An Oscar cookie for the New York dance world
Strike a dance pose! cried the photographer, and the critics complied. Contrary to popular belief, when artsmeme is not excavating the coal mines of library archives for factoids to tickle your fancy, or cajoling you to attend the latest cool performance, she has a social life! This gathering on Oscar Sunday in New York included ...
Dance-movie delirium, as vibrant posters invade Pillow 1
Four years have passed since Mike Kaplan, an art director, marketing strategist, film producer and friend of arts·meme (FOAM), shared his hugely popular collection of dance movie posters at Jacob’s Pillow, GOTTA DANCE. Now, in certified Hollywood tradition, that exhibition has spawned a sequel. GOTTA DANCE TOO now hangs in the Pillow’s Blake’s Barn, displaying ...
Mitchell Leisen’s first design project? A costume for Martha Graham!
Los Angeles has long been an arts beehive, dating back to the 1910s when modern-dance goddess Martha Graham and film director Mitchell Leisen converged here. We enjoyed receiving this amazing Los Angeles dance-film anecdote from Norton Owen, a friend of arts·meme and the Director of Preservation at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Writes Norton: I am ...
Commemorating George Balanchine who died 30 years ago 1
Apr
30
2013
Thirty years since he left us, we are still in his thrall. Here’s a wonderful historic photo of the great Russian-born choreographer-genius George Balanchine, provided to us by the chief archivist of Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Norton Owen. In this beautifully composed photograph, Balanchine instructs Mary Ellen Moylan. Photo credit: Hans Knopf, 1942, Jacob’s Pillow ...
Dance preservationist Norton Owen honored with ‘Dance in Focus’ award 1
Jan
25
2012
On 20 January 2012, the Dance on Camera Festival, now powering up in New York, honored Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival Director of Preservation, Norton Owen, for his outstanding contribution to the dance film genre. [click on photo for detail] Said Marta Renzi, board president of the Dance Films Association, which runs the annual Lincoln center ...
Jack Cole’s modern-dance roots at the Pillow
Norton Owen, Director of Preservation at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in the Berkshire Mountains, initiated a celebration of the jazz choreographer, Jack Cole in August. In the video below Owen, joined by dance historian Maura Keefe and southern California’s own Larry Billman (at 8:17), discusses Cole’s early career and clarifies his connection to the place ...