Category: dance

“I used to look up line dancing videos on YouTube and learn them in my living room by myself. And I was like, that’s one way to do it, but also, this form is meant to be done in community, so you should go do it in community.” – The New York Times

“‘Finlay’s sexual relations with (Waterbury) were not even remotely connected to his employment as a dancer for the Ballet,’ declared the court documents filed Wednesday. ‘Indeed, Plaintiff does not and could not allege that anything about Finlay’s job as a dancer required him to engage in a sexual relationship with her. … Even if the Ballet knew that Finlay had engaged in [‘partying and alcohol use’], they hardly suggest knowledge of a propensity for the distribution of intimate photographs alleged in the Complaint.'” – New York Daily News

“The head of the planning committee for the Paris 2024 games, Tony Estanguet, announced today that break dancing was one of the four new proposed events. Its inclusion is contingent upon approval from the International Olympic Committee, which is expected to make a decision after the conclusion of the Tokyo 2020 games.” – Dance Magazine

Yes, one woman can hula with up to 200 (200?!) different hoops. And that’s not easy: “A quick primer on the physics of this stuff: For a Hula-Hoop to continue spinning, one must apply force to the hoop in both the fore-aft and up-down directions. ‘The Hula-Hoop stays aloft thanks to conservation of angular momentum, but the system is extremely unstable—one little hiccup, and the hoop comes tumbling down.'” – Wired

Basically, ballet companies wanted only Black women who were very light-skinned and who, especially in whiteface makeup, could pass for white (especially in the South). – JSTOR

“More than a year after he left amid allegations of sexual harassment and physical and verbal abuse, he continues to make his presence felt in ways both big and small — including by ordering last-minute cast changes in performances of his ballets and showing up backstage after a show,” much to some dancers’ discomfort. – The New York Times

Hala Shah: “Growing up, I never saw a problem with my dancing and neither did my Muslim-Egyptian dad or my non-Muslim, American mom. … When I married my Pakistani husband, who comes from a more conservative approach to Islam, I suddenly encountered perceptions of dance that made me question everything: Is it okay to expose a lot of skin? Is it wrong to dance with other men? Is dance inherently sexual? What guidelines come from our holy book, the Quran, and what are cultural views that have become entwined in Islam?” – Dance Magazine

“The Dance Data Project … has published a report on leadership pay among the 50 biggest ballet companies in the U.S, broken down by gender. Here are some of the most interesting findings.” – Dance Magazine

“What’s most important for the company is the legacy, taking care of Pina’s works and then finding the best way to look forward,” says director and choreographer Alan Lucien Øyen, whose Bon Voyage, Bob recently premiered in Bausch’s home theatre and is now in London. – The Stage

Anthony Huxley (the Prince): “For me [the difficult thing] always is the acting and being a presence onstage … because I’m not a natural projector with my face.”
Indiana Woodward (Aurora): “The suitors are all rooting for you. They’re all like [whispers]: ‘You can do it. You can do it.’ I’m like, ‘Help.'” – The New York Times