Harper Watters says that sharing his story, including the viral video where he and another dancer wearing pink stilettos dance on treadmills, is good for his dance with the Houston Ballet. “I saw such a response to me sharing myself authentically off stage and outside of the studio, I thought why don’t I do that more in the studio. … And the second I did that, my dancing became so much better and so much more authentic.” – KTRK (Houston)
Category: dance
Hey City Ballet, Wait A Second: Why Isn’t Wendy Whalen Co-Artistic Director With Jonathan Stafford?
Great that Whalen and Stafford are leading New York City Ballet. Super. Getting closer to equality, clearing up some of the past months’ terrible news, and so forth. But … problem: “Elevating the job title of a man over a woman seems like a regressive, shortsighted and even cowardly act. It’s also a confusing one given that in an interview in The New York Times the two said that ‘they intended to work as partners.'” – The New York Times
After 20 Years, William Forsythe Is Back To Making Ballet
“‘Give me a little booty! Show off! Glissade, glissade, tombé, ballonné, piqué, yessssss!’ William Forsythe called out ballet steps, bouncing through them on sneakered feet. ‘Let’s go, let’s go!’ sang Barry White as ‘Sha La La Means I Love You’ played over the speakers. … Mr. Forsythe turned happily to a few observers: ‘Isn’t ballet delightful?'” – The New York Times
Former Balanchine Dancer Sues Balanchine Trust And Its Founder (And She’s A Board Member)
“Susan Gluck, a trustee of the George Balanchine Trust, which administers the rights to perform Balanchine’s ballets, filed a petition Thursday … seeking a full accounting of the financial management of the trust. She danced [under Mr. B. at New York City Ballet] from 1978 to 1986.” Gluck petition charges that Barbara Horgan, for many years Balanchine’s secretary, “has leveraged the trust to consolidate her power … and maximize her income to the detriment of other trust beneficiaries.” – The Washington Post
Wendy Whelan And Jonathan Stafford Are New York City Ballet’s New Leaders
“Jonathan Stafford, 38, who has been running the company for more than a year on an interim basis, will become the new artistic director of City Ballet as well as its affiliated academy, the School of American Ballet. Wendy Whelan, 51, a star ballerina who danced with the company for 30 years, will become City Ballet’s associate artistic director. The two said they intended to work as partners.” – The New York Times
Why Doesn’t Dance Have Preview Runs The Way Theatre Does?
“Money is a factor. But even a few extra zeroes wouldn’t necessarily change the creative process for concert work, where priorities tend to revolve around giving an idea its fullest expression, not how it will be received by an audience.” – Dance Magazine
This Company Didn’t Fire Sergei Polunin For His Homophobic Post, But They Asked Him About It. And What Did He Tell Them?
In January, the ever-troubled ballet star caused another stir with some offensive (and incoherent) remarks on Facebook, and he was promptly let go from a guest spot with the Paris Opera Ballet. The Bavarian State Ballet kept him on (despite pushback) to star in Spartacus but asked for an explanation. He said “that he wanted to provoke people to raise awareness about the dangers of obesity.” – Deutsche Welle
Alice Sheppard: Why I Dance
“Of course, nondisabled people appreciate this moment. But what it actually means to see and feel strapping on stage, to hear and recognize the sound of Velcro unfurling is different, more complex, for those of us in the disability community. For some, the choice to strap publicly was controversial, too private to show on stage; for others, it was revelatory, a moment of celebration. Strapping and intimacy became a regular aspect of post-show conversations.” – The New York Times
Orlando Ballet Will Stop Charging Dancers To Audition
Executive director Shane Jewell, responding to a previous Dance Magazine post: “Sara’s argument that it’s unfair that dancers are the only members of the company that have to pay for a job interview is a valid one. As she suggests, Orlando Ballet did not charge me $30 when I interviewed for the role of executive director last year. … But issues with charging dancers to audition go much deeper.” – Dance Magazine
Makers Of ‘Fortnite’ Sued Over Yet Another Dance, This One By Basketball Players
“The federal lawsuit, filed Monday in Maryland, accuses Epic Games Inc. of unfairly profiting from the ‘Running Man Challenge’ dance that Jared Nickens and Jaylen Brantley performed in social media videos and on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2016. … [Other artists] also have sued Epic Games over other dances depicted in the shooting game. Celebratory dances in Fortnite are called ’emotes.'” – Yahoo! (AP)