Category: dance

Four of Tanztheater Wuppertal’s dancers, including veterans and new members, talk about enterting the very different artistic worlds of Dimitris Papaioannou and Alan Lucien Øyen. — The Guardian

“[The company has named] the beloved hometown prima ballerina Viengsay Valdés … deputy artistic director, which means she will immediately assume the daily responsibilities of running the company. Alonso will retain the title of general director, but in practice, Valdés will be the one making all the artistic decisions.” — Dance Magazine

“Part of the excitement of being a critic was that I never knew when a work was going to undo me in this fashion: to leave me so intoxicated that, when writing about it hours or days later, it was still racing through my bloodstream.” — The Observer (UK)

“‘Oftentimes people get put into this position just because they were a star performer,’ says Sacramento Ballet artistic director Amy Seiwert. But leading a healthy, thriving dance company requires a lot more than charisma. Directors also need everything from business savvy to a commitment to nurturing their artists. So how can the dance world be more deliberate about shaping future leaders — and how can aspiring directors prepare themselves to succeed?” — Dance Magazine

Matt Bray spent a year traveling all over the world filming himself dancing with whomever was where he was. He calls it the “1000 People of Dance” project, and it’s fun. – Mother Nature Network

In the past few years numerous choreographers and dancers have moved to the city. There’s space and audiences. And now there’s an interesting dance scene. – Oregon Arts Watch

A widespread belief of the 15th century held that the bite of a tarantula could only be treated by wild, mad dancing; groups of people would be possessed by a compulsion to dance, and towns would pay musicians to play for the sufferers. (Hence the dance called the tarantella.) “In fact, mass epidemics of dancing have afflicted various parts of Europe since the seventh century, breaking out particularly in times of famine, disease, and political unrest.” — JSTOR Daily

“The new director’s name could be released any day now. And we have some theories about who it might be.” Lauren Wingenroth runs down a list of ten possibilities (though she seems to think only two are really likely). — Dance Magazine

“When he dances, he soars; in life, he swerves into self-doubt. Yet Mr. Stanley, a shy and self-effacing mixed-race 27-year-old gay man, has become one of the company’s most valued principals, both for his dancing and for what his presence means.” Gia Kourlas meets Stanley as he prepares to dance the title role in Balanchine’s Apollo. — The New York Times