Wednesday, February 14

[dirac]

An interview with Tiler Peck.

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“I have never been so nervous and excited at the same time,” Peck told The Associated Press. “Normally when there’s a performance, you know, I get a little nervous. But mostly, I know I can count on myself, but this is putting it in other dancers’ hands, and I have to just hold and have hope, and just trust in them that they will pull through.”

 

[dirac]

Texas Ballet Theater announces its 2024-25 season.

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Texas Ballet Theater will present a mixed repertoire performance choreographed exclusively by women for the first time in its more than 60-year history. “International Woman” is one of four productions just announced for the 2024-2025 season.

 

[dirac]

 Two nonbinary dancers appear together in Justin Peck's "The Times Are Racing."

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Ashton and Stanley were so focused on each other, so fully present, that they seemed to tune out the audience. Their performance felt private, like a secret. Part of that has to do with this ballet. With its darkened stage and pulsating electronic score by Dan Deacon, the dance is a communal experience for its cast, who start and end in a huddle, like characters escaping from and returning to a genie’s bottle.

 

[dirac]

A review of San Francisco Ballet by Charles Lewis III for 48hills.

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It still isn’t clear what artistic vision defines Tamara Rojo’s first year as SF Ballet artistic director. If anything, her early tenure with the company has been marked by major shake-ups, including Rojo herself replacing her three-decade predecessor, as well as the departure of key dancers like Sarah van Patten. This new show marks the departure of another beloved dancer, this time stellar principal Yuan Yuan Tan.

 

[dirac]

Madison Ballet presents "Love."

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A show of six tales, Madison Ballet introduces its winter repertory “Love” — a performance brought together by four artists, each showcasing their own experience of love under the organization of Madison Ballet Artistic and Executive Director Ja’ Malik.

“Love” explores themes of love as experienced by individual artists and their experiences, including grief, the act of saying goodbye and same-sex love.

 

[dirac]

St. Louis Ballet presents "St. Louis Blues."

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“It’s a landmark song of the city,” says Gen Horiuchi, executive and artistic director of St. Louis Ballet. “We are hoping just to make this piece a signature piece of the St. Louis Ballet.”

 

The only issue? The song is just six minutes long and not a ballet. To fix this, Horiuchi partnered with friend and composer Atsushi Tokuya, who goes by Toya, to work on a composition that would transform the song into a ballet.

 

[dirac]

 A story on the new documentary "Ten Times Better," which tells the story of former New York City Ballet dancer George Lee.

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Making history: Lee achieved a breakthrough in his career after legendary choreographer and New York City Ballet co-founder George Balanchine picked him to play an Asian dancer doing the “Tea” divertissement in his 1951 New York City Ballet production of “The Nutcracker,” a stage production that garnered backlash in recent years for its use of “yellowface.”

 

[dirac]

Atlanta Ballet presents "Coco Chanel: the Life of a Fashion Icon."

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Atlanta Ballet dancers, their youthful bodies sculpted to perfection, showed impressive technical skill in both performances. Mikaela Santos, who debuted Friday as Chanel, moved from lover to lover with gracious breadth and a freshness, although at times she held back emotionally. Santos paired well with Fuki Takahashi as Shadow-Chanel. Both commanded the stage with sleek long lines, fearless arabesques and a sense of Chanel’s ruthless drive to succeed. Emily Carrico and Brooke Gilliam, who danced the respective lead roles Saturday afternoon, brought an intriguingly darker edge to their characters.