Search results for: ebony williams

Ebony Williams stands alone, strong and radiant in a pale leotard, facing a crowd of thousands. It’s the 2015 Made in America Festival in Philadelphia, and the audience of Beyoncé fans is awaiting their queen. Instead of the familiar music, however, poet Maya Angelou’s powerful voice rains down: “Many people wonder where my secret lies…,” […]

When Ebony Williams goes grocery shopping, people often stop her. “Do the ‘Single Ladies’ dance!” they beg. Seven years after Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” video debuted, Williams—one of just two backup dancers in the video—still gets called out in public. “People have said they recognize my butt cheeks,” Williams says, with a laugh. Although she spent […]

Cedar Lake shut down, and suddenly its dancers were thrust back into the job hunt. Cedar Lake in Richard Siegal’s My Generation. Photo by Julieta Cervantes, courtesy BAM. The dance world lost a cherished company when Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet took its final bow at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in June. Just two months prior, […]

Twelve years ago, a friend and I wandered to a converted photo studio in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood to see the debut of a brand-new contemporary ballet company. To be honest, we were mostly drawn by our curiosity over reports of generous dancer paychecks. We found out that although those paychecks had attracted a group of […]

If you’re not booking the jobs you want, don’t assume it’s a reflection of your talent. All too often, the most gifted performers get passed up for the ones who know how to work the industry better. Mistakes you don’t even realize you’re making could be interfering with your success. To help you get out […]

5 dancers who found their artist selves in college Rachel Meyer of Ballet BC. Photo: Michael Slobodian, Courtesy Ballet BC. Think you have to choose between going to college or heading straight to auditions right out of high school? Think again. More than ever dancers are pursuing bachelor degrees without putting their careers on hold. […]

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet has one of the coolest spaces—and some of the coolest dancers—in NYC. Artistic director Benoit-Swan Pouffer takes full advantage of both in his site-specific installations, the most recent of which is running at the Cedar Lake Theater through Friday. It’s a chance to see the incredible talents of Ebony Williams, Jon […]

At a dress rehearsal at Cedar Lake last night, I was wowed by the extremes that Cherkaoui took the dancers to. I am not going to comment on the choreography per se, because the premiere at Jacob’s Pillow isn’t until next month (see “Dance Matters” when you get your July issue of Dance Magazine). But […]