nyc.dancr
Martha Graham Dance Company. April 14th at the New York City Center.
My favorites tonight were “Ekstasis” and the “Rite of Spring”. The former is the most incredible articulation of the human hip movement. The latter is an emotional journey constructed as much from body movements as from the sound of bodies impacting the floor.
Martha Graham Dance Company. April 13th at the New York City Center.
My favorites of tonight’s program were “Mosiac” by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui that mixed various dance genres and “The Legend of Ten” by Lar Lubovitch where the dancers flowed across the stage like ocean waves… gentle yet powerful at once.
Joyce Master Class with Ballet Hispánico. April 13th at Gibney Dance.
I had an amazing time learning from Michelle Manzanales. We worked on an excerpt from “Con Brazos Abiertos”.
What I remembered the most were the subtle cultural significance in the piece, Michelle’s emphasis on connecting with other dances, and her reminder to relax. No tension on stage. Not even in our eye brows.
Ballet Hispánico. April 11th at the Joyce Theater.
Tonight’s program featured two of my all-time favorite choreographies.
The bold and visually stunning “Línea Recta” by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. During the curtain chat, the discussion focused on the contrast between Ballet Hispánico’s strength in partnering and the lack of contact in Flamenco (based on which the piece was created). I thought it was fascinating that Annabelle was able to create the connection between her dancers with limited physical touch.
The powerful story of “Con Brazos Abiertos” by Michelle Manzanales. Ive seen the piece four times, and am still touched by its narrative and feel empowered by its ending. Every single time.
Both of the new works required additional interpretation at the post-curtain chat, for me to appreciate their significance.
“Waiting for Pepe” had several unusual and beautiful choreographic moments. However, without knowing the play “The House of Bernarda Alba” on which the dance is derived, I had trouble following the story arc (e.g., Why is there a chicken lit in neon lights above the stage???), until it was explained by the choreographer Carlos Pons Guerra afterwards.
Similarly, “Espíritus Gemelos” told the story of two Spanish artists, Federico García Lorca and Salvador Dalí. I didn’t grasp the significance of their relationship, until after the curtain chat.
Throwback to a few shows that I enjoyed this year, but haven’t had a chance to write about…
“Giselle” by Dada Masilo and the Dance Factory was amazing!!!
The dancing was energetic and powerful. The alternate ending was how I always imagined the story of Giselle should have ended. Bravos for creating a character and a story that’s believable!!
April 5th at the Joyce Theater.
Frozen, the Broadway Musical!!! I think I like the musical more than the movie!
Bravos to the talented cast. Caissie Levy had an amazing voice as Elsa. Patti Murin wonderfully brought out the playful and lovable character in Princess Anna. Major kudos to Greg Hildreth as Olaf including the voice, acting, puppeteering, and tap dancing! Andrew Pirozzi as Sven was lively and funny (and impressive for moving inside his ginormous reindeer costume all night). Last but not least, bravos to the ensemble of amazing dancers.
Costuming was gorgeous right from the opening scene. Non-stop beautiful choreographies brought out the best in the twirling dresses, and filled the stage with actions.
Set design (especially lighting design) was incredible and created an unforgettable magic-filled winter wonderland.
The plot twist involving Prince Hans of the Southern Isles was much better executed, and more believable in the musical than in the movie (which I had thought was a major weakness for the latter).
Altogether, I came out of the theater, liking the musical more than the movie!
p.s. Young princess Anna has a penguin!!!
This time last spring, my two favorite musicals were two unique productions, Come From Away and The Great Comet, that made their way to Broadway, and known for their distinct stage arrangements, storytelling, and immersive theatre.
This year, surprising even to myself, my two favorite musicals so far are the Disney- and Nickelodeon-productions of Frozen and SpongeBob, well polished and made straight for Broadway. Will Mean Girls, My Fair Lady, or Summer change my experience in the next three months??
“Truth Values: One Girl’s Romp Through MIT’s Male Math Maze” by Gioia De Cari
Thank you for sharing your story, Gioia! Congratulations for bringing your play to Off-Broadway and launching the mentoring program for graduate women in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
Thanks also for the advice from the panel of amazing pioneering women in STEM: Maria Klawe (President, Harvey Mudd University), Mary Boyce (Dean of Engineering, Columbia University), Ivonne Díaz-Classie, (Founder of HISPA).
All of my worlds collided at “Truth Values” a one-person play written and performed by Gioia at the Miller Theatre tonight.
The immense pressure of pursuing a PhD degree at a world’s top-ranked engineering university (Stanford and MIT). Balancing our diverse interests in STEM and the performing arts. Computer science vs dance for me. Mathematics vs theatre for Gioia.
Yet, despite all the challenges that I faced during my PhD, I was never once asked “to bring cookies to a seminar” because of my gender. To be questioned why I wasn’t at home with kids when things get tough. To be introduced by my spouse’s name.
Also, one of my closest friends in the Stanford University Computer Science PhD program never told her parents that she was admitted.
She was in the world’s top-ranked computer science program, that produced Google, Yahoo, Instagram among other academic and commercial success. She was amongst researchers who introduced the mouse, the internet, and self-driving cars to the world. Yet, she never told her parents what she achieved… because they didn’t think women should go into engineering.
Bravos to Gioia… and many many kudos!!!
More info: http://unexpectedtheatre.org
Completely in love with “Piazzolla Caldera” by @paultaylordancecompany tonight!!! 😍😍😍
A gorgeous tango (and waltz!) that blends beautifully with modern movements, this choreography is going right up there with my other all-time favorites!
On Sunday, I wrote about Esplanade, a stunning piece of work about the joy of dance. Paul Taylor dancers moved with so much spirit, so much heart, and so much energy. Even from the audience’s seats, we could feel the dancers’ passion, welcoming us onto the stage, inviting us to join the celebration. I didn’t think another choreography could possibly live up to the expectations of Esplanade. Yet, Piazzolla Caldera did tonight.
I’ve always enjoyed how Paul Taylor seamlessly merges concert dance with vernacular dance forms — bringing out not just the best of both worlds, but creating something unique, remarkable, and extraordinary in the process.
His group movements often remind me of contra dance patterns (on crack!). There are the polka mazurka steps in Eventide, lindy hop and polka in Company B, swing in Black Tuesday, disco in Changes, and so on.
Piazzolla Caldera is the most exquisite of such a fusion that I’ve seen so far.
The tango was absolutely beautiful, including the 12-person movements in the opening scene, the subsequent solos and duets. I never imagined that tango could be danced in such a manner. The piece retained the intensity, attitude, and connection traditionally associated with tango. Staying true to the dance form’s roots, two men even had chest-to-chest lead-follows!
Yet, the work inserted even more energy, dynamic, and theatricality into tango (as if tango needed any, but apparently it could!!!) with leaps, turns, upper body gestures, and more.
My favorite part, you ask?
Back in 1913 and 1914, when Argentine tango was first introduced to the US, New Yorkers used to dance tango to triple-time waltz music, creating a tango-waltz fusion known as “Hesitation Waltz.” Midway through Piazzolla Caldera, the music transitioned from 4/4 tango music to 3/4 waltz music. Replacing the hesitation step with by modern movements, Paul Taylor created a new modern-tango-waltz fusion. Mind blown! WOW!!!