Peter Boal of Pacific Northwest Ballet writes about his January trip around the US to audition dancers — and about how what he saw in the museums and galleries he visited made him think about the still-off racial balance of his and other ballet companies. – Dance Magazine
Category: dance
Maybe The Oddest Dance Competition Ever: 40+ Choreographers Tried To Read Agnes De Mille’s Mind
In 1963, de Mille sent a sealed envelope to her union, the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, with a handwritten note saying not to open it because it had the “eminently stealable” idea and outline for a play, and, at the time, she couldn’t copyright it. SDC decided to celebrate its 60th anniversary by calling for submissions guessing what was in that envelope, and a panel chose five of the submitters to make short dances based on their guesses. – Dance Magazine
Modernism, Interracial Relations, Cultural Appropriation, And Katherine Dunham Meet (Or Collide) In A 1933 Ballet In Chicago
Liesl Olson investigates the strange and stirring history of La Guiablesse, an almost entirely lost 18-minute dance work based on French Caribbean folklore, with a white choreographer/star (Ruth Page) playing a she-devil, an otherwise entirely black cast, a colorful score by black composer William Grant Still, and the future star and pioneer Dunham as the spurned lover. (She took over as the eponymous demon the following year.) – Chicago Reader
Should Batsheva Dance Company Be Held Responsible For Bibi Netanyahu’s Policies?
Protests against the Israeli government’s policies toward the West Bank and Gaza have become almost routine outside (and occasionally inside) Batsheva’s performances abroad. “But why target a dance company? What does Batsheva have to do with Israel’s geopolitical conflicts?” Brian Schaefer wonders if that isn’t like protesting Trump’s policies at a U.S. company’s tour dates. – Dance Magazine
Talking With The Choreographer Who Gave Lupita Nyong’o Those Weird Moves In ‘Us’
“To hear more about [Madeline] Hollander’s role in the film’s production, ARTnews spoke with the artist, whose background in ballet helped her supply the Nutcracker-inspired choreography in one prominent sequence. The conversation, which includes spoilers for Us, follows.” – ARTnews
NBA Teams Are Creating Dance Squads For Dancers Over 50
This season, the Washington Wizards introduced the Wizdom, a 20-member squad, all women 50 and older, who dance during timeouts. The crowd loves them. And a dozen other teams in the league have similar squads of older adult dancers. – The Washington Post
This Is Why Columbus Dance Theatre’s Founding Director ‘Resigned’ Last Fall
Veach, who founded CDT in 1998, quietly stepped down in October, and he told the press in January that the reason was health-related. In fact, he was accused of “improper behavior” with two underage dance students and was formally charged by police with (and subsequently convicted of) serving alcohol to a minor. – The Columbus Dispatch
All It Really Takes To Become A Dancer
Marisa Meltzer: “Choreography, as something that isn’t normally part of my life, is incredibly hard to remember and appears to use a part of my brain that has gone dormant. It took so much concentration that I couldn’t think of anything else, which was liberating.” – The New York Times
Ballet Musicals Are Rare, And Super Demanding
We don’t mean Oklahoma! either, though, yes, there’s a ballet in it. This is something different: “It’s very difficult to cast a ballet musical; the Marie ensemble requires dancers with a strong background in classical ballet, but also the ability to sing — while on pointe! — and act. ‘They’re rare,’ said Stroman, ‘but it makes them even more special.'” – Seattle Times
Batsheva Dance Company And Ohad Naharin At The Turning Point
“Last September, after nearly 30 years as the company’s artistic director, [Naharin] handed the reins to Gili Navot, a former dancer with the company, while he assumed the position of house choreographer. In that role, Mr. Naharin will continue to create new work, while Ms. Navot will be responsible for the daily decision-making and long-term direction of the company. Is this the beginning of a new era or just an administrative reorganization?” Brian Schaefer talks to them both to find out. – The New York Times