Tuesday, October 17

[dirac]

Soloist Isaac Akiva writes about his decision to leave Boston Ballet.

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It wasn’t solely this injury—and the complicated recovery process caused by the arrival of COVID-19—that changed my perspective on dance. While the pandemic lockdown was limiting and tragic for many people, it gave me a freedom that I had never known after spending six days a week rehearsing in a dance studio for most of my life. Instead of being told when to show up, I scheduled my own physical training sessions. Instead of being told what to do with my body, I decided how to move. For the first time in my life, I had autonomy and self-determination over my schedule. At the same time, I began exploring Judaism, something I had never done growing up in a family that was culturally Jewish but not religious.........

 

[dirac]

An interview with Christian Spuck by Roslyn Sulcas in The New York Times.

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He will need that preternatural calm in Berlin. The Staatsballett has struggled to find its footing since it was founded in 2004 as a money-saving amalgamation of the reunited Berlin’s three ballet troupes. Until 2014, the Staatsballett kept a conservative classical approach under the direction of the Russian star, Vladimir Malakhov. Then came the Spanish contemporary choreographer Nacho Duato, whose four-year tenure brought critical disapproval and dancer strikes over pay.

 

[dirac]

Hong Kong Ballet is the victim of a cyberattack.

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Data including personal user details and the organisation’s internal information had been viewed by the intruders, the company said, adding it was still working to determine the full scope of the attack.

 

[dirac]

Minnesota Ballet rehearses "Poe."

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Later, sitting in the Depot's rotunda for an interview about his decision to create a piece inspired by the writing of Edgar Allan Poe, von Rabenau said, "I just thought that was a great way to bring in the Halloween spirit."

 

[dirac]

A review of the Hungarian National Ballet in "Spartacus."

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László Seregi’s production is famous in Hungary and has been regularly and devotedly performed since 1968, when it premiered in the same year as Yuri Grigorovich’s version in Moscow. It’s an important success for Hungarians and they flock in their droves to see it. This revival was meaningful – the first since Covid. It provides tremendous roles for the leads and supporting soloists. It requires a huge corps de ballet to fill the stage and to create that awe-inspiring sense of watching an all consuming, historical epic.

 

[dirac]

Madison Ballet's season opener features five new works.

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It is one of four shows, including “The Nutcracker” in December, that the company is slated to perform as part of its upcoming season. An overarching theme for both “Innovation” and the season as a whole is to challenge common perceptions of what ballet looks like or can be, Ja’ Malik said. For this particular program, Ja’ Malik wanted to focus on female creatives and artists of color, whom he encouraged to think outside of the box when it came to elements such as music, choreography and even costuming.

 

[dirac]

Libby Christie, the former managing director of the Australian Ballet, has died.

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Christie retired from the ballet company last year after almost a decade at the helm. Before that, she was a senior executive at the Australia Council for the Arts (now Creative Australia) and managing director of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

 

[dirac]

Emma Von Enck and Anthony Huxley will appear in Boca Ballet Theatre's Nutcracker.

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Boca Ballet Theatre is thrilled to announce that New York City Ballet’s Emma Von Enck and Anthony Huxley will return to Boca Raton on November 24-26, 2023, to star as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier in BBT’s The Nutcracker.....