Category: dance

“In the relatively short history of modern dance, an awkward chain of events has unfolded that goes something like this: a choreographer gets older, his dancers get younger and suddenly, plopped into the middle of a work, is a solo in which the aging choreographer tries to get his groove back. John Jasperse, 43, wants no part of it.” Which is why he’s created a work, premiering this week at Dance Theater Workshop, for himself and two 43-year-old colleagues.

Several Romeos are hitting New York stages over the next season.”To dancegoers with long memories the choice of ‘Romeo’ is nothing new. It is part of the scene. Since the 1960s New York, London and other leading ballet cities have often had seasons in which two or more companies have sent their “Romeo” productions into the lists against one another.”

Ballet Pacifica officially shut down this weekend. “The organization’s undoing is complicated. The past 3 1/2 years have been a roller coaster of promises and failures, and the instability shook it to its very foundation, which was the school. At its peak, it had 260 students; this past week there were fewer than 100… Time and again, the Ballet Pacifica board of directors spent money on administrative help rather than artistic endeavors. Ultimately, the community was left with nothing to support.”

Pacific Northwest Ballet’s new director Peter Boal has made a commitment to the local dance community. “The idea for PNB to present the work of eminent choreographers with a Northwest connection may not have been original to Boal, but he expanded it exponentially to what is now a huge, comprehensive festival in scope and intention. As shown by the extraordinarily inclusive nature of the festival, Boal and his company have embraced the diversity and richness of dance in the Northwest. That is without precedence.”

“Ballet Pacifica has canceled so many projects and seasons in the last few years that the announcement Monday of the imminent closure of its school and the indefinite ‘hiatus’ of its performing company didn’t come as a shock but rather as just one more stage in its well-documented free fall… If an official notice of once-and-for-all termination arrives in a month or so, it will almost seem like deja vu, and any regret will be over the institution’s failure of vision as much as its funding.”

Northern California’s Diablo Ballet is in danger of folding if $500,000 cannot be raised to cover debts and stabilize the organization. The company “was founded in 1994, and it has made its mark performing both ballet and contemporary dance, with experienced dancers often led by emerging choreographers.”

“Barring a $500,000 bailout by donors in the next month, Orange County’s premier ballet troupe will go out of business after 45 years, its two top managers said Monday. Ballet Pacifica’s remaining performances … have been canceled, and its training academy will close Friday.” Its “demise would deepen a widespread belief that Southern California is not fertile turf for dance; Los Angeles has not had a major ballet company since the Joffrey Ballet’s Music Center residency ended in 1990.”

Marc Shulgold despairs of Denver’s dance scene. Or the lack of it. “After 20 years of covering the region’s rich and varied dance scene, I’ve watched every ballet and modern troupe labor to attract an audience, often with indifferent results. Despite the welcome revenue from the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, lack of money has remained the biggest roadblock.”

The Milwaukee Ballet is holding its second Genesis International Choreographic Competition. “Former artistic director Simon Dow held the first Genesis Competition in 2002. Michael Pink, the current A.D., revived it this year and intends to make Genesis a biennial event for the Milwaukee Ballet.”

“Over the years there has been no shortage of standout women in the Taylor company. But the current group is special. While each dancer exudes a unique aura, they are all modern women and, most important, unafraid to show it.”