Kyle Abraham’s “Pavement” rolls down Laguna way 2
Sep
4
2016
This wonderful photo by Carrie Schneider, reminiscent of Jerome Robbins’s mise-en-scene for “West Side Story,” comes courtesy of the Laguna Dance Festival. The annual dance fest on the cusp of its 12th season presents Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion as one of three programs on offer the weekend of September 22. Abraham’s troupe joins BODYTRAFFIC and BalletX on ...
A new chapter for CalArts dance dean Stephan Koplowitz
Aug
30
2016
After a decade in the position, Stephan Koplowitz has stepped down as dean of dance at California Institute of the Arts, aka CalArts. As an internationally known artist, and a Herb Alpert Awardee, it comes as little surprise that after years devoted to dance education, Steve wishes to spend more time mining his own creativity. ...
Review: Natalia Osipova rules the boy’s club of “Tour de Force III” 2
The latest edition of packaged ballet entertainment wrangled by impresario Sergei Danilian, the force behind “Tour de Force III” presented Saturday night at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, brandished a sorry statistic. That each of the evening’s four repertory items was the creation of a male choreographer unfortunately goes without saying. The marginalization, no, ...
Walking with Trane and Urban Bush Women … at the Ford
Aug
23
2016
The “dance voices” of strong women will make a clarion call Saturday evening at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in a double pairing of dance companies offering not just glitzy surface but real content, story, mythology in a thoughtful program of contemporary dance. The evening’s main offering is the 30-year-old Urban Bush Women, straight outta ...
Sergei Polunin’s glowing moment in Southern California
We all seek our place in the sun don’t we? Sergei Polunin, the balletic wunderkind who has been much viewed on youtube, will soon enjoy a sunny, southern California summer. A true exemplar of glorious classical-ballet technique, Polunin will be among us, on screen and on stage, stretching into September. First, the movie. Polunin’s life ...
George Chakiris recalls ‘West Side Story’ filming 2
“All of Jerry’s choreography in this film is dialogue. It’s feeling. It’s not just dance steps.” So said George Chakiris apropos the choreography of Jerome Robbins, during “A Conversation with George Chakiris” at The Ellen Theater in Bozeman, Montana, in 2015. Robbins personally cast Chakiris as Bernardo, leader of the Sharks gang, for West Side ...
Love for Ethel Martin
Yes, love for Ethel Martin, the career-long Jack Cole dancer whose consistent, forthright and outspoken advocacy for Cole is nourishing my research. I agree with Ethel’s assessment whole-heartedly; she saw in Cole a great Unsung Genius. She devoted her career and all of her feisty spirit to him. In turn, I am doing my best ...
Rebecca Bruno’s walk around time at the Norton Simon Museum
I like costumes and coifed hair on dancers. Big thumbs up. That’s only one reason I so enjoyed dancer/choreographer Rebecca Bruno’s solo outing, “Unfinished” at the Norton Simon Museum last Saturday afternoon. The intriguing hour-long work set to cool music by Sam Widaman and atmospheric scenic design and lighting by Yann Novak also came equipped with ...
At Central Opera House, Cole choreographed ‘Bonanza Bound’
The former Central Opera House at 205 East 67th Street in New York City, pictured above. Here Jack Cole labored to create dance numbers for a notorious Broadway bomb, Bonanza Bound (1947). The turkey, however, had top talent behind it. A very rare musical flop by Comden and Green. After their astonishing rise from cabaret ...
The sound of America, courtesy of MUSE/IQUE
Enough of politicians yammering about being American! Let’s experience our national spirit in a much more intuitive manner, through art. Chamber-music series MUSE/IQUE is here to help. Established in 2011 by artistic director Rachael Worby (at left), the Pasadena-based MUSE/IQUE presents a three-concert summer lawn-festival across a dizzying array of genres — classical, ballet, jazz. ...