Moving with Mantsoe Diabolical. Convulsive. Entertaining. Vincent Mantsoe, the Johannesburg-born dancer/sorcerer and 2004 “25 to Watch” draws from world dance forms ranging from African to Balinese to ballet. His five-member, Paris-based company performs SAN, set to Middle Eastern music that combines the traditional dances of Mantsoe’s native South Africa with modern street […]
More than any year in recent memory, I was absolutely astonished by certain pieces, so I thought I would start with them. Please keep in mind that this list is not comprehensive or objective (or orderly) in any way. It reflects only own reactions and is limited by where I was and what […]
A city where artists and dancers spur each other on Throughout Seattle thrives a vibrant, innovative, and inclusive dance community in which visual and performance art boundaries are blurred. The city teems with artists of all sorts: music, fashion, theatrical, visual. Perhaps the same factors of setting and culture that have made its […]
Ballet British Columbia Queen Elizabeth Theatre • Vancouver, Canada • November 18–20, 2010 • Reviewed by Michael Crabb Ballet BC’s season opener of three contemporary works was more than an evening of fine dancing. It was a triumphant declaration by the Vancouver-based troupe that it’s back from the brink and, in its 25th year, […]
While Jennifer Homans has been mourning the death of ballet, Crystal Pite’s new Dark Matters has been streaking across the international landscape. A monumental work that uses the ballet vocabulary as a basis, it tells a harrowing story of fearful shadows, human creativity, and willful destructiveness. Her craft is brilliant; the Kidd Pivot dancers’ virtuosity is astounding. […]
Kidd Pivot Frankfurt RM Peak Performances Alexander Kasser Theater, Montclair State University Montclair, NJ October 21–24, 2010 Reviewed by Wendy Perron  Peter Chu and puppet in the first act of Dark Matters. Photo by Dean Buscher, courtesy Peak Performances.  Overwhelmed. Speechless. Awe-struck. That’s how many in the audience reacted to this monumental work. […]
Empty Words, Full Dancing Known for his lavish, sexually edgy works like Le Parc, Le Sacre du Printemps, and L’Annonciation, Angelin Preljocaj brings a surprising “pure dance” piece to BAM’s Next Wave Festival. Empty moves (parts I and II) is a tribute to the Cage–Cunningham aesthetic, both in its use of Cage’s Empty […]
Historical Hula Hawaiian Island tradition meets West Coast theatricality when Na– Lei Hulu I Ka We–kiu performs “25 Years of Hula” at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre in San Francisco, Oct. 16–24. Led by Patrick Makuaka–ne, the troupe celebrates its 25th anniversary, showcasing works both old and new. The program includes […]
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