Sitting alone with Cynthia Gregory last night in the Rose Theater for the first NYIBC stage rehearsal, I realized we speak the same language. Not that I had any doubt, but it is always nice for your efforts to be validated. On both sides. As couple after couple filtered on for their allotted spacing … Read More >

It’s a Sunday night, and I’m gearing up for the last week of the Doug Varone and Dancers Workshop. This is my third summer as a student here, but every year I find myself bracing for the physical, mental, and emotional challenges of the three-week intensive.

We got to the … Read More >

I have been entrusted with teaching the contemporary duet for the 25th anniversary of the NY International Ballet competition.  It is my first time involved in this particular competition, which got under way on June 8th.   Richard Chen-See, a friend and fellow former Paul Taylor Dance… Read More >

Today is the final day of the Martha Graham Company's week-long run at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. What a thrill! It's been a bit tiring dealing with jet lag, language differences, long work days in the theater, interviews, classes and even company auditions. But in m… Read More >

It’s Friday night in downtown Detroit, and I’m in the dressing room of the Fox Theatre, getting ready to perform with the national touring company of Riverdance. The Boyne, as the North American company is known, called me in when one of their dancers went on leave, so I’m … Read More >

A brief visit to the Beausoleil studios of Les Ballets de Monte Carlo today suggested a professional environment that many dancers can only dream of—in the magnificent, spacious studios, called “L’Atelier” (an area adjacent to Monte Carlo, proper). The name itself is revealing… Read More >

Danzainfiera (see my earlier blog) finished in grand style in February with memorable performances by Italian artists:
• Former Martha Graham Dance Company member Adria Ferrali, who danced an eerie pas de deux with herself, slipp… Read More >

One of Florence's biggest dance events, danzainfiera, offers four full days of performances, classes, auditions, and competitions for every kind of dance imaginable. There are some clear favorites, though—hip hop, show dance, and tango reign supreme. But, for my money, I'll take some of… Read More >

The first thing that struck me about Guillermina Quiroga’s "Tango, Historias Breves" (Short Stories) Saturday, January 17th at NYU’s Skirball Center was the scent of the audience: Porteño.  I spent much of last year living and learning tango in Buenos Aires, so the… Read More >

We all know the saying “You win some, you lose some.” For dancers, performing is not simply winning or losing. We have grey areas, grey performances, moments that aren’t quite 100 percent. This is how I felt after our Sunday night performance in Beijing. A little grey. Nothing went terribly wro… Read More >

Here are a few things I learned during my first Beijing trip:
1. Even the translators are difficult to understand; however more people speak English than I expected, and most signs are in Chinese and English.
2. Indoor spitting is an accepted social behavior, including backstage at the t… Read More >

On a 13-hour flight to Beijing on Tuesday, December 9, with Jennifer Muller/The Works, I received a fortune cookie with one of my oh-so-delicious airline meals: “If done gently, you can shake the world.” More advice than fortune, but I realized that as a dancer, international tours are ex… Read More >

My week at the Festival is over.

When I said my goodbyes, the festival staff expressed surprise. "How can you leave now? You're going to miss the best!" (Both Giselle and Swan Lake were yet to come, not to mention the arrival of Carlos Acosta.) In retrospect, it does seem… Read More >

 

 

On Saturday, I was invited to attend a rehearsal of Cuba’s “other” ballet company, El Centro Prodanza, founded by Laura Alonso, daughter of Alicia and Fernando Alonso. Dancers for this company train at Ms. Alonso’s school, Prodanza. Fernando himsel… Read More >

It's day two of the Festival Internacional de Ballet de La Habana and my head is full. At this event, one minute you're listening to the French choreographer Michel Descombey (now in Mexico, formerly of the Paris Opéra Ballet) say that he's nervous about how the Cuban people will r… Read More >

Alicia Alonso and the Ballet Nacional de Cuba may hold centerstage at the Festival and in the hearts of the Cuban people, but across town an exciting young company is raising the profile of modern dance in Cuba: Compania Danza Contemporanea de Cuba, directed by Miguel Iglesias Ferrer. On Friday (Octo… Read More >

Prima ballerina assoluta Alicia A… Read More >