This student of Martha Graham came to London in the late 1960s, founded The Place, and started up the UK’s first contemporary dance company, school, and theatre there. And you probably haven’t heard of him. Meet Robert Cohan. — The Guardian
Category: dance
Day After Day In Class, Ballet Dancers Are Moving Themselves Past The Genre’s Gender Conventions
“Women can jump higher and complete more turns than ever before, skills traditionally associated with male dancers. For their part, men are training to incorporate the stretch and finesse that has long been standard for female dancers. Rather than distorting the form as some ballet purists fear, dancers who push the gendered boundaries of training ‘are more versatile and can be stretched in different ways,’ said [NYCB ballet master] Jonathan Stafford.” — The New York Times
Using Dance To Provoke Conversation [AUDIO]
Choreographer Donald Byrd, artistic director of Seattle’s Spectrum Dance Company, creates dances that spark discussions about the magnificence, and the problems, of African Americans in a racist country. – PRI
Ice Dancing Is Heavily Reliant On Heterosexual Narratives
Can an ice dance couple – both of whom are out, with one in a same-sex relationship – help break that trope? (See also the sibling Shibutanis, whom some commentators find uncomfortable for that very reason.) “When you have a team that doesn’t portray a romantic relationship for any reason, they’re forced to consider new ways to tell their story. That opens up new doors, new pathways.” – ESPN
Translating Dance Into Lines, NY City Ballet Makes Them Visible
“Most bodies can’t actually do those perfect shapes,” he continued. “But it’s that pursuit of that ideal, harmonious proportioned line that is our livelihood, our discipline and our practice. And we retire before we ever get to achieve it.” – The New York Times
Inside The World Of Fanatical Dance Fans
For our money, the most fanatical fans are opera fans. But ballet fans aren’t far behind. “It’s wonderful to see the fans at the stage door, but you can be in a vulnerable position. People feel like they know you. And we don’t have the level of security that Beyoncé has.” – Washington Post
Young New York City Ballet Corps Members Ask Their Biggest Questions, And Two Company Veterans Answer Them
NYCB principal Abi Stafford asked three members of the company’s newest batch of corps dancers — Mira Nadon, Kennard Henson, and Gabriella Domini — what they wanted to know, then got answers from Jared Angle and Maria Kowroski. — Dance Magazine
For The Bauhaus Centennial, Reviving Its Unique Ballet
The Berlin Academy of Arts and the Bavarian State Ballet are co-producing a revival of the 1922 Triadic Ballet by Bauhaus polymath Oskar Schlemmer. — Artnet
Australian Ballet Cancels Season’s Major Premiere Due To Graeme Murphy’s Illness
One of the centerpieces of the company’s 2019 season was to have been Murphy’s full-length adaptation of the Oscar Wilde story “The Happy Prince.” But, due to what’s being described only as “a medical issue,” Murphy — who spent 31 years as director of Sydney Dance Company, which he led to international renown, and has since been active as a freelance choreographer — is unable to finish the piece. — Limelight (Australia)
UK’s Oldest Ballerina (Age 81) Gets A Standing Ovation
When Barbara Peters was awarded her Grade seven last year the Royal Academy of Dance told her she was the oldest ballet dancer in the UK. Peters recently received the top Grade eight award from the Royal Academy of Dance with a pass rate of 73 per cent, with no concession made for her age. – The Independent (UK)