Category: DANCE

Posted on

Complexions

Complexions Contemporary Ballet was AMAZING at the Joyce Theater last night. What an incredible group of talented dancers with so much artistry and such impeccable techniques.

Star Dust was still the same stunning, energetic, over-the-top, rock-n-roll ballet concert that captured my heart for the past two years. The piece is set to fourteen songs by David Bowie, as a tribute to the singer.

Bach 25, a world premiere, consisted some of the finest and most beautiful ballet movements.

Thanks for a wonderful evening, Complexions. Go see them at the Joyce Theater from now till March 3rd!

Posted on

DanceBreak

Had a blast seeing all the great work and talented dancers at DanceBreak yesterday.

Each of the six choreographers were tasked with creating two musical numbers, with no more than 10 dancers and in under 12 hours of rehearsal times. It’s incredible to see what they were able to accomplish.

Some of my favorites…

“I’ve just seen a face” by Paul McGill. Love the cloudy dreamy feel of the piece that’s filled with technical movements and lifts.

“You can call me Al” also by Paul McGill.

“Buenos Aires” by Avihai Haham is filled with energy.

“And so it begins” by Stacey Tookey about the auditioning. As Stacey describes it, you go through every audition three times: On the way there, at the audience, and on the way back.

“Run” by Marc Kimelman about belonging and connecting.

Posted on

For Norma

More throwbacks to 2018 — I had lots of fun dancing in “For Norma” by Dawn Hillen as part of the Broadway Dance Center Student Showcase this May. Thank you, Dawn, for encouraging me to perform in my first ballet!!

Posted on

In the Air Tonight

Final throwback and one of my favorite memories of 2018 — Dancing in Michelle Barber‘s jazz fusion choreography “In the Air Tonight” as part of the Broadway Dance Center Student Showcase this May. Thank you, Michelle, for having me in your beautiful piece and for teaching me so much in your classes this year!!! Thanks also to everyone who came out to see me!

Posted on

More of the Trocks at the Joyce Theater

Absolutely loved “Stars and Stripes Forever” and “Chopeniana” by the Trocks!!!

Stunning pas de deux. Gorgeous fouettes with exciting double turns. The evening was a beautiful technical showcase of classical ballet.

Yet, you don’t want to miss any of the corps variations, silly pre-show announcements, hilarious program notes, the drinking and the champagne on stage, or the naps and sleep-walking ballerina who fell off the stage.

Bravos to this company of all-male ballet dancers en pointe for giving us ballet comedy at its finest.

Posted on

The Trocks at the Joyce Theater

Wrapping up the year with hilarious ballet comedy by the Trocks at the Joyce Theater.

From the silly stage names and absurd bios in the printed program to the comical pre-show announcements… from Swan Lake to the encore “modern” performance featuring high kicks to the tune of Winter Wonderland… we were treated to a beautiful and fun night of ballet by this company of talented all-male dancers.

Posted on

PMT Fall Dance Series

Beautiful performance by Julia Kane Dance Collective tonight at the PMT Fall Dance Series!!! Go dance with Julia Kane on Mondays if you like what you saw!

Great to see the amazing Sadie McNamara on stage again, the unexpected hip hop side of Micaela Butnar (That solo in the jam circle! 🤗), Janine Fittipaldi outside of ballet (🤩), and Julie Hricko being all sassy.

Also enjoyed the waacking+theatre choreo (Yes you read that right.) by Miki Tuesday.

Posted on

Minimalism and Me by Twyla Tharp

Minimalism and Me: A fascinating lesson through dance history this afternoon with Twyla Tharp at the Joyce Theater.

Who wants go to back and see the show again with me???

Today’s program is by far my favorite among the different works I’ve seen by Twyla.

Twyla explored minimalism at the start of her career. In her first ever work “Tank Dive”, premiered in 1965, she held second position in elevé for 3.5 continuous minutes while Petula Clark’s recording of “Downtown” played in the background. And that’s it. That is the entirety of choreography. Yet “Tank Dive” was oddly satisfying to watch.

From there, Twyla explored how she could continue to reduce dance into even simpler movements. What could possibly be less than holding the second position, you ask? The answer is… a lot!!!

She and her close-knit group of female dancers “did not take curtain bows” back then because “often there was no audience left by the end of the performance” according to Twyla, as she retold the stories jokingly and proudly. “We danced wherever we could dance.” Indeed, they experimented with and redefined the boundaries of dance.

Act I on minimalism ended with the amazing “The Fugue”, premiered in 1970. I’ve seen the piece before, but Twyla’s stories today gave the piece a whole new interpretation.

Bravos to all the talented and passionate dancers, Kara Chan, Kellie Drobnick, Mary Beth Hansohn, Matthew Dibble, Ronnie Todorowski, Reed Tankersley, for recreating the dances for us today. Thank you for a marvelous show!!!