New York Notebook

January 29, 2008

THE MEXICANOS ARE COMING

Ballet de Monterrey, an exuberant young company from Mexico, comes to the Joyce Feb. 26–March 2. Now under the artistic direction of Miami City Ballet star Luis Serrano (see “Dancers in Love,” page 30), the company brings two ballets by the late Vicente Nebrada, known for the theatricality and sensuality of his choreography. Also on the program are a hybrid ballet-with-break-dancing by Ann Marie De Angelo (BdM’s first artistic director), and Grapatango, Jorge Amarante’s sultry tango for three couples. The company boasts two top-notch ballerinas in Katia Carranza and Dalirys Valladares.

See www.joyce.org.

—Wendy Perron

 

WOMEN ON THE EDGE

Deganit Shemy & Company’s Iodine (YOD), an evening-length sextet for women, premieres at P.S. 122, Feb. 5–10. Hailed as one of Israel’s most promising young choreographers, Shemy has presented her work in New York since moving here in 2005. Inspired by her childhood on a kibbutz, Iodine deals with extreme tension between group and individual identity. “It’s a microcosm of women examining themselves through the reflection of others,” she says, “and through the outside eye of the audience that, like a conscience, diagnoses and judges them.” An artist of paradox, Shemy notes that iodine covers and heals a wound while deeply staining and defining it. See www.ps122.org.

—Eva Yaa Asantewaa

 

GONGING IN THE NEW YEAR

It was once believed that 5,000 years of Chinese culture would be lost behind its red curtain. But since 2004, New Tang Dynasty TV, a Chinese-language broadcaster, has reinvigorated the traditional scene with its Chinese New Year extravaganzas that celebrate this holiday of reflection and renewal. This year, NTDTV has partnered with Divine Performing Arts to present its Chinese New Year Splendor at Radio City Music Hall, Jan. 30–Feb. 9. The production features musicians and dancers who are trained in both ballet and classical Chinese dance. Delicate postures and athletic tumbling combine with a twinge of Western flair to enliven ancient stories. See www.Bestchineseshows.com.

—Ainsley Bartholomew

 

FIREWORKS OF INTERNATIONAL BALLET

For sheer ballet virtuosity, you can’t beat the Stars of the 21st Century. This year the evening brandishes the new power partnership of Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev (both among our “25 to Watch”), whose jumps and turns have to be seen to be believed. We also get a rare visit from the gorgeous Lucia Lacarra and Cyril Pierre of Munich Ballet, the mercurial Daniil Simkin from Vienna Opera Ballet, and the Russian favorites Denis & Anastasia Matvienko. If you splurge for a ticket, you won’t be sorry. Feb. 11 at New York State Theater.  www.starsofthe21stcentury.com.

—W.P.

 

THE RETURN OF FORAY FORÊT

One of the most mysterious and vaporous of Trisha Brown’s works, Foray Forêt makes its way back into the repertoire for the Joyce season Feb. 5–10. The accompaniment is a live marching band playing outside the theater. The effect is like when you’re at a carnival after it’s over and an exquisite melancholy sets in. Also on the program are Brown’s whimsical I love my robots and If you couldn’t see me, a signature solo now performed by company member Leah Morrison. See www.joyce.org.

—W.P.

 

FLAMENCO, YOU ARE WOMAN

Flamenco’s fiery footwork and coiling hands come to the annual Flamenco Festival, co-sponsored by World Music Institute, at City Center this month. This year’s festival pays tribute to outstanding female artists. The opening gala on Feb. 15, entitled Mujeres (“Women”), features the legendary Merche Esmeralda, famous for her sensuous Sevillanas folk dance; Belén Maya, known for her idiosyncratic rhythms; and rising star Rocío Molina. On Feb. 16 and 17, Eva Yerbabuena, one of Spain’s most powerful modern flamencas, presents a compilation of her most acclaimed choreographies in Santo y Seña (“Signs and Wonders”). See www.worldmusicinstitute.org or www.nycitycenter.org.

—Richa Gulati

 

Photo: Guillermo Galindo, Courtesy Ballet de Monterrey