And the kind of “society” we’re talking about here is the kind you can see in Degas paintings: Wealthy older gentlemen wanted to buy attention and “love.” The Paris Opera Ballet was the prime example. “Throughout the 19th century, it raised the bar for dance — but on the backs of many exploited young women.”
Category: dance
The ‘Grandfather Of Diversity’ In Ballet
Arthur Mitchell “was inspired to form Dance Theater after the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But before that, Mr. Mitchell broke the color wall in ballet by becoming the first African-American principal dancer at New York City Ballet.” He has always “been driven by the belief that dance can effect social change.”
Dance Companies Are Exploring New Sources Of Income
“L.A. Dance Project recently launched the subscription-based ladanceworkout.com, offering streaming workout videos led by company members. Groups of all sizes and even some individual dancers have launched merchandise lines bearing their logos. And, of course, there’s the perpetually innovative Pilobolus, which has been in the creative-revenue game for years, with books, advertisements, corporate appearances and more.”
How YouTube And Vimeo Have Transformed The Dance World
“Today, choreography once considered sacred and only transferred person-to-person is now self-taught, edited and remixed in bedrooms and basements, across the U.S. and beyond. No aspect of the dance industry, however commercial or ‘purely artistic,’ remains untouched by the explosion of video around the internet over the past decade. It’s made a profound impact on everything from how students learn to what audiences want, when choreographers succeed and which artists win support from donors, funders and presenters.”
Former NY City Ballet Dancers Wonder If Board’s Investigation Into Peter Martins Will Be Cover-Up
Kelly Cass Boal, who was one of the first to publicly accuse Martins of physical violence, describes her interview with the lawyer leading the inquiry as more like a cross-examination than a fact-finding effort: “I felt she was uninterested in the facts, and was just trying to mess up the timeline. She asked me, ‘Why weren’t you watching the performance when he grabbed you?’ … She was trying to spin it that I wasn’t being punished.” Another dancer says the same attorney refused to allow her to record her interview or bring a witness.
Royal New Zealand Ballet Chief Patricia Barker Answers Reports Of Turmoil
“The former Pacific Northwest Ballet star and concurrent director of Grand Rapids Ballet took over RNZB last June, and although the most troubling aspects of what has been reported, such as accusations of abusive behavior and other workplace grievances, pre-date her appointment, some complaints have been directed at her.” Steve Sucato gets her side of the story.
New York City Ballet Board Knew About Peter Martins’s Conduct For Years, Say Insiders
“Until accusations of sexual harassment and brutish behavior led to his retirement Monday, … Peter Martins reigned with impunity for nearly 30 years despite reports of inappropriate behavior and complaints about his leadership, according to several current and former company executives and dancers.”
Could Peter Martins’s Departure Change How New York City Ballet Is Run?
George Balanchine set up a uniquely concentrated model of artistic leadership at his company: he choreographed, taught, coached roles, and controlled artistic policy. Peter Martins continued that model (even if he ultimately delegated choreographing duties after his own efforts fell flat). Now that Martins has resigned, Alastair Macaulay wonders if it’s time to change that model and split Martins’s job.
Gia Kourlas Learns To Look At Dance Differently
“The dance world tends to compartmentalize itself: There is uptown dance (code word for ballet) or downtown dance (the more experimental variety). I follow both and everything in between. What am I looking for in terms of any kind of performance? Imagination. To see how a choreographer thinks, how a dancer responds and how the art of theater creates an atmosphere.”
Some Of The Best Dancers In New York Work For The NBA
“Sure, New York City is home to lots of dance troupes, but if you’re a dance fan these two groups may not even be on your radar. Don’t be a snob. The Brooklynettes and the Knicks City Dancers perform intricate choreography during the breaks between quarters of pro-basketball games, in arenas with 360-degree views. And they are not messing around.”