George Chakiris: Riff before Bernardo

Dance · Film · Theater
George Chakiris as Riff in West Side Story, in 1959 It’s one of those fascinating show-biz factoids. For fourteen months, circa 1959, George Chakiris, a good friend of artsmeme, performed in the London company of West Side Story, at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London’s West End theater district. What is little known is that the ...

Rachel Maddow hails dancing brothers & sisters from Cuba 2

Dance · Ideas & Opinion
Mr. Obama, tear down that wall! In her news broadcast last night, MSNBC commentator/anchorwoman Rachel Maddow gave a righteous shout-out to the Cuban-expatriate (really “exile’ is the proper expression up till now) classical dancers who grace our major ballet companies — and oh yes, for good measure Maddow also notes sports figures! Featured dance companies ...

Gang warfare quelled by dancer love — backstage at Miami City Ballet 3

Dance · Film
On stage, it was “The Jets are gonna have their way …  tonight.” It was the premiere of Jerome Robbins‘s “West Side Story Suite” at Miami City Ballet. A big tangle of tension, gang hatred, rumble, and knife-fight. But backstage, a cross-generational love fest took hold, as George Chakiris, the iconic Sharks gang-leader, now retired, ...

A rumble, with love, at Miami City Ballet 2

Dance · Film
Valentine’s Day love continues to take new and different forms. This year, February 14, 2014, in serendipitous Miami, Florida, a love connection of a special sort occurred at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. It was a backstage visit by Oscar-winning dancer/actor George Chakiris following Miami City Ballet’s premiere performance of “West Side ...

West Side Story’s George Chakiris to host Miami City Ballet gala 4

Dance · Film
The distinction — true, false or otherwise — between so-called commercial dancers and those of the “concert” dance world will be breached February 14, 2014, when George Chakiris, “Bernardo” in WEST SIDE STORY (1961), hosts a gala to benefit Miami City Ballet, one of the nation’s leading classical ballet companies. Chakiris, who began his long ...

Our Lady of Lourdes blesses Miami City Ballet 1

Dance
Oh thank you, dear merciful Our Lady of Lourdes. And thank you to the 11-member committee, who along with Miami City Ballet’s new executive director, Nicholas Goldsborough, conducted the search for a successor to Edward Villella. You anointed in this heavenly role the French patron-saint’s name sake — Lourdes Lopez. And she’s a woman! Er .. ...

Lourdes Lopez to succeed Edward Villella at Miami City Ballet

Dance
In an electrifying announcement, Miami City Ballet shares the news that Lourdes Lopez, the Cuban-born and Miami-raised former ballerina with New York City Ballet, has been named successor to Edward Villella, the company’s founding artistic director who is soon to retire. Ms. Lopez’s post will commence in Miami City Ballet’s 2013-14 season. Mr. Villella’s immense ...