Category: dance

“The level of dancing has improved tremendously. It’s especially notable in the ballet companies. The depth of technique really extends from the principals all the way to the corps de ballet. That’s quite astounding. There are also changes in the system of dance and not necessarily in a good way. When I came here 30 years ago, touring was still a viable option for most dance companies, in particular the modern companies. We had grants to dance presenters, to dance companies. There was a network of support for touring activity, which is crucial to dance. There were multiple streams of income that went towards those presentations.”

A Q&A with James Whiteside, 32 and a principal at ABT, and Parker Kit Hill, a 21-year-old student at the Joffrey Ballet School with triple-threat talent, a decidedly un-classical look, and a big social media presence.

“I’m a very hard worker, and I know that about myself. But I like a supportive environment, and I don’t necessarily think I do my best in that competitive, edgy vibe. And I knew something different down here. I knew that there was like a real supportive family vibe. I’m just very grateful that this existed down here. If it hadn’t, I don’t know – I don’t know if I would have pursued it.”

Amy Aldridge’s retirement evidently has nothing to do with the major personnel changes (and associated hard feelings) following the arrival of Ángel Corella as artistic director. She’s been dancing with the company for 23 seasons, 16 of them as a principal, and it’s time to retire.

“At the same time as she was becoming more difficult, she was also becoming more accessible. Part of Judson Dance Theatre’s deglamourization program was a refusal, by most of the choreographers, most of the time, to use conventional music, sets, or costumes. But Brown eventually put music back in, and while she often said that she did so because she got tired of hearing the audience cough, it cannot have escaped her notice that most spectators prefer dances set to music.”

Bridget Kuhns of the Houston Ballet isn’t one of the ballet dancers who uses the pre-show ritual of “‘brush your shoulder, touch your toe,’ she says, laughing as she mimicked those movements. But Kuhns does have a thing about fresh breath onstage, she explained. She always brushes her teeth and then chews on a piece of gum until the stage manager delivers the two-minute warning call.”

Unless one considers the relationships among the criminally insane and their terrible “care”-givers a traditional ballet subject, a new ballet inspired by Frederick Wiseman’s 1967 long-censored documentary “The Titicut Follies” will likely be a bit of a surprise. “Adapting the film’s troubling message has been a challenge for every artist involved in the new ballet.”

“Repeated injuries – and a longing to finally join her boyfriend of several years, New York City Ballet resident choreographer and dancer Justin Peck – mean that Delgado is retiring from the company.”

The London critics were not fond of David Dawson’s The Human Seasons, onstage at Covent Garden as part of a triple bill. In the comment section for one particularly harsh review, Dawson’s assistant choreographer, Tim Couchman, left a rant blaming the poor quality of the performance on the dancers, insulting their professionalism, skill, work ethic, attitude and egos. The Royal Ballet is not happy.

The company’s board recently announced that they’ve asked longtime artistic directors Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda to step down after next season. The pair don’t want to go, and the dancers are fighting for them. Last week, the dancers unanimously petitioned to join AGMA.