Tuesday, August 1

[dirac]

The Australian Ballet visits London.

Quote

he Australian Ballet’s London season opens on 2 August with five performances of George Balanchine’s Jewels.

 

[dirac]

Q&A with David Hallberg by Roslyn Sulcas in The New York Times.

Quote

You have already brought a wide variety of dance styles to the company, including works by Justin Peck, Wayne McGregor, William Forsythe and Crystal Pite. How contemporary do you want the repertory to be?

Australia is isolated, and my long-term vision is to show the major choreographic voices from all over the world. We have already done a lot, but I sometimes feel there is an issue with just shopping for existing works. I want choreographers to create pieces on the company, and I want to develop Australian voices. What I haven’t yet really accomplished is from-the-ground-up commissioning.

 

[dirac]

A preview of the Royal Ballet's Nutcracker.

Quote

With so many performances scheduled, there are plenty of opportunities for both principals and up-and-coming soloists to show their mettle. On opening night the Sugar Plum Fairy pas de deux will be performed by two of The Royal Ballet's most expressive principals: Fumi Kaneko and William Bracewell.

 

[dirac]

The Vail Dance Festival gets underway.

Quote

Monday’s performance by L.A. Dance Project presented more of a challenge for audiences.

“Everyone Keeps Me” began in silence as eight dancers stepped in line. While the linear moves were nicely executed and precise and the hops were nimble, with choreography arranged on a grid, Ted Hearne’s composition lent discordant music. The nearly 25-minute work is a revival of a piece choreographer Pam Tanowitz originally created on The Royal Ballet. She has delineated her own dance language over the decades, combining “intentional unpredictability, whimsical complexity and natural drama,” according to the dance description, as she weaves dancers through space.