Dance finds ‘sea legs’ at Montpellier Danse 2024
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au bord de la mer, on the cote d’azure, in nice The expression, to “find your sea legs” feels apt for dance right now. The term refers to the human body’s struggle to adjust to the pitching-and-rocking of a ship in motion. It’s a jolting loss of balance; it’s the absence of terra firma. Four ...
Shelley Duvall’s special dance as Olive Oyl, in ‘Popeye’ 4
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Seen above, a personal photo published with permission. It is a beatific pose by the recently deceased actress Shelley Duvall dancing as Olive Oyl in director Robert Altman’s “Popeye” (1980). Duvall (1949-2024), who recently passed away, led a long and memorable career primarily as a character actress, but in this case she played a full ...
Mexican-born, American-trained Isaac Hernandez to join ABT as Principal Dancer
Jul
11
2024
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Isaac Hernández. Photo: Erik Sawaya. Our friends at American Ballet Theatre, which under the guidance and decision-making of new Artistic Director Susan Jaffe seem to have awakened from a long Sleeping Beauty-like slumber, have stirring news to share. The company’s highest ranks will have a new addition. It’s a long, slim, classically trained dancer of ...
Strangers-on-a-Tram meet at Montpellier’s Hotel ‘Richer de Belleval’
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You’ve heard of the Hitchcock thriller, Strangers on a Train (1951), in French, L’Inconnu du Nord-Express, starring Robert Walker and Farley Granger, based on a novel by Patricia Highsmith. But have you heard of “Strangers on a Tram”? I hadn’t either, not until my visit to the beautiful, historic and aesthetic city of Montpellier in ...
Nice’s Windsor Hotel — jungle refuge for traveling arts lovers
Jul
6
2024
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garden patio of nice’s windsor hotel in south of france The artist’s hotel, a venerable tradition, is alive and well in France’s golden Cote d’Azure, aka The Riviera. For three nights prior to attending Montpellier Danse, we recovered from jet-lag in Nice — the sun-dappled, seaside city on the Mediterranean. Our home base was the ...
A shuffle away from democracy in prescient ‘Shiraz’ at Montpellier Danse
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It is nothing less than a confounding political moment in which to write about “Shiraz,” a dauntingly brilliant dance performance seen last night at Montpellier Danse’s Hanger Theatre performed by a troupe directed by a young choreographer, Armin Hokmi. The Iranian-born, Berlin-based dance maker made very clear that his work was inspired by the suppressed ...