The coronavirus can’t stop the Dance Lab New York (virtual) Gala tonight. Cheers to an amazing organization that celebrates, promotes, and cultivates the art of choreography.
Dance Lab New York Gala
Diana
First public preview of Diana. ❤️❤️❤️
Wow!!! What a show! Amazing storytelling. Spectacular choreographies. Wonderful singing. Stunning costumes.
The show told not just the story of Diana but also that of Charles, Camilla, and the Queen. Diana’s personality shone through. As tragic as the story ended, nobody was made a villain, but we understood the circumstances and everyone’s perspectives a lot better.
The plot moved fast, and was super engaging from the first flash of the paparazzis’ cameras till the very end.
Choreographed by Kelly Devine, who also put on Came From Away, the dancing and movements were absolutely gorgeous. Of course, there were the big stunning dance numbers. I also loved how the cast filled the stage with continuous movements during the scene transitions, and small accents like everyone tilting their chairs in sync.
Finally, so many beautiful costumes and so many costume changes! 😍
To Kill A Mockingbird
Go see “To Kill A Mockingbird”!!!
The story feels even more relevant today than when I first read the book in high school.
The laws and the general societal attitude may have changed since the 1930s. However, the hatred, the contempt for the laws, and the increasing violence perpetrated by the alt-right have thrusted us right back into history.
Sadly, this is happening not just in the United States but, as last week’s news shows, in Germany as well.
Jagged Little Pill
Paul Taylor Dance
Don’t miss Paul Taylor Dance, at the Lincoln Center until November 17!!!
Three wonderful performances this evening.
“Brief Encounters” is lively, at times structured but more often random, as if walking through the streets of Manhattan. “Scudorama” is eccentric and strange. Yet, it’s so weird that it captured my full attention, lest I blink and miss the next surprise.
I had wanted to see the show tonight because of “Company B”, one of my favorite Paul Taylor choreographies. With the changing of the guard, several of the roles are now danced by different company members, and the piece is just as amazing as I had remembered it.
The social dancer inside of me just LOOOVE the polka by Kristin Draucker and Michael Apuzzo. I enjoyed the playfulness in “Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh!” by Lee Duveneck and the cast women, and “Rum and Coca-Cola” by Eran Bugge and the cast men. I also love the emotional scenes “I Can Dream, Can’t I” by Parisa Khobdeh and “There Will Never Be Another You” by Heather McGinley.
Also, a big thank you to Michelle Fleet for a fun backstage tour!
Paul Taylor Gala Performance
I’m super excited about the start of the Paul Taylor season. Go see this amazing company at the Lincoln Center until November 17th!!!
Tonight’s gala performance features guest artists, Michael Trusnovec and Misty Copeland, and guest choreography by Kyle Abraham.
Kyle Abraham’s “Only the Lonely” started out with various humorous scenes. Michael Trusnovec danced to George Balanchine’s “Episodes”. But my favorite of the night goes to Paul Taylor’s own “Black Tuesday” where Misty Copeland joined the company members for a collection of tales and memories from the Great Depression. I just love how Paul Taylor tells powerful and impactful human stories through movements.
Falsettos
I missed the Broadway revival of Falsettos three years ago, and am super glad to see the show tonight in the West End, where much of the audience left the theater in tears.
At 39 songs, the narrative is long and complex covering various relationships from intimate partners to parent-child, from marriages to divorces, from religion to death, and finding one’s own sexual identity.
Some of my favorite moments: The comical start to the show and “Everyone Tells Jason to See a Psychiatrist”. Trina in “I’m Breaking Down”. The end of Act I was heartwarming, if not slightly unexpected. Overall, the show up to this point felt like a supercharged version of the movie, Love Actually.
Perhaps I should have anticipated what would happen in Act II given the show’s plot, setting, and timing. The end still caught me off guard, and brought back memories of Angels in America.
Six
Catching this awesome show at the Arts Theatre, where it was first professionally staged.
Not your typical musical, but I really enjoyed the hip hop movements and the catchy pop music.
Most of all, I really liked the script and the messaging.
The six characters are based on the six wives of Henry VIII. While there’s only so much one can adapt them to the modern times (after all, two of them were beaded by their husband and one divorced because she didn’t look like her painting), the script and the messaging are surprisingly strong! Bravos to all the queens!!
Fall for Dance: Program 4
Four solid performances tonight.
“Beach Birds” by CNDC Angers is perhaps my favorite Merce Cunningham choreography so far. I really enjoyed the nature-inspired movements — which felt like anything from a chirping bird playing in the forest, to saplings springing out of the soil. The music sounded like a gentle stream and the occasional breeze in the background, and complemented the movements perfectly. The last third of the piece became more abstract, and felt like more general geometric shapes to me.
I also like the variation of movement styles and the energy in Alicia Graf Mack‘s “Come Sunday”, and the powerful message of love in MADBOOTS Dance‘s “For Us”. Finally, it’s great fun to see Stella Abrera, Robbie Fairchild, and Gabe Stone Shayer do something completely different from classical ballet in “Unveiling” by Sonya Tayeh.
Fall for Dance: Program 3
My favorite tonight goes to “Dare to Wreck” by Madeleine Månsson and Peder Nilsson of Skånes Dansteater, for some of the most amazing partnering that I’ve ever seen.
For context, Madeleine danced mostly in a wheelchair tonight, but this is *not* an “inclusion” performance to make a statement that dance is for everyone. This is *not* a choreography where a disabled dancer traced the approximate path of movements that had been created for another able-bodied dancer, to make a statement that they’re just capable. No no no no no.
“Dare to Wreck” is a showcase of what a wheelchair dancer can accomplish that no “able-bodied” dancers could even dream of. Madeleine could accelerate so rapidly and maintain such a high speed as she dashed across the stage, because she had wheels. The wheels also allowed her to decelerate and interact with Peder in ways not possible to other dancers.
I love the connection between Madeleine and Peder, both emotionally and technically. I love the the weight-sharing, weight-shifting, lifts, and aerials. I love all the creative and unexpected points of contact. I love the speed of their movements. I love the interaction between the dancers, the chair, and the wheels — like the way the wheels spin while Madeleine is lifted high in the air. Bravos!!
I also thoroughly enjoyed “At the Wrong Time” by Mariinsky Ballet featuring a trio of lovers. I love the different personalities on stage, especially the girl portrayed by Maria Shklyarova. I love the movement vocabulary, which looked like ballet movements inspired by Jazz-era ballroom steps. They look so much fun to dance!!!