Eugene Loring coaches Daniel Levans as “Billy the Kid”
Sep
22
2015
Ever wonder what ballet coaching does? Above, Eugene Loring (right), choreographer of “Billy the Kid” and ballet master of the American School of Dance on Hollywood Boulevard as well as founder of the dance department at UC Irvine, coaches Daniel Levans in a 1973 re-staging of his work. (Levans, sadly, just passed away.) John Kriza, ...
Goodbye, Daniel Levans 8
Sep
21
2015
Sad to hear of the loss of the versatile American classical ballet dancer Daniel Levans (sometimes ‘Levins’), who was a principal with American Ballet Theatre right when I was first falling in love with the art form — and ABT! I was delighted in recent years to be Facebook friends with Daniel. Raised in the ...
Review: Diavolo’s “L’Espace du Temps” @ VPAC
Calling Diavolo: Architecture in Motion a dance company is like calling a monster truck a nice vehicle. It’s big. It’s brash. It’s loud. Sometimes it’s brilliant. The LA-based company performed its three-part “L’Espace du Temps” at the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC) September 19 and 20. Presented in partnership with the Ford Signature Series, it ...
Splashing with Steve Koplowitz at San Diego’s “Trolley Dances”
The life aquatic visits the land-of-the-drought via dance! Choreographer Stephan Koplowitz brings his keen eye for place, space, and unusual context to San Diego’s Trolley Dances for the next two weekends. The site-specific event, staged by San Diego Dance Theater for the past 17 years (a laudable achievement) tours dance lovers — and the just ...
Why “Raymonda”? Segerstrom’s Judy Morr shares love of this ballet
Sep
13
2015
In advance of the Mariinsky Ballet and Orchestra’s upcoming presentation of the full-evening version of “Raymonda,” dating to the late 19th century, we spoke to Segerstrom Center for the Arts Executive Vice President Judy Morr, who is the longtime dance curator at the Orange County arts complex. Judy, why present this ballet now? “Raymonda” is ...
Meanwhile, in Milan, Virgilio Sieni’s “Atlas of Gesture”
Do you think about dance as a form of communication? Italian choreographer Virgilio Sieni does, and he presents his ideas in a rigorous examination of the human gesture that underpins our art form. A performance of Sieni’s work, ‘Atlante del gesto’ (Atlas of gesture) a commissioned work to soon spool in architect Rem Koolhaus‘s exceptional ...
Ballet brawler: Edward Villella profiled
Sep
12
2015
Very impressive, comprehensive reportage on Edward Villella‘s whirlwind tour through the ballet company he founded, Miami City Ballet. The profile of Villella written by Miami-based dance critic Jordan Levin — it’s a story she lived. My sole quibble is with the title — The Spectacular Rise & Fall of Edward Villella, ‘America’s Baryshnikov — I ...
Bringing ballet to Beethoven: Melissa Barak @ the L.A. Phil
We chatted recently with Melissa Barak, artistic director of Barak Ballet, concerning her upcoming choreographic contribution to the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s annual gala concert September 29 at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The festive all-Beethoven program includes not only the Philharmonic but its conductor, Gustavo Dudamel, doing double duty with the Simon Boliivar Symphony of Venezuela. ...
Grover Dale’s Labor Day wish for dancers 1
It takes a dance legend with a resume as impressive as dancer/choreographer/dance educator Grover Dale to bring it down to what really matters. Yes, it’s work. Yes, you need the money. But, hey, dancer … do it because you have to. The above sketch was shared on this Labor Day weekend by Grover, the creative ...
Barrie Chase rocks the Hermes sandal 4
An interview with the statuesque and still beautiful Barrie Chase spurred a conversation on Facebook about the hip-looking Grecian-style sandals the cool sixties dancer wears in these photos. Chase has not only gorgeous long limbs, but beautiful ballet-trained feet. First to comment was longtime ballet master and presenter Don Hewitt, “I have called them Hermes ...