Category: dance

Michaela DePrince saw an image of a ballerina in a glossy magazine in the orphanage. “I didn’t know what she was, but I thought that this beautiful creature was something I’d never seen before. She looked happy, and I wanted to be happy.”

“Experts say the physically strenuous and mentally challenging pastime can improve vitality and provide a social outlet for older adults.”

David Jays: “Two decades on, Croce appears stranded on the wrong side of history. Artists bringing personal histories to the table are now mainstream. You see ‘victim art’ in reality TV and verbatim theatre; in the work of oversharing visual artists like Tracey Emin and Ryan Trecartin; and, increasingly, you see it in dance, where an immaculate body and blank-slate persona are no longer the invariable starting point.”

“Q; Have dancers changed over these 42 years in the way they learn and the way they dance? A: The work ethic is different. They’re required to do so much now, in such a short time. We don’t have the luxury of work weeks. … I find them burning out a little more often than it should be happening. But I leave, and I come back, and I’m amazed how good this company is from top to bottom.”

“What Tomasson has done here over these three decades is to transform a respected regional American ballet company into an international-caliber organization that commands worldwide respect for the depth of its repertoire and its superb technical standards. In fact, the S.F. Ballet’s history of the past 30 years has rendered the term ‘American regional company’ rather outdated.”

“‘As a dancer you’re very coddled, especially when you’re in the company,’ she says. ‘You’re given a schedule every, single day. We are treated as children in a lot of ways.'”

Alastair Macaulay: “Who are the greatest dancers in the world today? Most of the contenders considered in the West for this category are the roving international stars of ballet. But many of today’s finest dance artists have been performing here [in Chennai] … Some – all women – have touched on the sublime.”

“The Merce Cunningham Trust, established in 1990 to further the choreographer’s legacy, has announced an award of $250,000 to the Baryshnikov Arts Center and of $375,000 to the Foundation for Contemporary Arts. … [A trustee] said that this was the first time the trust had awarded cash grants, and that it was unlikely to happen again.”

“As a solo performer, Mr. Das proved an uncommonly entertaining exponent of Kathak. His slashing rhythmic attack, electrifying footwork, dazzling turns and verbalizations, all accompanied by the ringing of the weighty bells he wore around his ankles, won him lifelong fans.”

“This is an extraordinary time in the dance world, when five of the greatest ballerinas of our time, from leading American ballet companies, have, coincidentally, all announced their retirement within months of each other.”