Dance
Striking Performance by Corella Ballet
THE CORELLA BALLET’s performance at the Gaillard Auditorium Friday night was one of those Spoleto moments where artistry and virtuosity aligned in exquisite perfection. The flawless execution by the dancer under the direction of Angel Corella showed a company beautiful to behold as well as a program that displayed the magnitude of the art... Read »
When the Old Becomes New
IN THE PREVIEW performance of Khmeropedies l& ll that began Spoleto Festival’s 35th season at the Emmett Robinson Theatre, the idea of dance as a tradition was seen as a tenuous thing. Passing it down is tricky, as the human memory is faulty and specifics may vanish in the blip of a generation; and... Read »
A Little Spoleto Magic
ONE OF THE WAYS that Spoleto will be observing what would be the 100th birthday of Gian Carlo Menotti, the festival’s founder, is by presenting one of his operas, The Medium, at the Dock Street Theatre. First performed in 1946, it is the story of a phony psychic who claims to contact the dead... Read »
Talking to CBT’s Jill Eathorne Bahr
Charleston Ballet Theatreʼs Jill Eathorne Bahr talks about Piccolo Spoleto and the companyʼs upcoming 25th Anniversary season CT: There is such a variety in your offerings this season at Piccolo Spoleto. How did you decide which dance performances would fit well together in such a tight season? JEB: Music is often the creative inspiration... Read »
The Gods Must Be Crazy About “Xanadu”!
WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED that a live version of the 1980 movie “Xanadu” was being produced on Broadway, it seemed the demise of American theatre had arrived. Conventional wisdom cannot explain how an insipid movie with a schmaltzy plot about a roller disco could inspire such a clever parody, but the creators of “Xanadu” did... Read »
Spoleto 2011 Dance Preview
NOW THAT THE COLOR-FILLED CARPET of Spring has been rolled out and the Royals have been married off, Spoleto Festival USA is ready to spread its wings in Charleston for 17 fun-filled days (beginning May 27). The lineup for this 35th year looks particularly exciting with 152 performances and performers from all corners of... Read »
Collaborations: A Dance Concert
Submitted to the Creative Writing Corner by Gabrielle Schecker BACK IN MARCH, I attended the College of Charleston Department of Theatre’s annual dance concert, Collaborations. At first, I couldn’t make a connection between the title and the program. When the lights dimmed and the curtains opened, I concentrated on the dancers, the songs, the... Read »
Collaborations at College of Charleston
WE EXPECT ONE ARTIST to produce one work of art, but what if several artists combine their visions in a work of art? Generally something unexpected occurs, especially for the originators themselves. Such an approach to the creative process is an exciting phenomenon that many artists aren’t willing to share, but at the College... Read »
The Beauty and Inspiration of Dance
SOME IN THE Gaillard audience for this Charleston Concert Association production on Monday night were surprised to see two Russian National Ballet Theatre events on the program rather than the one advertised—Romeo and Juliet. Fortunately, however, surprise did not lead to disappointment. First up was the delicate Chopiniana, a 1907 work by choreographer Mikhail... Read »
The Grand Prix of Dance
A GRAND PRIX nowadays is thought of as a sporting event and, in the case of race cars, a fast one. For Ballet Grand Prix, which performed last week at the Gaillard, the concepts of ‘sporting’ and ‘fast’ certainly applied. Some 30 dancers raced through 22 pieces in 90 minutes with no breaks other... Read »
The churches of Charleston
are unique in their variety, grandeur, and architecture. We give you an in-depth view.~> Read more