the local lands we live on are an environmentally and culturally precious entity with 4 members of the Wurundjeri women’s dance group Djirri Djirri giving a rhythmic and resonant performance meshed with the echoing voice of founder, singer and songwriter Mandy Nicholson.

 

[dirac]

Promotions at New York City Ballet.

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.......They learned of their promotions onstage after the curtain fell on “The Sleeping Beauty,” receiving the news from Jonathan Stafford, the company’s artistic director, and Wendy Whelan, its associate artistic director. During that ballet’s two-week run, and throughout the winter season, they had all made important debuts, including originating roles in the premiere of Justin Peck’s evening-length “Copland Dance Episodes.”

 

[dirac]

The Opéra de Paris celebrates the memory of Patrick Dupond.

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After the screening of a tribute film and the Ballet's défilé, three emblematic works from Dupond's artistic career were reinterpreted by the company's current dancers in an atmosphere that was as moving as it was virtuosic. With a strong emphasis on young dancers, the evening was an opportunity to get excited about the young talents of the company such as dancers Germain Louvet, Hugo Marchand, Paul Marque, Valentine Colasante, and also of the very young Guillaume Diop and Inès McIntosh.