Dance
NY City Ballet Video
“He taught America how to dance…” How George Balanchine Created New York City Ballet a video by the New York City Ballet A beautifully filmed and narrated (by Peter Martins) video about this master choreographer of the twentieth century. Recommended in full screen ~ ~ ~ »
“Hunchback” Delivers Praiseworthy Performance
IN A PRODUCTION that would have made its namesake very proud, The Robert Ivey Ballet performed an impressive The Hunchback of Notre Dame that used students, friends, and professionals in the full- length story ballet choreographed by Olga Wise who, along with Michael Wise, is the artistic director of the company. Performed in two acts,... Read »
Traces of Delight
THE MEMBERS of the 7 Fingers troupe from Montreal are surely the most likeable group at Spoleto this year performing in their show Traces, which is a delightful blend of acrobatics, dance, and circus arts with an urban flare. The urban flare accounts for the skateboarding and street dance that gets mixed into this... Read »
Looking Through the Cracks of the Unusual
A CRACK IN EVERYTHING by husband and wife team Zoe/Juniper does indeed break apart our perceptions of space, time, and reality with a performance that magically blends video and movement. And though the artists are not the first to work this way, they handle this experience in a most inventive and unusual way which... Read »
Cedar Lake Features a Mix of Choreography
CEDAR LAKE Contemporary Ballet took grand gestures in stride at Spoleto Festival 2012, and invited us into their abstract terrain. The company graced us with a stellar program of enticing works by established choreographers: Hofesh Shechter’s “Violet Kid,” Angelin Prelijocaj’s revised 1995 work, “Annonciation,” and Crystal Pite’s “Grace Engine.” “Violet Kid” opened the evening’s... Read »
“Radio Show” Tunes In
KYLE ABRAHAM’s evening-length work, The Radio Show, is an intimate examination of loss of both a personal and cultural kind. One on hand, the dance draws from Abraham’s own father’s loss of speech and memory due to Alzheimer’s. On the other hand, it is inspired by the loss of a Pittsburgh urban radio station:... Read »
Alvin Ailey Dancers Still Revelatory
WATCHING the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre perform Friday night at the Gaillard Auditorium, two things became immediately apparent: one is the generosity of spirit these magnificent dancers employ; the other is how much the audience is so willing to love them in whatever they do. The opening program (it will be a different... Read »
A Conversation with Robert Battle
ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATRE is returning to Spoleto Festival for the fourth time, this year under the leadership of Robert Battle who called himself “the new guy” in a recent phone interview. He has held the coveted position for just a year. The company was founded 54 years ago by Alvin Ailey who... Read »
Spoleto Blooming: What Dance is Coming?
AS MAY UNFOLDS, the relief of the end of school approaches, graduations sprinkle through the weeks, and the respite of summer looms, we lucky Charlestonians have the added perk of welcoming the Spoleto Festival. It is not too early to make plans to see a terrific array of theatre, music, and dance which will... Read »
Royal Winnipeg Wins With Moulin Rouge
THIS THOROUGHLY SATISFYING production is like no other ballet that you will see with its combination of light entertainment, pantomime, “ballet theatre” (with operatic elements), and pure classical dancing—with some contemporary spice thrown in for pizzazz. Couple all this with well-cast soloists, a strong corps de ballet, seamless choreography, stirring music (29 pieces), and... Read »
