Category: DANCE

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Classic New York City Ballet

“Classic New York City Ballet” by New York City Ballet was amazing this afternoon!

“The Four Seasons” was absolutely gorgeous with 49 dancers (!!!) in the piece. Sterling Hyltin and Chase Finley perfectly captured Spring, but Ashley Boulder, Zachary Catazaro, and Roman Mejia stole the show with Fall. I enjoyed seeing two of my favorite ballerinas, Maria Kowroski and Tiler Peck, on stage together in “Oltremare” as well as Megan Fairchild in “Square Dance.” Also, the promenade of the Koch Theater was beautifully decorated with sculptures by Jihan Zencirli.

The Four Seasons, choreographed by Jerome Robbins with music by Giuseppi Verdi, presents a series of scenes depicting Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. The opening scene of Winter was both elegant (dancers dressed in all white) and humorous (dancers rubbing their hands to keep themselves warm, against a backdrop of falling snowflakes). Sterling and Chase perfectly captured the exuberance of Spring with Sterling’s bright personality and Chase’s (and the boys’) leaps. They looked like young leaves sprouting and eagerly shooting into the air. Summer was hot and slow, and wonderfully conveyed by Ashley Laracey and Taylor Stanley. My favorite season goes to Fall which felt like a ginormous harvest celebration, filled with non-stop dancing, parades, and lots of impressive turns.

Oltremare explores the feeling of being an immigrant: Constantly moving, searching for a better life, yet never at home. While the central theme is all about emotions, the piece also features tons of highly technical moves. I felt Maria and Tiler, both highly expressively and also super technical, played the parts perfectly. Ashly Isaacs and Megan LeCrone were both lovely in their roles, too.

My favorite part of Square Dance goes to “square dancing” geometric group patterns with intricate ballet steps.

As a side note, I thought I was seeing doubles when the sisters, Claire and Emma Von Enck danced together in the Four Season. I had to check the program to make sure I wasn’t imagining it.

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Compagnie Hervé Koubi

It was interesting to see two French hip-hop dance troupes, both with Algerians roots, perform back-to-back at the Joyce. Hervé Koubi’s dance featured a lot more acrobatic, almost gymnastic-like, movements.

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Compagnie Accrorap

“The Roots” by Kader Attou/Compagnie Accrorap

One of the most memorable performances I’ve seen at the Joyce Theater in the past year. BRAVOS to this group of 11 amazing dancers. Enjoy Boston, Santa Barbara, and the rest of your US tour. Come back to New York City again soon!!!

I’m not generally a hip hop fan, but was completely taken aback by this company. Their movement quality was stunning, as if they could freeze time and fly in the air. They were athletic and physical: spinning, jumping, bouncing off everything on stage.

As a group, I love their connections with each other. Physically: in their assisted lifts, partnering, and movement as a group. Emotionally: they were manly and strong, relaxed and loving, genuine and funny, all at once.

I also enjoyed the part where they merged tap dancing with hip hop. I’ve seen Michelle Dorrance collaborate with Ephrat Asherie (combining tap and hip hop in two choreographies in five shows), and heard their theory on how the two dance forms share common elements.

However, it wasn’t until last Thursday, when Compagnie Accrorap took stage with one tap dancer, and 10 hip hop dancers responding and adding to the rhythm, that I finally saw the beauty of tap + hip hop.

Finally, props to their cool stage design (the slanted sofa chairs) and costuming (they looked like 11 fashion models at one point).

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The Rite of Spring

“The Rite of Spring” by the Martha Graham Dance Company.

WOW! What a stunning studio rehearsal on Wednesday. The music “the Rite of Spring” by Igor Stravinsky was strong, but Martha Graham’s dancing was even more powerful.

Right from the beginning, this choreography commanded an incredible amount of energy with the men entering the stage, striking the floor, and stumping in unison. The movements, the music, the percussive sounds, the breathing, and the juxtapose of the individual dancers’ emotions and the geometric patterns that make up the soulless ritual … all came together to tell the story of the young woman sacrificed in a primitive savage ceremony. The sacrifice, danced by Charlotte Landreau, was stunning in her performance with her fear, her sorrow, and her determination — to fight for a meaning of her life. Bravos.

Don’t miss the Martha Graham Dance Company season “Sacred/Profane” at @nycitycenter on April 11-14!!

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TaylorNext Season Preview

The Paul Taylor American Modern Dance Lincoln Center season is March 7 – 25. Tickets are now on sales. Get yours now!!!

I had a wonderful time at the season preview of the Paul Taylor Dance Company on Tuesday. My favorite moments of the night go to the three gorgeous emotional duets in Bryan Arias‘s new work (to premier on March 8 at the Lincoln Center) and the theatrical “Cloven Kingdom” in which dancers reveal the conflicts behind one’s true motives and inner feelings vs. our outward “social” expectations.

There’s so much to LOVE about this company. The incredibly talented dancers. The depth and dimensions in Paul Taylor’s works. (This season will feature 14 of his works.) The incorporation and synthesis of other modern dance forms. (This season will feature three guest choreographers as well works by Isadora Duncan and the Trisha Brown Dance Company.)

And if you’re a young dance supporter, check out TaylorNEXT and come hang out with us. 🙂

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Trinity Irish Dance Company and Ensemble Español

Bravos to the Trinity Irish Dance Company for an amazing show at the Joyce Theater‘s American Dance Platform on January 12th with their precision, techniques, and stunning group work — creating not just powerful movements, beautiful patterns, but also incredible music.

The night also featured spirited flamenco and Spanish dance by Ensemble Español.

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Jessica Lang and Backhausdance

I LOOOVED Jessica Lang and Backhausdance at the Joyce Theater‘s American Dance Platform. My favorite program of this year’s festival.

“Lyric Pieces” by Jessica Lang was graceful and beautiful. Jessica has incredible way of bringing dancers together, so that as a whole they tell a touching and emotional story. The minimalist but versatile props accentuated the constantly evolving, dynamic movements. “The Calling,” a short solo, was visually stunning from the moment the curtain was lifted. Kana Kimura stood at the center of stage, in an all-white dress that spanned 20 feet across covering much of the stage. As she moved, the fabric of the dress flowed, twirled, and responded to her.

If seeing Jessica Lang’s work feels like attending an elegant wedding, then seeing Jennifer Backhaus‘s work feels like the small victories of making it through a difficult but rewarding week.

“The Elasticity of the Almost” was creative, playful, and deeply emotional.

I was warned ahead of the show that “balls will be rolling into the audience!” Surely and truly, thousands of bouncing balls filled the stage. They were carried on stage by the dancers, rolled in one by one from the sides, poured in by the buckets, before raining down from the sky.

While the balls were the most visible part of the piece (they’re in bright red and other solid colors), my favorite was how the dancers interacted with the balls. The dancers’ movements were organic, dynamic, and gorgeous if not challenging. (Imagine turning and jumping in an ocean of rolling balls!) Yet, they also revealed deep emotions: the stress and rewards of being an artist, making it through the week, hanging onto what we care, letting go of what must go, discovering, and understanding what is truly valuable to us. Such a beautiful, meaningful, and impactful work of art. 😍

Look forward to seeing much more from these two amazing choreographers and companies!

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Open Rehearsal with Dorrance Dance

Open rehearsal with Dorrance Dance at the Joyce Theater!

I had a chance to see “Until the Real Thing Comes Along (A Letter to Ourselves)” again, and it was even better than the first time. It’s great when a choreography has depths, and gets better with each viewing. Bravos to Michelle Dorrance, Melinda Sullivan, Josette Wiggan-Freund, and Hannah Heller.

My favorite moment of the afternoon:

Hosting the talkback Laura Diffenderfer asked: The title of the piece is “Until the Real Thing Comes Along (A Letter to Ourselves)”. What might that letter say?

Josette: To keep going. Given everything that happened throughout 2017, to keep striving to be true. To be a better daughter, a better wife, a better mother, a better friend. To ask: How I can be better today?

Melinda: This is a piece created for us, by our own voices. The [creative] process has been as important as the performance. The letter would say: Surround ourselves with people who encourage ourselves to be ourselves.

Michelle: In light of the year, this choreography is a collaborative process with only women. (Assistant director included). To show each of our voice is valid. To comunicate that our voices are appreciated, valued, and cherished.

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Dorrance Dance

Dorrance Dance is performing at the Joyce Theater until December 31st.

I don’t think Michelle Dorrance Michelle Dorrance needs any introduction! Her show last night ended with the same choreography, Myelination, as it did at Fall for Dance in October. My favorite, though, goes to the opening choreography “Until the Real Thing Comes Along (A Letter to Ourselves).”

The piece is choreographed, performed, and improvised by four dancers: Michelle, Melinda Sullivan Melinda Sullivan, Josette Wiggan-Freund Josette Wiggan-Freund, and Jillian Meyers.

It was so much fun watching the four SUPER talented dancers play with each other and enjoy themselves on stage: Experimenting with rhythms, costumes, mustashe, coordinate moves, as well as spectacular solos. WOW! JUST WOW to Michelle’s solo!!! 😍 Also, I first saw Melinda in Postmodern Jukebox‘s Umbrella, and have been following the Sole Sisters ever since. It’s AMAZING to see Melinda perform in person! 😘

At the post-show curtain chat, Michelle described her vision to foster a collaborative environment where every dancer in her company can express their voice. It was wonderful to see her leadership, her philosophy of treating her dancers as her equals, and to see the resulting work from such a creative process.

In today’s patriarchal and oligarchical society, where so much is owned, controlled, and dictated by a few men, I can’t express how glad I am to see these four strong women stand up, demonstrate, and prove a different vision. BRAVOS!!!

By chance, I’ll have an opportunity to attend an open rehearsal with Dorrance Dance next week. Look forward to seeing more of how Michelle works with her dancers. 😀